#he can't have anything huh NOT EVEN THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF HIS FEELINGS

[sha-n-dowbannedlol]

Jotaro Kujo — kakyoin's amusement

cw: nothing rlly, jotaro kujo is bad at feelings tag

an: inspired by that tiktok audio of when he sees me lol

Always being on the move with barely any breaks and with enemies at every turn has left Kakyoin with little to no entertainment. Of course, he doesn't mind, even if he's already starting to miss his NES.

Fortunately for the red-head teenager, it seems that the Gods have heard his prayers and have blessed him with a new source of entertainment, exclusive front-row seats that only he is the audience of, said entertainment being the hidden feelings between you and Jotaro.

Well, it's not really hidden—you're both aware of your feelings, just not each other's. And being the only other teenager left, the two of you ran to Kakyoin to rant about your feelings. 

And just the admissions alone was already absolutely amusing.

You were the first to admit your feelings. 

It was still early on the journey, and Kakyoin was tasked to retrieve tickets with Jotaro, but he found that the teen had already gone on without him. Shrugging it off, Kakyoin opted to enjoy his stay and make the most of the hotel amenities instead. 

He found himself in the pool area, and much to his surprise, he caught you in one of the beach chairs on the poolside. Feeling his eyes on you, you wave him over, and he approaches you to sit on the beach chair adjacent to yours. 

It was quiet, and Kakyoin racked his brain for anything to say. Eventually, he opens up the conversation with one of the obscure facts he knows off the top of his head. 

Thankfully, you responded in kind, and the conversation flowed easily from there. Your conversation bounced from one thing to another before eventually, the both of you settled in comfortable silence while laying back on your respective beach chairs. 

It was a bit sudden for Kakyoin, but he'd be lying if he said he was surprised when you suddenly admitted it. 

"I think I like him...." You spoke, suddenly breaking the silence between you and the red-headed teen. Kakyoin glances at you, and he can see you feeling a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. 

"Hm..." Kakyoin hums in response before adding with a noticeable teasing lilt in his voice. "Who? Polnareff?"

"Yes, of course. Because I want a grown man." You respond sarcastically, rolling your eyes as you look at him, watching his lips turn up to an amused smirk. "I'm talking about Mr. Joestar, obviously."

"Right, my mistake." Kakyoin matched your energy, the both of you sharing a chuckle, before he turns to look at you, meeting your gaze. 

"So, Jotaro, huh?" 

Kakyoin's smirk widens at the sudden smitten look on your face just from the mention of the name, and he's 99% positive that you don't even realize it. 

"Yeah..." You sigh, one that reminds him of a hopeless romantic protagonist of romcoms he's seen his parents watch before. "I mean, can you blame me? Going through all these troubles just for his mom? How he jumped to save that kid without hesitation? And that face of his isn't helping."

"Honestly? I can't say I'm surprised." Kakyoin responds to your small rant, his voice soft and comforting. He sees your lips part, looking at him in slight panic, and he cuts you off before you can even speak. 

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Kakyoin."

"Mhm. Thank you for trusting me with this."

On the other hand, it took Jotaro quite a while before he admitted it—both to himself and to his friend. 

After a long day of fighting the menace that was Steely Dan and a long day of traveling, they ended up in another hotel. As usual, Jotaro and Kakyoin ended up sharing a room, and you ended up getting separated from them with your very own room. 

It was a really long day for both teenagers; both were drained and worn out, with Kakyoin mentally exhausted from exerting the effort to manifest his stand in a much smaller form and Jotaro both mentally and physically drained after all the beating he took earlier in the day. 

"I should've beaten him up more." Jotaro groans from his bed, making Kakyoin turn to look at him, a brow raised. 

"Steely Dan? You ended up hating him that much?" Kakyoin responds before leaning on his elbows, still lying on the bed. "How bad are the things he did to you when we left you with him?"

"That's not the issue. I've already made him pay for what he did to me." Jotaro responds, before shooting up from his bed, removing his hat, and placing it on the shared nightstand between their beds, running a hand through his hair. 

"But...." Jotaro trails off, and Kakyoin sits up on his bed as well, raising his brow even more. 

Jotaro grumbled something under his breath, and Kakyoin could swear he heard your name amongst the words the other teen grumbled. 

Kakyoin repeats your name, and Jotaro faces Kakyoin, his gaze hardened. 

"What about them?" Kakyoin asks curiously. 

"I can't easily forgive him for the shit he did to them."

Kakyoin is quite surprised by his words and how genuine they sound. His gaze darts to his friend's face, his scowl deeper than usual, a vein almost popping on his temple. Jotaro's exhaustion must be making him slip his composure, his emotions taking hold of his exhausted mind. 

"What did he do?" 

"He grabbed them. Right. in front. of. me." Jotaro scowls, his jaw clenched tightly. "Grabbed onto their arm so tightly like they were his."

Kakyoin blinks at that, his eyes widening slightly. No.. that expression on Jotaro's face.. it wasn't annoyance. Not completely...

"Held their chin to make them look at him. His face was so damn close to theirs, I would've punched him right then and there if it wasn't for the old man."

Definitely not annoyance. It's jealousy.

"I could feel Star Platinum just about ready to make him regret being born, and I had to actively hold him back." Jotaro finishes his mini-rant with a deep, annoyed sigh, his eyes darting over to look at Kakyoin. 

It was Jotaro's turn to look confused at the amused grin on Kakyoin's face, a knowing look in his lavender gaze, making Jotaro's brows scrunch in confusion as he looks at his friend. 

"The hell are you smiling about?" Jotaro asks bluntly with a deep scowl, "Didn't you hear a thing I just said?"

"I think you're the one who didn't hear what you just said, Jotaro." Kakyoin responds amusedly, his grin not faltering even under the scrutinizing gaze of Jotaro Kujo. 

"What are you blabbering about?"

"Think back to your words, Jotaro. You're not stupid."

Jotaro paused for a while, running a hand through his already messy hair at his friend's cryptic behavior. He was already exhausted and pissed off; he didn't need any more of Kakyoin's bullshit—still, curiously, Jotaro did as he was asked. 

Kakyoin's amused smile slowly widens along with Jotaro's eyes slowly widening in realization as he plays his own words back in his mind. His surprised gaze turned to look at Kakyoin. 

"Are you suggesting....?" Jotaro trails off with a hiss. "Fuck off."

"I'm not even saying anything."

"Don't think about it. I'd rather eat my socks."

"Oh?"

"Don't look at me like—" Jotaro sighs. "It's not like that,"

"But it is," Kakyoin insists with a raised brow and a smirk, "Isn't it?"

Jotaro didn't even respond this time, looking away from his friend's teasing gaze as his own landed on his bed sheets. Kakyoin could see the dust of pink on the other teen's cheeks the more he remained silent, and that was already enough of a response to him. 

"God fucking damnit." Jotaro curses under his breath at the realization, letting out a deep sigh as he glares at his sheets. Kakyoin remained silent as he let Jotaro think about his newfound feelings. 

Eventually, Jotaro turns his head to look at Kakyoin, the usual calm, cold, neutral look on his face as his ocean gaze stares through his lavender ones. 

"Turn away for a bit." Was all Jotaro said. Confused, Kakyoin did as he was told, turning his back to Jotaro and looking at the wall beside his bed. 

Suddenly, Kakyoin jumps slightly in surprise. 

Jotaro is screaming.

It's muffled, probably by his pillows and his sheets, and it probably wasn't loud enough to be heard outside their room, but loud enough to surprise Kakyoin.

It didn't take long before he heard a deep breath and then silence.

"Good night," Jotaro spoke nonchalantly, and Kakyoin swiftly turned, but Jotaro was already on his side, back turned towards the red-head who was only blinking at him in a mix of amusement and surprise. 

"Also, don't tell anyone about this."

"Aye, aye, captain."

[felice-jaganshi]

Made With Love

Radioapple Fic

Chapter 1: Lambchops

(This chapter based off fanart from notherpuppet, I love them so much)

The candles were lit and the sigil was drawn in lamb's blood. All that was left was to invoke his name, and see if he actually showed up. If not, at least Alastor could have a nice lamb chop dinner.

“Lucifer, King of Hell, Lord of Pride. I implore thee to grace me with thy presence this evening.” He spoke as sweetly as he could, using every trick he possessed to sound as alluring as possible. He was in his mother's living room, though she no longer lived here… he'd always call it hers. 

 

There was a full minute of silence, standing in the dark room with the candles as the only light. He sighed and began to turn away, when the room suddenly got brighter!

He turned, and saw the fireplace, blaze to life, where it had previously been dark and empty of any kindling at all! Shit! But he was supposed to manifest within the circle so he was contained! He must have done something wrong, now he'd have no control over the devil!

The fire blazed white and out onto the stone hearth stepped a flaming figure with horns and a tail, red glowing eyes locking on Alastor. 

Alastor's face split into an excited grin, “Greetings, your majesty. I'm honored that you actually took the time to visit my humble abode.” He bowed at the waist, but kept eye contact. 

 

“You're alone, human? No… others?” His voice reverberated with the flickering of the flames. He sounded curious, which Alastor hoped was a good thing.

“No, I am not part of any cult or anything. My summoning you was for entirely personal reasons. I beseech You, please hear out my request. I require power. Physical power.”

 

“Oh? And where is my lamb?” He sounded… bored.

“Oh yes, right here your Majesty!” He motioned to the dining table, and at lovely cooked lambchops.

The demon looked over and all the fire left his form, revealing a man. Much shorter than Alastor expected… he wore all white and stepped forward towards the table.

“You cooked it? Damn, that's a first actually.” He looked impressed.

“Well, please enjoy your lamb sire, then may we get down to business?” He smiled at the short devil, examining him. We'll, he's certainly not what Alastor expected the devil to look like, certainly less red… but he is known as The Deceiver for a reason. This is probably just a trick to make Alastor lower his guard or test him into being discourteous, so he can steal his soul without granting his request!

 

Lucifer sat down at the small table, “Well, you might as well join me. You prepared enough lamb to feed two!” He chuckled and kept his beautiful red eyes on Alastor, with a sharp toothy grin. Alastor felt it was more of a demand than a request. 

“If that is what you desire.” He went to get another plate and wine glass before sitting down and pouring them each a glass.

“So, what part of earth have I been summoned to? And what year is it?”

“You're in Louisiana, Sire. And the year is 1927. This is my mother's home, or… was rather…” He kept his smile on, but looked away with a deep sadness in his eyes. 

“I can't bring people back to life, if that's what you were gonna ask for.” Lucifer said softly, feeling pity for the young man. He took a bite of the lamb and his eyes went wide, “Whoa! Did your mom teach you to cook like this?! I'm gonna have to make you my personal chef!” He then dug in enthusiastically. 

“Is that what you'd desire of me for the power I require?” Alastor hadn't touched his food yet, just watching in awe as the devil ate all the way down to cleaning the bones.

 

“Huh? So focused on business. And here I was hoping for some good dinner conversation. Well, before I offer anything to you, I need an idea of what I'm working with here. ‘Power’ is a rather vague concept without context. And since you made me such a delicious offering, I'm feeling gracious enough not to immediately fuck you over.” He rest his chin on his folded hands and smiled softly, eyes half closed as he felt satisfied with a full stomach. 

 

Alastor sighed, “Very well, if I must.” He had hoped to avoid sharing his personal details with the demon, but he was damning his soul anyway. 

“My mother… she was murdered, and I wish to get revenge for her. But I'm not strong enough to take on the whole group by myself. So I would like to petition you for assistance. To borrow power from you so I may avenge her and make sure they never do this to anyone again.”

Lucifer stared intently as Alastor spoke. “I see… well, I could use some entertainment. So how about I make this extra interesting. For the duration of your hunt, I'll make you not just powerful, but I'll make it so no one will be able to tie the murders to you either.” He wanted to see how Alastor would handle this gift.

His eyes lit up, “Truly? And what do you ask in exchange for such a generous offer?”

“Well, standard arrangement for such a deal would be your soul. But let's make this more interesting. Once a month for the rest of your life and afterlife, you have to summon me for dinner. Not necessarily lamb everytime, I have quite the diverse palette.” 

“Dinner with the Devil once a month? And I get to keep my soul? Well, I Believe we have a deal then, your Majesty.” He held out his hand, and Lucifer shook it.

 

 

His first murder! It was exhilarating! The Power coursing through his body was a high he could hardly keep sane through, it was immediately addictive. He needed more!

That thought made him flinch and look in the mirror of his bathroom where he was cleaning up. His eyes… They were red now, like the Devil's. But it was already fading back to brown as the power left. No- no! Come back! I need the power!  

He felt a cold sweat over his body. “I… I may not have given my soul, but hell is already my destination.” He knew that should scare him, that he should be begging God for forgiveness and protect, but he didn't want either of those things. With this power, he could protect himself from anything! He was powerful now and no one could stop him!

The thrill of the realization sent shivers down his spine. That's what this was, excitement, not fear.

It was time for the next Victim. Tomorrow, he'd get Their leader.

 

Next month, he summoned Lucifer again, this time making him jambalaya and hoping for the best.

When Lucifer stepped in through the fireplace, he smiled softly, holding a box.

“Hey kiddo, it smells great in here! How've you been enjoying my powers, it looked like you were having fun.”

 

“Sire, can you please not call me ‘Kiddo’. I am an adult man.” Alastor's grin tightened, “And yes, I've been enjoying your gift immensely. However… I am coming close to the end of our arrangement, soon I will eliminate the last of the men who directly killed Mother… And I must admit, I am loathe to let go of the powers you've granted me… there are more Sinners who deserve to be punished. More lives I could save! I-” He caught himself, realizing he was getting carried away in front of Lucifer himself!

 

“Well, if that's how you feel, how about another deal?” He smiled and sat down to enjoy his meal, setting down the box on the table. “Ooooh, what'd you make this time?” He licked his lips.

“It's jambalaya, have you never had it before, Sire?” 

“Nope! Never heard of it.” He dug right in, and purred as he ate. 

“Your praise is appreciated, you majesty.” God, why did that purring make him seem almost... cute?

“And you're so polite too. Is it out of respect, or fear?”  He looked Alastor up and down before motioning to the chair across from him.

“Please, join me. You are pleasant company.”

 

Alastor sat, “Thank you, Sire.”

“Please, call me Lucifer. We're about to become much more intimately connected if you accept my offer.”

He waited for Alastor to eat his portion of dinner before getting to business.

“Now, you want to keep my powers after you've avenged your mother.

I will let you keep the strength I loaned you in exchange for ownership of your soul. Is that agreeable?” He held out his hand with a smile. Something about it looked… hungry.

Alastor took a deep breath, then slowly shook the Devil's hand. “Yes. My soul is yours upon my death.” 

Lucifer frowned at that last part, “Aw, only after your death? I can't just call you mine now?” He then chuckled and softened his expression, “Very well, enjoy your few years of freedom wisely, my pet. I look forward to continuing our monthly meals as well.”

“Yes, Sire, I will enjoy my time to the fullest!"

 

“Good, I'll be keeping an eye on you… make me impressed, my dear.” He chuckled and took his leave.

Alastor noticed the small black box he'd left behind, and curiosity got the better of him. He opened it up, and found a note card that said “To Alastor” on it. Underneath was a silk bowtie.

[desultory-novice]

He'll Branch be like:

Even in Hell, miracles can happen.

Noir: 😃

But not for you. Suffer forever, teenage boy!

Noir: 😢

"Yeah, Dess! What did teenage boys ever do to you, huh?!"

...I thought that's what everyone's teenage years were like! XD

But your comment did lead to this bit of inspiration...

Noir: "Is this...all there is?"

Magolor: "To the afterlife? Don't ask me! I didn't even know building a theme park would work til I tried it! (I don't remember too much about it because I was massively hallucinating at the time. Max says I don't have to worry about litigation if anything breaks because everyone's already dead! ...You didn't hear that, by the way.)"

Magolor: "I thought you'd been here longer than me, actually."

Noir: "Yeah, I guess... I just kind of...zoned out through most of it. Kind of hoping...if I stopped thinking, I would disappear..."

Noir: "I... I'm only 16, you know? And...I only made one real mistake. Or... maybe everything was a mistake. Because every stupid decision I made on my own just made things worse."

Noir: "...Maybe the mistake was being born, I don't know."

Magolor: "Hmm. My boyfriend is damned for a near-eternity just because he 'whimsically' tried to take something for himself that belonged to everyone..."  (And it's going to BE an eternity if he doesn't stop pulling dumb pranks that add hours onto his clock!)"

Magolor: "I thought I'd done far worse than he had, but I feel like I got off lighter, even with this thing rooted deep into my head." 

Noir: "...What, the literal clown who pranked my sister? Who's always laughing like a drugged out fiend all the time?"

Magolor: "The very same! He used to love flying. Said it was the greatest, most freeing feeling in the world. ...He has to waddle everywhere now very, very slowly or he falls apart - and he hates it."

Noir: "...You know what sucks also? Not having hands."

Magolor: "Or to have them but not have control over them! ...Marx laughs because he would never admit to anyone how hard it is. And even though he can't stop pranking people, he's secretly terrified of being left here alone as the very last one of us damned souls."

Noir: "..."

Magolor: "...I don't know what it is that makes some lives harder than others. Why some of us live in a frankly blissful world of naps and sunshine without a thought in their round pink, friendly heads while some of us live to see everything we wanted, even the simple dreams, ripped away from us. And I don't know why half the patrons here are physical manifestations of nightmares and nihilism and death while the rest of us just wanted to be pretty, or prosperous, or strong, or have friends, or to protect someone they loved..."

Noir: "...Yeah..."

Magolor: "I thought if I built the best possible theme park, I could make everyone smile and shout with joy. My own little universe where I was in control. Not the harsh reality. But...this place is only a short-term fantasy. A game of pretend that fades as soon as you look away and see that the rest of the world is still on fire."

Magolor: "I haven't known you that long, and though you buried my boyfriend in the lake of fire, I think you deserve to be saved. To have everything good that was taken away from you and then some."

Magolor: "Despite a long time being used as a host for limitless power, I can't give you any of that... But I can promise, for you at least, the rides and games in Merry Magoland will always be free."

Noir: "...Guess it's something. And starting from nothing... it's a lot."

Noir: "Oh, but get rid of the mother%$!& tea cups for me!"

Magolor: "I could repurpose the land to build a 'Scope Shot' arena. There's been a lot of requests for that one to come back."

Noir: "'...Scope Shot?"

Magolor: "Interested? I've got some gameplay footage right here!"

Noir: "Wow, what are these, PS1 graphics?"

Magolor: "......"

[heinzpilsner]

Okay, it's time for the next exciting part of the 'Overanalyzing beach Maiko' series!

In the previous episode, we finally left behind the jealous rampage scene thank god, and now we'll deal with the consequences! Yay!

I'm a bit too happy about it, am I?

Today I'm not in the mood for long procrastinating jokes I wonder why, so let's get right to the business of dissecting Maiko's heated break-up dialogue, shall we?

So, what do we have here?

Mai: "Zuko, what is wrong with you?"

A legitimate question.

Zuko: "What's wrong with me?"

Much less legitimate question. I mean, what exactly Zuko tried to accuse Mai of at this point? Her supposed infidelity? But what if she was in the process of telling "sorry, I have a boyfriend" at the moment of Zuko's attack? Or what - was she supposed to hiss like a cat and hit Ruon-Jian with a knife the moment he spoke to her or something?

(A sidenote: Zuko's reaction could mean one important thing: he was angry at Mai just for liking another boy.

Even ignoring the unfoudedness of Zuko's assumption, the problem is, people can't really control their feelings. Only their behavior - and even that to a certain extent (passion is a thing and all).

So, unless Mai flirted (which would hint on her desire to commit an act of infidelity) with Ruon-Jian or downright cheated on Zuko, resenting her wasn't rational and wouldn't improve the situation in a slightest.

But... Perhaps Zuko in his inadequate state just saw flirting where there was none of it.)

Anyway, boy, even if you don't realize it at the moment, you've just thoroughly screwed up. It's really not a good time for you to go into offense here!

Mai: "Your temper is out of control. You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hotheaded and angry!"

Well, there are far more issues with Zuko's behavior than that, but I have to give Mai credit here - she was able to look beyond particulars of the moment and detect that there's something weird going on with her boyfriend.

... Well, either that, or she simply didn't notice all the other problems here, which could say a lot about Mai's life views.

But if it's the former, the fact that she decided to focus on this aspect in particular is... quite curious.

It actually could speak of her concern for Zuko (and she kinda sounded concerned with her "What's wrong with you" question)... were it not for the fact it heavily contradicts her recent actions.

Sorry, Maiko fans, but the "bring me food" thing is not something I can simply dismiss. It maybe seems small, but it shows way too clearly Mai's current attitude that is incompatible with true caring either for others in general, or for Zuko in particular. And it took place just a couple of minutes before the scene!

(Most likely the creators didn't realise it, but what can I say? I'm analysing the material, not intentions behind it.)

So, not that there is anything wrong with caring about yourself in the first place, but I'd say Mai during the break-up dialogue was concerned mostly/only about her own interests.

And of all the problematic things that were exaggerated or manifested by Zuko's psychological instability (including tendency towards physical aggression, irrational jealousy, lack of trust and respect towards his girlfriend and a long list of potentially harmful attitudes), the ones that bothered Mai the most were... his trademark personality flaws.

Huh.

Of course, Zuko's psychological state was the real issue here. But Mai didn't stop after just "your temper is out of control", did she?

The problem is, being hot-headed, impatient and prone to anger is not some anomaly of the day! It's a most typical manifestation of Zuko's temperament under stressful conditions, and it will never go way entirely even after all the wrong attitudes in his head will be fixed.

And when you choose yourself a life partner, you should be ready that it will not always be rainbows and awfully orange sunshine with them, you know.

(I'm not stating here what you shold tolerate any kind of shit from your partner. That's not the point. My point is... Ah, I'm a zutarian, draw your own conclusions here.)

In short, instead of focusing on real problems, Mai just scolded Zuko for being himself. Brilliant thinking!

Zuko: "Well, at least I feel something, as opposed to you. You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blah!"

... Oh-oh. Boy, it was a wrong answer. Like, a really really wrong answer.

As a zutarian, I fully approve of it though pffft

Basically, Zuko totally ignored "temper is out of control" part and said to a rightfully angry Mai who already thought he was too much of a trouble that her personality* sucks. If he was still hoping to save the relationship after this (why would he though?), his brain definitely short circuited.

(*Actually, lack of "passion for anything" can't be considered someone's personality - unless what we're really talking about is phlegmatic temperament, it's a big problem. But I'll elaborate on it in later parts if I ever manage to figure out what is "it" at all in the mess of Mai's character)

But I must say, Zuko's answer gives us a ridiculous amount of data to work with.

And one of the most notable details here is the ironic paradox of his accusation. Which is:

Zuko basically scolded Mai for not feeling anything and not having passion right after she yelled at him passionately.

... Lol.

I'd say something does not quite add up here, does it?

But like all paradoxes, the situation is actually not all that strange when you describe it more thoroughly.

And it has two possible explanations.

Either Zuko just responded to Mai's critique outside of the situational context...

(And thus admitted that he was frustrated with Mai's usual personality for quite some time. ... Even though before "The Beach" he didn't seem to mind her "lack of passion" all that much. Huh.)

...Or Mai's personality wasn't Zuko's real problem with her at the moment.

If you think about it, apart from unusual emotional outburst (and imaginary interest in another guy) there was nothing new about Mai this day - except for one little thing, of course.

Today she was expressing much less of affection towards Zuko than before.

You know what's the sad thing though?

Both of these hypotheses could be right simultaneously. That is, Zuko became frustrated with Mai's personality and her lack of love this day.

I'd speculate here that Zuko loves Mai mostly in response to her "love" for him. The guy doesn't really need all that much - just someone to love and be loved by (preferably with a pretty face and noble status, but I'm sure different options were possible). Mai just was the first girl around who laid her hands on him in a moment of vulnerability.

But when her affection is gone, it turns out he doesn't really like her all that much.

Of course, he tells her "sweet" things like "You're beautiful when you hate the world", but... Can we state with certainty that he wouldn't prefer something different to admire in a girl if he had a choice?

(Well, technically, he has a choice - but mostly in theory. Zuko leads a pretty isolated life, and there are simply no other interested girls around - except for crazy royalty fans apparently, but security holds them at bay alright. Besides, Mai is already here, and from Zuko's date with Jin we know that he was willing first to sacrifice his dignity, and then to risk his freedom/life(!) just because he couldn't stand to see a girl with him sad. So, as long as he believes he's loved, he'll try and make this relationship work despite everything.)

"It's over, Zuko. We're done."

Oh no! What a schocking surprise!

It was the best part of the episode if you ask me

The notable thing though is that Mai looked genuinely sad after she said it. I guess it was the writer's way to say once again: "Look, she actually cares!"

I can interpret this emotion on Mai's face in a thousands of different ways though:

"I had to drop a guy because he hated my deep personality. Again!"

"My prince suddenly turned into a badgerfrog. What a dissapointment."

"Aww, I really liked his butt though".

"Oh damn, I just lost my free source of fruit tarts. I didn't really think this through, did I?"

"Why, oh why I have to be such a tragic and misunderstood character? It's all my mother's fault. That bitch."

(You can add to this list if you like, it's hilarious.)

The point is, you can't really use this sad look as a full-fledged argument.

(Of course, it's my personal way of solving the psychological contradictions of the writing. But seriously, I don't make the rules here - the "bring me food" moment outweighs all the ambiguous sad looks altogether.)

Anyway, after this Zuko was disgracefully banished from the party for damaging property, so the pair will see each other next time only after some lonely walking and reflections.

But we'll save this material for the next mysterious part of the 'overanalyzing beach Maiko' series! Yay!

(The end of the episode is really heavy with polylogue and all the girls being suddenly possessed by a local ghost of amateur psychoanalytic, so I'll have to think about the best way to approach the analysis. Until then...)

Thanks for your attention.

I still ignore all notifications.

P. S.: While I was writing this, I realized another possible mechanism behind Zuko's irrational jealousy! So perhaps we'll actually make a little detour next time, hmm.

(Ugh, the more I analyze Maiko, the more I want to scream. I mean, to hell with zutara - I'd be satisfied with just those two people staying as far from each other as possible! Dfghkhafffg!)

[solarcleric]

"Without heart, we'd all fall apart."

Will proceeds to fall apart

[justaspecter]

Delivery~ (pt2)

I get a hyper fixation on continuing this for some reason. And this is me writing with a "fuck grammar just write mf" mindset. So yeah, hope anyone who reads this piece enjoy.

-

Screams of profanities rattled out of your gaping mouth as you took another leap away from the vertical swing of the sword, narrowly escaping getting split into half. At the limit of your patience, you grab two flashbangs hoping to all that is mighty that two will be enough to disorient the cluster of humandrill surrounding you. Upon throwing the explosives toward your pursuers, the detonation went instant, loud and bright. Not wasting any more time you run in the direction of the goth castle. 

The crate in your back makes everything ten times worse to fully utilize your skills. But as long as the enemies didn't have a heightened sense you can safely traverse the forest by different means. 

From your last visit to the cursed brooding island, the beast halted their chase when you reached the castle. It should be easy to reach the premise of the castle if using the path you ran before. However, messing with beasts intelligent enough to read human patterns. Taking another route is the only option. Proven by the initial attack greeted you the moment you entered the forest from before. 

But the more you delved deeper into the forest you were occasionally ambushed by the grouped-up humandrills. Your dread huddled like thick mud in your concentration. It's only a matter of time before the anxiety wavered your focus. And losing focus means death for you. This shitty job will definitely be the end of you. 

After an hour of running, throwing every explosive in your possession, hiding, and sneaking around, you barely manage to reach the castle, ragged and disheveled. Worst of all this is only the second time in your job and you feel like you crawled out of hell. 

Just like before you place the crater down but this time right in front of the door. Knocking on the door three times you walked towards the steps and slumped down. Too tired to care for any professionalism you didn't bother looking behind when you heard the creaking of the door. 

"Is this my order?" 

"Just give me a minute." You huffed, annoyed with the stoic man's question. Both of your fists clenched on your lap while mustering every restraint you still had because you were trembling for the urge to sass back at the man. 

Pushing yourself up you walked toward the crate, grabbed your butterfly knife, and commenced to work. 

"Do you really think I would even bother delivering these if these are not your order Mr. Dracule?" you said as you stood. 

"I don't want to pay for the wrong ones again." 

His answer caught you off guard. Huh? That made sense. Returning to your neutral expression you just nod. Before going back from the spot where you had taken a seat. You don't have anything to say since you are just here to do your damn job. 

The chilling breeze drifted through you carrying the repulsive scent of the acrid smell of burnt flesh. One of the worst smells your sensitive nose ever perceived; was the scent of bloodlust. 

As you wait for the payment you glare at the baboons hidden among the shadows of the dense forest. The beast stalked you all the way here. You know well once you are done and step into the forest once more death awaits you.

"This job is apeshit." Grumbling to yourself frustrated by your current situation. Trepidation consumed you which began manifesting physically. 

Your nose scrunched from the saturated smell of bloodlust circulating the area, too much that it physically hurt your nose. Clicking your tongue, you faced the door with your hands held out. Which startled your customer. A first reaction you managed to pull out from Mr. Deadpan.  

"Sorry about that Mr. Dracule but I can't stand your pets, they reek."

"Pets?" He sounded genuinely clueless. At least his voice had a semblance of emotion in them. But his expression is utterly dead. 

"The humandrills," you answered, still waiting with your hand still stretched towards him. 

But instead of handing the money, Dracule looked towards the forest. "The humandrills are the other inhabitants of this island and they are not under my authority nor ownership," he explained. 

The slap from your own palm surely stung but it was a necessary pain to stop yourself from screaming in frustration. You forgot not everybody has the same senses as you, so you should stop acting out. 

"Just hand me the payment, please." 

This time without missing a beat Dracule handed the thick envelope to your awaiting hand. 

"Are you going to survive the hoard?" 

"Without the crate on my back, I can evade efficiently this time," you said while busy tucking the envelope inside the safety pocket of your hip pouch. 

"..."

"I'll be on my way then. See you on the next delivery." In obvious displeasure seeping in your tone. Not like you're looking forward returning to this nightmarish forest. 

…

After the success of your second delivery, everything seemed to be a bit manageable. It was a significant improvement after evaluating the experience from the first and second, you come up with an efficient plan after some testing in the third. 

"Is your talent only focused on running?"

The prying on the crate abruptly halted. It was an obvious slip-up but it didn't bother you for long. "Yeah, as cowardly as it sounds I run to keep myself alive. It's what I'm good at. The only thing I'm good at." Not looking up you could feel the intense gaze from the loner. 

You wondered what's gotten into the recluse to ask a question like that?

In the sixth delivery, you brought fireworks for distraction. Hey, it's not your fault when your usual choice was out of stock. Besides, the baboon's reactions were priceless. Running around like a bunch of headless chickens while flashes of colors along with booming noise exploded in the dark depressing sky. 

"Fireworks?"

You grinned from the hint of amusement in his voice. "I don't have my usual supply. Got to be creative once in a while. I hope the noise didn't bother you so much?" 

"No, I'm used to the explosions whenever you arrive. As long as you don't start a forest fire I don't care about your methods."

You clicked your tongue in fake dismay. "Guess I have to cross arson among the list." 

An oppressing aura bolted right on your spine along with the overwhelming scent of charred coal and seething steel with a hint of sweetly overdosed wine. 

"It's a joke! It's a joke! Jeez, you reek." Pushing your arm under your nose, you frantically distance yourself. Even though he reeked of his scent of anger his face remained stoic. 

"Is that so."

Deadpan. Seriously, you feel like you're interacting with a doll rather than a human being. Although you saw twitches on his lips, and arches of his eyebrows; the problem is his eyes. 

"Yeah, sorry Mr. Dracule." 

He didn't say anything anymore as he carried the crate inside his castle. And when his presence is far enough from the entrance, you let yourself crumble on the floor. Note to self don't joke around with the recluse warlord. It will cost your life and you already feel like you lost 10 years of your lifespan with that short encounter. 

But it's strange to sense something sickeningly sweet mixed with the scent of anger. As if he was… no… no way. 

You shudder at the conclusion you put together. 

… 

It is strange working in the bar at this time of the month. Maybe you've gotten used to your other job and it feels strange wiping the bar counter, washing glasses, and serving drinks; instead of sailing out of the sea to deliver a parcel for the certain recluse living on the goth paradise island infested with bloodthirsty, intelligent baboons. 

Dave informed you a while ago that Mr. Dracule didn't ring him for the usual order. You should be happy about it but for some strange reason, your gut can't seem to settle. It's supposed to be an easy day too, after dealing with the certain flamboyant red hair minus the stylish part a few days ago and you're already mentally done. 

And then there's this low-life piece of shit of a scum harassing their only waitress. You gave Dave a look and he nodded. 

"Oi! Hands off or you lose them," you said, as you make your way toward the new customer. It's always been the new ones who pulled a stunt to harass the bar's only female worker. 

Aya successfully yanked her arms away from the scumbag that looked like a bald chicken. Honestly what's with people these days, thinking that fucking feathers on the collar of their coat look cool? Your nose scrunched from disgust. 

Your coworker hastily ran toward the bar counter, the bar went quiet, and the only sound resonating in the place was the clomp of your steps. Some of the patrons snicker, while the others turned away from your direction. 

"What you want four-eyes." The scumbag sneered. 

Steps halted upon reaching the desired distance you tucked both of your hands behind you as you retained a firm posture. 

"I want you out of the establishment. So, finish your drink,  pay, and get out."

"Huh? Don't you know who I am? I'm–" 

You didn't bother listening to Mr. Turkey while he screamed why we should be grateful that he even bothered wasting his time in this bar, believing that a man like him whose worth was twenty-five million deserved better. 

Ugh, cringe. Even if you turn up this guy to the marine the amount of his bounty won't even budge the debt your old hag has. Waste of your time so you cut his blabbering. 

"I warned you. Give you a chance." Mr. Turkey glared at you, trying to intimidate but he looks like a kid throwing a tantrum in your eyes. "Your bounty doesn't even have any value for me or this bar. Pay up or I'll break your bones as a remembrance." 

But the idiot was deluded by his nonexistent fame, just had to choose violence today. As he pulled out a pistol the scumbag didn't even blink or think for a second to fire his gun. A loud clash of shuttered glass crushed behind you. 

Clicking your tongue from the sheer stupidity of the man you retaliate by giving the scumbag a hard sucker punch above the abdomen. Before the man even falls from his knee you grab the hand holding a gun, twisting the limb enough to dislocate. The man screamed along with a thud from the pistol falling on the floor. And you haven't broken any of his bones yet and Mr. Turkey was already squawking. 

You glance at your boss's distraught wince behind the bar counter. Although Dave was keeping a steel-hard expression he was failing miserably. 

"I'll be out for a while boss, gonna dump this trash."

"S-sure." 

Dragging the wailing new customer out of the bar, one of the patrons added a line from the old tally board that was supposed to be for the dart game tally score. Now converted to the number of new customers you had to dispose of. 

…

After getting rid of the trash you were busy unwrapping a lollipop to help ease the tension in your senses. The walk back from the bar wasn't far from the place where you dumped the garbage of a man the scumbag is. 

As you gained close distance to the bar you saw your coworker with a few of the patrons standing right outside, peeking through the window. 

"Oi, why are you all outside? And John, have you paid for your drink already?"

The man you mention scrambled to his spot as he searched in his pocket. But before you grab the payment Aya grabs your wrist, tugging you along toward the door. In your confusion, you just follow while reminding John to pay next time instead. 

"What's going on? Is there a new one causing a ruckus again? I swear–" you stopped halfway, stunned when you saw the lone person sitting right in the middle of the bar seats from the bar counter. 

Your senses confuse the reaction of your body activating your heightened perception. The aura you traced was familiar along with the scent of old books and wine you only detect from the man living on the gloomy island. You bit the lollipop harder than intended, crushing the candy under the force. 

"Ah, you're finally here y/n. Can you please accompany Mr. Dracule for a while, as I ready his crate?" 

Glaring at your uncle he instantly scurries off toward the backdoor. To be honest, if you don't need your uncle to be the temporary owner of your beloved father's bar you're not letting the coward order you around. Dave is such a scaredy cat. 

"Sure, boss." You almost sneered but being inside the establishment your body went rigid from shifting into your professional mode. 

Chucking the stalk of the lollipop into the trash bin you stood towards the side of the bar sink and started wiping the glasses. 

"Is there something you need Mr. Dracule?" You asked not even batting an eye towards the lone man. Only focus on your task at hand. His mere existence bothers you even in the safety of your sanctuary.

"Hmm, it seems I've grown tired of my recent selection. I want to ask for a recommendation but I don't trust the old fool's judgment."  

 And as if he hadn't gotten under your skin you felt like being skinned where you stand. "Apologies Mr. Dracule but I'm just an apprentice, my level of expertise hasn't reached that level yet."

"Are you saying I'm wasting the second chance I gave to your business? The old fool already told me your predicament. The supposed true heir of this establishment can't receive the ownership because of the debt your mother passed on your shoulders." The glass in your hold shuttered as the rage in you triggered. "You know what I am asking Delver." 

He's testing his patronage, testing you if you are competent enough to cater to his alcoholic indulgence. 

Not hiding the seething anger rumbling in your chest you stare at him. You're on the verge of lashing out but the pain in your palm and the memory of your father were enough to ground you. 

Trembling from self-restraint you bow, "Thank you, sir, for the generous reminder and opportunity. I apologize again for my insolence." The words passed out of your mouth rang grossly in your ears. You are not the kind of person to voice gratitude lightly but you have to for this asshole. "I'll check if we still have the stock of the wine I have in mind." And with that, you left knowing well he intends to wait for your return. 

Upon reaching the cellar Dave instantly perked up from your direction. "Why are you here y/n?"

"To grab a new bottle for our important customer. And sorry to disappoint but you shouldn't bother filling the crate. Bloody Dracula decides it's time to cut ties with our business since Father is now gone," you explained while scanning the wine shelf. The only clue you got in the recluse's preference is his current brand. A signature blend of your father. 

"Oh no. Y-y/n w-were doom! And you're bleeding. Your hand is bleeding y/n."

"I am aware, uncle. But indeed we are." You rolled your eyes when your uncle's pathetic cries and whimpers bounced around the chilly cellar. "If you're gonna be an annoying crybaby go back upstairs. I don't need your whiny ass here. And while you're at it being on your knees, pray for whoever god you believe in. Since I have none. Because I'll be needing a damn miracle right now." Ignoring the pain in your palm, ignoring the shattered piece still embedded in your flesh, you concentrate. 

With so little time to spare you dug at the deepest part of your memories to remember every good wine your father preferred. But you're not serving your father. You are serving a man who has sophisticated taste and years of wine-drinking experience. The conclusion is you can't rely on what your father might have already offered to his expressionless customer. 

As you emerge from the backdoor with a bottle in your grasp you can only hope that the wine you've been glaring at for a while can save your ass from the upcoming humiliation and losing a long-time customer. 

On your way toward the bar counter, you catch a glimpse of your uncle from the front window. The sight of him outside annoyed you to no end, a coward through and through. Can't give you a bit of his support even just to be by your side. 

Not even bothering for small talk, you start introducing the bottle in your hold, just like how your father taught you. After the first phase, you grab a wine glass and pour the ruby red shade of liquid in. An obvious difference from the darker shade of full-bodied wine he was drinking. 

The pain in your chest is tight and consuming. As if no amount of oxygen is enough to rid the sensation of being drowned. The tension becomes palpable while you watch Mr. Dracule doing the first step in wine tasting. And then he did the second, he swirled the content of the glass before bringing the rim of the glass right under his nose. At that moment you want to collapse since you can't sense anything from the man. Not even your scent-detecting skill picks any of his emotions. 

Shaky long intake dragged in and your lungs burn from being neglected for long. As he swirled the glass again for the last check. The last one is the most crucial and if you fail it proves you are not worthy to take on the name of your father or even his business. The only thing you are so willing to fight for in your life. 

You barely feel anything at this point, not even the pain from your palm fazes you from the rigid stance of your body. The bead of sweat on the side of your head rolled down tickling your neck from the sheer coldness. You're even having goosebumps from the simple wait for this man's verdict. 

Mr. Dracule stares at the glass as if the ruby liquid speaks to him. He sure knows how to antagonize people with his silence. 

"For an amateur that you claim to be, you boldly choose an interesting type," he said, placing the glass down. 

Not knowing if his statement was a good thing or not, you start to panic since you still can't detect his emotions. Until… a thought just came up with you. If he knows about your father, did he delve deeper into your background? And finally, put two and two together. 

He pushed the glass in front of you and the next words that came past from his curled lips made you choked up from disbelief. 

"Fill up the glass and tell the old fool to change half of my orders with this brand."

When you thought you were finally getting rid of your ties with the recluse warlord, he told you the opposite of what you anticipated. You are not so looking forward to this development. 

…

After the greatest scare in your life yet, knowing you are now stuck being the warlord's personal wine supplier. You are now walking behind him with his crate towards the direction of the port. Because he demanded your assistance. Asshole.

"Why am I not surprised," you mumbled, voice flat like a fucking flatline. As you eyed the boat that resembles the shape of a coffin. And a big crossed shape sail with a throne-like chair in the middle, including two candles to complete the motif. Of course, he is sailing a coffin boat, it makes sense. A coffin boat, a gloomy ass island, and living in a castle alone, it totally makes sense. 

You are having a migraine. 

"Sorry Mr. Dracule but here's your crate. I'm not stepping on your boat." 

"Scared?" He asked as he grabbed the crate. 

"No. More like irked. But you got the right idea for being original and menacing at the same time." Also sad, but you didn't include the last part. "Well, see you next month. Have a safe trip Mr. Dracule." With your parting words, you turned around and walked back to the path leading to your beloved establishment.

…

As the lone man standing on the coffin boat watches the retreating figure he undid the restraint of his emotions, although his expression remains neutral. The annoying yearning starts to prickle in his chest once again. Annoying yet bizarre since he couldn't seem 

to stop. He can only hope the reaction is nothing but a passing fancy. 

"Glasses. It fits on them. Accentuating more of their sharp eyes."

He closed his eyes for a moment before deciding to set sail. It's been a while since he met someone interesting. Interesting enough to gouge a reaction in him. But for how long he wonders? 

[silverskye13]

How did you come up with the hels story?

So there is a fic on AO3 Still Can't Shut The Closet Door by bananasofthorns and there is another fic that I thought was by betweenlands , but I just scrolled through their blog and couldn't find it - about Wels leaving season 8, while Hels sits in the shuttle with him, mocking the fact that he's running away. [I know theminecraftbee made a follow-up fic to it... Maybe they made the first one too sjdjfh I need to get better at bookmarking things].

I had Tumblr-osmosis'd enough about Hels to know he existed by the time I read those, but still knew next to nothing about him outside of "probably riding the post darkiplier/anticepticeye wave", so reading this really interesting take on a dark mirror character as something akin to intrusive thoughts, not entirely real but still incredibly physical, was really really cool to me. And then that sat in the back of my head for a couple months slow-burning.

Converging on this I've also been trying really hard to lower my personal standards on writing. Previously most ideas I had never made it to text, because if I couldn't polish it into a long fic or something I deemed high enough quality to throw on AO3 standalone, I'd just drop it. But I've been trying to change that, because that was more creativity stifling than anything else. So I've started just opening the Tumblr app and word-vomitting my quick ideas to see what happens.

That was the first Wels / Hels fic, with Wels in the cave talking to his double in the dark. I was really leaning on the idea of a double who's so tightly bound in whatever Wels is that they can feel each other's emotions. Very soulmate-ish. And it turns Hels into something less like intrusive thoughts and more like a personal thundercloud. He's weather in the fact that he kind of just happens, and he follows his own logic, and that logic is mostly "I have what I consider rational reasons for hating Wels." Because at the time I was also kicking around the fact that if current fanon likes the idea of Hels as intrusive thoughts, has anyone ever done anything with the fact that intrusive thoughts, for all their badness, always feel painfully rational when you have them. Even intrusive thoughts about self harm, logically you can think "I know what x neurological problem is, I know this is a symptom of that," and still think it makes total sense that you're doing whatever you're doing. It's not until you're no longer under that influence that you can look back and go, "Woah shit, that was kinda messed up, huh?"

So I took that concept and I shoved it in a quick fic. And I left the fic pretty open ended in case I wanted to kick it around some more. There's a lot of implied things [hels can go between dimensions. Hels and Wels can feel each others' emotions, sometimes so intensely it has a physical effect, Hels exists but only his effects are really witnessed by other people, etc]. And then when I posted it, and other people started talking about those things I'd hinted at but had no plans for, I kept thinking about those things, and I got more ideas about them. Now it's kinda snowballed. I get to chase threads where I find them. Maybe the hermits and helsmits are two halves of a whole, and at some point those halves have to rejoin? Maybe Helsknight hates Welsknight so much because he feels self righteous as a knight, and he thinks Wels is a mockery of knighthood? Maybe that feeling is mutual? Maybe only some hermits have helsmets, and maybe those hels don't manifest the same way every time. Maybe The Red King could be a hels, or human!Cleo. Maybe the hels don't think they're the hels at all. Maybe they're incredibly aware they are, and that their days are numbered. What does that do to someone, to live your entire life knowing you weren't supposed to exist, not in a creation vs evolution existential way, but in the sense that you were made of someone's issues, and when they rectify those issues and move past them you no longer have a personhood? Do you fight it and become your own person, or do you submit to what you believe is the natural course of the universe?

To be honest! I've just been having a lot of fun with how much it all evolves, and how informed it is by other people yelling in the tags about little ideas I threw in flippantly that could have really interesting implications if you followed the thread a little further. That's kinda just the fun thing about fandom in general, and something this little snippet-on-tumblr style has really facilitated? The idea that an idea can start as one thing and dramatically snowball into a dozen others because no idea exists in a vacuum and you're allowed to be inspired by everything. It's a lot of fun! It's like playing in a sandbox, or really, like playing in Minecraft. You don't know what you don't know until someone else does, and suddenly a while new world has opened up to you, like learning you can use stairs to build a roof for the first time.

[itsthestutterforme]

The Damaged 2/2 (Johnny Storm x reader)

Notes: GIF is not mine, mentions of depression, mentions of mental illness, mentions of low self esteem, mention of suicide attempt, dark themes, (if any of these themes trigger you, please do not read. take care of yourselves).

--

Your mother convinced you to stay at Reed's penthouse with the rest of them so they can better understand your 'powers'. You hardly call them powers. Sharing some of your darkest memories isn't something to be proud of.

You're staying in a room furtherest away from the others as per request. You're not much of a team person. You tolerate your staff writing team but it's nothing fully voluntary. But you occasionally leave the room when you had to get out of your own head.

You lost your job at the New York Times because of your 'powers'. Your supervisor didn't want to put the other writers at risk. You could tell that it pained her to fire you. You understood where it was coming from. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

You were eating dinner with them and quietly ate the spaghetti and meatballs that Sue made as you thought back to Reed previous experiment. He had you put a hand on Johnny's chest to check if physical contact with him would spark anything. It didn't.

If anything, it made things more awkward. "Y/N," Sue says pulling you out of your thoughts. "Huh?" "Did you want to come with us to see a Broadway Show?" She asks. "Oh no, I'm okay. Thanks." You felt Johnny's gaze on you and when you looked, he stared back at his plate. He hardly ate his food.

"I'm sorry but I can't take this anymore," Ben starts. "Ben," Reed warns. "No, if we're going to be a team, there can't be tension and there definitely can't be secrets." Ben explains. "I'm not apart of this team. I was just as upset as you are when they called us the Fantastic Five."

You stand from the table and stare Ben right in the face. "All of your powers manifested physically. It's all on the outside. What I have isn't even a power. It's a curse." You add.

"Y/N, I'm sure that's not the case. You're just learning how to control it like we all are. There's a chance that it can grow into something else." "How can you be so sure about something that doesn't concern you?" You snap.

"Sue is just trying to help, Y/N." "None of you can help me. You've done enough to ruin my life as it is. I lost my job because of this." A tear trails down your cheeks when you meet Johnny's gaze. "Don't look at me like that," you say.

"Okay, let's just take a breath. Sometimes talking about things ease pent up frustration. You know, it helps you feel less alone." Sue starts. "I'll just go for a walk," you dismiss before leaving the table and going to your room. You pull off your tank top and fleece shorts and sort through your drawers.

You decided on tights, a black sweater, khaki peacoat and brown boots. Everyone watches quietly as you left the penthouse. "She's clearly going through something. But you can't force someone to talk about things, Ben." Reed says.

"Well at least I'm trying something. Johnnyboy here has been the quietest I've ever seen him and that's all because of her. Her presence is putting a dampener on the progress of getting me back to normal." Ben snaps. He stands from the table and goes back to his room.

"I'm not hungry," Johnny says before leaving the table too. "What are we going to do, Reed?" Sue asks. "No idea,"

You walked to Central Park and sat on a bench closest to a pond. Taking a deep breath, you lean your head back and close your eyes. The crisp leaves brush against the asphalt as the wind rocked the bare branches of the trees around you.

You were spiralling again and nothing that you and your therapists talked about were working. Your energy was already starting to drain. It took more effort than it should just to get up to do the simplest things like using the bathroom or eating.

"Hi," a soft voice says. You open your eyes and slowly straighten your head until you saw a young girl that reminded of yourself as a child. She had a similar scar as yours, trailing from her upper nose to edge of her eyebrow.

Her black, silky hair was pulled into a loose braid but a few strands caresses her caramel skin. She wears a pink jacket, black tights and boots similar to yours.

"Hey there, cool scar you got there." You say with a soft smile. She sits down next to you and scoots so your legs were touching "I got mine from eye surgey. I had a tumor growing behind my eye it was making hard for me to see." She explains. "How did you get yours?" She adds.

"I was cutting my hair with a mechanical razor and it slipped." "Did it need stitches?" She asks. "Yeah, I needed thirty." "They hurt pretty bad, don't they? I was asleep when they gave me mine my mom says," "I've felt worse pain but it didn't tickle either,"

She chuckled at your words but you didn't intend for them to be funny. You looked at her as she stared at the ducks swimming in the pond. The duck squacked in appreciatiom when an older couple tosses them some breadcrumbs. And you couldn't help the wider smile that was tugging at your lips. "I know who you are, you know?"

"Really? Then who am I?" "You're one of the Fantastic Five. You're a hero!" "I'm not a hero kid. I don't have cool powers like the rest of them." "You don't need to have cool power to be hero, silly. You need to have a good heart. You need to be able to inspire people." She explains, catching you off guard.

Inspire didn't seem like a word a six year old should know just yet. "You inspired me," she says. "How did I do that?" "You made me feel normal. Kids in school would bully me. They would call me Scarface and ugly. They said no one would like because of the scar on my face." She starts.

"That's terrible, honey. I'm sorry. Kids can be so cruel." "But then I saw you on the TV with a scar like mine and they called you a hero. It gave me hope. You did," tears prick your eyes.

You haven't been told any of this before. You always thought that you were burden for everyone that came into your life. Other wise, why did they leave?

You felt her arms wrap around your bicep and she squeezes it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," she whimpers, burying her face into your stomach. "They're happy tears," you say, sniffling a little. "Really?" Her chocolate brown eyes find yours and you nod, wiping away a few tears.

"I never got your name," "I'm Emma," "Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Y/N. Thank you for helping me feel better." "I made you feel better?" "Yes you did. Thank you." She hugs you again and you unconsciously smooth a hand over her hair.

"Emma, there you are. You had me worried sick." An authoritative voice said. "Look who it is, Mommy! She said I made her feel better. She was sad." Emma explains, keeping her arm linked with yours.

"That's great honey. But I'm sure she's a very busy woman." Her mother says with a soft smile. She extends her arm to Emma.

"Can I take a picture with her, mommy? Please?" "Emma. I'm sorry, miss." Her mother apologizes. "No, it's okay. I'm more than happy to take a picture with her." You say. "I'm Viola, pleasure meeting you." "Y/N," "Okay then, big smiles."

You drape an arm along the back of the bench and Emma snuggles into your side. You both smile widely and she pulls out her phone and turns it sideways to take pictures. "And that's it," her mother says.

"Would you mind sending me that? Believe it or not, she's my first fan." "Of course, did you want me to send it your work email or.." "No, it's fine. I can give you my number," she hands you her phone with an empty contact window.

You type in your information and say, "Well it was nice meeting you both. Thanks again, Emma."

You turn to walk back to the penthouse when you felt her hug you again. Viola chuckles and says, "Honey, she has to leave." "Can she come with us to get hot cocoa?" Emma asks. "Honey," "Please," "Well I can't turn down hot chocolate," you say.

"Wait till your father hears about this. He's going to be so jealous." Viola tells Emma and makes her giggle.

**

You stare down at the text you sent in the group chat. "I'm not sure if you guys doing house meetings but I'm calling one. Ben is right, there has to be a clean slate."

You sent it after you were had hot chocolate with Viola and Emma. Sue, Ben and Reed responded and said that they would make sure Johnny would be there.

Your heart races as you for the penthouse elevator to go to Reed's floor. The elevator dings before it opens and everyone turns to look at when you enter. A shaky breath leaves your lips and you stuff your hands into the pockets of the pea coat.

"Y/N, is everything alright?" Sue asks. "Yeah, I guess the place to start is talking about what Johnny saw." You glance over at him and he's man spreading next to Ben with his hands tucked under his legs.

"What he saw was the darkest memory of my life. The time where I tried to take it... I have depression, and I think I had it since middle school."

You take a deep breath before you continued. "The doctors chaulked it up to hormones at first, but I still had those inclinations into my earlier twenties. So I think that had something to do with why what I have.. is internal. That, and because Johnny protected me from the storm."

"You knew?" He asks, speaking to you for the first time since the lab. He stands from his spot on the couch and met you where you stood. "I put two and two together," "We'll give you two some privacy. But we appreciate you opening up to us." Reed states. You nod and Susan rubs your back before leaving. "Sorry for pushin' ya, kid. I had no idea." Ben says.

"You never do until someone speaks up. It's a working progress. Thanks for trying though," He nods and leaves after Sue and Reed. "Johnny, what happened- what you saw- it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me." "You don't have to lie to me," he dismisses.

"I'm not. Hey, I was a ticking time bomb. It was bound to happen and anything could have set it off. From something as simple as getting a failing grade in class or a store running out of my favorite ice cream." You take his hands into yours and he held your gaze. "I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel like it was your fault."

He pulls you into his arms and wraps his arms around your smaller torso. Your hands rest on the middle of his back. He inhales your soft scent of perfume and could smell the marshmallows from the hot cocoa shop you drank from.

You sigh softly when you smell his cologne on his tshirt. He never did change his cologne. He remembered how much you loved it and could never bring himself to change it. It was the last piece of you that he had.

"Since I broke things off, everything went downhill from the-" "I saw it. When you saw my memories, I saw yours. I saw everything."

"Then you know I meant it when I say I regret it. I was so stupid and wanted to go to your house to say how stupid I was.. but I thought you would hate me so I just.. moved on." He explains.

You pull away from him and saw tears brimming in his eyes. "I forgive you," you say, holding his face in your hands.

He leans his forehead against yours and you stay there for a moment. "What sparked all of this?" He asked, breaking the silence. "A little girl named Emma,"

[that-bajan-kid]

Boku No Hero Academia Chapter 267 SPOILERS

(Horikoshi I SWEAR TO GOD)

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Bow before your Queen, peasants. Ignoring her badass looking arm for a sec, is that right leg a prosthetic? It isn't drawn the same as the left one. It looks more robotic too. Horikoshi would be the type of guy to have her loose her leg too, huh?

Why is Tokoyami remembering this now of all times? Is this another death flag for Hawks? After what happened last chapter most definitely yes.

Fataxi lol. He's embraced his true calling. And he's got all the kids now! Now that Mudman and Chargebolt had a taste of blood they want more. I'm glad the kids are heading back to the rear tho.

Fat explains to the kids what Midnight said to them before the raid started, that they only needed the kids for a little bit and then it's off to the rear with them, and they meant that shit. Now it's the adults turn to wreak havoc on the villains and as Fat says this we can see Dabi's fire exploding out of the top floor of the mansion. This catches Tokoyami's attention and he looks back just in time to see not really see him but the line of fire that follows him as he flies at moc 2 around the mansion Hawks fly out and away from it. Tokoyami better not do what I think he's gonna do.

In case you were, for whatever reason, in denial about Twice dying.

Holy shit Hawks' wings are practically non existent at this point. Like, all that's left is the outline of their bones and that's it. He looks terrible and is still very much on fire. Dabi's fire is getting hotter. Is that because he's pissed?

Dabi congratulates Hawks on his heroic deed of committing a murder and stomp down on Hawks so he won't go anywhere not like he can, he got no wings.

There he is! I was starting to get worried since Horikoshi hasn't shown us anything gory for a while.

Anyway. Dabi's got this unhinged looking grin on his face and Hawks is like "Yo what the fuck? I just killed your friend and you don't look to broken up about it." Dabi responds by saying his tear ducts are burnt so he's physically incapable of crying and that Twice was the key to achieving what he wanted so of course he's sad, heartbroken even. What a great friend you had Twice.

Hawks says he researched everyone in the league and the only people who came up empty was one crusty boi and one burnt boi.

We get a flashback from Hawks to when the commission first brought him in and they tell him he's part of a special program to make super powerful heroes and that training is gonna be incredibly difficult. They ask if he can handle it and Hawks says yeah not like he has much choice.

OH MY GOD HE WANTED TO SHINE LIKE ENDEAVOUR CAUSE HE SAVED HIM. Ya did a little more than beat up bad guys but that's not what we're talking about here. Is it finally gonna happen? Are we FINALLY gonna have a Dabi reveal???

HORIKOSHI YOU BITCH! I fucking knew he was gonna pull some shit like this! God fucking damnit! You know, I'm more upset with myself for hoping. Shit. If that speech bubble isn't blacked out in the viz translations I'll be very happy.

Judging by Hawks' reaction the Dabi's true identity is super shocking. HMMMMM I WONDER WHO IT COULD BE TO HAVE GARNERED SUCH A REACTION FROM OUR RESIDENT BURNT CHICKEN HMMMMM.

I don't really understand what Dabi is saying here. I think it might be how it's worded.

Dabi goes on to say Hawks shouldn't have focused on the league, that one man's philosophy can change the world and that he is the "ultimate manifestation of Stain's will".

Dabi says goodbye to Hawks and that doesn't give a shit about Hawks' life and death and we see the start of his fire on Hawks' face only to immediately cut to Giganto. He's staring at the radio in his hands, probably waiting on Shigaraki to wake the fuck up and give him something to do. I swear if Hawks ends up dying too I-

We cut again back to Jakku where Her royal Highness, Queen of ignoring personal health and the long term effects it has on your body, Miruko who is not having a fun time with the Noumu.

The Noumu are adapting to her moves and, as a result, are causing them to be ineffective. Despite this, Miruko said fuck it and is now charging towards where Ujiko and Shiggy are.

The Noumu are not pleased with this latest development and the one with the weird spine hat thing attacks her, successfully injuring one of her ears and grazing her side. Another Noumu manages to rip off a fist full of her hair too. Horikoshi is entering dangerous waters now.

Miruko is thinking "If I'm dying today I'm taking Shigaraki and the doctor with me" while bleeding like she has an unlimited amount of it in her body. I would very much like it if Miruko didn't die too. We can't have two potential character deaths in one chapter. I refuse it.

Miruko is in the room with Ujiko and Shigaraki and it looks like she might actually win.

NOPE NEVER MIND! Horikoshi's just killing off everyone this arc, huh? No one is safe from him.

At least the Noumu went for the legs this time (;_;).

OMG Ujiko's face is, once again, hilarious. He completely shattered his goggles with his tears.

(Edit: just realised that you can see Enji's flames behind the Noumu)

Back to the mansion. You alright there Dabi? Was the idea of killing Hawks to much for you?

OH SHIT! TSUKUYOMI TO THE RESCUE!

Oh shit. WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING HERE FATGUM YOU HAD ONE JOB. How did that conversation go? "Fat Gum Hawks is in danger and as his protege I must fulfil my shonan manga destiny and save him" "Aight fam just don't die, yeah? Aizawa would kill me" ?????? How could you let this happen. Dark Shadow is weak to light and what does fire make a lot of? OH YEAH LIGHT! Dabi's gonna roast him alive without a second thought. Or crush his spirit with the news of what Hawks did. Shit.

AND HERE COMES MOTHERFUCKING ENDEAVOUR. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. FUCK. I feel like breaking that glass tank is the last thing she should do but go off girl.

This chapter was emotionally exhausting. Like shit Horikoshi give me a break. I knew he was gonna pull some bullshit cop out with the Dabi reveal. I'm gonna do some investigating with that panel just in case Hori tries to hide something. This man really is like a succubus. Or I guess he would be an incubus.

I think Shiggy is gonna wake up because Miruko broke the tank. Giganto is gonna start throwing punches. TOKOYAMI BETTER HAS STAY ALIVE. And yeah. That's it.

Until next time.

[what-the--curtains]

Braving the Elements

Chapter 17: Gone Girl

Part 1/2

Tw: Swearing, fighting

(Driving to the farm/following him into the woods)

(Fight scene)

“It was him, Apocalypse. Vision heard him I’m assuming on purpose. He wanted something, but I don’t know what.” Wanda explains frantically to Tony after detailing what she had just told you a few minutes ago.

“Shit.” Sam says from the kitchen, where he had gone to get coffee after being woken up by Wanda.

“What?” Wanda asks as she and Tony enter the kitchen. “She’s gone,” he says holding up the note stuck to the fridge.

Bucky, who had just gotten back from securing Roman with Steve, feels his heart drop.

“Idiot.” Wanda whispers

“At least she left a note.” Sam says

“Where’d she go?” Bucky asks, trying not to sound panicked.

“She must have gone to find him.” Wanda says

“How does she even know where he is?,” Nat asks. Wanda shakes her head, at a loss for words.

“Whose car did she take?” Steve questions.

“God damn that woman. MINE!” Sam yells closing the cupboard where the keys were kept. Tony manages to locate your coordinates with the help of the tracking device implanted in the car, “There she is.”

Wanda eyes are wide “He’s going to kill her I should never have told her. That must be what he wanted, he wants her powers.”

“Well that’s just not going to happen.” says Nat, loading up a gun “Not if we have anything to say about it.”

“We have to go. Now.” Bucky stresses grabbing his own set of keys and proceeding down to the garage with the rest of the team in tow.

You speed along the road to the abandoned farm house where you first went to find Apocalypse. You’re about half way there when you find yourself thinking about the possibility that this was some kind of trap, but his voice continues to taunt you and so, against your better judgment, you continue. You pull up just outside a rundown barn parking in an empty field filled with old farming equipment. You exit the car, not bothering to lock the door you make your way towards the barn.

The air is crisp, the night still. Crickets chirp and the summer breeze rattles a wind chime made of old shards of stained glass as the wheat growing in the nearby fields rustle against each other.

“Apocalypse!” you scream, “Come out and face me you fucking coward.” Your voice piercing through the silence of the night.

“We’re close.” Vision says, giving Wanda’s hand a reassuring squeeze, as Bucky speeds along the winding road.

“Hello, (y/n).” Apocalypse says from the tree line. “You’re much stronger than I remember I can feel it.” He turns walking into the forest.

“How do you know who I am, what do you want with me?” you ask, stopping at the edge of the forest, but with no reply you follow him into the woods.

“I don’t want something, I need something. You.” He maintains his pace despite the density of the forest.

“For what?” you’ve lost sight of him amidst the branches and vines which you move out your way with your powers.

“To help me restart the world. Get rid of all these people who want to hurt us, to kill us, to wipe us out entirely.” His voice echoing around you, disabling you from identifying his exact location. He was getting louder with each step you take, he must be close.

“Haven’t you already tried that once? Besides why would I want to do that?” you ask, as you happen upon a small clearing.

“Because it’s your destiny. I have foreseen it, planned it from the day you were born.” You can see him clearly now, he’s larger than you expected, more threatening up close. The x-gene has evidently affected his physical appearance, he’s unlike anything or anyone you’ve ever seen.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Think, you're smarter than this, or have I misjudged your intelligence.”

You tried to piece it together “You stole me from my family?”

“Try again.”

You feel ill, It seems impossible, but you say it anyway, hoping, praying you’re wrong. “You sold me. You’re my father. I don’t have elemental control. I have multiple powers, ones that you stole from the mutants you murdered. ”

“Partially, pyrokinesis and aerokinesis, they were a gift from me, but your mother was a powerful mutant as well, she controlled water, and all things made up of it.” He explains.

“Why would you sell me?” you spit out tears forming in your eyes.

“In order to unlock the full potential of your powers, we needed you to feel abandoned, we needed to foster your anger. Xavier put a hole in my plan by giving you a home, but we knew you would still come when you turned 18. Despite his teachings you're anger only festered and your powers continued to grow. Magneto got in the way by showing you how I achieved my powers. That night was supposed to be the beginning of the end. Then Roman failed, he managed to free you from the prison, but you slipped through his fingers. So now I’ve sent the only person who can get the job done.”

“And that’s you? You know what screw this, Charles stopped you once he’ll do it again.” You remark, any sadness you had felt a moment ago had manifested into rage. You turn to leave.

“Do you even realize how powerful you are? Stop trying to control it, let it take over. Join me and together we will rule over a new world. A free world, where you will be loved by all. That's all you ever wanted isn't it? To be loved.” You turn back to face him.

‘You’re not the first man who promised me that." you say through gritted teeth. Your nails dig deep into the skin of your palms causing blood to drip down onto your wrists as you try to suppress the rage and resentment coursing through your veins.

‘No but I am the first one who's meant it. Face it you cannot defeat me, if you will not join willingly then I will take what I need.”

“You would kill your own daughter?”

“Only if you refuse me and I’m not the one who killed a member of this family. After all, how do you think your mother died?” Then something that hasn’t happened in years occurs, you lose control

As they pull into the field they see Sam’s car, but they don’t see you. They park the cars and split into two groups, one searching the field while the others head into the barn. Bucky searches the wheat fields with Nat and Tony, before entering into the barn where the rest of the crew was. His mind can’t focus, where were you , why had you left, where you okay.

“Anything?” Sam asks. Bucky shakes his head holding back tears.

“Y/N” Wanda yells pausing for a response before shouting again.

As Steve looks up through the rotted roof he sees you rise above the treetops, a pale blue aura glowing around you as bright as the stars in the sky. “What the?” He starts, before seeing a second figure appear across from you. You move towards the figure hitting your fist against his, a flash of light erupting upon contact and a battle ensues above. The team runs back out into the open field.

“We have to help her.” Bucky says trying to make his way into the woods but he’s stopped by Wanda who grabs his arm.

“We can't, it's too dangerous. She’s lost control, she could kill any one of us.” She yells above the noise.

“So we just have to sit back and watch her die!” he shouts back, she quickly releases him taken aback by his harsh tone.

When she doesn’t answer he storms off.

“I’ll go see what that was all about, shout if anything changes” Steve says exiting in pursuit of his best friend.

In the sky blow after blow, and hit after hit echo throughout the forest, each connection lighting up the sky creating the illusion of a thunderstorm.

‘Hey!” Steve yells after Bucky, jogging to catch up to him.

“What?” he snaps, not slowing his pace.

“You can’t do that, you can’t just yell at people! Wanda was just looking out for you!” Steve huffs, grabbing his friend's shoulder.

“Well who's looking out for (y/n) huh Steve?” He hadn’t seen this much anger in Bucky since he was the Winter Soldier.

“Seriously Buck you need to calm down no one forced her to come out here.”

“So she deserves to die?” His voice wavers, turning to face Steve, eyes wide.

“Bucky that is not what I’m saying. What is wrong with you?” Bucky doesn’t respond, avoiding his gaze.

“Bucky,” he says, moving to stand next to him “tell me what’s going on, I’m worried is all, have you been going somewhere dark recently?” No answer. “Please Buck, talk to me.” Bucky’s shoulders relax slightly, his rage subsiding, suddenly feeling very small.

“I know. You’re right. I’m sorry it’s just,” he falters, “I just can’t lose her.” Suddenly Steve gets it.

“You won’t, she’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”

“What if he’s stronger?” Steve hugs his friend not really knowing what to say next.

“So those articles were true then, you’re welcome by the way me and Nat set that up. Man, who would have thought I’d be the one helping you with the ladies?” Bucky manages a small chuckle patting Steve’s back as they break their hug.

Upon returning to the group Bucky apologizes to Wanda realizing her best friend was currently up there. She takes his hand in hers and squeezes it.

The air goes still, the temperature drops and they see you float towards Apocalypse, trees surging upwards behind you. A wind tunnel forms beneath you dredging water up from the ground and into the sky. You scream, the trees around you turn to ash, collapsing down onto the forest floor. The water turns into shards of ice which hurl towards Apocalypse, impaling him all over. He falls slightly, but catches himself in time for you to deliver the final blow. Lighting flies from your hands hitting him square in the chest causing him to plummet to the forest floor. The light around you begins to dim and you regain consciousness for a split second before passing out.