#even when he saved those guys earlier in this issue from burning to death in a room

[fungi-maestro]

The Question #4 (1987)

[youaremyspecialz]

I don't know what to do without you.

suicidal and immortal! dazai x mortal! chuuya. content warning; major character death, attachment issues, mourning of loss, mental breakdown, slightly graphic description of wounds, suicide (it's dazai, come on), overall pretty sad and angsty.

╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ thirty minutes. if osamu would've gotten there thirty minutes earlier, he wouldn't be here today, dressed in black and placing flowers on a coffin, on his beloved chuuya's coffin. he would most likely be at home, chatting with chuuya, or having a glass of wine to kick off their afternoon. but here he was instead, being met by mourners, though none would weep and sob as much as he did. he remembers the day like it was yesterday, despite it taking place one month, five days, fourty-seven minutes, and nineteen seconds (and counting) ago. he had been all the way on the other side of yokohama when he got the call that chuuya was losing control of his ability. dazai was the only one who could stop him, but of course he just had to be so fucking far away. he sped through those streets, not having a care in the world for who he'd nearly hit, who got in his way. he just needed to save his beloved, just like his beloved had 'saved' him so many times. that was the difference between the two of them, actually. dazai may have tried to kill himself so many times, either it be by him trying to hang himself from a bridge that would ensure he'd break his neck one way or another or floating down the riverbank in the middle of a hot summer afternoon, but he could not die no matter how many times he had tried. he was immortal. chuuya, on the other hand, was not. he was but a vessel for the god of calamity, arahabaki. although he could control gravity as he pleased, he was also a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment, if dazai was there or not. this was one of those times that dazai was not there to stop him and his reign of destruction to whatever his eyes were laid on. finally arriving, thirty minutes after getting the call, it was too late. it was far too late. poor chuuya had so many burn marks in his skin, his clothes damn near torn to the very threads that first sowed them together, blood spilling from every part of his body, the land around him that once was their shared garden now looked like the aftermath of a tornado that that francis guy from america described to them once.

immediately running over to him, dazai shook his figure, his hot tears pouring down his cheeks like the riverbanks he'd try to kill himself in. this couldn't be happening, no. he swore to protect chuuya, he couldn't let this happen to him. he saved him all those other times, surely, he would save him this time too, right? right? right?

but no, he couldn't. that wouldn't stop him from trying to, though.

"nakahara, don't- you dumbass, you absolute dumbass.." osamu cursed at the man he held in his arms who was blinking in and out of consciousness, his ability activated in an attempt to get him out of this state. oh, he got him out of that state alright, but there is one thing his ability couldn't do, and that was heal what damage was already done.

"dazai, you're here.. boy, is it nice to see you." chuuya spoke, his vocal cords sounding like they were ripped to shreds. he sounded so sarcastic as he spoke, but he genuinely meant it. it really was nice to see dazai, even if it was for one last time. "i'm so sorry, babe.. i just-" one of dazai's slender fingers cut him off from speaking, a ragged 'shhh' sound escaping from his trembling lips. "don't waste your breathing on words, please.. just hold on a little longer, please chuuya. for me." he begged him quietly, his hands now covering as many wounds as he possibly could to stop their bleeding, his hands becoming soaked in crimson as a result. "no, dazai.. i don't think i'll be able to bounce back from this one." those words hit dazai harder than a train he'd thrown himself in front of once. "chuuya, no! you're going to live, you absolutely must live, there is so much we.. there's so much we still need to do together, just hold on, please?! for me?! for our future?!" dazai wailed, shaking him gently, but a smile formed on the others face. "i'm so sorry for all the trouble i've caused you. from when we were younger til now." chuuya shook his head, sighing. "i think my biggest regret will be not giving you this sooner." after saying that, he takes one of dazai's hands, placing a beautiful ruby ring in its palm. "it's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, chuckling slightly. osamu felt his heart break into a million pieces hearing this, before he smiled too. although he was sad, the least he could do was show chuuya a sign of happiness, to give him even a sliver of hope. "yeah, it is.. it's a ruby ring, isn't it? my favourite gem?" he asked, earning a nod from chuuya. "yeah, it is.. i remember when you told me that you favored rubies above any other gem, so i just.." he began coughing up blood. "so i just had to, you know? anything for my dazai.." he places a hand on his cheek, a sigh of infatuation escaping his lips as he admired dazai's face. "you know, the moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" he asks. as much as dazai wanted to look at the full moon that was in the sky before him, he didn't want to take his eyes off of chuuya in his dying moments. "yes, it is.." he slowly nodded, more and more tears hitting chuuya's neckline, rolling down to his chest. "but.." more blood he coughed up, this time a wheezing sound getting out of his lips as he did so. "but you're more beautiful than that damn ball in the sky.." his smile didn't waver.. "i'm so glad i got to see you one last time, even if it was like this." his eyes slowly shut.. "i hope in another universe things didn't end this way." his breathing slowed down.. "i love you, osamu dazai." "i love you too, chuuya nakahara."

"i love you most.." chuuya spoke quietly before his breathing stopped, and shortly after, the hand that held dazai's cheek fell. dazai held onto him as tightly as possible, wanting to scream into the night sky, but he did not want to disturb his beloved's eternal slumber. "rest easy, chuuya. your work here is done." were the only words he could get out of his mouth. he let his clothes get soaked with the other's blood, he let the other's warmness absorb into him for one last time. his eyes glancing up into the night sky after what seemed like forever, a small smile formed on his lips. he could've sworn he saw a dimmed star him and chuuya always stared at grow a little brighter that evening. ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ authors note; first post and i actually like this fic what, shoutout to some instagram reel that gave me the idea for it and shoutout to my partner that helped me develop a plot!!

[magicpumpkin3]

hewwo! if you feel like it, may i please have hc's for the twst first years (or dorm leaders) hearing Yuu scream and rushing in to see them cornered by a giant spider? totally not replicating the situation i found myself in earlier today

My first request! Gogndkfnodomsjckdbc-

Dorm leaders (+ MC) VS spider

Warning: Maybe A bit OCC; (SFW)

Kalim Al-Asim

The moment you let out a scream of terror, him and Jamil were at your doorstep. Aaand after seeing that it was a giant spider Kalim now has to save you and Jamil, who's having a heart attack.

In all honesty, he was scared a bit himself. It's a giant spider. In your bathroom. Who wouldn't be terrified?!

Kalim's first instinct was, what we all do when we see a spider in our bathroom. Flush it. And there he goes summoning his unique magic-

So imagen a suprise of the dorm students, when there's a giant wave of water leaves the bathroom with you guys and a giant spider.

After the incident, Kalim has to comfort you and Jamil (therapists for both of you, that's for sure). This sunshine spends a whole week with you nonstop (literally), making sure there's no spiders around! I hope you ain't complaining about snuggles 24/7.

Vil Schoenheit

When he hears your scream of terror, first thing Vil thinks, it is his haters. (Or his overprotective fans...). Rushing into your room, like his life depends on it, Vil is prepared to take his hills off and fight.

But when he sees that it was mere a bit bigger then every spider, he was ready to slap you. He messed up his hair, clothes and for what?! Okay, he'll get rid of it, just stop screaming.

Vil isn't angry at you, don't get him wrong. He was just worried! Imagine you on his place!

He'll scold you a bit and probably will tease you about it for a few hours but Vil isn't judging.He knows that everyone are afraid of something. Be it a spider or death itself.

He'll make some more space in his tight schedule to visit you a bit longer then usual (don't get used to it. It's only going to last till you fully cool down).

Riddle Rosehearts

This guy right here had no idea he could go that fast. Riddle was running like one crazy Sonic after he heard you screaming in the garden. Running into one of the mazes many turns, where you were, he screams "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!" to punish whoever decided to scary or harm you.

At first, he only saw you pushing yourself more and more into one of the many corners of the maze. He was so confused, he didn't even hear your shoutings about a giant spider for a second.

Once he realizes what was the problem, he immediately cools down and is there to help you. I mean he will ask you about the screams and all but he won't judge you.

Once the spider is gone, he'll take you with him to a private tea-party, so you could talk about it. Please don't scare him like that. Ever again. Ever.

Riddle will definitely add a rule about bringing spiders to his dorm that's for sure. Or spiders in general if you're that scared of them.

Leona Kingscholar

He didn't even realize what was happening. He was asleep and now he's here. Leona only knew that you screamed in terror in your room and his instincts acted on their own.

Once he was in your room ready to fight whoever was stupid enough to mess with you, Leona sees that there was no danger. Only a really big spider.

Oh? Herbivore wants his help? After you woken him up from his nap for this? Hmm, let him think... Okay he'll help just stop screaming like bloody murmured is happening here. (That mf will act like he's about to throw that spider at you though-).

After the spider is gone...oh boi. Be prepared as they say it. King of the teasers is going to rain hell fires upon you. Leona will tease you about it for a long time. Good luck.

Overall, he isn't angry at you or anything. He's just iterated that he had to wake up for this. Please understand him. That lion really thought you were in danger. You owe him a few cuddle session after you cool down though-

Malleus Draconia

Malleus was never this thankful that he could teleport. When he heard you screaming in your dorm, he was right there and then. Malleus was ready to burn anyone who was there to harm you.

Including spiders... Okay he'll just set this little fella free. He isn't making any fuss about it. Everything happens. Some students in his dorm are terrified of food (Lilia's food to be specific), so he isn't the one to judge you or make fun of you.

He will question your reaction later though. While you explain your issue with spider, Malleus takes mental notes about this.

No spiders around his dear human. That's going to be a problem, considering the fact that there's some in Diasomnia and routes he planned taking you to.

Don't worry. Now every time, before going anywhere with you, he searches the whole place for any kind of spiders. He'll offer his help whenever you're about to clean your dorm. Those spider combs must be really freaking you out.

Azul Ashengrotto

He was peacefully sitting in his office, filling in some papers. It was after time and he had nowhere to be. Leech twins are gone, You are waiting for him in the lounge screaming like someone's trying to mur- wait WHAT?

Swinging door open (almost breaking it down-), Azul is there with his staff raised like it's a baseball bat. Looking around, he only finds you and a...spider cornering you.

So...You know the 'UNACCEPTABLE' meme, with lemen head? Yep, that's him. He isn't a fan of those creaters either. The fact that there's one in his fine restaurant (and it scares you?! It gets crushed by his staff and is flushed in the nearest toilet)?! Oh no, he ain't taking it.

After that nightmare of yours is gone, Azul immediately calls Leech twins. This place get disinfected. Now.

Don't think he forgot about you though! He takes you to his office and sits you on the couch so you could cuddle and try to forget about this accident. (Sweet boy will make you some calming tea!)

After a few days of disinfecting whole lounge and Azul himself checks every corner to make sure there's no bugs or spiders left, Monsto lounge is finally open again.

Idia Shroud

He was outside trying to get back to his room as fast as possible ignoring everything and he's almost there! Just another turn and-

His thoughts were cut off by someone's scream. No, wait- Idia maybe shy, insecure and have social anxiety but when people that he loves are in danger, it all disappears.

Imagen his suprise when he was ready to defend you, with his life and he was met with you cowering away from a big spider. He isn't afraid of them so, Idia doesn't really get it. He let's the thing free through the mirror and sighs, looking at you. Why are you afraid? I mean yeah it's bigger then usual once but hey-

Taking you too his room, Idia grumbles and scolds you a bit ( immediately apologizes after). He isn't mad just confused. Shroud sometimes forget that people can be afraid of such simple things.

You're going to have a very long cuddling and playing sessions after that, I guarantee you that! And he might tease you (more like attempt to) about this small misunderstanding later. Though he blushes through the whole thing.

Note: Sorry for taking so long! Author has big things going on rn!

Note№2: you're still free to leave a request thought! I'll get to it whenever I can.

[lostgreekgod]

delusion: part 2

"a/n: hello, hello! cant say i didnt sniffle a little writing this one.

words: 6539 (the word limit kind of faded away as i got emotional)

pairing: loki x f!reader

warnings: angst, but ends with fluff. but a lot of angst. mentions of death, blood, and fingers. and dead bodies. and hypnotism?

another a/n: thanks to @theaudacitytowrite for this little adventure. cant say I wont miss it.

tagging all those who requested for a part 2: @karushinekomiya @midnights-ramblings @savoryloki

read part 1 here!

37 minutes. That’s how long it took for y/n to have her soul crushed. Not crushed, ripped, and trampled all over repeatedly, until her very essence was terminated, until she was nothing but a bag of bones, muscles, and blood. She fell back into her bed as she watched Loki leave her. Forever. She didn’t matter to the god. Of course she didn’t. why did she ever believe that she would be of any importance to him? A mighty god like Loki, a literal prince! What was some simple Midgardian to a being of such alleviated status? y/n felt something trail down her cheek. She was crying. 4 years, 3 months, and 27 days of not one tear- not even when her parents left her to rot- and it took only 37 minutes for her ex-lover to have her eyes release such a foreign substance. She wasn’t even sobbing, just one lonesome tear trailed past her cheekbone, just one tear that contained all her anger, sadness, and pain. She wished she could cry harder. She wished she could cry her eyes dry, and just spontaneously combust while she was at it.

“Okay since the door is open, I’m assuming you guys aren’t doing anything that will scar me for life-“

Nat. Of all those times she could walk into y/n’s room, she picked today. She faltered as she took in the image of y/n sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling and into nothingness.

“y/n?” she whispered as she reached for her friend. Her blood froze as she took in y/n’s face. Pale, like a corpse. y/n still hadn’t acknowledged Natasha’s presence. Gently shaking y/n’s shoulder, Natasha called her name again. Nothing. Was she even breathing? Natasha began to panic. Her only friend- aside from Wanda- What ever happened? y/n was fine when she left training a while ago-

“Nat,” came y/n’s voice, a gentle, hoarse whisper.

Rushing to her side, Nat brushed her hair away from her face. “y/n, what happened?”

Finally, y/n met Natasha’s eyes. The pain was so evident in them, just bared out for the whole world to see. Vulnerable, weak. Natasha had never seen y/n like this. The y/n she knew was strong, so strong.

“y/n,” she breathed, “talk to me.”

“He left me.” Her voice cracked, almost as if it wanted to match with the likeliness of her cracked heart.

“What? Right now?”

y/n nodded, not trusting her voice. If only she could find a release for that awful swell in her throat.

“Hours before a mission?” Natasha could have slapped herself for blurting out something so insensitive. Here laid her friend, literally looking like death, and she was worried about a mission. Sure, they had 4 lives to save, but what good was a near-dead agent in a rescue operation?

Natasha had initially come over to y/n’s room for last-minute mission prep. Yes, they had about 2 hours left for the mission, but she could never be too careful with anything.

“Would you like me to leave you alone?”

y/n simply continued to stare at the ceiling. Natasha wished she could see what she was thinking. Although she looked like death, Natasha couldn’t help but notice how she had cried just one tear. Anyone could tell that she needed a while to collect herself. Natasha decided to step out, probably approach Fury and issue a last-minute change of plan. She could take Clint and Peter. Not the best replacement, but she could have Peter go in and look for the agents, while she placed Clint at a farther position, as backup for Peter.

“Stay.” y/n breathed out when Natasha began to retract her arms away.

Perhaps Natasha could stay and provide her friend some support, just for a few minutes. She felt awful about how she couldn’t help more, but this was the most she could do at the moment. ‘Missions first, personal problems next. What are you a hero for?’ as Fury would say. Natasha thought of Loki. How she wished she could knee him in the groin and then cause him a slow painful death.

“Coming up with a plan for murder?” y/n asked, somewhat with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Looking up at y/n’s face, Natasha relished the little smile on her face. Heartbroken as y/n was, she was still alive.

“You know me so well.” She snickered.

“Don’t bother Nat. He doesn’t deserve it.” Lies. Although y/n really wished to let Nat murder Loki, her love for him outdid that need.

“y/n, as much as I would like to stay with you like this, I’m afraid I have work to do. I need to find replacements so the mission can still-“

y/n’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Replacements?”

“Yes, you obviously cannot go on a mission in this state. I mean, have you seen yourself?”

No. No, no, no. The mission was the only distraction she was counting on. If she stayed behind, she would probably end up doing something she never once thought she would.

“I want to come, Nat. I’m fully capable of fighting today.”

“y/n, think about this. Loki- “ Nat paused, concern refilling her when y/n flinched at his name. Rephrasing, she tried again, “he’s going to be there too, and we cannot risk any mistakes.”

“Nat. you know me. You know how I am. Would I let a little squabble in my personal life come in the way of my work?” y/n was probably lying again, she didn’t know how she could manage being in close proximity with the same person who managed to suck out her very soul, but it was so much better than the alternative. If y/n was deemed unfit for the mission, she would have to spend a day doing nothing, and that was not something she was looking forward to.

“Let me partake in the mission, Nat. I promise ill be okay. I just needed a few moments to collect myself.” y/n added a little smile at the end, hoping she could have Natasha fooled into believing that she was fine.

Gauging her response, Natasha studied y/n’s face for a moment. It was obvious she was lying, but Natasha knew better. She had to let y/n do this. Nodding, she relented.

“Promise you’ll be okay?” she asked, squeezing y/n’s shoulder once before standing up.

“Promise.”

//

He still had 2 hours to burn. 2 hours before he set out on a mission with the person he loved, aka the person whose heart he broke. Once her best friend, Natasha Romanoff found out, she’d probably come straight up to his room to kill him. He would have laughed if he was capable of feeling anything at the moment. He laid in his bed. The mattress was cold, hard, empty. Not even an hour since he left y/n for good, and he was already missing her. Her soft body flush against his chest, as he inhaled her chocolaty scent. The little sighs she subconsciously let out when he wrapped his arms around her. The little twitch in her lips when he whispered something in her ear. It was too late before he realized what he was doing. His heart stopped as his mind screamed at him, you can’t think of her! You don’t deserve to think about her, let alone lay next to her!

Inhaling deeply, he curled up into a ball. How he wished he was someone else. If it weren’t for his past, he and y/n could have lived one of the sweetest lives. Sure, she was a Midgardian, he would still figure out a way to keep her with him forever. If only.

“Top of the morning to you, brother!” Thor’s voice bellowed. Loki groaned internally. It seems, while he was in the middle of his self-deterioration, he forgot to lock his room door.

“What’s gotten you so sullen?” Would he simply leave if Loki didn’t respond?

“Brother. Hello.” Thor said again, shaking Loki’s shoulders. Clearly, he was unaware of Loki’s mental state- but then again, Loki was always like this with everyone. Except his y/n. His y/n? Nope, not anymore. Just y/n.

“Thor.” Loki said, finally acknowledging his cheery brother’s presence.

“Ah, finally. It seems to be getting harder every day to obtain a response from you, brother, hence I must ask- is everything alright?”

Loki wanted to laugh. Hysterically. So, he did. Slow laughter built up in his throat, and before he knew it, his laughter boomed all the way from his stomach. Cold, dry laughter that would run chills up one’s bones. When was the last time he had laughed like this? Out of sorrow? Out of spite for himself?

“Whoa. Am I dreaming? I have never seen you laugh like this, brother. I am now very concerned for you.” Came Thor’s voice, causing Loki’s laughter to die down. Laughter is supposed to make people feel better, right? But the feeling in Loki’s stomach would prove that otherwise. I do not deserve to laugh.

“To what do I owe your presence, dear brother?” Loki was surprised his voice sounded so collected. Almost as if he didn’t just take someone’s heart and stomp all over it. His heart churned as he remembered what he had done. He just wanted to lay in bed and sob.

“It is mission day, brother! We must prepare!” Thor bellowed; his previous question forgotten.

“As it is. Leave. I shall arrive at the quinjet in due time.” Loki hoped Thor didn’t hear how his voice wavered in the slightest.

“Brother- “

“Leave, Thor,” he breathed, his voice cracking at the slightest, “I beg of you.” Maybe Thor didn’t sense the wavering earlier, but he definitely caught this. Besides, Loki never begged.

“What did you do, Loki?” Thor asked gently. It now dawned on him why Loki crawled into a ball. Since they were children, Thor had seen how he would do that every time something had hurt his heart.

Loki scoffed at how Thor questioned his deeds. Of course, Thor would suspect him of some wrongdoing. It was never ‘What happened, Loki?’. Just the accusatory, ‘What did you do now?’. Although, this time, it was his fault. All his fault. Monster.

“y/n,” he said.

“y/n? What happened to y/n?” Loki could feel the sudden anger surge in him. Big, ugly anger- filled with resentment for himself. Why won’t Thor leave him alone? Why can’t he just leave, leave Loki to rot in his room?

“I broke her heart, Thor. I took it, trampled all over it, and left her to scavenge for the shattered bits. Is that enough? Or would you like me to tell you more? Leave, Thor. Leave me alone. I will report at the quinjet for the mission soon.”

Thor realized Loki’s predicament. He knew a situation like this might arise sooner or later, but he hadn’t expected it to occur at such an intensity. His little brother had only begun to experience the joys of love, of living, he had just begun to heal, and his demons were eating at him already.

Sighing, Thor began. “Loki. Look at me.” When Loki didn’t respond, Thor forced him to face him and meet his eyes.

“I may not have a clue about how you deal with most things, but I do know what you are feeling right now, brother. I have known you for many millennia, and no matter how clever and secretive you are, I can always tell how you feel. You feel undeserving of y/n, am I correct?”

Loki inhaled sharply at Thor’s accurate judgment. Was he so predictable?

Almost as if reading his mind, Thor continued, “You aren’t predictable, dear brother. In fact, you are far from it. But it wouldn’t take a fool to see how you feel about y/n. We all see how you look at her, Loki. Like you love her. Like you would do anything for her. But what you don’t realize is that we also see how she looks at you. She loves you, regardless of your scars, your past; she loves you for your heart- she loves you for you, Loki. Anyone who’s incapable of seeing that is simply an ignorant idiot.” Loki’s eyes widened at Thor’s revelation. y/n loved him regardless of what he had done in New York. She loved him, not because he was a god or a prince, but because he was him. Because he was Loki. How could he have been so blind? He wanted to smack himself for being so naïve & insecure. He should have just talked about it to y/n, like she always suggested. ‘Talk to me if you have a problem, Loki. It’s what all couples do. They support each other,’ she had said to him once.

“It isn’t too late. It never is. You can always fix it. Do you understand?” Thor said, bringing Loki back from his thoughts.

Loki needed to sit down and think, and Thor shaking him to elicit a response to his monologue wasn’t really helping.

“Are you done, brother?” Loki asked, his voice and face still monotonous. He needed time with himself. Besides, he never responded to Thor in any other manner. To break that ritual now was to sin.

Thor, however, couldn’t see past Loki’s monotony. Sighing, he said, “I hope you think of my words, Loki. You need y/n, as much as she needs you. Come to terms with that for yourself.”

\\

“Based on what we can tell, they’re going to ask us for the hard drive before they give us Agents Samson, Waller, Bryson, and Stevens- so we’re going to have to stay on our toes,” Hill began, Natasha and y/n listening on intently. Loki wasn’t anywhere to be found, but then he hardly attended the briefings. He simply read case files and had a pretty good idea of what was to be done. “Natasha will be our front. She will deliver the drive, while y/n and Loki go in search of the agents. We need to ensure that we find our men before the decryption of the drive.” She said, looking back at her tablet.

Just then, Loki walked in, looking as pristine and collected as ever. As if he wasn’t running on sleep from a day ago, as if he didn’t have a broken heart weighing him down. y/n’s anger surged. It was infuriating how he wasn’t affected even to the littlest. She put on her mask of indifference perfectly. Last night didn’t happen. Loki was simply her coworker, and she was going to have this mission take place perfectly.

“Um, Agent Hill? Is it possible for me to take Agent Romanoff’s position?” y/n’s voice rang before Hill could give further instructions. Loki noticed how y/n looked calm and ready. Ready, to pounce like the lioness she was. She didn’t acknowledge his presence. Usually, when they met up at briefings, she’d give him the tiniest of smiles, but the sparkle in her eyes would speak more than what they could converse in a lifetime. That one moment always made his morning. He wouldn’t deny the sting he felt in his chest when she asked Agent Hill to change her position.

Agent Hill looked into her tablet and frowned. “I’m sorry Agent y/l/n, but this is the best way we can proceed while ensuring minimal casualties. Loki’s seidr, accompanied by your stealth will help in a faster rescue. Not many people are capable of resisting Natasha’s sweet-talking, so it is best for her to be on the receiving end of the exchange.” she said, winking at Natasha; grinning as Nat returned the wink. “And guys, a quick note. We don’t know these people; we don’t know how they work. If in case shit goes down, call for backup. We’ll be in ASAP. You have a 60-minute time bridge to be in and out. If you’re not out by then, we’re coming in. Understood?”

Quickly sheathing her disappointment, y/n nodded in agreement, “Affirmative, ma’am.” It seemed as if she had to face him after all. But no matter, she reminded herself. I am a hero. An Avenger. My people before myself.

//

“Alright guys, let's move in. I will enter through the main, you both through the back doors. Wait for my signal, and as soon as you receive it, go. Do not waste your time. I assume you have memorized the floor plans?” Natasha asked, putting a gun into her thigh holster. y/n nodded as Loki simply stared.

“Go on then, good luck.”

Loki used his magic to put some sort of cloaking around himself and y/n as they walked quietly towards the backdoors of the abandoned silo. The rival organization had set up a temporary location there for the exchange, and their current invisibility enabled them to walk comfortably.

Loki took a deep breath. It was unwise to have a conversation, nevertheless an intimate one during a stealth mission, but he had to talk to her. Let her know that he was sorry.

“y/n, I have to talk to you about earlier,” he began, looking for a reaction in her.

He waited for a moment. Several moments.

“y/n.” he tried again.

Nothing. Not even a flicker of emotion in her.

“I’m sor- “

“Don’t. Don’t for one second, think you can talk to me. Not after what you did.” She sneered at him, fresh fury blazing in her eyes like Greek fire. Loki flinched at her sudden reaction. He never flinched. “You do not get to talk to me after I bared myself open to you like I did, only to have you scoff at me, and deem me worthless.”

y/n was now angry with herself. It enraged her how Loki was able to elicit such a response from her with 3 mere sentences. She had to stay more collected. Ignorance, she decided. The best choice of weapons.

Loki decided to attempt again later. He could not give up on his love. He could still hear Thor telling him about how he could fix it. Loki used his seidr to pick the lock on the back door. So far, they couldn’t see anyone. No snipers, no guards, nothing. He ignored the chills that ran up his back.

y/n had her gun at the ready. It didn’t matter if they were invisible, there could be heat sensors. She wasn’t going to let the little kerfuffle from a few minutes ago faze her. Her skin rose in goosebumps as she sensed the eerie silence. Something was wrong.

On Natasha’s command, they moved in, both walking on guard in perfect formation. y/n in front of Loki, with her gun out, while Loki stayed behind her with his daggers in his hands. They walked around each other in perfect sync as they scanned their surroundings. They moved past the pitch-dark corridors as y/n tried to look for signs of an ambush. So far, they had to have encountered at least a few guards. The plan was to silently take them out as they continued to look for the kidnapped agents. y/n looked back at Loki and turned away before he could make eye contact with her. His heart pumped steadily, his blood filling with adrenaline in response to the suspicious silence. They approached another door, and based on the floor plans, they had to go through the room ahead. The only problem was that it was a very big, and possibly empty one. Some sort of a torture chamber, y/n figured, from the lack of furniture and other basic things. She cracked the door open. A single chair. That’s all she found in the center of the room. Was that blood? y/n’s muscles froze as she noticed the table with numerous surgical tools- no, torture devices. A little knife-like object laid in a steel tray, covered in blood. And fingers. So many fingers. y/n gasped at the image in front of her. The junior agents had been tortured in the very room they were in. She looked around for active cameras. 4 in each corner of the room. She was thankful for the invisibility curtain Loki’s magic was able to provide. Suddenly, Loki was tapping at her shoulder, trying to get her attention. He frantically pointed at a bundle in the corner of the room. White sheets. Drenched in blood. She moved towards it slowly. Please don’t be what I think it is. Please.

Uncovering the flimsy cotton, her eyes widened. “The Agents.” She breathed, meeting Loki’s eyes. He looked as mortified as she did. All four of them were dead. Tortured, left to bleed out slowly. It’s a trap. y/n realized, her blood curdling up. Only then did she notice the tripwire around the sheets. We’ve been tricked.

“y/n!” came Nat’s voice in her earpiece. “y/n- it’s a t-t-trap! Crack. G-get out of t-there! N-n-now Crack. R-r-rendezvous at-t b-back- Crack.” not even the static in Nat’s transmission could have left them confused about what they had gotten into.

In a blink, there were lights, everywhere. Red lights, lasers, sirens, noise resonating all over. They had been spotted.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here,” Came a deep, cold voice from behind them. A man in a white coat, followed by a woman who seemed like an assistant- who was followed by at least a dozen men who looked like SWAT agents, except they had much more brandished weapons. The 2 doors in the room shut with a bang, leaving Loki and y/n trapped; with 4 dead agents, and the many people who probably wanted them dead- but not before having their fun.

“Agent y/n, and Loki, the God of Mischief.” He sneered at them.

y/n pointed her gun at him while Loki drew out his daggers and flipped them. That would have had y/n swooning on a good day, but not today.

“The one and only,” Loki stated. “Now let us through, or it will be the end of our short-timed pleasantries.” he sneered, adrenaline flooding in his veins, causing his green irises to turn almost completely black.

“Now, now. There’s no reason to be so hostile,” the man said, his mouth twisting into some crooked sort of smile. “After all, I am sure you do not have the capability to fight past all of my soldiers.”

He was right. Loki’s seidr could probably take out a few, and y/n’s ammunition a few more, but not before they were electrocuted or whatever those hi-tech weapons were capable of. She needed to contact backup. And fast.

“Let us out, unworthy scum. We’ve given you the intel anyway.”

“Behave, Agent y/n. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to fall for a corrupted drive?”

Loki wanted to smash his teeth in. How dare he talk to his beloved like that?

“And you are?” y/n asked the man, changing the subject and trying to stall him. The drive plan had failed, which meant that Natasha could be in trouble. Besides, they needed to come up with a new plan to get out without any more trouble. Not even 10 minutes in, and they were already cornered.

“Fred. I am also a doctor.” The grey-haired man said. y/n would have laughed if she wasn’t already upset and running on almost no sleep.

“.. your name is Fred?” she asked, silently trying to reach for her walkie.

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“No, but I was expecting something more ... traditional. Something that would suit that malice in your eyes a little better,” She stalled. “Something more Russian. You look very Russian.”

All Loki could do was stare at y/n with a prideful smile when he realized what she was trying to do. His little lioness, so daring and clever.

Grinning like a madman, Fred turned to his assistant. “I like this one. Although, what’s all this about being Russian? I just don’t get it.”

y/n would have responded if not for the dart in her neck.

“Hey!” she felt the poison running through her veins in no time. Her sight faltered, her own voice sounding distorted.

“No!” Rang Loki’s panicked voice. His heart fought against his ribcage. What had he done? If only he hadn’t gestured at the bundle, if only he told y/n it was better to leave the moment they spotted it. They knew the junior agents were dead the moment they saw it, what was the need for him to have y/n uncover the sheets?

“Don’t worry, Mr. Laufeyson. It is only a sedative. Your girlfriend will be fine.” The doctor chortled.

It was now y/n’s turn to freak out. “How did ... how did you…” she mumbled; her eyes widening at the colors that brimmed in her vision. Her heart calmed to a surprising rate, a sloppy smile on her lips as she sank onto the floor.

“Please, Agent y/n. Like I said, I’m not stupid. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice the way you look at each other?”

Thor’s voice rang in Loki’s ear. ‘It wouldn’t take a fool to see how you feel about y/n, Loki.’ He would have smiled if it weren’t for their current state.

“Mmm,” y/n hummed. Understandable, she wanted to say. “Un- un- under the sea.” She managed, with a goofy smile and a giggle bubbling from her chest.

Chuckling at y/n, the doctor said, “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Laufeyson.”

That was all Loki heard before everything went black.

//

He gasped loudly as he woke up. Where was he? He scanned his surroundings and realized he was in a lab-like settlement. No doors, just 2 bullet-proof glass windows behind which a number of doctors and agents stood. Along with Fred. His heart sped up as he took in y/n. Strapped onto a bed with numerous wires attached to her head. She was still unconscious from the sedative. He pulled at his arms only to notice he was shacked to the walls.

“Nice of you to finally join us, Mr. Laufeyson!” Loki heard a cheery voice through the speakers. “Shall we begin?” Fred asked, pausing for a few moments as Loki realized he was waiting for a response.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his mind numb. How was he going to get out? Where was Agent Romanoff?

“Ah, so glad you asked. This nice lady here,” he gestured, “is Doctor May. She specializes in hypnotism.”

What did they need a hypnotist for? If they were planning to hypnotize Loki, they were in for a disappointment because that really wouldn’t work on him.

Looking at Loki’s expression, the doctor smiled. “Don’t worry, it's not for you! It's for our dear y/n here! Doctor May here has so skillfully come up with a serum that we can test on y/n. We’re going to turn her against you, watch an epic battle- to the death; and if she survives, hooray! We’ll have her rejuvenate and train before using her to infiltrate SHIELD!” he cooed. His tone did not go with the threats he was spewing. "Oh, I also forgot to mention, we're giving her superstrength, just for the sake of it. see what happens."

Loki’s blood turned to ice. “What if she doesn’t survive?” he asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

“Oh well, if she doesn’t, we’ll harvest your powers and whatnot! But not to mention we will be very disappointed in her.” The doctor said, frowning playfully.

Loki’s chest seemed to cramp up onto itself. He tried to pick the locks on his cuffs with his seidr.

“Did you really think we’d let you have seidr while in captivity? Gosh, SHIELD. Keep thinking I’m stupid. See what that does for you.” Fred mumbled, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“No! No. Fred. You do not want to do this,” His silver tongue was the only thing he could rely on now. He couldn’t let them hurt his y/n. Ignoring the sweat running down the side of his head, he donned a sweet smile and crooned, “let her go. I am far more powerful than she is. If you release her, I promise to submit to you, causing you no difficulty. My seidr and my other strengths. All yours. I will give you any intel you need.” He promised, his nerves slightly betraying him. That’s it. Take the offer, Fred. Let y/n go. It’s my fault she’s here anyway.

“Hmm, let me think,” Fred said, placing his index on his chin. Uh oh. “How about no?” he snapped, quickly letting that carefree smile adorn his face again. Loki’s smile faltered. “Unfortunately, your proclamation isn’t as fun as my idea, Mr. Laufeyson.” No seidr, no backup. He was going to have to fight the one he loved.

“May, commence operation Omega!” Fred yelled, bouncing on his toes. “I’m so excited!” he yelled, his arms flailing around. Loki couldn’t help but notice how the man’s appearance did not suit his personality even by a percent. Creepy.

He watched as y/n’s body started shaking. She was seizing. His stomach dropped as the horror registered in his mind. The wires suddenly detached from her head with a sickening pop as she opened her eyes. Her e/c irises now glowed bright blue. Like electricity in her fibers. Loki’s chest clenched at y/n’s foreign expression. How long had it been since they got in? Surely Agent Hill must have realized something was wrong by now?

He flinched as the shackles around his hands clicked open. He was incapable of fighting y/n, let alone killing her. He couldn’t stand the idea of landing his fist on her.

“Ah, hello? Subject 7? Can you hear me?” Fred’s annoying voice crooned.

“Yes,” y/n said, her face devoid of any expression. Almost as if she was a robot. Loki’s skin rose up in goosebumps as he heard her cold emotionless voice. This was not his y/n.

“Good,” the doctor beamed. “Destroy.” That’s it. One simple command for y/n to turn to Loki and snarl at him.

“y/n,” Loki whispered. No, no, no. He felt tears prickling in his eyes. He’d rather die a thousand deaths than lay a hand on her.

“You’re pretty. But I’m going to kill you.” y/n smiled, her mouth letting out a little giggle. That wasn’t her giggle. It was cold, malevolent.

“Doctor May, what was that? It was cute, but I don’t remember asking for that?” Fred asked, frowning at the lady. Stuttering, she said, “I-I believe the serum hasn’t taken complete effect, sir. Part of Subject 7’s personality i-is still accessible to her.”

“Aw,” Fred groaned. “Do I have to kill you, Doc?” he asked the lady, whose eyes were now wide as saucers.

“N-no, sir. I assure you it won’t be a p-problem. I will have it fixed b-before administering the next dose.”

“Okay!” Fred smiled again.

Loki overheard their little conversation. Could he still reach for his y/n, which was buried underneath the cold exterior, courtesy of the serum?

“y/n,” he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. She didn’t respond, but simply charged at him with a growl.

Loki dodged her, putting a safe distance between the two of them before trying again as his mind screeched at him. All your fault! Why did you let y/n uncover the sheets? You knew it was dangerous, you knew they were dead!

“y/n, it's me,” Loki said softly, trying to get her to look at him. He took a step towards her when he saw that she wasn’t going to lunge at him.

“y/n … I know you’re in there.”

Loki thought he saw a flicker in her eyes.

“Doc! What’s going on?” Fred exclaimed; his face glued to the glass.

Loki decided to get closer. “My love,” the words sounded foreign to his ears, no doubt, but it had never felt so right.

“Come back to me,” He whispered, reaching for her; tears obscuring his vision. “Please.”

y/n lunged at him; a perfect roundhouse directed towards his face. But Loki’s reflexes had always been faster. She circled him, like a predator assessing its prey.

Fred banged at the glass. “Subject 7! We do not have all day!” He yelled, and now y/n was rushing towards Loki. She swung her fist at his jaw as Loki dodged her, only to receive another punch on his throat. Coughing and sputtering, he glanced at y/n, his eyes speaking words he never had a chance to say. Rubbing his neck, he said in the gentlest voice he could muster, “Please, my love. You do not have to do this,” he paused, gauging y/n’s reaction. He noticed how her movements faltered every time he spoke in that gentle voice. “It’s okay, y/n,” he whispered, his eyes holding hers as he reached to cup her face. Everything slowed down when clarity sank into Loki, chilling his bones like ice on a hot plate. He now knew what he had to do.

“It’s me, look at me, my love,” he breathed, his eyes searching hers. Flicker. His y/n was fighting underneath the shadow that had taken over her body.

“I love you,” He whispered to her. 3 words, just 3 words to let her know how sorry he was. To let her know he never meant any of it. to let her know, that it was all his fault.

“I love you, my darling, I always have; I’m so sorry this ever- “ Loki’s voice muffles down as the next event unfolds.

She’s suddenly kissing him, she’s kissing him like she’s never kissed before- raw and hungry- and for one moment, for one moment y/n's emerged from the shadow of the serum- to tell him, tell him that it was okay. That she understood. One kiss to let him know that she’s forgiven him, one kiss to let him know that she loved him too. Loki’s eyes widened as her warm lips held onto his like her life depended on it- except this time, it did- and he was kissing her back before he knew it. he wrapped his arm around her, his other arm knotting in her hair to support the force of the kiss- and he’s crying, he's crying as her fingers tangle in his hair, he’s crying like he’s never cried before- the tight wraps around his past wounds ripping open, he’s crying like he’s never going to experience this feeling ebbing from the depths of his heart ever again--

And he’s suddenly on the floor with y/n’s hands around his throat, her eyes electric blue again, a menacing smile playing on her lips.

“Yes! Yes!” Came Fred’s voice. “Finish him, Subject 7!”

y/n stared at Loki, her hands lowly tightening around his throat. He could only stare back at her, his tears running silently as he placed his hands around y/n’s wrists.

“Do it, y/n. Do it. I did not deserve you anyway,” he said as he choked on a sob, “but I just want you to know- I have always, always loved you; and I wish last night never happened. I wish for you to never, ever experience the pain you felt last night, I wish for you to be treated like the queen you are- “ he paused, meeting her eyes, a thousand emotions swimming in his mind; making it impossible for him to speak the numerous confessions he was attempting to make.

“I love you, y/n, and I regret not believing you when you said you did too.” He choked out before shutting his eyes and accepting his fate. He embraced death like an old friend, waiting for it to swoop in and steal his soul. He waited for that cold feeling of release, of being free. He would die for her instead.

“I love you too. I never stopped,” He heard a sweet voice whisper. He opened his eyes to y/n’s e/c ones. She had fought the serum. Her lips quivered as tears brimmed in her eyes, freely falling down her cheeks, as Loki’s hands reached for her cheeks. “I love you,” she said, and everything blows apart as the building explodes.

// a week later//

y/n opened her eyes to 2 smiling faces, groaning at the throb in her head. She noticed the other Avengers next to her, all smiling, grateful that she was okay. She was in a hospital bed.

“Welcome back!” Natasha and Steve yelled, causing y/n to shut her ears.

“Guys! Stop yelling!” y/n manages to say before furrowing her eyebrows and shutting her eyes.

“How long was I out?” she asked, her eyes still shut.

“a week,” Sam replied from her left.

“Whoa.” She whispered, trying to recollect the events that had unfolded.

She froze as the images came rushing back to her. She tried to kill Loki. Then she kissed him. ‘I love you,’ he had said, and the building had exploded on their fragile reconciliation.

“Loki!” she gasped, sitting back up, her eyes flailing around to look for him. Was he dead? Please don’t let him be dead.

“y/n! Calm down! You have 3 cracked ribs, not to mention the messed-up head, thanks to serum Omega. We need to make sure it still isn’t in your bloodstream,” Nat says, holding her down.

“Is Loki okay?” she asks Natasha, her heart in her throat.

“I'll bring him to you,” the red-haired agent smiles at her, before turning to the door. “Stay put,” she calls behind her.

“What happened to Fred?”

“Who?” Steve asked quizzically.

“That weird doctor.”

“Oh, probably died from the explosion. Our people are there as we speak, y/n, we’ll find out soon. Feel better, we’ll tell you the rest later.” he said with a warm smile.

How did they manage to get out? Sure, she was knocked out after the explosion, but she did witness the intensity. It would have been impossible to extract them from underneath the rubble- unless--

“y/n?” Loki’s tentative voice came from behind the infirmary’s door a few moments later. She looked at him, searching for any injuries he might have sustained. Loki ran up to her, grabbing her face, “You’re okay.” He said, kissing her gently. He snickered as y/n’s hand crawled up into his hair, pressing his lips into hers harder.

“So are you,” she smiled, looking at him with a look of pure adoration.

“What happened?” she asked Natasha, her fingers looping into Loki’s as he sat next to her.

“I escaped, noticed that you both hadn’t made it to the rendezvous point only to encounter more agents, fought my way out, called for backup, and the rest is history. The question is, what happened to you? We got only Loki’s version. Gotta hear yours,” she says, all in one breath.

“Perhaps give us a while before that?” Loki asks her, Natasha gasping slightly at the little smile on his face.

“Careful Loki, smile any wider and people might think y/n’s making you go soft,” she joked and turned around to leave, gesturing at the team to follow.

“Hey you,” y/n whispered, her index tracing Loki’s jaw. He leaned down to envelop her in yet another kiss, this one sweeter than the best Asgardian mead, filled with promises of tomorrow. He smiled into the kiss when her fingers knotted in his hair.

“I love you," Loki whispered, thanking whoever that he could say it to her again.

"Forever?” y/n asked, her voice still hazy from the kiss.

“Always.”

[twinkleimagines]

*Somebody save me*

summary: y/n is new to the outer banks, being as she’s Barry’s cousin from the city. Her being as familiar in the drug life as Barry, it was almost inevitable for her not to meet the Rafe himself. Little does she know her life was about to become an entire rollercoaster. Was rafe going to drag her down with his own issues and literal manic tendencies, or was she finally going to be the saving this lost boy needed?

CHAPTER ONE

“ this is why I don’t live near the water” You exclaimed as you swatted the swarming gnats and mosquitos away from your face .

“ either here or group home cuz” Barry exclaimed while taking nugs of marijuana out of a zip lock bag, placing them on his scale . “ better get use to it.”

You’d lived in a small home back in Atlanta Georgia with your mom, who was a serious addict and spent more time out on the streets prostituting for drugs than she was at home with her daughter . Because of your moms reckless behavior, you had missed out on a lot of school seeing as she became spending more time selling drugs for a living than actually participating in school. Unfortunately that raised the schools attention to your living situation, inevitably causing your mom to get locked up and You having to chose between moving to the outer banks, or a group home. You only had 2 months left until you would be 18 but until then, Barry’s trailer would be where you resided.

You rolled your eyes before getting up from your chair , walking towards the trailer.

“ where ya goin?” Barry asked turning from his table of weed.

“ I can’t handle these bugs dude” you exclaimed still walking towards the trailer.

“ we’ll if you’re gonna stay here you gon have to put your work in too” he stated before standing up, grabbing 2 bags of white powder. You stepped back in shock.

“ the fuck Barry” you exclaimed shaking your head in disbelief. “ you know I don’t fuck with that shit”. Barry shrugged before reaching back towards you, shaking them at you to grab.

“ no but these bills gotta be paid” he said nodding his head towards the trailer. “ I need you to take this over to someone for me tonight. He’s got a party goin and he’s gonna sell it throughout the night .”

“ why can’t you take it to him then?” You exclaimed crossing your arms.

“ because cuz you’re gonna have to pull your weight round here too” . You scoffed before snatching the 2 bags of coke from Barry’s hand.

“ I don’t even know who this guy is “ you huffed out, putting the two bags in your bra.

“ you’ll know him. His name is Rafe.”

****

As you pulled up to the driveway, yourjaw dropped at the size of the house Barry had you going to. It was massive, and the amount of people crowding the humongous house was massive as well.

“ how the fuck am I suppose to find this guy” you huffed out to yourself before stepping out the car. You had your long wavy hair down, and hooped earrings dangling. You wore on tight high waisted white jeans and a black strapless top as well. As you looked around you could definitely tell this wasn’t your crowd. The girls had massive amounts of make up caked on, booty shorts that their bottoms were practically hanging out of, and they all were definitely shit faced. And they all looked to be trying to get some guys attention.

You walked in looking around , running your hand through your hair stressfully, trying to figure out howyou were suppose to find this Rafe guy.

“ you don’t look like you’re from around here” you heard from behind you. You turned around to find a medium height guy- definitely shit faced might I add- looking you up and down. You scoffed before taking a step back.

“ ‘cause I’m not” you snapped, due to your lack of interest. “ I’m looking for Rafe”. The guy slightly scoffed with an eye roll before pointing to the section behind him.

“ pink shirt” he spat out before brushing past you. You snickered at the fact how some men just cannot handle rejection. Looking over where the guy had just previously directed you, you saw a group of kooks all sitting on the two couches surrounding a coffee table, the guy in the pink shirt , which was assumed to be Rafe, was separating lines of coke on the table. You sighed before making your way to him. You could only see his muscular back and broad shoulders from where you were standing since his back was faced towards you, but none the less he was a kook, which was definitely not your type.

“ Rafe?” You spoke out, only to see the dirty blondes headed boy to look over your shoulder. You swallowed quickly, taken back when you saw those piercing dilated blue eyes gazing into yours. He looked you up and down, presumably confused as to who you were, since you definitely didn’t look the part for a party of kooks. You quickly stood up straight, making sure you looked the tough hood girl as you are before you pulled the two bags of coke out of your back pocket. His eyebrows quickly furrowed together in confusion , wondering why a strange outsider like you was handing him the drugs.

“ Barry” was all you responded before walking off. Barry had told you that there didn’t need to be much conversation between the two of you, that Rafe would already know the deal. Which was fine by you. Rafe honestly took your breath away but looking at the bimbos he had surrounding him, it was clear you weren’t his type anyways. That didn’t matter though. He was beyond rich, and you were from the projects. Definitely no match.

“ hey” you heard someone shout from behind you. You turned around quickly, your long hair wrapping around your shoulders as you did. Oh god . It was Rafe.

“ sorry I didn’t catch your name” he said pointing behind him, indicating your brief in counter a few seconds ago. This time it was your turn to look at him with confusion. Why would he need your name?

“ y/n” you responded looking up at the tall geeked out boy with a slight smile.

“ I uh didn’t mean to be rude I just wasn’t expecting you - I mean the supply this early. “ fumbling with the two bags in his hand. You threw your hands up .

“ ion know that’s just what Barry told me to bring” . You watched Rafes face turn into worry.

“ uhm.. okay yeah alright” he said nervously running his hands through his hair before turning around and walking quickly back into the house. You shook your head in pure confusion before walking back to your car, headed back to the trailer .

****

“ alright ladies and gents , who wants a bump” Rafe said walking back into the common area, plopping down on the couch with the new baggies.

“ you know I do” the blonde girl next to him said scooting closer to him.

“ no more for you till you pay up sweetie” Rafe scoffed. She quickly placed her hand on his inner thigh giggling .

“ I can pay you alright” she spoke out giggling. Rafe laughed shaking his head.

“ already had it. You gotta pay your part this time” he said while using his ID card to separate the lines. She rolled her eyes with embarrassment while the crowd snickered at his comment before pulling her wallet out, handing him a couple of twenties before taking a rolled up dollar, snorting a line.

“ Rafe! My man!” Kelce shouted excitedly before dabbing Rafe up, looking down at the table . “ oh okay this is what I like to see baby” he said rubbing his hands together in excitement . Rafe handed him a rolled up dollar in exchange for some money from Kelce before Kelce leaned down, snorting him a line. “ where’s Topper?” He asked while sitting on the couch next to Rafe. Rafe froze for a second, flash backs to the night Topper got arrested for covering for Sarah and John B running through his head. Rafe hadn’t spoke to Topper since that day, it had became clear he knew the truth or he at least believed Sarah over Rafe.

“ he doesn’t want to come around “ Rafe said. Which was probably the truth. “ yanno Sarah” Rafe said not looking up from the table , watching others around taking more bumps. It was hard for Rafe trying to play things like he normally should. Of course he mourned the death of his sister, more than normal since he internally blamed himself. If he wouldn’t have killed the cop, and framed John B, she wouldn’t have been on the run. But at the same time he was just trying to protect their dad. Rafe froze for a second lost in thought before he picked up the pile of cash people were laying on the table. He knew aT this point the only thing he could do was continue making money for Berry. Barry was the only one who could really help the pogues bring the truth out about his crimes and at this point he had basically became Barry’s bitch. He handled all the product, and sold it all with little to no compensation.

“ alright whose ready for the next round ?”

****

The next morning

“ why you even selling to those kooks anyways Barry?” You asked as you hung your head off of Barry’s couch as he counted money from his duffle bag.

“ because y/n they’re rich and stupid” he responded as if it was an obvious answer. “ they ain’t got no responsibilities so all they care about is partying and getting fucked up.” You looked over at him as he stood up looking over you. “ and I’m the king at getting people fucked up aight. They’ll pay anything cause they got it” he said throwing his hands up. You sighed before sitting up.

“ you should really clean this place up. It stinks” you responded before walking out side, tugging at your tank top to cool down. As you walked out into his yard to sit out in one of his patio chairs you heard a dirt bike coming down the drive way.

“ great” you mumbled as you plopped down in the chair, hissing as the plastic chair burned the back of your thighs since you were in short denim shorts. You quickly lit up a joint Barry rolled for you earlier as you watched the guy turn his bike off before taking his helmet off.

‘Shit’ you thought as you accidentally inhaled too much and began coughing , realizing it was Rafe on the bike. You honestly had thought about him quite a few times through the night last night. Just mesmerized by his attractive looks.

“ hey I remember you” he spoke as you took a sip of your water.

“ oh yeah?” You asked brushing your long locks of hair from your face as some stuck to your forehead from sweat. “ where from?” You questioned, playing it off like you hadn’t thought about him all night.

“ you came to my party last night” he said. Wow. He was really cute.

“ oh yeah! Rafe right?” Rafe smiled.

Okay what the fuck. You immediately felt butterflies fluttering in the pit of your stomach as you watched this literal perfect smile form across his face . He ran his hands through his hair ( almost as if he was getting nervous) before nodding. “ yeah yeah that’s me” . You grinned before reaching out offering him a hit off your joint.

“ want a hit?” You asked.

“ yeah sure” he said before sitting down next to you, taking a hit off your joint. “ so I’ve never seen you round here. You uh Barry’s new girl ?” He asked blowing smoke out between the sentences. You threw your head back laughing loudly .

“ fuck no!” You laughed out. “ he’s my cousin . I’m just stayin with him for a couple months till I get my own plsce” you stated while grabbing the joint back from Rafe.

“ ahh” he responded looking down at the fire pit in front of y’all. “ you gonna stay here or” he asked. If it wasn’t for you crushing you would’ve been weird out by the questions he was asking. You shrugged taking a big hit .

“ I don’t know yet” you said blowing smoke out of your nose. “ I’m waiting to see if this place is gonna win me over.” You responded honestly . “ but honestly this heat and these bugs are for the birds” you said swatting at some of the gnats that were swarming again. Rafe chuckled slightly, looking down at his hands.

“ it’s not too bad once you get use to it.” He said looking over at you. “ maybe someone will change your mind” .You grinned, looking down as you felt the heat rushing to your cheeks. You could see Rafe playing with his hair again. You had come to a conclusion that the hair playing meant he was definitely nervous which made the butterflies flutter again.

“ uhm well-“ he said awkwardly standing up. “ Barry inside?” He asked looking over towards the trailer.

“ yeah yeah he’s in there” you said standing up as well.

“ okay well I’ll see you again okay Y/n? “ he stated, watching as you nodded in agreement. You watched him head inside the trailer, is tall figure swaying as he walked.

***

“ aye yo Barry” Rafe spoke out before opening the screen door to Barry’s trailer. “ got your money” Rafe stated nervously walking toward the back of the trailer to Rafes room.

“ okay country club I see you “ Barry expressed walking out his room to meet Rafe in the kitchen. “ this all of it?” He stated while grabbing the stack out of his hand.

“ yeah man that’s all of it” Rafe stated , sweat dripping down his forehead as he brushed his hair back. “ uhm you uh know you uhm doubled it right?” Rafe said referring to the supply.

“ I needed to get the product movin” he Barry replied still counting the stash.

“ yeah but you see it’s hard to move that much-“

“ listen country club I own you ok” Barry said looking up at Rafe with that cocky smirk of his. “ I know your secret. I know what you really did. Now you can either make my money by doin this work when and where I say I want it done-” he stared shrugging his shoulders. “- or I could just turn you in and make the money that way” Barry chuckled at the sight of Rafe breaking a sweat at the thought of the truth coming out as he sat down at his kitchen table, setting the stack of money on the table. “ choice is yours my friend” . Rafe shook his head stumbling around a bit , partially from nerves and the other from geeking of the dope.

“ nah I-I got you” he responded back , his heart pounding with anxiety.

“ alright that’s what I like to hear” Barry beamed. “ no go. I’ll let you know when I got more for you” he stated. Rafe quickly made his way out the door, running his hands through his hair once again before walking towards your direction. He wanted to just hop on his bike and scurry away from it all , but something about you intrigued him so much. Maybe it was because you treated him differently than everyone else. You were kind to him, and didn’t look at him like he was some crazy addict .

“ see ya Rafe” you called out as he passed by you towards his bike. He tossed his hand up to you with a smile before sitting on his bike, grabbing his helmet, he froze for a second before looking up at you.

“ hey I’m gonna have another party tomorrow night, you know if you’re not busy maybe you could come chill . Get a feel of this place a little more” he suggested, his fingers twiddling with his helmet.

“ I don’t know Rafe, didn’t really look like my crowd “ you stated, this time it was your turn to run your hands through your hair. He shrugged looking down at his helmet.

“ then hang with me” he suggested, his voice a bit softer as if he was nervous to make the suggestion at all. You grinned, pushing your hair behind your ear.

“ okay yeah, I’ll see you then “ you nodded, looking up to see his blue eyes beam with excitement.

“ cool cool” he stated before placing his helmet back on before revving his bike on , riding back out the driveway.

You leaned back sighing of happiness, grinning at Rafes comment .

“ then hang with me”

Tomorrow night couldn’t come sooner.

Chapter 2 coming soon ❤️

( I will be putting this story under the tag #somebody save me )

[itsuki-minamy]

LIMITED KINGSHIP, WAR STORIES:

CHAPTER 3: BLUE CLOTHES & BLACK CLOTHES

* Mini Episodes KFCN (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

The rain that started to fall in the morning was pouring down in the afternoon.

Kazumada Takechi liked the rain. To put it more precisely, he thought that "it was preferable if it rained at the time of shipment". The rain hid many things. The more smoke screens there were, the better you would be earning in terms of visibility, steps, number of people, and amount of initial exit information. It would be great if the enemy was destroyed without knowing which is the right or the left.

According to the notification from the information department, the number of confirmed black clothes was six. They were said to be hiding near the abandoned influx facility in Shirotsuchi Ward. "Scepter 4" formed a breakthrough unit consisting of 18 people and dispatched them directly to the site without delay. The hideout was in a river area away from the residential area, and the fact that there was no need to consider the damage in the surrounding area was the deciding factor in making a quick decision.

In the first confrontation, the two dressed in black were incapacitated.

From that moment on, it was the usual battlefield. A catastrophic counterattack of angry words, taunts, and black clothes turned into living bombs. A firestorm blew, and the storm-swallowed limbs screamed and turned. Overcoming this, Takechi and others proceeded. When he tries to cut the one in black clothes and go further to the hall,

"Die! Blue clothes!"

From the side room, black clothes appeared.

A flaming fist protruded into Takechi's face. Takechi prevented it with a shield of extraordinary skill, and waved a saber at the back of the opponent's neck. He avoided the one in black clothes, kicked the ground and hit the enemy's entire body like a bullet with martial arts.

"Guh..."

The epigastrium broke and Takechi lost his balance. Those in black pushed Takechi down as if they were entwined, and laughed as if they were riding a horse.

"Hey, that's it!"

The one in black raised his burned right fist, with the flame of extraordinary ability.

He couldn't turn it off.

"Ah?"

He blinked and looked mysteriously at his fist. On his flank, Takechi hit the left hook hopefully. Takechi bounced off the one in black that lifted his body with a crushed groan and stood up as he coughed.

"What is this?"

Rolling into the corner of the hallway and quickly regaining his posture, the one in black got annoyed when he saw his left wrist.

There he put on a metal wristband. Takechi installed it at his own discretion when he became a rider.

"It's a different suppressor, bracelets type. As long as you're using it, you can't use your abilities."

"Don't be silly, take it from me! Right now!"

"If you were me, would you remove it?"

Takechi approached the one in black, saying that clearly. In the battle with "Purgatory", the death of the hostile clan member is allowed, but orders have been issued to stop him and bring him back "if possible". Black's threat, which had been sealed, was so low that he could take it away and he tried to stop it.

At that moment, red and orange lights filled the field of vision.

"Mmm!"

Takechi reflexively reflected his hands in front of his eyes and developed a field of different abilities. He protected himself and the defenseless black-robed man. Probably a suicide bomb attack with another in black. In response to the deadly pressure of power, Takechi held the field with concentration on him,

"Take off because it's fine, you bastard dressed in blue!"

The one in black screamed and rushed inside.

"Now, stupid!"

He lost concentration. At the last minute, a crack occurred in the talented field that had stopped the blast and it immediately collapsed. Takechi and the one in black attached to him were dragged like leaves in a muddy stream, smashing the window panes and thrown "outside".

There was a huge "hole" in the "outside".

"Mmm!"

Takechi grew impatient as he spun in midair.

In the pre-operative briefing, he knew what that "hole" looked like. It is a well with a diameter of 30 meters and a depth of 70 meters to pour the water from the flooded river into an underground drainage channel.

If you are a talented person, you will be safe even if they throw you out here. He should have been able to deal with it by softening the impact of the fall or by clinging to the inner wall due to the power of it.

However, the one in black that was thrown with him was sealed.

If he fell like this, he would die.

Within seconds of the fall, Takechi recognized, thought, and made up his mind. Takechi was angry, shining with an extraordinary brilliance under his feet.

"Damn it! Why am I saving one from black?"

He then he jumped further as if kicking in the air, holding the one in black and falling into the depths of the "hole".

++++++++++

He woke up with the sensation of being hit by his body.

He opened his eyes slightly. In the field of vision like a movie, his dark red hair was swaying. The temples on one side of him were cut off and the other side of him was injured. Takechi reflected on a fuzzy thought that the one in the black suit had a drunken hairstyle. So he came back to himself.

There was a man in black in front of him. The member of the clan "Purgatory", the enemy of the sky.

"What are you doing?!"

He screamed out of reflex, pulling away from the man in black, Takechi tugged on his right hand to catch him. He looked there involuntarily.

Takechi's right hand and the man in black's left hand were connected by a handcuff-like power suppressor.

A low, whining voice escaped from his throat.

"What is this?"

"You don't know what to look for! You're connected! Quick, give me the key, you fucking bastard!"

The function of the suppressor of different abilities does not choose the opponent. Whether it is "Purgatory", Strain or "Scepter 4", those who use it will be blocked from different abilities, and their physical abilities will be the same as those of normal humans.

(Why is it on my wrist?), he thought.

"You've done it?"

"I don't know! I was like this when I realized it!"

The man in black who had lost his fangs was screaming and it seemed that he was not lying.

If so, was it a coincidence? Takechi and the one in black fell into the well in a tangled manner. It seems that the impact of the fall could be softened by Takechi's abilities, but the momentum at that moment caused the empty handcuffs to get stuck in Takechi's hands.

As a result, the one in blue clothes and the one in black clothes were sealed and lost their abilities, falling behind at the bottom of the shaft.

"That's probably what happened."

Explaining that, the one in black shot Takechi's lock to the max.

"Don't worry, that's it!"

As he scowled and endured the pain, Takechi glared at the one in black. He helped him with all his might, but what was that attitude? He thought he should have abandoned him, but that would violate the order to bring the man in black alive "as much as possible".

With a sigh, Takechi confirmed the situation.

There was no doubt that they were at the bottom of a cylindrical shaft. Looking up, light and rain poured from the rounded sky. The water that collected at the ankle was wetting Takechi's entire body and the one in black.

He felt no pain when he tried to move his body. He was lucky to have fallen from that height and not injured himself, although he had used his ability, but he had encountered another problem.

The radio was broken. With this, it was not possible to request help from "Scepter 4".

When he was thinking with a difficult look, the one in black yelled, "Hey!"

"Okay! Take off the handcuffs and you'll be fine! Even you are in trouble if you can't use your skills!"

Looking back at his unruly puppy eyes, Takechi asked.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Eh?"

"You probably woke up earlier. You should have killed me while I was passed out and then look for the key, why didn't you?"

After thinking about the one in black for a while, he made an "Ah…" face.

When he was shocked that he couldn't think about it because he didn't have a conscientious response, the one in black stood up and grabbed Takechi's chest.

"Oh! Idiot, you've made a fool of me now!"

"Actually it is."

"That's it! I'll kill you from now on!"

The one in black jumped up and tried to put his hands on Takechi's neck. Takechi shook it off with a disgusted face. The one in black was very small and seemed weak. In the case of fighting with sealed abilities, there was no element that Takechi lost, who was superior in physique and had received combat training.

He could kill that guy at any time.

But…

After thinking for a while, Takechi controlled the one in black who was still in an uproar with one hand.

"Wait. Calm down."

"Don't worry! Die! Or take off the handcuffs right now!"

"I don't have the key."

The movement of the man in black stopped.

"The "Scepter 4" runners do not carry the key because if they are stolen, the hostile clan member they sealed will be revived. I cannot remove the handcuffs unless I return to the transport vehicle or headquarters."

"Hm... oh ... that's..."

"Will you still kill me and drag the corpse away? Can you do it now? I weigh 94 kg."

The one in black grabbed his mouth and stared at Takechi's thick boar neck and his tight shoulders. He seemed like he could hear the sound of thinking going round and round.

Takechi did not miss the opportunity and opened a hand in front of the one in black clothes.

"I have a suggestion. Let's make a truce."

"Eh?"

"I don't want to drag your corpse. I want you to walk anyway. So how about a break until we get out of this hole?"

The one in black looked at Takechi with suspicious eyes and asked:

"Exit, then, and then?"

"I'll drag you to headquarters. If you don't like it, you can resist. If you're lucky, your friends can find you. Then you will die."

"......"

"Or do you stay here and starve?"

"......!"

The one in black thought, thought, thought, and finally scratched his red hair and screamed like a buffoon.

"Oh, yeah! Okay! That's fine!"

"Ok."

Takechi looked around him, and then, when it suddenly occurred to him,

"What is your name?"

The one in black glared at Takechi.

"Ah? Why would I give my name to a blue outfit?"

"I am Takechi Kazumada."

"Hey! Listen to me!"

He was angry and hit Takechi, but his thick chest was not afraid. As Takechi stared at him without saying anything, he sighed and murmured, as if the one in black clothes had taken root.

"Mina."

"That is all."

Takechi nodded, convinced.

"I was not confident because your body is thin, but that is correct. You are a woman."

Mina dressed in black kicked Takechi again.

++++++++++

The stairs leading to the ground had brilliantly collapsed after about 10 steps.

"What is this? Do a good job..."

Mina said bitterly, Takechi shrugged.

"This is an abandoned well in the first place. It is wrong to expect decent maintenance."

"Sorry. You don't react to soliloquy one by one."

She looked up and threw it away, but Takechi started walking without any particular pretense. Because they were connected, Mina couldn't help it.

A tunnel was cut through the shaft at a distance from the stairs to the ground. She was one step away from one of them. It seemed true that it was not maintained and there was real darkness with no emergency lights.

Wondering what to do, Takechi pulled the flashlight from his blue clothes. A powerful beam of light illuminated the interior of the tunnel. It was about 10 meters in diameter and the destination was covered in darkness, so he had no idea what was going on.

Mina asked Takechi anxiously.

"Hey. Is it really here?"

"I don’t know."

"Eh?! You don't know the way!"

Takechi looked at Mina coldly.

"I only know the data. I don't know which way the exit is."

"That is not usable. You are a tax thief!"

"There is no reason for criminals to say so."

Mina and Takechi walked through the tunnel while cursing each other.

The tunnel was wide, but dark and damp. Of course, it was not a path for humans and vehicles to walk. The reflected footsteps reawakened anxiety and Mina hit Takechi on the elbow.

"Hey. What is this path?"

"It is an underground drainage canal."

"What's that?"

Takechi looked at Mina with stunned eyes.

"You didn't even know what they were occupying? Geez..."

She was irritated. She used to hit him with a fist of fire, but now Mina couldn't do that. She screamed to reduce the anxiety of squeezing and opening her right hand.

"Please just answer! What's in here?"

She wondered if he could reply in disappointment, but Takechi explained clearly as he looked ahead.

"The underground drainage channel is like a tunnel to take the water from the river when a flood is about to occur. We have fallen into a well to drain the flood into the drainage channel. There are several, all connected through channels of underground drains, so if you get to a working pit, you should be able to get to the ground from there. "

"Mmm..."

Mina's nose was confused by his unexpectedly polite explanation. Yes, they did not know the details of the facilities they occupied and Mina did not even know that there was a system to prevent floods.

"What is that axis? How long do you need to walk?"

"The total length of the flood channel is 10 km and the number of wells is 5, so if calculated, the average distance of each is 2 km."

Takechi looked back at the path he had taken with a delicate expression.

"Here's a discarded axle. I still don't know if it's still connected to another axle. Maybe it's stuck in the way."

"Hey! What's that?!"

"It is not my fault to fall here or not know the way."

Mina tried to curse Takechi again, but she reconsidered and tied her lips.

Takechi was a blue robe and her enemy, but from what he had spoken, he seemed to have a fair personality. Certainly, as he said, this situation was not due to Takechi. The reason they fell here was because of Mina's attack, and...

Mina looked down at her feet and spat out the question that she had caught in the back of her throat.

"Why did you help me?"

Takechi looked at Mina. Mina continued her words, feeling his gaze around her.

"We, the 'Purgatory' clan, I think that for the blue clothes, we are just bugs. If you had dropped me as I was, you would save yourself a lot of trouble, but why didn't you?"

Takechi thought for a bit and then replied.

"I never thought of 'Purgatory' as an insect. I think they are criminals."

Then he looked ahead.

"If they want to hurt us with their abilities, we have to fight, but if they don't, they don't have to die. Criminals are still human. If you're incapacitated, I have to protect you because that's my job."

"......"

Mina didn't know how difficult it was.

So she didn't understand half of what Takechi said. What she could barely understand was that he was in a job helping people and that he thought Mina was a human being.

She was getting frustrated.

Takechi's response was not what Mina expected. She thought he had fallen next to her in the basement to take her neck and take credit. If he had told her that he helped her for his own benefit, she would not have been so frustrated.

No, thinking about it again...

After all, Takechi helped Mina, to take credit for himself. The reason why she walks on the ground like this was probably because it is difficult to carry Mina's corpse. Takechi himself said so, so it was for his own benefit after all.

She wouldn't forget it. Takechi was a blue clothes. She knew that many of her friends from "Purgatory" had been killed by the blue clothes. No wonder he strangled her as soon as she hit the ground. So she was not afraid.

When she was thinking about that while she was looking at the ground...

"Wah..."

She tapped the tip of her nose against Takechi's back who stopped.

"Hey... why are you stopping?"

Mina rubbed her nose and protested, and Takechi made a little soliloquy.

"What's wrong with this?"

When he wondered what it was, he noticed.

Moist air and the sound of flowing water.

The road split in two in front of Takechi. The right side was a bit higher and the left side was a bit lower. A stream of water flowed from right to left along the fork. That meant…

"This means that if you go somewhere, you can go out, right?"

"Probably yes. The fact that the water is flowing means that it is connected to a live shaft."

"Then you don't have to stop. Let's go quickly."

Takechi grabbed Mina's wrist as she tried to walk.

"No, you should go back."

"Eh?"

"The river water flows inwards. I don't know the state of the soil, but there is a danger that the amount of water will increase if it rains a lot. Let's go back and go through another tunnel."

"Don't worry, why do I have to turn around if I've walked so far? Let's go this way!"

"No, let's go back. Until the situation clears up."

Mina looked seriously at Takechi, who still had a hard expression, and then laughed.

"What's wrong, are you scared, you idiot? How much water do you think it is?"

Takechi replied grumpily.

"Even if the water is low now, it may rise in the future. It may be too late to go back after that. Don't you know?"

Mina didn't listen and stick her tongue out at him.

"Eh? I don't think it's a good idea to be ridiculous, but we'll say goodbye as soon as possible! It's no joke to wait here!"

"That's the same for me! But considering the danger…"

"That scares you! What's wrong with your courage? If it's too bad, I'm going to leave you alone here!"

Mina started walking, telling him that. But of course her right hand was stretched out and she couldn't go any further. Looking at Takechi with a look of contempt, she started walking with an indignant expression.

Mina shook her shoulders and laughed.

"Hey. You should do it from the beginning, face the problem."

"Black clothes. Remember when we went out..."

"That's my line. I'll kill you, get ready!"

Then they began to follow the path to the left, avoiding the running water.

Five minutes passed and then ten minutes.

Meanwhile, the water level rose steadily. It used to be a stream, but now it was as big and fast as a mountain stream. The water could no longer be avoided approaching the corner of the tunnel, and the splashes began to wet the black shoes. That fact made the silence between the two even heavier.

The two went further.

The water level was rising even higher.

The water level was already up to their ankles. The two of them sped up without saying anything, but the currents of water made them fall over and over again, and they moved ridiculously. Mina screamed unbearably as she supported her body by pushing her hand against the wall on the right side.

"Hey, when will we get there?"

Takechi yelled back without wasting time.

"You should know that! You told me to go this way!"

"Is everything we did wrong?! Idiot, you came with me, right?"

She slipped and fell, sinking from her head to the bottom of the water. Spitting water, scooping up wet red hair, Mina tried to spit out words of anger.

"Hey! Behind you!"

Looking back at Takechi's warning, she found that her face was completely tense.

The water that was twice as high as before was rushing down like a tsunami.

"Run!"

Mina scrambled to her feet and started running with Takechi. Of course they couldn't escape. The water level had already risen to shoulder height and it was not a state where they could run properly. Still, the two of them desperately moved their slowly moving legs.

Feeling the impact of being hit from behind, Mina fell forward again.

She spun as the field of vision went round and round. Mina shook her limbs and tried to keep her body fluid. It was a waste of effort. The water rushed towards her mouth, which she opened in search of air.

She was drowning.

Even if she stretched her legs out, she couldn't even scratch the bottom of the water. Fear of death filled her lungs in an instant, and Mina literally appeared on the surface of the water in a deadly manner.

The water hit there even harder.

Mina's head flew off and crashed into the tunnel wall. A spark flickered in the back of her eyes, and as it disappeared, Mina's consciousness plunged into darkness.

++++++++++

He was lucky that her finger got caught in "it."

Takechi's situation was not much different from Mina's. But, Takechi was taller than Mina. He was able to keep his composure because his feet were on the bottom even though he was being washed.

Mina, who had been hovering until just now, suddenly stopped moving, and Takechi knew from his handcuffs that she was passed out or dead. In any case, it was inevitable that he would follow the same path. He circled his bloodied eyes around him, desperately trying to reach into the wall, wondering if there was any way to help her.

At that moment, his fingertips touched a different texture than concrete.

When he reflexively grasped it, he applied the weight of two people and the pressure of the jet of water, and the ligament in his left arm was stretched to the point of breaking. While frowning in pain, Takechi held Mina's body in his right arm and began to lift them up with the power of his left arm alone.

"It" was apparently like an iron ladder.

Against the water, Takechi brought his body to the ladder, dangled his right foot, dangled his left, and carried Mina on his shoulder. Mina weighed less than half his weight. So there was no particular problem. The unit he once belonged to was trained with a backpack of similar weight on his back.

At his feet, a large amount of water flowed with a sound like that of the ground. If she was swallowed again, this time she would not live. While he was haunted by fear, impatience, and the constantly rising water level, Takechi still secured himself and Mina's body and climbed the ladder.

By pushing the hatch attached to the top of the tunnel and opening it, Takechi and Mina were finally able to reach stable ground.

He stabs his knee into the concrete and take a deep breath. Then Takechi laid Mina's body on her back and listened to her mouth.

She wasn't breathing.

Takechi's decision was quick. He had done it many times in life-saving training. He opened her black garment, gave her a heart massage, opened her airways, and did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After several attempts to revive her, Mina's body shook and a surprising amount of water leaked from her lips.

"Keh, Kah..."

After seeing Mina cough, Takechi breathed a bit of relief.

He then he looked around him.

What kind of place was that? Is it a maintenance passage or an emergency evacuation passage installed at the top of the underground drainage channel? There was no doubt that it was still a habitable facility because it had a light green night light. So it was no wonder there was an emergency phone somewhere.

When he got to that point, Mina groaned. Looking at Takechi with a vague look...

"What? What happened…?"

"We were saved. There appears to be an escape route over the tunnel."

"......"

"I won't be able to walk for a while. I'll take a break here."

With that said, Takechi sat down by the wall.

Finally, Mina got up. She sat next to Takechi with a slow movement, her back against the wall in the same way. She brushed away the red hair sticking to her cheek with her finger and asked in a heavy voice.

"Have you helped me again?"

"Well, that's correct."

Mina looked at Takechi with an indescribable gaze and then collapsed.

"Thanks."

Takechi was a bit surprised.

He didn't think the day would come when a black robe would thank him for something, he tried to say that, but a different word came out of his open mouth.

"Ah…"

Then, for a moment, Takechi and Mina stared silently at the ceiling.

They were both soaked, it was cold and they were tired. In the dim light of the night lights, they couldn't even see the color of the other's clothes. The only thing that was transmitted was that there was someone next to them, and only someone's body temperature there. Surrounded by darkness, the two of them were only human.

"And you…"

It was Takechi who broke the silence first.

"Why did you go into 'Purgatory'?"

If it had been the Mine from a little while ago, it would have been repulsive. It was not something related to him, she would rather die quickly than hear his insulting voice in her ears.

But Mina didn't, and she only echoed a careless voice in the dark.

"It's a wrap."

Takechi glanced at Mina. Mina was staring at the ceiling.

"The man I lived with was at the bottom of the Yakuza. The group started fighting with 'Purgatory', and I happened to get involved."

Mina's voice was simple. Like listing the facts.

"The man and the others were all dead, I was wondering if I would die too, but that person came over."

Mina's voice trembled. He knew who that person was without asking. The cause that created the current situation. The worst "King" who does not know self-control, has no cause and exercises violence at will.

Genji Kagutsu.

"Even though the corpses were scattered around, I laughed. I was very scared, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. So, as if grabbing a child's head, my head was in a mess."

Mina shook the air with her left hand and her fingers folded.

"Then... something hot spilled out of that hand. It was so hot, it was painful, and it seemed like my body was going to explode. In fact, it exploded. My right hand burned and I screamed. He was laughing and looking at me."

Takechi looked at Mina's right hand. The scars that were badly burned reached down to her bare shoulder.

"Once that was done, the people around me stood up and passed by. At that point, I became a member of 'Purgatory', and I have been with them ever since."

After speaking, Mina hugged her body tightly. Was it because her wet body was getting cold, or because of the memory of Kagutsu Genji? With a little sympathy, Takechi asked.

"What kind of man is Kagutsu Genji?"

Mina looked at Takechi. The distorted look on one cheek of hers also seems to laugh. With that look, she slowly shook her head and...

"Here we go, I don't know."

It did not appear to be a trap or a joke. Maybe it really was a "I don't know.".

The information department of "Scepter 4" wanted information on Kagutsu Genji. Hometown, age, values, purpose, career before becoming a "King". Knowing the enemy is the first step to capturing him. Therefore, it was an important goal for "Scepter 4" to know what kind of person Kagutsu Genji was.

However, the answer he got was, strangely, the same as Mina, "I don't know.".

One day, Kagutsu Genji suddenly appeared. With the power of "King", he destroyed neighboring antisocial organizations, absorbed the rest of the reconciliation, and "Purgatory" gained momentum.

No one knew where Kagutsu Genji was coming from and no one knew where he was going. He had no past or future, but he lived the present in a sensible and catastrophic way. That was the kind of existence that Kagutsu Genji created.

The words that Mina muttered clearly expressed that.

"That person is a bakemono." (Synonymous with yokai.)

Takechi nodded slightly, but opened his eyes at Mina's words.

"Or maybe Kamisama?"

"What?"

A God. Takechi didn't know anything else to express about Kagutsu Genji.

Mina didn't mind his comments, but in a light tone she said:

"I was so scared, I was very strong, I don't know what he was thinking, but that person saved me."

Takechi couldn't understand the concept of being saved by Kagutsu Genji. Confused, he said what he thought.

"But Kagutsu Genji probably killed your lover."

Mina's eyes glared at Takechi with thick anger.

"The guy who sold me and made money, he's not my lover."

"......"

"Well that's it. I'm different. I had nothing else to do. I couldn't help it because I wanted to live, but…"

Taking her burned fist, Mina laughed as if she was tugging at her.

"Now I have 'this'. If I have 'this', no one can make fun of me. I won't let you use it. I'm a member of 'Purgatory'. That person did that for me."

Takechi involuntarily pinched his mouth.

"Kagutsu Genji didn't give you power to save yourself. It's just a whim, that's all."

Mina laughed, "Haha.", and she looked at Takechi in a silly way.

"I don't understand. That's why it's fine."

"What?"

"Whether he has money or not, is smart or bad, whether it helps or not it helps. Others would think that way. But that person doesn't do that, he hasn't seen it in the first place. What kinds of things are right and what no? I have learned it equally."

"Equality?"

"Yes, that."

With a tense index finger, she pointed at Takechi.

"For that person, we, you, everyone and him are all the same. He is no different from the ants and the waters that surround him. That is fine. In front of that person, they are all the same."

Mina took her burned right hand many times and opened it again, as if to confirm.

"We're not special. I've seen a lot of guys who died like they were exploding with the same power. We just happened to survive. I know that better than anyone. Without 'this', my life would be crap and shit."

"I don't think that's the case."

Mina had a soft, resigned smile.

"Haha. You're a good guy. But..."

She covered her face with her raised knees.

"You don't know anything about me, you should stop."

There was no word to return.

"Let's go, I already rested a lot."

Mina stood up and Takechi did the same.

"Ah…"

Then they started walking in that dark place again.

Mina's words contained part of the truth about "Purgatory".

Why was the number of people in "Purgatory" not exhausted, stripping all societies of their fangs and, therefore, being persecuted by all societies? Although the organization should have almost collapsed since Operation Kaume, the amount of black clothing had not decreased, instead it seemed that the damage spread and the amount had increased.

From the testimony of Mina and the captured clan member it was clear that Kagutsu Genji himself had a mysterious charisma. However, Takechi believed that that was not the only reason why "Purgatory" continued to exist.

Members of the "Purgatory" clan consider their lives worthless.

Society, property, life. They don't respect what most humans should focus on. They recognize that their lives are nothing more than a decaying young lady. This is why it is possible to wield the power granted by Kagutsu Genji to the fullest, and even if they destroy themselves, they can lay waste.

Only the moment that they burn life and shine, is valuable to them.

Currently, there is a stable moment. Under the reign of the "Golden King", the people sing prosperity. Still, there are those who find their life useless. As long as human beings are human, such things will never cease.

What if this was an unstable society in a more chaotic era? If Kagutsu Genji appeared there and empowered those who are casually dissatisfied. Imagining tens of thousands of members of "Purgatory", Takechi felt goose bumps on the back of his neck.

"And you?"

Mina's voice made Takechi recoil, who had been caught up in his thoughts.

"What?"

"Why did you go into 'Scepter 4'? Did your parents tell you to do that?"

Mina said that moaning. She may have remembered it when she got up and started walking. They are blue and black, and they have to kill each other when they reach the surface.

Takechi responded to the provocation with a calm voice.

"I am an orphan. I have no parents."

"......"

"I immediately joined the military after leaving the facility because I didn't have the money or the head to get into a good school. I am grateful to my parents for being strong."

Mina awkwardly averted her gaze and then said:

"Sorry."

He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to apologize, but what came out of his mouth was a different word.

"Do not worry."

Then there was silence again.

The tunnel was so long that they still couldn't see the exit. Even so, the night lights continued without being exhausted.

The light that was placed at regular intervals was hypnotic. As he walked and vaguely gazed at the light, Takechi was suddenly caught up in mere imagination. He and Mina were already dead when they fell into the well, and that channel was the Sanzu River, and now they were silently heading towards the afterlife.

If they were dead, at least they wouldn't have to kill each other.

Realizing that he was thinking that way, Takechi frowned.

"Is the same for me."

Suddenly, Mina opened her mouth.

"I don't have parents. One passed away, then the other went to the hospital and I was taken by a relative."

"......"

"They suck. I couldn't take it, ran away and got picked up by the guy I mentioned earlier."

Then Mina looked at Takechi and...

"I wonder if I should have put up with it. Or maybe I should have been born with a big body like you. So, by now, I could have been wearing blue clothes."

Several laments arose.

He shouldn't have helped Mina. He shouldn't have offered a truce. He shouldn't have asked her why she went into "Purgatory".

The blue clothes and the black clothes kill each other. They can kill each other because they don't know each other. The opponent's life can be killed because is just an icon of an obstacle to remove and an enemy to defeat.

Even knowing what kind of person she was and how she lived, it was unlikely that Takechi could take her life.

"Ah…"

Mina screamed. Then she realized that he was looking at the ground. When he raised his face, Takechi saw it.

The white light that illuminated the end of the tunnel.

It was the outside.

The two of them continued walking in silence. Stepping on the path that led to the exit. They both knew what was to come, but they would never stop.

Mina stopped.

"Mina?"

"No, sorry. Somehow."

She said that scratching her red hair.

"Yes, that's right. Let's go out."

"......"

"It sucks. I just wanted to get out as soon as possible. Now I hope it's a little later."

With a slight smile, Mina looked at Takechi.

"I ended up getting along well with you. I wish I could do it a bit more."

It was the same for both of them.

But they had to move on. As Takechi walked silently, Mina began to move her legs without object. The light outside gradually grew stronger and the two figures disappeared from the darkness. The blue clothes that go through and the black clothes that are darker than blood.

Takechi said, squinting at the growing light.

"I have to say one thing."

"Hmm?"

"I said the runners didn't have the key to unlock the ability suppressor, but that's a lie."

Mina's legs stopped again.

"It is hiding in a confusing place; in case it is stolen by the enemy. I am healthy. It's here."

Takechi put his hand on the collar of his uniform. From a cleverly hidden pocket, he pulled out the release key that was thick and long as his index finger, and showed it to Mina.

Mina shook her voice.

"You lied to me?"

"That's right. It was better for you to walk to the surface than to kill yourself there. I thought you'd be easier to control in that state. I'm a few steps higher in terms of physical disparity and ability."

Takechi looked at Mina. Mina was looking at Takechi. Her hair, shoulders, and eyes trembled with anger and hatred. No, it was more intense because they shared time together and she got to know him.

Takechi said, looking at her.

"But I cannot do it."

"Eh?"

"I heard your story."

Capture her and take her to headquarters just as she is. Then what will happen?

Mina will be sealed forever. She will be taken to a detention center dedicated to talented people and she will spend a lot of time there. For Mina, who found value only in power and said that her life could not be anywhere else, it would be more painful than death.

She was a criminal. Whatever the circumstances, sin must be punished. As a member of "Scepter 4", Takechi had never questioned that. Do chores. That should be so.

That should have been it.

"I can't kill you. I can't take power. I can't let you go. I'll regret it all the time if you sin again."

"So what will you do?"

Takechi laughed at Mina, who revealed her mistrust.

"Unlock you."

"......"

"Then you and I will return to the same state as before we fell into the well."

Mina swallowed hard. Takechi turned to the front and started walking.

"Then you can kill me without hesitation. Forget everything until now. We have never had the time to walk through the tunnel."

"You're stupid?!"

Mina screamed as if she couldn't bear it.

"It's not like that! It's not so easy to forget about the boy I care about! What you've done so far, if you take off the handcuffs, you won't be able to do it!"

Takechi didn't object and nodded silently.

"I don't think so. Maybe so."

The light outside already enveloped the entire body of the two. They could hear the sound of the rain. The cool air outside caressed their skin. Taking a deep breath, Takechi looked at the cuffs on his right hand.

"However, nothing can be done as it is now. If the situation is resolved, a change is needed. If I remove the key, it will change."

"You, up to that point...!"

Mina gritted her teeth and shook her voice.

"Do you want to kill me that much, Takechi?!"

Takechi slowly shook his head.

"No, Mina. I just want to correct my mistakes."

What they had talked about, helping each other, reveal their emotions. That was a mistake.

They shouldn't have done that. It couldn't be Takechi and Mina. They had to be blue and black. Otherwise, if they didn't think of the other person as a human being, they couldn't kill them.

Takechi inserted the key into the suppressor for different abilities. Mina screamed in fear.

"Stop! That's not true!"

Takechi slowly turned the key. Mina wreaked havoc and tried to annoy him, but Takechi, who was physically superior, forcibly advanced with his finger. Tears spilled from Mina's eyes, and she stomped on the ground many times, like a child with tantrums.

"This is because I will kill you! When the handcuffs are removed and my strength returns, I will kill you! I will burn you! I really will! Okay?"

"Yes."

Takechi smiled calmly and replied.

"That's right."

The ability suppressor came off and fell to the ground with a thud.

[draconicfaenerd]

Obey Me Theory: In Which God is an Asshole and Solomon Might be a Good Guy?

Okay, here’s the deal. I have way too much time on my hands at the moment and was suddenly struck with inspiration, so I decided to cook up a little theory of my own.

Well, not so little. I’ve been writing this over the last few days, and this turned into something bigger than I was expecting.

Alright, here we go.

One of the great mysteries of this game: who the fuck wrote the whole Tale of the Seven Lords series? I mean, it foreshadows so much of the game’s plot twists that it’s absolutely insane! My initial thought was that Barbatos wrote it, especially since he’s the one who has a bunch of time travel/timeline powers that are, frankly, quite frightening. However, this theory leaves one gaping plot hole: how does Simeon know what’s gonna happen in the upcoming volume? Even Mammon and Satan take note of the fact that they have no idea why Simeon would know something like that. Who besides Barbatos could possibly have the power to see the future? Given this game’s penchant for foreshadowing, this is undoubtedly an important question we need to ask ourselves.

And I’d like to make you think about something as you answer that question.

While we know a fair bit about Barbatos’s power, we know practically nothing about the angels’ powers. Surely it doesn’t make sense that the demons have access to this wild reality-bending power that the angels don’t. Unless they actually do. How is this possible? Well, I turn to my knowledge of Christianity for this part of the theory.

According to many people’s interpretation of Judaism and Christianity, God is supposed to be an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing entity. He knows anything and everything that has happened, is happening, and can/will happen in the future. Additionally, He can set everything up so that events happen according to His plan. Pretty difficult to go up against, right? Now, granted, we don’t know a lot about the game’s interpretation of God (yet); there are enough twists on Biblical canon that it is difficult to determine what direction this is going to go in. However, I do expect that God is supposed to be a ridiculously powerful character in-game; maybe as powerful as (or even more so than) Barbatos.

Side note: However, he is not all-powerful, and here’s how I know: he wasn’t able to just erase Lilith. Yes, I’m sure he was powerful enough to kill her, but not so powerful that he could just kill her immediately free of consequences.

But more on this later; now back to my original point. God is the author of TSL. Or, at the very least, is the divine inspiration behind it (where one of the angels or a specifically chosen human is the one to transcribe it). This explains why an angel such as Simeon would have knowledge of the upcoming plot. Another piece of evidence to back up my point: exposure to divinity. One point that pops up a few times in the Bible is the idea that anyone/anything who comes too close to God’s presence directly will perish. A couple of examples of this are the burning bush that Moses faces and the Ark of the Covenant which the Israelites are forbidden to touch. Now, you may be wondering what these examples have to do with Obey Me. The answer is simple: the TSL soundtrack. Remember why Lucifer was so interested in this soundtrack in the first place?

First off, a scene where the Lord of Corruption places a curse on the heroes? I have a few thoughts on that, but I’ll get to that in a little bit. What I’d like to focus on is the mysterious composer and the people who die surrounding the soundtrack. Lucifer tells us on our final night in the Devildom that the record isn’t actually cursed:

But. Well. I don’t trust that. He’s (probably) not purposefully lying to us, but I don’t think this can be a coincidence. I think that TSL was divinely inspired (along with its soundtrack) and for some reason, this particular soundtrack was too much for ordinary humans to handle (we know that MC isn’t ordinary because of their amount of hidden power that has been discussed; more on that later.) 

So I’d like to bring up something else. Propaganda.

God has already spread copious amounts of propaganda about the brothers. Why do I say this? Well, I’m going off the assumption that the human world MC comes from is pretty similar to the human world that all of you readers (and me, obviously) live in. Why does this matter? Religious texts. There’s no denying that Judaism/Christian and their respective texts have greatly influenced the course of world history. Which means, in canon, those same texts no doubt exist in the Human Realm. Now, assuming they were “divinely inspired” (another assumption, but one that seems to make sense to me), a plethora of lies were told. First of all, many of these texts paint Lucifer (the Morningstar) as: the original Fallen Angel, The Devil, the Prince of Hell, and the reason why Sin and Death entered the world (meaning he was the one who tempted Eve). In Obey Me canon, Lucifer was the leader of the rebellion, yes, but he is very different from how he would be painted in Biblical texts. First of all, the Devildom was around for a very long time before the Fall (leading to questions on the true power of the realms, but more on that later). Furthermore, Diavolo and the Demon King are more of what we consider to be “the Devil”; sketchy motives aside (which I’ve discussed in other posts), they are the ones that have the final say in the Devildom’s affairs. Not Lucifer. Yes, the brothers might hold the titles and responsibilities of being the “Seven Rulers of Hell,” but ultimately their will is overridden by Diavolo’s. Additionally, I’d like to talk about that last point: sin and death. In the Bible, Lucifer brought sin and death into the world by tempting Eve to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. However, in Obey Me canon, we know this is not the case; death existed long before the Fall. We know this because Lilith’s human lover was going to die, hence why she fed him forbidden food from the Celestial Realm. Then, God was going to have her erased and ultimately sparked the Rebellion against Him.

So. We know that God is plenty willing to pin plenty of shit on Lucifer. But other than causing an abnormal amount of daddy issues, what does this have to do with anything? Well, remember how I noted earlier with the TSL soundtrack that it was supposed to be used in a scene where the Lord of Corruption placed a curse on the heroes? Well, the Lord of Corruption represents Lucifer. So, given the game’s penchant for foreshadowing, it seems like Lucifer is going to place a curse on the heroes (forgive me for making yet another assumption, but I interpret MC and the brothers as the heroes). Given Lucifer’s love for his family (and later MC), this doesn’t really make any sense. My initial thought was that the whole attic debacle was the curse, but that doesn’t really make sense either. But. Remember what I just said about God pinning shit on Lucifer. What if God is the one planning to put a curse on the heroes? Just think about that for a bit, let it sink in.

Now, why would God place a curse on the heroes? We know that He and the angels were able to defeat the brothers before, so they could do so again if the need ever arose, right? And why place a curse on MC, an ordinary human?

Well, not-so-ordinary human.

Remember why Asmo made a pact with MC in the first place? Solomon talks to us about how everyone has magical power within them, and it manifests itself in some, but not in others (this is already suspicious as fuck to me that a power as strong as MC’s wouldn’t manifest itself, but our in-game knowledge of magic is vague enough that I’m not really gonna dance around that right now). Anyways, MC gets stuck with Mammon, Beel, and Levi in the underground labyrinth again, and they summon Asmo and draw out even more power than Solomon can. Pretty strange, right? Belphegor also alludes to MC’s great power with his whole “you have the power to control demons” speech.

So basically we have this incredible power. And, if I’m on the right track here, then we’re a threat to God. As I explain here, Lilith is the reason we were chosen for the exchange program in the first place. Additionally, when you meet her as you’re dying and you reply to her and ask her what she’s doing, she says this:

So… there’s a lot going on in her whole dialogue. Really. There’s so much to dissect. And frankly, I don’t think I can dissect it all. So for now, I’m going to focus on the snippets that stood out to me. “I’ve been waiting for so long, you see. I’ve been waiting for you to come find me.” Um, what? First of all, Lilith’s spirit has been around for several thousands of years, right? Granted, the Obey Me timeline isn’t super clear, but still. Even if Lilith has been waiting around for MC ever since their birth, MC is however old the player is (probably late teens or in their twenties since that’s the demographic the game is geared towards); but even if MC is supposed to be way older than that, their lifespan is a very short time compared to Lilith’s existence. Unless. Unless Lilith has been waiting for longer than MC is supposed to be alive. Unless Lilith knew that someone as powerful as MC would come into existence and… do whatever it is Lilith wants us to do. Still not completely sure about that. (Also take note that Lilith never tells us herself that MC is her descendant; make of that what you will).

Also, she says that she’s worried about all her brothers and tells us to “save them” and that she’ll “lend us her powers.” So at first, I thought she was worried about them emotionally, and that she wanted us to save them by serving as emotional support for them. But we didn’t need her for our consciousness to transfer, and Barbatos took care of our alternate self. So what did we need her power boost for? The answer: something that’s coming up in the future. What exactly? I’m not completely sure. But, I do know that Solomon has an idea of what it is, based on the text conversation with him right after leaving the Devildom.

Now, is it possible Solomon knows because of his pact with Barbatos? Yes, it absolutely is. I know that I’ve said time and time again that Solomon’s pact with Barbatos is going to prove to be crucial in future chapters, and I still firmly believe that. However, if something is happening on the Celestial Realm side of things, Solomon has a connection there which would allow him to know the goings-on.

So for those of you who grew up in religious families, you probably remember a little bit about King Solomon; the “man after God’s own heart” (different translations may say something slightly different, but that’s the version most of us probably heard) who, when he had the chance to ask for one gift from God, chose to ask for wisdom. Now, many clues in-game point to show that there’s a good chance that this Solomon is supposed to be that very same guy. Such clues include his mystical powers and his many pacts, particularly his pact with Asmodeus. Now, remember when Solomon told us near the beginning of the game about the Ring of Wisdom he received? He never tells us about the mystery person who gave it to him, but I personally think he received it from God; since in Biblical canon God “gave him wisdom.” Additionally, remember how he talked about getting drunk off its power at first? That piece of information coincides with my earlier point about how exposure to divinity is difficult for humans to handle.

Also, remember that Solomon is a VERY big fan of TSL. (Enough to impress Levi, and enough that he has that super-rare pendant of the Lord of Corruption’s wing). So, given that God is probably the one behind the creation of this series, it stands to reason that his connection to God has something to do with this.

Additionally, while on the topic of Solomon, there is yet another chat (the one that he sends you on your birthday) that shows that he seems to be well aware of something that you, the player, are not:

As I’ve said before, this game really loves its foreshadowing. So, we’re definitely gonna have to save Solomon at some point: now, I know I’ve called him shady many times before, and he really truly is. But.

Maybe he’s not nearly as evil as I originally thought. He has helped us before, but it’s admittedly difficult to pin down his motives. However, if saving him is going to be necessary to the plot, then Solmare probably isn’t gonna make us rescue a bad guy. Emphasis on probably.

Also… he says “first birthday here in the Devildom”... which leads me to believe that MC will have many, many birthdays with the brothers to come in the future. So. Now that I’ve talked about Solomon, I’d like to talk about Luke.

He sends you a chat that opens up some pretty good insight into the whole situation:

Now, we know that Luke is pretty fond of MC, and we’re led to believe that Simeon cares about MC too; however, this whole “charm that attracts both demons and angels alike” doesn’t sit quite right with me. Now, yes, both the in-game angels care about MC, but that doesn’t seem to quite cover Luke’s statement. But what if… There are other angels that have taken an interest in MC? And I don’t mean romantically, I mean… what if one or more of them know about our power? As I said before, Lilith gave us a power boost for something that’s coming up in the future. Something big. And if MC truly has a special sort of charm that attracts demons and angels alike, they could prove to be very dangerous if, say, there were to be another power struggle between realms. But what does this all have to do with Luke anyways? Remember who Luke works for? Michael. Yes, that’s right, the Archangel Michael. Probably the most powerful angel in all of the Celestial Realm. What does this have to do with anything? Well, after the exchange program ends, the higher-ranked angels (including Michael) are no doubt going to want reports of everything that happened during the exchange program… including information about MC. And really, who better to ask that information from than someone as utterly devoted to Michael himself as we’ve seen Luke is?

And if this is the case… Michael will probably hand all of that information right over to God. Given how the Obey Me God seems to be, this is not good news for MC or the brothers.

Now. Just because we can’t trust God doesn’t mean we should go blindly trusting Diavolo and Barbatos either. In fact, @phairfantooooom does a phenomenal job here explaining just how sketchy and terrifying they really are. Maybe I’ll have more of my own comments to add later if the mood strikes me, but for now I’m gonna leave it at that.

One final word: MC is being used as a pawn in a grander game between the realms for which they have no idea how to play, but they better figure it out fast.

Or maybe, just maybe, I’m losing my mind during quarantine and I really just want the sexy, shady sorcerer to not be a bad guy.

We’ll see. So... what do you all make of this? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[x0401x]

hey did you hear that one of KyoAni's studios got attacked by an arsonist :(

I actually hadn’t. I went to read the article and holy shit, this was super serious. According to the news, here’s what happened:

There was an explosion in the studio and fire took up a big part of it.

The fire took five hours to be extinguished. One of the eyewitnesses said that it looked like she was staring straight into hell.

The police found the culprit nearby. He was being pursued by employees of the studio as he tried to flee to a train station and collapsed onto a woman’s yard. He had injured himself while lighting the fire, and so the police took him to the hospital under custody.

The fire thankfully did not spread to the neighboring houses and buildings.

The facility that got attacked is called “the first studio”. It’s KyoAni’s main studio, built in the 50′s. It’s the very core of the company as a whole.

The arsonist was purposefully targeting the employees. A woman came running out of the studio covered in flames, asking for help and saying that the man had poured gasoline directly on her.

One of the victims had to have both of their legs amputated.

When the guy broke into the studio and set the fire, he yelled at everyone inside to die.

He apparently sent death threats to KyoAni’s website before the attack. The president of the company told the news that, although they don’t get protests on a daily basis, they do deal with it often. This was far from the first time that they had received those kinds of messages. They normally resolve it with lawyers and protocol, so an investigation was underway, but the police hadn’t yet been able to trace the messages until then.

The number of fatalities is 36, which is half of the 74 people who were in the studio at the time of the attack. Other 6 victims are still being treated in hospitals, but as of October, it was announced that none of the remaining victims are in life-threatening conditions anymore.

Several knives and hammers were found at the scene of the crime, but the knives were unused.

The reason for the attack was accused plagiarism. A witness claims to have clearly heard him say “you ripped me off”. The arsonist claimed that KyoAni copied his novel, and that “they’re always stealing, so it’s their own fault”.

The man is from Saitama. He’s 41 and has never had any involvement with KyoAni prior to this attack. All he did was send a novel manuscript to the studio’s publisher, but the manuscript was forgotten due to not passing the first selection stages.

He's confirmed to have severe mental issues. The police was called to his house several times earlier this year due to loud music and banging on walls. He reportedly also grabbed a neighbor by the hair once and threatened to kill him for his complaints.

This was not his first crime. He’s served 3.5 years in prison for robbing a convenience store in 2012.

The police is waiting for him to recover from the serious burns so that they can interrogate him. For now, he can only nod and shake his head.

The studio was mostly made of wood and had no fire hydrants or sprinkles, so the destruction was extreme. The president of the company reported that all of their computers, documents and equipment were lost in the fire. However, the server survived the fire and everything in it was successfully restored. Anything not saved in it was lost, though.

The names of all victims have already been released by the police, except the latest one, who passed away in the hospital due to septic shock after the list of names had been made public.

According to ANN, this has been the second worst mass murder in Japan’s post-World War II history.

I’m baffled. Honestly never saw that shit coming. I’m just praying that the guy behind this will be punished.

Also, Sentai Films has created a donation page for KyoAni. They’re already way past their goal and I think that’s amazing. But surely they might need even more than that, since the damage was enormous. Let’s keep this going for as long as we can, guys. And aside from this campaign, several other ways to offer assistance to KyoAni can be found here.

Help KyoAni Heal!

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

Once again, I’ve done that thing where I get progressively more annoyed the more I think about a scene in a comic book (yes, this blog really deals with the important, hard-hitting issues), and that’s how I now feel about this scene.

Under a cut, because I have too many thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Pyro is getting some small taste of character development, and maybe the beginnings of a redemption arc.  I’m all for that!  I appreciate this line being in there.  But it’s clunky dialogue for both Iceman and Pyro, and for Pyro, especially, it comes out of nowhere.  Bobby has at least had some build in in earlier issues showing that he’s starting to become more vicious, especially the scene in Savage Avengers (during King in Black) and his revenge-for-Kate maiming of the soldier.

There has been no indication up until now that Pyro has any kind of regret over his past actions (at least not in Marauders, although he did show back regret when he was dying of Legacy), or that he’s starting to learn some kind of “better way” from the X-Men.  There have been no little suggestions of Pyro starting to embrace the Marauders’ mission, or to start to realize that you don’t have to kill people to win.  (He does say that in the Storm-centered issue, while relating a flashback of something that we didn’t actually see happen in the books originally). Pyro has just been bopping along with the group, merrily burning things and getting into fights and drinking, and he suddenly announces that he’s been rethinking his old ways.  It’s actually kind of odd that Marauders is the group that leads Pyro down this path, because they are generally more vicious than X-Men usually are – you’ve got Lockheed maiming people, and Kate solidifying a rifle through two soldier’s legs.  In fact, given the maimed soldiers coming after them as new Reavers, and Verendi continuing to cause trouble, I’d expect Pyro to be arguing that mercy doesn’t actually work – their enemies keep coming back strong than ever.  

So I don’t know where Pyro’s change of heart is actually coming from?  It’s like this character development has been happening in the background, and Duggan suddenly gave us a little glimpse of it, rather than actually showing the readers what’s been happening the entire time.  Like I half expect Pyro to also suddenly announced that he, Iceman and Bishop are now in a three-way poly relationship, and also they all helped Shinobi deal with his father issues while beating up Fenris, so that’s why Shinobi is so friendly and cooperative with the group.  You didn’t actually get to see it happen on panel, but trust me, it happened!      

And the idea of Pyro and Iceman on opposite character arcs, with Bobby becoming more aggressive and no longer holding back, while St. John learns restraint, is potentially very interesting!  But we’ve barely seen any of this in action.  As I’ve said before, Pyro’s supposed role as the loose cannon of the group is mostly an informed trait, he hasn’t really been shown getting out of control or crossing the line.  It would have been interesting to contrast Bobby and Pyro’s different fighting styles, to show how they are rubbing off on each other (yes, innuendo intended).  

Actually, I have a whole list of little ways that Duggan could have seeded Pyro’s “redemption arc” far in advance, so that he doesn’t just awkwardly blurt out things like “I think this group is bringing out the best in me.”:

-        Pyro actually getting out of control in battle and having to be reined in, not just being frequently reminded of the “no kill” rule.  Obviously he couldn’t step too far out of the line without being kicked off the team, but something like Pyro starting to indiscriminantly torch a building, only for Emma to stop him because she senses that there are civilians hiding inside.  Then Emma can mentally yell at him for being careless.  Pyro maybe reflects and feels a little bad, because he will happily kill the hell out of soldiers, but he doesn’t want to accidentally kill bystanders.

-        Storm (or even Callisto) having a “talk” with Pyro about restraint, and how he can work more effectively in battle by using his fire to carefully target enemies rather than just flame-throwing all over the place (although sometimes his “shock and awe” method works, too).

-        Someone like Emma or Bishop actually talking to Pyro about his tendency to jump straight to “kill” when he’s angry.  When Pyro wants to kill Yellowjacket and burn the Verendi kids, he just comically dismissed by both Magneto and Emma.  It would have been interesting to have someone actually talk to him about it.  I’m not looking for a therapy session, but something like Bishop pointing out that leaving Yellowjacket alive to “escape” will be more effective in the long run, etc. etc.  Instead Emma just leaves Pyro standing there, just to reiterate how unimportant he is in this book.      

-        More contrast between Bobby and Pyro’s fighting styles, especially near the start of the book, with Pyro obviously more vicious and aggressive, while Bobby is holding back.  Maybe have let the boys talk about the use of violence, and whether it is justified.  This doesn’t have to take up much room, it could be like one page of after-battle discussion, or even little comments during battle.  Then we could also see their styles gradually change as they come to like and respect each other.

-        Pyro actually having to face some of the horrifically burned victims that he has maimed (or family members of those that he has killed).  I know the Reaver confronting Bobby was part of Duggan’s “Bobby is turning into a badass” arc, but I think it would have been meaningful to have one of the Reavers be a soldier that Pyro has burned.  (In fact, none of the Reavers seemed to be soldiers that Pyro, specifically, had injured, which is odd given his status as the supposed “violent loose cannon” of the group.)  Duggan could have actually done both, and contrasted Bobby and Pyro’s reactions. Bobby is defiant at maiming a soldier that he thinks had a hand in killing Kate.  Pyro is confronted by a soldier that he burned (maybe while the soldier was even trying to surrender or run away), and reflects that he may have gone too far.  

-        Pyro giving some indication that he is starting to care about the Marauders’ mission beyond just a job, and a fun excuse to drink and fight.  You’d think Pyro might have some warm fuzzy feelings about delivering medicine to people, given his slow, painful death from illness.  And maybe feeling empathy for sick humans would show Pyro that he can feel some greater empathy for humans in general.  We do see Pyro put a comforting arm around Proteus when the Moira McTaggert hospital is unveiled in Madripoor, so I’ll give Duggan that (even if that gesture also feels like it came out of nowhere).  

-        Pyro receiving praise from people that he has rescued, and basking in the attention.  Pyro has in the past been written as a show-boating attention hog (and Duggan even reflects that in his “funny” fantasy of Pyro being greeted by an adoring crowd on Krakoa, not that I think Duggan actually put the research in).  During his Freedom Force days, Pyro seemed to get into the idea of being a “hero,” and is very cocky and cheerful when saving Longshot and some kids from a dinosaur.  I think Pyro likes being perceived as a hero, and getting attention, even if he isn’t really a very heroic person.  So show Pyro getting thanked by a mutant child or a little old lady that he’s saved.  Show Pyro feeling touched and gratified by that, since he spent so long as a bad guy.

-        Pyro talking about saving Senator Kelly.  Does he regret it?  Does he stand by his actions?  Is he completely disillusioned by Kelly’s death shortly afterwards?  Or is he happy that he at least managed to change Kelly’s mind.  Pyro probably wouldn’t bring it up himself, but I’m surprised that no X-Men have said anything to him about it.  

-        Pyro talking to his old Brotherhood pals about his experience on the Marauder, maybe showing how his way of thinking is changing, arguing that the X-Men aren’t so bad, and that their “non-violence” can actually get things done.

This sounds like a lot, but even a few little moments or bits of dialogue could have gotten slipped into fight scenes to build up to Pyro’s changing attitude, rather than just have him announce it out of nowhere.  

Of course, the series isn’t finished.  Duggan might have some really interesting development planned for Pyro in future issues!  But I hope that if he does, it’s actually seeded early on and develops organically, rather than coming out of nowhere.  21 issues in, I’m not optimistic.  The sad thing is, I like some of the “funny” things that Duggan has done with Pyro. ��I like him gambling with Bishop, Shinobi and Bobby at the Gala.  I like his bet with Storm.  I even like him biting Batroc.  I just wish he would treat the character as something other than an afterthought, and I wish we saw more of Bobby and Pyro’s newfound friendship and development, because it could be genuinely interesting if they actually got some proper time in the spotlight!

In conclusion, I should change my URL to @constantlysaltyaboutmarauders, because that’s all I talk about these days.

[cameroncreative]

Lost But Not Forgotten

Cross Posted on my Ao3 if you want to read it there instead!

Title: Lost But Not Forgotten

Word Count: 2658 words

Summary: What if Eri got hit with the quirk erasing bullets?

Izuku quickly rushed the little girl in his arms to the closest ambulance. He gently laid her on the gurney. “Thank you, sir. We can take it from here.” They went to remove him from the ambulance but failed.

“I’m not leaving her. She is at a high risk of being targeted again, and I need to get to the hospital as well. It would be logical to let me ride with you and solve both of those issues at once.” He made sure to a level head and give a logical explanation to stay with Eri.

“Okay sir, but we don’t have another gurney for you.” She told him as a last-ditch effort to get him to leave and seek help himself.

“That’s fine. Please focus on Eri, I’ve dealt with worse. I just need some gauze to help stop the bleeding, and I’ll be fine until we get to the hospital.” Izuku sat in the corner of the ambulance to make sure he stayed out of the way as they helped patch up Eri.

----

Izuku uses little bursts of One For All to avoid the spikes shooting out of the ground. Eri clung to his back like a koala, as well as secured with Mirio’s cape. Her quirk rewinding the injuries just as fast as they happened.

Looking around she noticed one of the men start to sit up. He looked around and spotted the gun from earlier. Izuku landed the finishing punch to overhaul, as the other guy loaded the gun with the other red bullet. Izuku untied the cape from around her and placed her on the ground to check for any injuries. He still had his back to the man and hadn’t noticed that he had woken up.

Eri saw him go to pull the trigger and tried to move her hero out of the way. To try and save the person who was able to save her. She heard Izuku scream before she felt the sharp burn in her arm where the bright red bullet embedded its self.

Mirio quickly knocked out Nemoto and place cuffs on him, but the damage was already done. Eraserhead did the same to Overhaul. Izuku picked up Eri into his arms and ran to the ambulances. If tiny sparks of green lighting buzzed around his legs, no one noticed.

----

As soon as they got to the hospital they rushed Eri off to remove the bullet and heal any injures that needed healing quirks to fix. One of them directed Izuku to a nurse who helped patch up his remaining injuries. He had cuts and hairline fractures in both of his legs. Recovery girl was on her way and would be able to fix him up quickly as long as he laid there and didn’t aggravate or worsen his injures before she arrived.

Every time a nurse or doctor came in he asked about Eri.

How is she?

Was the surgery successful?

Can I see her?

Did she make it?

None of them had any answers for him. Finally, Aizawa showed up. Eri was to be put in his care after she recovered since he could help control her quirk, but something he said made Aizawa stop before leaving, “But she doesn’t have her quirk right now?”

“What?”

“She got hit by one of the red bullets. The ones they said permanently erases someone’s quirk. The only thing is that we know the bullets were made with her blood and quirk, so I’m not sure how she’ll react to it. Maybe-”

“Why wasn’t I informed of this before now?”

“Well, I wanted to make sure she didn’t lose too much blood. Especially since Kai and yakuza were already taking her blood to make the bullets. So I quickly got her to an ambulance. I’m sorry I didn’t inform anyone, but I’m not sorry about trying to save her.” Aizawa sighed.

“You did the right thing, Problem child. Recovery Girl arrived and she's helping some of the more critical patients, as well as Eri. Don’t move until she gets here. If I learn anything before then I’ll let you know.” Aizawa left to wherever Eri was, as Izuku laid back into the bed. Even as the adrenaline wore off his thoughts never slowed.

Is she okay?

Did she lose her quirk?

Will the bullet affect her differently since it was made from her blood?

Why did she try and save me, when I was supposed to be the one saving her?

Will I ever get to see her again?

----

Thankfully everything worked out. Eri did lose her quirk, but there doesn’t seem to have any other backlash from the bullet except a small starburst shaped on her arm. She was really happy when she learned that she was able to match her hero with their scars.

Aizawa and Yamada sill adopted her. Hitoshi and her are adorable playing with the cats. Plus, Aizawa emotionally adopted Izuku as well as being Hitoshi’s boyfriend. Izuku and Eri have become unofficial siblings.

Recently though, Eri’s been really tired and even passed out once while they were playing. They brought her to a good friend of Recovery Girls’s whose quirk is that she’s able to touch a person and see their entire medical history from surgeries to the paper cut you got at eight years old.

Eri’s body had been using her quirk to undo the damage Overhaul did when she was with him. Someone can only be taken apart and put back together so many times. Now that she doesn’t have her quirk her body is failing. “Is there any way to reverse it?” Izuku asked at the same time Aizawa asked, “How much longer does she have?”

“Aizawa! You can’t, no no no. There has to be a way to fix this!” Izuku plead. The doctor looked at him sadly.

“The damage isn’t something even Recovery Girl’s quirk can heal. Image having a scar that was heal and reopened constantly. Her quirk was able to go back before the scar was even there and remove it. But we can’t heal the scar once it’s healed. Based on how fast this happened and how long she was in his care, she probably has about one to two months left. Even then she will probably be in excruciating pain if she lived longer than that.” Izuku just sat down and held Eri who had fallen asleep earlier and cried.

One to two months.

Excruciating pain.

Can’t be healed.

‘I can’t lose her. She just started to warm up to us. I was supposed to save her! I’ll do my best to protect you. Make every day the best you’ve ever had. I promise. We’re lucky the league of villains already killed Overhaul or we might have had a repeat of the stain incident.’

The next month and a half passed way quicker than anyone wanted.

Picnics in the park.

Ice cream after school.

Movie nights with all of them cuddled together.

Makeover night with class 1A.

The spring festavatle.

Eri smiling.

More doctor visits.

Nightmares and screams.

Pain…

----

They woke up to the loud screams coming from Eri’s room. They all rushed to see what happened. Izuku reached her first and quickly woke her up from the nightmare. As soon as she was awake she grabbed onto Izuku like her world depended on it. Aizawa, Yamada, and Hitoshi were quick to join the hug.

Aizawa started to hum her favorite lullaby to help her get back to sleep as Izuku gently rocked her in his arms. As the song came to a close, the hiccupping sobs had stopped and her breathing slowed. The rest of them took and breath and relaxed. Crisis averted.

Izuku looked back to the sister he promised to protect. She looked so peaceful, almost too peaceful. She wasn’t moving. He quickly moved his hand under her nose to check if she was breathing.

Nothing.

He jumped up with her in his arms. And placed her on the floor. “Get Recovery Girl! She stopped breathing!” He faintly heard Hitoshi yell at Aizawa, but couldn’t focus on what they were saying as he made sure her airway was open and started chest compressions.

1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . 11 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . . 14 . . . 15 . . . 16 . . . 17 . . . 18 . . . 19 . . . 20 . . . 21 . . . 22 . . . 23 . . . 24 . . . 25 . . . 26 . . . 27 . . . 2- he felt himself be pulled away from Eri as recovery Girl quickly attached the patches of the AED on her body and yelled “Clear!” as they charged up and shocked her lifless body, but ti was no use.

It was too late, She was gone and they could all feel it. Even though Recovery Girl whispered it after the second shock, it was heard loud and clear in the room.

Time of Death, 2:33 am

You could hear the tump of a body hitting the ground as Izuku fell to the ground by Hitoshi’s feet. Hitoshi sat down next to him and held him as they both cried over the loss of their sister.

Even though Aizawa and Yamada, and even Hitoshi a bit, had accepted that she didn’t have that much longer with them, Izuku still was trying to find a way to heal her. Izuku took her death the hardestest. He still wanted to believe that he could save her. He couldn’t accept that this was the end for her.

All Might showed up and help Recovery Girl bring Eri’s body to the infirmary until she could be buried. The rest of the Erasermic family ended up in the living room. Crying and holding each other until they passed out from exhaustion.

The next day they were nowhere to be found. Midnight and Nezu took over their classes. No one but All might, Recovery Girl, and Nezu knew what happened last night. The remaining members of the Erasermic family ended up at the Midoriya house in the morning for some much-needed food and comfort.

----

Inko was sitting on the crunch reading a book when she heard a knock at the door.

Did Mitsuki decide to come over?

Did Izuku need something?

Is Izuku okay?

She opened to door only to see a green blur capture her in a hug. She panicked until she notices the familiar dark green bird’s nest buried in her shoulder. Looking back to the open door she noticed the other three standing there as well. “Shota, Hizashi, Hitoshi, please come in.” Her son hesitantly let go and was immediately latched onto Hitoshi’s side. Even when Izuku was young he was always comforted by physical touch. This was made worse as he started school, and the bullying started. He distanced himself from her so she wouldn’t worry about the cuts and burns that started to litter his body.

Of course, she noticed, but she hoped he would come to her about it. Instead, he became touch starved and now craves physical effect, but only trusts certain people to touch him. Hitoshi lifted his boyfriend up and carried him to his room. As soon as he laid Izuku on the bed and cuddled close to him, Inko laid the weighted blanket over them.

Five minutes later Izuku stood up and came back with a white and red unicorn plush. He placed it between them when Hitoshi realized that it was Eri’s weighted and scented plush that she left here. The smell of candy apples started to fill the room as Izuku grabbed his hand placed it over the unicorn. He quickly caught on to what Izuku wanted and intertwined his hand with Izuku’s and rested it on the plush like they used to do when they cuddled with Eri on nights her nightmares got really bad.

“Would you two like some tea or coffee?” Inko asked the two gentlemen cuddled on the couch as she walked back into the living room. Yamada spoke up.

“Just a black coffee for Sho, and earl grey tea for me, thank you.”

Inko placed the kettle on the stove. Both men joined her in the kitchen. “So I noticed Izuku is extra cuddly today. Did something happen to him? Is that why you’re here?” She made sure to be blunt and straight to the point like she knew Aizawa preferred.

“Early this morning Eri passed.” Inko dropped the teaspoon she was holding for the tea. “Izuku’s not taking it too well.” Inko went over and engulfed both men in a hug. The tree of them had gotten closer. Aizawa had emotionally adopted Izuku, Inko emotionally adopted Hitoshi and Eri.

“H-how, how-” She took a breath before continuing, “How did she pass?” she asked gently.

“We went to comfort her after a nightmare. As she fell back to sleep her breathing stopped. We got Recovery Girl as Izuku started CPR, but it was too late.” Hizashi informed her.

She reached up and kissed both men on their cheeks as she pulled them into another hug. All of them we also touch starved and needed each other.

~~~~

Even once they returned to class, Izuku wasn’t the same. Katsuki has started dropping off a bento box where Izuku and Hitoshi ate after noticing Izuku didn’t want to be in the cafeteria but also didn’t bring lunch usually. Eventually, he started sitting with them at lunch. The three of them became closer. Hitoshi learned of their past, and if he made Katsuki do the macarena around the gym during their next class train session, well that’s totally unrelated.

One day they were studying in Izuku’s room when Izuku began to look for his textbook when he found a piece of candy apple red fabric. He had never given it back to Mirio after the raid since it helped Eri calm down after panic attacks and nightmares.

“-uku, Izuku, DEKU!” HE looked up at his boyfriend’s worried face.

“Zuku, you’re crying. What ha- Is that Miro’s cape?” he nodded slowly as more tears fell onto the fabric.

“I couldn’t save her! I promised I would save her!” He leaned into his chest, the fabric falling in favor of hugging him.

“This isn’t your fault. No one blames you, Zuzu. You rescued her from Overhaul. You are her hero.”

“I rescued her, but he still won! I couldn’t stop her pain. I should have never taken my eyes off of them. I could have stopped the bullet from ever hitting her. She would have still had her quirk. She could have healed. She would have survived!”

“Why are you even still with me Hitoshi? If I had done better your sister would still be here. Kacchan, you as well. You probably think I’m pathetic for not being able to save a single kid. I just don’t get it!” Izuku tried to pull away from them, but they just held him closer.

“Zuku, Izuku look at me.” He raised his head slowly. “First off, she was just as much your sister as mine. Second, you’re the reason I got a little sister in the first place. You did you’re very best, and it’s not your fault. The only people I blame are Overhaul and the rest of the Yakuza who sat back and let him do this. You did something about it. You got her out of that situation. I’m still here because of all of that and more. You are so amazing and you don’t even realize it.” He softly kissed Izuku’s head.

“I know I don’t have the greatest track record for sticking by you-” Hitoshi snorted, “Fine! I’m shit at it, okay! I know, but I’m not going anywhere. We’ll be the wonder duo again, plus this purple emo tagging along, hahaha. But seriously, we’re not going anywhere.”

The next day the three boys didn’t show up to class. When Aizawa went looking for them, he found them cuddled together on the floor. Mirio’s cape is on the ground next to them.

[cakeandpi]

Parker!! spoilers abound

hm, so Harry (aka Lawyer) has been fired/let go and no one gave him the memo on it. Is his old job/boss going to be this episodes mark?

oof, Harry is bad at being subtle with his ‘okay look in [place]’ comm directions

ah okay so isn’t a legal firm that’s about representing their clients to the best of their ability. it’s a firm whose about smoothing bad things over for rich clients so that there’s little to no consequences.

“I remember when you wanted to change the world.”/“World did change. We just went along for the ride.” So the world changed the boss, the boss gave up on changing the world because he saw a way to profit from it and didn’t care that he hurt others along the way.

The way that car drove up onto the curve, I thought that was Sophie in a big hurry at first. (I would have thought Parker but there wasn’t enough time for her to crack the safe, get to the relevant files, get out, and then drive there.) But no, it’s Maxwell’s thugs because the man holds a grudge apparently. So I’m going to guess he’s going to be the season big bad? Or is he just a 2-episode bad guy and we’ll find out who the real big bad is later?

Hardison: listing various problems on various international efforts he’s helping with Eliot: let’s make this a restaurant metaphor Hardison: *very much regretting ever buying Eliot that brewpub*

Nuts and bolts about bad guy details

Also that bit about Hardison being distracted by problems is definitely a distraction, there’s no way he’d pause on making sure their safehouse was secure

Eliot is not so much pissed as insulted that the world is at the point of advertising the corruption rather than him needing to beat it out of someone.

drone!!

*snort* eliot's usually the grouchy one, and he’s carrying a trashcan right now. there’s no way hardison doesn’t make some oscar the grouch joke once he sees that.

“It’s like you never stopped.”/“Yeah. Quite the act.” Sophie slows down at Hardison’s comment, then sighs and sits. She’s finding this tiring now. Is it because she’s out of practice? Or because after so many years of retirement, her hearts not in it anymore? And Hardison notices. He doesn’t say anything concrete immediately, because Sophie hasn’t really elaborated on what’s going on with her. When she does - it’s her grief, and how its affecting her grift now - there’s this concern in Hardison’s face. There’s absolutely going to be a meeting between the OT3 about how to straddle not straining Sophie too much and not babying her should she stay on for another job after this.

“But I can’t work forever, can I?” There’s a defeated tone to this, and it’s true - Sophie’s just human, one day she too will pass on. Her grief for Nate (and how being back with the team keeps reopening that wound) is coloring her view on this for sure. (Did Nate work himself to death?) It’s also, very distantly, a remark on the OT3 - they too can’t work forever. They were Sophie’s and Nate’s proteges. And it’s not that the OT3 doesn’t have anything in place if they go down - they’ve got small teams running all over the world. But they don’t have their own personal proteges. Harry’s a decent start, but they’ll need to recruit and open up their circle to at least one, maybe two more before they’re ready to retire. Before they, too, burn too hot for too long.

“You hear that? That’s a very distinctive sound.” YES

Another Basil & Brick truck! This one has.... empanadas, ropa vieja, sancocho, and I think the last one is yuca frita. Mm, yuca fries.

BREANNA!!!

Parker! Taught Breanna to tail people! (Hardison in particular?) When she was 11! Wait does that mean Parker’s met Nana?! Also Parker is so smug and satisfied that Breanna paid attention to her lessons.

“I teach every kid I meet how to do crime.” <3 be gay do crime

This is a big ‘I’m telling mom!’ argument and I love it, especially the “I think she’s napping” LMAO

“How you saved Eliot’s life all those times” Oh man Hardison is sleeping on the metaphorical couch tonight. But also I need to come back to this later because honestly and really? Hardison has - as part of a group team effort - saved Eliot’s life from himself. By giving him a way to work through his anger issues, by caring for him, by showing Eliot he’s needed and that he’s more than just a hitter. The team saved Eliot’s life. (And there’s probably a bunch of erasing digital trails/etc where Hardison did more directly save Eliot’s life but that's besides the point.)

“But hacking’s kind of old school anyway.” And as she goes on, Eliot goes from aggrieved to ‘oh, a new best friend’ because now he has someone to help him annoy Hardison.

Parker pulls Hardison into a side room (by his ear, but he’s not protesting in pain so that’s got to be just for show). And then pushes him up against the wall and Hardison is like ‘okay whatever lecture is coming can it not be like this?’ If it weren’t for the glass walls that’d be some makeout stuff right here.

LOL at Parker’s standard for a ‘normal’ person being ‘uses Uber, pays taxes, and has a birth certificate’.

“Wait is this like that time in Paris?” I... don’t remember an episode set in Paris with a robot and explosions so this must be during the time skip. And - “... but you didn’t want to hurt Eliot’s feelings so you secretly wanted us to agree.” I’m going to scream if there’s no confirmed ot3 by the end of the season. And cry. And read a whole bunch of fic.

Look at these two being honest with each and communicating and respecting each others opinions, they’ve grown so much from pretzel metaphors.

“You’re not mad. You did the Picard tug.”/“I am mad.“/“Did the tug. You know I like that.” Parker might be mad (at Hardison? Breanna? Both?) but not so much that she’s completely shutting out Hardison, giving him a nonverbal signal that she’s not pissed, just needs some time to be upset before everything’s okay.

“One. Job.” Parker says. And we the viewers know it’ll be more than one. But really what that means by now is that this is an audition. Parker may have taught Breanna some things, but now Breanna has to show that they do better with her rather than without, that she’s an asset and not a liability or dead weight.

I laughed so hard that because this shit’s illegal, there’s no cutting corners on the paperwork.

“And you didn’t get tortured.”/“Not this time.” I can’t tell if Eliot wants Harry to get a little bit tortured or if he’s just reminding Harry that this time around people were in a good mood and showing off.

Breanna stops herself before suggesting something, and Hardison, for all that he isn’t delighted at her presence and protested her being here, encourages her to speak up. If she’s going to be part of the team, even for one job, she’s part of the team and that means speaking up and throwing ideas out there for others to bounce around, even if it winds up being a football that can’t be dribbled.

OT3 TEAM JUST GOT DUBBED ‘DRILL TEAM’. (why is that also somehow a dirty joke i’m dying here)

Oh one of the baddies is a Com4r4t fan... oh wait no this is the beginning of a plan backfiring.

Aww Breanna is so proud of what she’s done! It’s very much like season 1 Hardison. So Sophie and Hardison go to do their own thing, only that means the baddies are here to talk to Breanna and she doesn’t have backup.

THE 'LET ME GET MY BOSS’ THE SPIN AROUND AND THE ‘WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING MY STAFF’ I LOVE BREANNA.

“I’m your neighbor who runs a business built on discretion.” This is going to go very badly depending on how Breanna plays this. At least she gets the earbud in to call for help!

Another Brick&Basil truck! Etoufee and jambalaya, dammit eliot stop choosing delicious food to advertise. 

“I monkey-shamed the DJ” I. Love. Her. Also Sophie’s already read Breanna as having the skills to just need general guidelines for an impromptu grift rather than needing to be fed specific lines.

“Okay here’s the thing.” And there’s a pause, we’re thinking he’s about to come down real hard on Breanna, and then we get “I love Com4r4t.” he is a fanboy I guessed it right!! And then he does go through with the threat, but not as a ‘cancel it or die’ sort of threat, but a ‘if i’m disappointed you die’ way.

Breanna nails the impromptu grift though she’s understandably a bit shaken by the threat at the end. (What newcomer wouldn’t be?) But the threat is what pushes Parker into deciding Breanna should go home ASAP. This is Hardison’s family, from before the team, and Parker isn’t about to risk messing that up. If she pushes for Breanna to stay when Hardison doesn’t want Breanna to, and something goes wrong? Parker would never, ever forgive herself.

But as Sophie has pointed out, they’ve all been out of their depth at one point or another. That doesn’t mean that someone should be sent packing.

Lmao Eliot being possessive of the drill.

“Then you ain’t got no more problems ever again.” There’s a certain sense of morbid humor with the team, one that’s both necessary but also a reality. They deal with this level of danger on a semi-regular basis. Harry just hasn’t caught up to that fact yet.

I have a feeling this particular baddie is going to end up dead for managing to drive a 40% cut.

“I’m just saying dude.” I love that Eliot and Hardison don’t have to rehash their entire arguments anymore unless they’re really enjoying themselves, that they can just be all ‘you know I’ve said my piece’.

“Don’t get distracted by the side gig.”/“Is it a side gig?” For all that the team has been their main focus for so long, for all that they all have side projects and gigs, this has been eating up more and more of Hardison’s time. What I thought was him pretending to be distracted earlier may have been a real distraction. And Eliot’s noticed, and he’s noticed that Hardison hasn’t noticed, that Hardison needs to make a choice here.

“In our line of work, you’re one of the best. But in that line of work you’re the only one, man.” Eliot has a soft smile at the end of that, and it's a bit painful, even as I saw it coming, to hear Eliot suggest that Hardison begin to step away from the team’s day to day.

“It’s okay to grow up, to realize you’re not the person you used to be.” None of them are the person they used to be. Not Sophie, not Parker, not Hardison, and certainly not Eliot. They can see that in each other if not in themselves. (Eliot, being the most grounded of all of them, already knew he’d changed eight years ago.)

“You never grew up.”/“Yeah. I achieved perfection pretty early, huh?” Even as Eliot’s the most grounded, even though he’s the one saying that there’s no one else that could fill Hardison’s role in that other work, the idea that Hardison might actually choose to step away from the team is too raw to handle without turning to humor.

Harry’s a bit jumpy, but he’s learning to play it off. I like that he’s a very different character from Nate, that it’s not his anger or ego driving him so much as a desire to make restitution.

And a “Dammit Hardison”

Ooh, Eliot’s in the vents too, just in time to help Parker. (She doubtless has her beloved taser but that would take time away from getting into the vault.)

“I smell lasers” Ahahahahaha

“You’re going to compare me to Eliot right now?” (’over the comms, where others who aren’t Eliot can hear?’ Hardison did not say out loud.)

ouch, okay, Hardison hurting his back like that might be what actually makes him choose the other gig over the team, or at what makes him take a little vacation so he can heal from that. (back injuries are nothing to play around with!)

how did Maxwell get past Eliot? but it’s all good, Eliot’s right behind to disarm him. And Parker’s been doing her hitting lessons, she didn’t even need a taser or to stab anyone!

Oh Harry, the bomb will be used, it’s just not time yet.

New Orleans gumbo is its own food group.

Okay so Hardison’s done a lot of work getting this place in order... WAIT IS THAT A PUNCHING BAG? That’s a punching bag! It might not be the love-letter the brewpub was but it’s definitely a thing added specifically for Eliot.

Oh no, Eliot might realize what Hardison’s doing with this, but Parker hasn’t caught up yet that Hardison’s going to be taking a break from the team.

Parker’s blindsided by this, and she’s upset, but she’s not mad because why didn’t she see this coming she should have seen it, so she leaves to deal with her emotions alone. Hardison follows, naturally, she knew he would, but she can’t face him because then he’ll see her crying, and Parker doesn’t do emotions easily. She’s torn between wanting him to help people and wanting to be with him (and she can’t go with him, she needs to be helping people too).

And Parker doesn’t want Breanna there without Hardison. Again because it’d put Hardison’s family in danger and that’s a step too far for Parker if Hardison doesn’t okay it. And also because with Hardison leaving, Breanna’s just going to be reminders of what Parker’s missing. And Breanna doesn’t have Hardison’s skillset, can’t fill his shoes - not that she should but she can’t, and Parker, I think, is already mentally preparing herself to go it alone again. Because if this job needs Hardison so bad, then surely Eliot’s got some project that needs his specific attention, and it was just one job for Breanna, and Sophie’s been adamant that this is one last job for her, and Harry’s still new and will probably decide to do his own thing given time to think... I think that’s where her brain is at, at least for the next thirty seconds, before she catches up with herself and realizes that more like the time she busted her leg than the team dissolving around her. (This kind of went weird places but that’s stream of thought for me)

And as they come back in Parker’s already cheering up some, because that wave of despair has already blown over. Yeah, she’s not a parent, but she’s good at teaching when she tries.

“It could be a reunion tour.”/“No. I’m retired.” It’s very different from Nate’s old protestations. He was not a thief. Whereas with Sophie it’s not ready. And while they all point out that she’s been happier while doing cons, that they could use the help, it’s not forceful or overpowering. It’s still Sophie’s decision. They’re not going to make her house their new base and taunt her with it; they’re not the sort of people who’d do that anymore, and anyway that’d be cruel instead of a fun sort of goading.

And because they give Sophie space to make a decision, while she doesn’t want to make a long-term commitment, she’s willing to take on ‘just a few more’.

[set-phasers-to-whump]

imprisonment

prompt: imprisonment

whumpee: kurt wallander

fandom: young wallander

surprise!!! i was gonna write this fic with a different premise and a different fandom but i wasn’t feeling it and then inspiration struck lmao. hi to my friends that like yw and i hope you enjoy!!!

Kurt technically should not have been there, for a multitude of reasons. He was there for his latest investigation, without his supervisors’ permission. Or even their knowledge. He’d also promised Reza earlier in the day that he wasn’t going to do anything stupid. And he was supposed to be going out with Mona later that night. So he really shouldn’t have been doing this.

But he’d had a feeling, back when this place had first come across their radar. A run-down (though still operational) meat packing facility, way on the outskirts of the city, owned by a known associate of their main suspect. It was the perfect place for him to conduct his rather disturbing business of killing people and freezing them until he had evidently decided what he was to do with them. (In the case of his first murder, it’d been dropping the body from the roof of an apartment building, and in the case of the second, setting the body up in a bus stop, as though it were a live person waiting to get to work. In other words, this shit was creepy as all hell (the general consensus of Kurt and his colleagues)).

He stepped through the main door, wincing as it squeaked. He really hoped that no one was there to hear it. He moved further into the building, shining a flashlight in sweeping arcs across the unmoving conveyor belts and various deadly-looking pieces of machinery. He was looking for...something. He felt that he would know it when he saw it. He continued through the room until he came to a closed metal door with a frosted-over window that was cool to the touch. 

This was it, he was sure. Something. He paused for a moment with his hand on the handle, wondering whether he should call someone and let them know what he thought he’d found. Then again, he was here on a hunch only. If he turned out to be wrong, he’d be in serious trouble. Better to wait and see…

He opened the door, which made a rather ominous creaking noise. A pass of his flashlight through the small room confirmed that his hunch had been correct: lying in the far corner of the freezer were two lumps, human-sized and covered in blankets. Kurt grimaced. Honestly, he’d rather have been wrong. 

But he’d been right, and now it was his responsibility to get people in here to deal with this. He pulled out his phone, adjusting his grip on the flashlight, and stopped. The light had illuminated something in the other corner: a large box, with what appeared to be a bloodstain on the bottom. 

Something in him told him not to go see what was in that box, but something else insisted that he go have a look, so Kurt stepped into the freezer, pulling his jacket tighter around him. Just being inside, with less than a meter between himself and the door, was enough to make him shiver. He walked over to the box and shined his flashlight inside, thoroughly prepared to flinch back in disgust. 

But instead of something horrible, like body parts, there was...a case of beef. Kurt shrugged to himself. This was still a meat-packing facility, he supposed, turning away from the box and towards the blanketed lumps opposite him. He now doubted whether they were really dead people at all, or simply more meat arranged into vaguely human shapes. He had to check that out before he called anyone. 

Kurt crossed the small room, shining his light on the lumps. There was no blood on the blankets, which he hoped was a good thing. 

He reached down hesitantly, drawing one blanket away from whatever it was protecting. 

Which was a dead guy. Pale as...well, death, his unseeing eyes covered in frost. Kurt let the edge of the blanket fall from his hands, stumbling backwards away from the body, nearly tripping over his own feet. He really wished he’d been wrong about this…

Shaking hands reached for his phone, and he quickly dialed Rask’s number. She’d be pissed, no doubt, but once she got over it...well, they had two more murders and a hell of a lot more evidence on their hands.

No service. Kurt sighed, his breath fogging up in the air in front of him, and headed back towards the door, which had at some point closed behind him. He grabbed the handle, wincing at the feeling of the freezing metal on his bare hand, and turned it, already redialing Rask. 

It didn’t move. The door didn’t move. It was locked. 

Kurt pulled at the handle harder. Nothing. He tried to push the door open instead. Nothing. He kicked it. Nothing. He was trapped. 

This can’t be happening, he thought. But it was. He was trapped in a freezer in a meat-packing facility that served as some kind of hide-out for a killer, with two dead bodies and no service and absolutely no one that knew where he was. 

I’m going to die in here, was his next thought. I’m going to freeze to death. Or else I’m not going to die and the killer is going to come here to get his bodies and find me too, and then I’ll die. 

He retried every single communication app on his phone, to no avail. The walls of his prison were too thick to let any kind of signal reach. He looked around for something he could use to break the door down, also to no avail, unless he wanted to try and use one of the dead people as a battering ram. He searched for any kind of interior controls that might warm the air or let him out. Surely other people had gotten stuck in here before. But there was nothing. He supposed those other people had gotten stuck during working hours, with their colleagues around because they hadn’t gone off on their own…

So that was that. There was no way out. 

And little point in telling himself not to panic.

He sunk down to the floor, taking no notice of its coldness seeping into his pants. He wrapped his arms around his body as tightly as he could, trying to keep himself somewhat warm. And then he panicked. His whole body shook with it, and with the cold, and the tears that fell down his face felt like they froze before they reached his chin. He was going to die in this fucking freezer, and it was all his fault...

Eventually, slowly, the panic wore off. Kurt raised his head up from his arms, which were folded across his knees, still shaking hard, and got to work trying whatever he could. If he couldn’t get out of here, maybe he could at least prevent himself from freezing to death.

First up was the flashlight. He thought that there might have been some way to start a fire with its batteries, but as he looked around he realized that there wasn’t anything to light on fire. Everything else in the freezer was, well, frozen, and his own clothes were damp and also the only things that would definitely keep him warm. A fire might burn out. Similarly, there was no sense in trying to smash his phone to light it on fire. Besides the issue of there being no flammable material with him, Kurt was pretty sure that if he ever got out of here, he’d need to call someone to get him. That left...nothing. Unless the dead people had something on them. 

Kurt sighed. He did not especially like the idea of rooting around in the dead peoples’ clothes in an attempt to keep himself alive. Then again, they were dead, and certainly not going to object. 

He pushed himself up off of the floor, taking a moment to force his shaking legs to cooperate, then walked back over to the bodies. The one he’d uncovered previously was dressed in a nice coat, and had a stick of gum and two receipts in his pockets, all frozen. The other body ended up being a woman, with a lovely-looking fuzzy hat on her head and a gold bracelet and two credit cards in her pockets. Again, everything on her was frozen. Kurt tried the hat out anyway. It was too small, and in any case made the top of his head much colder than the air alone. He covered the bodies back up with their crunchy blankets, which were yet again frozen and like ice against his skin. 

Kurt sank back to the ground in utter defeat. The dead people had been his last hope, and unless he wanted to wrap himself in freezing clothes, they had nothing to offer him, except for a rather twisted form of company. 

He was going to die. Well and truly. That settled, he grabbed his phone from where he’d set it on the floor, intent on writing out some final messages for the people he cared about. 

But his fingers were shaking too badly to even unlock his phone, let alone type on it. He let it slide back to the floor, then buried his face in his arms again and cried. He didn’t want to die here…

--

Minutes or hours or days passed. Kurt was too cold to get his phone and check the time. He was feeling less and less alert, and his body ached from the constant shivering, and he wished that he could fall asleep. But every time he closed his eyes, they would open back up again, like they were telling him not to give in. He wished they would stop trying. He was dying. No sense in thinking that anything was going to save him.

There was an ominous creaking noise in front of him. Kurt slowly raised his head, vision blurred from tears and cold, and saw that the door was open. He lunged for it, or rather tried to, but found himself quite incapable of moving. The door started to close, and he wanted to scream. It came out a quiet whimper. 

And then there was something touching him, something warm. He forced his freezing eyes to focus as best as they could. It was a person! He leaned into the warmth, unaware and uncaring of whether or not it was the killer, back for his bodies. 

Then, the warm thing went away, and then it returned, draping something onto him. He wondered what it was, and then he was moving, and something very warm was pressing up against the whole right side of his body, and he knew instinctively that he was safe now, that the person who had him was going to make sure he would be okay. He finally fell asleep. 

--

He woke up slowly. The first thing that he became aware of was the fact that he wasn’t cold. He wasn’t especially warm, either, but his body wasn’t shaking and he could feel his fingers and toes. There was something slightly scratchy covering him, and something cold pressed against his arm. He opened his eyes.

The hospital. He was getting tired of the hospital. He looked around, smiling at the lack of blurriness to the world. And then his eyes landed on three chairs that had been pulled up next to his bed. Empty. He wondered who had been there, and where they had gone. 

He didn’t need to wonder for long, though. A nurse came up to him, looking very pleased to see him awake, and told him that his friends had gone to get something to eat, and ought to be back fairly soon.

--

Half an hour later, Kurt had been sufficiently fussed over by Reza and Jasmine and Mona, all three of whom had been incredibly happy to see him. Jasmine and Mona had gone to get all of them some hot tea (Kurt had shivered, just once, but it had been enough to prompt them into action), and Reza was looking at him in that rare way that meant they were going to have a Conversation.

“Kurt-”

“I’m sorry.” Kurt interrupted Reza before he got the chance to speak. “I should have told someone where I was going. I thought-”

Now it was Reza’s turn to interrupt him. “Kurt, you almost died. Touching you was like touching a block of fucking ice.”

“You...you were there?”

“Who do you think found you? Mona called me worrying because you hadn’t shown up for your date, and she couldn’t reach you. Then I tried calling you. Then I tracked your phone and realized what stupid shit you were up to. I told Rask and she got some others, and we got there and I found you practically frozen solid.”

“Did you...see the bodies?”

“See the- yes, we saw the bodies.”

Kurt smiled. “Wasn’t for nothing,” he said, letting his eyes close. 

“Idiot,” Reza said, but Kurt could hear the fondness in his voice. “I guess there’s no point in asking you to promise me that you’re not going to do anything stupid again. Just call me next time, before you go and do it, okay? 

“I will. I promise.”

thanks so much for reading this!!!!!!!! i had so much fun writing it (i’ve always wanted to trap somebody in a freezer lmao). please tell me if you liked it and i will love you forever :)

[thanksjro]

Dark Cybertron Chapter 7: Simon Furman and His Lack of a Relationship with the Singular They

The Lost Light is still being attacked by Ammonites, like it has been for the last few issues. Hound’s taken over as acting field commander and is calling all the shots. Chromedome uses his stupid beefy arms to punch things. Trailcutter is screaming. Swerve’s got his My First Blaster™ strapped to the top of his alt, and saves Crosscut.

Crosscut is our toy tie-in character for this issue. He’s a senator, and drafts play scripts. Arguably one of the more interesting tie-in guys, at least in theory. In practice, all he’s doing is forgetting Swerve’s name, which isn’t going to help the guy with his through-the-floor self esteem.

Crosscut points out that Swerve’s communicator is flashing, and while he’s checking his voicemail, all the Ammonites seemingly vanish… at least, until the gang realizes that they’re instead heading for Metroplex.

Inside, it would appear that the Rod Pod Squad aren’t actually dead, though their ride is probably toast. Before everything went to hell, a wall slammed down from the ceiling, protecting everyone from being utterly destroyed. Skids has figured out what all the arrow graffiti is about, earning himself a BOMP from Getaway. Looks like the internal structure of Metroplex has been shifting, and that’s why they got the runaround last issue. Also, Whirl’s gone missing, but we don’t have time to worry about that, because Swerve just called back with some bad news: the admium flakes they saw earlier mean that Metroplex has an alchemical virus.

Don’t you look at me like that, I’m getting to the explanation.

Alchemical viruses turn the metal of the body into admium, a rare, incredibly soft metal that will break down very easily and also kill you. It’s pretty bad to have. Also, contagious. Fellas better get outta there, posthaste.

The Ammonites are also storming Metroplex, so that’s an additional issue. God, it just never stops, does it?

Over in the Dead Universe-

Is

Is that a fortress of evil in the shape of Nova Prime’s head?

Is that a goddamned fortress-

Anyway, the center of Nova Prime’s universe is Kup, who was the guy who got oh-so-dramatically revealed at the end of the last issue. Unfortunately, Orion Pax also considers Kup to be very near and dear to his heart, and the whole “being turned into a space bridge” thing is going to be an issue.

This is the weirdest love triangle I’ve ever seen.

How the hell did Kup even get here? Well, in order to know that, you’ve have to had read Infestation, the bullshit zombie crossover comic miniseries that ran in 2011.

But I’m not going to do that.

Because I don’t want to.

After a bit of showboating, Nova Prime orders Nightbeat to take Team -Imus to their cell.

Over on Cybertron, Shockwave is getting real sick of Galvatron’s shit, but Galvatron is too busy posing dramatically to notice. Waspinator, Metalhawk, and Dreadwing float in the air. I’m not sure what they’re up to, but I’m sure it’s important. Jhiaxus shows up with a gaggle of goons, one of which seems to have forgotten his face in the jar by the door.

Galvatron gets shamed for tearing Megatron in half, since that sort of broke the space bridge in his torso, but he’s too busy being classist to care. Waspinator floats in the background. What are you doing back there, pal?

Shockwave orders Waspinator to carry Megatron to his quarters, but Galvatron’s decided that he’s going to be an asshole about everything today, even when he’s being helpful.

…Okay, Boomer.

Waspinator still ends up hauling Megatron’s ass away, and Shockwave and Jhiaxus have a little chat.

Back in the dead universe, Team -Imus are in their cell, as Nightbeat double-checks the locks or some shit, I dunno. They’re gonna get their sparks ripped out later in the day, so that the space bridge Kup’s got running in his torso finally has enough juice to actually friggin’ work.

Then Rodimus flashes his mystery hand at Nightbeat and makes him fall down. In order for the whole brainwashing thing to work, Nightbeat’s true nature had to be suppressed; however, whenever Rodimus shows off his mystery hand, it makes his brain kickstart back on, messing up the brainwashing.

Well, you know what, Cyclonus? That’s not my fucking fault. Blame Roberts and Barber. I certainly do.

ORION PLEASE.

We finally get a look at what Rodimus’ hand mystery is, and if you read Eugenesis, you might know where this is going. It would seem Nightbeat has not- which is for the best, really, given what happens to him in it- but he’s still a pretty smart cookie and can suss it out through the power of deductive reasoning. Here’s what he’s working with:

After a moment’s deliberation, he asks Rodimus, who he knows to be the captain of a ship, how many folks are riding around in the space yacht. Rodimus tells him 190, and shows off that he’s got his lipgloss on, and it would seem that Nightbeat’s a free man again. He lets everyone out of the cell, and they gear up to go pick up Kup. Orion Pax is confused as to what the hell just happened here, and Rodimus promises to explain why he’s carved a division problem into his palm once they aren’t in immediate danger.

Back on Cybertron, Galvatron and Waspinator are dragging Megatron’s halves towards Shockwave’s quarters, when Bumblebee pops out of nowhere with a gun and a mouth full of swears. He’s here for Megatron, and he’s not taking “no” for an answer. Galvatron thinks that this is super fucking funny, and tosses Megatron like an empty soda can into the wall so he can squash a bug.

It looks pretty grim for ol’ Bumblebee, but suddenly Galvatron realizes he left the oven on that Megatron’s gone missing.

Oh, there he is!

Megatron blasts Galvatron in the torso, then- in a surprisingly polite manner, at least for him- tells Bumblebee to grab his legs so they can get out of here. As the two of them traverse the burned-out husk that is Cybertron, Megatron decides to be a complete bastard, as he smiles at the idea of Starscream suffering. Like, dude, I know he kept you in weird hamster ball jail and spouted soliloquies in your general direction every single day you were there, but folks are dying right now.

Speaking of Starscream, he’s having a moment, as he sits on his knees and stares at the sky in abject horror while the world burns around him. Scoop comes by to yell at him for being a harbinger of death, and generally being a less than stellar leader, and Starscream halfway calls himself a dumpster fire.

Back inside Metroplex, the Rod Pod Squad are fortifying their defenses against the Ammonites, even though they really need to be getting the hell out of there before they get turned into talcum powder through the power of alchemy. Whirl shows back up, the Ammonite hanger-on in his grasp, and we get the skinny on why the hell the Ammonites are involved with this whole debacle anyway.

The answer is Shockwave.

The answer is always Shockwave.

Then the little dude explodes. It’s fine, they do that sometimes.

Before he went kablooey, little dude uttered the phrase, “if the dead are not enough.” We’ll get to what all that’s about later. Right now there are far more important things going on.

LIKE MOTHERFUCKING LADY ROBOTS.

But why is this such a big deal? Why is it that non-male coded robots who aren’t Arcee haven’t been seen up until this point? What’s up with that, huh?

Well, in order to understand IDW’s complicated relationship with gender, we’re going to have to do some digging into the history of Transformers as a franchise.

We’re going to have to talk about Simon Furman.

We're going to have to talk about Prime's Rib.

And we’re going to have to talk about Spotlight: Arcee.

Simon Furman wrote a lot of Transformers. You cannot get away from Simon Furman, because the man is so ingrained in the franchise. He was there for Marvel UK, he was there for the back half of Marvel US, he wrote for several other publication runs of Transformers, he worked on the Earth Wars mobile game-

-and, of course, IDW publishing.

Because Furman is so very well established and known in the industry, he gets the benefit of not being questioned on a lot of the calls he makes.

Which is a problem, because the man is a massive misogynist.

In 1989, Marvel UK #234 came out, containing the story entitled “Prime’s Rib!” in which the Autobots built Arcee in order to appease a group of strawmen feminists. Of course, one female Transformer isn’t enough for them, and they yell at poor Optimus Prime for trying his best. This is the point where Hot Rod is used as a writer avatar to try to smooth things over with the reader, because you see, the Transformers don’t even know what sexual dimorphism and gender identity even is, so of course they wouldn’t have female members of their race! Jazz is used for a breast joke. Arcee acts like a massive, stereotypical bitch the whole time, despite not having been written like that at all in the other issues. It’s a bad comic with hideous ideology leaking out of it, and I'm halfway sorry I read it, so I’ll just give you the essence of this nightmare.

Oh, those big, mean, scary feminists are bullying the robots for living their lives, huh Furman? Life is just so goddamned unfair when a woman exists in your fucking line of sight.

Furman has gone on record saying that he doesn’t see the point in including the concept of gender in a race of non-sexually reproducing robots. He sees them as “genderless.” Which, if that statement existed in a vacuum, I could perhaps see where he’s coming from.

But Simon Furman does not exist in a vacuum. He exists in a world where sexism exists, something that he’s willingly participated in.

Let me back up that little tidbit with a bit of a disclaimer: I’m not in any way an expert on gender. I didn’t study it in school, I’ve not read an obscene amount of pieces on the topic. I’m not even sure about it on a personal level.

Maybe some of y’all have noticed the whole other set of pronouns I slapped into the bio in the last month or so. It doesn’t really matter, 90% of people don’t read the FAQ/About, I know that, and then 95% of those people only read it once, and this has been a relatively new self-revelation.

BUT ANYWAY.

Let’s be… fair about this. 1989 was a while ago, a lot of research on the concept of gender has taken place, maybe he’s ch-

Oh, what’s that?

Misogyny?

Transphobia?

Transmisogyny?

Treating women as an aberration being forced on Transformers as a whole?

And the writing is clunky and overstuffed?

Well, that’s just fucking fantastic, Furman, thanks so much.

This was in 2008. Because Furman established that female Transformers weren’t something natural, but rather made, and forcibly at that, and nobody fucking smacked his little hands away from this terrible idea, AND nobody tried to fix it for years, there was a lack of gender diversity within IDW until 2014, with the release of Dark Cybertron Chapter 7. Because we waited six years to fix this nightmare, things couldn’t be done quite the way that Roberts had been hoping, in that he intended for our female robots to not have the whole… fembot build happening. IDW wanted them immediately clockable, because this was very clearly a problem that needed rectifying.

So, in short: because of boys’ club mentality and a lack of understanding of what gender means or why it’s important for roughly 50% of the world’s population to have representation in media, Nautica and Chromia are here now.

And despite the convoluted road they had to take, I love them very much.

[bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture]

Horikoshi: This will probably not be super popular, but it’ll be fun!

Us: Oh, well that sounds nice!

Us, 290 chapters later: This Isn’t Fun Anymore Horikoshi

Horikoshi: :)

Anyways, welcome to the beginning of - hopefully - a long term and engaging project. I am basically aware of all of canon, and am up to date with the manga, but I haven’t actually read from the beginning of the series, and I’ve only watched the series up to the Deku v Todo fight in the sports festival. However, I’ve been curious as to how the manga portrays stuff that I’ve seen in anime gif form, and so I figured, hey, make this a project!

If you have questions or anything, the ask box is open for now. Meanwhile, I am going to head into the first chapter proper!

[No. 1 - Izuku Midoriya: Origin]

Wow, you’d almost think this kid would grow up to be a villain or something, with that kind of attitude, huh? No way that this kind of attitude would ever come to bite him in the ass and force him to reevaluate his entire character and kickstart his character development.

(Before you say anything, I like Katsuki as a character, but DAMN did he have to do a lot of growing up. I suppose when one is at the bottom, the only way to go is up… unless you have a pickaxe.)

One thing I actually noticed right away, and I dunno how much it’s used in other manga (seeing as I currently am not reading any other manga and the last ones I read were… a long while ago…) is the shape of the text boxes in order to convey emotion! It’s actually hella neat and a little detail I wouldn’t think about adding if I were in his position (not that I can draw all that well, but that’s not my point). You can practically hear the warbling in Izuku’s tone and the rougher edges in Katsuki’s!

(Also, question for the English sub while we’re at it, why the fuck does Katsuki sound like he’s a goddamned adult when he’s fourteen. What the fuck.)

Interesting little thing here, Katsuki not actually using his quirk here against Izuku; his hand is trailing smoke from his explosion, but it’s not a direct burn wound. Not that he should be doing this at all, but with the number of fics I see where Katsuki literally gives Izuku second or third degree burns, I think this is a reminder that canon Katsuki has some modicum of restraint, even this early.

Before I forget, hello winged kid who definitely has no plot significance whatsoever. No siree.

(If you are new to the manga/show and are reading this as among your first introductions to the fandom, first off, I am so sorry. Secondly, expect me to be… definitely making a lot of sarcastic quips to things in the future.)

Onto the second/third page, which is supposed to be a full spread, but is split up into two pages on the online reading site. RIP, but I will not complain about free access to the whole manga. 

Lookit this green bean. I love him so much. I can’t wait for him to suffer.

Izuku: wait, what?

Anyways, a few things to note:

Who the fuck is this guy? I looked into the wiki but he apparently doesn’t warrant a page or even a mention as one of the background faces of the series, but look at that fucking claw, man! And those boots and jets! He’s very obviously themed after a baseball catcher, so I’m going to guess that he has some kind of quirk that deals with either drawing projectiles to him, or perhaps in throwing projectiles… in either case, it’d be something like Snipe’s quirk, so maybe this is his less howdy-happy sibling.

Oh right, the chapter. The other heroes we see on the scene in this two-page spread are Death Arms, Air Jet, and Kamui Woods. 

Also, something I want to point out that I’m sure others have but just struck me while looking at this spread - multiple people are recording / taking pictures of this. I wonder if part of the reason for the villain industry to be as strong as it is is because the villains, even if they know they’ll lose, still get their own sort of fame in being in the news? That… might explain a lot about how there can be enough villains to even run an entire damn industry.

(Well, that and a lot of sociopolitical commentary on BNHA society, but we don’t need to get into that now. Maybe wait two hundred or so chapters first.)

Not gonna lie, I had to double take because I was like ‘wait, what is Ochako doing here?’ but then I realized it was just a random civilian; she doesn’t have those side bangs Ochako does. But now I almost wonder what sort of world we could have had, if they’d met a bit earlier.

Onto the fifth page (fourth is just a filler page, nothing on it), and we get treated to this gem:

Tag yourself I’m the guy who’s slackjawed because his kid is fucking glowing.

The first four examples of quirks shown in this flashback are the luminescence, telekinesis, ice, and that flame-headed(?) mutation. Of them, we actually see hints to the fact that quirks have drawbacks, as the girl with ice is drawn with the same frostbite backlash as Shouto, while the flame-headed kid is… well, I have no idea, but they do not look to be happy.

Also, I love the nod Hori does to the heroes of our era as silhouettes! This is just more evidence to me, along with the fact that the first quirked kid is born and presented in a modern hospital, that this series takes place sometime in the future. I… even calculated the years it could technically be, based on information we get in a few chapters, but I’ll save that for then.

Onto the sixth page! A nice shot of Kamui Woods getting into position, and man is that giant quirk unnerving.

What the fuck is with those feet, Hori. Those aren’t feet.

Next we see how the crowds are reacting, basically with no panic or concern. One guy is just casually letting his boss know he’ll be getting in late. And Backdraft! That is some serious water manipulation, but it seems like it has to be the water they’re in contact with? Also, is it just me or is that a portable pressure hose on their back?

And of course, Izuku being excited over hero stuff, as one does. He’s so babey faced, going back to current chapters after this is gonna be fucking wild.

Onto the seventh page, and here we are with the ‘you’re pure evil’ speech to someone who’s… just a robber. Seriously, dude? I get that you’re still fairly new to the scene (I think he might not be from a hero high school, but a late join program, but that’s another post), but like. You can’t just call random people ‘pure evil’ and correlate petty crime with like, actual mass murderers, or else people might start to see things in black and white and, you know, create the idea of ‘villainous people’ and so push even more innocents down the path of desperation and criminality.

Wait, sociopolitics later. Izuku being a hero fanboy now. Even able to utter Kamui’s attack call as he’s calling it out, with some seriously cool visual effects-

And on the eighth page, we have Mt. Lady crash the scene. Literally. She just fucking shows up outta nowhere and fucking leaps up and delivers a kick right to the villain’s chin, throwing him back through the train bridge wall and sending debris down to the ground below. Sure hope there weren’t civilians there!

Also, hello to that random guy on the roof watching this. I think in Smash they made that guy her manager or something.

I love how Izuku and the other guy are like ‘what the fuck’ while the press just shows up out of nowhere and is like. Hyperfocused on her. (I’ve heard some issues with the portrayal of media/reporters in the series, but since I have no experience with that sort of thing, I can’t say much on it.)

The last panel of this page shows that, fortunately, there were no civilians on that part of the street (even though it being rush hour and the huge crowds on the other side of the bridge should have suggested otherwise… but what do I know?)

With page nine, we get to see our first case of villain apprehension, which to note does not include any sort of quirk suppressors. Because those don’t exist. Otherwise Aizawa and the Eight Precepts’ erasure bullets would not be such huge deals to everyone. I mean yikes, though, the guy is fucking muzzled. And you can see the damage done by Mt. Lady in the background, both physical and emotional. Not to mention…

What the fuck is that face.

But yeah, this notes that performance in heroics determines not only what they’re paid by the government, but also how much fame they get. No way a system like this could backfire in any capacity, right? Right? (cough).

I love how Hori uses Izuku’s muttering habit as the border for the text bubble when the kid zones into his little world. Also, gigantification is noted to be a common and strong quirk, so we really should see more OCs with size altering quirks in fics in the future, you hear me? Honestly, with it being common, I would almost expect there to be entire buildings, or maybe even neighborhoods / blocks dedicated to catering to size shifters… wonder what those places look like.

Also aww, the guy saying good luck on the heroics dream to Izuku and Izuku just sparkling. What a cutie. Can’t wait for him to suffer. :D

Izuku: No seriously, what-

Anyways, I’m cutting off here since we then transition into the next ‘scene’ and this is a long chapter - 55 pages! Besides, this has already surpassed 1700 words, I don’t need to ramble on too long in one post. 

Lemme know what you think, and I’ll be back with more soon!

[iaintyourbro]

I noticed something that sort of ticks me off in Case of Tifa. After Cloud does a delivery for Elmyra to take a bouquet to Aerith's grave he starts staying away from Tifa and Marlene. But then after he finds Denzel and says that Aerith brought Denzel to him and decides to let him live with them and save him from geostigma, Cloud starts being back at home more often again. Did Cloud really start spending more time at home again just b/c of Aerith, and decided to save Denzel just b/c of her?

Hey anon.

The AC/CoT stuff seems to be a popular topic recently. I think it’s good that people are watching ACC and reading the novels since I think it’ll be important to understand both as Remake moves along. They’re pulling all pieces of the compilation into Remake, and the novels are no exception, since Leslie, Marle, and Kyrie have already made appearances. 

The delivery to the Forgotten City caused a old wound to be ripped open. The point of ACC is to show Cloud’s guilt for letting (in his mind) Aerith die. They also tie in Zack since he also feels immense guilt and sadness over that. In CoT they only really say that Cloud does feel guilty because he feels like he couldn’t protect Aerith and prevent her from dying. I don’t think that’s romantic - he was supposed to be her bodyguard and we know from Cloud’s history that he takes these things very seriously. He failed at preventing her from being killed, so he lives with that guilt.

Tifa also has a lot of guilt surrounding Aerith’s death and the Sector 7 plate collapse. They mention her guilt a ton of times, and I find it interesting that it’s not something that’s talked about often online. It’s always about Cloud’s guilt.

Here’s something an anon wrote in that I think is a great summary:

Anon Ask/Statement on Cloud’s Guilt

Tifa’s first time at the Forgotten City, which is shortly after the first defeat of Sephiroth, causes her to break down. The one thing that’s interesting in CoT is Tifa’s guilt slams her almost immediately, while Cloud is the one who seems to be holding it together to support her. 

We see that he’s willing to try and help her be strong. At this point, I’m not sure if he’s fully aware of the amount of guilt that’s settling within him. The point where it really seems to slam him is after he does the delivery for Elmyra. He has PTSD associated with the Forgotten City. I would assume anybody would. I would whether I knew a person closely or not if I saw them murdered in front of me. Especially if I attempted to kill them myself right before. 

Cloud also just generally has PTSD from everything else that’s happened to him. He lost his mother violently, his hometown was burned down, he watched the girl he’s in love with almost die, he was experimented on for four years and then ultimately watched his best friend die in front of him. He’s got a lot of shit going on and now add a reminder of ANOTHER incident in his life, he’s going to spiral.

Cloud also has a tendency to close in on himself. He doesn’t want to be a burden and he’s scared of hurting those he loves. It’s very possible that during this point, he didn’t want to worry Tifa anymore than she already was. So he begins to avoid them. Tifa also is non-confrontational at this point so isn’t going to push him. 

For the Denzel piece: Cloud sees Denzel as a way to repent for his sins of letting Aerith and Zack die. He says Aerith sent Denzel to him not in a romantic sense, but (in his mind) as a way to be forgiven. 

Now, we know Aerith doesn’t blame Cloud for her death. She tells us that in AC. This is all in Cloud’s mind that he’s a failure and he causes all these issues. He’s very selfless, but ends up seeming selfish because he really does pretty much self implode.

It’s not the first time he does this, either. When Tifa falls from Mt. Nibel - he blames himself. He goes through this time when he just becomes and asshole and beats people up. This is the event that causes him to decide to become a SOLDIER. He wants to win Tifa over.

He never tells anybody why he wanted to join SOLDIER. They show that during the Lifestream when Tifa asks him why. It was a sudden decision to everyone around him. Most likely not to Cloud - because Cloud was in his head coming up with all of this stuff. Ultimately, he wanted Tifa to notice him. He wanted to win her over and prove he could protect her. That was his driving force behind joining SOLDIER. 

So now we’ve covered this is just the way Cloud is. In Tifa’s case, he already had a crush on her, so that just grew from there into this deep desire to win her over. In Aerith’s case he didn’t have as strong of a connection to her - he didn’t know her as long - and he was “contracted” to be her bodyguard. He takes these things seriously. 

Cloud and Tifa take Denzel in and Cloud becomes obsessed with finding a cure for Geostigma. We see the books and papers on his desk in Advent Children - so we know this is something he was really looking in to. I relate - I did the same thing when my dad had cancer. You can get into these moods and forget about everything else. Usually somebody has to try and slam you out of it, but it’s hard. 

Tifa also sees Denzel as a way to retribution. She has a lot of guilt over what she did with Avalanche and the Sector 7 plate collapse. Denzel lost his parents in the Sector 7 plate collapse. 

Here is the conversation the two of them have that I think people take out of context. Cloud didn’t say Aerith brought Denzel to him for romantic reasons. He sees it as another chance to save a life. He tells us this - directly. Tifa feels the same was, as we see in the earlier excerpt. If anything, Aerith knew both Tifa and Cloud needed some help here with their inner turmoil. 

On top of it, Tifa feels that Denzel’s arrival strengthened their family. I would think if this was an old flame thing happening, she may feel a bit differently. Cloud decided to cut back to spend more time with the children. This has nothing to do with Aerith. It is also mentioned on a previous page that the bar was starting to lose business because people started realizing a kid with Geostigma lived there. Cloud, Tifa, and Marlene never mention this to Denzel, and instead, they continue to embrace him as part of their family. 

Honestly it’s pretty warm and fuzzy - even though all the darkness in this chapter - Tifa and Cloud are pretty good parents, especially since they’re young and it was kind of thrown on them. Also, it wouldn’t really be nice if Cloud was like “hey I’m dropping another kid off for you to deal with while you’re working the bar and all.”

As for the very last paragraph: We find out later that Cloud ends up with Geostigma and that’s why he left. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back sort of thing. Not only was he failing at saving Denzel, but he also now had what he knew to be a terminal illness in many cases. He now feels he can’t do anything and he runs. He tells us this in AC. 

I don’t think Tifa imagined the promise - because things ultimately end up being okay. Cloud just really thought he was going to die and was going to fail her - being dead means he can’t fulfill his promise to her. 

Here’s an excerpt from Case of Denzel. He mentions Tifa, Cloud, and Marlene. Not just Cloud. He sees them all as his family. He also mentions all of the folks along the way. The bulk of Case of Denzel is him getting to the point of being found at the church. It’s not just about his time with Cloud and Tifa - it’s Denzel’s journey. Johnny is in this one a lot. 

Ultimately, I do have issues with the way Advent Children was handled outside of Japan. Without the novels, it does seem like Cloud is just a depressed mess. You don’t really know why he’s a mess. You know he has Geostigma and you know he feels guilty. Some people took it as him pining for Aerith. Watching ACC and reading the novels, I didn’t get that at all. Many people became Cloti fans because of Advent Children. They were acting like a married couple going through a rough patch. 

They really do only mention his guilt in the novels and his issues with not being able to protect her. We do not have an official “Case of Cloud” so really can only go based on what the other characters are seeing with him and what he’s told them. As I’ve said in previous posts, there’s not canon evidence that his feelings were romantic - especially post Lifestream. 

The novels were released AFTER Advent Children in the US and I don’t think it was very well known. Most of the people I’ve talked to that are casual fans never saw Advent Children as romantic for him and Aerith. Especially since Zack was around. The ending alone makes people laugh when they find out they think Cloud and Aerith had any romance - he calls her “Mom” - her boyfriend is there with her and they’re acting like foster parents. 

I think with Remake, they’ll make things a bit more clear. I think ACC does a good job of making the guilt feel a bit more broad between Aerith and Zack. I wish it would have covered a bit more about Tifa’s guilt like Case of Tifa does, and maybe it would seem less romantic, since they seem to be having the same inner turmoil.

I think if people fully played OG, played Crisis Core, read the novels, and then watched ACC, they’d realize this all comes together pretty clearly. Dirge of Cerberus doesn’t show too much of he full original gang, but you do get to see a much happier Cloud and Tifa in it. The phone conversation is cute and hilarious - especially since since Barret is being ridiculous and Tifa yells at him.

Aerith and Zack are a thing. Cloud and Tifa are a thing. Cloud and Tifa have some serious problems with dealing with what goes on in their heads and it’s resolved by the end of Advent Children. Zack and Aerith give him that look at the end like “Alright, everything should be good now. Don’t disappoint us!” 

I also really do not think Cloud is going to pine after his best friend’s girl. Cloud isn’t a douchebag. He’s a nice guy. He respects people. Zack was his one and only best friend. Zack saved his life. I really think if people would remember to pull Zack into these conversations, they’d realize that it’s ridiculous to think that Cloud was after his dead best friend’s dead girlfriend. 

Additional Reading:

Advent Children Anon Ask  (About Romance)

Cloud and Tifa Ask - Advent Children

Why Zack is Important to Cloud

The Future of the LTD (This has a links to other blogs as well - so there is a variety of opinions here, including from a CA multishipper)

Case of Tifa and the Kids are Alright

[ssfghfrrggf]

talk to me more about your tag saying something is up w Casey more than just Brett. bc I’ve got Casey as 100% having ptsd and probably depression/anxiety symptoms for like his entire life and I would love for his reaction to the whole sylvie situation not be him just being dumb but maybe having some sort of trauma/depression episode. And I honestly think that would be more in character of him than just fully not having the emotional intelligence to “fight” for sylvie. We’ve seen him outline what he wants in a relationship several times both to Gabby and Hallie and those relationships had their issues but I don’t think you can point to either of them and say Matt had it easy, that he didn’t have to chase or make a move. And to the note of trauma and relationships I think there’s plenty to unpack about dawsey that maybe borders the realm of more than just toxic but even if you don’t go there I think it’s pretty easy to see Matt’s reaction to sylvie bringing up gabby so suddenly as much more than having residual feelings. —literally don’t even bother reading that it just felt to get out lmao

Im kidding 😂 i got time and i have yet to write a Casey essay, so this is long over due, and i'll probably go off on some unrelated tangents.

First and foremost i'll explain what i meant by "there's more up with Matt than just whats going on with Brett." For the most part I can't really put my finger on it. I said this to my wife earlier: it's like the writers are dropping bread crumbs that something's wrong and I'm picking up on them dropping the crumbs but i can't find or place the actual crumbs? And i think that him having depression/anxiety/ptsd isn't really a stretch to say. He definitely has a very down feeling to him and he just seems off to me. He seems like he's feeling old and tired? When he was talking to Gallo at the end of last night's episode he just seemed heavy? Like the way he was talking and acting just made me feel heavy. I think maybe the job is starting to weigh on him more, and i think what Gallo did reminded him of or brought those feelings to the surface. He's lost three firefighters under his command, four if you count Jimmy. Losing any firefighter is detrimental hit, but when they're under your command and you're responsible for them it's that much worse. I think those losses (Andy, What's her name (that one girl candidate who's name i cant remember to save my life), Jimmy (in a way), and Otis) are really weighing on him and Gallo doing what he did made it worse because he's scared Gallo is going to get added to the list. That may be the root of the off feeling i got from him, but it seems like there's more. Idk. It's really hard to explain.

I think what Matt is doing with Brett i think both makes sense for him as a character and i think him giving her space isn't him being emotionally stunted or even being an idiot. I think it's respectful and the right thing to do. Sometimes when people say they need space THEY NEED SPACE and NOT for the person they want space from to keep pressuring them into being together!!! Like yes Matt needs to tell her how he feels, but i don't think he needs to do it right now. They both need to get their ducks in a row before they can be together and be together successfully. And think him not chasing down what he wants and not disregarding the needs and wants that Brett expressed to him actually shows a good bit of emotional maturity and I will die on that hill! The way he's handling himself over it probably isn't the best or healthiest, but the over all decision not to put pressure on Brett and quote not from you "go get his woman" is right.

I honestly find it refreshing. So many times in shows we get the guy who has been turned down being all like "oh, she doesn't know what she wants. But i know what she wants (it's me) so i'm gonna go get her!" So it's nice that we have him respecting what she wants and not trying to push that what he wants is also what's best for her. I'm beating this dead horse to death and i'm sorry but you gave me the perfect opportunity to word vomit all my pent up Matt feelings

On to the next point about this being very in tune with Matt's character. For a long time Matt has thrown himself into things and really shot for what he wanted and it hasn't really worked out for him. Hallie for example: they broke up because she didn't want kids. They got back together then Matt pushed for kids again and they broke up again. Then they got back together and he probably would've ended up pushing for kids again if she hadn't gotten killed. Now the same thing didn't happen with Gabby. And honestly i'm not really gonna go into that one because i don't feel like dealing with a bunch of angry Dawsey shippers, but i'll say this much: that relationship also ended with a lot of heart break for Matt. Like the guy has just had a really stinkin shitty time with serious relationships, and i honestly think it has him just a little bit traumatized. AND CAN WE REALLY BLAME HIM??? It is literally human nature like deep primal instinct to avoid things that hurt us. The stove is hot. You touch the hot stove. The hot stove burns you. You go YIKES! that hurt! Im not gonna touch the hot stove again! I think a similar thing has kind of happened with Matt. He's been hurt by all of his major relationships, and hurt pretty dang bad at that. For him serious relationships have become like a hot stove, and his answer to Brett's question about Gabby was him metaphorically avoiding touching the hot stove. He did a bit of self sabotage because he didn't want to get hurt again and you know fucking what? That's fucking understandable! And okay! Like fucking me too buddy!

Now ironically and honestly sadly he still ended up hurting himself in the process of trying to avoid opening himself up to potential hurt. We know he wants love and family, and it's what he deserves but he's had such a shitty time trying to get that, that i think its going to take a lot of time for him to open himself back up to trying. He also knows that if he were to start something with Sylvie it wouldn't be a fling. They have such a deep personal friendship that there's no way it could be. And he doesn't want it to be either and he doesn't want to be hurt again. So he's taking his time- he was buying himself time with that line about Gabby.

Looping back to the "Matt did the right thing in giving Sylvie space" dead horse. I think Matt has an understanding with Sylvie and what she's been through. She's also had a pretty crappy run with relationships. She's been engaged twice and hurt ample times. I think he gets that so he doesn't want to move in too soon and hurt her. I think her planting that kiss on him when he went to check on her took him by surprise then he got caught up in it. Then she asked him about Gabby and it got real and he panicked.

That was kind of all over the place and im sorry! But i had to let that all out! I also hope it made sense and hope it answered your question at least a little! I feel like i got kind of off topic there 😅