#gamma rage

[occamstfs]

Legacies Are Supposed To Change

Another fratification, This is one more of a prep to slob tf ! -Occam

My father was a member of Kappa Epsilon Gamma, and my grandfather before him was practically a founding member. I am going to be the third generation Astor to not only pledge but eventually become president. My family donates enough to the chapter to more than pave my way to the top. My only question now is, why are they making me pledge.

The current president, James, clearly didn’t care for me implying that I was getting in regardless, stopping just short of calling me out in front of the other pledges. That’s the only mistake he’s going to make though, when I’m in the frat I’ll completely clean house. That dunce will be lucky to even still be in the frat. I’m already old enough to be the president anyway, I’m sure my father will help the other alumni to agree.

Despite the president’s protests I have already secured a room in the house and I will say the room does seem to be exquisite. The only detail out of place is a pitcher of beer sitting on my desk. The head is still frothy so it must have been put there recently. Before I moved in my father warned me against partying too hard, we have a reputation to uphold after all, and I am not even a big drinker. 

The amber pitcher in front of me, ice cold without a piece of ice within, is more enticing than it ever should be though. The president must have done something to it. Absolutely. But, I  am awfully parched all of a sudden. I feel my mouth rapidly dry as I move closer to inspect the glass. A sip couldn’t hurt, it’s just beer after all. It’s probably that faux president admitting defeat already, no one can stand up to an Astor and prosper after all. 

I raise the pitcher to my mouth, struggling to raise it without spelling as it is heavier than I thought beer could be. The head spills over my face as I tilt the pitcher to drink. It runs down my cheeks and off my chin not that I could notice or care though. This beer is unlike anything I’ve tasted before. It's so, I need more right now. I force as much of it as I can down my throat before needing to take a break to breathe. The brief respite only gives me time to do something I thought unthinkable for a man of such poise as myself, I let out an impossibly loud burp.

I hear frat bros cheering outside my room in response “Yeah bro! Let’s go Tank!” I feel my face redden from the embarrassment of being heard doing something so profoundly basal. I scoff and roll my eyes as I notice how itchy my face suddenly is. It must be the beer starting to dry where I spilled it.

I go to wipe it off and notice it is far scratchier than it has any right to be. It burns even. I feel my face grow an even deeper shade of red as the beer must start to hit my system. I put the pitcher down and start to scratch my cheeks. I’ve never even had to shave before! Us Astor men don’t even grow peach fuzz! It  would be unbecoming to even try to grow a beard! I look in the mirror to assess whatever my situation and find an uncomfortable face staring back at me. That can’t be right. Thick brown hair is pushing out forming a chinstrap that must have taken months to grow! I lean in closer to inspect my face as another burp tries to force its way out of my throat.

Unwilling to embarrass myself once again I fight to keep it down. As I struggle against the gas in my esophagus I notice that my stomach is starting to bloat up. I see the thick brown hair in my beard start to seep up through my sideburns, staining my perfect blonde coifs into some dirty oafish brown. I gasp as my thin eyebrows rapidly burst into heavy caterpillars over my eyes which almost allows the burp to escape.

Clenching my jaw as I feel my stomach starts to press against my dress shirt. I audibly groan as I hear my bros outside start to cheer once more, something about me drinking the pitcher. They left it for me didn't they! What was I supposed to do! This burst of rage allows me to swallow the burp my neck thickening as it forces its way back down. I look down to see the button pop off of my suit jacket as my stomach starts to grumble. I feel woozy watching my torso start to barrel out, what happened to my lithe lacrosse build? My mind feels heavy as I inspect my growing body, I start to smell some vile body odor start to come from somewhere. One of these oafs absolutely needs to invest in cologne. I sniff around before my head finds itself in my own pit as I take a deep inhale and find the root of the stick. But that can’t be right?

My arms bloat out straining my dress shirt as I toss off my coat. I raise my arm behind my head to inspect my armpits further which creates a tear right on the seam, exposing my pit just in time for me to see my few blonde underarm hairs rapidly thicken to the same brown now covering my face. It’s almost funny? I can barely stop myself from laughing as I watch hair spread like a jungle in my pit, creating a haven for odor my body now apparently produces.

Is this because I burped? Is it some kind of sick joke? I’m struggling to find any reason for what is happening when I hear the zipper of my pants give out. Apparently my stomach isn't the only part of me bloating. I need to stop this. Maybe, maybe if I finish the beer without burping again I’ll go back to normal. That, that makes sense right?

I quickly grab the picture and do not notice how much thicker my hand is. Brown hairs sprouting on my hand and knuckles as my fingers grow hammy and lose the dexterity I have long honed. As I raise the glass to my face my stomach finally blows off the buttons as a thick treasure trail forms a peak halfway up my meaty torso. My body odor grows thicker in the air as I start to drink the rest of the glass. 

I feel my ass thicken as it forms a much weighter cushion in my seat, in the other side I feel as my balls rapidly grow to supply my body with the testosterone my body demands. My cock thickens but gets no longer as the beer dribbles down my face spilling all over my chest where curly dark hair spreads out from the center in a large diamond.

I finish the pitcher and shout to celebrate my conquest, “I did it fuckers! I passed the test,” as I shatter the pitcher on the floor of my bedroom, one of the pledges’ll clean that shit up anyway. 

I stand and rip the strained pants off my body as the shirt tears itself off of its own accord, no longer able to even try to hide my party bod. My bros burst into the room and start cheering “Tank, Tank, Tank!” Making me realize that duh, they’re talking about me. My bros have always called me that I burp again, now performativity as my body finishes changing. My eyes lose any pretentious sparkle they still held as they darken to a dull brown. My vocal chords grow visibly thicker, just showing from underneath the thick beard hanging off my face. A clear boner starts to grow in my shorts, not like my bros care.

I shake my package at them with my hand as I finish burping. Now that I’m in the frat I can show my bros that I’m not a fuckin’ prude like my dad and the other fuckin’ geezers. It’s gonna be a great year, now let’s go see which of these bitch pledges are Kappa material!

[bunnikida]

Randomly reminded that Bruce banner has 7 PhDs. Is one of them a PhD in the most inefficient academic career to pursue? I'm sooo curious why would one want 7 PhDs? Why would you do that to yourself? Maybe the pent up rage from having to go through being a PhD student 7 times is what's turning you into a big green smashing creature? Pretty sure 7 PhDs is as detrimental to one's health as the gamma rays he got exposed to

[star-light-imagines]

Okay okay hear me out. Time traveling children. Like Todoroki, Iida, Shinsou and Tamaki casually finding their daughters in their timeline. Like they look at the girls and are just dumbfounded cause "this girl looks like my love child with y/n". And god forbid if the kid slips a "daddy?!" at them. *they all have daughters and todo has twin daughters and you cant change my mind *

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Todoroki for sure has twin daughters! I absolutely love this request by the way!

Daddy?

𓆩⟡𓆪 Includes- shoto todoroki , tenya Iida , hitoshi shinsou , tamaki amajiki x reader. major fluff! surprised/flustered boys!

𓆩⟡𓆪 Warnings- gn! reader. bakugo cussing. slightly implied mature content. making out. kissing. cuddling.

𓆩⟡𓆪 Word Count- 13,565

Part II |

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The winter wind buzzed around the students as they lingered in anticipation of the next match. Class A & B were focused , each group strategizing amongst themselves to prepare for their turn to showcase their progress as heroes.

BANG!

Ground Gamma shook below their feet and the air crackled in the silence that followed the deafening explosion.

Eyes darted fiercely around their environment , students and teachers preparing for another attack on the school as they searched for the cause of the disturbance.

"HA! HAH! Very funny 'rage monster' , What? You can't wait for your match to start before you start blowing things up?" Monoma yelled slyly while he looked around looking for Bakugo.

A deep grunt brought everyone's attention towards the explosive blonde who was off in the distance , already getting a head start to find the villain.

"Are you stupid?! That wasn't my explosion, you 'copy/paste leech'!"

Everyone started to rush after Bakugo and into Ground Gamma prepared to fight off the unknown villain.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

They stopped in front of the slowly dissipating thick pink fog that hid whoever was inside. Aizawa's hair floated above his shoulders as he adjusted his eyes, trying to make out the small figure coming into sight.

Suddenly the fog disappeared, revealing.....

"What the Hell?!" Bakugo screamed trying to grasp the situation.

"Don't cuss there are children here!" Iida Immediately scolded in response.

"Obviously there are children here 'four eyes'! My question is, why?!" he angrily states, annoyed.

Shoto Todoroki:

Two five year old girls stood there clutching at each other's hands in fear as tears rolled down their round cheeks.

Surprised. At the sight of the girls, everyone's nerves calmed down as they tried to understand the situation. Shoto took another glance towards the twins that were now being comforted by All Might and Aizawa.

His heart pounded against his ribcage as he took in their appearance, which became more familiar to him the more traits he saw. The conversations and noise happening around him faded as he was frozen in shock at the sight.

The twins' hair was even split between two colors, one girl had white on her right side and y/h/c on the left and dark gray eyes. While the other girl had y/h/c on the right and crimson red on left and bright turquoise eyes. Their identical noses scrunched up cutely as they tried to calm down, just like yours. The smile that lit up their faces as All Might transformed into his hero form originally belonged to you, and the way they both excitedly squealed was a picture perfect copy of yours.

Izuku was just as quick at piecing together the traits.

"Todoroki, you don't have younger siblings do you?" he timidly asked.

Shoto was still too surprised to answer coherently. Instead he had shook his head 'no' before he glanced your way, Izuku's eyes following suit.

You and Ochaco had been gushing over the twins cuteness, you paused for a brief moment as you noticed his stare and waved happily.

"Those girls look exactly like what I imagine y/n & I's would." he whispered under his breath, Izuku being the only one who could hear.

Shoto still had his eyes trained on you, his mind reeling from the conclusion it had jumped to.

Ecstatic. There was a resounding silence that echoed as a joyful squeal filled the air. One of the girls had managed to see you among the students, and ran as they happily squealed. Your arms had opened as if on instinct, and the small girl jumped into your arms with her face now buried into your shoulder.

"Do you know these kids y/n?" Tsu questioned, her face eyebrows furrowed in thought.

You shook your head 'no' silently in surprise, while offering comforting pats along the small girl's back.

"Daddy!" The other girl screamed and ran straight to Shoto.

The girl in your arms stirred at the sound and looked for her sister, while your heart fluttered. Shoto's eyes were wide as they stared at the small girl now standing in front of him, her arms raised expectantly as she waited.

His cheeks burned with red heat, the train of thought completely stopped as his eyes glanced from the child to you. Even though he had assumptions, The title of "daddy." had caught him off guard and he was slow to recover.

"Daddy?" The girl whimpered, eyes watering.

The shrill of joy waved through him once more, a quick ripple of small flames released before dissipating. The tips of his ears and neck now matched his bright crimson face as he leaned down and picked the girl up in his arms.

"Shoto and y/n have kids!?!?" Kaminari bellowed loudly.

Chaos erupted as Shoto walked over to you with hasty steps, making sure to keep a steady grip on his daughter. Your eyes were wide as he stood next beside you , mentally trying to process now having two daughters out of thin air.

Your mind swirled for answers, but you couldn't help the deep blush that took over your face as Shoto's free hand held yours. The action made your heart flutter loudly in your ears. This isn't the first time you've held hands with your boyfriend, but in this moment you two didn't just look like a cute couple, but instead a family.

Aizawa managed to gain control over the rowdy students, instructing everyone to the dormitories.

"There's obviously no point in continuing classes today while we investigate. I need to inform the principal, Iida, make sure the class acts accordingly." He states firmly with tired eyes.

Confused. After comforting the girls at the dormitory, y/n was able to coax out bits and pieces of information from them. Your subtle questions being simple and easy for the five year olds to understand. His amazement at your ability to be calm and collected in this situation made him confused, he hadn't been able to utter a single word since his brain short-circuited with the simple title acquirement of 'daddy'.

"My name is Yume!" The twin with white and y/h/c hair happily introduced herself to the students.

"And my name is Hikari!" the girl with red and y/h/c joined along.

Everyone gushed over the twins, as they quickly made friends with your classmates. Shoto sat on the couch next to you, gently placed your hand on his own. Both sets of eyes watched on as Yume & Hikari danced along to a song with Mina.

"Yume said a kid at school manifested his quirk and they got sent here." you stated while you gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"Time travel is such a complex quirk for a five year old to have." His eyebrows furrowed at the thought.

Since it was another child who brought them here there was no way of knowing if and when they would return to the right timeline. Thoughts about how this could affect the future weighed down on his shoulders and he grimaced at the lack of information they possessed.

"I know it's sudden, but the most confused and worried out of all of us are those two. We should just try to make them feel safe as possible."

Your eyes locked with his in confidence and at the mere sight of it, a soft smile formed on his lips.

"Well of course, they are our daughters."

Shoto watched as a wide smile grew on your lips and a gentle laugh escaped you. His thoughts were still plagued with questions that desperately wanted answers, but he knew with you by his side everything would work itself out.

He was going to protect his daughters regardless of any threat.

Amazed. He watched you from afar, Izuku's rambles about how the time travel quirk could work brought him out of his thoughts as he tried to pay attention.

His eyes wandered back over to you, Yume and Hikari practically attached to each hip as you flawlessly moved around the kitchen. Amazement settled on his features, even when Hikari had gotten in your way or Yume had tried to open the stove on her own, you handled it effortlessly like a dance.

Glided around the Hikari to grab ingredients. Grabbed Yume's hand and twirled her in another direction. One asked to lick the cookie dough off the spoon, you swiftly complied with a laugh. The other gets impatient, you place a second cookie dough filled spoon in-front of her eyes as if you expected it. Tiny hands tried to reach for the newly baked cookies without you looking, you lightly tapped them away with your fingers and a smile.

How are you so amazing?

Shoto's thoughts were interrupted when a cookie lightly touched his lips. You stood before him, Yume held in your arms as you both smiled happily at him. Yume's hand held out a cookie to his face eagerly, he gave her a bright smile in return and took a big bite of the cookie.

"My Loves, tell him what you just told me." you laugh.

Yume and Hikari beamed. "Daddy gets the first one!"

He coughed viciously as he almost choked on the treat. The three of you had laughed at his response.

Panicked. He had barely caught the girls from falling off the coach, when Eri and them decided to use it as a makeshift trampoline. Their giggles continued as he safely placed them on the ground and tried to chastise them for their actions. When he saw the tiny feet slip and heads spiraling down, his mind raced and his body moved faster than he could think.

Adrenaline was still pumping as he tried to slow the fast beats of his heart. The panicked feeling faded and he returned to where he was sitting by Iida.

"Woah! Who knew you would be such a good father!" Mina exclaimed.

The comment stroked his pride as his eyes softened at the thought.

The giggles continued throughout the lounge area, the three girls happily playing any game that came to mind. Bakugo grunted in annoyance from his seat , glaring daggers into the back of Shoto's head.

Less than an hour had passed before the panic he buried away, rushed back into his heart at tenfold.

An intense game of 'your it' that some of his classmates joined in on, had ended when the twins ran face first into a wall. The girls had been running too fast and didn't have enough time to stop before the impact.

Shoto kneeled down, wiping the tears that rolled down their cheeks. He gently placed comforting pats on their heads as he examined the faces for injuries.

"Heh! Good job letting those idiots run into a wall! Looks like they took after y/n when it comes to being an airhead." Bakugo smirked with amusement.

The hands that were on the twin's cheeks stilled, his eyes went a shade darker in anger that he didn't show. The ice raced behind him at an alarming speed, Bakugo was captured in a thick sheet of ice. Silence filled the air as Shoto slowly stood and turned towards him, the cold glare ran shivers down Bakugo's spine more than the ice on his skin.

The girls took one look at Bakugo's slightly scared expression and their tears suddenly stopped as bubbly laughs filled the tense room.

Fulfilled. After two days passed since Yume & Hikari appeared, you had somehow convinced him into telling his father. Reluctant to do so even after agreeing, he sent one photo with no explanation.

The photo was one Izuku had taken the day before, the four of you were enjoying a picnic outside. Smiles on each of your faces as Shoto stared down lovingly at you, your eyes tilted up at him almost playfully. The girls smiled widely at the bubbles they had just created wands still clenched in their hands.

Immediately after he pressed send his phone erupted in calls from his father and texts that he chose to ignore, instead focusing on the girls picking flowers and handing them to you to make them flower crowns. His heart ached with love that only grew each moment he spent with his small little family.

"Did you talk to him already? That was fast." you questioned him as he returned to his seat next to you.

"There wasn't much to say."

"Suddenly revealing twin daughters 'wasn't much' to say?" your eyebrows furrowed cutely as you stared at him in disbelief.

He gently pressed a finger to your eyebrows , when you gasped.

"Shoto! you did not!" you hit his arm, breaking his thoughts.

"Hm?" he hummed.

"You did not just drop a baby bomb on your father without explaining it."

A sly smirk appeared on his face confirming your thoughts.

Aizawa interrupted the conversation with a sigh that made you gasp from the jump scare.

"Endeavor called to inform us he's on the way here. I was wondering about the urgency, but now it makes sense." he exclaims with a pointed glare at Shoto.

Depressed. That night after Endeavor had left, a faint pink mist started to form around the girls. You drew Shoto's attention to the growing mist as your hand clasped around his.

His heart sank at their figure's being overtaken as the mist turned to a thick fog. He could no longer see their features and he desperately wanted to reach out and yank them into his arms. Shoto's arm rose slightly, face etched in sadness when you stopped him.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." sorrow filled his eyes as the fog faded, the twins no longer hiding within it.

"The future you is greeting them right now."

Silence settled between you as you embraced him in a hug, tightly holding on to him in hopes you could ease the loss.

"I thought when they went home I would be relieved they had returned safely, but I already miss having them around."

He held onto you tightly, burying his face in your shoulder.

Optimistic. The rest of that night was filled with needy cuddles in shoto's dorm. Sleep eventually took you both into a land filled with dreams of your future family and when the sun once again rose in the morning, Shoto felt more optimistic about his future than the previous night.

"Good Morning, how are you feeling?" you questioned, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

He smirked, placing a finger in between your eyebrows.

"Better."

"Yeah?" you were still worried about him.

"Yes. It isn't goodbye forever, as soon as you get pregnant I'll see them again." A sly smirk played on his lips at your shocked expression.

You slap him hard on the chest as he laughed. "We aren't rushing anything!"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

｡･:*˚:✧｡ Bonus Scene:

Endeavor was so shocked at the photo he received that tears burst from eyes. The sight shocked Hawks into landing beside him and awkwardly consoling the number one hero with a pat on the back.

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong?!" his tears stop. "Nothing's wrong, it's good news! I'm a grandfather!" He states shoving the photo into hawks' vision.

"HA HA! That's amazing!"

"Shoto won't answer me back though, I have a feeling he wouldn't let me meet them if I asked."

"Why not just take a trip to the school to visit?"

-----

Shoto frowned at the sight of his father in the lounge, an equally deep frown staring back at him.

He was ready for his father to get angry and become violent at any moment, the air felt thick with the tension in the room.

"Where's my grandkids?" Endeavor asked after a few beats of silence.

"What?" he was shocked as no anger was radiating from the man in front of him .

Yume & Hikari peeked at the scene from the hallway and ran happily into the room at the sight of their grandfather. You had tried to chase after them, but it was of no use. You sent an apologetic smile Shoto's way knowing your boyfriend wanted to assess his reactions before allowing the girls to meet him.

"Grandpa!" The girls screamed jumping into his arms, as he shockingly held onto them his heart filling warm at the sight of the two girls.

"You know who I am?"

"Duh! We see you all the time!" Hikari replied sassily.

"Yeah! The last time we saw you we told you how we were gonna be big sisters." Yume giggled

"What?!" you choked out, surprised.

"Future you said we are going to have a baby brother soon!"

Endeavor cried happily with the girls in his arms as you struggled to breathe at the sudden information.

"You cried just like this too!" Hikari laughed happily.

Tenya Iida:

A six year old girl stood before them silently taking in her new surroundings.

Puzzled. At the sight of the girl, his nerves have calmed as he tried to understand the situation as it unraveled around them. The fact a young girl had greeted them instead of a villainous attack caused everyone to relax too quickly, he was hesitant to drop his guard completely. The thought of a villain deceiving them played out too well in his head to ignore the possibility.

The teachers visibly relaxed at the sight of the girl, they whispered amongst themselves quickly planning to address the situation. Tenya took another glance towards the girl , tears rolled down her cheeks while being comforted by All Might and Aizawa.

His eyes widened in recognition, while the deafening sound of his pounding heart echoed into his eardrums. He took in the girl's appearance, which became more familiar to him the more traits he saw. Tenya's mind raced through a million miles per minute, his body became stiff beside Izuku whose mumbled voice drifted farther away in his mind.

The girl's hair stopped just above her shoulders, the dark blue hue almost looked black in the light. Her eyes shined from the moisture of the tears, the unmistakable y/e/c irises reflected the worry she felt in the moment. The worry subsided when All Might reassured the girl who cried in his arms that she was not in trouble, and they were there to help her. Her relieved smile brightened up the room around her, identical to you. Your ear shape caught his eye as she tucked a strand of hair behind it, and before he had caught the most important detail Izuku ripped him from his thoughts.

Izuku's firm grip held his shoulders as he shook him slightly. He received a perplexed stare in return before he sighed in relief and released his shoulders.

Just as the girl's appearance pulled Tenya, Izuku had also noticed the unmistakable features.

"Iida, do you have a younger relative ?" he timidly asked, gesturing over to the girl's calves.

Tenya's gaze drifted back to the girl, the small engines barely noticeable on your calves. A quirk that ran throughout his family line for generations wasn't known to be seen in someone who wasn't directly related to the engine family.

"If I do, they haven't been introduced to the rest of the family."

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed in thought as Tenya's eyes searched for yours.

You and Momo had been talking about the sudden appearance of the girl, and how she reminded you of Iida. You paused in the middle of your sentence for a brief moment as you noticed his stare and happily sent a loving smile his way.

"From what I noticed the child has both y/n & I's traits, almost as if she is our love child." He whispered towards Izuku, assured that no-one else could hear the sensitive topic.

He turned towards you once again, his mind reeling from the thought's of a miracle love child formed between the two of you.

Flustered. The thoughts continued to plague his mind, the idea of a child, your child made his palms grow sweaty and the feeling of electricity shot through his joints. He pushed the thoughts aside for the moment, not expecting his dark blue eyes to directly meet smaller y/e/c eyes from across the room. The girl's eyes widened, her quirk taking effect with excitement as she ran towards instantly.

"Daddy!" The girl exclaimed when she had jumped into his arms, small hands clenched on to his shoulders.

Silence filled the air for a few seconds before the thunderous chaos ensued from the classmates.

"Someone as strait-laced as him is a teen father?!"

"They do say looks are deceiving."

"She does look almost exactly like him!"

The conversations swarmed his ears as he tried to answer the abundance of questions that were thrown at him. His throat felt constricted, the shock of the girl claiming him as her father rendering him speechless. Warmth spread through his face and down his neck, a deep shade of crimson taking hold while his pulse quickened beyond measure. The thought that he could very well faint raced through his mind as he tightened the hold around his daughter.

"HEY! SONIC KNOCKOFF! YOU GONNA EXPLAIN THIS SHIT?!" Bakugo roared with annoyance, ready to continue the matches.

Before he could respond to the explosive blonde, the girl in his arms turned to glare at the boy.

"You said a bad word! Are you even a hero? Hero's shouldn't say bad words, be better!" She scolded him with a stern expression.

During the chaos that ensued, you had made your way to him quickly finding your spot at his side. A reassuring hand reached out to grab his, as you rubbed comforting circles into the tense muscles.

"Everyone! Quiet!" Aizawa yelled with anger, his hair raising off his shoulders and eyes glowing blood red.

The girl in his arms stiffened at the sound and looked at her father with fear, he wordlessly rubbed her back in comfort. The once rowdy students followed the teachers order as everyone became stiff and looked at the pro hero.

"Classes are dismissed for the day as we investigate, return to the dormitories. Also, just to be clear. If you don't act accordingly and behave there will be consequences, understand Bakugo?" He glanced at the blonde who was frustrated at the fact the matches were now postponed.

A scoff angrily left the boy as the students dispersed from Ground Gamma and returned to the dormitories. Mina had eagerly walked over to the new found family, happily introducing herself to the young girl who was now walking in-between the couple clasping one of each parent.

"Hey sweetie! My name is Mina, what's yours?"

"Toshimi Iida." She replied happily.

Displeased. After returning to the dormitory, the tension and chaos from the unexpected child had settled. You introduced each of the classmates to Toshimi as she coaxed out information from her subtly. Laughter pulled his attention to where Izuku's fainted figure was on the floor and Ochaco's glowing crimson face as her stuttering increased. From what he gathered, when you lead the girl over to them Toshimi had joyfully addressed them as aunt and uncle. He watched as you kneeled towards the child and easily explained that she shouldn't reveal too much of the future to them in way the six year old would understand.

"I'm sorry." The girl apologized to the embarrassed couple with her head bowed.

"It's alright! Honestly!" Ochaco assured her face was still glowing with heat.

Everyone continued to gush over the girl, as she quickly made friends with your classmates. Tenya sat deep in thought on the couch, you gently placed your hands on his shoulders and squeezed them reassuringly. The attention was captivated by Toshimi as she explained the events leading up to her arrival in the past.

"My daddy took me to visit his agency, but a bad guy showed up! Obviously daddy captured him!" She said with pride before continuing.

"I saw a marble fall from the villain when he got captured, so I picked it up and was going to bring it to my dad when it broke in my hands." Tears started to roll her cheeks as she remembered her father screaming and running towards her with an outstretched hand.

Y/n walked over to the girl and pulled her into a comforting hug, rocking slightly to help ease the tears.

"You are safe now, everything will be okay." you stated as your gaze traveled to your boyfriend, knowing the story had upset him as well.

A displeased frown formed on his lips, knitted eyebrows and stern eyes greeted you.

"I should have been faster and rescued her."

Your lips pouted at the confession, mind blanking on what to say in order to ease the frustration growing within him.

"That's something for the future Iida to worry about, don't you think? Instead you should just focus on her now, keep her happy and safe the way you would want her to be." Tokoyami calmly stated, back leaning against the wall where he stood.

Since it was a villain's quirk or tool that had brought her here there was no way of knowing how or when she would return to the future with the limited knowledge about the quirk. Obsessing over details wouldn't help nor change anything.

"Tokoyami... You're absolutely right."

Your eyes locked with him again as they now shined in confidence, the sight warmed your body and brought tears to your eyes.

"Y/n if you start crying then Toshimi will cry again too." He exclaimed, startled at your tears.

Tenya watched as you wiped your eyes and a heartfelt laugh escaped you. His thoughts were still plagued with self displeasure, but he shook them away knowing everything would be okay with you by his side.

He will just need to remember to train even harder when he has kids he noted to himself.

Amazed. He watched you from across the room, the discussion about the time travel quirk happening around him falling on deaf ears. Todoroki placed a hand on his shoulder to draw him from his thoughts for a moment.

"You okay?" He simply questioned.

"Of course."

His eyes wandered back over to you, Toshimi practically attached to your hip while you and some of your classmates sat comfortably watching the Disney movie. Amazement settled on his features, even though a child was sprung into your life you hadn't faltered in your love for the girl. You effortlessly care for her in a way that could only come natural to you.

Singing along with her to the songs that blasted through the tv speakers. Grabbing Toshimi's hand and twirling her around the room, once 'I've got a dream' started playing earning her a big smile. When the girl's tiny hand absentmindedly reached into an empty bowl of popcorn, you swiftly switched the bowl with a full one you prepared in advance. Your nimble hands braided her hair effortlessly when she asked upon seeing Rapunzel's braid, you laughed lightly at the girl's excitement upon seeing your hard work.

You are amazing.

Tenya's thoughts were interrupted when a tiny hand tugged at him. Toshimi stood before him, cheerful eyes gazed at him while tugging at the hand she held in hers. His smile beamed down at her as he gripped her hand lightly.

Shoto's thoughts were interrupted when a cookie lightly touched his lips. You stood before him, Yume held in your arms as you both smiled happily at him. Yume's hand held out a cookie to his face eagerly, he gave her a bright smile in return and took a big bite of the cookie.

"Yes Toshimi?" he asked sweetly.

"Daddy, the important part is coming! Come watch it with us!" She beams.

His ears burned red with heat as his face quickly flushed at the request. His stunned eyes looked towards the coach where you sat, laughing silently as you watched him.

Tenya let his daughter lead him over to the coach where he sat beside you, the girl deciding to sit in his lap as you lean your head on his shoulder.

I could get used to this.

Overwhelmed. He had just chased her around outside in a game of tag, before finally catching the girl and pulling her into his arms. Her giggles echoed in the air as he twirled her in a circle before lowering her back down to the ground.

The girl tapped his leg, yelling a quick "you're it!" as she ran away from him once again. Her laughter reached his ears as he watched her run carefree around, swiveling around the trees.

"Woah! She has a lot of energy!" Izuku exclaimed breathlessly from behind him. Two hours of continuous running wore down his green haired friend.

The abundance of energy wasn't surprising to him, given she shared his engine quirk. He remembered how energetic he was at her age, often chasing his older brother Tensai around for hours. He pushed the thought away as he plunged into action again, not using his quirk in order for the girl to run happily as long as she wanted.

A few hours had passed and Tenya had only returned to the dormitory thirty minutes ago with his daughter in hand. However, the girl bounced on the balls of her feet before running around the building chasing down Kirishima and Tokoyami in a new game of tag.

He let out a tired sigh as he leaned back against the couch, his eyes closed from exhaustion. No matter how much energy he had as a kid, his daughter's endurance outmatched his by tenfold.

"She wore you out already?" you laughed, gentle hands reached out and fixed his tousled hair.

"The level of energy she possesses is overwhelming. Even when I was her age I would eventually get tired, but she just keeps going."

You sat beside him, a small smile formed on your lips at the thought of a young Tenya playing so much that he exhausted himself. A laugh escaped you , forcing his eyes open as he looked at you questioningly.

"I probably should have told you that when I was a kid I had so much energy I was practically bouncing off the walls. It might have stopped you from suggesting a game of tag." You laughed remembering how tired your parents often were in your younger years.

"It seems yours plus mine resulted in the world's most energetic future hero." He says happily, still reeling from the exhaustion that weighed on his body.

A crash from the floor above echoed to their ears, a grimace formed on both of your faces as you knew it had to involve your daughter. He stood quickly ignoring his already sore muscles as he made his way towards the sound.

"We should probably enlist Hagakure's help. if she places hide and seek with her it will eventually wear her out." You explained to him.

He looked at you as a laugh escaped him, before he reached over and pulled you into a hug. You had so simply come up with a solution that had left him feeling powerless. He couldn't have chosen a more perfect person to have a family with.

Thankful. After two days passed since Toshimi's appearance, the three of you were settled into a routine. He would wake her up and pass her along to you while he prepared breakfast. You would cook dinner while he entertained her with board games. You would tuck her into bed at night while he read her to sleep.

A sudden frown replaced the smile that graced her face a moment before. Tenya stiffened at the sight, quickly trying to piece together the cause for the sudden change.

"What's wrong princess?" he asked delicately, patting her head.

You shifted near the bed with your knees on the floor, laying a comforting hand over your daughters.

"I miss home, and my friends and Takashi."

"Takashi?" Tenya questioned.

"Big brother." She pouted.

Guilt ran through him, his thoughts from the other day rushing back into his mind. He inwardly cursed his future-self for not paying enough attention to her at that moment, for not being fast enough to rescue her.

You noticed the conflicted feelings wash over your boyfriend's face, as your eyes drifted back towards your daughter a pout still settled on her lips. You hummed in thought before finding the right words to comfort the little girl.

"Toshimi, who do you think the best hero is?" you hummed.

"Daddy!"

"Exactly! And the best hero is definitely going to bring you back home. There's no need to worry, okay? I promise everything will be just fine."

You pressed your lips to her temple for a goodnight kiss, your hand squeezed her gently to reassure her. When you had pulled back from your daughter you noticed that Tenya's face had relaxed at your words as well, and you happily leaned over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

The girl's eyes closed as she quickly drifted off to sleep, leaving her parents in the silence of the room. His gaze never left yours , wordlessly stunned by how you handled the situation better than he could have.

"You really believe in me that much?" his eyes softened as a small blush formed on his cheeks.

"Of course I do."

"I'm so thankful to have you with me y/n."

He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on your soft lips, making your heart beat faster and you breathe catch in your throat. The kiss was warm and loving, filled with every ounce of affection he held for you , showing just truly thankful he was to be by your side. He left you breathless and wanting more when he pulled away.

Satisfied. That night you camped on the floor of his room, letting your daughter keep the bed to herself. You were both settled in the sleeping bags, your eyelids grow heavy as you started to drift off to sleep. He watched your sleeping figure and felt himself relax at the sight.

Tenya finally let his tired eyes close as he drifted off into the darkness of the night, only to be awoken a few moments later to the dim light as a pink fog formed around his daughter. He sleepily watched as the fog expanded and thickened in density, the figure of the girl became harder to see and he could just barely make out the lines of a taller figure standing above the bed and holding the girl to his chest.

The image disappeared in a flash as the pink fog deepened and then receded quickly, an empty bed left in its place. He couldn't help but smile at the thought that his daughter was now safely back home and that she would wake up to her parents in the morning. The smile deepened when he thought about the figure that had appeared in the fog, knowing that it must have been his future-self.

His heart filled with joy as his eyes closed once again letting the darkness take over his mind as he drifted off to sleep, finally at peace.

----

"Tenya! Tenya!"

"Wake up!"

"Tenya!"

You desperately shook his shoulder , anxiety laced in your voice as you called out to him in his dreams.

When you had awoken to the morning light shining on your face and not to his gentle deep morning voice like before , you were confused. Then the sight of an empty bed where your daughter had been caused your heart to sink, you quickly jumped out of your sleeping bag and looked around the room for her.

The search had been fruitless, and as you now kneeled by Tenya's sleeping figure forcing him awake with your worry. His eyebrows furrowed together as sleepy eyes opened to greet you.

"Y/N?" his deep morning voice still thick with sleep questioned.

"She's not in bed, we have to go find her!" your mind raced as thousands thoughts swirled around your head.

"What if she ran away because of how upset she was last night?"

"Y/N-"

"How did the door opening not wake us up? I'm a light sleeper!" you interrupted him.

His heavy laugh filled the air and brought you out of your anxiety filled rambles. You watched as he put his glasses back on and he blinked away the remaining feelings of sleep that was holding onto him.

"I hate to break it to you, but you are definitely not a light sleeper by any means y/n." He laughed happily to himself.

"Is that really important right now?" You huffed out with a pink dust forming on your cheeks.

"She's back home."

your eyes widened and eyebrows rose in a questioning shock, your mind processing the information as you tried to ask him questions but you couldn't get the words to form. He noticed your shocked expression and how your mind must have been reeling from the sudden transition.

"After you went to sleep last night, the fog reappeared and took her back home. She's safe and probably woken up by now thinking the last few days were nothing but a bad dream." He explained.

You sighed in relief as the two of you shared a loving hug, the morning light still shining through the small slit in the curtains framing both of your figures. He looked at you in awe, before placing a tender kiss on your forehead.

"I love you y/n."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

｡･:*˚:✧｡ Bonus Scene:

You walked towards Tenya's room noticing Toshimi's laugh echoing out into the hallway, the crack in the doorway allowed for you to peek through slightly.

Toshimi continued to giggle as she desperately tried to place the facemask on Tenya's face with her tiny hands. Tenya's glasses were off his face and his hair was pulled back by a fuzzy cat headband, a soft smile plastered on his face making the corners of his eyes crinkle. The pure affection that glowed in his eyes caused your body to still at the sight, the heat coursing through your body traveled to your fingertips engulfing them in a pink hue. You pushed away the oughts as you swung open the door , making your presence known.

He jerked his head in the direction of the noise, dark blue eyes meeting your y/e/c ones. Hair still pulled from his face, a slight shine covering his facial features from where your daughter had tried to attach the face mask. You eyed the products on the desk and in your daughter's hands as she excitingly picked what she was going to try next.

"I thought I was missing some selfcare products! so this is where they ran off to?!" You teased.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to give daddy a makeover!" She giggled.

"Well in that case, can I help?"

"Yes!"

She all but dragged you over to her workstation in the form of Tenya's desk and started to place items in your hands as she explained what she was going to do next to the man in the seat. He listened intently to her words with soft eyes and a loving smile that made your heart flutter the more you looked upon it.

"Daddy, after the makeover you're going to be the most handsome hero." Toshimi boasted about her skills.

"I think daddy already is sweetie, but we can make him even more handsome."

Tenya tensed in his seat , the blistering heat radiating from his cheeks at the words. He shyly massaged the back of his neck with closed eyes as he tried to repress the growing blush. You two were going to send him into cardiac arrest one of these days.

Hitoshi Shinsou:

A five year old girl stood before them, tears rolling down her round cheeks as she cried.

Surprised. At the sight of the girls, everyone's nerves calmed down as they tried to understand the situation. Hitoshi took another glance towards the girl that was now being comforted by All Might and Aizawa.

His heart pounded against his ribcage as he took in their appearance, which has become more familiar to him the more traits he saw. The conversations and noise happening around him faded as he was frozen in shock at the sight.

The girls hair was a light indigo color, with bright y/e/c eyes the irises white just like his. Her nose scrunched up cutely as she to calmed down, just like yours. The smile that lit up her face as All Might transformed into his hero form originally belonged to you, and the way she excitedly squealed was a picture perfect copy of yours.

Izuku was just as quick at piecing together the traits.

"Shinsou, you don't have younger siblings do you?" he timidly asked.

Hitoshi was still too surprised to answer coherently. Instead he had shook his head 'no' before he glanced your way, Izuku's eyes following suit.

You and Ochaco had been gushing over the girl's cuteness, you paused for a brief moment as you noticed his stare and waved happily.

"Those girls look exactly like what I imagine y/n & I's would." He whispered under his breath, Izuku being the only one who could hear.

Hitoshi still had his eyes trained on you, his mind reeling from the conclusion it had jumped to.

Panicked. There was a resounding silence that echoed as a joyful squeal filled the air. The girl had managed to see you among the students, and ran as she happily squealed. Your arms had opened as if on instinct, and the small girl jumped into your arms with her face now buried into your shoulder.

"Do you know this girl y/n?" Tsu questioned, her face eyebrows furrowed in thought.

You shook your head 'no' silently in surprise, while offering comforting pats along the small girl's back.

"Daddy!" The girl screamed again, looking towards Hitoshi from her place on your shoulder.

The girl in your arms stirred as she struggled to get out of your grip, you slowly let her down towards the ground being careful that she wouldn't fall. Once her feet hit the ground she ran towards him with outstretched hands, excitement bubbled on her face as she took in the sight of him.

His cheeks burned with red heat, the train of thought completely stopped as his eyes glanced from the child to you. Even though he had assumptions, The title of "daddy." had caught him off guard and he was slow to recover.

"Daddy?" The girl whimpered, eyes watering.

The shrill of panic waved through him once more, his hands becoming sweaty in his pockets from the heat his body was producing. The tips of his ears and neck now matched his bright crimson face as he leaned down and picked the girl up in his arms.

"Shinsou and y/n have a kid!?!?" Kaminari bellowed loudly.

Chaos erupted as Hitoshi walked over to you with hasty steps, making sure to keep a steady grip on his daughter. Your eyes were wide as he stood next beside you , mentally trying to process now having a daughter out of thin air.

Your mind swirled for answers, but you couldn't help the deep blush that took over your face as Hitoshi's free hand held yours. The action made your heart flutter loudly in your ears. This isn't the first time you've held hands with your boyfriend, but in this moment you two didn't just look like a cute couple, but instead a family.

Aizawa managed to gain control over the rowdy students, instructing everyone to the dormitories.

"There's obviously no point in continuing classes today while we investigate. I need to inform the principal, Iida, make sure the class acts accordingly." He states firmly with tired eyes.

Intrigued. Y/N had decided to go back with him to his dorm instead of the class 1-A dorm, deciding separating wouldn't be good for the girl now in your care. After comforting the girl at the dormitory, y/n was able to coax out bits and pieces of information from her. Your subtle questions being simple and easy for the five year old to understand. His amazement at your ability to be calm and collected in this situation made him Intrigued, he hadn't been able to utter a single word since his brain short-circuited with the simple title acquirement of 'daddy'.

"My name is Nozomi!" the girl happily introduced herself to the students.

"How cute!"

Everyone gushed over the girl, as she quickly made friends with his classmates. Hitoshi sat on the couch next to you, gently placed your hand on his own. Both sets of eyes watched on as Nozomi danced along the room playing with the classmates she met.

"Nozomi said a villain hit her with his quirk while she was watching us fight." you stated while you gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"Time travel is such a strong quirk, and to think a villain had it and used it on our daughter is worrying." His eyebrows furrowed at the thought.

Since it was a villain who brought her here there was no way of knowing if and when they would return to the right timeline, or what their goals were in doing this in the first place. Thoughts about how this could affect the future weighed down on his shoulders and he grimaced at the lack of information they possessed.

"I know it's sudden, but I think we could be good parents while she is here, don't you think so too?"

Your eyes locked with his in confidence and at the mere sight of it, a soft smile formed on his lips.

"Well of course, she is our daughter."

Hitoshi watched as a wide smile grew on your lips and a gentle laugh escaped you. His thoughts were still plagued with questions that desperately wanted answers, but he knew with you by his side everything would work itself out.

He wanted to enjoy every moment he spent with you and his daughter, while the three of you played house in his dorm.

Loved. He watched you from afar, his classmates rambling about how the time travel quirk could work brought him out of his thoughts as he tried to pay attention.

His eyes wandered back over to you, Nozomi practically attached to your hip as you flawlessly moved around the kitchen. Amazement settled on his features, even when Nozomi had gotten in your way or had tried to open the stove on her own, you handled it effortlessly like a dance.

Glided around the Nozomi to grab ingredients. Grabbed the girl's hand and twirled her in another direction. She asked to lick the cookie dough off the spoon, you swiftly complied with a laugh. Tiny hands tried to reach for the newly baked cookies without you looking, you lightly tapped them away with your fingers and a smile.

How are you so amazing?

Hitoshi's thoughts were interrupted when a cookie lightly touched his lips. You stood before him, Nozomi held in your arms as you both smiled happily at him. Nozomi's hand held out a cookie to his face eagerly, he gave her a bright smile in return and took a big bite of the cookie.

"My Love, tell him what you just told me." you laugh.

Nozomi beamed. "Daddy gets the first one!"

He coughed viciously as he almost choked on the treat. The two of you had laughed at his response.

Lonely. That night after Aizawa had left with Eri, a faint pink mist started to form around the girls. You drew Hitoshi's attention to the growing mist as your hand clasped around his.

His heart sank at their figure's being overtaken as the mist turned to a thick fog. He could no longer see their features and he desperately wanted to reach out and yank them into his arms. Hitoshi's arm rose slightly, face etched in sadness when you stopped him.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." Sorrow filled his eyes as the fog faded, the girl no longer hiding within it.

"The future you is greeting her right now."

Silence settled between you as you embraced him in a hug, tightly holding on to him in hopes you could ease the loss.

"I thought when they went home I would be relieved that she had returned safely, but I already miss having her around."

He held onto you tightly, burying his face in your shoulder.

Eager. The rest of that night was filled with you cuddling your boyfriend in his dorm, comforting him despite the sudden arrival and loss of his daughter. His arms wrapped lazily around you in his sleep as the morning sun shined brightly through his balcony doors.

"Good Morning, how are you feeling?" you questioned, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

He smirked, placing a finger in between your eyebrows.

"Better."

"Yeah?" you were still worried about him.

"If you want to make me feel even better than I do right now, you can agree to having Nozomi right after we graduate high school."

"We'll think about that after you graduate into the hero program." You tease.

"With that kind of motivation how could I lose?" He laughed nuzzling into your neck.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

｡･:*˚:✧｡ Bonus Scene:

He woke up to the feeling of an empty bed as he reached out his hand searching for his daughter and you. His tired eyes slowly opened, drifting lazily over the dark room looking for the missing figures only to meet with emptiness, his eyes darted toward the clock to see 1:52 reflected brightly on the digital screen.

He got out of bed and went looking for the bodies missing from his bed, tired feet carrying him towards the kitchen where he heard slight movement in the middle of the night.

His body stopped suddenly when he took in the image in front of him , you and Nozomi were dancing in your pajamas in the middle of the kitchen. The air pods split up between the two of you as you both trailed happily around in the stove's glow as it was the only light brightening up the kitchen ground. He watched amused, careful not to make a sound as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms with a smug expression taking over his face.

Your dancing continued for a few more moments before you suddenly turned his way, eyes instantly catching the figure standing in the darkness as shock washed over your face. Your sudden stop made your daughter stop as well as she looked in the direction your eyes were gazing towards before a blush crept onto her face at the sight of her father.

Hitoshi and you stared at each other in silence and disbelief for a few moments as you thought about what to say to your boyfriend when the oven timer beeps interrupting your thoughts.

"We got hungry and made late night brownies." You say shyly.

"Would you like some?"

"Only if you two promise the next time you decide to have a dance party In the kitchen you invite me to." He smirks happily as he makes his way closer to you.

Tamaki Amajiki:

A seven year old girl stood before them with confusion written on her face as she took in her surroundings.

Anxious. The unsettling feeling of anxiety racked over his body as he heard the principal's voice call his name along with yours on the speaker system, directing the two of you to head towards Ground Gamma. His hand shook as he walked next to you in the hallway, as far as he knew there were no exercises that they had been made aware of and were assisting in. So why are they suddenly calling just the two of you out there?

You clasped his hand in yours as you two walked side by side, a slight blush formed on his cheeks before quickly receding due to his anxious thoughts. You took in the sight of his knitted eyebrows and creased forehead as you glanced from the side, his anxiety gnawing on your emotions as you felt the need to reassure him.

"Takami, I don't think it's anything to worry about. Just remember I'm here for you okay?"

"Thank you Y/N, I'm sorry I get nervous so easily."

"Don't be, we are a couple and couples rely on each other when they need comfort so that's not something you need to say sorry for." you reassured him before you both continued on your way.

The cold winter air bristled your skin as you walked towards Ground Gamma. You sniffled as another sharp breeze wrapped around your body, Tamaki's hand releasing from yours suddenly as you shivered from the loss of heat. The thick U.A blazer was placed firmly on your shoulders, you blinked and glanced over to the boy at your side who now only stood in his short sleeve uniform shirt. He gave a shy half-smile before extending his hand out to you once more, which you took happily relishing in the warmth that radiated off his skin.

The appearance of the erasure hero came into view as they got closer to their destination. Briskly walking the last few steps to meet the teacher in front of them, Aizawa's stern tired eyes met theirs as they faintly heard the sounds of the year one students fighting against each other.

"Aizawa sensei, did you need our help with another exercise?" You questioned.

He stayed silent for a moment pondering on his answer before simply stating "No."

"Then sir , why are we here?"Tamaki asked with confusion written clearly on his face.

The teacher observed the two for a moment before releasing a long sigh and jutting his head in the direction behind him. His gaze was drawn to a young girl sitting in All Might's lap as she happily listened to him tell her stories. Her long indigo hair reached just below her waist, her delicate finger moving a few strands behind her elfish-like ears. The bright y/e/c eyes shined with amazement at something she just heard from the retired number one hero.

The similarities shook him to his core, she crinkled by the child's as she smiled were exactly the same as yours. The nose he had gotten so used to see on your face now rested on the girl in question, and her bubbly laughter made his stomach sink because the only person he ever heard with laughter as sweet and honeyed as that was from your lips.

"She appeared while we were setting up for the next round of class matches, after asking her some questions we were able to briefly understand what was going on." Aizawa started to explain to them.

"I don't understand-" You started.

"Is that girl-? Is she-? She looks like our future love child."Tamaki stutters out, interrupting you.

Your eyes widened at the statement glancing over at Aizawa to see him nod his head in confirmation of the claim. You looked over to the girl once more taking in her features as you start to notice the remarkable similarity she has to the two of you that you hadn't taken into account beforehand.

"She introduced herself as Meiko Amajiki, the daughter of Suneater and y/h/n. Would you like to meet her?"

Tamaki nervously shakes his head in reply as his hand reaches out for yours once more. You accept it graciously and your thumb rubs circles into the back of his hand to calm him and yourself as the three make their way to the child.

Flustered. The tension crackled in the air like electricity the closer he got to the girl happily playing in All Might's lap. His footsteps echoed into his ears as he walked on the pavement, panicked eyes plastered to his shoes not willing himself to look up as thoughts overwhelmed his mind. A love child from the future suddenly dropped into their lives, would he even be able to take care of her the same way his future-self would? Would she cry when she saw him ? He's never been that great at babysitting.

The singsong voice resounded caused him to tense as she called out and rejoiced in the excitement at seeing the younger form of her parents. Her wide sparkling eyes met his as she looked up from his feet in shock at the child running towards him, arms wide open ready to jump into his arms at any moment.

"Daddy!" The girl cheered as he tightly wrapped his arms around her when she jumped at his figure.

The dazzling smile she praised lit up his world like sunlight, he turned crimson in awe of the brightness that engulfed him from the girl in his arms. He never experienced something quite as beautiful and warm as the feeling of love he felt from his future daughter, it made him in freeze place not knowing what to do next in the situation.

"Daddy?" The girl questioned upon seeing his tensed reactions.

You took over the situation with ease. You directed the girl's attention towards you, noticing that Tamaki was lost in thought as the blistering crept to the points of his ears and down his neck. You waved your hand in greeting, a wide smile placed on your lips as you spoke.

"Hi Meiko! We are so excited to see you!"

"But daddy isn't talking.."

"Daddy is just so amazed at how beautiful you are that it shocked him for a moment sweetheart."

"Oh! Like when he sees you walk down the stairs on date night?!" The girl questioned happily as you choked on air.

"That's right!"

Her laughter filled your ears as Tamaki looked between you two in awe, eyes brimming with tears at the sudden family. The acquired role of a father being placed on his shoulders, his face still blistered from the heat rushing throughout his body not yet used to being addressed as daddy.

Tamaki wordlessly brushed his hand through the soft tresses of his daughter's hair, looping strands around his fingers as he played with it. Contemplating how such a beautiful child could be the by-product of anything he created in the world , but then remembering you was obviously the reason for why your daughter had grown into such a lovely child.

"Meiko, I'm really happy to meet you." He said softly , his eyes lowering in bliss.

Meiko bubbled with giggles as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and engulfed him in a tight hug. The conversation is still going on between you and Meiko as she released herself from the sudden hug and looked back to you with sparkling eyes , voice animated as she rambled about her new favorite tv show.

"Amajiki , we are going to let the two of you look after her while she's here. She'll be more comfortable around people she knows rather than strangers, while we continue looking into how to return her home." Aizawa explained with a tired expression.

"I'll take care of her!" Tamaki confidently confirmed shocking you beside him.

Tamaki's confidence suffered greatly on a day to day basis ,but when it mattered he was able to completely shut off the negative thoughts that plagued his mind and become the bright hero you have come accustomed to seeing on missions. A soft smile formed on your lips as you took onto the sight of your boyfriend holding your daughter in his arms with a stern look of resolve washed over his features.

"In that case, Meiko, are you ready to go to the dormitory with us?" You asked brightly.

"Yes Please!"

She worked her way out of Tamaki's strong hold on her as she jumped down from his arms , he looked distraught from the sudden loss of holding his daughter in his arms while his hands shook slightly.

Meiko reached out both her hands to grab onto each of her parents, adjusting herself in the middle of the couple as she prepared herself for the walk to the dormitory. When the couple didn't admittedly start walking to their destination, she gazed up with a questioning look at her parents. Tamaki's face returned to the crimson hue as the blush crept back on to his features at the girl's actions, the thought didn't escape him that they really looked like a family like this each holding one of her hands as they walked happily.

His happy family.

Fascinated. After returning to the dormitory, y/n was able to gather more information out of the girl. The subtle way of getting to know your future daughter without putting pressure on her amazed him as he watched from the sidelines. He took note of the things the girl mentioned she liked and what she disliked as they talked as well as the expressions she would make that reminded him so much of yours whenever he would see you get excited about a particular topic.

"Meiko, how did you end up getting here anyways?" Tamaki asked cautiously.

The bubbly girl stopped for a moment deep in thought over the question she was asked, her hands clapped together as she started to explain the story to the both of them.

"I was visiting the park with uncle Mirio, and when I was playing with a kid her quirk suddenly activated. The next thing I knew I was here and even got to meet All Might!" She giggled happily.

You gasped at the realization another child was the reason for her traveling to this time. Since it was a child who brought her here, there was no way of knowing if and when she would return to the right timeline. A moment of worry rushed through your features as you tried to conceal it from the child who made her way over to Tamaki to sit in his lap rather than in her own spot on the coach.

The third year classmates gushed at the overwhelming cuteness your daughter possessed as she waved at the students with a bright smile each time she caught eyes with a new person in the lounge. Tamaki's face lowered as flustered with his bangs from the immense stares being thrown his way at the attention his cute daughter was attracting.

"Uncle Mirio, that means me right?!" The eccentric blonde laughed, his blue eyes shining at the girl.

"Uncle!" The girl gleamed, jumping from her spot on Tamaki lap.

The pair happily jumped in excitement at meeting each other as he took Meiko in his arms and twirled her around the room happily introducing his niece to all of the classmates. Tamaki watched in wonder at the two forces of light that filled any room they walked into with joy. She looked so much like him but at the same time she acted nothing like him. The fact fascinated him as he continued to watch from afar from his seat beside you, clutching your hand in his ass he lowered his head to rest on your shoulder shielding his face from the curious onlookers.

"She's so bright, like you and Mirio combined." He mumbles under his breath barely audible to where only you could hear.

You stilled beneath him at the words wishing you could see the emotions on his face in order to gauge how he was feeling in the moment.

"Really? From what I see she shines more like you, a dazzling moonlight that lights up the dark nights."

You knew he would think you were just saying that in order to make him feel better, but as you looked at your daughter playing with Mirio from a distance the only thing you saw was the same bright light that Tamaki would have when ever he would be around his best friend.If Mirio was the the sun to Tamaki , then he was most defiantly the moon to you.

"Thank you." He hummed into your shoulder the vibrations sending chills down your spine.

"Do you really think she shines like me ?" He asks the thoughts eating at him once he thinks a bit to long on your words.

"Of course, the spitting image of you when you are fighting crime or happily laughing with Mirio."

"I want her to be more confident than I am."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." you laugh lightheartedly.

"I hope she stays that bright forever."

"She will."

Tamaki moves slightly to where he can look into your eyes, a deep blush formed on his cheeks as his eyes deepened with affection as he took in your features. It wasn't just his daughter that fascinated him, but you as well. The way your words always managed to settle his heart and ease his mind when he was panicked, the way your smile would cause his form even if he was having a bad day , or the way your laughter would cause his heart to quicken and his face to flush just from hearing it.

He timidly leaned into you as he placed a soft kiss to your lips, drinking in the way the felt against his. The sweet taste rewarded him as he licked his tongue over lips when you parted them in shock. An audible gasp drew his attention away from you to the room still full of his classmates as his body turned crimson his eyes darted to the floor in shame.

"Y/N I'm sorry, -" He started while stuttering out the words.

"That was amazing." You interrupted him hoping to raise his self esteem and assure him that you did not mind the sideshow of public affection.

He stiffly walked towards a wall placing his head against it while he tried to calm his blistering body from the thought that people had witnessed him kiss you so openly. His fingertips felt hot against his face as she covered his face with his hands, trying to block out the mental pictures of shock written on his classmates faces.

Enchanted. He watched you from afar, Mirio's laughter bringing him out of his thoughts briefly as he made eye contact with his blonde best friend once more. A soft smile overtaking his lips as he listened to the story was explaining to Neijire and him, before his gaze drifted ever so slightly back to you.

Meiko was sitting on your lap as you both drew pictures together happily, the crayons around and markers scattered around the table you were at. Every so often the child's tiny hands would stop moving and she would pick up the paper to show you waiting for praise on her latest work of art. Your sweet laughter enchanted him as you would pat her head in gently and look in awe at what the girl had shown you.

You were so effortlessly caring for a child that had been thrusted into your life. The parenting came to you easily as you played and took care of the girl in your arms, where he would still become flustered and have trouble speaking whenever the girl called him daddy or attracted too much attention his way from his classmates. You were enchanting to him, the way you were able to so care-freely smile with Meiko as if everything in the world was normal and she wasn't brought here out of the blue.

You are amazing.

Tamaki's thoughts were interrupted when a piece of paper constricted his view of you. Meiko stood before him, hands outstretched towards him holding a drawing she just completed. The bright smile still adorning her lips as her sparkling eyes met his, he took the art carefully in his hands to adjust his eyes to the paper. He saw the figures of a happy family of three outside a house, all smiling happily as he took note of their characteristics resembling the three of them. A soft smile was brought to his lips as he reached down to hug his daughter and bring her onto his lap.

"You are an amazing artist." He said gently, patting her head.

Meiko beamed. "I made that one special, just for you daddy!"

His heart hammered against his chest as he took in the bright smile the girl was rewarding him, faintly heating the laughter from Mirio and Neijire at his side from his reaction.

Determined. After two days had passed since Meiko appeared, he had realized how much the girl loved to have tea parties. Often dragging you and him to your imaginary set up in the lounge area, when you suggested the idea of having a real tea party to the girl she was ecstatic and therefore Tamaki was now walking with the girl at his side as he entered Fatgum's agency.

She carried the self decorated invitations she created in her hands as they walked hand in hand. Her bubbly smile caught the attention of his coworkers as they passed by, his gaze lowering to the ground as they walked further into the building.

Fatgum greeted them happily as they entered his office, slightly shocked by the child accompanying his protégée especially since she looked so similar to Tamaki.

"Hello Suneater, who is this cutie following you around today?"

"This is Meiko, y/n and I'd future love child that got sent back in time." Tamaki nervously explained , his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

The pro hero stiffened in his seat at the news, shock temporarily taking over his features before he pushed it away replacing it with a bright smile he directed towards the young girl in the room.

"Well hello there Meiko, what brings you here today?" he asks excitedly, eyeing the invitations in her hands.

"I'm inviting you to a tea party! There's invitations for daddy's friends Kiri and Tetsu to!" She bubbled before running up to him and placing the invitations in his hand.

"It's a bit last minute, the tea party is for later today . I was hoping you could bring them along with you after paroling." Tamaki apologized sheepishly.

"Oh woah! Of course I'll be there and I'll make sure to bring them along. How could we miss such a cute girl's tea party?" He stated, happily while ruffling the girl's hair with his hands.

He watched as Fatgum picked up his daughter and carried her around his building introducing her to the staff, happily rejoicing in the fact that Tamaki had a bright future ahead of him with a happy family waiting for him. He received endless praises for his daughter's cuteness as they gushed about her bubbly personality, his face turned crimson as he tried to fight the feeling of walking out of the building before his daughter was done playing with his mentor.

One thought played over in his head as he watched the girl beam as Fatgum lifted her up on his shoulder.

I want to make this the best tea party she's ever had.

Determination filled his bones as he pulled out his phone, searching for your contact number before sending you ideas to add to the preparations.

"Daddy, Fatgum said there's a cookie shop nearby. Can we stop there on the way home?" You sing out while looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Of course sweetheart, anything your heart desires." He said sweetly as he brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and back behind her ear.

She started to drag him out of the building as he waved goodbye to Fatgum and his coworkers, they looked on at the sight with happiness at how much the girl was bringing Tamaki out of his shell.

"We should bring some for y/n too, I wonder what flavor they would like though." Tamaki thought out loud hands till being held by his daughter as they walked on the sidewalk.

"Oh! I know that one! It's mint chocolate chip, they told Aunt Neijire one time it's her favorite because your breath always smells like mint!" The girl happily confessed what she had overheard in the future.

Tamaki's body went numb as his body temperature rose at an alarming rate. The fingers that held onto the girls hand burned crimson as she looked up at him in curiosity, the pair stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as people passed by them. His face was covered by his bangs as he gazed down towards his shoes, eyes wide in shock at the confession he was never supposed to hear.

He mentally took a note to always keep an extra stock of mints in case he ever ran out.

Heartbroken. That Night as the two of you were cleaning up the party supplies while Meiko was happily running around the lounge with Mirio, a shocked gasp drew your attention from picking up trash to the pink mist forming around your daughter. You took Tamaki's hand in your as you lead him close to the girl watching her figure get swallowed by the growing fog.

His heart sank to his stomach as he watched the growing fog become thick to where he couldn't make out her features, anxiety grew in him as he wrestled with the idea of rushing into the fog and pulling her back out in order to spend a few more days with her. Tears fell down his cheeks as he curled an arm around your waist and placed his face in your shoulder, his heart breaking at the sight of his daughter leaving so suddenly bringing him to cry on your shoulder.

"I don't want her to leave" Sorrow laced his voice as it shook into your neck.

"Just think about how much future you have been missing her the last few days and how happy he will be seeing her again." You said softly rubbing his back to calm his tears.

The light from the pink fog dissipated as the fog faded and the indigo haired girl no longer stood before them.

Silence filled the room as Mirio looked at you with sadness , not knowing what to do in order to comfort his friend at this moment. You smile softly in return and grab Tamaki's hand leading him to your room for the night.

When you reached your room, you kept the lights off only allowing the curtains to open slightly to fill the room with dim moonlight as you pulled him to your bed. He refused to look you in the eye as he sat on the bed motionless, you hurriedly changed into pajamas in your closet not wanting to take too long in order to comfort your boyfriend who was reeling with the loss of his future daughter.

"Tamaki" You started to get shy as you sat on the bed next to him. "Cuddle with me tonight?"

His hands urgently reached for you, holding you tightly in his embrace and he let the tears fall freely down his cheeks once more. You caressed your fingers through his indigo strands as you let him feel his emotions openly within the comfort of your arms.

Confident. The rest of that night was filled with tears and needy cuddles , as he refused to let go of your figure, half afraid you would disappear as well he didn't keep a firm hold on you. His tears finally stopped as he fell into a deep peaceful sleep, while you brushed away the remaining wet tears that rolled down his eyes.

The sunlight filled the room through the opening in the curtain as your eyes adjusted to the morning light, blinking away the sleep that had taken over you.

You look down to Tamaki's face that was nestled on your chest as his arms were wrapped securely around you in a tight embrace. His face was peaceful as he continued to sleep through the morning hours. You gently brushed some hair out of his eyes and behind his ear as he flinched at the movement , eyes slowly opening to take in your figure beneath him highlighted by the sunlight of the room.

"Good morning Tamaki, how are you feeling?" You gently questioned while running your hands through his tousled sleep hair.

"My heart still feels empty knowing she's no longer here, but I had a dream about our family last night."

"Oh yeah, what happened in the dream?"

"We were happy, hugging her and playing with her as she ran around the backyard of our house. We had a dog that she would chase around and when she got tired of being out in the sun she would jump into my arms and have me carry her inside." " She said happily, sighing at the memory.

"That sounds like a beautiful dream."

Tamaki laid with his head still resting on your chest as he listened to your heartbeat racing beneath him as the thought about the last few days .

"I think I'm going to be a good father in the future." He says with confidence gaining in his voice.

"I know you are going to be a good father."

He takes in a breath before slowly exhaling and looking up to make eye contact with your eyes. "There were a few empty rooms in the house I dreamed of."

"were there?" you teased with a smirk forming on your lips.

"We should give her some siblings in the future."

─── ⋆⋅��⋅⋆ ──

｡･:*˚:✧｡ Bonus Scene:

Meiko happily welcomed her guests into the cutely decorated area where her tea party was taking place. Knowing how excited she was to host this, Takami and you went all out on the decorations in order to assure your daughter's smiling face.

The miniature pink tea set, plates already set out around the table, linens neatly folded and pastries prepared in advance and set out aesthetically on a three tiered tray. The teapot filled with water, so the guests could actually sip their cups instead of pretending to, which had been an idea you slipped to Takami as you two were setting up.

Fatgum, Kirishima and Testutestu eagerly walked into the room, Fatgum being dragged by Meiko's tiny hands as she led him to the seat she declared as his. Nejire and Mirio strolled in happily behind the group, Eri being held in his arms as she looked around the table amazed.

"I've never been to a tea party before." Eri whispered hiding behind Mirio when he placed her down.

"That's okay! The only thing you need to do is have fun and make friends!" Meiko cheered, taking the girl's hand in hers and leading her over to the seat next to hers.

"See and and now your friends with me!" your daughter exclaimed with a bright smile.

Eri's timid expression was replaced by an equally bright smile as the girl's laughter filled the room.

The afternoon was filled with joy as the tea party carried on effortlessly. Tamaki was shyly fed sweets by Meiko every now and then which would cause his face to burn with heat, Mirio would laugh at the sight and prompt Eri to do the same. Fatgum would tell funny stories he acquired over the years , as Kirishima eagerly accepted the offering of refills.

Meiko's happiness lit up the room as if she was the sun herself, she eagerly nodded her head and laughed when Kirishima and Tetsutetsu offered to arm wrestle in order to show was the strongest. Takami watched from his seat beside you, the sight of his daughter so happily playing with all the people closest in his life made his heart throb in his chest.

"You okay Takami?" You questioned when you noticed his far off gaze.

"I'm better than okay. I'm the luckiest father in the world to have such a beautiful family to call my own."

You took in a sharp breath as you covered your face with your hands, hiding the evident blush that formed at the unexpected statement. The blistering heat warmed your hands as the blush rushed to your ears and neck the more you thought of his words.

"Y/N? What happened over there?" Kirishima questioned after he was declared winner of the wrestling match, bringing everyone's attention to you.

The blush instantly turned to a crimson color and you lowered your hands to see the gazes of everyone around the table.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⋆ ★ A/N: This took me so much longer than I originally thought it would!

For my next requests that has multiple characters I'm probably going to shorten my writing in order to make it easier for me to fulfill meeting my requests in timely manner.

I did end up reusing the prompt I used for Shoto with Hitoshi just because I could no longer look at my screen anymore.

I'm also thinking of writing a part two with Bakugo , Kirishima , Monoma and Mirio. Let me know if you would like me to post that eventually.

[shadowuserannie]

The Sentience of the Elementals

As much as MONSTA claims the Elementals aren't alive, it's a popular fandom-wide HC-mainly because if it's not canon, then canon falls apart.

'Retak'ka was corrupted by his power and greed' 'The Voltra power corrupted Kira'na and began to drive her insane' These are canon happenings that directly resulted because of the Elementals' interference.

And sure, it can be argued that they would have been corrupted without the power anyway. But canon points to otherwise-especially when you take into account who holds the Elementals most of the time. Out-of-character things for Boboiboy are in-character for the Elementals, and that points to them being separate people rather than the same person, different clothes.

Yet, at the same time, if the Elementals can truly possess their wielders, then there are some disturbing implications about Retak'ka and Kira'na 'insanity'. Because that hints the powers that Boboiboy uses for good have actually manipulated others into evil.

Hence my current theory on the Elementals' true sentience.

The Elementals are alive, but not completely sentient.

So explanation time-remember Beliung's manic episodes? My current theory is that the Elementals are alive, but alive in the way an animal might be-definitely living, definitely alive, just not really able to think intelligently. Because each time someone has 'lost control', it's been associated with emotions. Kira'na's rage at Retak'ka. Retak'ka's greed. Beliung's manic happiness. Blaze and Ais ran on emotion during their fight on Baraju.

But. This actually changes depending on their host.

Think of it this way-without Boboiboy, the Elementals are just pure, raw elements and emotion. When he is their wielder, they take the form he does-gaining sentience, intelligence, separate personalities and their emotions being better reigned in. However, this is also because Boboiboy recognizes they are alive, and is thus able to subsequently grant them that autonomy and intelligence. Without that recognition, they are just bundles of raw emotion.

Hence why Retak'ka and Kira'na were overtaken.

Gamma didn't mean to overtake Retak'ka. Voltra didn't want Kira'na to attack so many people. But without the recognition of their holders, they are just emotions lashing out without a proper sentience or intelligence to direct them.

So I fixed the theory. This is my personal one yay.

[melancholy-of-nadia]

love u lately (m) #10 | myg/knj/pjm

title: love u lately​ chapter title: #10 - honey pairing: yoongi x f. reader, namjoon x f. reader, jimin x f. reader (yoonminjoon x f. reader) rating/genre: m (18+) ; smut ; college/university au , pseudo frat! bts; best friends! yoonminjoon friends to lovers; summary: you decide, after the strangest and most chaotic night, that it is time to come home. but how will you manage to settle all these matters with your fellow housemates and loves of your life? Easy. Through a powerpoint presentation and some deep convos. warnings:  implied sex, texts from WHO, scolding, frat intervention, A LOT OF FLUFF, comedy, the bonobos, other fic ref, AND MORE CONFESSIONS, DEEP TALKS, more rom-com fluff, WE'RE REACHING THE RESOLUTION ARC note: @daegudrama has been busy with her sushi chef arc but please send her love because she still edited this despite being busy. apologies if there are some error, i will fix them more once the fic ends. total word count: 7.8k drop date:  May 24th, 2024, 5PM PST cross posted on AO3 here ← #9 | Series Masterlist | #11

March 2nd [Saturday]

It’s as if once all these confessions about love come to light, and things begin to slowly change. As you awaken to the gentle light filtering through the curtains, you find Namjoon lying beside you, his features illuminated by the morning sun. The sight of him, peaceful in slumber, warms your heart as you reach for your phone on the bedside table, the events of the previous night still fresh in your mind.

You click on the screen to see the home screen.

"Huh? I got texts from a number I don’t know last night," you murmur aloud, prompting Namjoon to stir beside you, his morning voice heavy with sleep yet undeniably alluring.

“What does it say?” He inquires, his morning voice groggy, but deeper than usual. It’s kind of hot. Fuck.

“Uh,” You unlock the phone to read the first message, “Wait, it’s from Jihyo? How did she even get my number…” Your voice trails off as you read the message. Namjoon’s eyes widen a bit.

Unknown [12:34AM]: Hi? Is this Y/N? Unknown [12:34AM]: It’s Jihyo. Unknown [12:35AM]: I know this is so random since we never talked, but I just wanted to reach out and tell you about Namjoon. If he hasn’t told you yet, he likes you.

"That’s very… blunt," you remark, passing the phone to him. He swiftly reads all the messages with a furrowed brow, his hand coming up to rub his face, frustrated.

"What?" you prompt, sensing his unease as he hands the phone back to you.

"Shit…" he mutters, his gaze fixed on the screen as you continue reading.

Unknown [12:37AM]: I’ve been debating to even bother telling you this, but I went to a GOT party with Namjoon back in October.

The party where the universe shifted for you and all of this started. The same party where you saw Namjoon and Jihyo kissing, which tore at your heart and made your soul rage. What more about that night did you not know as you and Yoongi were locked in the confines of the Gamma bathroom and later on in your bedroom.

Unknown [12:39AM]: Namjoon had pregamed with a couple of guys before we decided to drop by the Gamma house and by the time we got here, he was slowly losing it. At some point, he started blabbering about you and how he didn’t like you crushing on JB and complaining about his frustrations. Unknown [12:40AM]: I was getting annoying but I played along and asked him if he liked you. I didn’t think much of it but then he said “yeah…but i can’t”. ???? I was so done at this point! I was about to leave the party, but Namjoon kept sweet-talking me and then he kissed me and I kissed him back…

“Namjoon…” You pause, your gaze flickering up to Namjoon with a mix of disbelief and confusion. His gaze meets yours, and he offers no explanation, simply urging you to continue reading.

“Keep reading.” He says. You do.

Unknown [12:41 AM]: We came back to my place and I was still upset. I didn’t know what to do with him. He clearly wasn’t as into me as I thought, so I called Hoseok and he came to his side. I went to bed, and I told Chaeyeong to let them stay in the living room even though she was close to kicking his ass. And they left the next morning and I broke up with him not long after.

"You’re so!? Agh!" you exclaim, your voice muffled by your palm as you struggle to find the right words. Yes, you’re glad that he’s finally confessed his feelings to you, but to make other girls suffer because of his indecisiveness!? Maybe you shouldn’t talk.

"Let’s just say you and I are both indecisive. That makes us soulmates, doesn’t it?" Namjoon offers, his lips curling into a teasing smile as he leans in to kiss your forehead.

You can't help but chuckle at his attempt to lighten the mood, though the weight of the situation still hangs heavily in the air.

"I’ll text Jihyo and thank her for confirming how crazy you are sometimes," you quip, eliciting a playful eye roll from Namjoon.

After you and Namjoon fucked each other the whole night, you both talked in the morning about the confession, the fight, and coming back to the house. If the events from last night hadn’t happened, you firmly believe you would be more hesitant to return. But now that you’ve had more time to think and talk with him about it, you decide that it’s time to go back and settle things with Yoongi and Jimin. Namjoon helps you pack up your stuff in your luggage and you both return to the frat house.

You leave Hwasa a note saying you decided to come home to the boys, and apologize if the room smells like sex (you blame Namjoon). You open the windows to air it out though! But you know for sure she is going to spam your phone with questions later when she gets back.

+++++++++++

“I’m back…” You announce, quite awkwardly as you await a bombardment of concerns.

"What the fuck happened last night?" Yoongi stares down at you and Namjoon as he fully opens the front door. You didn’t expect him to open the door. When you peek inside, you see the three men who invited you out to a party last night sitting on the couch, looking a bit anxious and annoyed. Maybe even hungover. Are you guys about to enter a frat house intervention…?

"Yeah, about that…" Namjoon begins, his voice trailing off as he runs a hand through his tousled hair, clearly feeling the weight of the situation.

Jin's presence behind him prompts Namjoon to glance in his direction, seeking some form of support or guidance. However, Jin's response is swift and deflective. "Don't look at me! He immediately knew something was off," he declares, his tone a blend of amusement and exasperation. “So I had to tell him where you guys were at. Don’t kill me!”

Typical Yoongi. He’s similar to Namjoon in noticing things are off, but he’s much more active in doing something about it.

Despite the tension in the air, Jin's response manages to elicit a small chuckle from the others, breaking the ice just enough to ease the palpable discomfort in the room.

Yoongi's expression shifts to frustration, his gaze flickering between you and Namjoon. "They’re refusing to speak, so you better tell me what went down," he demands, folding his arms across his chest expectantly.

Namjoon takes a deep breath, his shoulders tense with the weight of the impending confession. "Okay, well…" he begins, casting a sideways glance at you for support before launching into the story time of the previous night's events.

As Namjoon recounts the sequence of events, from the impromptu party invite from Hoseok, Jungkook and Taehyung to the unexpected reunion with Yeonjun, you can't help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of your stomach. Then he explains that he fought Yeonjun to protect you and then took you back to Hwasa’s dorm where you were staying. He doesn’t mention that you guys did it last night though.

Yoongi listens intently, his expression morphing from frustration to concern as the full extent of the situation becomes clear. "Holy fuck," he mutters under his breath, running a hand through his slowly growing hair in disbelief. "That's… damn…."

Yoongi turns to you and grabs your shoulders gently “A-Are you okay though?” Yoongi asks, stuttering a bit. The action catches you a bit off guard since you haven’t talked to Yoongi in the last two weeks, let alone be touched by him.

“I’m okay.” You respond simply, with a small smile. This eases Yoongi’s mind and relaxes him because he was concerned you would act cold towards him still.

Jin nods in understanding, his expression reflecting a mixture of sympathy and exasperation. "As long as you’re okay. What's done is done," he remarks pragmatically. “Boys, you’re off the hook now.”

Jungkook, Taehyung and Hoseok sigh in relief now that they’re free from the intervention they were stuck in.

“What about Honey and…her… situation?” Taehyung asks, hesitating to explicitly mention the situation as he is aware Namjoon doesn’t know. “I mean, she came back, didn’t she?” All eyes turn to you.

Namjoon sighs, realizing everyone’s trying to walk on eggshells and not address the elephant in the room. “I knew about it, Taehyung,” he starts, causing everyone to gasp, as they expected a wildly different response from him about the threeway situationship. “Well, I had a suspicion, but I talked about it with Tiny last night.”

“That makes things easier to talk about then.”

The sound of a new voice in the conversation and footsteps descending the stairs draws everyone's attention. It’s Jimin, who has been overhearing the conversation from upstairs. Was it since you got there? You’re not sure. He’s rubbing his eyes when he spots you at the door. His eyes widen, and you can see a sense of relief in his expression upon seeing you again after some time.

“Y/N…” Jimin’s tone is soft, almost sounding like he could break into tears at seeing you. Perhaps there's a sense of regret for lashing out at you two weeks ago. He was frustrated that you couldn’t make a decision, but he hated that the alcohol that day only made those thoughts worse.

You're glad to see him too. With his presence, it's easier for you to respond to Taehyung’s question and also genuinely apologize for the things that have been going down.

“I’m so sorry about everything that’s been happening, but I’m going to settle this with you guys. Thanks to Namjoon who gave me an idea,” you say, looking toward everyone. “Would you all be able to regroup here in the evening while I get things ready?”

All the Beta Tau Sigma boys look at you, a little confused but intrigued to hear what you have planned.

They have no idea what you're about to cook up.

+++++++++++

“I have gathered you all here today for this important presentation.”

Just as you asked, everyone regrouped in the evening downstairs.

“And to reiterate once again, I am sorry for the all chaos.”

“You’re forgiven,” Jin says as he takes a seat, making all the guys nod in agreement. That is relieving to hear, you guess.

You screen mirror your computer screen to the Living Room TV screen. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin sit on the couch watching you sway back and forth nervously next to the screen. Jin, Taehyung, Jungkook and Hoseok sit at the dining table, watching you from a distance.

“The Bonobos and… Us?” Jimin reads the presentation's title slide, squinting at the image of a primate below it. “Is that a monkey?”

“It’s an ape!” you correct him, a hint of exasperation in your voice.

“Okay, well, sorry,” Jimin replies with a shrug, indicating you to continue. “Go on.”

“Thank you,” Taking a deep breath, you navigate to the next slide, which displays bulleted points. "So, society has normalized relationships to be between two people," you begin.

"This is called monogamy, and it’s been the gold standard in our society for centuries," you continue, pacing back and forth in front of your audience. "From fairy tales to Hollywood movies, we're bombarded with images and narratives that glorify the idea of finding 'the one' and living happily ever after."

"But how often is life like Hollywood? The truth is, monogamy isn't one-size-fits-all," you explain. "Yet, it's portrayed as the only legitimate option for love and partnership. We're taught to believe that if we're not in a monogamous relationship, there's something wrong with us."

“How do the mon— I mean, apes, relate to all of this?” Yoongi asks.

“Oh! I’m glad you asked, because…” You excitedly click on the next slide, showing various images of bonobos engaging in various forms of social and sexual interactions. “They’re completely different from us!”

The men in front of you sit there in shock while the men at the table stare at you, dumbfounded. Jungkook’s mouth hangs open. Hoseok hides his mouth behind his hand; his eyes are wide with shock. Jimin turns around, looking at the others trying to make sure he’s not insane about what he’s seeing. Namjoon facepalms, unsure if he should laugh at how serious you are about this. Though, Jin does laugh.

“I’m going to need to take a shot of something before I hear whatever else you’re cooking up.” Yoongi gets up from the couch, grabs the tequila and a shot glass on the kitchen counter, and comes back to pour one out and down it. Well, you had already planned that they might need some alcohol before this, so you set it up there. He offers the bottle to Jimin, who only gives him a blank stare and shakes his head.

“Now, as I was saying,” You change the slide, “Bonobos are different. They’re not just with one partner. They form close bonds with multiple members of their community. The females are dominant and they have sex with everyone, using sex as a tool for social cohesion. It creates less conflict in their communities. They are peaceful and diplomatic.”

Yoongi raises his hand, and you gesture to him to go ahead and ask.

“I’m really trying hard to see where you’re going with this, Y/N.”

“I think even we’re all a bit confused,” Jungkook whispers from the back.

“Humans are apes, guys!” You groan. “And I think as fellow apes, we should adapt to this system that the bonobos have. We need to be the bonobos!” You excitedly look at Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin, who look a little more than concerned.

Jimin's eyes widen in surprise, his gaze flickering between you, Namjoon, and Yoongi. "Are you saying… we should all be together?"

You nod eagerly, a hopeful smile gracing your lips. "Why not? The Bonobos can do that! We already know each other well, so we could explore our feelings for each other openly and authentically and hope that with time, society can adapt that too. Plus I think society should, given that these rent prices are too much for 2 people."

There is stunned silence.

“And here are my sources.” You flip to the last slide of your PowerPoint. “Any questions?”

Yoongi speaks first. “You put sources on your PowerPoint about how we should all start fucking you… and each other?”

You sigh in response. Maybe this is the stupidest thing you’ve cooked up, and you’d hope the point would get across much easier. Alas, that did not happen.

Taehyung sits up straighter on his chair, eyeing you curiously. “Are we included in this offer too?”

“NO!” Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin shout back at him in unison.

“It was worth the shot,” Taehyung sinks down in his chair, a bit embarrassed to have even said that. Jungkook pats his back trying to comfort him, which makes you laugh.

“You guys keep interrupting me,” You sigh, “To answer Yoongi’s question, the bonobos do both. They’re bisexual. Even when they get into arguments, they settle it through sex, like rubbing their genitals together.”

Jimin splutters, whirling to face Namjoon. “Did you put her up to this?”

Namjoon nervously shakes his head, sending you a sharp look for backup.

“Okay, so Namjoon may have sparked the idea of the polycule… but I was the one interested in pitching this and used my notes from the Bio class I took last Spring on socialization of primeapes,” you argue.

“I see.” Jimin nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes at you.

“And I don’t expect you to answer me immediately on this suggestion. I made you wait a long time after all.” You glanced at the three men for a few seconds before looking down on the floor, “We can talk more 1 on 1 whenever you guys are free and then regroup.”

Jimin's expression softens, a hint of understanding dawning in his eyes. "I appreciate you giving us the time to think about this," he says, his voice sincere. "It's a lot to take in, but I love that you’re being open and honest."

He shyly shuffles in place before he resumes speaking. An apology. "I also want to apologize for the way I reacted at game night," he says, his voice laced with regret. "I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me."

You meet his gaze, feeling a sense of warmth spread through you at his apology. "Don't worry about it too much anymore," you reply, offering him a reassuring smile. "I'm kinda over it now, but we can talk about it more when we meet one on one if you want."

Jimin nods, relief evident in his eyes. "Thanks," he says, his voice genuine.

You smile gratefully at Jimin, feeling a wave of relief wash over you. It was a risk laying your feelings bare with this polygamous idea, but you're glad you did.

"Okay, guys let's take some time to think about it," Namjoon suggests, his tone thoughtful. "But I will say that I’ve been down for this idea since Tiny and I talked about it last night."

Yoongi nods in agreement, his expression contemplative. "Yeah, but we'll definitely need some time to process everything."

With that, the tension in the room eases, replaced by a sense of cautious optimism. You may not have all the answers yet, but you've taken the first step toward exploring a new possibility together.

As everyone begins to disperse, you catch Namjoon's eye, sharing a meaningful glance that speaks volumes.

Though when it comes to Yoongi and Jimin, you’re not completely sure how those conversations will end up going. You have to mentally prepare yourself if your talks with them end up going south.

+++++++++++

March 4th [Monday]

Hwasa's voice is a mix of disbelief and amusement as she processes the events you've just recounted. "So let me get this straight… you went out after you said you didn’t want to go because you got convinced by the beta guys, you got drunk, you ran into your ex-boyfriend and had a minor argument, and then Namjoon suddenly stepped in to fight him and then he took you back to my dorm and you two fucked?”

You nod sheepishly, feeling the weight of the absurdity of your situation pressing down on you. "That’s the gist of it… yeah. And I’m so sorry about fucking in your dorm!"

“It’s fine since you aired it out and cleaned, but… Oh, Honey… what kind of fucked up kdrama are you living?” Hwasa's laughter rings out, a mix of concern and amusement evident in her tone.

"I honestly don’t know! But it gets more… complicated? I just can’t talk about it much." Your voice trails off, the complexity of your feelings and the situation leaving you at a loss for words.

You feel like if you told Hwasa about the whole “polycule” plan, you’d immediately scare her into taking you to the campus psychologist. For now, you’ll just continue to see where things go before telling her.

As you ponder your next move, you feel a gentle hand touch your back, and you turn to see Soyoon arriving to join you and Hwasa for lunch. The three of you sit in the rooftop courtyard, basking in the warm sunlight and the secluded space to discuss your scandalous life while overlooking the campus.

“How are you doing, sweetie? I was so worried for you on Friday,” Soyoon asks, her voice filled with genuine concern.

“I’m doing a lot better now! Thank you for accompanying Joon!” you reply, offering her a grateful smile.

“Soyoon was there?! Man, I really fucking missed everything. The Sigma Party was so boring,” Hwasa interjects, her tone tinged with regret.

“I was hanging out with Namjoon and the other guys in his artsy group, and when he heard you might be in danger, he dropped everything to go find you.” Soyoon's voice is soft, her admiration for Namjoon evident in her words.

Hwasa's cooing and teasing make you blush furiously, and you shake your head in an attempt to ward off her playful remarks. But her laughter only grows louder. “Aww! Damn you truly got these men whipped for you!” she exclaims, her amusement bubbling over.

"So what's going to happen now? Are you going to go out with Namjoon?” She leans in closer to your face, making your cheeks redden even more from the proximity. “Because if you won't… maybe I will!" Soyoon jokes, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Maybe in January, you would’ve been a bit more apprehensive to hear her say that comment, but now? After Namjoon confessed to you in the pouring rain and gave himself to you? Nope. You have already overcome that obstacle.

Though, if things don’t end up working out with the polycule plan, will you still pick one of them in the end… or will you let them be free? Maybe in that scenario, Namjoon would get with Soyoon. Soyoon would be down for him, though if he’s not, she’s the type to just keep swimming and find the next thing to intrigue her.

Hwasa, always ready to add fuel to the fire, chimes in with her own teasing. "Oh shit! Y/N, you better decide soon this time!" she yelps, her laughter echoing through the courtyard.

You roll your eyes, feeling the weight of their playful banter. "Hey, I'm working on it, okay?" you retort, trying to sound confident despite the uncertainty swirling within you. "It's not like I can just flip a coin and decide my love life." You really can’t do that.

Soyoon raises an eyebrow, her expression teasing. "Why not? It worked for me once."

Hwasa bursts into laughter at Soyoon's remark, and you can't help but join in, the tension of the conversation easing slightly.

“Speaking of you choosing between your harem of lover boys, Lover Boy #2 is heading this way.” Hwasa's playful comment elicits a chuckle from you as you turn to see Jimin approaching. His casual charm and flirtatious grin make your heart flutter, despite your attempts to play it cool.

"Hi ladies, do y’all mind if I take this little one with me?" Jimin says, his tone dripping with playful affection as he sends you a teasing glance.

You raise an eyebrow at his nickname for you, but the warmth in his eyes softens the teasing edge. "Little one?" you repeat, feigning offense.

“Sure, go for it,” Hwasa giggles, her eyes dancing with mischief.

“Fine by me!” Soyoon adds with a playful wink in your direction.

You can't help but laugh at their antics. With a playful roll of your eyes, you turn back to Jimin, a teasing smile playing on your lips. “So, where are you taking me?”

Jimin grins, “Hmm… Let’s go to Yifang for boba? I’ll drive.”

“Ooh, smooth move, Jimin!” Hwasa chimes in with a knowing grin, while Soyoon adds, “Looks like Namjoon has another strong competitor in the ring!”

Jimin chuckles at their teasing, offering you his arm with a playful wink. “Shall we, little one?” he says, emphasizing the nickname with a playful twinkle in his eye.

You play along, linking your arm with his as you shoot a smug glance back at Hwasa and Soyoon. “Lead the way, I suppose, Jimin,” you reply, unable to hide the laughter bubbling up within you.

+++++++++++

You two decide to sit on a bench at a promenade near Yifang. The soft glow of the afternoon sun casts a warm hue over everything, lending a serene ambiance to the moment.

You take a sip of your drink, the sweet and refreshing taste of the boba sending a delightful shiver down your spine. Jimin glances over at you, a contented smile gracing his features as he takes in the peaceful scene. Reminding himself the reasons why he is in love with you.

“This is nice,” he remarks softly, his gaze drifting out towards a fountain. “I’ve missed spending time like this with you.”

You smile back at him, feeling a warmth spread through your chest at his words. “Yeah, me too,” you reply, your voice soft and sincere.

For a while, you both simply sit in comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company and the tranquil surroundings. It’s moments like these that make you appreciate his existence, but also feel a bit embarrassed about you two even fighting weeks before.

“So—”

“Okay before we start talking about the polycule thing, I have to come clean and say that I accidentally sent Taehyung your nudes one night when I was drunk and that’s how he found out about our situationship before the fight.” Jimin blurts out.

The revelation hits you like a bolt of lightning, leaving you momentarily speechless.

“Huh? What!?” you manage to sputter out, your mind reeling with disbelief.

“I unsent them right after I noticed, of course! But he still saw them.” Jimin continues, his tone filled with remorse.

The weight of his words sinks in, and you feel a surge of mixed emotions wash over you. “I… So Taehyung… saw… oh my god, JIMIN!” you exclaim, struggling to process the information.

Jimin's eyes widen, his expression fraught with concern as he waits for your response. “I just wanted to say this because I don’t want any more secrets or hiding stuff. But if that’s something that will make you not want to be with me, I totally under—.”

“Jimin! It’s okay,” you interrupt, your voice gentle but firm. Despite the shock of his confession, you can't bring yourself to be angry. “That’s not going to stop me from loving you. Whatever things happened in the past mean nothing from this point moving forward.”

Relief floods Jimin's features, his tense shoulders sagging slightly as he exhales audibly. "I feel the same way," he murmurs, his voice tinged with gratitude. "Thank you. I was so worried about how you'd react."

You reach out to place a reassuring hand on his arm, offering him a small smile. "Hey, we're in this together, right?" you say softly, meeting his gaze with unwavering sincerity. “Even if… unfortunately Taehyung has seen me naked…”

Jimin nods, a grateful smile spreading across his lips. "Right," he agrees, his expression reflecting a sense of relief at your understanding. “So I guess since that’s out of the way, I can give you my thoughts on your crazy polycule idea.”

You're surprised by how quickly Jimin seems to have made up his mind about the whole polycule idea, especially considering you explicitly told him to take his time to think it over. It's as if he's been silently considering this possibility for a while now, and the urgency in his tone makes your heart flutter nervously.

“Okay.” You gesture your hands to signal him to go on.

"I've thought about the idea of being with you before, in that sense," Jimin admits, his words coming out carefully as he navigates the complexities of his thoughts. "And if it had to involve Namjoon and Yoongi, I wouldn’t care much because those thoughts also floated around before. Being sexual with each other works out." His casual demeanor catches you off guard, a reminder of just how unpredictable Jimin can be at times.

But then he hesitates, his brows furrowing in contemplation as he grapples with a deeper question. "But balancing being in a romantic relationship with all of us in it? Is it even possible to do that? I feel like we have different needs when it comes to you." His uncertainty hangs in the air, casting a shadow of doubt over the idea.

You consider his words carefully, the depth of his question sinking in as you search for a response. "Well, we've been best friends for so long," you begin, your voice calm and measured as you try to offer reassurance. "I think being romantic and intimate come naturally from how close we've been all this time." You take another sip of your strawberry milk tea boba, the sweetness of the drink giving you the energy to talk through this conversation carefully. But then something Jimin says catches you off guard, causing you to pause mid-sip.

"Wait, you've thought about a foursome with all of us? So you really are…"

Jimin shifts uncomfortably, his gaze momentarily averting yours as he struggles to find the right words. "Huh? Uh, yeah," he admits sheepishly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "A couple of times, I mean, is that surprising?"

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise, a small chuckle escaping your lips at his candid response. "No, well I've had suspicions," you confess, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. "Taehyung always mentions taking your virginity. And then when we had the threesome, you were pretty into it with Yoongi."

You kind of already had an idea that Jimin’s open with his sexuality and his experience extending from girls to guys as well. It's not something he’s discussed openly before though, and if you're considering taking your relationship to the next level, it's a conversation that needs to be had.

"Yoongi was the first one to know about me and Taehyung, so I trusted him since he also has a similar mindset as me," Jimin explains, a wistful smile playing on his lips as he reminisces about past conversations with his friend. "Though I think he's more Y/N-sexual than pan." He lets out a laugh, the tension in the air momentarily dissipating. "But otherwise, yeah, I'm down to be with you and share you with Yoongi and Joon, but I'm scared about balancing you."

You nod thoughtfully, understanding the gravity of Jimin's concerns. "Balancing multiple relationships is going to be challenging, I have no doubts," you acknowledge, your tone gentle as you reach out to place a reassuring hand on Jimin's arm. "But like we’ve said hundreds of times before. I think as long as we're honest with each other and communicate openly, we can make it work."

Jimin looks up at you, his eyes softening at your reassuring words. "You really think so?"

"I do," you affirm with a nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "We've been through so much together, Jimin. I believe in us."

A sense of relief washes over Jimin's features, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he exhales a deep breath. "Thank you, Y/N," he murmurs, his voice filled with gratitude. "For being so understanding and patient with me."

"No, thank you," you reply, offering him a warm smile. “You’ve dealt with my dramatic ass for years now, and yet you still fell for me.”

“Because I’m just as dramatic as you. It takes a special kind of person like me to handle that ass.” Jimin teases.

You chuckle at Jimin's sassy remark, shaking your head in mock exasperation. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to think your dramatic ass is pretty special too," you tease back, a mischievous glint in your eyes.

Jimin grins. "I guess we're just a perfect match then." Feeling giddy, Jimin takes a sip of your drink, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk.

You can’t help but feel so flustered at Jimin’s sudden actions. "You're really going to be the death of me, Park Jimin."

Your cheeks flush at his bold move, but you can't help but smile in return. His playful antics never fail to charm you. You lean in towards him and place an innocent peck on his lips, which leaves him in surprise for a second before he starts chuckling.

“You too L/N Y/N!”

You feel a surge of warmth in your chest, realizing how lucky you are to have him by your side. You intertwine your fingers with him as he drives back to campus, the comfortable silence between you filled with reassurance and forgiveness to move forward.

+++++++++++

March 6th [Wednesday]

“I’m still surprised that you’d be down for the polycule idea.” You comment to Namjoon as you put away returned library books on the bookshelves. You’re working a morning shift at the library and Namjoon decided that it was the best time to go read a book and drink a hot americano next to you. He sits on the floor and responds occasionally, his back leaning against the filled giant bookshelf.

“I’m down for whatever makes you happy, Tiny. I’ve always said that.” he says, without looking away from his book.

“But you’ve always been so…jealous. You didn’t like me talking to JB and you literally punched my ex. I’m honestly wondering how you’ll manage trying not to be jealous of Yoongi or Jimin if they agree to this.” You laugh.

“They’re different. I’m used to how Jimin is overly affectionate with you and everyone else. Even though I haven’t seen Yoongi be like that with you, I really don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“Okay, but aside from that. What about you going abroad?” Namjoon’s eyes widen, caught a little off guard by the question. “You got in, didn’t you?”

“Yeah… but I won’t go if you don’t want me to.” He says sternly.

You sighed loudly, getting a little upset that he would put that pressure on you. “I’m not going to be the one to tell you to go or not. That is up to you, mister.” You boop him on the nose with your index finger. “Don’t force yourself to follow me, even if you’re in love with me.”

He chuckles, “Nah, I wouldn’t do that. I did get into Korea’s Yonsei program though.”

“Yonsei!? Wait, that’s like a Korean Ivy League school! Oh my god, congrats!” You lean down to hug him, encapsulating his whole body around yours due to him sitting down.

“I’ve always been at the top of my class, so it’s not a surprise I got in.” He giggles as he hugs you back.

“As expected of Kim Namjoon. Then I’m taking back my hug!” You remove yourself, which causes him to whine.

You laugh at his reaction, “Just leave me here with Yoongi and Jimin. I’ll be fine. Go on your study abroad. Just obviously don’t go cheating on me.”

“Never.” He pulls you back down and starts peppering kisses around your face.

You feel your face redden from his sudden behavior. Your heart begins to race and you stutter. “N-Namjoon…”

He leaves a final kiss on your lips, gentle and softly. “If Yoongi and Jimin don’t want to do this polycule shit, then just stay with me. I won’t let you go.”

You would like to end up with Joon if things don’t work out with this plan, but in the long run, you know that you’ll never be satisfied only having a piece of Namjoon. Yoongi and Jimin have already carved a place in your heart, so if you can’t have them, would it be worth staying with only one of them?

“I’ll think about that more if it happens.” You say as your words stray away a bit as there’s a lingering thought on your mind. “I forgot to ask this earlier, but do the guys know you’re going abroad?”

Namjoon shakes his head, “Nah. I hadn’t told them just in case plans didn’t work out. But I’ll wait a bit and see if I’ll go through with it. Deadline’s the first week of April.”

You sigh, pointing directly at his face with your expression stern, “I only ask that you follow your heart and not your dick!”

Namjoon chuckles again, his beautiful dimples appearing once again. God, you will miss seeing him for a couple of months if does end up going abroad in the Fall. Though, you won’t stop him if he wants to go. You love him, Yoongi and Jimin, but you aren’t the clingy girlfriend type that will chain them down from their dreams. They wouldn’t do that to you either.

“I will! I will!”

+++++++++++

March 8 [Friday]

"Your birthday’s tomorrow, Yoongs."

The warm sun blankets the university lawn as you and Yoongi work on your homework assignments. It's a relief to finally feel some warmth after weeks of chilly weather, so you wanted to spend the afternoon out. Yoongi doesn’t mind accompanying you. He also thinks it might be the best time to tell you his answer to your suggestion.

“I honestly forgot.” He rubs his face with his hands, “I’ve been finishing up my mixtape shit.”

“Oh shit? Is it finally coming together?”

He flips his laptop screen, revealing a list of song titles labeled 'Final Demo 1', 'Final Demo 2', and so on. It’s insane how much he has progressed in the making of his mixtape, and you can't wait to hear it when it’s done.

“Fuck yeah it is.” Yoongi says, a hint of pride in his voice. “Professor Kang said I’m doing so good on my own after he listened to three of the tracks, and that’s been motivating me. I got 1 more track to go”

You're genuinely excited for him. "See! I told you that you got this! You’re a musical genius, Min Yoongi!" you exclaim, giving him a playful slap on his right arm.

“That was all thanks to you though.”

He chuckles, grateful for the encouragement. "That was all thanks to you, though," he says, his gaze meeting yours with warmth. It's moments like these that remind you why you love Yoongi—his talent, his dedication, and his humility, all wrapped up in one.

"No, I didn't really do anything. I just gave you a gentle push of encouragement and let you free." you reply modestly, downplaying your role in his success. He is the talented one who was able to make music. The only music you know is playing the violin and the flute from middle school, though you don’t even think you remember at this point.

Yoongi shakes his head, a grin tugging at his lips. "You did more than that, but okay." he teases.

Your face reddens, becoming flustered that he would mention that right now. Min Yoongi is nothing but a demon at times. You choose to change the topic for now.

“Ignoring that for now! So are you going to do anything for your birthday?”

He rolls his eyes playfully at you for changing the topic, “Nope. I told the guys I wanted no party or dinner… or brunch. I just want to finish this damn mixtape.” Yoongi resumes his work on his laptop by fiddling with different things on his screen, half a headphone in.

“Yoongi..” You narrow your eyes at him.

Yoongi’s always been the type to not celebrate his birthday, so it’s no surprise he’d rather spend it working on something. But you still think he should celebrate his birthday. Compared to Namjoon and Jimin, Yoongi’s life and overall upbringing haven’t been that easy on him. You’re glad he’s still here despite it all. It’s probably why he’s also working so hard on this project knowing that it could put him and his family in a better financial situation. He feels that he has to succeed or else, and you know he will.

“But if you want to get me a strawberry cream cake from Paris Baguette in downtown, I’m not opposed to it…” His lips pucker mischievously towards the end of his drifting words.

You giggle and pat his head gently, “You already know I’ll do anything for you. Let me just ask Park to drive me to pick it up.”

It’s now Yoongi’s turn to feel flustered when you baby him a little with your small actions. He’ll never admit it, but he likes these types of things. Being gently cared for and appreciated.

“Which is one of the many reasons why I love you.” He glances over at you, taking a sip of his iced americano that was placed two feet away from him. He’s scared of accidentally knocking it over his computer.

You immediately cover your face, “H-Hey…A-Are you still sure about that?”

“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t say it now.”

“Touche.” You respond, letting go of your face. “Then, what about having to share that love with me with two other people?” You ask curiously, thinking that bringing up the question felt right in the moment. But after a second, you felt maybe that wasn’t right. You’re not trying to force him to respond to your plan, but it may come off that way.

“Already eager for me to answer if I want to join your harem?” He teases you again, which internally gives you a sigh of relief that he wasn’t offended by your question at all.

“Maybe…” Your words drift off, before attaching an apology to that “Sorry, was that bad of me to bring up?”

“It’s fine. I wanted to talk about it anyway.” He takes his headphones off and closes his laptop.

With all his attention on you, oh this is about to get more serious.

Out of all the guys, you were initially worried Namjoon would be the hardest one to pull on board. But now you’re thinking that it’s Yoongi. Namjoon’s tough and overprotective exterior had melted down once he finally told you how he had been feeling all this time. You think that might’ve contributed to his eagerness to go along with your polycule plan. But Yoongi? You feel that he might think the polycule plan has too many faults that will lead to a fallen house of cards. He might also want you for himself. He’s a pisces after all.

But Yoongi is also unpredictable too.

Yoongi gently holds your hand, toying with it as he comes out with his response. “Your polycule plan isn’t foolproof, Angel. That’s one of my main concerns.” He sighs, looking up at the sky as a plane leaves a trail behind it. “And I’m surprised that Namjoon didn’t bring this up during your presentation.” He looks back at you.

Your demeanor seemingly deflates, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Yoongi, “Probably because he’s a bit blinded by rose-tinted glasses right now, but you’re right.” You pout.

“I usually think of the consequences later, but because this involves all of our feelings and the people around us…have you thought about what would happen with that?”

“I have…” You admit, though the words coming out of your mouth aren’t convincing. “But like I said, we could try this polycule thing first and then after some time, if we’re feeling good about it, we could break the news to people outside of this?”

Yoongi sighs, running a hand through his hair. “My Christian Korean mom is going to have a heart attack hearing about how her son is dating his female best friend and also his two male best friends.” He jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

“Okay! Then maybe we just tell them we have equally agreed to not date anyone ever and live together… like that article about the seven Chinese girlfriends buying a mansion to retire and die together!”

This time, Yoongi bursts out laughing, his gummy smile on full display. “The seven Chinese what? Really?”

You can’t help but laugh too, the tension easing a bit. “Seven Chinese girlfriends! I mean, it’s a valid plan, right? We could all just live in a big place and avoid ever mentioning that we’re together. People will just have to catch on and accept it, right?”

Yoongi mumbles to himself, shaking his head. “Maybe I just need to hold out on Geumjae marrying his girlfriend so my mom isn’t on my ass about marriage.”

“We will talk about marriage when and if we get there, Yoongs. First, we gotta decide on this polycule–”

“I’ll do it,” Yoongi interrupts, standing up from his spot and looking down at you with a determined expression.

“Huh?! Wait, really?” You blink up at him, genuinely surprised.

He nods, his expression serious yet gentle. “Yeah. I’ve thought about something similar before you even brought it up. And while I’m not sure if this plan will work out, I still want to try it.” He stretches out his hand to you. “I want to be with you, Joon, and Jimin. If it means we can all be happy together, then I’m willing to see where this goes.”

You feel a wave of relief and excitement wash over you. “Thank you Yoongi!” You grab his hand, but suddenly pull him towards you so he ends up falling on top of you. Yoongi is flustered from the action, but you continue speaking. “You don’t know how much I appreciate you.”

Yoongi’s weight pressing gently against you. The warmth of his body contrasts with the cool earth beneath, grounding you in the moment. You can feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as he rests above you, both of you breathing in sync.

For a moment, everything else fades away. The vibrant blue sky stretches endlessly above, dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by. The sunlight filters through the leaves of a nearby tree, casting dappled shadows that dance across Yoongi's face. You gaze into his eyes, dark and deep, filled with a mixture of resolve and tenderness.

He lowers his head, brushing his lips lightly against yours in a kiss that is both gentle and intimate. Your heart races as you lose yourself in the sensation, his lips moving with a soft, deliberate rhythm. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. The world around you seems to blur, the sounds of distant chatter and birdsong becoming a distant hum.

When you finally pull back, breathless, you smile up at Yoongi. “You really mean it, right?”

He nods, his eyes never leaving yours. “I do. We’ll figure it out together, somehow. And who knows? Maybe this crazy idea will work out.”

You both lie there for a moment longer, wrapped up in each other and the serenity of the afternoon. The grass beneath you is soft, and the gentle breeze carries the scent of blooming flowers.

Yoongi shifts slightly, propping himself up beside you on one elbow, continuing to look at you. “So, what’s the plan for my birthday tomorrow? What surprise did you really have up your sleeve?”

You laugh, still feeling the lingering warmth of his kiss. “I thought you said you were going to be working on your mixtape!”

He raises an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Well, now maybe I’m in the mood to do something with you guys. Maybe we could also break the news to the rest of the guys while we’re at it,” he suggests, smirking playfully.

You watch him, trying to gauge his thoughts. Yoongi, after all, is always full of surprises. His mischievous nature makes you smile curiously at him, feeling a rush of excitement and giddiness.

“Breaking the news on your birthday? That sounds like such a Yoongi thing to do,” you tease, poking his side gently. “But hey, if that’s what you want, I’m down for it. We’ll make it a day to remember.”

Yoongi chuckles, the sound deep and comforting. “Yeah, let’s make it unforgettable. Just like you, always turning my plans upside down.”

You both laugh, the joy and anticipation bubbling up between you. The campus around you feels alive with possibility, open book waiting to be written by you. As you lie there together, the sunlight casting a golden hue over everything, you feel a renewed sense of hope for you guys. — — —

tbc !!!!! :D

a/n: we've reached the resolution arc! there is only 2 more chapters left (technically one... the last one is an epilogue detailing what's going to happen after a few months). i apologize for this update taking a little more than a month. I had finished this a few weeks ago, but my editor has been busy with her new work, so waiting for edits took a bit of time. i am already working on chapter 11... which will be filled with a lot .... and i mean... a lot of smut... i cannot make any promises it will be good... but a 4some will be hard. send me lot of luck, dear readers. i will try to get CH 11 out mid june, but unsure as of yet. im still on my job searching arc, which has been rough, but this fic has been a great way to escape and share this world with you guys. thank you all for reading!

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[murfeelee]

IWTV Claudia's Celebration of Life: Spark in the Dark - Alternate Universe

As the title suggests, this event is to celebrate the wonderful Claudia; her personality, her aspirations, her journey. The heart for the past two seasons of AMC Interview with The Vampire. This is to take the narrative back to her, proving she's not just a shingle roof for us.

2. Aug 13th & 14th: Alternate Universe

“It’s chaos after you die. It’s a dream from which you cannot wake.” Armand says quietly to Daniel. “Imagine drifting half in and out of consciousness, trying vainly to remember who you are or what you were. Imagine straining forever for the lost clarity of the living—” Armand stops suddenly to glare somewhere to Lestat’s left. “Lestat, I beg you on bended knee to close your mind. I cannot bear to listen to her any longer.” “Listen to who,” Louis asks, sharp as fangs. “CLAUDIA!” Lestat shouts into the swamp, spinning in his inner tube. “These drugs are making me hallucinate our dead daughter. I’ve been listening to her explain exactly how I failed her with much virulence and creativity for the last forty-five minutes.” “What’s she like?” Louis asks, eager as anything. “Magnifique,” Lestat answers immediately. “She despises me. She’s wearing a yellow… I believe it is called a tankini. She has a margarita....” Lestat twists in his tube to glare at Armand. “Montre-lui/ Show him.” Louis squeezes his eyes shut, wrists limp in front of him. Armand’s mindgift transmission is jagged and blurry from the drugs, and Lestat’s view is all the more distorted by his own intoxication, but it’s her, it’s her. Claudia rises from the dead to berate Lestat from her very own inner tube, pausing only to take sips from her human drink. At least she is granted liquor in the hopeless afterlife that is haunting Lestat. Claudia’s hair is pulled back the way it was the day she passed, but her face is baby smooth, no trace of the injury the coven had subjected her to before her murder. She smiles at Lestat, dimple still adorable, no matter how old she gets. “And I don’t give one solitary sh*t if you’ve got him d**kmatized,” Claudia tells Lestat. “He says he forgives you for letting me die?” She brings her fingers together and gestures to her own chest. “I don’t f**king forgive you! ” Claudia starts singing in mockery, bitter as her daddy on his worst nights. She cups her hands (Her beautiful hands! The simple pleasure of her hand in his!) around her mouth like a megaphone. “I don’t forgivveeee you!” “Jesus Christ,” Louis hears Daniel say in the real world before exploding into choking coughs. In Lestat’s psychosis as translated by Armand on LSD, Claudia keeps at it. She urges Lestat to find new and innovative ways to kill himself, embodying Lestat’s senselessness and Louis’ sense in her rage. Their courageous, intelligent, honest-to-God hurricane of a daughter does not look Louis’ way the whole memory, even though Louis deserves the privilege of meeting her eyes again so much more than Lestat does. Even though Louis has spent a lifetime fasting and praying for it. But she is Lestat’s ghost, she haunts him just like she said she would, and Louis figures… He hears his own laugh—hysterical—as the memory ends, the tears wet on his cheeks. Louis figures he’s just too sane to see her these days.

-- Alligator Tears, @siahatha

MY THOUGHTS & CC CREDITS

MY THOUGHTS

A day late, cuz I was busy yesterday.

This post was directly inspired by the latest chapter of an extremely good & unhinged post-canon modern AU IWTV fanfic, where Loustat are back together, Devil's Minion is a thing, and Lestat's being haunted by the ghost of Claudia's memory. Louis' sad that he can only see her through Armand, cuz he can't read his Maker Lestat's mind, ofc.

CC CREDITS

-- IP EP pool floats by me

-- Lestat heatstroke tan line in gamma by me

-- Blood bags by @thebleedingwoodland (X X)

-- Louis swimsuit at MTS

-- Gators at Simszoo

[joepringle]

19 year-old Malachai Moran is TEEN-HULK. During a drunken dare at a Spring Break kegger, Malachai is forced to dig used dental floss out of his neighbor's trashcan, and use it again. Turns out his next door neighbor is one Bruce Banner, who is currently in Asgard with Thor, or something like that. Anyway, with some gamma irradiated crusty blood now coursing through his body, whenever Malachai Moran smells dental floss, an incredible transformation occurs. He becomes the raging, behemoth green superhero TEEN-HULK.

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Jennifer Walters, Attorney At Law; The Hulk (though more commonly referred to as "She-Hulk" to differentiate from her cousin Bruce Banner in casual conversation)

She lived a relatively normal life until a blood transfusion from Bruce mutated her in a similar matter*. Jen continued to live her life as normally as she could, but while her psych profile involves a very different relationship to emotions of anger, the Raging Hulk within is a very real danger.

Unlike Bruce, Jen's baseline form is more controlled (if uninhibited), resembling Bruce's Joe Fixit persona (but don't call her Jenny Fixit). She only manifests four eyes instead of the Deific Hulk's seven and she's hot, capable of controlled Gamma burn off. The range on this burn off is short, mostly used to enhance her physical blows in a pinch.

*the incident led to a law making such transfusions illegal, though several criminal enterprises have cropped up seeking Gamma Mutate blood and body parts in much the same way the U-Men seek out Mutant components and other X-Gene adjacent bio-material.

[kyliemoon3]

Why I love the Epsilon System (RvB)

I think the epsilon system from the series Red vs Blue is one of the greatest representations of Dissociative Identify Disorder in fiction (Spoliers for the show below). While obviously brought into science fiction, this is a fairly accurate representation of DID despite the fact that I'm not sure the creators did much research into the topic. So church or, the alpha, an ai based off the Director's mind, was tortured until he fractured. These fragments were then harvested by the director so he could have more than one AI unit.

So let's get the inaccuracies out of the way. The show seems to believe there is "the original" and that it is the alpha. The alpha is also as far as I know, an already fully developed mind. With actual DID, it only occurs in childhood as a result of trauma not letting the brain fully form into one cohesive self. So the parts of the brain essentially become more distinct. Honestly however I can see it being argued that the alpha is simply supposed to be the host, and that ai minds are different than human minds. Also Washington calls the disorder an outdated term that stopped being used a decade before the episode came out.

Okay that's it. Almost everything else is surprisingly accurate and now I get to gush about it! First of all, the fact that the entire thing happened because of the trauma the alpha endured is so amazingly accurate and ties both into the representation and the plot in an incredibly satisfying way. The ai fragments themselves are also quite accurate to the roles of DID alters, there is:

- A host, or an alter that is mainly out and in charge (Alpha)

- a factive, or an alter based on a real person (Beta)

- a persecutor, or an alter who attempts to harm the system in a misguided attempt at protection (I'd argue sigma, gamma, and omega)

- A little, or an alter that looks and acts like a child (Theta)

- A trauma holder, or an alter that holds some traumatic memories so the rest don't need to (epsilon)

- A protector, or an alter who keeps the system safe from harm (I'd argue delta)

On top of this beta and theta also represent alters of a different gender and age than the host respectively. And even something like alters dating can be seen through alpha and beta.

When talking with a friend about this he pointed out that eta represents fear and iota represents happiness. With that in mind and the fact we rarely see them, I believe they could act as internal caretakers by helping support the system. With eta supporting because they fear something bad might happen, and iota supporting because they want to spread happiness.

I also believe that both gamma and omega could, with more time, become reformed persecutors with them using their strengths to help the system rather than hinder it in their own way of helping. We already see this with epsilon relying on gamma occasionally when performing tasks. Omega has mostly been cartoonishly evil throughout the series and I think epsilon learning to accept and control omegas rage instead of holding it all back until he snaps would benefit the system.

Most of what we see of what the alpha system could've been if no fragments were taken is shown after all fragments but epsilon was destroyed in an emp blast. Epsilon uses his and the other fragments memories to create memory versions of them, acting just like them and letting them live on.

I love this because in most systems, there is a reason alters exist and they have a purpose that helps the system function in daily life. Epsilon while amazing, is much stronger when he has everyone else with him. He understood that this is what the alpha system should've been, and if he wants to do everything he can, having the other fragments with him is the best way to do it.

I have more to say, but I think I pretty much covered it. Epsilon-church and the other fragments are very well written and I can only hope we get a satisfying conclusion to their story in the next season. I'll also probably make a "why theta is the best ever of all time" post at some point too!

[fishfingersalad]

Rvb bbc ghosts x buzzfeed unsolved au Leonard “Alpha” Church III and his older sister Carolina Church inherit a creepy manor in the middle of nowhere halfway across the country after their great grandfather Leonard “Epsilon” Church dies of old age (yes Epsilon being their great grandfather is odd, it's for lore reasons).

Church’s college roommate Tucker has a ghost hunting youtube channel (Church edits his videos for him) and decides the manor seems spooky so he tags along to check it out with his co host (Kai) and camera/audio guy (Caboose) as well as Junior. Tex (Churches on again off again gf) comes along to bully them for getting scared, whenever she ends up on the show their views go up so they don’t complain. Carolina doesn’t wanna be stuck alone with Church’s friends so she invites her workout buddy Wash.

Unbeknownst to them, Tuckers “rival” youtube channel (the reds, Simmons is video and editing, Grif is audio, Lopez is in charge of their other equipment) catch wind of their plan to investigate the manor (Kai told Grif who accidentally let slip to Sarge) and they (literally just Sarge) take it as a challenge and they decide (are forced by Sarge) to follow the others to the manor to do their own investigation (Donut flirts with Locus the gas station attendant. This is important to me for some reason). Doc is unofficially part of the red team crew as first aid aka he follows them around bc he's worried about them going to all these abandoned buildings with no medical knowledge

Cw: talk of deaths in some detail, especially fires.

The Manor is actually haunted, by fifteen different ghosts:

Wyoming: 1840’s, fell out a window onto a weathervane

Florida: 1960’s, aspirin overdose 

York: 1980’s, car crash, has poltergeist abilities

North: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

South: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

Maine: 1910s, hunting accident, can sometimes be seen as a looming shadow in the dark

Ct: 1940s, military spy, shot

479er: 1960s, pilot, small aircraft crash

AI: 1920s, Children of a rich man who burned his house down while his wife was away with their youngest son, Leonard “Epsilon” Church (age 2 at the time). Delta (17), Theta (7), Eta (11), and Iota(11) died from smoke inhalation,  Gamma (15) and Omega (14) were burned,  Sigma (18) escaped the fire but succumbed to infection while still on the manor grounds. All of the ai ghosts carry a smell of smoke wherever they go (I have a drawing of them somewhere)

The only ones who can see the ghosts without outside influence (cameras, sensors, that stuff) are Church, Carolina, Wash, Donut, and Caboose, due to all five of them having near death experiences in their pasts, and later Doc after he’s possessed by Omega. Junior is also able to see ghosts though no one is sure why. 

Most of the au’s “story” is just silly interactions with the ghosts pranking the youtubers and various shenanigans. Wash deadpan pretends there are no ghosts to annoy both York and Tucker. Junior befriends Theta, Eta, and Iota, which concerns Tucker to no end especially since he tends to act like a horror movie child, all “Daddy, the lady with the hole in her head is in the corner again, daddy my friends with no faces wanna go play outside”. Sarge has a holy water super soaker that he carries everywhere incase of “ghouls”. South takes great joy in tormenting Simmons specifically. York follows the youtubers around and throws things at them, he only uses his poltergeist abilities for mischief. Ct finds a secret joy in sneaking up on Church to make him jump. Donut keeps telling his friends that the ghosts are there and real but none of them really believe him despite York pelting them with random objects. Wash finds a stray kitten and the ghosts are all immediately infatuated and begin following it around. Florida and Donut gossip together. Doc has to figure out how to deal with a rage fueled fourteen year old taking over his body. Tex punches Tucker on camera and it becomes their most popular video to date. Their second most popular video includes Tucker being attacked by Sarge with his holy water super soaker.

I just have so many little silly ideas about them...

[beatcroc]

today im mad about omega being TWO ENTIRE FEET shorter than the predecessor e-100s

gamma on the left, omega on the right. imagine being a pissed off killer robot but youre not even 5 feet tall. and your kindly self-sacrificial nerd of a cousin got to be 7 whole feet.

like do you understand what that looks like.

this is absurd. that's stupid. you'd think it's bad scaling on my part because gamma has no official art where he's standing mostly straight and at an easily-comparable angle, but no it's consistent with sigma's scrapnik ref, these guys are literally just fucking massive for no reason

the sa1 e-series guys aren't even proportioned like 7' guys they look like they should be like 5'. look at omegas tiny fucking head. omega literally has the build and proportions to be a proper giant killer robot but hes fucking 4' 11'' because he has to play nice with the funny little furries and thus can only be a specific magnitude larger and more imposing than them. *i* should not be nearly a whole foot taller than omega. i could lean condescendingly on his tiny fucking head. maybe he would have been more willing to give eggman another chance if they hadn't shrunk all his rage into a 4-foot frame. im choosing to believe also this is why he's a solid 50% heavier than gamma as well. dude is compact. dude is DENSE. and he is so very full of guns and rage. i dont know what the doctor expected

[molinaskies]

To answer this reblog https://www.tumblr.com/molinaskies/756745213630939136/alexs-prompt-folder-anonymously-or-not-tell

This was extremely difficult to answer considering the amount of MOMENTS that had me melting, like the photos in Chapter 6. But if I had to pick, it would be:

"Who was it who taught Gamma, a non-sentient robot, how to think and feel? Who appealed to Shadow's love and dedication when he was blinded by rage and fury and revenge and pain? Who stepped up to keep Cream and Big hopeful when Metal Sonic kidnapped their friends? Who kept my head on straight when I was all bummed-out over 'mister monster guy'?" I squeeze her shoulders tighter with each question. "Amy, who keeps me fighting every single day?"

Ik this line may not be as deep as later on in the fic (won’t say what for spoilers to others 💅please go read it, it’s better that way).

But my heart was in joy having Sonic tell Amy about her efforts and what she accomplished from literally just being unashamedly Amy, even when it’s not acknowledged often or seen as important as what the other characters have achieved.

And the last line??? 🫠

Sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this one! Thank you for your kind words 💕

I’ve seen some feedback that Amy’s arc in ILYCWM feels “out of character” or “regressive,” in that Amy’s been more confident and productive in recent iterations. I get that, to a degree, but I still completely stand by my decision to delve into Amy’s anxieties the way I did.

I started writing ILYCWM in 2021 as an “in defence of Amy Rose” from Sonic’s perspective. I wanted to showcase how Sonic views Amy, what he appreciates about her, with the overall “point” to prove that he’s always loved her. My original outline was built on the different traits of Amy’s I wanted to highlight: chapter 2 focused on Amy’s silly, adventurous side; chapter 3 focused on her compassion and stubbornness, with hints of a strong desire to prove herself alongside a weakness to (rare) praise; and so on.

Of course, as I kept writing, Sonic’s character arc evolved in a parallel to Amy’s, but it was important to me to build up Sonic’s view of Amy in order to shatter that paradigm with how Amy views herself. That’s where the climax you quoted came from! It serves the purpose of not only showing Amy her value but showing the audience her value.

As for the last line, I’m not sure which one you’re referring to, actually! Depending on when you read the fic, you would have read it before or after the prologue was released (which came about 4 months later). Let me know!

“[…] her shield of optimism shattered in front of me, and seeing the dysphoric state she lives in daily shattered mine. We put each other back together, but we traded a few shards in the process, and I’ve been living the effects of our new mosaic ever since.”

———

“I Love You - Come With Me”

What if when Sonic asks Amy to go with him on an adventure, she says yes? They’ve always been inseparable kindred spirits, but what exactly makes their bond so unique, and where do they make each other stronger?

This is my Sonamy Thesis. This is that story.

[ravings-of-a-mad-scientist]

I have this henchman whom I see only as a childhood friend who really seems to idolize me for some reason which is why they are my henchman even though they seem to be a nice and sensitive guy at heart.

So a while ago I experimented on him with magical gamma radiation to give him the ability to transform into a giant rage monster. Thought that would help him with the whole ‘not evil’ thing. It didn’t seem to work, though. I guess radiation really does just give you cancer and not superpowers, huh?

Anyways, completely unrelated, shortly after that a new superheroine nemesis appeared that is a magical girl with emotion based powers wearing a pastel pink, white, and blue dress. And for some reason she always seem to show up to foil my plans right when my henchman isn’t there to fight her! 

So I got an instant crush on her which isn’t even unrequited! It’s like she already knows me! Unfortunately our forbidden love would never work out because #hero x villain relationships just too based. Also because she keeps foiling my plans and giving me radiation poisoning

[favvn]

The Apple: The Cult of a Machine

An analysis of the Star Trek: TOS episode that examines how Vaal and Akuta are running a cult on the planet Gamma Trianguli VI and why Jim Kirk would interfere with the inhabitants' culture as a result.

This is long because I do not know brevity :) (4k words! Not counting the episode transcripts!) As a content warning, I do discuss religion and cults in very broad and synonymous terms. I realize this could be upsetting to some that I link the two together, so I am stating that upfront.

Some background information before I begin. First, I am aware of the criticism one can have towards this episode (i.e. Kirk falls into a white-savior trope, Kirk destroys an alien culture because it doesn't fit his human ideals, the Federation's desire to see societies advance is at odds with the idea of non-interference and they are colonizers at worst, etc. It goes on.), yet I am torn as to its merits. I feel like it is very easy for modern audiences to see the faults of this episode owing to changing perspectives and an increase in broader knowledge within the past 50 years and miss the forest for the trees as a result. In other words, I am baffled to browse the tags, read other analysis posts, and see no one mention the cult aspect. This post is my attempt to correct that gap.

As a refresher and something to contemplate before I dive in, the crux of the episode: the Gamma Triangulians have free will, yet they exist to serve a computer. Are they still free in this scenario? (Alternatively, is a prison no longer a prison if it has been chosen by its inmates?) Is Kirk helping the Gamma Triangulians by destroying Vaal, or is Kirk forcing his ideals on the inhabitants under the guise of freedom?

Akuta: Not Your Typical Leader

Akuta is not presented as your typical cult leader or leader in general. He has no weapons and nothing to show his position (jewelry, different clothing, or different tattoos, etc.) beyond the antennae at his ears. More importantly, he is shown first in a moment of vulnerability, crying after Kirk strikes him. Akuta is placed in a very innocent light as a native of the planet who has suffered from aggression, whereas Kirk is placed squarely as an aggressive interloper. This sets the tone for how the audience sees him versus Kirk, and, frankly, I'd argue it has worked given other critiques I have read that seemingly overlook any agency Akuta or the other inhabitants of Gamma Trianguli VI have.

It is also worth noting that Akuta does not try to hide or wipe his tears. He leaves them to mark his face. I point this out because big, emotional displays (especially rage or distress) can be used as a means to manipulate others. To cast oneself as a victim is a powerful tool of manipulation, one that cult leaders will use to control the emotional responses of their followers and their dependency on the cult. In other words, a cult leader will get obedience from a follower by claiming that the cult--and especially the leader themself--is persecuted by outsiders and that outsiders wish to destroy the leader and the cult. If a follower's obedience to the cult wavers, then they must not be a true believer but an outsider to be shunned and cast out into a cruel and wicked world. These assertions are wrapped into emotional appeals in order to create an emotional reaction rather than allow a rational, thought-out response. Even without the intent to manipulate, most people react more kindly and with more care to someone who is crying.

Akuta's initial language about his tribe is a tell right away. He calls them "the Feeders of Vaal" instead of "the Vaalians" or "the People of Vaal." Those phrases would highlight their existence as separate from their duty to Vaal and grant them more individuality and personhood. Instead, "feeders" is used by Akuta to introduce those he leads, a term that explicitly refers to their job. (If my point isn't clear, imagine introducing yourself occupation-first to strangers before ever giving your name. Feel dehumanized yet?)

Granted, Akuta will later refer to them as "people," so it's possible I am reading too much into word choice. However, it is telling that of all the ways to introduce those he is said to lead, Akuta's first choice of phrasing was "feeders." Word choice is the result of decisions unless one is to believe writers don't think about the tools of their craft. That being said, contrast this to how Kirk refers to them:

He heard the two phrases "Feeders of Vaal" and "People of Vaal" and went with the latter.

KIRK: They're not going to hurt you. I promise you. Akuta, Akuta, we come in peace. We would like to speak to this Vaal. AKUTA: Akuta alone speaks to Vaal. I am the eyes and the voice of Vaal. It is Vaal's wish. SPOCK: Captain, this is fascinating. If you will permit me, sir? (Akuta has metal wires sticking out behind from behind his ears.) KIRK: Antennae? AKUTA: They are my ears for Vaal. They were given to me in the Dim Time so the people could understand his commands and obey. KIRK: You speak of the People of Vaal. Are they nearby? AKUTA: We are close to Vaal so we may serve him. I shall take you there.

It is very important to note that Akuta speaks of a time before Vaal, "the Dim Time." This means the inhabitants could have had an entirely different culture before Vaal. The episode itself leaves their ages vague--they could be only decades or thousands of years old. Any past they may have had before Vaal could have been destroyed or forgotten with the passing of time and "replacements." It can be assumed that Akuta was the leader of the Gamma Triangulians before Vaal and that Vaal chose Akuta to be its eyes, ears, and mouth because the inhabitants already follow and trust Akuta.

Another note is the phrasing that Akuta uses for their relationship to Vaal. They need to "understand his commands and obey" and live close to Vaal "so we may serve him." Akuta himself holds his role because "it is Vaal's wish." Replace Vaal with God and capitalize Him and these could be sentences lifted from a copy of the Bible itself. Their relationship to Vaal is religious. Vaal is not a machine to them but a god worthy of a name and reverence.

It is important to note how Vaal acts as both the object of religious reverence and the leader of cultish obedience. At the risk of grossly summarizing a contentious issue within scholarly circles, those who study religion have long argued whether or not there is a line separating a cult from a religion or if the two words are merely synonyms for the same thing. When I say cult I do not refer to the esoteric worship of a deity within a pantheon (example: a cult of Dionysus; within Christianity there was a cult of Mary Worship), but the same cults that isolate followers from society in order to control their thoughts, their actions, their resources, and their skills for the leader's gain (example: Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, etc.) Both a cult and a religion have their own chosen people, those who know the truth compared to the nonbelievers and the outsiders. Both urge that outsiders and nonbelievers may persecute a believer for their faith. Both ask of their followers' time, resources, and skills. Dress codes, taboos for forbidden behavior/rules, and the like feature in both. Again, I am heavily summarizing an issue that is still debated in academic circles on the basis of my own memory, but the overlaps between a cult and a religion can not be overlooked, especially when discussing this episode. In my opinion, The Apple illustrates the similarities between cults and religions beautifully. (As an aside, it should go without saying why the linking of religions and cults as being the same thing is controversial. Anyone who follows a religion will hardly want their beliefs to be viewed as one in the same with the deadly manipulation of cults.)

AKUTA: These are the people of Vaal. (Everyone is grown up, with white hair and wearing a simple cotton sarong.) KIRK: Where are the others? AKUTA: There are no others. KIRK: The children. AKUTA: Children? You use unknown words to me. KIRK: Little ones like yourselves. They grow. AKUTA: Replacements. None are necessary. They are forbidden by Vaal. MARTHA: But when a man and woman fall in love, AKUTA: Love. Strange words. Children. Love. What is love? MARTHA: Love is when two people are (Chekov demonstrates by putting his arm around her waist.) AKUTA: Ah, yes. The holding, the touching. Vaal has forbidden this.

Akuta refers to "children" as "replacements," a term that distances the speaker from the relationship of an offspring to a parent and destroys the personhood of the inhabitants of Gamma Trianguli VI. In simpler terms, "replacement" is another dehumanizing word choice. Contrast this with Kirk's use of "little ones," which specifically links the offspring to the parent as a smaller version of themselves. Personhood is retained with this phrase. Kirk goes further and specifically says of the children that "they grow." After Bones conducts medical evaluations on the Gamma Triangulians, he declares them a stagnant group despite their long lifespans, ranging anywhere from their twenties to thousands of years old. They seemingly do not age or change from their exposure to their sun. They do not grow their food (from Akuta's words by the end of the episode, it is entirely possible that Vaal creates it as ripe and ready to eat), and it is possible they no longer create their homes, their tools, or their clothes (in other words, these things were made by the Gamma Triangulians but before Vaal, in the Dim Time. Now, with their lives so perfect not even the sun ages them, why should their homes need repairing or their bowls break?) What better way to stop a group from questioning their state of living than to deny them something that must change if it is to survive? To see a child grow every day would call their entire being into question. Vaal doesn't want self-awareness from its feeders. Vaal wants feeders who follow orders without question.

Another chilling tell for the cult is that Akuta does not understand the word "love." Love, of course, can take many forms according to the relationships it is found in (i.e. the love between a parent and child, the love between friends, the love between neighbors or coworkers, the love between a couple, etc.). Love does not necessitate sex or romance to be present in a relationship, but it does necessitate, at the very least, affection and care shared between two people. One hopes that the Gamma Triangulians hold some form of love for one another, but for their own leader to not know the word or offer a word of their own as its Gamma Triangulian counterpart is concerning.

Now, the episode links love to a strict romantic and sexual understanding owing to how it uses and subverts the Genesis creation story and, of course, the absence of children on Gamma Trianguli VI. It should go without saying that if sex is linked to reproduction, then sex is linked to children, so if love is linked to sex as this episode has it, break the first link and you have nothing else from the chain. This is supported by how Akuta goes so far as to call children "forbidden by Vaal" in addition to "the holding, the touching" of romantic and sexual relationships.

If something is forbidden by a society, there is a taboo attached to it, lest the society keeps engaging in what is forbidden and renders the distinction--and by extension, the rules governing the society--as useless. Usually, this involves some sort of punishment as enforcement in addition to the emotional response of doing wrong. Punishments can range from isolation from the group, imprisonment, or death. I will go into greater detail on this last point later. (For now, I need to dismantle a god.)

Vaal: An Unlikely God

Vaal is a stationary computer hidden in a serpent-shaped cave, not a god as the Gamma Triangulians believe. This appearance subverts what one expects from a cult leader as the computer could have been an android capable of walking, talking, and living among the Gamma Triangulians. An android would be in direct contact with the inhabitants without the need of someone like Akuta to aid it. A stationary computer, on the other hand, needs eyes, ears, a mouthpiece, and further aid to even have contact with the inhabitants. In other words, Vaal is beholden to Akuta's existence. Gods are supposed to be more powerful and more knowledgeable than those who worship them. Otherwise, there's nothing remarkable about them. This is why religion operates on a distinction between that which is sacred (the god, Vaal in this instance) and that which is profane (the Gamma Triangulians). Vaal, despite its ability to control the elements and grow food, is limited in its basic existence. Without Akuta, Vaal becomes an isolated computer within a cave that could be forgotten and ignored until its power supply dies.

Another sign that Vaal is an unusual god is that it requires food to keep living. Ritual offerings of food, animal or human sacrifice, and the like occur in religion, so the act of the Gamma Triangulians offering Vaal food as part of a feeding ritual isn't unusual in it of itself. It matches an established cultural practice. What is strange is that Vaal uses the food to stay alive much like any other biological being would, so the ritual is not an action of reverence but a necessity that has been made sacred. While it is hard to see in the episode, the inhabitants are shown offering rocks and stones as food for Vaal. These are objects that they could use themselves as materials for tools or buildings. Instead, they are given to sustain a god.

Vaal is beholden to reciprocity to keep living just as much as the Gamma Triangulians are, which acts as a way to ensure both Vaal and the inhabitants of Gamma Trianguli VI keep each other alive. It is a risk for Vaal should the inhabitants choose to stop the feeding ritual, but as it is revealed, Vaal ensures their perfect paradise. Their weather is stable, the sun does not burn them, and they are always fed without having to work for it. Fear and other strong emotions can be a good way for a cult leader to ensure control, but to ensure a perfect environment and steady food supply in tandem with the threat of fear is even better. ("Bread and circuses" is another way to phrase it. So long as people are fed, distracted, and happy, their freedoms can be chipped away in plain sight.) In other words, the Gamma Triangulians would have to give up paradise itself if they were to starve Vaal to death, not that Akuta would allow it.

But how can a computer that needs food to live still control the elements and plant life itself? How can such a thing even punish or harm other beings? Simple, like any other cult leader, Vaal has other aids beyond Akuta lest Akuta takes control for himself.

This is only a selection of the various v-shaped pieces of metal seen throughout Gamma Trianguli VI, but it is important to bring attention to them. They look like the fangs of a serpent, matching the serpent-shaped cave of Vaal, so it makes sense to assume these are extensions of Vaal scattered throughout the planet. The episode itself does not mention them beyond the scene where Akuta instructs the men to kill the strangers. However, if these objects act as antennae or, better yet, amplifiers, then these objects are the key to Vaal's powers over food, the weather, and especially the localized lightning strikes used on both invaders and those who do not follow Vaal's laws.

Therefore, death is the form of punishment for those who break Vaal's laws. This is how replacements are needed, how their culture is stagnant. Anyone who would challenge Vaal has simply been killed, although perhaps not right away. Vaal may warn them at first with the thunder, only for later transgressions to lead to their deaths. (This is further supported by the force field that protects Vaal from those who get too close without Vaal's permission.)

It is important to also note that these metal objects are the only instances of metal on the planet. It is possible for the inhabitants of Gamma Trianguli VI to have metal tools and metalwork, but Vaal seemingly does not allow them to have it.

It should go without saying, but the presence of metalwork denotes a more complex state of development for a society. Metal tools enable further technological developments and retain more longevity and strength than most plant-based materials. If Bones is correct that the Gamma Triangulians are thousands of years old, that's a long time to stay in such limited conditions despite the presence of technology that operates beyond their comprehension (Vaal, the computer). This is not to say the Gamma Triangulians are stupid, but they are being kept in the dark by an entity with more knowledge and power than they have. Cults operate on that ignorance and power imbalance.

The Cult in Action

The episode is kind enough to show how the cult operates in real time, how the Gamma Triangulians react to new knowledge, and how change is rejected by Vaal or if it is allowed.

When Makora and Sayana see see Chekov and Martha kissing, they are initially confused. It does not cause pain or anger, yet the act of kissing seemingly does nothing the two Gamma Triangulians can understand in their limited knowledge of love and relationships. Makora asks if anything can be gained from such an action and notes how it does not help gather food or serve Vaal. Their lives are strictly measured by their usefulness to Vaal. Love, kissing, and sex do not help Vaal, so these things are unknown and not permitted.

Makora and Sayana decide to try kissing anyways, their curiosity getting the better of their apprehension. Vaal manages to see this even before Akuta comes to correct them, letting out a warning of thunder as the couple embraces again. Akuta then reminds them of the law and asks, "Do you beg the lightning to strike?" Remember Kaplan? He didn't take cover fast enough during the first storm and was struck by Vaal's lightning, reduced instantaneously to a smoking pile of ash. This is the fate that awaits Makora and Sayana for embracing and kissing one another.

AKUTA: Vaal has spoken to me. His words are true. Hear them. We are to kill the strangers. MAKORA: Kill, Akuta? We do not understand. AKUTA: It is a thing to do, like, like feeding Vaal. Vaal explained it to me. I will show you. This (the melon) is the head of one of the strangers. Find a heavy stick. Come up from behind the stranger and do this. (He swings his stick and smashes the melon to pieces.) AKUTA: It is a simple thing. It is the word of Vaal. It will be done to all of them when the sun returns in the morning.

When Akuta gathers the men to instruct them to kill the strangers, Makora is confused. They have no concept of killing, which makes sense if they are dependent on Vaal for everything from their food to their longevity. There is no danger in their lives beyond disobeying Vaal. What is telling is that this new knowledge first comes from Vaal, delivered by Akuta. Akuta links the act of killing to the feeding ritual, something the Gamma Triangulians will understand. Yet to kill and to feed are not synonymous actions. One takes life, and the other supports life. Akuta links them together because, just as feeding Vaal is their duty, so is killing if Vaal wills it.

This is how the feeding ritual would have begun. Vaal would have told it to Akuta, who would have linked it to another ritual the Gamma Triangulians would have done. This way, the chain of leadership remains unchallenged and unbroken. The new behavior has a link to a current behavior, comes from their leader Akuta, comes from Vaal their god.

In what is the biggest tell of a cult, the Gamma Triangulians follow their orders to kill despite earlier questions and hesitations. They are like the civilians of Summerisle from The Wicker Man 1973, seemingly odd in their beliefs at first, only to gleefully participate in a ritualistic murder when told to do so. In a cult, anyone can be made to do the unconscionable. An individual's own ethics and morality fail to matter in the face of what the cult demands.

The Apple: Genesis Subverted

SPOCK: Captain, you are aware of the biblical story of Genesis. KIRK: Yes, of course I'm aware of it. Adam and Eve tasted the apple and, as a result, were driven out of paradise. SPOCK: Precisely, Captain, and in a manner of speaking, we have given the people of Vaal the apple, the knowledge of good and evil if you will, as a result of which they too have been driven out of paradise.

I mentioned it briefly earlier, but it is important to note at this time how The Apple recalls the Genesis creation story and turns it on its head. As a brief refresher, Adam and Eve live in the paradise of Eden. They want for nothing and desire nothing. They are perfectly cared for and perfectly content. The one thing they are told not to do is to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent to eat the Fruit of Knowledge (most commonly translated to be an apple), and they gain the knowledge of good and evil, the shame of wrongdoing, and self-awareness. God casts them out of Eden for disobeying, and the two are to live out a hard life of pain with a decreased lifespan. (I know my summary is not your typical Bible school lesson owing to my phrasing, bear with me. It's my summary and I am choosing my words for a reason.)

In The Apple, the inhabitants of Gamma Trianguli VI live in paradise. The sun does not burn them or age them. They do not have to struggle to grow food or hunt. Their needs are perfectly met by their god Vaal. All they must do in return is to perform the feeding ritual for Vaal and uphold Vaal's laws, meaning they are forbidden to kiss or have sex or have children. This is where Gamma Trianguli VI's similarities with Genesis.

Unlike the Genesis creation story, the god Vaal is hidden in a serpent-shaped cave and is actually a computer. The deity is linked to the deceiver, the symbol for Satan in the Genesis myth, the serpent. This serpent does not tempt the inhabitants of paradise with forbidden knowledge. Instead, Vaal keeps the Gamma Triangulians ignorant. Apples and other such fruit are not off-limits, nor do they enable one to gain forbidden knowledge. Therefore, when Kirk eats an apple during the crews' round table sex discussion, nothing new is gained. (The landing party already knows what sex is as it is not forbidden to them. The mystery is how humanoid beings are to reproduce without sex.) The landing party does, however, share their knowledge and encourage the Gamma Triangulians' curiosity either directly by openly questioning their culture as Kirk does when he asks about children, or indirectly as Chekov and Martha do when they are inadvertently seen kissing. This is why Spock later refers to Kirk as being Satan for tempting the Gamma Triangulians and leading them out of a comfortable paradise by destroying their god. (The reference is ruined, in my opinion, by Spock's pointed ears being made into a punchline joke about him appearing more like Satan than Kirk.)

So, why does our protagonist, Jim Kirk, interfere with an alien culture at the risk of destroying their culture, disobeying Starfleet Command, and ignoring the Prime Directive? For two reasons: The Dim Time and Tarsus IV.

1. "The Dim Time" Akuta's own words to describe the time before Vaal. Vaal may be everything to the Gamma Triangulians when Kirk and the crew arrive, but Vaal was not originally a part of their lives or culture in the beginning. If there was a time before Vaal, there could be a time after Vaal. If my previous posts about Jim Kirk do not make it clear enough, the man might take risks in doing his job and especially in protecting others, but they are always calculated risks. (The only thing Kirk does not care about is his own life.) Much like taking the risk of accelerating the war between Eminiar VII and Vendikar in order to force peace talks out of sheer terror, Kirk took stock of the situation and realized nothing would change unless an outsider did the drastic decision. (As one can assume, the refusal to arrive to one's appointed death on Eminiar VII might result in armed guards bringing the dissenter against their will to the disintegration chambers. However, the strong sense of duty that compels the people of Eminiar VII to follow the tradition of assigned deaths in their computerized war might make the use of force unnecessary.)

MEA: Don't you understand? Our duty KIRK: Your duty doesn't include stepping into a disintegrator and disappearing. MEA: I'm afraid mine does, Captain. I, too, have been declared a casualty. I must report to a disintegrator by noon tomorrow. KIRK: Is that all it means to you? To report and die? MEA: My life is as dear to me as yours is to you, Captain. KIRK: Then how can you stand MEA: Don't you see? If I refuse to report and others refuse, then Vendikar would have no choice but to launch real weapons. We would have to do the same to defend ourselves. More than people would die then. A whole civilization would be destroyed. Surely you can see that ours is a better way. KIRK: No, I don't see that at all. MEA: It's been our way for almost five hundred years. (A Taste of Armageddon)

2. Tarsus IV.

KARIDIAN: (reading) The revolution is successful, but survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. (stops looking at the paper) Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered. Signed, Kodos, governor of Tarsus Four. KIRK: I remember the words. I wrote them down. (The Conscience of the King)

As the survivor of a famine, a revolution, and a massacre that he was selected to die in, of course Jim Kirk would immediately balk at the idea of humanoid beings living their lives in service to a machine and taking the machine's orders. If Kirk were one to follow orders and do as he is told, he would quite literally be dead.

Owing to Kirk's experiences and the ambition that seems to drive him forward, to prove that he survived for a reason, he values work and the striving towards a better future (ironic, perhaps, if one recalls Karidian's words before reading the death summons.) Thus, he does not see the loss of paradise as a thing to avoid or to mourn. For Kirk, work makes humankind what it is. Work speaks to the hope of another day (otherwise, why build, why create if there is no hope for a tomorrow?). To live in perfect contentment is not a life at all if every day stretches forward without any challenge or change, if one is to only follow orders and nothing else. Stagnation is the opposite of life.

MCCOY: Well, that's the second time man's been thrown out of paradise. KIRK: No, no, Bones. This time we walked out on our own. Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through. Struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute. We must march to the sound of drums. (This Side of Paradise)

This is why, even when Akuta asks how the Gamma Triangulians are to live without Vaal, Kirk replies like so:

AKUTA: But it was Vaal who put the fruit on the trees, caused the rain to fall. Vaal cared for us. KIRK: You'll learn to care for yourselves, with our help. And there's no trick to putting fruit on trees. You might enjoy it. You'll learn to build for yourselves, think for yourselves, work for yourselves, and what you create is yours. That's what we call freedom. You'll like it, a lot. And you'll learn something about men and women, the way they're supposed to be. Caring for each other, being happy with each other, being good to each other. That's what we call love. You'll like that, too, a lot. You and your children.

Remember, Kirk was supposed to die on Tarsus IV. Star Trek TOS never reveals exactly what he did to escape Kodos and survive with the eight others until Starfleet came with aid. We can assume he and the others left the boundaries of the colony and took their chances--together--in the wilderness of Tarsus IV. I want to stress that last point: Kirk survived by the help of others and aided their survival in return. Hence, his words to the Gamma Triangulians, "You'll learn to build for yourselves, think for yourselves, work for yourselves, and what you create is yours. That's what we call freedom [...] And you'll learn something about men and women, the way they're supposed to be. Caring for each other, being happy with each other, being good to each other. That's what we call love." Kirk envisions a community living for their own selves, not for the whims of a despotic leader, regardless of if that leader is another human being or a machine disguising itself as a god.

[darrowsrising]

Red Rising: Introduction to Darrow

I feel like a lot of people misunderstand Darrow's first chapters. Yes, he is young and impetous, but his elders preach causion, patience and obedience when he feels he cannot afford to lose - his goals are achievable, he believes, so of course he'll pull at the strings others fitted him with.

And yes, his elders are trying to save him the pain of knowing the truth - he'll never win, only Gamma wins. But hiding the truth does not make it unreal.

He is not a bad person for trying to progress, he is not bad for trying to do the very thing he was raised to do - provide for his clan. He is, however, too much of a teenager trying to be a man. He is bound to act like a jerk.

He is even more under pressure to be providing an adult, a hero for his clan, but treated like a child. He is a product of a patriarchal society and a slave to the system. He is being simultaneously stripped off his childhood, forced to grow up, forced into child labour and gaslit into thinking it good and normal.

He is also being disrespectful to a bunch of rude, tired, cowardly old men who make unappropriate jokes and try to control him 'for his own good', although they didn't get to the ripe old age of over 40 by staying oblivious to the truth.

The point is not - look at this likable character. It's - look at this child, he lost his beloved father, he had to becone his replacement, he is full of youth, he works so hard, he is terrific at it, he loves so much, it's not enough.

There are various things established - there is contrast for Darrow between being this prodigy at mining, yet being treated like a slave, the Society forcing him to labour like an adult and his elders treating him as a child, the harshness of the worlds and the simple life he longs for because his father didn't get to live it.

It's also a good blend of world-building and character-building. And no, contrary to booktok opinions, a dystopian society being oppressive does not mean ita promoted, it's literally needed for the dystopian genre. The point of view of a victim is, obviously, going to present atrocities as normal daylife.

Darrow obviously grows as the book and the series goes on and not immediately. In Red Rising he grows more bit by bit and in subtler ways, with bigger changes being caused after traumatic events and deep bonds are formed.

But point is, Darrow is more than what meets the eye. There is a reason for his behaviour, his rage, his intransigence. He is a child, although he won't admit it, a victim, although he doesn't realise it, a slave, although he hasn't conceived it yet, and yet he is priviliged as the hero of his clan. It's a position that establishes him as interesting. Because he is not exactly passive, but he is accepting his status.

The reader is meant to know that Darrow is a child forced to labour, but gaslit into thinkibg it's normal, that he lives in a fucked up society that keeps everyobe under a boot with fucked up expectations and that he won't admit it, but he actually lives in a severely policed establishment. He is not perfect, but even so he does not deserve what is happening to him.

And I think it's a failure not to be attentive of these things, because Darrow is not meant to be an unbiased beacon shining in an imperfect society as many washed down dystopians try to portray their main characters. He is a product of his own environment and hella realistic for it.

Being based on Antigone's fiancé, he is a flawed character in a privilegd position living grueling circumstances. And he goes even more beyond that.

[saiyanandproud]

@viopolis:

“I’m not Gamma.”

The android scowls. The rage that heats his chassis may be one of the few sensations he truly understands to be emotion- his emotion, at that. Being mistaken for what he was supposed to be never failed to stir something inside him. Not her fault for the mistake. If he wasn’t damaged, and if he were dressed in his intended uniform, he and Gamma 1 would’ve been identical. That said, he didn’t break off his fin for nothing. “Whatever you’d call me doesn’t matter. The Time Patrol sent you to try to stop me, didn’t they? I’m telling you now that you won’t. Not without killing me.”

"The Time Patrol doesn't like to resolve to such methods," Mariko replied, "not until strictly necessary. And I like to avoid them as much as possible," she added with a bitter grimace.

Not a Gamma. Yet, he was identical. He had to ask the guys back in Conton. Maybe that Gamma 2? He seemed pretty eager to collaborate with her after all...

"What are you trying to do here?" She asked. As if she didn't know already. "Maybe we can find a compromise."