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ask-dr-knockout · 7 years

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Perfection through Deception

(Oneshot Takes Place after the events in @tyrantofthefirmament and @ask-dr-knockout “Reunion” RP Story)

Previously: Knockout had just arrived back at the Autobot base after coming across the gravely Injured Starscream out in the wastes of Cybertron. Soon after he leaved the Seeker behind but only after secreting him away to his once old base of black market operations. For his trouble in helping the former Air Commander he is covered in scratches and rust dust grime while forced to contend with an very irritated Ultra Magnus upon his return. As discipline for his negligence to report in to the rest of the Autobot team while on patrol Knockout is sent off to monitor duty without the opportunity to clean up his damaged pride first. A punishment detail Knockout is remiss to follow.

Knockout stormed into the monitoring room barely containing his ire! His claws raked across the border of the entrance with an unpleasant shriek. The sound alone causing the occupant in the room to startle in their seat. “What the Scarp!? Oh… Knock Out… It’s just you… You mind not defacing the brand new base I thought you were the one saying we need to wax every surface…” Arcee had only briefly glanced back to catch the other in the corner of her optic between monitoring what looked like a shadow on the west perimeter. After a zoom in yielded only a wayward turbo mouse she continued. “Sooo…Judging from the entrance… What has you grinding gears this time?- Wait don’t tell me, you ran out of polish? or Ratchet had you pulling a double shift?… hurm No?… OH Smokescreen stole your buffer again!” Arcee shot off with practiced interest. Her speech dry as per tradition between their interactions during their shift changes.

Knockout rolled his optics at her for good measure. There was something familiar however… and almost welcoming about the unwarranted sass that Arcee brought to the table it reminded him of simpler times sometimes… Knockout relaxed slightly despite himself. He fell into a new but somewhat normal routine with the warrior Fem and that was one of the few things he could appreciate.

“Maybe if you turned around to greet me like a normal civilized Cybertronian you could see it for yourself!” he huffed back crossing his arms indignantly. “Oooo… Yep that’s bad.” Arcee cringed in sympathy for once as she spun around having finished her log to see what terrible oh so horrible thing had befallen the ever dramatic Knockout this time.

“YES IT IS! And the Big Blue himself has deemed it acceptable for THIS-” he motioned to his entire body exasperated. “ –to remain until my monitoring shift is over so~ if you wouldn’t mind hurrying up and vacating the preemies!!! ~Please my dear~ I would like to get on with it!” “What no elaborate story telling today Knockout? I’m Shocked! Surely this all must come with a long winded tale that should garner my sympathy? I’m so disappointed in you!” Arcee gave a fake pout. Getting up from her seat in her ever typical way she tilted her hips while crossing her arms with an amused smirk.

“I could always tell you about the time Rats Infeste a Vehicons Interior again if you like seems right up your interest with organics and all… Arcee…” He scoweled. “heh so its going to be like that tonight I see… It’s a shame I might have fetched you your Buffer.” She flashed Knockout a knowing look. “Arcee…Trust me when I say a BUFFER isn’t enough for this atrocity to my finish! Now in the words of our esteemed rusty CMO “YEP YEP YEP” and get out of this room before I throw you out!” “Careful I will tell Ratchet you stole that from him.” Arcee giggled lightly amused.

Knockout didn’t reply but simply ex-vented waving a hand to shoo her away he was done talking. He took a seat as dignified as he possibly could manage while picking at his back or rather trying to… Arcee’s optics softened a bit as she got a look at him when the doctor turned his back to her. She never had seen Knockout in this state before; well not since New York and the Train incident that shall not be named. Something out of the ordinary was definitely going on with him. Perhaps later when he had a chance to clean up he would come back to air his grievances like he usually did. It wasn’t like him to hold back like this. “You know my com is always open if you get bored.” Arcee smiled patting Knockout on the shoulder as she left.

“Watch the Fin-“ Arcee had already exited, the door sliding shut. “-oh why do I even care at this point…” he sighed while logging into the monitoring systems at least now he had some peace and quiet. Suddenly an image of Starscreams broken dead body laying out in an abandoned scrap pile shot across his processor. He flinched.

That was right… He, had bigger things to worry about now. Knockouts processor raced with all the possibilities of how he could be punished for this and for a moment Knockout wondered if he should even go back. “who can blame a monster for acting as a monster would”

Uhg Right, so how to go about this then.

…

Knockouts fingers rapt the keypad in bored chorus the glow of the monitors playing out before optics that stared out into the vast space of thought beyond. He realized his greatest risk would be his location beacon. If he simply returned to the same place he had been before it would raise far too much suspicion putting him and Starscream at risk of discovery. But if he simply switched off his locator beacon that would be suspicious and call his loyalties into question too.

Think Knockout think! He inspected the scalpel like edges of his finger tips as he idly spun in his chair.

There was always a way to play the system he used to do this all the time. If only he could just be in two places at once this wouldn’t be an issue! He groaned leaning back the metal chair conforming to his weight its mechanisms creaking slightly with its constant use.

A few seconds later and Knockout Snapped his talons! That was it!

He Spun in his chair around excitedly using the motion to make sure nothing, or no one was watching him besides the security feeds above him.

Of course he could not be in two places at once physically speaking, but~ he was certainly capable of creating that illusion.

Soundwave wasn’t the only hacker with a few tricks up his subspace pocket.

Typing away at the consul he accessed the security feed logs. Once inside the mainframe Knockout began to work as if he was simply reviewing the previous surveillance data as per usual.

Unbeknownst to the surveillance above him a small data cable had slipped out from his wrist holding a compact data chip. The width of his Door panel easily concealed the device from view while it plugged in with a barely audible click. The screen flickered so quickly it was nearly undetectable to the untrained optic. A classic little hacking trick that faked signals and then some! he contained his excitement behind a bored looking demeanor. He had never dared try this before on the nemesis. Deceiving Soundwave the spymaster in favor of his infamous racing jaunts; however tempting it had been would never have gone over well. But~ that wasn’t to say the current team of Autobus weren’t exactly adept at this type of cunning.

They wouldn’t detect this… he smiled as it loaded and disappeared into the endless weave of data. With this little program he would be able to directly control the security signals wirelessly! The hacking ware was already made to blend in with the normal source code and did nothing to interfere with the original data. Rather it simply manipulated its existing contents in a way that prevented undesired security data from being recorded at all by replacing it with loops or old content!

He could even set notifications to inform him where his teammates were at any given moment in relation to his proximity protocols. Though the latter would be a bit more difficult to multitask given the number of mechs on base currently not mentioning the drones. He wasn’t Soundwave after all, but given Ultra Magnus’s strict and highly predictable duty roster it would be easy to at least predict to a degree and play with the data accordingly. With a wireless uplink encrypted into his own comn system he would be able to manipulate the data from anywhere he could hold a signal! He could even mess with the visual feeds all he had to do was plan a little in advance. He smirked proudly at himself for his cunning. He knew stealing this tech from that one bounty hunter would be worth the risk some day! There would be no proof of when or who interwove this secondary program into the network. Sure one could pick apart the encrypted code but that be no easy feat given who this code was originally designed by. Knockout inwardly mused. In fact the tech had the mechs signature style and fingerprint all over it within the data. It was his work not Knockouts.

With no direct way to pin this back on him it would be highly unlikely the Autobots would have a leg to stand on. If they did find out and decrypt everything the data instantaneously erased its own contact code upon discovery. He would just have to be careful in how he used it and make careful calculations when best to leave the base undetected, AND when to return. He realized with a sinking feeling… The safest time would be during his off shifts… well there went his personal time… He felt tired just thinking about this…

Why did Starscream always have a way to make him feel so tired? He sighed. “because personal time is so important when you left a mech to blead out in the middle of nowhere” Knockout remembered the supplies he left would only last the seeker so long… He supposed he could rest some of the time at the secret facility he had left to Starscream when he had to. This could work, if he played his cards right… it had to work. Now if this would just hurry up and finish uploading already! Every second he sat waiting was a second he could be caught in the act. “Com on Com on…” he internally chanted.

A few minutes later the chip ejected itself from the access port and Knockouts data cable retracted the chip to tuck safely away under his armor compartment once again.

Well… only one way to find out if it actually worked…

with a test.

Knockout relaxed finally as he leaned back in his seat propping his foot onto the consul like he normally would before crossing them and making himself comfortable. One couldn’t be too hasty he still had to check his options after all. For a while He watched the normal boring evening events of the Autobot base. Drones chatting in the barracks and sharing energon rations. The guards outside the base carving the occasional Decepticon logos on the side of the base to be rebellious little punks. Knockout Laughed at that.

Then he chanced the feed. He noticed with an irritated twitch of his optics that smokescreen was currently in the rec center buffing his finish in plain view of the cameras. He was doing it on purpose to taunt him… he knew it! Oh he would pay for this! Somehow…Eventually… However that gave him a thought.

Of course! Knockout sat forward and rubbed his chin guard a smirk forming on his porcelain face. “Now THAT is an idea!~” He cooed with a sly lilt in his tone. The perfect means to test out his little trick AND get his justified disserts! As the saying went He could have his Energon Cake and eat it too! Knockout checked the monitors and signal beacons once more as he devised his personal mission. “hummm Bulkheads in the Training bay… So is Wheeljack. Typical, they probably will need repairs tomorrow, oh goodie.” Knockout mumbled aloud to himself without fear of the security feed he had just set to loop above him. Its protocols making it appear as if he was still leaning back in his chair unmoving as he was just moments before. “Signals indicate Arcee is in the recreational room talking to Ratchet and Bumblebee is in recharge. Meh… Ultra Magnus is in his office… Big surprise!” Knockout pretended to pinch the mechs helm between his pointer and thumb repeatedly before his optics caught the dreaded sight of that blue and yellow glint on another feed once more. “Now what is that kid doing… uhhhgg of course NOW Smokescreen is going to join the two Thick Helms in training! Doesn’t he know you are supposed to buff AFTER training NOT BEFORE! THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE YOU DOLT!” Knockout yelled at the tiny image of smokescreen and flicked the screen where the guard mech’s face resided.

Plink! He paused however when he noticed curiously that Wheeljack and Bulkhead were shaking their heads and pointing to Smokescreens arm, undoubtedly at the phase shifter. “Hello… what is this? Only willing to play fair with buddy bruisers I see.” Knockout hummed intrigued as Smokescreen did the unthinkable and complied to his friends requests by taking off his “Signature weapon” and placing it within the nearby weapons locker in favor of sparing with Wheeljack.

“Well that’s interesting… never thought you took it off~ Primus knows you even bathed with it.” Knockout sneered but all the same storing that knowledge for a later time. He flicked the screen three more times for good measure, one for each Bolt Brained Bruiser.

Plink, Plink, Plink!

With one last data sweep and every mech and fem accounted for on base Knockout finally activated his cryptic signal and began to input his subtle commands.

The security feeds leading directly to his personal quarters began to loop footage just as he had made the monitor rooms do. The footage being taken from the previous nights displayed nothing but empty halls all while his signal remained stationary in the monitor room. He shifted getting up from his seat Starscreams left over coolant stains dribbling down the back of the chair and mixing with the caked on dust falling off with each movement.

“Well, well it would seem there has been an unforeseen shift change for this evening Ultra Magnus” Knockout chuckled mockingly at the image of the unsuspecting Commander diligently logging reports from the confines of his office. Setting the monitor chair spinning casually Knockout sashayed to the exit. Before the door could close behind him he turned to giving one final mock salute, “See you Bright and SHINEY in the morning Sir~ HAH! HAHAHAH!” Oh he was going to savor this! His footfalls echoed unnoticed in the abandoned halls just as he had planned.

Operation OilBath was a go.

#maccadam #transformers prime #transformers #fanfic #perfection through deception #one shot #story #takes place after reunion rp #continues the story of what happened once ko got back to base #rp #oneshot #this story takes place after predacons rising and after knockout comes across starscream out in the wastes of cyberton #ultra magnus #starscream #knockout #tfp

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lesbian-deadpool · 4 years

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Roses In A Storm

Part Three: What A Time To Be Alive

Prelude | Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Words: 5,681

Warnings: Talks of alcoholism and recovery, family issues, Red-Skull (hes’s a Nazi, that’s a warning in its own lmao), heights, light angst, talks of self deprecation/hate, explosions, talks of abuse/violence/murder/death, space stuff, I thin that may just be it.

Request: Yes. Many times.

Summary: The end of the journey.

A/N: Welcome to the end of this story! I really hope you liked this fucked up ride. If you want someone to thank for making me writhe this fic, then you best go bother @missmonsters2 lol! Hope this is what you wanted wifey!

Ko-Fi

(Not My GIF)

***

That's all it takes.

A few words from Tony Stark and you're on the right path again.

Well...

As right as it can be.

The past few months had been long and gruelling.

There were times, too many than you wanted to admit, where you just wanted to give up. But you never did. And that was largely thanks to Tony and his family.

You would colour or play adventure with Morgan, cook with Pepper and Tony. Helped where you could with Tony and his inventions, but mainly you would just watch him, letting him distract you as he worked away, while you two conversed. You even became a "stand-in Assistant" when Pepper was rushed with mass amounts of work.

Whenever you were craving alcohol, Tony would always say the same thing:

"Sorry, Strange's orders."

"Since when did you take anyone's orders?"

"Since we could get Natasha back."

He was a real bastard, sometimes.

"Have you seen your parents yet?" he had asked, a little over a month into your recovery.

In your silence, Tony knew your answer.

"It's been seven months, Y/N-"

"I know how long it's been," you snapped. You rubbed at your forehead with a frustrated sigh. Trying to fight off the spinning in your head, "I can't see them like this, Tony. They were so proud of me and everything I've done- Did. Everything I did," you clarified, "And If I go to them now. What are they going to see? An alcoholic failure, who quit their job, is now a fucking hitman. And is in love with a woman- who is, apparently, inside of a fucking stone! What are they gonna say to that? Huh?"

"They still love you, Y/N."

You had tears in your eyes as you shook your head. He was right, you knew that, but you still couldn't see them. You knew you wouldn't be able to bear it if they saw you like this.

"Please, Y/N. Go home. See them. Tell them you love them," Tony practically begged you, "Trust me. You only get so long with them. You should know that you've lost people you love, too."

"I know..." you said weakly.

And that was the end of that conversation.

Yeah.

He really was a bastard, sometimes.

But now, five and a half months later, you felt better.

You felt so much better.

And you had finally seen your parents.

For the first time, in a year.

Your interaction with them had been just as Tony had said it would be. They welcomed you with open arms. Telling you how much they loved you. How proud of you they still were. They told you there was no reason for you to apologise.

Fuck Tony Stark and how right he was.

That bastard.

***

You felt like a stranger walking through these halls, but familiar to the surroundings at the same time. Almost like you were walking the halls of your old school.

It was... eerie?

Was that even the best term to use, to describe this feeling? You didn't know. But it felt right.

Agents, visitors, and trainees all the like, regarded you as you walked. All knew of who you were. Most knew what had happened the last time you had been at HQ, from either witnessing it themselves or through the grape-vine.

But it was their own fault when they jumped out of their skin, as you kicked open the door of your destination, as they should have known you hadn't lost your spunk.

"Right! Listen up, motherfuckers!" you yelled, making the people inside the room snapped their attention to you, shock rippling throughout their bodies, as you slammed the door shoot behind you. "I'm coming back to work!"

You could tell Fury was about to say something, from where he sat at the top of the table, in between Tony and Strange. With Maria stood to the side behind her boss. Her eyebrows raised at you, and a small -almost unnoticeable- smile on her face.

"Don't you dare, I'm not done yet!" You pointed at Fury, who leaned back in his seat and regarded you, allowing you to carry on with what you were saying. "I'm coming back, but I have some conditions-!"

"'Conditions'?" he asked.

"Yes. Conditions. Firstly, this is a one-time thing. I'm not taking my job back. I don't work for you. I'm working with you. For. This. Mission. Only. Okay?" No objections. You nodded your head once. "Secondly. I will do as you say, but I have a say on who is involved in this mission. If I don't want them here. They don't get to be. Because if I have to look at Clint's face- Even though I do know that Nat wasn't really his fault. I'm still gonna rip his throat out-"

"Now, Y/N. You have no-"

"Ah- Ah- Ah," You cut Fury off. "I'm still not done yet. Coming off of my second point. Wade gets to be there when I say so."

"Now that's definitely not happening!"

"I agree with Fury, Y/N. That is total insanity," Strange voiced up.

"Well, I guess that's tough tittys for you guys. Because those are my conditions. If you don't like it, then that's your problem."

Fury was about to speak when Tony cut him off.

"Just give 'em what they want. It's not like you were gonna involve anyone else. And so what if this Wade guy joins? It's another pair of hands."

"You don't know him."

"You'd like him," you said.

“Oh, now I want him to join more. If I'd like him, and these guys can't stand him."

"I agree with Stark, no matter how much it pains me," Maria spoke, gaining everyone's attention.

"Maria?" Fury asked almost, shocked, "You know what Wilson is like. You've read his files."

"I have." She nodded. "And although he is unorthodox, as the best way to put it... he gets things done. And if he cares for Y/N as much as he said he does. He will do well in helping us."

"Thank you, Maria!"

"Jesus Christ," Fury sighed.

"Wait," Tony said, "Who is Wade to you?"

You shrugged. "He's my best friend. Well, one of them."

"But I'm your best friend!"

"You're one of them!"

"Are you best friend cheating on me?!"

"Can we not do this here?" you asked him, knowing that when you arrived back at the cabin, you were in for a mass amount of questions, and would be forced to say who your best-best friend was.

You suddenly never wanted to leave the small, closed off, conference room.

"Fine," he huffed.

"Fury?" you asked. Cocky smile on your face. Knowing he was at a crossroads, and one direction was blocked.

"Okay," he said slowly.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Nick."

"Anyway..." Strange began, "Now that we've got everything settled-"

"I missed the whole meeting?" you pointed out.

"-I should be taking my leave now."

"Yeah, send me home too, Dumbledore," Tony "asked", standing up, too.

"Y/N. I'll be in touch." And with that, he and Tony walked through separate portals.

"Wow. So, I've gotta make my own way home? Nice."

Walking over to the door, you spoke your goodbyes. Pausing, only when you were out of the door to say one last condition, "Oh, and also. I get paid three times of what my yearly salary was."

"For this one mission?"

"Yes. For this journey, as Mr Wizardly would put it."

With his silence, was his agreement.

"Bye!" You took your exit.

***

"Where are we going, now?" you asked, strutting into the office at Tony's cabin. Which had become your "base of operations" so to say. Knoticing that the whole team was there.

Tony, Stephen, Fury, Wade, and Maria. Who usually stayed behind, being everyone's eyes and ears.

This must be an essential part of the mission.

You had spent the last three months under Strange's order. You, Tony, and hell even Fury running around collecting all out the things he needed. Mainly books. Sometimes Wade accompanied you on your missions. Keeping things more than entertaining.

"Space."

"The final frontier," you whispered in a far off voice, the same look in your eyes. Tony, laughing at your overdramatics. "But seriously," you continued, words now sober from their previous humour, "Is this it? Are we going to finish this?"

"With any luck," Tony nodded.

"Our ride will be here soon," Fury informed you.

"Our ride?"

"The walking talking build a bear."

"That would be so cool to have," Wade gushed, gaining some weird looks in return.

"The raccoon?" you asked, but still smiling at your scarred friend.

"I believe his name was 'Rocket'."

"Rocket The Raccoon," you said, "D' ya think he got inspiration from The Beatles song 'Rocky Raccoon'?"

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" Maria asked not expecting a reply. But she did smile back at you when you threw her one.

Before anyone could say another word, a low rumbling shook the ground slightly, the sound of jets filling the air.

And that was everyone's queue to run out of the cabin, only to see the spaceship you assumed belonged to the raccoon and his crew, floating above the large lake next to Tony's property. The hatch slowly coming down to rest on the docks.

"Hey, losers!" The rough voiced raccoon called out, from the end of the ship, beginning to descend the hatch.

"Is that any way to talk to your friends?!" you called over.

"I don't know you! And yes!"

"Speaking of your friends, where are they?" you asked curiously, once he got close.

"I ditched em at a bar," Rocket shrugged. "They'll be fine. It's my ship anyway."

Everyone laughed at the exchange, soon rushing back inside to grab everything they needed, Tony saying bye to his family, before you all boarded the aircraft.

***

"Oh, yeah. He was in love with death."

Somehow, the conversation had spurred onto the subject of the purple titan, you loathed with your entire being.

"I'm sorry," you began, "What?"

"Thanos. He "killed" half of the universe to impress death," Wade explained.

"Oh! So that's the real reason he did it!" you yelled, beginning your rant, "He made up this whole bullshit story about overpopulation or something. Instead of just saying, "I'm doing this to impress a girl"! Wow. Good to know toxic masculinity exists in space too."

Thankfully the conversation soon changed to the mission back at hand, with small amounts of banter being thrown around, that always followed you guys around.

"Why couldn't you have just teleported us there?" you asked Strange, who was standing in front of you, a little off to the side, in the now space-born ship.

"Because I can only teleport on the same planet that I am on."

You paused, "Makes sense..." And then. "But, we're in space. Should that mean you're able to travel anywhere, then?

"That's not how it works."

"Sound's like bullshit, but okay."

Before Strange could voice his retort, Rocket spoke from the pilot's seat.

"Leave the idiot be. What's the worse that's happening here? You're having a day-trip, boo-hoo."

"Yeah. A "day-trip". To the place where the love of my life threw herself off of a cliff. Sacrificing herself for half of the universe. Great fucking day-trip."

"Okay, yeah. That's less good," he said.

***

The planet was truly beautiful, in a desolate way. Covered wholly in sand, and lakes. Everything taking on a purple hue from the sky and clouds surrounding it. A truly gigantic mountain stood strong before you. You didn't want to admit it, but you were considerably intimidated by the large mass. And to top it all off, there was a permanent solar-eclipsed sun sitting in the sky.

You would have loved experiencing a whole new planet. Even a seemingly empty one.

If you didn't hate this place that is.

Also, the fact that you had to. Climb. The Fucking. Mountain.

If someone would have told you there would be this much exercise involved, you would have convinced Colossus to come, just to carry you up there.

You arrived, panting, at the top of the mountain. Only to be greeted by a creepy floating man, with a red skull for a head.

Fury knew him. Quickly telling you that his name was Red-Skull -surprising- and that he was one of the most notorious Nazis from WWII.

Yep.

You instantly despised him.

He told you each the name of one of your parents, then continued on with an obviously well-rehearsed speech about the Soul Stone, and yada, yada, yada.

Tony brushing past him, saying "We're not interested in what you're selling, shitty evil Ghostrider." With you all trailing after him, smiles on your faces.

And you never heard another pep from the self-proclaimed, "Guardian Of The Stone".

"Well, spank me and call me "daddy"!" Wade called, peering over the ledge of the cliff. "That's a long way down."

You joined him in looking over the edge. Your heart instantly dropping into your stomach.

You couldn't even see the bottom.

You can't imagine how terrified Natasha must have been dangling off of this thing. Only to kick herself off, and into the cloudy abyss.

"Fuck," was all you could breathe.

You only just noticed Tony standing beside you, when he asked FRIDAY to scan the height fo the cliff. Her voice coming out through his suit, so that everyone could hear.

"The cliff's height is approximately three thousand six hundred and ninety point nine hundred and forty-five feet, boss."

"Jesus Christ," you uttered, moving away from the edge, palm resting on your forehead. As thoughts of Natasha falling all that way down filled your mind.

You gave yourself a few moments to breath through your incoming panic attack. Luckily you were unable to see the worried, yet understanding glances everyone was throwing you, behind your closed eyes.

"So... how does this shit work?" you then asked, wanting to hurry with all of this.

You just wanted to get your girl back.

"Y/N," Strange said, beginning to get irritated by you already, "We literally talked about this a few weeks ago."

"Yeah? And I've slept since then," you remarked back.

***

After strang had done whatever the fuck he had done with his magic. You watched in complete awe, as the portal to the Soul World opened up.

But it wasn't any "normal" portal.

The eclipsed sun slowly started to be revealed, only this time if you looked at it, it didn't burn your eyes. You only saw what could be best described as an orange-yellow coloured black hole.

That was the fucking portal.

"Oh." You swallowed, turning to face Strange, "How the hell do we get up there?"

"We already are."

"What-?" you asked confused until you looked over your shoulder at your surroundings. Everything was bare and coated in a warm light, not even an inch of water below your feet. "What the fuck?!"

"Welcome to the soul world."

You were still eternally shocked as Tony began to speak.

"So. So, how does this work?"

"The Soul World only allows "visitation" to the last to be sacrificed. All we need to do is find her, and pull her out."

"Seems simple enough," Wade said, hands on his hips as he looked around, "You think I can get some grub in this place?"

"Don't be an idiot, Wilson," Fury told him, "Now let's go find our girl."

It didn't take long. Only a few minutes of walking until you spotted the structure upfront.

Quickening your pace, you walked up to what seemed to be an open planned coffee shop. Open planned with the outside. And not just any coffee shop. It was the one you and Natasha used to frequent often.

With a red-head, back turned to you, sitting at your usual table.

"Natasha?" you asked voice close to a whisper, the silence surrounding the world you were in amplifying your volume, ensuring she could hear you.

Red-blonde hair swished over shoulder, as Natasha hastily turned to see you.

"Y/N?" she asked you, voice identical to how yours was. The Russian didn't wait for your answer, the chair sloshing through the water, as she sprinted over to you. Throwing herself into your arms.

It was like a dam broke. The moment she touched you, tears poured down your face, like rivers. You held her close to your body, head buried into her soft, wavy hair.

Natasha was sobbing into your shoulder. Hugging you tightly enough for it to hurt.

You finally had her in your arms, just like you had dreamt of for over a year. Ever since you came back.

And yet, all you could think of was how disappointed in yourself you were.

You didn't deserve her. After all of the shit, you had done while she was gone. All of the mercenary jobs, the violence, the drinking and drugs. The hate that settled in your stomach, which caused you to lash out at the world and people who dared to cross you.

Everything.

She deserved so much better.

However, all you could do was pull her closer, and repeat, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," into her bright auburn locks.

"What are you sorry for."

"I." You swallowed your tears, looking into Natasha's wet emerald eyes. "I've done awful things while you were gone, Natasha. I became someone awful."

"Hey," Wade said behind you, slightly insulted. Which you ignored.

"I killed people. Some in cold blood. And all because they said bad things about you. I was lost. And you don't deserve that."

Natasha placed her hands on your wet cheeks, yours staying on her waist, knowing what you were about to say.

"You should find someone who deserves to be with you."

"You do deserve me," she begged you to understand, "I don't want anyone else but you! If there's anyone who doesn't deserve the other, it's me."

"Don't say that."

"Then don't say you don't deserve me. I only want you," she repeated, to get it through your head, "Only you. No one else. I don't care what you've done, or who you were while I was gone. You're still you. Right now, you're you. And that's all I want. It's all I need. You."

You sniffled harshly, realising how stupid you were with a shake of your head.

"I love you," you confessed, "I'm so in love with you, Natasha. It's crazy."

"Then let's be crazy together."

That was the last thing either of you said before she helped guide your lips to hers.

Finally sharing your first kiss.

At long last.

There wasn't the stereotypical fireworks that everyone spoke about when your lips met.

Only warmth.

Kissing Natasha didn't feel like an explosion. It felt like coming home after a long day. Being welcomed with the warm glow of a fire, and a spiced drink warming up your chest.

That's what kissing Natasha felt like.

Heaven.

Home.

You pulled back to the sounds of sniffles.

Eyebrows furrowed, you both looked over to the men behind you. Never once moving away from the other.

They were crying.

All of them.

Even Wade was under his mask.

"Are you guys crying?" you asked with a smile.

"No." Tony nodded, telling you that his words were false.

Strange wiped at the wetness under his eyes, while Wade openly sobbed, his shoulders shaking, pulling one of his guns to his chest as a form of comfort. Rocket was even using his tail to wipe at his eyes, turning away from you all.

"Even you fury?"

"I'm not crying," the Director, said with a slight wave in his voice.

"Really? Because I think that you are. Don't you, Natasha?"

The red-head nodded at you in confirmation.

"I'm not." Was all Fury said before he grabbed his eye patch and moved it to cover his leaking eye. "See."

Natasha let out a wet laugh, rushing over to bring Tony and Fury into a shared hug. All of them letting out a few more tears at the reunion.

Her knees splashing in the water as she pulled the still crying fur-ball into her arms.

Then going over to greet Strange with a hug of his own. And finally giving Wade the same treatment.

"I'm Wade," he introduced himself when she pulled back, "I'm Y/N's best, best friend. Because I'm better than the billionaire Sherlock over there."

"Is that so?" she chuckled.

"It absolutely is not!" Tony yelled.

Natasha shook her head with a smile, making her way over to you, and tucking herself into your side. Her head coming to rest on your shoulder, as she watched two of your best friends bicker at who was your "best, best friend".

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," you apologised.

"You came. And that's all that matters."

"C'mon guys," Tony said, his fingers now wiping under his eyes, "Don't make us cry again."

"I didn't stop," Wade informed you all, raising his hand.

You all chuckled at the man.

Before you decided you wanted out. You wanted to take your girl home.

"Right, now how do we get out of here?"

"We already are," Strange told you.

Looking around, you saw that you were now standing on the cliff's ledge, of Vormir. Natasha still nestled under your arm.

"How in the fuck do you do that?"

"I wizard never reveals his tricks," Tony said, "You know that, Y/N."

"The other stones are destroyed," Strange suddenly said, gaining everyone's attention. "We have to destroy the soul stone."

"But that will require a sacrifice," Natasha said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, though you could hear hints of it.

"On it!" Wade yelled, making his way past you, and towards the edge of the cliff.

Only stopping when you fisted your hand into the arm of his suit, then pulling him back.

"No. None of us are dying today."

"But, Y/N. I'm immortal-

"No," you interrupted him, voice hardening as to get your point across. "It's a soul for a soul. You go off that cliff, you come back without a soul. And I'm not letting that happen."

"Then how in the fuck are we supposed to destroy the stone?!" Rocket gruffed.

At your prolonged silence, Tony asked, "What are you thinking?"

"This was built as a shrine for stone right?"

"That's what I've been told. Yes," Strange confirmed.

"You said before- Weeks ago. When we were talking about everything, that the word "tomb" would be better to describe it, than "shrine"."

"Yes..." he said slowly, watching as you pieced everything together.

"Tombs normally hold things."

"Yes."

"Oh my, God," Tony breathed in realisation.

"Rocket? How many explosives do you have on the ship?"

"What are you suggesting?" Natasha asked from where she was still tucked into your side.

"We blow the shrine off of the fucking rock."

"How do you know that will work?"

Not bothering to answer his question, you said, "Nick. Get Danvers down here. Once we blow the shrine to smithereens, she comes along and blasts it with all the power she has." You then turned to face him. "Only an infinity stone can destroy an infinity stone. Ergo, so can it's creations. I mean how do you explain Wanda?"

"Well, this seems to be settled then," Wade stated, "So, let's head back to the ship, call your friend Danvers, and get me some food to eat. Because I'm starving," he finished starting to make his way towards the many, many stairs. To where the ship was waiting for you down below.

"What about the creepy weirdo over here?" Rocket asked, moving his thumb towards Red-Skull.

"I heard my own stories about him... leave him. Nazi fucks like him deserve to rot in hell."

"Here, here!" Wade called, "Now, can we go?"

"But what if we accidentally blow up the planet?" Tony. Asking the sensible questions. And making, one of, your best friends groan at being made to stop his trek for food. "I mean. We don't know how resilient this place is."

"Who the fuck cares." Rocket said. His words meant to be a question. But he just didn't care for an answer.

"Well, I think the planets around would have something to say about that," Fury said.

You looked over your shoulder, as they continued to bicker, and right at Strange. Who stood silently between the two giant pillars. The look in his eye, telling you everything that you needed to know.

This was always what was meant to happen.

No more sacrifices.

Natasha would be the very last one to ever feel what that would be like.

No more would this place be one of death for the greed of power.

No more.

"It won't."

"And how can you be so sure of that?" Fury asked you.

With the hard look in your eyes when you meet his, he knew what you said to be right.

"It won't."

***

The ship was in the air. Facing the planet, you had grown to despise.

Every one of you looking out of the large window, that sat above the controls. Wade, finally munching on his much-needed food.

Well, with all the whining he made on your long way back to the ship, you sure fucking hoped he needed it, with the about of brain cells he killed.

Silently, Rocket moved to hand the detonator up to you. Ready to shoot the planet with all you had, missiles, C-4, and many other explosives with names that were unknown to you, that Rocket had stored away. Even Tony had hooked FRIDAY up to the detonator, his suit waiting outside the ship, and ready to fire.

Form what you knew of Rocket, you could tell he wasn't the type to just give away something destructive like this. So, you understood that what he was doing, showed that he cared.

With a nod to the raccoon in thanks, you moved to give the remote to Natasha.

"Ya like to do the honours?"

"I'd love too." Her smile saying "thank you" for her, as she took it from your grasp.

She never took her eyes off of you as she pressed the button, the small smile still on her face the whole time. That was until the explosions started. Drawing both of you attentions back to the planet.

The shrine lit up like a Christmas tree, it getting bombarded with blast upon blast.

The storm-looking, gas-clouds, that were once above you, that was seemingly attached to the planet, slowly started to morph into what looked to be a tornado of sorts. It only clearing when the bright orange gem, floated up. Being held only by the swaying ribbons of the cloud. Just ready for the taking.

Then at the speed of light, leaving a white trail behind her, as a shooting star would.

Carol Danvers flew in.

And blasted the fuck out of the fucking stone.

As quick as she came. She was off again. Intending to meet you back home.

Finally.

All the destruction just stopped.

The cliff. The shrine. And everything about it. Was destroyed.

But, within a blink of an eye, the portal you once thought was a permanently eclipsed sun, sunk in on its self. And it didn't take a genius to know that that wasn't the best thing to be around.

Not even a second later. A bright light shone around the dark centre, it taking on a light blue hue with how light it was. Before it began spreading throughout the shrinking dark core, bursting suddenly. Rays of light firing off all around.

Your eyes widened when they saw this, your instant reaction to when you saw the bright rays speeding towards the ship, was to pull Natasha into your chest. Raising your arm to block the side of her face from the explosion. Her doing the same by bringing your head closer to hers, covering it with her own arm.

If this was your end.

Then you would go together.

The ship shook vigorously. But, luckily, not enough to make you fall onto the hard floor.

People swore at the collision.

Wade crying, "Ah! My taco!" When the shaking had caused him to drop it.

"Fuck your taco. Luckily I reinforced the ship, that blast could have easily killed us if not," Rocket said, offhandedly.

But that was all background noise to you, and everyone else on the spaceship.

Too busy looking out the window.

"Oh my, God," Natasha breathed, at the sight before her.

"It's beautiful." You finished in the same voice. Unable to tear your eyes away from the sky before you. Along with coloured, smokey, gas-clouds, swimming in the open space.

The "sun" was no longer there. And in its wake. Millions upon millions of stars lit up the sky, dancing to a tune you could not hear, but you felt almost as if they were thanking you.

Looking over at Natasha, you saw the many emotions shining in her eyes. Relief, gratitude, freedom, peace. But most of all, you saw pure love.

Unable to hold yourself back, it's not like you would even try to anyway, you pressed your lips against hers, in a celebratory kiss.

Yeah.

You would never get enough of this.

"There must be so many new galaxies out there," Tony said.

"Well, they were always there," Rocket said in his gruff voice, "We can just see them from here now."

"Not just that," Strange spoke.

"What?" The raccoon asked.

"The soul stone has caused so much destruction and death since it was first created," he began, "Now, with its own destruction. It has given life from what it has taken."

"English, Strange."

The wizard sighed at you. "There are more stars in the sky. Ones unknown and unnamed. New planets. Maybe even galaxies. It's safe to assume there's life to go along with them."

"You mean..."

"Yes." He nodded at the raccoon. "You have many more planets to visit."

"Maybe try not to steal from them," you said, "They were only born two minutes ago."

Everyone laughed as your furry little friend flipped you off.

"For all we know," Strange said.

"You couldn't let me just have one joke, could you?"

"Not at all."

***

"So, Strangey-Boy," you gained the man's attention once you were back on solid ground, stopping him from walking too far away. As Natasha ran over to envelop Carol, Maria, and Pepper in a bone-crushing hug, "Is this the end of the journey?"

He took a deep breath, looking around at the green scenery all around. Looking like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. But then again. So did everyone. You sure felt like the weight of the world was finally off of yours.

Nodding, he said, "This one. Yes."

Strange held out a hand for you to shake, his cape flowing behind him.

"It was nice working with you, Y/L/N."

"You too," you said with sincerity, as you shook his offered hand. Surprising the greying man by pulling him in for a hug, only for you to whisper in his ear, "Thank you, you cryptic bastard."

You pulled away from the embrace, his laughs causing a chuckle to be brought out of you.

"Y/N?!"

Looking over, you spotted Natasha there, waiting for you. A bright smile on her face. And Tony not too far behind her, arms wrapped around his wife. The slight twitch of her head, indicating her silent ask, for you to follow her.

"Seriously. Thank you. And thank your mysterious friend, too."

With a nod and a smile from Strange. You were off.

Following Natasha wherever she so wished to go.

Walking towards the start of your new life.

***

(Two years later)

The soft thumping of your heartbeat calmed Natasha into a relaxed state. Head on your chest, hand over your heart, and curled into your side. She couldn't think of a better way to spend a day, than with you.

You had been relaxing in bed for most of the day. Only leaving it when one of you needed the bathroom, or to get food and drinks.

"What are you thinking?" you asked, with your eye's blinking heavily as you watched some TV show play.

Natasha hummed, the hand that was laying on your chest, previously stroking her fingertips on your chest, splayed and rubbed the body under it. She blinked open her eyes, spotting the perfect ring upon her finger. The one you had given her over half a year ago. A smile tugging on her lips at the sight.

"I'm thinking about how lucky I am."

"What?" You smiled, looking down at your beautiful fiance. "For this day off?"

"No. For you, you idiot."

"Oh, wow. Is that any way to speak to your fiance? To the love of your life? Your soulmate?"

"Shut up!" Natasha giggled, slapping at your chest. Which only made you grab her hand, running your thumb over the top of her palm, " I love you so much," she continued. Voice warm and full of adoration, "I can't believe I actually get the chance to spend my life with you. It's all I've ever dreamed of, ever since the day I met you."

The smile on your face turned soft as she spoke, delivering a gentle, loving kiss to her lips, you said, "Gross."

"You're a dick."

"I love you, too."

"As you should, I'm pretty fucking great."

A laugh burst from your chest, thankful for the woman in your arms. Excitement resting in your chest. At the thought of getting to spend the rest of your lives together. Even with everything that happened for you to get to this point, you were thankful. And if it meant it. You would do it over and over again, in a heartbeat. Just to get to this point.

The journey hadn't ended, the day you got back from Vormir. It was only the beginning.

You finally had your soulmate back.

And you were never gonna let her go, again.

***

Roses In A Storm Tag List:

(Crossed out means I couldn’t tag)

@uglipotata72829, @enderman359, @thelastavenger-3000, @blackwidowromonoff

Permanent Tag List:

@imnotasuperhero, @veteranwerewolf95, @natasha-danvers, @marvelfansince08love, @higherfurther-romanova, @lesbian-x-blackwidow, @sestra-inestro

#original work #original fanfiction #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff #marvel #MCU

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comrade-kenobi · 4 years

Note

Hi! Are you taking requests? I just finished your story, Take Care of Me, it made me wonder what would happen if Din caught a cold while trying to capture a bounty? It must be weird to be sick while wearing a helmet, thought that might be an interesting and slightly humerus story.

| Ask Box | Ko-Fi | Twitter | Masterlist

Hello love! This has been sitting in my ask box forever. I’ve wanted to answer but I have The Worst time management skills. My free time is... limited. So I’m not, not taking requests lmao. ANYWAY, I agree. Sick Din would be pretty funny. I imagine he’d spend a fair amount of time stubborn and in denial.

If you want to read the fic they referenced, it’s here.

Din Djarin x Reader (don’t think there is anything indicating gender)

No warnings, just a little sicky fluff

ACHOO! For the fifth time in ten minutes Din sneezed; the modulated sound echoed through the silent hull of the ship. It was loud enough to scare both you and the baby. The little one jumped up in your lap, his tiny fingers squeezing yours then relaxing when he realized what it was.

“You’re sick,” you stated matter-of-factually as you looked at Din from the corner of your eye.

“I am not.” He protested from where he sat, heavily with his shoulders slumped, on a packing crate. His staticky voice sounded nasal; like he was trying, and failing, to breath out of his nose.

“You’re not?” You mocked, making your voice sound like his stuffy one.

“I’m not” he spat back. You chuckled despite the fact that you could practically feel him glaring at you from underneath his helmet.

“You can lie to yourself Din, but you can’t lie to me.” You smiled, setting the youngling down on the floor to play with one of his makeshift toys. This one was a droid part, that you were sure of. What you weren’t sure of was which part. Nonetheless, the little one had been using it like it was a ship. Flying it around the hull with what sounded like little whooshing noises.

“Let me see” you continued gently, as you made your way over to the mopey bounty hunter before you.

When you got to him, you stood there for a moment. Looking him over, and wondering how exactly you were going to check him over when he was covered head to toe.

“I’m going to touch your neck.” You warned, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder. Din’s only response was a solemn nod, and you rolled your eyes. Maker, this man could be stubborn.

Slowly, you slipped your hand under the scratchy material of his cape. Letting the back of your cool hand rest on the burning skin of his neck. Din sighed at the contact, you couldn’t tell if it was because of the relief your cold hand offered, or if he just liked you touching him. Though you hoped it was the latter, that was a thought for another time. Now was the time for bragging about being right.

“You’re hot” you said, a triumphant smile gracing your lips as you looked down into the blackness of Din’s visor only to be met with your own smug reflection.

“Your hands are cold, mesh’la.” He argued, his voice catching a bit before he cleared his throat. Obviously suppressing a cough.

“Stars Din, you’re worse than the kid sometimes.” You laughed, jerking your head towards the child, who was happily playing on the ground. Oblivious to you and his fathers current battle of wills.

“That’s because I’m not sick.” He insisted, with a lilt in his voice that told you he found your frustration with him more than a little entertaining.

“You’re sick.” You argued, placing your hands firmly on your hips. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” Din replied, his entire demeanor changing as he reached a gloved hand out for yours.

“Then take off your helmet.” You started, playing with his fingers as you spoke. “I’ll put the kid in his pram, he’s due for a nap anyway. Then I’ll close my eyes and properly check you for a fever.”

“I don’t have a fever.” Din quietly insisted. His breath stilling in his chest as you took his hand and gingerly placed it on your cheek.

“Please, I worry about you not taking care of yourself.” You spoke softly, and looked at him with a tenderness in your eyes that was reserved exclusively for him and the child.

“Okay…” He conceded, lightly stroking your cheekbone with his thumb. Savoring the rare intimacy the moment offered him.

It took more time that you thought it would to wrangle the little one and get him to bed. He was as stubborn as his father was, and though it was frustrating the thought made you smile. When he was finally soundly asleep in his pram, locked away in the cockpit, you made your way back to Din.

“Ready?” You asked, standing in front of Din, who was lazily resting his head against the wall of the hull.

“Yes.” He replied groggily. You’d definitely woken him up from an impromptu nap, and felt a twinge in your heart at the thought. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that he was feeling worse now than he did when you’d left him.

You sat beside him on the crates and placed your hands on the sides of his helmet. He placed his hands over yours and you leaned your forehead against his.

“Whenever you’re ready” you breathed. Closing your eyes and drinking in the moment, the cool of his helmet, and the weight of his hands over yours.

You sat there like that for what felt like an eternity. Then finally Din moved, helping you lift off the helmet before placing it in his lap. He took your hands in his once more, and placed them on his warm cheeks. You stroked the skin there with the pads of your thumbs as Din leaned into your touch.

You gently pulled him into you, and placed your cheek on his burning forehead.

“It’s a fever,” you said, smiling as you felt Din trail his hands down to your waist, like he was trying to keep you close to him. You turned your head and pressed your lips to his sweaty forehead. Leaving a lingering kiss on his fevered skin, “definitely a fever.”

Your hands had come to rest at the base of his neck, and you started absently playing with the soft hair you’d found there. Din still hadn’t said anything, he was far too tired, and much too wrapped up in the feeling of your body so close to his.

“Or are my lips cold too?” You joked, before placing another kiss on his forehead, just to prove your point.

“They’re not” Din replied, almost dreamily. He pushed a stray strand of hair behind your ear, then finally admitted defeat. “I suppose you’re right, mesh’la.”

“I’m always right.” You cooed, riding off the high of Din’s little acts of intimacy. “Now put the helmet back on so I can get you some meds.”

Din reluctantly did as he was told and let you know he was done by placing your hand on his helmet. You opened your eyes and got to work immediately. Searching the hull for the med pack, it had some pills in it you knew would help. When you finally found it you handed him the little tan pill, and your canteen.

“Take this and get some rest.” You instructed, as you guided him over to the little cubby hole he called a bunk. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the cockpit, making sure we make it out of hyperspace in one piece.”

“Vor entye. Thank you, mesh’la” Din rasped, putting his free hand on your waist and slowly pulling you into him. He placed his forehead against yours and sighed, “ni kar’tayl gar darasuum.”

“You’re welcome, Din.” You replied, so softly you weren’t sure he could hear it. So you wrapped your arms around his neck and held him close, “now get some sleep.”

Din crawled into his bunk, and you settled into the cockpit. Watching over the child as he slept, with Din’s words buzzing around in your head. Playing over and over like a broken holotape. You weren’t sure what his words meant, but he’d said them so sweetly they’d nearly made your heart melt.

Being sick had softened your big bad Mandalorian, at least for a little while. And you had to admit, you kinda liked it.

Mesh’la- beautiful

Vor entye- thank you

Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum- I love you (literally it’s something along the lines of ‘to know, to hold in the heart forever.’)

(We haven’t seen Mando’a in the show yet bc it’s from Legends, not Canon but uh fuck that noise. I’m using it anyway.)

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #The mandalorian x you #Din Djarin #din djarin x reader #Din Djarin x You #Pedro Pascal #mando x reader #mando x you

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lunathewafflelord · 3 years

Text

OKAY so here’s a write up of the dream I had, copied from some Discord messages.

Pokemon BW spoilers ahead.

So I was writing an AU about Melanie and I knew I was dreaming, and I was letting my dream write the story for me as I controlled Melanie and I made suggestions on how things should go. Melanie said that she wanted to make a group of people who were to protect pokemon from harm, so she refurbished an old building and turned it into a sanctuary. A few people joined her and they began rescuing hurt pokemon. Then one day, Melanie met Ghetsis who said he wanted to help her out with her group and said he’d be a good contributor. Melanie agreed since she needed all the help she could get. I think Melanie was 18 in this AU. N was with Ghetsis and he was younger than Melanie (16, 17 maybe) Melanie noticed that N had some really bad issues such as anxiety and had clear signs of PTSD. Melanie didn’t want to press too far into what was going on with him, but she wanted to help N get better. Melanie had spent many years learning how to understand Pokémon’s feelings and how to help them out, so she knew she might be able to help the smol child. So I forgot to mention, the members of the group lived in the building and N had his own separate room away from everyone and at night Melanie would come up there and bring one of her pokemon there to comfort N. She’d also do other nice things for him. She had wondered what caused N to be so upset, but again didn’t want to invade N’s privacy so she just tried helping him casually. Then one day, Cabbage Man ™️ overthrew her, and brainwashed (likely through a Pokémon) the members of her group into thinking humans are evil and they were the only “nice” humans. Thus Team Plasma was formed, and Melanie was super upset about this. She tried to get Ghetsis to stop, but he attacked her. Melanie then found out what was upsetting N so much, and knew she had to do something but didn’t know what to do. She ended up “joining” the new group as she figured out a solution, but would occasionally leave the base and disguise herself as a civilian[8:11 AM]to try to get some help. So the events of BW draw out, but Melanie is the one following the player rather than N and is trying to get help with the situation. But people find her suspicious, since she always appears when Team Plasma is nearby. She eventually reveals to the main character that she accidentally caused Team Plasma to form, and she is trying to find people to help reclaim her pokemon sanctuary. But nobody believes her and thinks it’s a trap to get their Pokémon. Right afterwards when she pleads to the main character that she NEEDS help, Ghetsis appears alongside a brainwashed N and they battle the player, and she’s visibly distressed as she feels like it was her fault that they managed to find the player. She watches as the battle unfolds, and the main character loses and has their Pokémon taken. The main character is mad at Melanie and strikes at her as they blame Melanie for what had happened. She says that she promises to return the stolen Pokémon, but they don’t believe her so she runs off again. Back at the base, Ghetsis thanks Melanie for “luring” them right to him, and promotes Melanie to “princess”. Melanie had been able to resist the brainwashing until then, but when she put on the crown it was as if it immediately took control over her. She completely changed and became aggressive, even hitting her Mimikyu after it tried to help her.[8:17 AM]BW events continue, but N is the one following the player now. When asked about Melanie, he says that she got “promoted” to a higher rank and has more important things to do now, confirming the main character’s suspicions that she was part of Team Plasma. N seems to be an ally of the main characters, though something is suspicious about him. Then they have to get the legendary dragons. But N is able to get both of the stones, and runs back to the base. He gives Melanie the Light Stone, and then the two of them go to the tower. N thanks Melanie for all she did for him, and says things will all be over soon and they’ll be able to change the world. Melanie says thanks for him being her friend and having someone believe in her. The two of them awaken the dragons, and then the brainwashing on them goes away, and Melanie remembers what really happened. The player character + the rivals arrive at the tower and see N and Melanie with the dragons.

The main characters are upset that they got the dragons first, and were afraid that the bad guys would win. N and Melanie then explain to them the whole story, N saying about how his father took over Melanie’s sanctuary and turned it into a terrorist group. Melanie explains that all along she wanted to help them, but was taken over by Ghetsis. They then say that they need help defeating Ghetsis once and for all, and Melanie says she can help them find their Pokémon. The main character is skeptical, but they join them. They fly back to their base, and then realize that Melanie’s building had been destroyed and was now a huge castle. But the castle seemed wrong, like it was an illusion of sorts. Melanie and N knew that something was up, and we’re on guard. When they arrive at the throne room, Ghetsis reveals that he wanted them to get the dragons. They’re confused, but then he reveals Kyurem, but it’s a different Kyurem than the one in the games. It’s a more powerful one that had brainwashing abilities, and he reveals that Kyurem is the one who was responsible for all that happened. He needed the two dragons for them to fuse with Kyurem in order to restore the Ultimate Dragon so he could take over the region (I don’t think it was Unova) Melanie is angry that she ever trusted Ghetsis in the first place, and that she wants her Pokémon sanctuary back so she could go back to her normal life again. Not wanting Ghetsis to get to the dragons, the two of them return the dragons to their pokeballs before he could grab them. They order the main characters to leave, not wanting them to get brainwashed too. Ghetsis laughs, calls upon many of the plasma members in order to grab the pokeballs from them. The main characters refuse to leave as they want to help. Melanie understands, and says she knows where their Pokémon are being kept. She gives N her Mimikyu and she and the main characters run off to find the place they’re being hidden. N battles against Ghetsis with Melanie’s Mimikyu and his Zoroark, as Melanie does to find the place where the stolen Pokémon are. She finds the place, and notices that many more Pokémon were stolen than she had thought. The main characters are able to recognize their Pokémon and get them, and Melanie leaves the rest there for now until she can find their owners. N was stalling Ghetsis with the two Pokémon, but he knew he couldn’t defeat Ghetsis on his own. Once Melanie comes back, the trainers all team up to stop him. After KO-ing all of his Pokémon, Kyurem still remained. The only way they could defeat the dragon was with the other dragons, but they didn’t want to risk Ghetsis to fuse the dragons together. But they have no choice and release them. Can’t quite remember this part, but ultimately they’re able to defeat Ghetsis. Melanie and N apologize to the main characters about all that had happened, and she promises that she’ll try to make up to them for everything. Ghetsis goes to jail and all that. After defeating Kyurem, the castle disappears and it’s revealed that it was an illusion created by Kyurem. Melanie and the grunts who were now free from their brainwashing work together to restore the sanctuary, and the police understand that they had no control over what had happened and let them go. N leaves on his dragon to return the stolen Pokémon, but promises to come back someday. End of BW plot. Melanie decides that she doesn’t want to be around people right now, so she, too leaves the region on a journey of self discovery. Two years later, and Ghetsis is back. They both hear of his return and Melanie comes back to her sanctuary, and finds out that many of the members of the sanctuary had joined Ghetsis’ side again. Angered, Melanie wants to find N so they can fix things again. But N was captured by Ghetsis and brainwashed again, fuses Zekrom with Kyurem. Melanie has to find the others so that she can free the Pokémon, and she wonders where Ghetsis is.[8:37 AM]In the dream what had happened was the grunts and Ghetsis were secretly hiding deep underground in the basement of the sanctuary, but that doesn’t really make sense. That’s pretty much where the dream ended, and it was really cool. I want to make an AU based upon this and flesh it out more.

#long post #pokemon #pokemon AU #pokemon dream #dream I had #Pokemon black and white

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alysswrites · 3 years

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305: an old letter

Grudges

"Strange how we found ourselves exactly where we left off." -Grudges (After Laughter Album - Paramore)

I knew you saw this coming.

Guys, kamran & joan. My best childhood friends - soon to be my old. Who knows me best, who knows me worst.

You guys are really good at three things: One is you're good at blocking my social media accounts because you're too scared to face the truth that we have issues to face. Two, is you're good at shutting my feelings down. All you see is that you guys are the victims. Little did you know, you guys are also the murderer of our friendship. And three, you're not just good at breaking my heart, you're also too good at killing my soul to the point where you guys are turning into someone you said you'll never be.

Kamran, I am deeply sorry for what I've done, to you and to our friendship. I'm sorry for not appreciating you much. I'm really sorry. I was reading our conversation from day 1. And I was laughing so hard, crying my heart out, and was so kilig on you. You stayed from the day when I was still in love with him, til the day when he was gone. You stayed. And for that, you are one of the greatest man I have ever known. You were there, even though I 'was' insanely in love with him. You were there to listen to my tears til 2am. I'm sorry for saying that I am not home when you were inviting me to go outside and eat kwek kwek. :-( I never appreciate that, and i keep on hating myself til' now. :-( I was blinded by love that was not even worth it. Thank you for appreciating my weirdness and jokes. It was so nice of you. I was reading our conversation and I saw something, you were asking 'paano kung nabasa mo yung text ko?' and then I replied, 'edi nabasa. Hahaha.' I'm sorry for being insensitive when it comes to your feelings. I'm sorry, I never thought you were 'that' too. It took you so long to say that you were, too. And things are not the same. It's too late nung nalaman kong ganun ka din. And my feelings were gone. :-( 'Maybe' it could've been worth it. And 'maybe', I would never be in this kind of situation. We lost our communication for a reason. And for that, I am thankful for the lessons, aches, and tears. I'm sorry for being bad. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for saying no everytime you asked me out. I should've said yes atleast once right? 'Maybe' things could go better. I'm sorry for not treating you right. I'm sorry for the hurtful words. Sorry for all this "drama." I'm still wondering why can't I keep both sides. I'm still finding the answer. And I think, I will keep finding it. Kasi I believe strong friendship doesn't include any conditions. On behalf of Phoenix Ralph, we are deeply sorry..for everything. You're not just a boy who's my friend's cousin, you're a man with a good heart. No words can explain how thankful and grateful I am. Thank God, I met you once.

Joan, I don't know how to start with you. I can't blame you for demanding my time for you. Maybe you just missed me. And I miss you too until now. And I'm so heartless for not seeing it. :-( I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for turning you like that. I'm sorry. But I know, the old you is still there. Deep down your heart, I can still see your kindness, softness, and love. I miss our deep talks from dreams to reality. I miss hugging you from your back. I miss our kwentuhans. I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I'm sorry kung nafeel mong pinamigay lang kita. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. And yes, tao ka, nasasaktan. Pero tao din ako, nagkakamali. I might not save your feelings before, but maybe now, I can. I can save you by us being apart. Mamimiss kita. Mamimiss ko lahat ng kulitan natin. Things have change, but memories will always be the same. I will keep them and maybe one day, it will be a good stories to share. I wish we could turn back time where we are still innocent and all we do is play pilik mata kila owa o kaya play cards kila isang. Kala ko tayo yung tatagal na magkakaibigan sa street natin. :-( Kala ko hanggang dulo tayo eh. Sorry kung umabot sa ganito. Sorry, nainlove lang ako. They keep telling me na I should not be sorry for falling in love, but I feel this way. I'm sorry kung hindi kita na-appreciate. Kasi akala ko kahit we never talked and bond before we will still have our invisible strings that connects our heart kahit anong mangyari. Little did I know, wala na pala. Akala ko anjan ka pa lagi. Pero things have changed. And wala na kong magagawa dun. Kasi kahit ipilit ko pa, wala na rin. Mahirap na. Sobra. And masasaktan lang natin isa't isa. I know sisters do fight, but never ever be apart. I dont know what happened. :-( I don't know how to heal your wounded heart. But maybe, us being apart will help. Right? Mamimiss kita. Wala eh, ganun talaga. Nagkasakitan na tayo. I'm sorry if I wasnt there at your darkest. I'm sorry for letting you down. I'm sorry, your savior doesn't look a thing like me. Your wasting your faith on me. :-( kasi wala akong kwenta. On behalf of Phoenix Ralph, we are deeply sorry. We didn't mean to. Napaka insensitive namin. I hope Kamran will take care of you. I know he will guard your heart like he always do. He has a good heart and an intelligent mind. Never lose him. You got the "best" friend and it's limited edition. Take care of yourself, and of him. Joan, I will still be your ineng who's good in tamaan tao but never good in agawan base. I will always be your ineng who loves to hide in bangsak but never the taya. I will always be your ineng. Always be. Even after this. Even we are no longer friends. :-( Joan, remember this, I'm sorry for not showing my love for you. But believe me, I love you. Always do and always will. Before ko pa ichat si kamran, lagi kitang kinakamusta kay Jean. Believe me. You are one of the greatest gift, lesson, and sister I ever had. And for that, even though we will be apart, I'm still thankful because I met the most amazing girl once.

I'm sorry if I have to lose you guys just to see things much clearer. Sorry kung kailangan pang umabot sa ganito para mas malinawan ako. I have no regrets meeting him. I'm glad that he's still a part of my life. I have no regrets falling in love with him. Hindi naging kami. We are in good terms. I swear my name. Ang tagal ko lang talagang makaget over sa kanya. And hindi kami nag uusap like before. I'm sorry kung umabot sa ganto. I just know him well. I know what he's capable of. It took my heart so long to heal. I'm too much to handle, and yes, konti lang talaga yung nagsstay. And I can't blame you guys for leaving me. I mean, I was the one pushed you away. I'm sorry. Along the healing process, I am the one who ruined our friendship. I will take the blame. And I will be okay. My tears will dry soon. I can handle myself without anyone. Kahit naman kasi ikwento ko kahit kanino, they wouldn't get it. Tayo tayo lang kasi makakaintindi ng mga pinagdaanan natin. :-( Kahit naman kasi ipilit ko, things will never be the same as before. :-( saka tama na rin to diba? Still can't believe na umabot ako na magmakaawa sa inyo para tanggapin niyo ko..ulit. Wag na lang. Kasi it will make things go worst lang. I swear. I can picture it. We can always start again but we can never continue the broken friendship.

What i do regret is that I have to lose both you. It will always break my heart over and over again. I guess, we cannot heal in the same environment that we got wounded in. You guys will always be a part of my life, always.

I hope the pain I've caused will remind your hearts can heal. As the Paramore said, "And I, I hate to see your heart break,I hate to see your eyes, get darker as they close, But I’ve been there before."

And yes, tanggap ko na. -- So hanggang dito na lang? Still cant believe I'm losing an amazing people. :--( But people come and go right? People change. That's life, it sucks and is cruel.

Thankyou so much..sa lahat. And I'm deeply, sincerely, truthfully, sorry.

"Why we had to waste so much time. Well, we just pick up, pick up and start again. 'Cause we can't keep holding on to grudges." -Grudges (After Laughter Album - Paramore)

Book '18 Chapter 4 Page

Not yet finish.

Friendships are fragile things and require as much care in handling as any other fragile and precious thing.

1:34 am 082121

#driedtears #hiddengrays #random #thoughts #random thoughts #thoughts and hugot #my healing process #2021

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alkhale · 5 years

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Memos Age Swap AU (ko-fi request)

If I was reading your post correctly I can request a snippet? If that is correct I am a tad bit desperate for more of the age swap memos au with the younger Shanks and Mihawk~~~~~

(You guys spoil me with some of these requests.)

“Sorry, brats, I know it’s a bit uncomfortable but just bear with me for a bit.”

I could bear with this for an eternity. Shanks thought amiably, calmly, almost saying the words just as pleasantly. I can even make this a lot more bearable for the both of us.

The heavy tromp tromp tromp of marine issued boots forced small rocks and pebbles to come raining down onto their heads. Soldiers shouted left and right above them, running like chickens without heads as they searched fruitlessly for the dangerously high bounty wielding pirates they’d happened upon.

They really think they can catch me? Shanks grinned a bit at the thought. They can’t even catch Buggy! Admiral Koby was a different matter, but with these new rookies and soldiers, it was a cake walk in the park. Honestly, they didn’t even really need to be hiding.

So why were they hiding?

Because Shanks was one lucky sea dog, that’s why.

I don’t know what I did in my past life. Shanks thought belatedly, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. But I’m glad I did it.

The particular town they’d happened upon for restocking supplies had become swarmed with marines all following the rumor that the Pirate King himself would be stopping by just because this town made a particularly amazing dish of charred sea king. Sure enough, Monkey D. Luffy had come, sending people screaming for the hills and marines quaking in their boots because Monkey D. Luffy was not a man who hid what he did and could care less about what anyone thought of it.

“I wanted some good meat!”

The news of their arrival had sent shivers down Shanks’ spine, a rolling, buzzing hum of excitement in the presence of the man he wanted to become. The man he sought to climb towards, higher and higher and—the thought of seeing his beautiful crewmate.

Shanks was another year older, of course, and another year wiser. He was handsome and charming and he was a son of the sea. He’d had his romp in the hay with several beautiful women in his time so far, had his little flings, his little moments of adoration over lovely, fearsome ladies but, but, but.

He spent nights in his bunk haunted by ocean eyes.

Shanks and Buggy had split down the middle of town, Buggy hauling the rest of their provisions while Shanks shook the marines off their tale in a classic little game. What he hadn’t gambled on was running face-to-chest first into mounds of soft flesh and muscle, accompanied by a short, rough ka!

The two of them had smashed into one more thing, bowling over and knocking into two wooden doors, holding closed an old ale cellar. Just before they’d all toppled head first, Hoku’s boots had smacked outwards, her sword hitting the side of the cellar tunnel and then they’d been left, suspended mid-air, squeezed so tightly together they had wedged themselves in.

Stuck.

“Why am I always running into you,” Hoku had wondered, not at all annoyed, almost playful amused as always, though a bit strained from the tight space. “You’ve got some bad luck, Red Hair.”

Shanks thought the absolute opposite. He had some damn good luck.

“Beautiful as always, dove,” Shanks purred, a bit of a wheeze to his words from their tight proximity. “You’ve been gone too long.”

Very good luck because here Shanks was, his back pressed flat against cobblestone and dirt, wedged from falling down some long tunnel cellar. Here he was, the smell of the ocean and perhaps copper and something else winding all around him, bright, paper white hair pulled into a wispy bun atop her head. Hoku’s toned, powerful thighs wrapped around his hips as her boots braced them against the wall behind them—God, he could feel her sitting on his thighs—her chest pressed close, close, close to his face, one arm grabbing her sword, the other wedged tight in-between them so she couldn’t move it.

Keep your head in your heart, Shanks, buddy, you can do it. He was about to lose his mind, to be perfectly honest.

But there was only one small hiccup to this little rendevouz. Small, miniscule and unnecessary.

“Sorry,” Hoku apologized again, turning her head a bit. “I know it’s tight. You alright?”

Dracule Mihawk, currently wedged into the other side of the cellar tunnel, also supporting Hoku’s weight over his thighs, hands settled calmly onto his legs, dangerously close to Hoku’s hips, chest pressed tight to her back—simply nodded.

The three of them.

“Why the hell are you here?” Shanks mouthed over Hoku’s shoulder. Mihawk stared dully at him. “When’d you even get here?”

Mihawk blinked once, slowly, giving Shanks a moment to consider.

Shanks made shush motions with his head, jerking rapidly with his finger to Hoku who was more focused on how she was going to haul herself out of this little tunnel—the two brats should be fine on their own. Mihawk continued to look at him as though he were no more than a bug before calmly moving his lips.

“Followed her,” Mihawk mouthed. “To find him.”

Memories of bright spearmint and a wandering hand placed firmly on the hilt of Hoku’s sword made Shanks sour a touch. Mihawk leaned his head back against the wall, calmly waiting.

I should just make the most of this wonderful situation. Shanks thought, leaning a little more forward. Hoku didn’t seem to mind, his head resting in the soft dip of her collarbone, above her chest. “Dove, where’s your crew headed off to next?”

“Hm?” Hoku glanced down at him, moving awkwardly to shift her head. “My crew? What’s it to you?” Her eyes sparkled dangerously. “Your captain looking to cause some trouble?”

“Of course not,” Shanks said, lips curling upwards. “Not yet at least. I just want to know where I can find you next. My heart can’t take these yearly meet-ups.”

“Be glad it’s only a year,” Hoku said. “Nothing good could come of anymore than that.”

Shanks frowned, “Dove! I’d see you any—”

“Hey, brat,” Hoku said. Shanks looked up obediently and she rolled her eyes. “The other brat.” Mihawk blinked his eyes open. “Can you move that arm?”

Mihawk wordlessly raised his left hand. Hoku grinned, “Good. I’ve got a brush right here,” she motioned with her chin to her breasts and Shanks blinked, mind halting. “Think you can reach it?”

What?

“What?” Shanks squawked. Hoku glanced to him and Mihawk simply kept his hand raised, expressionless. “Wait a minute, I can—”

“Your hands are stuck there,” Hoku said, motioning to where his hands were wedged between her back, cradling the dip of lean skin and stuck against Mihawk’s chest. “He’s got a free one. If you can get it free, pass it to me and I’ll get us out of this. Goddess knows the marines would have a field day with us.”

“I’ll use my mouth!” Shanks offered.

Hoku rolled her eyes at him, “Don’t make it more complicated. It’s just right there, alright? Can’t miss it.”

Mihawk’s hand raised itself from Hoku’s hip, reaching over her shoulder and brushing against her chin. Shanks watched his fingertips, souring and glowering, but unable to stop the transfixed, almost magnetized way he watched. Hoku tipped her head to the side, exposing a column of soft tan, lined with an array of thin, unhealed scars that stood out unsightly against her skin. Unsightly to anyone else. The kind that didn’t heal in a smooth little line, but stood out ragged, as though she’d been burned.

What stories you must be able to tell. Shanks swallowed, a hard bob against his throat. His hands pressed a little harder into her back. Mihawk’s golden gaze flickered to him once, his hand slowly brushing past Hoku’s collarbone, pulling the top aside.

Shanks’ breath caught in his throat.

Mihawk’s fingers dipped. Soft skin exposed, the soft mound of flesh. Shanks’ hands pressed a little harder into Hoku’s back, his hips fitting a little more snug. Hoku shifted, looking back to them from where she’d been watching the mouth of the cellar.

“Sanji! I think I smell her over here!”

“Over there? In that dirty cellar? Hoku Honey, where are you?”

Mihawk’s hand paused. Shanks blinked, looking startled and Hoku’s eyes brightened, a happy grin curling over her lips.

“Sanji!” Hoku shouted, uncaring for any marines that might hear. At Mihawk’s unsettled look she added, “None of ‘em will be coming this way if those two are up there. Sanji! Chopper!”

A shadow fell over the three of them as Shanks looked up in shock. Golden blonde hair fell in a heavy lock over one eye, the strands pulled back into a small ponytail at the base of his neck. His suit jacket left a few buttons undone, a neat, even trim on his chin. Rolling muscles and—

“Hoku Honey!” Vinsmoke Sanji cried, smoke trailing up from his lips as he peered down the tunnel. “What are you doing down there, my love?”

“Love?” Shanks repeated.

“Got a bit stuck,” Hoku called up sheepishly. “Lend me a hand?”

“Of course my—who the hell are those beasts?” Sanji barked out, nearly throwing himself over the side of the cellar. “What the—get your grimy paws off Hoku, snot nosed brats!”

“Ah! That’s the scary kid who’s been fighting Zoro! And that’s eek! Hoku! That kid’s traveling with that scary rookie!” Chopper’s snout peeked over the rim of the cellar. “Are you hurt?”

“Peachy,” Hoku said. “We just ran into each other. No harm done.”

She flashed Shanks a look filled with fonder amusement, “Too much these days though.”

“Not enough, dove,” Shanks murmured, eyes trained on her lips and the rise and fall of her chest. Hoku frowned, arching a curious brow.

“No harm done, huh?” Sanji said darkly, eyeing Shanks and Mihawk’s hands and their compromised position. Shanks frowned, flexing his fingers against Hoku’s back with a pout. “Alright, Hoku Honey! Give me just one second~ I’ll get you out right away!”

His words finally slapped hard into the side of Shanks’ head, breaking him from his daze. Mihawk remained silent, leaning his head back against the wall behind him as his hands returned to Hoku’s hips. She shifted, leaning more of her weight onto Shanks’ thighs and he cursed under his breath, mind racing to figure out someway to make this last a second longer—

“When can I see you again?” Shanks murmured.

“Me?” Hoku looked back to him. “You’re better off not seeing me again, brat.”

“I want too,” Shanks said. “I’ll die if I don’t.”

“Still talking sweet,” Hoku said, a bit soft. Shanks shook his head. “Listen, kid, you ought to just—”

“I really,” Hoku froze, she leaned back on instinct, resting against the warm press of Mihawk’s open chest. Shanks pressed forward, his forehead coming to rest on the bare skin of her collarbone. “Really want to see you again, dove.”

A moment. A beat. Shanks raised his head, eyes swimming, the smell of her, the feel of her, the press of skin and the too tempting touch making him feel drunk on bravery, on the slim chance he could sneak off with—

“Here I am, Hoku Honey!” Toned, suited legs came down, polished loafers effectively smashing into Shanks’ cheek and nearly Mihawk’s forehead. Sanji had been lowered, all cologne and cigarette smoke by one arm as he stretched out his other.

“Sanji,” Hoku said, happy and light. “Thanks.”

She promptly shifted her grip on her sword and Sanji’s fingers easily found hers, wrapping tightly and weaving through as he tugged her arm up and over his neck. Hoku’s weight was promptly ripped from between the two teens, Sanji’s arm snaking firmly and politely over the curve of her hip. Hoku dropped her sword down and Sanji’s waiting hand caught it midair, tucking it snug against her lower back. He swooned, eyes filled with hearts as Hoku freed her arm and wrapped them both around his neck, pressing a light kiss to his chin.

“Anything for you, my love!” Sanji crooned. “Pull us up, Chopper!”

“Aye!” came the muffled reply. Shanks blinked and Mihawk’s legs quickly shot out, the disappearance of Hoku’s weight forcing the two of them to shove both their legs as far as they could reach, smacking into the opposite wall of each other.

“It was nice seeing you again, brats,” Hoku called down to them, a small smile playing on her lips while Sanji glared hot daggers over the top of her head. “Good luck, yeah?”

Shanks’ mouth opened in protest while Mihawk simply inclined his head in a small nod.

“See you on the Grand Line!”

And then just like that, with a muttered curse from Sanji and a soft word, they were gone.

Shanks blinked, a tumble of emotions welling up in his chest until the clearest realization came to the forefront, bringing his attention to Mihawk across from him.

They were still stuck together.

“Okay,” Shanks said. “I’ll tell you what, we need to scream as loud as we can for a guy named Buggy on three, okay?”

Mihawk stared at him as one would a bug.

#ko-fi request #sketchbananafairy #memos #Hoku #memos age swap au #memos au #shanks #mihawk #ShaKu #young!shanks #young!mihawk #older!hoku

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 4 years

Text

10 Times Arnav Singh Raizada Crossed The Line (Part 1)

Arnav Singh Raizada is our perfect, tortured Mills & Boons hero. Sometimes it’s unfortunate when recent shows have aped his behavior and not the layered characterization that he had. However, sometimes (according to my own opinion) I felt that his character might have crossed the line.

It’s moments where no explanations justify his behavior.

Please remember this is all my crazy opinion so feel free to add your own in notes! Oh and don’t worry, a similar list is coming for Khushi as well as they’re truly made for each other. After all, aren’t they our favorite ‘will-they-won’t-they’ idiots?

Tearing the dori.

Arnav Singh Raizada does not apologize.

Blasting at Khushi for pranking, PRANKING him.

Telling Khushi her anklet, their almost kiss & she, does not matter.

Arnav Hypocrite Raizada - forcing an engaged Khushi to confess her feelings when he’s unable to do so.

Reminding Khushi of her broken engagement cause he can’t handle jealousy.

Manipulating & frightening Khushi with Akash & Payal’s divorce papers.

Telling Khushi he ‘faked’ his sickness to get rid of the ‘Swami’ tag.

Refusing to believe Khushi’s version of events.

Becoming Khushi’s landlord and blackmailing her (emotionally and financially) to get her to come back home.

Bonus

Telling Khushi that she does not have the brains, courage nor talent to face the real world.

#1 “Badtameezi toh maine abhi shuru bhi nahi ki.” (S1, E2)

“I haven’t even started misbehaving.”

First Reaction: No Arnav bitwa, no. That dialogue never has and never will make sense.

What’s wrong with it:

Almost everything. First of all when someone is in a position to abuse his/her/their position of power and authority, they don’t get to make rules on what counts as misbehavior. Secondly, just because one hasn’t sexually harassed a person does not mean one’s harassment hasn’t been “bad enough”.

Arnav’s behavior crossed the line the minute you tell Khushi that she and her sister are the kind of women who can easily get another man - and none of us are kids here to know what the thinly veiled insult meant to Khushi & Payal’s character.

What makes this entire situation problematic is that he accuses her with certainty based on assumptions and Khushi, really, has not warranted any sort of behavior from his end - she actually makes a compelling argument. This kind of a situation, unfortunately, keeps happening in the future where Arnav accuses her based on half truths/assumptions.

Of course there’s a part of me that always wonders what idiots as staff does Arnav have because they; (1) let a newbie go on the ramp (can’t imagine that happening at a Sabyasachi / Manish Malhotra fashion show), (2) are incompetent enough to not be able to procure and verify any information about Khushi.

Track Rewrite:

First of all, this is perhaps the only terrible moment that I want to leave untouched. It’s perfect. It sounds ludicrous but this level of animosity was required to create a hatred the two had for each other until love and lust suddenly stormed into their thoughts.

Khushi looks perfectly devastated and Arnav’s anger rises because his fashion show in Lucknow (out of all cities) has been ruined. The less can be said about recent shows where there’s very little logic to the hatred shared between characters.

It establishes that Arnav has been very aware, right from the start, how beautiful Khushi is. And not just the delicate beauty like Payal, but the beauty that can make one lose their path, their calm, their temper and tempt them out of their stupor.

It’s this opinion that he forms about Khushi that he subconsciously carries for the longest time - (it’s what makes it easier for him to believe Shyam’s version of events because this assumption of a tempting, young, poor woman out to seduce the rich never really leaves his mind).

Head-canon:

This was the only time Aman Mathur took a vacation. Poor Arnav, he really needed efficient staff.

Public Service Announcement:

Ladies and gentlemen, this does not mean that hate, pain and misbehavior is necessary for love to bloom. No, love does not have a template and this is a love story that happens despite the hate, not because of it.

Also, just so you know that Khushi - or any person - is not responsible for the things that happen to them. If a person’s self respect, dignity or agency is threatened - you go ahead and bash the attacker and not blame the person! *phew*

#2 “Arnav Singh Raizada kabhi kisise maafi nahi maangta.” (S2, E19)

“Arnav Singh Raizada does not apologize to anyone.”

First Reaction: Screw you Raizada! How dare you? Buaji - throw your infamous damned belan over his head! Raizada, do you realise you’re saying this while standing on someone else’s property?

And…

Why do I find it hot that Khushi opens the door to an impatient Arnav who’s dressed as dark as the sky, his temper matching the thunder in the background while they lock eyes? *i need help* when I watched this show for the first time I totally expected another scene like this would occur where Arnav asks her back or confesses his love. Yeah I trusted him enough to make another mistake where Khushi’s left home and he needs to get her back.

What’s wrong with it:

The things he said to her before he came to her house. The insults he levied on her are based on an accusation which is baseless. We get to know that until Akash’s public proposal to Payal that Arnav never bothered on learning the truth about what happened that night.

Hence it reveals another trait that Arnav never double checks his assumption until he’s faced with a confronting reality. But, in the length of time he’s gotten to know Khushi until that point - the things he tells her is way out of line.

And when he reaches her home, slapping that money on her table and insulting her in front of her family… yeah it’s difficult to watch that. Especially after all the Rabba Ve’s they’ve had and his difficulty & helplessness on learning that this same woman was going to leave for Lucknow forever.

Track Rewrite:

Arnav’s anger is really a projection of his frustration on himself for hurting Anjali and a terrible act of him confirming to himself that money can get him everything - even his sister’s happiness, which he attributes to his ability to get Khushi back into the house using money because he only knows the language of money.

So my problem isn’t much with him… it’s with Khushi’s inaction. This is one of my least favourite scenes in the show because once Khushi stops (mostly) retaliating to Arnav from this point - she never really retaliates ever again. It’s like they kill that intellectual and mature aspect of Khushi who really knew how to debate (ah, don’t I love the resignation scene and her moment with Lavanya, Sim & Pam in the office).

Of course, Arnav and Khushi argue bucket lots in the future but from this moment on they really amp up Khushi’s silent crying and reduce her logical arguments to her emotions. Hence, if there’s anything I would have changed then I would always give Khushi the final word - the logical final word because who doesn’t like a solid rebuttal.

Quick note; Arnav does amend from saying “women like you” to “people like you”. So there’s a shift from his belief of her being a gold digger (and hence, lack of character) to a middle class greedy person (like his uncle).

Head-canon:

I believe she doesn’t give Arnav a chance to gloat that he got her back with his money. Hence, the following exchange takes place in my head…

Arnav: “Mujhe pata tha tum paise ke liye kuch bhi karogi.”

Khushi: “Hum aap se ek baat kahe? Aap ghalat hai.”

Arnav: “No, main tum jaiso ko achi tarah se jaanta hai.”

Khushi: “Haan, shayad aap hum jaiso ko jaante hai. Par humein nahi. Aur rahi baat humara yaha aake kaam karne ka, toh humein nahi lagta ki humein kisi ko bhi safai deni ki zaroorat hai. Khaas kar ki aapko.”

- -

Arnav: “I knew you’d do anything for money,”

Khushi: “You know what? You’re wrong.”

Arnav: “I’m not. I know people like you.”

Khushi: “You may know people like me, but not me. And as far as me choosing to work here, I don’t find it necessary to give anyone any explanation. Especially you.”

Public Service Announcement/Crazy thought:

The old 500 rupee notes are banned post demonetization. So don’t use those notes.

Check out my crazy version of this episode.

#3 “Di isse sorry bolne ki koi zaruri nahi hai. Yeh aapki naukar hai.” (S3, E1/E2)

“Di you don’t have to apologise to her. She’s your servant.”

First Reaction: Oh no you didn’t… you didn’t!

What’s wrong with it:

I think it gets on my nerves how rude he is and that he constantly measures her to her financial and societal status. And all of this is because she pranked him. Like she literally put sugar crystals in his petrol tank, changed his phone ringtone to a silly item number and put juice in his shoes. And he responds to that with some pretty damaging words. He literally tells her that lying and cheating is in her blood.

Yikes! Flashback time Arnav - when she just alluded how he would feel if his sister’s marriage broke he tore her strings, and he legit just insulted her parents. All because she played some childish pranks.

I have to say Khushi does put up a good fight, for most of it, and I love Anjali trying her best to intervene but yes… the way Arnav just flares up here - he crosses quite a few lines (hence I am not at all sorry when Khushi flings the hot tea on him, sorry I’m a sadist). I think his continuous push to show his authority, superiority over her is not really healthy.

And that last Rabba Ve (although the tune is beautiful) which is evoked by her tears, and previously evoked by the impressions of his fingers around her wrist, gives a very wrong message to the public.

Track Rewrite:

I never, ever want to change their essential characteristic. I’m pretty satisfied when he’s literally burned after he’s burned her with his words. Karma always gets him...

But, I really wouldn’t mind a strong, confident, and angry “ENOUGH” from Khushi as well. Or even a quiet, deadly, whisper of an “enough” that would stop his nonsensical tirade. It’s important for him to know when he’s crossed the line, before Khushi starts crying.

Really, it wouldn’t hurt if he was taken aback by her burst of anger or the threat of anger instead of tears (remember the Guesthouse incident… he was turned on by her fury, and then he simmered down and felt guilty - that’s a good cycle to follow when there’s an argument. No, not always the turn on side but the ability to give both the parties anger).

Because of late there seems to be an obsession of male heroes getting the ability to insult their “soulmates” and then stopping because of her tears and then never following it up with an apology. There’s a lot of context in the case of Arnav and Khushi… but I always relish when he’s flabbergasted and silenced by her retaliated anger more than anything else (cue, the resignation scene again).

Head-canon:

Arnav: “Di you don’t have to apologise to her, she’s your servant-”

Khushi: “-enough.” / or / “ENOUGH!”

Arnav and Anjali stand, silenced by Khushi’s anger.

Khushi (to Arnav): “Do yourself and your status a favour. Don’t open your mouth. Especially in front of me. I may fall before your eyes, but you dig yourself a grave.”

Khushi walks away, leaving Arnav stunned.

---

Arnav: “Di isse sorry bolne ki koi zaruri nahi hai. Yeh aapki naukar hai-”

Khushi: “-bas.” / or / “BAS!”

Arnav and Anjali stand, silenced by Khushi’s anger.

Khushi (to Arnav): “Aap apne aap aur apne aukaad pe ek ehsaan kijiye. Apna muh mat kholiye. Khaas karke humare saamne. Shayad hum aapke nazro main gir jaate hai, par aap toh khai khodke apne aap ko giraate hai.”

Khushi walks away, leaving Arnav stunned.

Too harsh? Too unlike Khushi? Sorry, I’ve been watching that scene on repeat way too many times and I may have vented out a bit - it gets crazier when I list out Khushi’s antics!

Public Service Announcement:

Don’t break laptops or play pranks on people who might explode on you. Also, don’t waste mango juice on pranks - it’s delicious consumed. Probably that’s why Arnav was angry - one, he cannot drink mango juice due to his diabetes, and two, she wasted it on shoes!

#4 “Mere liye uss baat ki, ya tumhari, koi ehmiyat nahi hai.” (S3, E40)

“For me, that [the almost kiss], or you, don’t mean a thing to me.”

First Reaction: YES THAT’S WHY YOU KEEP ON THINKING ABOUT IT! LIKE OF COURSE BABUA ALWAYS SAYS THE TRUTH AND SAYS THE THINGS HE MEANS. LIKE OF COURSE YOU DID NOT INITIATE THE KISS OR PRESERVE HER ANKLET IN THE KHUSHI SHRINE OF YOURS! What the fu-dge Babua, literally?

What’s wrong with it:

Actually nothing. I just want to mentally slap him, that’s it. This needs to happen. Because honestly at this point of their relationship if this hadn’t happened - if they had kissed, chosen to break up with their partners (more like Khushi absolutely refusing to get engaged and even end up giving an ultimatum to her family) - then they would technically end up together and the most unhealthy point of their relationship.

Arnav is not at all ready for marriage but he would say yes because it’s the only way Khushi would be with him? Khushi, although in love with Arnav, still really has no actual reach to his depth and emotions.

And really all her fantasies of Arnav are really fantasies, she loves him for what he evokes in her more than what he truly is. He is unable to get her out of his system. It would be a bad place to begin a relationship.

So although nothing is wrong with this scene and it’s like a bitter pill that needs to be swallowed, I still want to say he crossed a line by reinstating that she means nothing to him even though he led her on the entire foreplay of a Diwali. And like… wow, he’s asking what he means to her after he just declared that he’s going to get engaged to his longtime girlfriend who is also now Khushi’s closest friend? Like why… why would Khushi tell you what you mean to her?

Track Rewrite:

I would rewrite Buaji’s pressure on Khushi. It’s regressive, painful and terrible to watch. I know it’s necessary… and if not rewrite this scene then I would just add a scene in the future where Buaji truly apologises for ruining her dearest Sanka Devi’s life. She owed this at least and it would be nice to see elders recognize their own mistakes at times.

Head-canon:

Lavanya is in a happy relationship with NK <3.

Public Service Announcement:

If you have a difficulty in saying what you want to say, enroll in Jalebi Teaches Feelz Expression classes.

#5 “I hope tumhe koi farak nahi padta.” (S4, E8 - S4, E14)

“I hope it means nothing to you / I hope it doesn’t affect you / I hope it doesn’t make a difference to you.” It = me, Arnav, our relationship (or whatever it is).

First Reaction: wherefore art thou asking questions yond thee cannot answ'r?

What’s wrong with it:

This is where Arnav’s moralities really turn grey. Over here any affection, concern or committment to Lavanya is literally forgotten. Almost possessed, Arnav has three goals;

(1) Make Khushi admit what he himself cannot admit - that he, them, everything matters to her (2) Prove to Khushi she won’t find a better match than him, that he’s her equal and he’s the only one who can provide for her and give her everything she desires (3) Make her breakup with her undesirable and unworthy fiance (he hasn’t met him but he just knows that her fiance does not deserve Khushi and I have to agree with Arnav, he’s right) and probably end up getting engaged with him.

The epic part of the Raizada plan is - he doesn’t have an idea what would happen if Khushi actually gives a farak. It’s not that Arnav is right or justified, he just stands the way he has always been - in all his fifty thousands shades of grey (not I’m not a fan of that book, pleej no).

Track Rewrite:

A bit more time for Arnav, Lavanya, his apology and their break up. I love it that he does it instantly, but I also wish he spent more time talking to Lavanya. Just some more Arnav/Lavanya scenes, we really never got to see more of their friendship and her understanding.

As far as everything else, Khushi’s inner battles and silence is really amazing - it’s what gives her dignity and it’s her self preservation. Arnav is redeemed by the fact that he genuinely is Khushi’s soulmate and he can feel her distress and is the only one who accurately senses that Khushi might have been pressured to agree to this marriage. Who knows Khushi cannot live in a loveless marriage. It’s something he can now guarantee, after a whirlwind of denial.

Although his actions are dubious, he’s the only one who senses the lack of joy and passion. So, rather terribly, he tries to put it across that he can fulfill her needs.

This comes to a halt when Payal refuses Akash in the first proposal. It sheds light on his earlier mistake and he realises that he has been wrong about Khushi all along (so he does not bring up her financial/societal status in insults post the event because Khushi really did end up in fashion show by mistake and more than that - her sister’s marriage did break because of him - not until the hate marriage).

And he realises his error with Lavanya that brings him out of this “I need to possess Khushi” phase.

So I liked that we saw the ugliest side of their love, the irrational jealousy and demand of possession. And I love that Khushi did not budge in, no matter how much it hurt.

Head-canon:

Lavanya knew all about it. Hence, she never holds Khushi responsible and instead guides Arnav to making better decisions.

Also, Khushi went through a similar, crazed phase. Except we never see it because Khushi grows increasingly quiet when her heart is suffering. She uses words to express and choses silence when she does not want to acknowledge.

Public Service Announcement:

Remember, it’s a good thing that they show us the unhealthy and healthy phase of a relationship between two people who love each other. This phase was decidedly toxic between Arnav and Khushi - when love is jealous, causes pain, is insensitive, is madness - see the signs and don’t go in deep when it’s at this phase. Every love has its time to mature and grow. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Read Part 2

#ipkknd #iss pyaar ko kya naam doon #Arnav Singh Raizada #Khushi kumari gupta #tv analysis #analysis #isspyaarkokyanaamdoon #i write too much #my opinion

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shanie-the-toyaddict · 4 years

Text

Finding Paradise A Zowens Fanfic

By Shanieomaniac

A short fanfic for this weeks Smackdown, based on @ilovesamizayn‘s brilliant Zowens post.

My brain simply would NOT let me sleep until I wrote this. Now it’s 6 am and I’ve been up all night and my sleep schedule is wrecked and DAMMIT BASTARD BRAIN!

(Also, see the one that she’s writing on her blog as well PLEASE! And Zaynee, don’t give up on yours, I eagerly await where you take it. I made mine a one and done for sanity’s sake.)

Story under cut

The Intercontinental Title was such a work of art, Sami had decided.

Just the title for an artist such as himself to hold.

Sami Zayn was sitting backstage at Smackdown admiring the title he had never lost and yet somehow regained at Clash of Champions. It was beautiful, the brassy gold reflecting against the lights, while the black accents and leather provided just the right contrast to balance it out.

I should polish it again, he thought to himself and, deciding that was a great plan, pulled the polishing cloth he had bought just for that purpose from his duffel bag.

On the monitor before him, the action in the ring was playing out. At the moment, Miz and Morrison were having a tag match against Heavy Machinery. Otis was such a goofball, Sami mused, he could never hold championship gold, Mr. Money in the Bank be damned. He just wasn’t charismatic or brilliant enough.

He wasn’t worthy of a title like Sami was.

Gently buffing the fingerprints off the reflective surface, Sami moved the cloth with precision. He had to make sure it was pristine, the moreso the better, whatever it took to make it shine like a star as brilliant as he was.

He was so engrossed in polishing the title that he didn’t even realize that Kevin’s match against the Fiend was up next. Not until the shrill notes of The Fiend’s music hit did his attention divert back to the monitor.

Sami paused to watch the Fiend stalk his way to the ring. The Fiend was facing Kevin Owens, a man Sami knew very well. Hell, if you asked Sami, he’d tell you he knew Kevin more than ever recently. Sami never would have won the IC title to begin with if it hadn’t been for Kevin showing Sami what was important... namely yourself, and while he hadn’t paid much attention to what Kevin had been up to lately (Sami had gotten the notion that he was being unusually kind, which almost confused him enough to care, but not quite,) Sami realized that from his understanding a match against The Fiend could be lifechanging. The least he could do for his old friend was watch it.

So, Sami tucked the polishing cloth back into his bag, laid the title across his lap and watched the match.

It... wasn’t much of a match.

The Fiend was an otherworldly being, a force of pure evil and destruction, carving a path of blood and brutality wherever he went. Kevin Owens was no different, and Sami found his stomach beginning to turn at the level of violence he was witnessing. At one point it almost looked like Kevin would get some offense, but The Fiend countered by flattening Kevin with a clothesline, KO’s head snapping backward across the mat.

Despite himself, Sami began to worry.

He didn’t know why, his time with Kevin was in the past, right? They weren’t friends anymore, and they certainly didn’t need each other. It was true that Kevin hadn’t thrived quite so well in Sami’s absence as Sami had without Kevin, but Kevin could take care of himself.

Right?

Sami watched as The Fiend continued to brutalize Kevin.

Kevin’s fine, Sami lied to himself, He’s got this. The fiend won’t completely destroy him.

Sami’s chest began to tighten as he watched him do just that. He began to take short, rapid, nervous breaths, silently pleading for the malevolent creature to finish the fight.

When he saw The Fiend grab Kevin by the neck for the Sister Abigail, he breathed a sigh of relief. It would be over soon. He watched as Bray spun Kevin around, slamming him to the mat.

Finally, Sami thought, just pin him.

The Fiend didn’t. Instead, there was an awful shrieking sound that rang throughout the entire arena, and the multitude of screens in the Thunderdome turned black and the screen seemed to cut out.

“What the hell?” Sami exclaimed. He jumped to his feet, still holding the IC title in a tight grip. When the signal picked back up again, the lights were all red and The Fiend was standing over top of Kevin in the ring, that large, sinister mallet in his hands. The shrieking continued and Sami was horrified as he realized Kevin was completely helpless.

Oh no, Sami thought, as his stomach dropped.

Oh God no...

He watched as The Fiend raised the mallet over his head, before driving it downwards into Kevin’s back.

The Intercontinental Championship clattered to the ground, cast aside like an unloved trinket, as Sami Zayn bolted for the ring.

____________________

Sami wasn’t sure how many times Kevin had been hit before he got to the ring.

Sliding in headfirst, Sami scurried his way across the ring to Kevin who was lying motionless in a pile near the center of the ring.

“KEVIN!” he cried out as he reached his friend. Sami deliberately positioned himself between Kevin and what he had decided was Evil Incarnate, in the back of his mind praying that the bastard would just walk away. It didn’t matter, Sami wasn’t paying attention to The Fiend. He wasn’t important at the moment, Kevin was, and as the masked demon stepped back, the shrieking in the arena stopped, although the red lighting remained unchanged. Momentarily relieved, Sami rolled Kevin onto his back, his hand gently cupping his friend’s cheek.

“Kev,” he said softly, “Kev, can you hear me?”

Kevin made no response, his eyes remaining closed.

Sami changed positions and pulled his friend into his arms, Kevin’s head cradled against his shoulder.

“Come on, Kevin, wake up,” he pleaded. There was still silence.

Desperation crept into his soul as tears began to form.

“Wake UP, KEVIN!” Sami shouted. He pulled Kevin even closer into himself, almost as if he could just hold him tight enough, his friend would be ok.

But he wasn’t, and as Sami gripped Kevin Owens in his arms, he began to scream, bitter, shaking sobs coming from him as the pain of loss wracked his body.

He never even heard the Fiend moving behind him.

Without warning, the Fiend slammed the mallet into Sami’s back. Sami gasped in agony, his back arching for a moment before he curled inward.

Pain exploded in Sami’s mind. That mallet, it looked lightweight, but whatever mystical force it was imbued with was made of sheer torment.

He felt the thing impact a second time; this time closer to his neck.

In the hell he was experiencing, he realized he should probably find a way to escape, to stop the beating. But... Kevin. Kevin was still helpless in his arms, if Sami left, if he even could, it would leave Kevin open to further attacks.

No, Sami thought, the blood in his field of vision growing with each passing moment, I can’t let him hurt Kevin.

So, placing Kevin down on the mat, Sami moved to block the Fiend from him, his back shielding Kevin from any potential blows.

The blows continued, falling on Sami instead.

CRACK! Against his spine.

CRUNCH! His pelvis fractured.

THUD! The back of his head took a blow.

Somewhere, buried beneath a billion layers of suffering, Sami realized that a beating like this could end his career. There might have even been a thought spared for what was likely an again-soon-to-be-vacated IC title. But he couldn’t be bothered. He was there, protecting Kevin. As painful as the beating was, Sami couldn’t help but smile inwardly. His and Kevin’s careers had been intertwined for so long. In a way, they had started together. Now, they would end together as well.

And as the tears streaked down Sami’s face, he was strangely at peace.

He didn’t even realize for a moment that the attack had stopped.

When he did, he hurt so much, it was difficult to see why. But he lifted his head the best he could and saw The Fiend standing in front of them, his eyes staring down at them both from within the demonic mask.

And he wasn’t alone. Standing beside The Fiend, a tormented smile on her face, was Alexa Bliss. She too stared down at them, as though admiring her beastly lover’s handiwork.

Then, without a word, she reached a hand up to The Fiend’s masked face and stroked his cheek, the tender touch horribly out of place for the current situation.

For a moment, Sami was afraid Alexa would take a turn with the Mallet.

Instead, through the haze of pain, Sami watched as she took his left gloved hand in her own hands and, ever so softly, kissed the word printed there – HEAL. The Fiend said nothing, permitting this show of affection before Alexa turned her attention to where Sami was laying on top of Kevin in the ring. Slowly, deliberately, she dropped to a knee beside them, a twisted grin forming on her face.

Sami wanted to cry out. He had no idea what the hell Little Miss Bliss had planned for them, but he was too badly injured to protest or stop her. Instead, he just gazed in horror as she closed the distance between them, and fearing the worst, Sami dropped his face down into Kevin’s shoulder and slammed his eyes shut.

“I’m here, Kevin,” he whispered, “whatever happens, I’m here.”

His body was shattered and broken and his entire world was pain. This was the end, he knew it.

He felt Alexa take his head in her hands, and he didn’t fight her as she lifted it roughly...

And placed a kiss among the fluffy curls.

Another shriek sounded, then everything went black and silent once more.

When the lights came back on, the first thing Sami realized was he wasn’t in pain anymore. Far from it, he felt great, all the lingering aches and pains from the previous two weeks had evaporated. He felt wonderful.

Also, Alexa and the Fiend were gone.

Kevin was still underneath him though, and he was very confused.

“Kevin?” he asked, getting up off the larger man, “Kevin, are you ok?”

Kevin’s eyes fluttered open.

“Ssssami?” he whimpered before his eyes went wide with panic and he started grabbing for Sami, “Oh GOD, Sami, is he gone?!”

Sami took Kevins flailing hands into his own and gently shushed him. “Shhh, shhh, it’s ok. He’s gone. We’re fine now.”

The panic in Kevin’s eyes shifted to relief and he began to calm down. Sami pulled Kevin into a seated position and gently pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Kevin shook his head and sniffled a bit, wiping his nose on his wrist tape.

“How are we ok?” he asked shakily.

Sami shrugged. “I think Alexa used the Heal glove on us. Best idea I have.”

Kevin nodded. “That was...” he began, “That was awful. I couldn’t move! It was like he got inside my head! I don’t - I never want to – I - “

Kevin’s voice started creeping towards panic again, but Sami wrapped his arms around Owens and held him tight.

“It’s ok, Kev,” Sami told him, the decision in his mind having been made all the way backstage “From now on, you won’t be facing him alone. I’ll be with you, I promise.”

The words calmed Kevin down for a moment, before he pulled away from Sami, incredulously.

“Hang on,” he said skeptically, throwing both attitude and a glare in Sami’s direction. “Since when were you so interested in my well-being?”

Sami sighed and scratched at his beard nervously. “Since about five minutes ago when I watched a demonic clown almost murder my best friend.”

Sami looked around shiftily before his eyes met Kevin’s. The two sat there for a moment, their eyes locked and a lifetime of history and emotion flowing between them, before Kevin chucked and broke away.

“Works for me,” he said, and he got to his feet, brushing his shorts off as he did. Sami followed soon after and the pair stood in the middle of the Thunderdome, surrounded by hundreds of perplexed digital heads. The pair looked around, observing the reactions before Kevin sheepishly remarked “I don’t think they were expecting a reunion tonight.”

Sami huffed. “Whatever, screw them. They don’t matter. You’re what’s important.”

Smirking, Kevin replied “And what about the Intercontinental title. I thought that was important.”

Sami gave a firm nod, “Oh it is, but you come first. Well, ok, maybe tied for first. Actually, it might be ahead by a bit.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Sami sigh, exasperated. “Fine, OK, you’re about a quarter-point ahead. Don’t test me, Kevin.”

A smile spread across Kevin’s face. “We’ll make it work. Although, our renewed partnership is dependent on my being traded to Smackdown.”

Sami beamed. “Oh, I’m sure I can pull some strings. I am IC Champion after all.”

“Two time, even,” KO commented.

The redhead chirped back “Nope, undisputed and undefeated. AJ and Jeff were frauds.”

Kevin chuckled again. “Right. Of course.”

Owens threw his arm around Sami’s green jacketed shoulders.

“Come on,” he said, “I could go for a burger.”

“You could always go for a burger.”

‘True, but right now, I could go for a double. Getting destroyed by a mystical swamp creature really takes a lot out of you.”

Sami said nothing but bobbed his head in agreeance and allowed himself to be led away by his friend. The next morning, he would set about getting Kevin traded to Smackdown. After all, if it worked for The Miz, it should work for him, and with Kevin safely on the same show as him, he could keep an eye on him. Yes, Kevin could take care of himself, he always could. But sometimes it helps to have a friend guarding your rear.

Kevin used to call Sami his “Guardian Angel.”

Sami wasn’t sure how much angelic nature there was left in him but if returning to the heavens was what it took to protect Kevin, he would gladly do so. He’d find paradise, seeking it out and ascending to the highest peaks and towers to protect Kevin, and as he headed to the back with Kevin at his side, Sami realized that, after all their time together, he’d only thought he understood Kevin. He was certain that, after everything, he knew what made Kevin so successful. You look out for number on, take care of yourself first, to Hell with everyone else.

Fuck that. Even if nobody else in the entire goddamn business cared about them, they needed to care for each other.

He and Kevin had decided long ago that, whatever or wherever they ended up in the industry, it would be together. They’d been apart for too long, he decided. They were better as a team, even if they had never won tag team gold when they were a pair, they could protect each other from anyone who might try to end their careers. As long as they could fight another day, there’d always been the potential for championships.

And maybe, Sami thought happily, as he watched his friend move alongside him, maybe he’ll even let me take the lead this time.

END

God I hope you can forgive me, Zaynee. I couldn’t NOT write this. I tried, really did. My damn bastard brain read that post and immediately started spinning shit. Sorry if you feel I stole your idea. Please forgive me. *hides face in shame*

#Zowens #Fanfiction #WWE #Sami Zayn #Kevin Owens #Smackdown

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reddie-fangirl24 · 4 years

Note

one sentence starter: “I don’t know if i’ve ever told you this...”

NOTE: This is another scene based on the series Barry.

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As Mike was performing his scene on stage, Eddie and Richie prepped for their scene in the little backstage area. They were both nervous to do this, but it was Eddie who felt like he was on the verge of having a panic attack.

When they read through the script that Richie had encouraged him to revise, nobody in the class knew what to say, staring at Eddie in shock. And then Eddie ran, upset and scared that the friends who he had come to knew were going to think of him as a weak coward. Convincing him to put the scene to its feet, Richie knew that it would have a much different approach.

“Okay, so how do we do this stage combat?” Richie asked Eddie, preparing for the big fight scene. A few nights ago when they began the scene, Richie could not bring himself to fake slap Eddie, running out of the theatre. It brought on the frightening memories from his childhood. Cousineau wanted to see him acting so he made up this genderswap for the pieces as a creative element.

Eddie took a breath, nervously staring out at the stage over Richie’s shoulder. “Relax your hand, shape it like a cup, now swing it about an inch away from my face and I’ll go in the direction of your hand.”

Noticing his hands shaking, Richie placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “What the matter, Eds?”

“I don’t want to do this!” he admitted fearfully, grasping his chest. “You saw what happened! They just going to judge me!”

Richie shook his head. “No, they’re not. Like Cousineau said, you need to tell this story...”

Sighing, Eddie looked at the floor, his whole body deflating. He was so good at acting chipper that it was tough for Richie to see him like this. “Richie, I have to tell you something.”

“What? What’s up, buddy?” Richie asked, continuing to keep his voice to a minimum.

“Look, I don’t know if I ever told you this but a few nights ago I went to Myra’s hotel room when she was in town.”

Oh, how was Richie going to tell him that he saw everything? He was on his way to give that woman a piece of his mind when he saw Eddie going into the room. Frustrated and overwhelmed he sought help from his teacher that night, breaking down about what happened to him as a kid. It was then that Richie finally learned to understand who he was.

“... I know...” Richie responded after a brief silence.

Afraid, Eddie quickly tried to explain everything. “What? N-Nothing happened, Richie, I swear! God, It was just a trap so she could make me feel shitty again. I don’t know, I guess I really thought that she wanted to apologize. Apparently she was watching me rehearse and she threatened to get her lawyer involved for threats that I abused her and...”

Before Eddie could have a panic attack, Richie quieted him, staring at him with a comforting smile. “Eddie, it doesn’t matter. I understand. I just want you to tell the truth. I love you.”

Tears built up in Eddie’s eyes. Good. Perfect timing for the scene. “I love you too, Rich.”

“Alright, who’s next?” Cousineau called out from the audience once Mike was finished.

Since Eddie was the first to start the scene with a monologue, Richie gave him a look of encouragement and pat him on the back before he left.

Forgetting about his nerves, Eddie faced his classmates on the stage, courage in his eyes, but panicked on the inside. They all looked nervous to see how the scene would look on its feet. Everyone in this class had a secret. Being in this class helped make the bad shit feel like less of a nightmare.

“‘She was gone the night I finally decided to leave. My wife, Myra, was critical of everything that I did. Being with her I felt like I couldn’t breathe. So that night, ten years ago, I packed my belongings. I was leaving. It was time to take control. Hoping that I could leave before she got home I-”

Entering the scene, Richie stepped out onto the stage, immersing himself in the terrible personality of Myra. While backstage Richie reminded himself of Henry Bowers, the bully from his childhood. In his thoughts another familiar entity crossed his mind, making him understand Its diabolical mind all the more.

“‘What are you doing?’” Richie asked sinisterly, reading as Myra. He wasn’t even reading from the paper.

Eddie froze, unable to say anything.

“‘You’re leaving?’”

Eddie looked away, staring at the audience for help.

Just like how they rehearsed, Richie circled Eddie like a threatening predator. “‘I knew you’d leave me! You’re too scared to open your mouth. See what I’ve told you? Ah-ha, too scared to look me in the eyes. Come on, you want to say something. Go on, stand up to me!”

Eddie stomped his foot. That was when the whole scene froze so Eddie could deliver a monologue to the audience. “‘Obviously I’d had enough. She didn’t treat me like a husband. Or a person! Fuck off! Fuck off, Myra! We’re done! Through!’”

Eddie shouted in Richie’s face as he remained frozen on the stage. Despite spit flying off Eddie’s mouth, Richie had to remain still. He could not ruin this.

Frowning, Eddie turned back to the audience. “‘Tonight I am walking out the door to start my own life! And if she dares to follow me I’ll have the police on her!” After a moment of silence, Eddie frowned turning back to look at the frozen Richie looming over his shoulder.

“‘Except words fail me,’” Eddie concluded as the scene started once more. Richie walked away from him, shaking his own head.

Finally taking a stand, Eddie walked forward. “Myra...”

Just like how they rehearsed, Richie envisioned Eddie as Pennywise, swinging his hand through the air. The slap looked so real that everyone gasped. Believe that he actually struck his boyfriend across the face, Richie almost stopped the scene when he stared down at Eddie who fell back on the stage.

He stood over Eddie who had this frightened look in his eyes. Please, let him only be acting. “‘Go. Run your coward. But if you come back, my arms are open.”

Struggling to his feet, Eddie ran downstage left, his hand pressed to his face. Richie had to remain frozen again.

“‘That was ten years ago. I never said a thing. I just ran. With little to no money, no home, and just whatever I had in my suitcase, I was alone. I never stood up to my ex-wife. But running away gave me my life back. I have a job, I’m pursuing what I always wanted, and most importantly,” Eddie crossed the stage, and held Richie’s hand who turned back into himself. “I found love.”

“And scene.” Their teacher concluded, mesmerized. Wow, that was tough to do.

Eddie threw his arms around Richie in a hug as their fellow classmates applauded them. “That was great!”

“Did I hit you?” Richie was so panicked, studying his boyfriend’s face for a bruise.

“I’m fine! You did great, Rich!” Eddie kissed him on the lips.

“Richie, can I see you over here for a sec?” Cousineau got his attention. Richie’s legs felt like jello. He almost fell off the stage. Everything from the past came flooding back in that emotionally intense scene. Normally e felt nauseous from his anxiety, but he didn’t. It actually felt good.

“H-How’d I do?” he asked his teacher, nervously, only he couldn’t hide the smile.

“Really well done,” Cousineau said proudly to him.

Wow. Wow. Feeling elated, Richie ran back up to Eddie and gave him another kiss.

#Reddie #Barry #It Chapter 2 #Myra Kaspbrak #Eddie Kaspbrak #Richie Tozier #It Movie #crossover #reddie fanfiction #gene cousineau

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raendown · 5 years

Link

Pairing: MadaraObito Word count: 1955 Soulmate au: The one where you each feel each other's pain

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Chapter 208

Madara was known by most as a clumsy person, which he’d always thought was incredibly unfair. It wasn’t really his fault that he was clumsy. Most of the time when he tripped suddenly or dropped things it was because of the sudden pain coming from somewhere on his body. His theory had always been that it was his soulmate who was the clumsy one, constantly knocking in to things or jabbing themselves, and with no warning for when it would happen Madara was of course startled in to clumsiness every time.

After nearly three decades he’d gotten fairly used to it, though it was still annoying on bad days. Driving up to the northern ass-end of Hi no Kuni with Izuna snoring in the seat beside him was probably one of the better times for his right arm to cramp up suddenly. He’d long gotten used to driving with his left hand, propping his elbow up on the center console and guiding the wheel as they rolled down some forgotten dirt road, which left his other side free to stretch out through the open window. Tons of space there.

Whoever decided that the far spread Uchiha clan needed to have a reunion probably had good intentions of reconnected several branch families with the main lines after generations of distance but in all honesty Madara was fairly sure the dust bunnies under his bed could have picked a better spot to host the damn event. Having lived in downtown Konoha his entire life, all of this fresh country air was more likely to give him some kind of asthma than anything else. The scenery was repetitive, the roads were deserted, and the one farm they’d driven by had smelled so bad he nearly threw up in to one of the empty cups that always seemed to replace themselves each time he cleaned out the cup holders. If it wasn’t for their father threatening to revoke his inheritance if he ‘insisted on showing such abysmal lack of interest in his own bloodline’ Madara wouldn’t have bothered braving the wilderness outside of his comfortable metropolis.

Startling himself awake with a particularly sonorous snore, Izuna jerked upright only seconds before they went over a solid bump that would have thrown him towards the ceiling anyway. After looking around and still seeing nothing but thick trees he sighed.

“Are we there yet?” he whined.

“Do you see anything even vaguely resembling human inhabitants?” Madara growled back. Just for that he should make the idiot drive all the way back home.

Before Izuna could say anything else the GPS on Madara's phone sprang to life after two full hours of silence.

‘In 600 meters your destination will be on the left.’

“Fucking right!” Izuna pumped the air with one fist.

“Oh thank the gods.”

“I know, I need to piss so badly.”

Madara wrinkled his nose. “You’re disgusting.”

Knowing their goal was finally within sight, he pressed the gas with just a little more force than necessary, sending them flying around the next corner to where they could at last see what appeared to be some sort rustic resort spreading out through the trees ahead. Lights twinkled at them from the windows of quaint log cabins but it was the squat and sprawling main building that drew them in with promises of other human beings and electricity to charge their phones with; thank all the gods they had booked a room early enough to secure a space there rather than in the cabins.

Unfortunately they should have known better than to be excited for the siren call of technology. From the moment they pulled in and stepped out of the car it felt as though there were relatives they couldn’t remember materializing out of thin air, always ancient and always eager to pinch their cheeks. With the baby fat he’d never entirely gotten rid of Madara had a lot of pinchable cheek area. After fighting their way through the first wave they made it inside the building but they were ambushed at the front desk by another throng of old coots warbling on about how much they had grown. Madara was fairly sure he’d never actually met half these people before.

Getting their room keys and hauling their bags in to the elevator took more than an hour with all the people that wanted to stop and chat. By the time they finally managed it Izuna looked down at his key card and whined.

“You’ll never believe this,” he grumbled. “Our room’s on the ground floor.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake. In all the nonsense I never actually heard him say our room number and I didn’t have a second to check!”

“There’s definitely some stairs. Let’s take those and see if we can sneak past the crowds.”

Madara nodded. “I had no idea our genes had spread this much. The Uchiha really need to stop procreating before we overpopulate the damn planet or something.” His brother nodded in solemn agreement.

When they reached whatever floor they had sent themselves to in their rush to close the elevator both of them peeked around the sides in fear of any more distractions. Thankfully the hallway looked clear. Neither of them waited to see if it would stay that way, darting towards the fire exit sign denoting a stairwell and hustling downwards.

At the bottom they both had a moment of panic when they spotted a lone figure resting on the bottom step as though to bar the way. Whoever it was didn’t seem very interested in the racket they were making, however, and Izuna was the first to step forward bravely. The closer they got the more the figure seemed to shrink in to themselves until finally they were only a few steps above the other when their torso heaved with a deep sigh.

“Five more minutes?” the figure pleaded in the weary voice of a man probably around their ages. “It’s so boring in that stupid room.”

“You can have all the minutes you want, my dude, we’re just passing through.” Izuna gave a vague salute on the way by and skipped down the last few stairs.

Madara hurried to follow after – or tried to, anyway. For once in his life it was only his own clumsiness that struck at just the wrong time. As he came down from the bottom step he landed just in the wrong way, rolling his ankle and sending him careening in to the wall on his left. Through the sudden ringing in his ears he only just barely heard a sharp gasp from behind. Probably Izuna. His brother was a worrywart sometimes when it came to how often he hurt himself so that was fairly easy to ignore.

“Holy shit,” Izuna’s voice whispered.

“I’m fine,” Madara growled back, embarrassed to have stumbled so badly right in front of some distant family member he would technically preside over someday.

“No – I mean, yeah, that looked rough – but I…aniki…turn around.”

With a deep scowl he did as he was told. Annoying as the unnecessary worry was it was a little insulting to know the other considered something more important than his possible injuries at the moment. As soon as he turned, however, he understood.

The single dark eye staring back at him was scrunched with pain, one hand rubbing at the same spot on his forehead where Madara had just crashed in to the wall with his own. Just looked at him it was obvious that he was someone who would not appreciate any extra pain. Half of his entire face was twisted with deep scars that extended under the collar of his shirt and ostensibly continued all the way down his arm to where they were visible covering his right hand as well. To one side of him a cane could be seen leaning against the railing, clearly waiting to assist him wherever he needed to go.

“You hurt him,” Izuna said in a daze.

“I what?”

“When you ran in to the wall he grabbed his head.”

“Do try to refrain from doing it again,” the man chimed in finally. “It did hurt.”

Madara stared openly. Scars or no scars, cane or no cane, he couldn’t believe he had met the other half of his soul here in the last place he would have suspected. Despite clearly understanding the situation it seemed to take a minute or two for the gravity of it all to catch up with the other man. Only when he had finally stopped rubbing just above his brows did he freeze and gasp a second time.

“Oh shit…that…you’re…”

“Could you give us some space, Izu?” Madara refused to take his eyes off the one he’d been waiting to find but his brother didn’t seem to mind.

With a low mumble about taking both their bags to the room Izuna scurried off, leaving them alone in the stairwell gawping at each other like a pair of idiots. Clearly made to match. Once he got past the shock of seeing them Madara found that he was able to look past the scars to the attractively messy hair and the strong jawline, the way his one glittering black eye actually seemed to be enhanced by the addition of a patch over the other.

He wondered for one moment what he himself looked like, raggedy hair down his back and still wearing the wrinkled clothing he’d fallen asleep in the night before. There was no use worrying about that now though.

“May I ask what happened?” he said. The man looked away uncomfortably.

“Got in a car accident a couple years ago.”

Doubt wriggled in, drawing out a frown as Madara admitted, “I didn’t feel anything like that on my end.”

“You wouldn’t have. I blacked out on impact. Spent the next year in a coma. Only woke up about eleven months ago and I’m still going through physical therapy. Mostly I’m just…sore and frustrated.” The hand free of scars lifted to rub at the base of his neck. “Name’s Obito. Sorry I’m probably not what you were imagining.”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks.” Obito’s voice practically dripped with acidic sarcasm and Madara smiled.

Stepping forward, he carefully lowered himself next to the other man on the bottom stair. “I never said you were a disappointment. Just a bit of a surprise. My name’s Madara. It’s good to meet you.”

“Is it?”

“Of course.”

His soulmate eyed him dubiously and that made his smile turn up in to a sharp expression, dark with a humor he so rarely allowed other people to see. Not many people could take the full force of his true personality but he had a feeling that he’d found one who could.

“Sounds to me like someone’s been keeping you cooped up in your rooms here in the main building. To be honest that’s probably a better option than drowning in all the old fogeys hanging around. What do you say I keep you company for a while?” He was delighted to see Obito slowly straighten his back, relief flickering over that scarred yet pretty face.

“I wouldn’t mind a bit of company.”

“Lead the way, then.”

That was the right thing to say. Although he refused any help Obito’s sudden good mood remained as he struggled his way back down the hall on obviously tired limbs. Madara resolved to work on building trust between them as quick as possible to convince the other it was okay to lean on him sometimes.

But there was time for that, as much time as he needed. They had their whole lives ahead of them to wander through life being clumsy together – and he couldn’t wait.

#rae writes #soulmate collection #madaobi #madara #izuna #obito #fanfiction

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gryffindorcls · 5 years

Text

It’s You (Part 2)

This AU is based on a drawing made by the amazing @yunyin that you can find here.

Enjoy!

---

The emotional roller coaster Adrien had experienced over the past two days had been both exhausting and exhilarating. Not only had he become a superhero and gone to school for the first time, but he’d met the most incredible human being: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Now that he knew that his new partner didn’t hate him for something Chloe did, he could focus on everything that made Marinette wonderful. It had only been a few hours since he’d asked for her forgiveness by giving her his umbrella, but he knew that he wanted to give her so much more. He wanted to give her the world.

Okay, so knowing her identity wasn’t ideal, but he was so happy. Adrien was one hundred percent positive that he was shamelessly in love with her; however, he had no idea how to tell her.

“I’ll just have to wait until the time is right,” he decided.

Adrien sighed and wondered if that day would ever come.

Plagg groaned and emerged from the wastebasket. “Please don’t become one of those silent pining types. I’ve had at least a dozen of those, and they were all miserable before they finally made a move.”

He looked at his Kwami. “I don’t know if I’m ready to ask her out yet. Like, I want to show Marinette that I care about her, but we just met. I don’t want to come off too strong. I gotta be honest...I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“No...I never would have guessed!”

“Hey! I’m trying. How can you expect me to figure out how to pursue a romantic relationship with someone if I’ve never really had friends before?”

“I think you just answered your own question.”

“Huh?”

“You should try being friends with her first. Build that bond of trust that I was talking about. Once you do that, I guarantee that you’ll find the courage to ask out your bug.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just be friends with her for a little while.”

“Just friends?” Adrien shook his head. “No, I don’t like the sound of that. Marinette is definitely not ‘just a friend’.”

Plagg crossed his arms. “Look, kid. Marinette is Ladybug, and you are her Chat Noir. The two of you will never be ‘just friends’; however, you really should get to know her first. Typically, my wielders spend time with their bugs before they reveal their identities because knowing who’s behind that mask makes this real, and that can be scary. Also, you two are going to see each other almost every day. There’s no need to go all out in one sitting because you will have plenty of opportunities to woo her. It’s not like you’re just going to see her during Akuma attacks and the occasional patrol...give it some time.”

“I still want to show her that I care.”

“You can do that by building a strong friendship.”

Adrien felt as if a thousand thoughts were swirling around his head at the same time. “Perhaps the right moment will come if I work on being her friend first. But I still want to do more. I want her to know that she’s special to me.”

“I think I want to give her something...you know...as a token of our friendship,” Adrien declared.

“People are usually pretty receptive to food...just like me...who’s still waiting for his cheese.” Plagg placed a paw on his forehead and pretended to swoon.

“No, she lives in a bakery. I want to give her something else, but I don’t know what just yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, kid...right after you bring me cheese.”

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go get your smelly cheese.”

Leaving behind a smug-looking Kwami, Adrien padded across the room, walked out the door, and crept down the hallway towards the kitchen. He ducked behind a planter when he heard a noise coming from his father’s office. When he was sure that his father would not discover him, he continued on his journey.

“I’m going to have to start ordering cheese. Sneaking out of my room like this every night is too risky,” he thought, making himself a mental note.

Once he was safely inside the kitchen, Adrien opened the fridge and pulled out his Kwami’s beloved camembert. He scanned his surroundings before closing the refrigerator door and tucking the cheese under his arm. Before having the chance to make a move towards the exit, his eyes landed on a bouquet of roses in a vase.

“I know just what to give Marinette.”

Adrien smiled and pulled a red rose from the bundle.

***

Marinette woke up the next morning and groaned. “I messed up so bad, Tikki.”

Tikki flew over to her holder and nuzzled her on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay. Usually, we like to wait for our holders to get to know each other a little better before even considering a reveal, but we will make it work. Your new partner seems wonderful.”

“Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” Marinette smiled and blushed, “I can’t believe he goes to my school.”

“I can,” the red Kwami mumbled, “Master Fu definitely knew what he was doing this time.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side. “Who?”

Tikki’s eyes grew wide. “Uhhh...don’t worry about it. That’s a story for a different day. But...Adrien, huh? I saw the way you two were looking at each other yesterday.”

“I know...I know...but I think I have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Every time I think about him, it feels like my brain is going to explode. He’s so kind and sweet. You heard me try to say goodbye to him yesterday! I started stammering. How am I supposed to fight Akumas with him if I can’t even talk to him?”

“You just need to get to know him.”

“How?”

“Why don’t you invite him over for lunch? Or you could hang out with him after school. Just spend time with him. Find out what kind of things he likes to do. It will get easier.”

Marinette sighed. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

The Kwami smiled. “It’ll be okay, Marinette. Falling in love is a wonderful thing. It’s scary, but it will change your life for the better.”

“I hope so, Tikki, because with Hawkmoth and his Akumas out there, I’m going to need some good changes in my life to balance out the stressful ones…but then again, this is really stressful. What do I say? I can’t just go up to him!”

“Sure, you can. He’s your partner, and now he’s your friend. I can guarantee that he would love to spend time with you. Plagg’s cats typically love being with my bugs.”

Before she could answer her Kwami, she heard her mother yelling from downstairs. “Let’s go, Marinette! You don’t want to be late for school!”

Marinette looked at the clock on her phone and began to panic. “Oh, no! I still need to brush my hair! If I go looking like this, Adrien is going to think that I’m a weirdo for sure! He’s going to take one look at me and decide that I’m too spastic, and he’ll never want to talk to me again.”

Tikki shook her head. “I’m sure that won’t happen. How about you just focus on getting ready and heading over to the school?”

With a frustrated groan, Marinette haphazardly finished her morning routine, gathered her belongings, and rushed out of her house. When the coast was clear, she bolted across the street and ran into the school’s courtyard.

By the time she made it to the classroom, she was out of breath and exhausted. She dragged herself over to her table and collapsed in her seat. When she looked up, two shining green eyes were looking at her with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?” Adrien asked.

Marinette felt her insides seize with fear. “I...uh...ko may...I MEAN...I’m okay...ugh.”

“That’s good to hear! I...um...I have something for you!”

“Y-you do?”

Marinette’s breath hitched as he held up a delicate red rose. She reached out her hand and took it. She was so nervous that she didn’t know whether to smile, laugh, or cry.

She looked at him with the calmest expression she could muster. “You didn’t have to get me a-anything. You already gave me your bumbrella....no...ugh...your umbrella.”

He frowned slightly. “I thought you would like it. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me.”

“What on earth did I miss?” Alya looked back and forth between Adrien and Marinette. “Didn’t you two hate each other yesterday?”

“No,” Nino piped in, “Marinette didn’t want to talk to Adrien because she thought that Chloe put the gum on your seat. I told him to go talk to her, but I’m sensing that a whole lot more happened between them yesterday than just a simple conversation.”

“Wait, are you telling me that Adrien didn’t put the gum on our seat?”

“Nope. It was Chloe. However, until two days ago, that girl was my bro’s only friend. Now, he has me.”

“Ahhh...that was very informative. I think I’ll have to keep you around. You said your name was...Nino, right?”

“Yup that’s me.”

Alya then turned to Marinette. “So, care to explain what happened yesterday? You can’t tell me that nothing happened because something obviously did.”

“N-nothing happened,” Marinette did her best to cover the blush on her cheeks with her hands. “We made up...that’s it.”

“Made up or made out?”

“ALYA!”

“I think I’m definitely going to like it at this school. Things just got very interesting.”

When Marinette looked up at Adrien, she saw him hang his head and turn around. Her heart sank. She was messing everything up again!

Their conversation ended abruptly when Miss Bustier entered the room and started to teach. That morning, Marinette found it impossible to pay attention to the lesson. By the time the class was dismissed for lunch, she was itching for another chance to talk to Adrien. (Well...try to talk to him.)

When the bell rang, she saw Adrien quickly pack up his things and begin to walk out of the classroom without looking at her. She grabbed her belongings and attempted to catch up to him. However, she forgot about the step next to her table and plummeted to the ground. She landed on her hip and let out a sharp cry. Within seconds, Adrien had turned around and reentered the classroom.

Kneeling by her side, he placed a gentle hand on top of hers. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Can you stand?” he whispered.

“Yeah, I think so. Don’t worry about me. I fall all the time. I’m hopeless.” Tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.

Adrien helped Marinette onto her feet. When she winced, he snaked his arm around her and let her lean on him. She gladly used him for support.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked with concern lacing his voice.

Marinette attempted to wipe away the tears. “I’m fine. I’m telling you...I really do get hurt all the time. I...I...I…”

When she started crying again, Adrien led her out of the classroom and into the locker room. He took her to a secluded corner and sat down with her on a wooden bench.

After a few minutes, Adrien finally broke the silence. “I’m guessing this has to do with a lot more than just falling down in the classroom.”

All Marinette could do was nod her head in agreement and bury her face in her hands.

“Okay,” he began, “Are you still mad at me? Is that what this is about? Because I’ll do anything to make you feel comfortable around me. Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”

Her head snapped up. “No...absolutely not! You’re wonderful! Why would you think I was still mad at you?”

“Well, you didn’t really like the rose I gave you.”

“Oh, no, Adrien! I’m so sorry I made you think that! I loved it...I...I’m just hopeless. I mess everything up! First, I reveal my identity, and then I don’t cleanse the Akuma. Now, I’m being so stupid that my partner thinks I hate him!”

“You’re not hopeless, Marinette! Did you not see how brave you were yesterday standing up to Hawkmoth? This was our first time being superheroes. We’re bound to make a few mistakes along the way. I definitely didn’t do everything right. We’re learning, and I know that we can do this...together.”

“You know...I almost gave up my Miraculous when I realized that I’d messed up.”

Adrien took both of her hands. “Marinette, I can’t do this without you. You are my lady...and I will always be your cat. We are partners.”

She smiled. “I think I’m starting to see that now. I guess I just feel like I can’t do anything right.”

“Learning who you are right away was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. Don’t ever think that was a mistake. I think it was fate because now I have the chance to get to know you outside of the mask. I gave you that rose to try and let you know how excited I was to have you in my life.”

Marinette felt her cheeks begin to burn once again. “I...it...umm...stiss rice nose...I mean...uhh...it’s a nice rose. Thank you.”

Adrien’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure you’re not still mad at me? You seem to be uncomfortable.”

She sighed. “N-no. I’m sorry. It’s not you. I...I just...I getalittleflusteredsometimes.”

He chuckled. “As long as you’re not mad, I think that flustered is something that we can work with. What can I do to make you feel more at ease?”

“Tikki said that I should get to know you and that we should spend time together outside of school.”

“That would be awesome! But…”

Marinette hung her head. “Oh...you don’t want to.”

Adrien shook his head. “NO! No...not at all. That’s not it. My dad is just SUPER strict. Two days ago, he finally agreed to let me go to school. He doesn’t really like it when I leave the house. You know what? I’ll see what I can do.”

“Really? Well, if you’re free now we could get lunch together.”

“I’d love to, but my dad scheduled me for a photoshoot, and he has me missing school this afternoon. But...I can see if he’ll let me do something once fencing practice is over.”

“Wow...a photoshoot and fencing? And you’re Chat Noir? How do you function?”

“I also have Chinese and piano. My dad likes to keep me busy. If I ask Nathalie...oh, that’s my dad’s assistant...umm...if I ask her first, she may be able to convince my dad to let me come over.”

Excitement flooded Marinette’s brain. “Okay! Umm...how about we exchange numbers? That way you can let me know if you can make it tonight.”

Adrien grinned. “Sounds like a plan, my lady.”

She giggled and pulled out her phone. Once they had each other’s contact information, they parted ways.

It didn’t take long for Marinette to convince her parents to potentially have Adrien come over for dinner. She spent the rest of her lunch break in a happy haze.

When she returned to school, she found herself still unable to focus as she thought about spending time with Adrien. She wondered what kind of things he liked to do.

Her mind wandered. “He’s rich and famous. He probably likes cool stuff...oh, no...he probably likes cool stuff that I don’t have! No, Marinette...he’s a nice person. He’s also really cute...ugh...I hope I can actually talk to him...he’s going to figure out that I have a crush on him...he’s going to think I’m…”

A soft buzz in her purse caused her spiraling thoughts to come to a screeching halt. She surreptitiously opened the clap on her bag and checked the message on her phone.

Adrien: Guess what? You’ll never believe it! My dad actually said yes! I just have to leave by seven. Did you still want me to come over?

Marinette: Yes! I can’t wait!

Adrien: Cool. I’ll walk over to the bakery after fencing.

Marinette: Awesome! I’ll see you then!

The rest of the afternoon crawled by. At the sounding of the final bell, Marinette leaped out of her seat and zipped home. She wanted everything to be perfect for Adrien’s arrival.

***

Adrien quickly changed into his everyday clothes at the end of fencing practice. He couldn’t wait to see Marinette again. When he turned to leave, he was stopped by a concerned looking Plagg.

The Kwami crossed his arms. “Kid, are you sure the rose thing was a good idea? Aren’t you supposed to be working on being friends with Marinette?”

“Well, like I said before...I don’t want to be just friends with her,” Adrien stated plainly, “I care about her. We may be ‘just friends’ now, but I’m hoping that she’ll want to be my girlfriend one day.”

“But a rose? Aren’t you coming on a bit strong? Can’t you just use your words?”

“I can’t tell her just yet...I...she...I don’t think that Marinette can handle words at the moment. Trust me, I’d love to sweep her off her feet right now, but she doesn’t seem comfortable with me yet.”

“And the rose was supposed to make her feel more comfortable around you? Kid....”

“Well, I saw the rose thing in a movie once.”

“A movie?” Plagg cocked his head to the side.

“It’s something you can watch on a big screen or a moving picture box. It's kind of like watching a book.” Adrien clarified.

“My goodness the world has changed since I was last activated, but if a movie is anything like a book, what makes you so sure that your plan is going to work?”

“Well, it worked out for the guy in the movie, so why can’t it work out for me? The main character didn’t tell the girl that he loved her until the end, and they still lived happily ever after.”

“But that’s just a story.”

“Aren’t we all just walking stories at the end of the day?”

Plagg deadpanned. “You’re unbelievable.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Oh, and you’re not?”

“Fine. I’ll let it slide because you seem like you’ve been a little...sheltered. But trust me, giving a girl a rose doesn’t exactly scream ‘I just want to be friends right now’. And you’re right, your bug seems a little jumpy, so don’t be surprised if she stays flustered around you for a little while longer.”

“It’s actually kind of cute when she stumbles over her words.” Adrien sighed lovingly.

Plagg groaned. “Goodness gracious, kid. Just make sure you stay somewhat focused during Akuma battles. Don’t get Marinette worked up during a fight...it’s your job to make sure she stays safe so she can cleanse the Akuma.”

“I would never let anything happen to Marinette.”

“I know, kid. Anyway, I think it’s time for you to get going. It’s never a good idea for a cat to leave his bug waiting.”

Adrien beamed, opened his overshirt for Plagg, and rushed out of the locker room.

“It’ll all work out,” he thought as nervousness settled in his gut.

***

“Marinette!” Sabine called from the living room, “Your guest is here! I’m sending him up now!”

The teen took a deep breath and stood near the hatch. After a few seconds, a blond mop of hair peeked over the edge of the floorboards.

“Is it okay for me to come in?” Adrien asked tentatively.

“Yes!” Marinette squeaked, causing her partner to chuckle.

“The only other friend’s house I’ve been to is Chloe’s. Well...unless you count the times I went to my cousin’s house, but I feel like that’s not the same thing.”

Some of her nervousness melted away as her heart melted for the boy standing in front of her. “Oh, Adrien...no, it’s not the same. I’m sorry. However, you are welcome to come over whenever you want. Consider this a permanent invitation.”

He looked at her with wide eyes. “Wait...your parents won’t mind if I come over again?”

“Are you kidding? The second you leave, my parents will ask me when you’re coming back...and they’ll probably be asking me a few other things, as well.”

“Like what?”

“Oh...umm...n-never mind. Don’t worry about it...uh...GAMES. D-do you like gideo vames...I MEAN...video games?”

“I love video games! I have a whole bunch of shelves filled with them! Uhh...do you like them?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, my dad and I play them a lot. Our favorite is Ultimate Mecha Strike III.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “Really! I love that game! I’ve only ever been able to play with people online. I’ve never played it with another person before.”

Marinette ran to her computer, grabbed a controller off her desk, and held it out for him to take. “How about we fix that today?”

“I’d love to,” he replied, taking the controller from her hands.

For the next thirty minutes, they sat in front of the computer playing round after round of Ultimate Mecha Strike. Marinette found herself on the winning side of most of the matches, and this seemed to make Adrien concentrate harder and harder with each passing second. She even caught a glimpse of him hunched over with his tongue sticking out from the corner of her eye.

“He’s such a dork,” she thought to herself.

After losing the current round, Adrien flopped his head back and sighed. “You won again! Wow...you’re amazing, Marinette. I’m so lame compared to you.”

Hearing the brokenness in his voice made her want to fling her arms around him, but she hesitated. “N-no...amazing? Me. No, you're so good. I mean, I'm the one who's not good. I mean... I'm lucky, that's all.”

“I don’t know…you’re really good at this.”

“And you’re really good at being a superhero. You were the one who told me not to give up. I would have given up my Miraculous if it wasn’t for you. Adrien, you did that. You are amazing. Besides, the only reason I’m winning is because I have a secret weapon.”

“Really? And what might that be?”

Marinette reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pink and green charm that was fastened together with red string. “Here...see? This is my Marinette Lucky Charm. My mom helped me make it when I was little, and I’ve been carrying it around ever since. How about you try playing a round with it?”

“A lucky charm made by Ladybug herself,” he chuckled, “I guess I’ll give it a try.”

Marinette bit her lip and began scrolling through the game’s main menu. Immediately after confirming her stage selection, the sound of a massive crash wafted into her room. Her breathing began to quicken.

“Another Akuma?” Adrien asked, shaking his head, “Something tells me that this Hawkmoth character is going to keep us busy. I guess it’s time to get to work.”

Marinette sighed. “Yeah, I guess it is. Let’s see what Butterfly Boy has in store for us today.”

“Butterfly boy...ohmygod! Good to know you have a sense of humor. I’m definitely stealing that one.”

“Be my guest!”

Adrien took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m so happy that you’re my partner. I know it’s only been a few days, but I already know that I wouldn’t want to do this anyone else.”

Marinette swallowed as she felt her cheeks grew warm. “I...wow...yanks...ugh...no. Let me try that again...thank you.”

“It’s okay. It’s just me...no need to get flustered. Just remember, you’re the amazing and incredible Ladybug, and I am proud to stand by your side.”

“Saying stuff like that is not going to help me calm down.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to spend more time together so you can get used to me.”

“Then let’s defeat this Akuma...together. That way I can get back to...how did you put it…‘getting used to you’. Maybe if you keep saying stuff like that, I’ll be ‘used to you’ in no time.”

“That’s good because it would be a cat-tastrophe if you weren’t feline comfortable around me during a fight.”

Marinette threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, no...not puns! Anything but that! I get enough of those from my dad.”

Adrien grinned. “Hey, aren’t you the one who called Hawkmoth ‘Butterfly Boy’ about two minutes ago?”

“Touché. Fine...I’ll put up with it, but only because I secretly like puns.”

“Good because there’s purr-lenty more where those came from.”

“Just keep them off the battlefield, kitty. I’ll need a focused partner out there. We’ll have lots of time for jokes when we’re together outside the masks.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“ Ready? Tikki, SPOTS ON!”

The bright, pink light from her transformation flooded her room.

Adrien let go of her hand and stared at her with a look of awe. “I don’t think that will ever stop being amazing to watch. I guess it’s my turn.”

His Kwmai zipped out from behind his collar and hovered in front of his face. “Whenever you’re ready, kid.”

“Plagg, CLAWS OUT!”

Once he was transformed, the duo climbed out the hatch and took to the rooftops. Upon reaching their destination, they were confronted by a translucent figure with long flowing hair. The Akuma held a glowing notebook in one hand and a dripping quill pen in the other.

“I am Revealer...come to me so I may make your secrets known.”

Using the pen, the Akuma shot a thick inky stream into the crowd below. The people who were hit became encased in black sludge and melted into puddles of muck on the ground. Revealer’s book lit up, and she cackled.

“What interesting secrets you all had locked away in your minds! Shall we read some? No...actually, I think I’ll wait until I have the two best-kept secrets in Paris before I read my book to the world. Come out Ladybug and Chat Noir! There’s no need to hide in your glass houses. All will be revealed eventually...so why not now?”

“Well, she’s clearly up to no good,” Chat commented while resting his chin against his staff.

Ladybug scowled. “I thought I said no puns during battle. We need to stay focused.”

“What if I said that puns help me stay focused?”

“Fine. Please just stay safe.”

“Well, actually it’s my job to keep you safe, so…”

“No! It’s our job to keep each other safe.”

“You’re the only one who can cleanse the Akuma.”

“But,” she paused before continuing, “I need you.”

Chat placed a hand on her cheek. “Tell you what. I promise to do my best to stay safe, but if it comes down to me or you...I will always have to pick you. I trust you to bring me back.”

She leaned into his touch. “But what if I can’t?”

“My lady, listen to me. Nothing in this universe can keep me away from you. We may get separated for a little bit, but we will always find our way back together. I trust you, and I need you to trust me to make sure that you can save the day in the end. We are a team, and we each have a role. I know what I have to do so you can do what you need to do.”

“That doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

“I know, and that’s why I trust you.”

“We can do this.”

“Yes, we can do this. Just like last time.”

Ladybug stepped away and turned her attention towards the Akuma. “Okay...I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. I would really like to be back in my room when my mom calls us down for lunch. We need a plan.”

Chat grinned. “I’m ready to hear whatever you have in mind!”

“Okay, I don’t know what her deal is, but there’s one of two places where that Akuma could be.”

“Should we try the book first? Even if we’re wrong, she won’t be able to read anyone else’s secrets...just turn them to...goo.”

“Actually, I don’t think they’re turning into puddles. I think they’re becoming a part of the book she has in her hand. The ink on the pages are the innermost thoughts of the people she hits. It must be a diary or something. But you’re right...we should go for the book first. Even if it isn’t the Akumatized object, getting rid of it will help us get to the pen. If the book gets destroyed, perhaps the people who get encased in that...stuff...won’t disappear anymore. Maybe they’ll just get really dirty.”

“Ew. Just the thought of that makes me want to take a shower.”

“Is that a model thing?”

“What?”

“Thinking about taking a shower.”

“Excuse me, but I’ll have you know that even though I’m a model, I take a normal amount of showers.”

“Noted.”

“Thank you.”

“Still, we can’t get hit. No one else can know our identities. That's a secret that should definitely stay between the two of us.”

“It’ll be okay, my lady. Let’s just get this done.”

The duo leaped into the fray and stood ready to strike. Ladybug hurled her yo-yo towards the Akuma and pulled the string taught once her weapon had successfully wrapped around the arm that was holding the book. To her chagrin, Revealer didn’t budge.

“Well, look who finally decided to join us. You can’t defeat me. You may as well reveal yourselves and hand over your Miraculouses before I force them away from you,” the Akuma declared.

“Hawkmoth will never win,” Ladybug said through gritted teeth.

As Revealer snapped her arm back, the spotted heroine went flying across the battlefield.

“My lady!” Chat screamed behind her.

Ladybug managed to angle her body in a way that caused her to slip past the Akuma’s grasp and safely retract her yo-yo. “Nice try, but my secrets are safe with me.”

“What about his?” Revealer pointed towards a Chat who was charging across the field ready to use his baton as a vaulting pole.

“No,” Ladybug yelled as she launched her yo-yo once again.

Before the wire had the chance to wrap around Revealer’s feet, Chat was caught in the path of the Akuma’s weapon. Ladybug stood horrified as she watched her partner disappear into a puddle.

The Akuma laughed maniacally as she flipped through the newly covered pages. “Ahhh...the purr-fect addition to my book.”

“Only Chat is allowed to say stuff like that! This isn’t over yet,” Ladybug growled, “LUCKY CHARM!”

A spotted roll of plastic wrap landed in her hands.

“You really think you’re going to defeat me with that? You’ll join your precious cat soon enough.” The Akuma sneered and lifted her pen towards the heroine.

Ladybug ducked and rolled out of the way as another inky stream came hurtling towards her.

“Without Chat, there’s no way to Cataclysm the book or the pen. I just have to figure out how to get them away from her.” She thought as she scanned her surroundings.

The Akuma flipped to the last page and grinned. “Oh, look...his deepest secret. Shall we read to find out what it is?”

“No!” Ladybug screamed, still unable to find a solution.

Revealer scowled. “There’s nothing good here! It’s all about some girl he’s in love with.”

Her heart sank. “In...love? But…I thought...of course not. I knew it was too good to be true.”

“Ugh...whoever this girl is, she’s all he thinks about. There has to be something here!”

Ladybug shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Her eyes eventually landed on a row of lamp posts lining the road. While the Akuma continued to flip through her book, the heroine jumped across the street, unrolled the plastic film, and carefully wrapped between each set of posts. After creating her invisible web of clear plastic, Ladybug then took several steps back and turned her attention towards the Akuma.

“Hey!” Ladybug called out, “You want my secrets? Come and get me.”

Revealer’s head snapped up. “With pleasure. Your stupid cat was rather disappointing to read about. Hopefully, I’ll get something better out of you.”

The Akuma lunged towards Ladybug and slammed into the plastic wrap with a roar. The heroine breathed a sigh of relief as the book and pen flew into the road.

“Don’t touch that!” Revealer screamed, “It doesn’t belong to me. It’s my best friend’s diary, and I need to put it back before she notices.”

Ladybug picked up the book and ripped it in half. “I hate to tell you this, but getting Akumatized is kind of a public thing. I can guarantee that all of Paris knows what you’ve done by now. Besides, it’s not really polite to read other people’s secrets.”

“But she was writing things about me...terrible things. They were all filthy lies. I don’t know where she heard them. If she had a problem with me, she should have just talked to me. People shouldn’t keep secrets like that from the people they love. I wanted to write the truth in her book...that way she’d know. You should thank me. I just helped all of Paris learn a lesson in honesty.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Ladybug scooped up the pen and snapped it in half, releasing the cursed butterfly into the air, “You shouldn’t force someone to tell you something. It’s important to build trust in a relationship. Going through someone’s diary is not how you do that.”

After the Akuma was successfully cleansed, the evil magic melted off of Revealer, leaving behind a brown-haired teen.

Ladybug tossed the empty box of plastic wrap into the air. “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

As the sparkling pink magic swirled around Paris, the girl collapsed to the ground and sobbed. Ladybug walked over to the discarded diary and pen and scooped them up into her hands.

She approached the girl and handed her the objects. “Here...these belong to you.”

The girl took the items and turned away. “Thank you, Ladybug. I’m sorry. I really messed up.”

“Thank you for the apology, but I don’t think that I’m the one who needs to hear it.”

“What?”

“Your best friend...go to her.”

“Do you think she’ll even want to talk to me again? She already thinks I’m a terrible person. This is just going to make her believe that all that stuff she heard is true.”

“It’s worth a try. Talk to her. If she really cares about you, she’ll listen.”

The girl offered Ladybug a weak smile. “Okay...yeah...you’re right. Thanks.”

“My lady?” a voice asked behind her, causing her to spin and lose her balance.

Two strong arms wrapped around her as she collapsed against a leather-clad chest. “Chat?”

“You okay there, little bug?”

“I am now.”

“I got hit, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. You went away for a little bit.”

“You brought me back.”

“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around him. “My Lucky Charm was a box of plastic wrap, and I thought about those cat videos where their owners cover doorways with it.”

“You watch cat videos?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean you like cats?”

“Yes. I’ve always loved cats, but I think they’re my favorite now.”

“Good to know.”

Ladybug choked back a sob. “Chat, I’m so happy you’re back. You scared me.”

He rested his cheek on top of her head. “But you were able to save the day. If you’d been hit, that Akuma would still be terrorizing the city.”

“I know...but I still don’t like it.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I’d always come back to you. We’re Ladybug and Chat Noir, the heroes of Paris. Nothing can keep us apart.”

“Yeah.”

“I hate to ask this, but...was my identity revealed?”

She shook her head. “Uhhh...no. We got lucky. Your secret wasn’t your identity...it was...ummm...about a...girl.”

His muscles tensed around her body. “D-did the Akuma say who it was?”

“No.”

She felt his body relax as he released a sigh. “Oh.”

They stood in a silent embrace until a loud beep emanated from Ladybug’s earrings. They pulled apart and looked into each other’s eyes.

Chat reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face. “We should get back. I’m sure your mom will be looking for us to come down and eat pretty soon.”

She nodded. “You’re right. We need to go. Maman would definitely start asking questions if she came upstairs and saw that my room was empty.”

As the duo took to the rooftops, Ladybug’s mind wandered. “I wonder who Adrien is in love with.”

<---Previous Next —> (Coming Soon)

AO3

FanFiction

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fic #fanfiction #ao3 #adrienette #post reveal pre relationship #origins AU #It's You AU #It's You #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #part 2 #fluff #tooth rotting fluff #I just want them to be happy #Thank you YunYin for the inspiration #yunyin

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vergilsangel · 5 years

Text

The Heart of the Statue

A/N: So this is actually based on a dream I had about an Alternate Universe Vergil. I’m going to only make it a one-shot because I suck at making a series. I changed the look of the statue from my dream. In my dream it was more of a totem. I hope you all like it!

Rating: Teen and Up Warnings: Some mentions of blood

Tagging: @sakkajagga @catsorfries @final-fantasy-xv-nut @drusoona @blindedstarlight @minteyeddemon

If you wish to be tagged just send me an ask with your username or send me an IM! ^.^

Requests are open! If you want a head canon for FFXV or Devil May Cry (not the reboot) send me an ask!!

Also please check out my Patreon account and my Ko-Fi account!

Eons ago, a great and terrible demon ravaged village after village. He slaughtered countless people and his name sent terror through the hearts of any that heard it. Many tried to stand up against the demon, but they all perished in the face of his great power. Finally, a mage of great power sealed the demon within a stone statue. Word spread of this mage’s heroic deed spread through the land and the people rejoiced as they relished in their newfound peace.

As time passed, the demon’s statue was forgotten to time. His name and vicious deeds faded as those who lost family and friends to his blade passed away. No one dared speak of him out of fear he would break free and return. The area around the statue became a forest. Nature tried hard to reclaim the statue into the Earth, but the mage’s spell on it prevented anything from breaking it. Three thousand years passed and the only ones who came across the statue were animals and insects.

At least, until you stumbled upon it by accident. You had been a part of a scavenger hunt, but somehow had lost the path. You weren’t even sure where in the forest you were. When you found the statue, you thought it was part of the hunt. But as you approached it, the many vines wrapping around it told a different story.

The statue was tall and you could easily hide behind it if you wished to. It had a square base and on top was a serpent. Its jaws open as though it were striking prey. As you studied it, you felt as though the statue was watching you.

“This has to be someone’s idea of a joke. What the hell would a statue be doing all the way in the middle of nowhere?” You muttered to yourself. Trying to find some sort of plaque or description carved into the monument, you circled it. As you brushed off moss and dirt, you noticed that the statue felt warm.

“That’s so weird.” You muttered, reaching the front of it again.

“A human?” Came a disembodied voice. You froze, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. Slowly, you looked around, trying to see if someone had followed you.

“Nero? Is that you? If you’re trying to freak me out, I swear I will kick your ass.” You asked, turning your back to the statue. Nero was the one who had arranged the scavenger hunt and was also the biggest ass you knew.

“Who are you, human? What are you doing here? How did you find this place?” Came the voice once more. It was with a terrible realization that the voice was coming from the statue. You turned to look at it. Were you going insane? Statues couldn’t talk!

“Nero?” You asked, wanting the ruse to be over with, but you knew deep in your gut that this wasn’t Nero’s work.

“My name is Vergil. Not Nero. I will ask again, what are you doing here and how did you find this place?” The voice asked. You had to be dreaming. Statues didn’t talk unless there was some sort of sound system wired into it. When you had circled it, you didn’t see any wires or anything indicating a sound system. If this was a prank, it was a very good one.

“I got lost during a scavenger hunt. I just happened to find this place. How are you talking inside a statue?” You asked. Your mind ran through several possibilities, all of them were more outrageous than the last. Several you dismissed with simple logic, the rest were anything to do with magic. But magic wasn’t real. It only existed in fairy tales.

“I was imprisoned many years ago by a mage. Tell me, what is the year?” Vergil answered. Okay, this HAD to be a prank. So, you decided to play along. Maybe you could beat Nero at his own game.

“It’s 2019. So tell me, Vergil, how did you get locked away in a statue? You said a mage did it? Why did they do it?” You asked. If he could ask several questions at once, so could you. Vergil was quiet for several moments making you wonder if the game was over with already. You even began looking around for Nero or someone, but then Vergil spoke again.

“Yes, a mage imprisoned me. I was dangerous to humans so I was imprisoned in this statue. I’ve been alone here for over 3,000 years.” Vergil answered. His answer made your heart ache for him. If he was real, he had been alone with no one to talk to.

“Did you get lonely?” You asked before you could stop yourself.

“I wasn’t lonely when I was killing your kind, I am not lonely now.” Came his cold reply.

“Fine then. I’ll just leave you in peace.” You turned to leave. After five paces, Vergil spoke again.

“Wait.” At his request, you turned to look at the statue again.

“What?”

“Tell me about the world. What is it like now?” He asked. You knew this was a ploy to make you stay and you realized he truly was lonely. Deciding to indulge him, you went back and sat down. You told him about technology and everything the world had to offer now. He asked about magic, but you told him it didn’t exist. The two of you talked for what felt like hours.

Finally, you knew you were losing daylight and if you couldn’t find your way in the daytime, it would be impossible during the night. You said goodbye to Vergil with a promise to return if you found your way. Turning around, you walked back the way you came. It didn’t take you long to find the path again. As soon as you did, you dug out your pocketknife and carved a heart into the bark of a tree. That way you could easily find Vergil once again.

You continued to see him over the course of the next two weeks. Going out and spending time with him then returning home when it started to get dark out. As much as you tried to deny it, you were falling in love with him. And if this did turn out to be some elaborate prank by Nero, you weren’t sure you would recover from it.

One snowy day, you were heading out to see him. You were about to turn down the path, when someone grabbed you from behind. Instantly, your adrenaline kicked in and you began fighting your captor. Your foot managed to kick his knee and he dropped you. As you scrambled to get away, your hands and feet slipped on the wet snow. A glint caught your eye and the next second pain burned its way from your side as the snow slowly began turning red. You kicked behind you, connecting with your attacker’s face. It was the moment you needed and you took it. Dashing through the trees towards the statue.

In your frenzied state, you weren’t sure what Vergil could do to protect you, but your instincts drove you on towards him. Your left hand covered your right side, feeling warm blood trickle between your fingers from the cut.

“I’M GONNA GET YOU!!” Your attacker shouted from behind you. Finally, the statue was within sight.

“Vergil!” You cried.

“(Y/N)? What’s going on?”

“WHERE ARE YOU?! I’M GONNA GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!!!” Your attacker shouted as you reached the statue. Vergil, for the first time in his life, felt fear. He knew he was going to watch you die and there would be nothing he could do to stop it. You were feeling tired and dizzy from blood loss. Gently, your bloodied hand touched the statue as you used it to support yourself. Your attacker smirked as he saw you, his knife gripped tightly in your hand.

“Nowhere to run to now.” He growled. You collapsed against the statue, shaking with fear, too weak to escape. Just as he raised the knife, there was a blue light from the statue and the next moment, your attacker was lying dead in the snow as a blue demon stood before you. His tail resting gently in the snow and his wings folding. The demon turned to you and you saw two horns on his head with flames coming out of them as well as a row of sharp teeth. His eyes, chest, and arms glowed blue with power. Then, the form scattered away like petals in the wind and a man in a blue trench coat stood there, carrying a samurai sword. He had white hair and silver eyes.

Before you could say anything to him, you lost consciousness. When you awoke, you were in a warm bed and could hear a fire crackling from nearby. Slowly, you opened your eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. You tried to sit up, but pain shot up from your side, making you let out a soft cry and rest back on the pillows.

“You’re awake? Don’t try to move just yet, your wound hasn’t had time to close.” Came a familiar voice. You turned your head and saw the white-haired man from before.

“Vergil?” You asked and he nodded.

“This is my human form. The demon you saw, that is my real form. You freed me.” Vergil explained and your eyes widened.

“So…you really were inside the statue.” You breathed and Vergil nodded again.

“I was. You didn’t believe it?”

“Do you blame me? I’ve never seen magic in my life that wasn’t just sleight of hand.” You answered. Vergil chuckled and shut his book. Wait. That wasn’t his book, that was yours!

“You went through my things?” You asked and Vergil sighed.

“I wanted to find an address for you, but couldn’t find one. I found the book instead. You have been asleep for two days.” Vergil explained. It made you feel a little better, but you still felt weird about him going through your things. Both of you fell silent for a time before you spoke again.

“Where are we?”

“A cabin in the mountains. It used to be mine when I was free. I put a spell on it so it would last forever, apparently despite my imprisonment, the spell did not wear off.” You nodded and it brought up another question. One you were hesitant to ask.

“Why did you rescue me? You told me that you used to hate humans. What changed your mind?” Vergil’s fingers gently traced the title of the book, his silver eyes glazed over in thought.

“For 3,000 years I was alone. For a time, that didn’t bother me. I preferred the solitude. But I began missing things. The feel of wind on my face. The warmth of the sun. Most of all, I missed any form of contact. It never dawned on me when I was free what would happen if I killed all the humans. There would be no one left to talk to except myself. I only realized that loneliness while I was imprisoned. Then you came and saved me from that loneliness. And you are the reason I’m free again.” Vergil explained. He set the book on the floor beside him, uncrossed his legs, and sat forward, gently taking your hand in his own.

“You gave me a reason to live a better life. I promise you, I will not hurt anymore humans unless they try to harm you, but let me stay at your side. Let me learn from you and…and let me love you.” Vergil finished and your eyes widened. He loved you? Had you heard him right? Before he said another word, you sat up and kissed him, ignoring the pain from your side. His lips were soft and warm, even as he returned the kiss and stroked your cheek gently.

“Will you let me love you in return?” You asked and Vergil nodded, kissing you tenderly once again. After you both broke the kiss, you lay back on the couch, squeezing his hand, breathing through the pain.

“So, that is a ‘yes’?” Vergil asked and you nodded. He took your hand between both of his own and they glowed blue.

“So it is promised between myself and you.” Vergil said as the light faded. Around your wrist was now a light blue tattoo in the shape of his tail.

“What does this mean?” You asked and looked up at him.

“It means that I am bound to you and you to me. If I break my promise, I will die.”

“And what happens if I break my promise?” Vergil studied the new tattoo on your wrist, his fingers gently tracing over the mark.

“The bond will be broken and I will be free to do as I wish. I will not ever harm you. Even if you break your promise, I will never harm you.” Vergil looked up into your eyes and you knew he was sincere. He wanted to change and you wanted to help him in any way you could. You squeezed his hand and smiled, silently letting him know that you were happy he was there. As you thought about it, another question came to mind.

“How was I able to free you?”

“I was just as surprised as you. When the mage put me in that statue, he told me only he or anyone of his bloodline could free me. Apparently you are his descendant.” Vergil answered and your eyes widened.

“Shut up.” You replied in shock making Vergil chuckle. Seeing his smile warmed your heart. You had heard him laugh when the two of you talked, but seeing how his eyes sparkled with joy filled you with more joy than you could ever dream of.

“So, I’m the descendant of a powerful mage? Does that mean I can do magic?” You asked.

“Possibly. I know of some I could teach you, but first you must heal.” Vergil gently kissed your forehead.

“Get some rest. The sooner you recover, the sooner I can teach you magic.” He promised. After a few days, you healed and you took Vergil to your home. It took some doing, but Vergil was true to his word.

And you were true to yours.

#Vergil #vergil x reader #dmc vergil #vergil x oc #vergil fanfiction #devil may cry #devil may cry fanfiction #devil may cry au #Vergil is a blueberry

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flakandforay · 5 years

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MMA and MAMA 2019 Theory

welcome back loves to another theory with me!!! so it really has been a while since I have done any theory, mainly because homegirl is stuck in uni and is dying in it with useless group mates but anyway, i finally got back to doing another ever since I watched the MMA and MAMA 2019 ones and wow, there is so much to unpack.

also, a huge congratulations to our 4-Daesang winners aka BTS who not only swept all of the Daesangs in MAMA but MMA in 2019. honestly, still shocking considering how we all know how the industry is like lmao. but anyway, let’s begin.

if you want to support my ko-fi, feel free to do so

⇝ theory masterlist

theory: if I were to compare their MMA and MAMA VCRs, I believe there’s more to analyse for the MAMA ones because of the length and also because MMA’s one, I believe the hints are more centred around the individual performances and set ups.

So starting off with MMA, looking at the VCR. I am putting it out there is literally I Need U all over again. The camera pans out to Namjoon, Seokjin, Jimin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung and lastly Jungkook. For some reason, this has me thinking of the HYYH the Notes pairings that I keep mentioning throughout the theories about them. (read here) These were similar to that of Wings, but I guess Namjoon and Seokjin’s pairing was the one of the BST JP and instead of Taehyung being that Omelas boy, though some may say it’s Jungkook (because of how he is the youngest and he is affected by all and in this theory, Taehyung is the trigger), maybe could explain why the camera pans out to Jungkook last.

do you not think that the setting reminds me of of HYYH? the whole light, couches thing etc

But moving on, if you see at 0:49, you see the shadows of the boys walking behind them at the back but somehow settling behind each respective member which I find extremely creepy and somehow reinforces that the next instalment is Shadow but at 1:05 it shows the lighter.

One could recall it being one of Yoongi’s key charcateristics as he smokes and across the HYYH the Reel, or in the I Need U MV, but at the same time, common with Jungkook’s Little Matchstick Girl story and of course not to forget, just like here In the VCR, how Namjoon worked at the gas station and somehow dropped the lollipop on a cash but it caught fire etc which somehow related to his death in one of the theories.

We had Namjoon’s strong Persona intro and you could see at the back, the words ‘shadow’, ‘ego’, ‘what am I to you’ etc, scribbled behind though repeatedly. The words ‘shadow’ and ‘ego’ should be signifying the next two releases for bangtan’s map of the soul trilogy series based on jung’s map of the soul book which focused heavily on persona, shadow and ego along with many other theorists who believed that the other two instalments of the series to be called ‘shadow’ and ‘ego’. Other identified scribbles include ‘Im Not What’ ‘Happen to Me’, ‘No More Dream’, ‘Who are you, Who Am I’, ‘Dream, Love, Happiness’ etc. But anyway, after the Persona stage, the intro of ‘What am I to you’ is played and I swear it was Dark and Wild all over again before it went on to ‘Boy in Luv’ and parallelly, they moved on to ‘Boy With Luv’ such a stark contrast but shows their diversity. Afterwards, a short VCR with the truth untold instrumentals playing in the background before somehow they decided to crush my heart and played mikrokosmos and hearing Namjoon’s words is making me feel things.

Anyway, moving on, after that stage ended, the VCR played again with how Jungkook woke up and this idea of trying to figure out who he is, as he watches various screens of himself across the years with eg Save Me, No More Dream , fake love playing, danger, the lines ‘I’m still looking for who I used to be, who I am now., before Namjoon hugs him (note the Wings pairing) before the rest comes together in this formation. Yoongi, Jimin, Namjoon, Jungkook, Jin, Hoseok and Taehyung; Taehyung was the last one.

similar to this

this reminds me of this open room in fake love as well for Seokjin.

Then somehow in the midst of this, they show how the boys ‘appearing’, Jungkook forming from the clouds, Namjoon from the leaves, Jimin from smoke, Hoseok from the ‘fake love coloured setup’, Taehyung from ‘the spray can’ (he even had the sound effect of the spray can, Yoongi from fire and Jin from what seems to be in a room full of mirrors..? it seems oddly familiar but I can’t pinpoint as to where this is from. And yet after all this, as they all gaze into the screens, somehow only Taehyung is the one looking unsettled, at most a really really small smile, not sure if it was on purpose or just coincidental,

Jungkook’s ment cntinues ‘who I will be in the future’. At 18L47, it focused on Jungkok’s eyes to expand and show the milky way galaxy. Then it moved on to the start of the Dionysus stage but somehow we are surprised to find 7 individual stages.

But moving on, apart form bangtan’s group stages, there is a need to pay close attention to the individual stages of each member. i bet bangtan’s main goal for these year end shows is to somehow showcase their humble beginnings with their underrated songs hence why they performed n.o., we are bulletproof pt.2 and boy in luv at both year end shows across, asides from promoting their later songs such as mikrokosmos, or boy with luv.

Notice the transitions among each individual stages. It’s literally their whole discography, more focus was on here rather than showing a vcr ,though the vcr they played was of the I need u feels and you cannot tell me otherwise once I placed the references here. One for their similar outfits and the I need u sofa cut scene in the MV with this MMA VCR. Not to mention it kind of reminds me of the HYH Epilogue VCR when they were taking a family portrait.

Anyway, the individual stages started off with Taehyung, with no more dream but the level of sophistication and performance was amazing but also quite heavy considering the no. of back dancers yet somehow they’re in this gladiator outfit/warrior outfits with the skirts. Also, the 4 people hanging from the hoops at the top, it casually reminded of te Olympics but that’s just my opinion and in no relation to this. Do take note of how altered the sound is to sound more like it’s fit for a battle scene, those loud hits of the drums etc and the resounding ‘la la la’ a sa battle cry or possibly an anthem. Note the scenes at the back to be mostly of the Greek/Roman kind of architecture.

Next, it transitioned to Seokjin whose song was Danger and interestingly, this kind of Greek/Roman concept continued on, as now they leveraged more on Seokjin’s looks for this stage with lesser dancing in comparison and made him stand on top of this makeshift Trojan horse. Take note of how the music for Danger instead of the hard hitting kind of song, it becomes a little bit more majestic, royal even but with power. Though Seokjin relatively dances way lesser, his stage presence and looks was enough to dominate the stage, like my god, just look at him??? Also, the back up dancers outfits seem to continue on with this. And when he really took the reins and let it whip to have this yellow horse run as though he whipped it, it ran across the screens (satisfying really), it changed to something more melodic.

Here, you hear the acoustic version of I Need U which was actually played before unlike the other 2 versions of the songs (and actually the rest of the members’ as well), it was played at one of the year end show sin 2015 in which Yoongi actually played the piano and Jungkook was dancing, they were promoting Run at that time. But oh how this is so befitting for Jimin and his contemporary movies, it’s really so graceful, ethereal and wow. But they made this I Need U version more melodramatic with the use of strings such as violins and cello, listen to that rendition and melodies as well as the triangle I think (I literally forgot the name of that instrument) but then it moved on to Fire with Yoongi.

Honestly, I don’t think anyone knew it was Fire until it started because of the really really hard hitting bass that really became outright rock and loud cries of ‘La, La, La’ and what sounded like ‘Jin’ although I am pretty sure it’s not but you get my point here. Honestly, thought the fire in the screens looked like a dead giveaway but with how hard the beat is hitting that became rock, it almost sounded like a mantra not to mention how loud and how great the drums sound here. Also note how Yoongi isn’t doing much, just minimal dance moves like a body roll.

I must say the transition from Yoongi to Jungkook is quite abrupt because of the sharp contrast in the transition between their stages; from rock to something more pop? It’s a bit hard to adjust to, also the version for Save Me is so so different but yet so nice, it’s much more synthesized here and the choreography is centred to how the beats are in the music. To think this was done by Jungkook as well.

At 25:54, we are seeing 7 lights to represent 7 stars, which apparently, this constellation represents Corona Borealis. It represents the crown the Princess wore on her wedding day when she married Dionysus. (see where we are going with this). You could see that throughout all of the stages, an additional light to represent a star was added after each performance and at the end with Namjoon, the Corona Borealis was completed.

Now, going back to Hoseok’s part with Fake Love but a much more EDM version to showcase his popping and then finally, we have this version of Dionysus, but look at that intro with the chorus singing and it showcases Namjoon. Although he is walking, it reminds me when he changed his jacket in 2017 for another year-end performance as he walked across the stage but now it’s for the staff. Literally, Namjoon is not doing anything but walking, but look at his stage presence?????

And this was how Dionysus began but again with the 7 constellations, they really brought the 2 tiger balloons that they used at the concerts with them here at the MMA, with the foreign women throwing flowers which coincidentally was a Greek tradition.

Yet again, before they start their performance, we have the same guy sounding the horn. But now we have guys in fedora hats which I am still confused as to why they are there. Well I did some research and turns out the use of fedora hats originated from a popular Russian play but the word originated from the Greeks themselves.

The name Fedora is derived from the Greek word theodoros, which literally means "gift of God." -History of Fedora

I will like to sidetrack now to talk about the guy in the veil. so someone speculated on Twitter about the use of the veil in Greek culture and so this is how i went down to do my research etc and reading a paper on it. I have highlighted the necessary parts.

after reading this, one could say that the veil is a form of expression for anger. but mainly anger, then emotional pain and lastly grief. it can also be seen as ‘a form of retaliation, the victim’s way of punishing the offender’s breach of the rules of interaction’. you may consider seeing it as being petty, in a way of giving the silent treatment or just not giving one’s full attention but again, this goes deeper than on surface value. kinda interested to see how this would pan out in the future.

However, enough of the hat and veil talk and its history, now going back to the performance. They even brought out the horses so honestly tell me what is going on. So doing more research, I dug out some. The reason why I am focused on the symbolism of these things inn Greece is due to the consistent Greek culture that is being cultivated, perhaps prior to the Dionysus one but it seems to be well incorporated in the various stages as well such as the Trojan horse in Jin’s stage which was used to invade and win the war in Troy. But going back to the history of the horses, they symbolize wealth and status. The horse was often affiliated with heroes and Gods hence seeming to be far ‘important’ to the native Greeks. Not to mention the gladiators as well. Though gladiators were common with the Romans, the Greeks had them too but not as prevalent as the Romans. Interestingly, the Greeks refer them as ‘barbarians’.

For the Greeks, the gladiators were more of sacrifices to the Gods and those who emerged victorious during the Olympic games were blessed by Zeus and offered Zeus praise. In a way, if I were to put it in a different context, Zeus could be seen as a power play figure in terms of Big Brother (read 1984 theory here). Not entirely the same, but similarities are present.

What is the link of Dionysus in all of this? Well apart from the song of Dionysus by the boys, as well as inclusion of the iconic grapes for wine-making and thyrsus, I found something interesting that could explain the use of Dionysus in all of this.

As we all know, Dionysus was the god of wine, grape harvest and in some others fertility as well. He was known later on to be ‘androgynous youth’; not exactly a man but a ‘man-womanish’. With his long history, ‘Dionysus had crossed boundary between life and death, and he was often portrayed as the god who crossed the boundary between the civilized and uncivilized and the known and the unknown.’. Somehow this makes me think that perhaps Seokjin is Dionysus, the idea that he is the one conscious enough throughout the HYYH universe that time is rewinding itself back to the fateful day where one by one, the boys kill themselves and he is the one trying to save them all. Not to mention, I still think the theory still holds that somehow Seokjin could also be seen in purgatory where he tries to give them back their innocence through using the lilies (read I Need U JP theory here).

Interesting fact was that Dionysus was ‘born of fire and nursed by rain’. Opposites that link Yoongi and Jimin as well.

Based on here, apart from the fact that Dionysus was actually half mortal, he had the power to raise people from the dead, which was how he raised his mortal mother, Semele, from the dead.

Some others speculated about the whole Gods concept in which they claim BTS to represent of the 12 and basing it on their performance. This is what they came up with.

RM – Dionysus Jin – Athena Yoongi – Hephaestus Jimin – Artemis Taehyung – Apollo Hoseok – Zeus Jungkook – Poisedon

If we based it on this now, this could explain the certain dance breaks together here. Hoseok and Jungkook, Namjoon and Jin, Jimin and Taehyung then lastly Yoongi by himself. Yoongi is the only one being independent in a way. I guess also why they did the N.O. break was because they did not perform anything from that era (that + YNWA, BST, DNA and Answer) but then again, we are blessed by their whole discography.

so first of all, their VCR especially for MAMA was heavily reliant on time periods.

Basically, what was relayed in the video is as such. The calling; future.

It started with the damn hourglass again, when will it stop??

They showed in the VCR these 7 white-veiled guys who I assumed would be them and is them but is also a carry over from the MMA scene in which during Tae’s stage and before Jin’s one, you see the white veiled guy next to the horses.

The VCR had very interesting transitions which reminded me of the Wings short stories with the various symbols, not to mention the fact it was heavily focused on Hoseok’s eyes which was similar to his short film of MAMA. The transition in and out of it. Past meets future. I will bet that this was Hoseok’s eye just by seeing the shape and also here’s a reference from MAMA.

The VCR had very interesting transitions and glitches, literally throwback to the 2017 MAMA VCR. That barren one person scene reminded me of DNA.

DNA

MAMA VCR Screenshots

The last picture reminds me a bit of BST, like the part where Yoongi plays the organ. Here’s a reference photo.

More VCR screenshots just giving me the vibes of BST.

MAMA VCR Screenshots

BST MV screenshots

Then the VCR stopped and BTS performed N.O. a really throwback song followed by We are Bulletproof Pt. 2. Notice how the VCR changed to intro them performing N.O. the whole scratches reminds me of MAMA for some reason, MAMA being Hoseok’s short film. Honestly, I thought it was great because they showed everyone that this was their origins to their success and they never forgot about it despite being how big they are and how they got their popularity through other genres and not the original Hip-Hop kind that they were promoting back then. They had the iconic hands again.

After this, VCR continued to show the past meets the present. They showed the boys during backstage of the concert, during it and think about it as the way it was edited to be like Burn the Stage and Bring the Soul movies. Those kinds. They showed the Mnet debut showcase. ‘We doubted ourselves all the time, we tried to overcome the fear we encountered. They showed their first win on the music show with ‘I Need U’. ‘Dreams are our realities from now on.’ This was said by Namjoon. Now showing all of the Daesangs that they achieved throughout the years starting with 2016 and how Yoongi cried. ‘We are no longer sad or pain’.

Past meets present: World.

The Vcr showed the 7-veiled guys and this was their arrangement, Tae, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, Namjoon, Jimin and Hoseok.

Do you not think this positioning of the veiled guys remind you of the fake love cloak stands. So from a clothes stand to a veiled person.

They then performed Boy with Luv and Mikrokosmos. During Mikrokosmos, they had stairs shown behind them before they pan out to the VCR again that started off with an hourglass. For some reason those veiled guys appear again and to be exact there are 7 of them. Not to mention the hourglass glitching giving me the BST JP. Vibes. When the phrase ‘all our time’ came out, they really had some collisions much like DNA.

cue the fake love MV with the smeraldo flower.

Look at the stairs behind them. I went to check and do some research etc. Based on this, the ladder is most commonly known to be the connection between heaven and earth. Notice how it’s heaven and not hell. There is no mention of the underworld or hell. But if we were to look at this, I did some more research about the symbolism of stairs in Greek mythology.

A lot of the references is that the ladders/stairs are to be the connector between heaven and earth; there was no mention again of the underworld. But another closer research showed this.

In the temples that have them, it seems likely that one stair was intended for ascending, the other for descending.

Here it talks about well, it’s a one-way kind of stairs, it’s not one where you can use the stairs for both up and down but rather a separate one. Also, these stairs were commonly found in temples of Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Athena, Hera etc which if referred on top, are some of the Gods that the boys were speculating to be.

Yet, looking inside the article, they talked about ‘epiphany windows’ and my brain suddenly malfunctioned because epiphany windows????? E P I P H A N Y???

Epiphany provided an inherent sacredness and enhanced the-role of the temple in expressing sanctity.36 Even without actual "windows" forrestaging or framing events, epiphanies could be expected in and around temples.

An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphanea, "manifestation, striking appearance") is an experience of a sudden and striking realization.

Reference

so again i did more research, epiphany in Greece is like the ‘festival of light’.

On Epiphany, the Greek Orthodox Church performs   the ‘Great Blessing of the Waters’.  This ceremony is usually performed twice, once on the eve of Epiphany which is performed in the church, and then again on the actual day outdoors with priests blessing large bodies of water, sea, rivers, lakes etc.

This reminded me of Jungkook with his performance with the water. But anywa, about epiphanies, I might just do another theory for that sometime later.

Now moving on,

Future meets present: Calling

Past meets present: World

They reiterated these two concepts back again at the end of the VCR.

Present meets future: Eternal Journey

Eventually they were all of the veiled guys but particularly Jimin was the first one.

All our time.

The VCR then showed the boys with props/items.

Hoseok -> Frame Yoongi -> Hourglass Jimin -> Polaroid Camera (Retro) Namjoon -> Mic Jungkook -> Recording Camera (Retro) Taehyung -> Violin Jin -> Opera spectacles

Interestingly, these items as seen from this Twitter are considered to be retro, they still remain relevant despite them looking old. However, if you were to think of it in relation to the HYYH universe, Hoseok’s frame that he held reminds me of the MAMA portrait that was shown in the short film of his called MAMA but at the same time it reminds me the link between Hoseok and Jimin as they both stare at the same picture

Yoongi’s hourglass does not hit much of resemblance upfront but if you were to consider the meaning of the hourglass which is to tell time, specifically how much time left. You would think of the pairing between Yoongi and Jungkook; in a way Jungkook was running out of time to save Yoongi. In some alternate universe, Jungkook failed to save Yoongi hence the I Need MV, and if you read based on the notes, the incidents between Yoongi and Jungkook do not happen all on the same day, but relatively near to each other. However in the Euphoria MV, it could be seen that Jungkook managed to save Yoongi, even in the webtoon series, Jin managed to save Yoongi as he found out what time was he going to die and which motel, but though Yoongi did not want to be alive.

Jimin’s retro polaroid camera, similar to Jungkook’s retro recording camera, they do not have much resemblance to the HYYH universe but rather their true personalities in which both Jimin and Jungkook engage in these kind of hobbies. Rather these things, coincidentally are more prominently found with Jin throughout the HYYH universe. In the HYYH Prologue and later on, Jin was the one known to have both a polaroid camera and a recording camera that he uses to capture the moments with the boys hence the idea of whether or not Seokjin was reliving the moments or not. (read Prologue theory here).

Before their last stage of Dionysus, the camera panned out and you see various animals as constellations eg goat, dolphin, lion, cheetah, goblet etc. Interestingly, if you look at here and here, it seemed as though Dionysus had the power to also transform into a lion or a bull and the latter shows that his symbols were leopard skin, panther and cheetah.

But the main one was the snake eg anaconda but the backup dancers were the ones in fedoras just like in MMA. thought that was an interesting edition.

anyway, throughout these 2 award shows, one could say they are riding on the whole Greek theology and concepts without ever culture appropriating it. i am sure they have been doing their own research and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for them.

References

JOURNAL ARTICLEINTERIOR STAIRCASES IN WESTERN GREEK TEMPLESMargaret M. MilesMemoirs of the American Academy in RomeVol. 43/44 (1998/1999), pp. 1-26Published by: University of Michigan Press for the American Academy in RomeDOI: 10.2307/4238755https://www.jstor.org/stable/4238755Page Count: 26 JOURNAL ARTICLEAnger and the Veil in Ancient Greek CultureD. L. CairnsGreece & RomeVol. 48, No. 1 (Apr., 2001), pp. 18-32Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Associationhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/826867Page Count: 15

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sneegsnitties · 5 years

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Creatures of the Light, Run From the Night: Chapter 1: Prologue; The Beginning

[AO3 LINK] @tazbang

Rating: T+ (bound to change) Characters/Ships: Blupcreatia, Taagnus, Davenchurch, the light of creation, the voidfish Tags: tags: The Adventure Bang 2019, blood, transformation, alternate universe - canon divergence, character death, canon compliant, canonical character death, temporary character death, body horror, stolen century era, established relationship, we know nothing abt the light yall, angst, the light fucks everyone up? kinda, touch starved, alternate universe - creatures and monsters, other additional tags to be added Summary:The Light Of Creation has always been one of a mystery. It has the power to create, that obvious. But what else does it do? No one knows. This is what the seven birds are trying to figure out, why it’s so important to the hunger? what is the extent of its abilities? What else can it do? These questions will be answered, but not in the way that either of them were expecting. The light of creation has its reasons for doing what it did. A reason that is not quite understood. But whatever it did? It was definitely not what they signed up for. Not even close.

The Light Of Creation has always been one of a mystery. It has the power to create, that obvious. But what else does it do? No one knows.

This is what the seven birds are trying to figure out, why it’s so important to the hunger? what is the extent of its abilities? What else can it do?

These questions will be answered, but not in the way that either of them were expecting. The light of creation has its reasons for doing what it did. A reason that is not quite understood. But whatever it did? It was definitely not what they signed up for. Not even close.

It started out in minor details. The flowers in Merle’s beard never fell out and instead stayed firmly rooted in place in the tangle. Whenever Lup entered a room, the temperature rose slightly. Lucretia seemed to have an aura of eeriness around her.

But then it started to get more noticeable. The transformation into these creatures begins now, one by one. Not terrible ones, nowhere near it. a being made out of pure crystal, one made entirely out of malleable metal, a ghostly spirit, one made out of vines and flowers, a fully functioning robot without limitations, a being of magma with features of a phoenix and the zombie-like man.

This is how it all happened. This is that story. A story with love and loss and pain and everything in between. It’s the same story we all know and love but with a different twist.

The light of creation? Turns out it can do more than just create things. It can transform you. Why? Guess we’ll have to find out.

It started with Taako; he was the one to be around it last, to put it in its case for safekeeping. Though when he went to bed that night, a dull ache began to spread by his left ear. But Taako just assumes that he spent too much time leaning over the light in the lab, studying it. But the pain didn’t go away as he slept.

When he wakes up the next morning, after tossing and turning to get comfortable. it hurts even more. Assuming he slept oddly, or even that he had somehow gotten injured while collecting the light. But that’s impossible. This is a peaceful plane with only the most basic magic.

So as he enters his bathroom in the morning a glint of something purple and shiny catches his eye as he walks by the mirror.

Taako pauses, his eyes widen as he sees the strip of purple crystal starting at the base of his left ear and down his cheek.

This crystal, whatever it is, was not there last night. Nor was it of his own doing. He’s much more careful than that. he knows better than that.

In a panic, Taako tries to remove it. Scratching at the skin, around the crystal but to no avail. It’s stuck. he’s bleeding.

The elf braces himself against the sink and stares at his bloody hands. A lump forms in his throat as he tries to steady his breathing.

He needs to get this off his face. He needs to get to Merle. He needs to know what’s happening.

That lump in his throat bubbles up and he chokes back a sob, he’s afraid. Afraid of what will become of him.

Everything is alright. He hears a small voice in the back of his head say.

No, no, it’s not. Nothing is fine. He’s not alright.

A knock at his door startles Taako out of his thoughts.

“Koko?” He hears Lup say, “Are you okay?” Her voice a comfort to him.

He wants to lie but can’t. He can’t lie to his sister about this. Lup knows when Taako is not fine.

Steadily, but shakily, he pushes himself off of his sink. “N-no,” He sobs, reaching for the bathroom door with a bloody hand. his cheek throbs in pain

“I’m coming in,” Lup says, panic rising in her voice.

He just stands in the bathroom's doorway as his twin bursts through the door. His eyes squeezed shut as she does so.

“Taako.” Lup gasps

“I don’t know.” He opens his eyes and sees the panic and shock written on her face.

“You’re bleeding, Taako, what’s on your face? What happened?” His sister grabs his wrists, staring at all the blood on his hands

“I don’t know.” He repeats. “I need Merle.” He says softly through his tears.

“Right. Yeah. Fuck.” She drags him through the door of his room and yells for the dwarven cleric.

The dwarf stumbles out his room sleepily and yawns, “what? It’s too early for this shit.” He looks up at the two and his eyes widen, “what the hell?” The dwarf says. “The fuck happened, kid?”

“I don’t know.” He sobs.

“Looks like you got into a fight, but come here.” He motions him to come closer. “I’ll heal you right up.”

He leans down to the dwarf’s level and even though he teases Merle endlessly for not being a good cleric, he’d trust him with his life.

The blood stops flowing and the scratches he had made on the skin around the growing crystal heals, but… the crystal stays.

“Pan, what’d you do?”

“I-I didn’t do anything.” he sniffles. “I woke up, and it was there.”

“Well clearly. Let’s get you to the infirmary. Was there any pain last night?” Merle ducks into his room for a moment to grab a cloth for Taako to press against the wound.

“It just ached a little, I thought I just leaned down too much yesterday. I was looking at the light.”

“And you did nothing about it?” Merle shakes his head with a sigh, “you’re killin’ me, kid.”

“I thought that was the hungry boy’s job?” Lup teases

“Oh shut up,” Merle grumbles but smiles anyways.

Once they enter the infirmary, Merle has Taako move the cloth away. The wound that he had done to himself had mostly stopped bleeding now, but it revealed the growing crystal on the side of his head.

“Damn.” the dwarf whistles, “are you sure you didn’t fuck anything up? Or you didn’t like, lick the light?” he says as he prepares to cast a healing spell.

“Who do you think I am? Licking things that you aren’t supposed is more of a Magnus thing to do.” Taako says nervously, with a hint of laughter at the things his boyfriend has done, “I would’ve known if I fucked up on transmuting anything, I’m literally the best transmutation wizard out there. Its… it’s impossible that I would ever fuck up.” he stutters.

“I know, I know. I never said I doubted your transmutation skills.” merle casts the spell, but only the broken skin around the crystal was healed. “Huh. well shit.”

Taako grips the edge of the bed, “what?” he asks, eyes widening. “Shit what?” the elf winces as the crystal grows ever so slightly along his neck.

“Merle…” Lup starts to say, grabbing the dwarfs shoulder

“I know. I saw.” he grumbles, shrugging her off “I’m going to try to detect some magic.”

Taako tenses, squeezing his eyes shut again and waits for Merle to confirm if this - whatever is happening to him - is magical or not.

“I-i can’t detect anything.” his friend and sort of father figure say after a quiet moment.

“Bull shit.” his twin says as calmly as possible, “bull fucking shit.”

“I’m doing my best Lup, does this plane have its own magic?”

“Yeah, but it’s only simple cantrips compared to what we can do.”

Merle hums, “might have to do more research on that. Check out The Light again too.”

“I think we’ve done all the research we can on the light, Merle, what else could we possibly find?” Lup leans against Taako in comfort.

“I don’t know. But it couldn’t help but to try?” he suggests, ‘’ I’ll continue to try to figure out what’s happening with him.”

Lup exhales, “Okay, thank you.” she smiles wearily, “love you Ko,” she kisses his forehead.

“Ditto,” he whispers and watches her leave, although hesitantly.

Lup is about ready to break down into tears. She’s afraid. Afraid for her brother, afraid for what the rest of this cycle is going to be like. 49 years of running and resetting and nothing like this has happened before. She doesn’t even know what she’s going to do if… if he fully turns.

This plane has people on it, though their magic is weak. It would take a powerful spell for this to have happened to Taako.

The elf finds herself back at the door to her shared room with Barry and Lucretia and sighs deeply. She opens it slowly and the two don’t seem the miss her during her absence. A wave of exhaustion courses through her body and Lup squeezes herself between her partners. They re-adjust for her presence once again making itself known.

“Mm, where’d you go?” Lucretia asks sleepily, placing her chin on Lup’s shoulder.

“I- I was checking on Taako,” she whispers.

“Is he okay?” Barry slurs, squinting at the two of them through sleepy eyes.

“I don’t know.” She sniffles and buried her face into her boyfriend’s chest.

“What’s going on?” Lucretia asks.

“There’s this crystal stuff growing on his face and I don’t know how or why. He said he didn’t fuck up on transmuting anything and I believe him but I’m… I’m afraid.” Lup says and breaks down into tears.

“Crystal stuff?” Barry asks and reaches over to grab his glasses off of the nightstand, “was that what that yelling was about?”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, have faith in Merle,” Lucretia reassures.

“No, but when he healed him, the crystal was still there. He didn’t detect any magic or anything either.”

“No magic?” Barry makes a noise of confusion, “that’s not good.”

“Yeah no shit, Barry.”

“I’m… not that good at comforting stuff yet. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m just… afraid.”

“I would be too.” Lucretia says and kisses the base of Lup’s ear, “this plane has very weak magic. There’s been no hostility towards us so it couldn’t have been from the people here.”

Lup is silent, “then what would it be?” She asks quietly

“A curse? Sorry, that’s probably worse.” Barry apologizes.

Lup detangles herself from her partners and stands up. “I’m going to make breakfast. I- I gotta try to get my mind off all of this. You did nothing wrong. Fuck… it grew”

Lucretia stumbles out of bed and wraps her arms around her girlfriend’s waist again in a quick hug, “it’s okay.”

“It’s not. I’ve lost him before but I think this... this will probably the worst be the worst.” she says and moves towards the doorway, “If you want to help me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

She wanders through the halls of the ship towards the kitchen. Fighting away that feeling of dread that had infected her thoughts any more than they already had.

He’s going to be fine, she thinks to herself as she begins to prepare breakfast for the crew.

Putting herself on autopilot, she only focuses on what she’s making at the moment. Or she tries, Lup can’t stop thinking about the fate of her brother.

She was fine the three other times her twin had died, and she didn’t. Well, mostly. But this? This is going to be hell.

There was that one cycle where he had gotten incredibly sick from a highly contagious disease that plagued the plane. He had fallen fast; it was too late for the cure to work. Taako had died within the week.

But this crystal stuff? That’s new, something that they had never experienced before. Who knows how long it’ll take this time.

It’s growing, slowly and surely, it will take over his entire body. Lup is afraid of the day that it’ll happen.

Unless the crew finds something to reverse it.

“Lup? What’s going on?” Magnus says, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Wheres Taako?” he says in a panic

She looks up at the fighter and he looks afraid.

“There was blood on the sink in his room and I want to know if he’s okay.”

“I- Magnus. I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s okay.” Lup admits

“Lup. what’s going on?” he gives her a serious look. “You’re scaring me. Please, please tell me that my boyfriend’s okay.” his voice cracks

It had slipped her mind that Magnus usually checks on Taako in the mornings after his workouts. She should’ve gone to Magnus first. “There’s… there’s this crystal stuff on him. It’s growing and we don’t know where it’s from.”

“What do you mean? I don’t know any of this magic stuff.” the fighter frowns and leans against the counter.

“It’s not magic.”

“What else could it be if it’s not magic?”

“I don’t know. Look, uh this is almost done so if you could go down to the infirmary and deliver it to Merle and Taako?” she tries to change the subject away from her brother.

“Lup, I’m sorry for pushing you on this, but how?”

“Again, I don’t know,” she says forcefully. “I don’t know what's going on! Nobody does, Magnus!”

The fighter raises his hands in mock surrender, “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he grabs the plates she prepared.

“It’s fine, I didn’t mean to yell either.”

“It’s a stressful time.”

“Sure fucking is.” the elf sighs.

Magnus walks down the hallway towards the infirmary, afraid of what has happened to his boyfriend. He’s not paying much attention because he ends up almost running into Davenport, somehow, even with his short stature.

“Sorry cap, uh, Lup told me to go deliver food to Taako and Merle in the infirmary,” he says and watches as a look of confusion forms on the gnome's face.

“What?” he asks plainly

“I don’t really know what’s happening besides that Taako has some sort of crystal growing on him and I’m scared to be honest with you,” Magnus says awkwardly.

Davenport just stares up at him in disbelief. “What?” he repeats, "I thought this plane’s magic wasn’t strong enough for something like that to happen.”

“I mean, I’m the only non-magic user here so I really can’t comment on that.” he walks towards the infirmary again. Leaving Davenport to figure out what the fuck is going on his own.

#vesper speaks #vesper writes #taz #the adventure zone #the adventure bang #taz bang #the stolen century #taz balance

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