#hoooo finally got this idea out it was KILLING me

[dreamhacker606]

My brain’s a little weird because I’m thinking about Lucifer angst where you and Lucifer have been dating somewhat in secret for a while. Or maybe Charlie and the others know and it’s not so secret.

Then one day, Lilith comes back. Lucifer is torn between his wife who left him for 7 years and his partner who has brought comfort and love to him that he needed.

And yet, he knows he can’t be with you, because one day, you will be redeemed. He sees the good in you that he knows will lead to your redemption. He can’t bear to lose someone he loves again. So the best thing in his mind, with the depression and his own trauma, leaves you to be with Lilith.

Despite knowing you two have a greater connection and have grown close quickly. Even everyone else—even Charlie— felt like Lucifer was back to his regular self. However, he is the King and his own person, and you can’t help that despite your broken heart, you try to be happy for him.

[katyspersonal]

So, Ymir was full of shit or rather, lost his marbles! I've made some more SOTE progress!

1) So, first I was exploring the various corners I've missed (again, Val's advice since I was despairing to do anything but 'important' points gvghgb) Went in order!

2) I killed the second big red horned bear in this game! And before that, killed two Rune Bears with some success..? Still got hit hard, but I am finally learning to dodge roll properly! Most of it is rolling in, not away x)

It dropped an incantation that is like those dragon head ones.. but like, bear head one gfhhhg And there was another variant of Brave Set nearby (the clothes of bear-hunters)

3) Coincidentally, the very next guy was using this same incantation! It was sending a series of roars that knock the person off! AND he was in the last Mausoleum that I did want to find very much!

AND he also was a Redmane!! They have so many distinct friends of Radahn in this DLC xD

4) The next one was a forge and I was done with running across them orange woods. This is when I finally realized that the big rocky guys needed to be hit while back turned, in the weak spot on their backs, whereas I've been hitting them in the front this whole time... :^)

5) This guy would later become important:

So, they just freeze eventually? It kind of seems like eventual fate of all rock creatures I guess, since they can't age. There are Ancient Dragons in Farum Azula who are just walls now for one

I instantly had a feeling that this would be a good summon seeing how much damage and defence those guys had, and hoooo boy was I right!!

6) OKAY SO I finally did it! @fareehaandspaniards REJOYCE!!! Basically Metyr and Fingers predate Elden Ring/Beast, because it also was a shooting star and Metyr was the first:

I struggled with this boss as you remember, and wasn't even trying to go without summons but just couldn't find the right ones xd THIS guy though staggered her like two times letting me do critical, and lasted ungodly amount of time (until magic attack blasted him since rocks are wear to magic in this game)! But he was SO helpful?

So it was this guy causing ungodly stagger and me stabbing bleed with Mohg's spear jfghyj I also finally realized to NOT, no matter what, get myself caught on the side of her body 🙄 That attack with rapidly moving fingers from her side is NOT survivable nghgf If anyone here makes the same mistake: don't, just always face her.. face, lol

7) Also my idea confirmed! When I first saw this location, all watery and the giant "tubes" going from here to "above", I saw it like the giant fingers so it is some hammerspace version of womb water! Turned out the grace of this place marks location as Finger Birthing Grounds, so yeah!

8) My instant reflex was to go back to Manus Metyr! ...and I got attacked when I had hands full of runes because I forgot to spend them after the boss 🤡 I didn't die, but NEVER forget to level up lol

Jolan first attacked me as an invader, saying we've hurt Ymir so much that he now wished our death, and then Ymir was there as a boss (thankfully a weak one). ?? I was just sitting here like "wait a second, the whole operation was your idea?" because Ymir gave me the map here?

9) So, I started to think about it and recalling what happened before. His last map was captioned "May you join the glimmering stars above" which was sinister, but so was he so I didn't give it an extra thought back then! Now it does seem like he intended for us to not survive that encounter, like same sacrifice thing as with "meeting" Rykard, but there was more

Back when Anna attacked us, I assumed she was sort of enemy. I did tell Jolan about it, but her dialogue was vague:

I interpreted it as Anna getting on the way and Jolan implying that she will or will not kick her ass depending on what Ymir says. But oh boy, seems like I was wrong.. When you kill Anna, the text 'RECUSANT VANQUISHED' appears; the term reserved for Tarnished that hunt other Tarnished! So, knowing that Anna habitually kills people (her own?), and knowing that I was not supposed to kill Metyr despite being sent directly to her, Jolan's reaction to us telling about Anna can be seen as: 'Damn, I started to really like you, but turns out that Ymir wants to sacrifice you (?) and I can't speak against him so pretend that my ally did not try to kill you, okay? :/' but I wasn't aware just HOW right I was!

10) Turned out that Jolan also had the decision split between Iris of Grace (gives Spirit Ashes) and Iris of Occultation (gives her weapon)! Like it was with Queelign! Damn, they made SURE that people either replay this DLC or talk with other players for full lore x) Respect!

11) ALSO turned out that this whole time, there was a secret way to drop atop of the upper section of Rabbath Rise from Shaman Village, where you find a person in the same set sitting in the same fashion as inactive puppets of Seluvis! And it was ANNA, that we could combine with Ashes of Jolan!

frail and WHAT? AND WHAT gdghhgh The text didn't fit, oh my god!!

I asked Val about it, the missing word was 'and pliant'.

12) I also asked him about the 'doll' part, because by all means it should have been 'puppet'! He confirmed that it IS the same term in original because he was confused too and checked earlier: 'doll' here is 傀儡, and is the same used for Puppets in the main game. So, obviously, they were trying to save the letters space! And still failed... XD

13) So, yes, a totally normal thing for Carians to do! Granted, Nox were the ones who started the Puppet dids, but Carians are basically infamous for making Puppets, which Ymir is!

That makes it apparent that Anna attacked us due to him wanting it :^) I assume we were supposed to be food for Metyr, because since he lost his shit over her death he needed her for something. The power to bring Yuri back to life, I suppose.

This made me wonder whether Jolan herself was a puppet? We don't know whether they can still talk and think from the base game, maybe they can! What we do know is that puppets will attach spiritually attach to the master and unquestionably do their bidding (which Jolan does), that they are crafted through blue star shards thus uniting their fates since blue stars control fates of humans (and Ymir and Jolan do affectionately call each other their stars), and that a puppet can be given to someone else despite who made it (since Seluvis can gift his and we now can use Anna).

Jolan is not referred to as a puppet, so maybe her devotion and dependence bordering insanity happened to be her true feelings and not some magic (yet it wasn't the case for Anna, apparently...).. But interesting thing to consider. (LOL I can SEE Ymir simps jumping at me and asking how the heck Jolan's behavior is supposedly magic and not normal reaction gfggnfhhg)

14) Turned out that Ymir's clothes can be altered into... this:

15) I also checked at the Roundtable Hold, for more Metyr lore:

I already read that Greater Will stopped communicating with her, but interesting information! Besides.. the staff to cast sorceries AND incantations sounds SUPER useful! No more switching between seals and staffs xD

The second weapon is simply Metyr's head that mentions there is an eye at the center of it. Yes, I could tell from getting blasted with lasers hfhhjj

16) Also I don't have pictures space left, but if you collect everything like I do, don't forget to check Yuri's grave for a sorcery after Ymir is defeated!

[twokinkybeans]

The Arachnoids: ROCK BAND AU [Starker] - Chapter 6: HEADSTART HERO

READ “CHAPTER 6: HEADSTART HERO” ON AO3

Find the masterpost with all the chapters linked here!

Taglist: @crystallinecrimsonmoth​​​​ & @staticwhispersinthedark​​​​ (Let me know if you want to be added!)

-

Chapter 6: Headstart Hero

Peter knows exactly what it feels like to be standing in the crowd, anticipating the start of a show. The strange connection you feel with all these people that you’ve never met, the laughter, the chatter, the excitement coursing through your veins as you wait for the lights to finally dim.  Standing backstage holds the same kind of elation; yet it’s completely different. He too, is waiting for the lights to dim. Every time the lights flicker, every time the crowd makes a little more noise, he feels his heart skip a beat. It can’t be healthy to be so tense. His ribcage feels tight and he swallows. Peter tries to shift his guitar strap a little in the hopes of gaining some breathing space. Not that it helps of course, ‘cause it’s not the strap that restrains him.

Next to him, MJ and Ned are fighting equal battles with themselves. Playing for the New Year’s Eve show had been challenging enough, but somehow, this feels different. Like they’re gonna have to prove their worth. This is their chance to get their name out. To connect with potential fans. It’s overwhelming. Very, very much so.

It shouldn’t be long now, please, please don’t keep him waiting any longer. He-

The lights dim at last, and Peter is hit with the screams emerging from the crowd. Astonished, he knows he should jump to action right now. It’s almost as if someone else takes over his body when a broad smile plasters itself on his face and he runs into the stage lights.  “Welcome!” MJ laughs into her microphone. She looks absolutely stunning. Her aquamarine dress swirls around her loosely as she walks. Venus, for sure. “We are the inner concentric, the outer radial lineament, the spider-like volcano-tectonic structures from Venus. We have come to Earth to give you a hint of the whirling desire that is found on our planet. We are… The Arachnoids!”

Ned kicks off with a fast-paced rhythm, the deep vibrations of the bass drum tingling on Peter’s skin. Everything about this makes him feel so utterly hyped up. He lets his pick rain down on the strings, earlier nerves forgotten. His fingers glide over the notes so easily. The stage lights are blinding, but he knows how big the arena is. He knows exactly how many people are out there- watching him, cheering for him. 

He walks forward, dancing to MJ’s sweet harmony, and slides to his knees to get a break from the lights for a quick second. The group of young adults pressed against the front barrier raise their hands to him and scream. Peter’s eyes widen when he sees one of the girls is wearing a bright-pink tee with ‘The Arachnoids’ written on it with a black marker. He grins widely at her and winks. The girl instantly tears up and brings her hands together in a heart-shaped symbol. “I love you, Peter!” She mouths excitedly.

Peter can’t help the stunned chuckle that rises from his chest and he stands up again, walking over to MJ while quickly waving to the girl in the crowd once.  Then, he turns around and leans against MJ, his head dropping backwards onto her shoulder. MJ plays along. She moves her hand up to ruffle through Peter’s hair as she keeps on singing through the high notes of the chorus. “And now we’re hoooo-hoooooome!”  Peter jumps away from her and bounces on the balls of his feet and moves his head along to the music. He runs towards the other side of the stage, giving the crowd a good show as he keeps playing with his instrument raised high in the air.

Somehow, his glance is pulled towards the small backstage area he can see from there. Tony’s seated on top of the transport cases again, watching the show intently. Peter can’t help feeling surprised at the fact that Tony’s here watching them play. 

Peter swallows when he realizes that his solo is coming up, the exact one Tony had given him the unsolicited advice about earlier today. He presses his lips together and makes the split-second decision to play it Tony’s way. He may not have practiced it yet, but he knows he can do it. He wants to. Why he wants to please Tony so badly is a mystery to him, but he doesn’t have time to think about it. That’s how he takes a few steps closer towards the edge of the stage and takes a deep breath. His fingers find their usual pattern, his pick hitting each snare perfectly- D-string, he reminds himself. Play the F on the D-string. 

And oh, Tony had been right. Peter flies through the solo so much easier than ever before. Endorphins release from his brain and make him feel nice and warm all over. He turns his head to look at Tony again. The man’s eyes are wide as he watches Peter play all the way through the solo with ease, and Peter wonders if the man had expected him to actually listen. Peter most certainly didn’t.

As soon as the solo ends, he breaks his gaze with Tony’s and resumes playing chorus’ rhythm, walking over to Ned who’s happily smashing on his drums. The new kit suits him perfectly. Peter has to suppress the urge to look at Tony again and he scoffs quietly to himself. He’s starting to get weirdly attached to the other guitarist. Asshole or not, there’s… something about the man and it’s inherently annoying to Peter. So, that’s why he refuses to look over even once for the rest of the show, and by the end of the set, he’s nearly forgotten that it even happened. 

Nearly.

-

“You guys were fantastic out there- Woah!” Harley laughs and pulls Peter into a tight hug. Peter chuckles, patting the other boy’s back in return. It’s a little awkward, with his guitar between them, but the intention is what matters most. “Thanks, dude!” Peter sighs happily and pulls back. He only then realizes how much his shirt is sticking onto his skin. “Ugh, I need a change of clothes.” Harley chuckles at that. “One month into this tour and you won’t even notice anymore,” he jokes. “We’ll all walk around smelling like shit- part of the fun, I say!” Peter laughs and shakes his head at that. Harley, in return, looks very pleased with himself.

“Hey, I gotta go switch the stage set-up- eh, tell MJ I’ll talk to her later?” Harley asks, leaning in a little as if he doesn’t want anyone else to hear it. MJ’s standing a couple of feet away from them, talking to Liz, one of the other roadies working on this tour. “Uhh, sure!” Peter answers, noticing the small blush that spreads on Harley’s cheekbones. The blonde grins and glances over at MJ once more before taking a step back. He finger guns at Peter and winks. “You’re a hero!”

Peter snorts, it’s adorable how clearly the boy is trying to get MJ’s attention. Not that he actually has to try very hard. MJ and Harley have been messaging each other every single day since the New Year’s Eve show. Sometimes they even facetime. Peter can tell that MJ is slowly starting to open up to the idea of Harley possibly liking her, but he’ll keep his mouth shut about it. She has to figure it out herself. In her own time. 

“Hero,” Tony scoffs from behind him. Peter has to actively keep himself from rolling his eyes at the remark and he turns around. “That’d be me,” he deadpans. Tony lets out a surprised laugh at that and Peter feels a stupid happy feeling emerging in his chest. No, he reminds himself. Don’t let him get to you. He doesn’t want to befriend the man so quickly. He might be less of a prick today, but that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a kind presence to be around. He’s very much not that. “Space hero… Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” “I guess.” Peter eyes the man, unsure what he wants from him. Tony licks his lips once and tilts his head.

“So,” Tony starts slowly. “Seems my advice wasn’t that bad after all, mmh?” “I never said it was bad.” “But you didn’t like it.” “I didn’t ask for help, Tony.” Peter narrows his eyes a little, trying to read the man’s face. Tony’s deep brown eyes hold something so… Unexplainable. It’s no fragility, neither is it playful. It’s some weird mixture of every possible emotion out there. It makes it feel both very intense and deep, and closed-off at the same time. There’s so much to see that it’s impossible to know what’s truly going on. Peter sighs. “Unsolicited, but it worked. Yes. Thank you.”

“Ah,” Tony exclaims proudly and Peter instantly wishes he hadn’t said it. It’s irritating and he knows that whatever words Tony will speak next, it’s gonna be something cocky again. “When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Mmh, never thought it was true. When do we start your classes?” Peter huffs and looks away for a second.  “I’m not taking classes from you. I’m sure you got better things to do than waste your time on beginners like us.” Peter instantly regrets his words when he sees a flash of rejection on Tony’s face. The man straightens his shoulders, eyebrows furrowing together. Peter knows that whatever he said, it triggered the man’s jerkiness full force. “Fine, I’m just trying to be nice. But you’re right, Peter. I got better things to do,” Tony spits out and he stalks off.  “Fuck,” Peter mutters to himself. He messed up. Nice job, Parker. Keep going like this and you’ll find your ass on a plane back to New York first thing in the morning. He wishes he knew what had set Tony off so much, but at the same time, he can feel anger bubbling up inside him. It’s so utterly frustrating that Tony can’t handle anything without stomping his feet and throwing a tantrum. It’s not Peter’s problem. It’s not his issue to solve. “Go fuck yourself,” he mumbles quietly. Feeling annoyed with the fact that the whole, hazy feeling of post-concert bliss has shattered. 

“Hey Pete, we killed it out there!” Ned interrupts his thoughts as the drummer nudges his side. “And those fangirls in the front, can you fucking believe it? We got fans!” Ned’s enthusiasm instantly lightens Peter’s mood a little. Tension leaves his body and he grins widely at Ned. “We’re gonna be huge, Leeds. One day, I’m telling ya!” “Let’s toast to that, boys!” MJ chimes in and hands both of them a small bottle of water. Peter eagerly takes it from her hands and skews the cap off.

“You,” he says as he brings the bottle to his mouth, “-are a lifesaver.” “I know,” she smirks and chugs some water down as well. “Has anyone seen Harley? He said he’d see me after our set,” she then asks, voice wavering slightly. She cranes her neck to try and spot him. “He just hopped by, told me to tell you he’d see you later. Not sure what he was up to, but running ‘round as always,” Peter tells her. MJ seems pleased with the information that Harley told Peter to make sure she wouldn’t feel left behind. “Poor dude,” Ned mumbles. “I’m sure he doesn’t get paid even half of what he deserves.” “He loves the job, though,” MJ smiles. She tilts her head at Peter. “I saw you talking to Tony, by the way! He seemed nice today?”

Peter scoffs. “He sorta was, in his own way. But one wrong word and he turned all bitchy again.” “Ugh, there’s always some issue with him, isn’t there? Do you still wanna watch their set after that?” “Yes,” Peter answers. “They’re a good band. Who knows when we’ll be kicked off the tour, we should enjoy it while it lasts.” He tries to bring it jokingly but knows it sounds petty as fuck. Dammit, Tony sure brings out the worst in him.  “Yeah,” MJ smiles. “I vote we stay.” Peter simply nods and takes another big sip from the water and wipes the small stains of sweat from his forehead using his sleeve. He still feels low-key guilty about the whole encounter with Tony. The least he can do is watch the show and give them their support. He’ll have to try to ignore the nagging thoughts clawing at his mind. He can do that, he hopes.

-

Read the next chapter >> 7: Ice Cream Ignition

[mrpinchy]

5.3 MSQ IM VERY UPSETTI SPAGHETTI but in GOOD WAY

FINISHED 5.3 MSQ I went in soon as the servers came up and didn’t stop, went in completely blind from start to finish took about 7hrs? I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS 

SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING:

holy shit jesus christ OKOK

so first of all I cried A LOT like, way more than I expected and NOT JUST CUZ IT’S THE LAST PATCH OF AN EXCELLENT EXPANSION but cuz like, damn it hits hard man lol

so Leon is my WoL but he’s never been leveled/geared enough to do endgame UNTIL YESTERDAY when I caught him up on all the patch content (my main is Sig but he’s not my WoL). it was A LOT OF FUN to go through everything with the “right” character sorta speak, just a lot of really cool stuff idk how to explain it lol

HELPING THE LIL KIDS!!!!!! OH MY HEART also I noticed Tiqi-Rio had sunseeker eyes AND MOONKEEPER FANGS nicenicenicenicenicenice GOOD I WANNA SEE MORE OF THAT

so the FIRST Exarch fakeout death with Elidibus and him at the watchtower LIKE???? WHY YOU WANNA GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK SO EARLY omg but honestly seeing him so crystalized and struggling HURT ME A LOT baby boi BABY BOI NOO

going back to Amaurot so Elidibus can force you to kill the Scions soon as you get there WOW WHAT A DICK MOVE LMAO and then all the other characters they brought back like, even in the background it was really cool to see them in Amaurot????? idk I think some people will call it hammy or too referential? but fuck it I loved it LAY IT ON THICK, YOSHIP god it hurt me to kill Aymeric tho

holy goddamn I was so excited when Y’shtola ripped into Elidibus YEEES GET HIM but wow like, Elidibus is essentially a primal then idk AGAIN WE COME BACK TO THE THEORY THAT WoL IS A PRIMAL anyway

HEROE’S GAUNTLET I went in with Trust so I could take my time and it was the right choice, I LOOOOOOOVED seeing the role quest NPCs helping at the end -- I loved seeing all the NPCs helping you but especially them lol ESPECIALLY GIOTT FUCK YEEEEEEAH

god okay the SECOND Exarch fakeout death when Elidibus is like, hey I need your corpse die lol I WAS READY FOR THE PAIN and then jk jk jk OR IS IT

running up the tower with the Exarch, seeing/hearing how painful it was for him to keep up with his failing body, how he had to send you away without him.. OH MAN i cried YOU COULD FEEL HOW MUCH IT HURT HIM he was so close to having an adventure with WoL ;v; also liek... damn that ESPECIALLY hit, the whole “failing body can’t keep up with my dreams” thing HOOOO I KNOW THAT FEEEEEEEEL

went in completely blind with a random group for the Elidibus fight, I went WHM (im bad but semi-geared) and we only wiped twice!!! figured out we had to use tank LB midway and then healer LB towards the end LOTTA AOE HEALING

Emet-Selch’s shade giving us a boost during the fight, BOY MY GROUP WAS VERY UPSETTI in like a good way CUZ IT WAS VERY UPSETTING in a good way lmao emotionally everyone was just POINTING AND YELLING THERE HE IS!!!!

Exarch using the tower as a big auracite IM SO GLAD that was really cool to see, also like........ god idk but I cried A LOT when Elidibus turned into a little amaurotine kid all scared and alone just playing with the soul crystals and talking to himself, AND CRYING and and MY HEART EXPLODED goddamn i cried. he tried so hard for so long that he forgot what he was doing or why he was doing it, why he was suffering so much, and damn if that didnt hit hard. was Zodiark’s heart just a lonely kid all along

saying goodbye to the Exarch like I KNEW WE”D SEE HIM AGAIN but it still was Emotional, I felt so sad for Lyna especially SHE LOST HER GRANDPAAAA

Alisaie crying after Halric spoke ME TOO ALISAIE 

holy shit Dulia Chaii’s parting words to Alphinaud WOW I CRIED A LOT and when he got choked up?? I CRY god the Chais love that baby boy so much IM SUFFERING

holy shit Seto............. ohhhhhhhh I cried SO MUCH

Thancred saying goodbye to Ryne and telling her how PROUD he is of her like damn that hit me right in the HEART goddamn

finally i must say

IM SO GLAD GRAHA IS A SCION NOW I KNEW IT WE ALL KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN BUT IM STILL SO HAPPY AND EXCITED I YELLED SOOOOOO MUCH WHEN WoL STARTED RUNNING TOWARDS THE TOWER LIKE!!!!!! AND THEN WHEN THEY SHOW GRAHA AGAIN OHHH!! BABY BOOOOOOI!!! HERE COMES A SPECIAL BOOOOOOOOI!!!!!!!!!!!!

that whole cutscene with Alisaie at the table WAS VERY WELL ANIMATED the whole thing was noticably better animated than previous cutscenes I LOVED IT!!! IT WAS VERY GOOD!!!!!! also ALISAIE IS VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!

ALSO I NOTICE that gwaha’s ears wiggle A LOT MORE im so GLAD thank u yoship

OH GOD I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THE GARLEMALD STUFF oh jesus CHRIST

FUCKIN

ASAHI?????????????????? OH GOD OH GOD 

no idea who Fandaniel is (henceforth known as Fandango) but I ALREADY LIKE HIM A LOT he’s so animated (also this cutscene was very well animated GOOD JOB FFXIV TEAM YOU’RE DOIN GREAT HONEY) I sort of wondered if maybe part of Emet was like... around...?? cuz he reminded me of Emet with his flair for the dramatic but WOW I WAS NOT EXPECTING ASAHI UNDER THAT HOOD holy shit I yelled

also idk if unpopular opinion but I FUCKING LOVE ZENOS HE’S A SCARY PIECE OF SHIT AND IM TERRIFIED AND EXCITED

ALAS........... the final chapter......... it sounds like the next expansion is planned to be the FINAL EXPANSION and honestly.. Im so sad but also I Respect that decision. I respect that they want to end things in a good place, they dont want to “live long enough to become the villain” etc. and yeah it means FFXIV WILL DIE eventually but yknow, maybe that’s okay. even knowing the game will end i’m still so excited to play it all the way through, whatever it may be. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT with all my heart and happiness

..im still SO EMOTIONAL lmao

[stainedglassthreads]

How about, for the headcanon meme: Talon, Rita, and Papyrus? OvO

Hoooo boy 

Talon

(Technically everything about him is both a headcanon and canon buuuuuuuut--)

Headcanon A:  realistic

Hair is an extremely important thing in Greshan and Angran societies. Growing it out to different lengths or putting it in different hairstyles can convey information. But in Angran tribes specifically, touching or doing someone else’s hair is an extremely intimate act, reserved only for immediate family and your betrothed.

His younger siblings used to do his hair, but there was a long span of time where *no one* did it. Once he finally trusted Elian and Nania enough, they’d have some meet-ups where they didn’t do any sparring or anything, just relaxed and did each other’s hair. 

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

He acts like Elian had all these stupid ideas when he’s much more rational but there was at least one incident where he grabbed a goose or phoenix, climbed into a tree with it, and tried to fly by jumping out of the tree as the bird flapped wildly. 

He denies it ever happened, but Elian and Nania both saw. They Know. 

They know he’s a melodramatic goof. 

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

When Talon met Elian, his kindness threw him for a loop, and got him to re-evaluated the path his life was taking. Ultimately it made him much happier and well-balanced. But if Talon had never met Elian, he’d have basically no positive influences in his life, and become someone really awful. Had he met Elian in a battle instead of when they did in comic, he might have just killed him, never knowing what good friends they could have been, in another world, another life... 

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

He’s descended from Rue. In the AU where he somehow survives thousands of years, when Rue eventually gets better she tries to make up for what she did to him in the past because he is a fun person to fight! Those are so so rare!

Rita! 

Headcanon A:  realistic

(spoilers for season three but) I love her and Jet’s friendship. I like to imagine that she just hyperfocuses on some stream or coding a program/hacking Dark Matters on her coms, but the group’s heading off somewhere, so Jet just. Picks her up in his arms and carries her after them while she’s still typing and rambling because she’s Tiny and he’s Huge, and while she’s rambling about it sometimes he’ll respond with “Yes.” “No.” “I am not familiar.” But he tries to keep up with her because in Tool’s of Rust he mentioned how following her train of thought is great exercise. 

Idk I really just like Jet carrying Rita around places while she talks at a mile a minute while doing five other things, this chaotic whirlwind of manic energy in the arms of the most stoic guy you ever met. Great dynamic A+ 

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

She tried to join Dark Matters once thinking that ‘it’d be like in the movies!’, brought absolute chaos to the establishment for like a week, and then got bored and left, but still keeps tabs on all the ‘friends’ she made there by hacking into the highly secure Dark Matters database, and sends them memes. No one knows WHAT to make of her. 

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

It wouldn’t surprise me if she had an exceptionally lonely childhood growing up and Juno was her first ‘real’ friend. She seems to think and speak entirely in pop culture references, not to mention she’s leagues better at programming and codes than anyone else in Hyperion City, even the CIA-equivalent organization Dark Matters. Perhaps her genius and general though process scared other kids away, and when she met angry, bitter, defensive Juno, she thought ‘oh, he’s like me!’ and latched onto him because they both needed a friend, even if they had their respective ways of hiding it. 

Season 3 spoilers but this might also be why she’s so desperate to help her friends and fix their problems for them, she’s so weird but they won’t leave if she’s a useful kind of weird. 

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

She’s very smart... she’s cagey about both her age and her last name... She’s bi... She is a woman from the 1800s who was very smart and inquisitive but barred from participating in the science community and them got bitten by a vampire only instead of ever becoming a famous scientist she kept getting distracted by hot people and penny dreadfuls and traveling to try ‘exotic’ food but kept picking up so much knowledge she’s completely gotten her knowledge of the past all muddled up iN THIS ESSAY I WILL--

The Great Papyrus! 

Headcanon A:  realistic

I don’t know how realistic it is but I still REALLY love the ‘Gaster is Papyrus’ theory and am sorely disappointed that to this day, I’ve only found TWO stories that explore it :( 

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Papyrus' powers are strong enough to destroy the Barrier, the only reason he doesn’t know is that he’s simply never tried. There are a lot of things he doesn’t know he can do simply because no one else can do what he does and so he’s never known to try. 

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Going with the ‘Papyrus is Gaster’ theory, the reason Papyrus has no friends is that whatever power caused Gaster to be forgotten is still in effect, albeit it’s worn off a bit. The only way people can legit remember him and his depth and capability is through Determination, so Undyne, Flowey, and Frisk/Chara. But for those who don’t... he’s a weird tall kid(?), he’s Sans’ brother, he’s that Royal Guard Wannabe. They can only remember who he is in connection with other, more memorable people and concepts, otherwise he’s a stranger, barely an acquaintance. 

Even Sans doesn’t remember him. This is his brother, and he knows he really admires his brother and thinks he’s cool for... some reason... but he can’t quite recall what those reasons are. He doesn’t remember his brother’s favorite food, eh, it must be spaghetti, right? He’s making it all the time. He thinks his brother likes japes and jokes so he’ll make the laziest puns. His brother really wants to capture a human, but he’s not quite sure why, so he’ll ask the human to play nice so Pap can meet them and do... whatever. He’s happy, right? He looks happy, but Sans feels like he’s not quite doing... enough... What’s missing? 

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Papyrus doesn’t become a police officer or a chef or any of the ‘popular’ headcanons on the surface. (Defund the police.) He becomes a superhero.  He rehabilitates all his former enemies. He’s Batman now, but less broody and just as dramatic. Flowey is roped into being his side-kick. Flowey complains a lot but secretly loves being a superhero. Undyne is his fellow superhero, the Spear of Justice.  Everyone loves them. Fuck you. 

[duhragonball]

I'd like to suggest Majin Buu for the character asks. He's a strange dude who stuck around longer then expected, so I'd imagine you have some mixed feelings on the character. I'd say any version of Buu applies, but thats up to you.

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them: Those who know me, know that I am all about that post-Frieza era of DBZ.  That’s why I want Hit to kill him again, because it did wonders for Z, and maybe it could improve Super II or whatever they end up calling it.   I’ve already discussed why I love Cell, but for me, the Buu Saga was not much of a step down.   I came out of the Cell Games wanting more, really craving an epilogue to show how everyone was getting along after Cell’s defeat.   And the Buu Saga gave me exactly that.   

The common criticism leveled against Buu is that he isn’t much on personality.  He doesn’t have the charisma of a Frieza or Buu, but I think that works in his favor, since it gives the good guys more time to work out all their issues.   A big part of the arc was about Goku and Vegeta getting on the same page, and it’s tough to make that happen when the bad guy has his own monologue.   I think that’s why you don’t see much of them together on Namek, or during the Androids crisis.   

I’ve seen Team Four Star compare Super Buu’s absorption forms to sort of a carbon copy of Perfect Cell.    I’m not sure I agree, but 1) I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, even if it’s true, and 2) If you don’t like Buuhan, don’t worry, because he doesn’t stay that way for very long.    Majin Buu has lots of variety, is my point.    No one’s going to love all of his different forms and appearances, but you’re probably going to find a few that appeal to you.    I had trouble picking a header image for this, because it feels like it does a disservice to the character.    He’s so many different things.   He can be cute and cuddly, or vicious and terrifying, or sassy and rude.  

I also like what he represents to the series as a whole.   When he was first introduced, Buu was presented as this instant “game over” for the universe.   If Babidi reawakens him, that’s it, we all lose.   No one can stop him.    But then he breaks out anyway, and the good guys still manage to rally.    He proves too powerful to defeat, but Goku comes up with a plan, and the Supreme Kai comes up with a plan, and the Old Kai comes up with a plan, and finally Vegeta comes up with a plan, and all of them are premised on the idea that maybe we’re not so doomed after all.    Maybe the Z-Fighters are strong enough to pull this off.   And they do pull it off, and somehow turn Buu good in the process.   There’s a very hopeful message in that.   

Why I don’t: Not gonna lie, I find it somewhat uncomfy that Fat Buu survives the conflict and just... stays that way.    I’m not talking about his appearance, mind you, I mean he still seems like the same guy who gouged out Dabura’s eyes, who creeped on that one lady, and seemed unable to stop eating.   

Let me put it like this: When I first watched the episodes where Mr. Satan befriends Buu, I wasn’t entirely surprised, but what worried me was that he cooked food for Buu, and then he’d immediately demand another meal.  The implication, for me anyway, was that maybe Buu couldn’t be reformed, and he would be compelled by an endless hunger to destroy everything in his sight, regardless of how he might have felt about it.  

In hindsight, I think the “can’t-stop-eating” bit was just intended to set up the emergence of Evil Buu.   Once he got that out of his system, he was fine, but it still bugged me, and even Vegeta was concerned about Buu making another Kid Buu someday.   Because no one really understood what Buu was or how he worked, so who’s to say that he could truly shake off the ways of evil?    Also, Fat Buu owes his existence to absorbing two of the ancient Supreme Kais, so it bothered me that they got everyone else de-absorbed but not them.  

But, I can’t say that bothers me too much, since the final episodes of DBZ show that he lived peacefully with Mr. Satan for at least a decade.  Even so, I wasn’t surprised to see Dragon Ball GT merge him with Uub.   I think the urge to write him out of the story was pretty strong.    Notice how Dragon Ball Super has Majin Buu, but they hardly ever use him.   It makes you wonder.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): You know, I think I might go with the one where the Supreme Kai explains Buu’s backstory to the Old Kai.   Pretty sure that one ends with Kid Buu blowing up the world, so it’s got a lot going for it. 

Favorite season/movie: The Fusion Saga is kind of my go-to answer for the best of Buu, but after I rewatched everything last year, I think the Kid Buu Saga make be the better arc.   It’s tough to decide.

Favorite line: When Goku and Vegeta power up on the Supreme Kai Planet to draw Buu’s attention, he senses their ki and grins, saying “Dum-dums!” like he’s so excited that they’re gonna try and fight him again.   That’s in the dub, anyway, but I always liked that this was Kid Buu’s pet name for those two idiots.

Favorite outfit: I don’t think I have a preference, but it might have been nice to see more of this version:

OTP: I guess that female Buu he made so he could have children?   Honestly, the less I have to think about Buu being romantic the better I like it.  

Brotp: Gotta be Mr. Satan.

Head Canon: The Xenoverse games and Dragon Ball Online introduced this whole notion of Buu starting his own race of Majins on Earth.    I’ve been trying to figure out how to work with that in my fanfic, and the main thing that sticks out in my mind is that Buu is the progenitor of that entire population, and I’m pretty sure he’d still be alive at any given time, so it intrigues me that a Majin OC I might come up with could just stroll on over to Buu’s house and say hello.  But I’m not really sure what they’d talk about.  

Unpopular opinion: Killing him off was one of the few smart moves GT made, and providing a means for the absorbed Supreme Kai’s to escape was one of the few smart moves Toyotaro made.  

A wish: If they do another Tournament of Power, Buu should actually be in it.   He can absorb Frieza and that way they can get around the cap on team members. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: If they do another big fight, for the love of crap, don’t just have him nap through it.   I just realized he probably slept through the Broly movie too.   Lazy bastard.

5 words to best describe them: That’s the tubby custard machine.

My nickname for them: “You r--” whoa ho-hoooo.   Just kidding.  

[thinkingdoodles]

SheRa/ATLA/SWRebels

(Hoooo boy, this got away from me, but it’s a lot of fun and I couldn’t stop!)

Modern College AU:

Kallus, Zuko, and Catra are friends that are hanging at the local college’s bar. Became friends via a group project in a class and realized they all could be friends that are BAMFs.

Zuko/Aang

Catra/Adora

Kallus/Zeb

How the pairings got together:

ZukoAang

A simple Zuko was the angry loner and Aang tried to friend him at first and lashed out viciously no matter how hard Aang tries to the point Zuko is getting to violently aggressive. After Iroh gets custody of Zuko, since Ozai was declared to be unfit for raising children, the kid ends up doing time out of the toxic idea of what honor is. Gets out and gets himself a good therapist to help him heal from fucked up bullshit that Ozai put him through. Meets Aang again at the university, everything is awkward and strained on Zuko’s side, but Aang... he’s patient. Always so patient and forgiving no matter what. Zuko can’t help but fall in love. Thankfully, Aang has more balls than than Zuko and confesses first, much to Zuko’s absolute surprise. (The boy is DENSE, OKAY.) Panic happens, not because he doesn’t reciprocate, but how can AANG like him?! Cue a month or two of Aang patience®️ being stretched THIN, a therapist being exasperated and just wanting this boy to love another boy wholeheartedly, and then... of Zuko quakenly taking Aang’s hand and saying he doesn’t feel like he’s earned it, but he still wants him. SWEET ROMANCE AND COMMUNICATION THROUGH TOUGH TIMES AND INSECURITIES ON BOTH SIDES.

CatraAdora

Catra is 100000% someone who fell in with the wrong crowd (gang??) that Adora was apart of too. (Both grew up in a foster home of some sort) Adora realizes that this group is fucked up even though they’ve been with them for waaaay too long and bounces with the help of Bow and Glimmer. Tries soooo many times to get Catra to believe it too, but shadow weaver/Prime (w/e) have their claws too deep. Adora, With the help of Prime’s twin brother, Hordak, who got out because of his nerdy science geek girlfriend Entrapta, helped her see she’s better than that...better than the end of that bottle she’s desperate to drink enough so Catra can ignore the abandonment and hatred that fills her every day. Adora keeps fighting and says it’s what she has to do, no matter what. Cue a massive Gang fight that they both barely get out of, bodies bloodied and bruised, but they’re ALIVE. Oh my god they’re alive and Catra can’t help but wheeze out an I love you... of which Adora absolutely cries and hugs the life out of Catra shouting that she loves her too!! A loooong battle uphill with recovery (and how Kallus gets to know Catra better) but it’s worth it. Going to college and loving each other and GETTING TO LIVE THEIR LOVE!

KallusZeb

So, Kallus being the biggest dumbass got stupidly drunk and behind the wheel. Actions have consequences, and sadly that means he hit a car dead on, instantly killing the family inside... Zeb’s entire known family. Nooow, Kallus definitely did time for the drunk driving accident, just not as much as Zeb believed he deserved. Somehow they’re going to the same university/college, and no doubt Zeb is ENRAGED. Kallus on the other hand is finally starting to accept his responsibility for the death of Zeb’s family, and is absolutely ashamed of it of course, but he’s not going to kick himself until he’s nothing but a pile of guilt ridden anxiety (his nightmares do that enough). He’s actively trying to become a counselor or advocate for responsible drinking and driving (something like that). He accepts Zeb’s rage, but won’t cower from it.

Only reason Zeb starts to soften is he one finds out Kallus’ intentions annnnd Thrawn was being an absolute dick at a party to Kallus. (Not sure how far I want to take it... maybe trying to slip something into his drink for date rape or beating the shit out of him or SOMETHING, idk.) ANYWHO, Kallus and Zeb start hanging out and once some massive pining over a year happens, Zeb takes Kallus to meet his family (whether it’s his long lost grandmother and uncle or the family grave, something) ZEB ASKS THE GUY OUT WHICH HAS KALLUS A MESS AND HAPPILY SOBBING YES. ROMANCE WITH PLENTY OF MISCOMMUNICATION AND THEN COMMUNICATION, AND POSSIBLY ALCOHOL RELAPSE AND BREAK UP AND THEN A GET BACK TOGETHER THAT’S EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE.

Bar Buddies!!

Every time they go to hang out at their local bar, Kallus is the designated sober person all the time since he can’t bring himself to ever drink again after the accident and his rehabilitation incident.

Most of the time it’s nothing but laughs and plenty of stories, but once in a while it’s melancholy and full of comfort for any of them who need it. Who need to know that although they walk with demons, they also walk with friends who care. Often they barely get tipsy, all three of them knowing how dark alcohol can make all of them. But a night like tonight, where a nightmare of a project has yielded amazing results... the future looks a fraction brighter than usual. To them, the celebration is absolutely amazing with loud relief and excitement.

Maybe too much excitement in Kallus’ opinion. Especially once Catra loses her shirt and Zuko starts to sing at the top of his lungs... of which Kallus has NO DESIRE to even try and comprehend the drunken slurring. He isn’t as young as the both of them (five years can really make a difference...). Luckily enough, he has both Adora and Aang in a group chat for occasions such as this.

Zuko is really blushy and cuddly and loves that Aang came in his favorite “hole-y” shirt (think skater top with biiiig arm holes that Zuko gets to stare lovingly at Aang’s side abs) to pick up his boyfriend with their their shepherd dog Appa. Aang just sighs fondly and bids everyone a energetic goodbye as Zuko drapes himself over his bald, tattooed lover heading down the sidewalk.

Catra is LOUD. She doesn’t give two fucks about anyone in here... except for the blonde floof of hair that she’s currently messing up while Adora laughs brightly while carrying her crazy girlfriend out of the bar in a fireman’s hold. Adora has guns and is a massive amount of hot lesbian. Catra keeps saying how much she loves the hair poof of her big buff jock girlfriend SO LOUD. YOU HERE THAT ASSHOLES, SHE GOT HER JOCK AND HER JOCK LOVES HER BACK. Adora snickers saying how much she’s gonna hate herself come the morning.

Kallus isn’t expecting Zeb to be waiting outside of the bar, but softly smiles at his big hunk of a ratty boyfriend. Zeb snorts at the display of younger students and their partners while throwing an arm around Kallus’ shoulders. FOREHEAD KISSES ABOUND! One of Kallus’ hands goes in butt pocket and the other interlaces with the dangling hand off of his shoulder. They walk back to their apartment making comments about the youngins’ and how they’re good people etc etc.

KalluZeb have loving tender sex that night, AangZuko cuddle through the night and have sweet morning sex (even though Zuko does wake up with a hangover, but Aang has a special herbal [DISGUSTING] remedy that never fails) and CatraAdora cuddle through the night as well only to have Catra have a massive hangover and puking her guts out most of the morning, but her big jock girlfriend loves on her allllll day. END.

(I ran out of tags!! I’m so sorry if I missed a cw/tw!!)

[rosy-night-sky]

Of Treasure and Adventure

Genre: Treasure Hunter/Indiana Jones AU

Pairing: Ot7 x reader

Summary: Your grandmother gave you a gift that she won in a game, so naturally you are curious as to the origins of it. A decision was then made that you should seek the answers to your questions. However, you never expected your decision to lead you on a treasure hunting quest.

Warnings: Suggestive themes (whoo hoooo! It’s getting a bit steamy in here!)

Tag List: @sevenincubistolemyheart @xxqueenwxtchxx @technicolor-blues @taevkimchi @youcantbesiriusremus @vannilacake @baby-hobii @catsandstrawberries @izzyisavengersupernaturaltrash @http-lostforever @jhopetypes

(A/N: So sorry this took forever to write! I have been super busy lately, but I really hope this makes up for the wait!)

Chapter 7

“How’s your arm?” 

The casual yet carefully chosen question caught you off guard for a few moments. After his ominous statement earlier followed by locking the door, you figured he would get straight to business. You knew, of course, that this question was going to lead into something else later on. It always did. He wouldn’t actually be concerned for your well-being, not after everything that just occurred prior hours. Would he? You stared at him for a few seconds, processing what he just asked, before clearing your throat awkwardly. You flickered your gaze to the side, suddenly taking interest in the eggshell colored walls. 

“It’s fine. Hobi told me that I sprained my elbow along with my cut during the fall,” you explained, shuffling in your spot. “He was on me about making sure I rest my arm.” 

Oh, he was on you alright, a cynical voice commented snidely.

You shoved that thought to the back of your mind, hoping Jin didn’t notice you. The millionaire paused for a few moments, taking in this information, and then gestured to one of the nearby cushioned chairs. 

“Why don’t you sit down and rest then?” he suggested, then made his way over to one of the bottles of champagne sitting in an iced bucket. He popped off the cord with ease and grabbed a red tinted glass sitting next to the bucket. You listened to his proposal and sat down on the plush chair, setting your bandaged arm on the armrest. A slight tinge of pain shot up your arm, causing a groan to escape your throat, but you just bore the pain and continued on. Jin held up an empty glass as an offer. “Would you like a glass?”

You nodded fervently. “After what happened today, definitely.”

Jin poured the white, bubbly liquid into the glass and handed it to you, to which you took a long sip and basked in the way it warmed up your insides. You momentarily closed your eyes and released a drawn out exhale, feeling a heavy weight slowly lift off your shoulders. Ah, that hit the spot. 

You reopened your eyes, this time focused on Jin. As you readjusted your posture, reminding yourself not to put too much weight on your injured arm, you interrogated, “So what do you need to desperately talk to me about? You’ve been ignoring me all day. What changed?” 

Jin parted his round lips for a moment to answer before pressing them together into a thin line. He then took a seat across from you and crossed his long legs, his own glass in hand. He contemplated his choices on how to word what he wanted to say before sighing tiredly. “I believe you deserve an apology,” he finally revealed before taking a much needed drink. 

Your lips formed a firm scowl. You clinked our fingers against your glass for a few seconds, waiting for him to continue, but was met with only strained silence. Was he actually serious? You finally spoke up, “You believe I deserve one?” you scoffed humorlessly, feeling anger shoot down your veins like hot fire. “Jin, you accused me of being a traitor, you twat!”

Jin raised his hands in surrender, guilt taking over his features. “I know. I know. What I did was irresponsible and uncalled for-“

“I’ll say!” 

“-And I’ve come to my senses long ago. By no means do I wish to give myself any excuses for my behavior, but I wish for you to understand that I was angry, confused, and wishing to blame anything for why the Dragon wasn’t in the caves... even you.” He took another drink of champagne and then placed it on the table next to him. He folded his hands together tightly, thumbs rubbing over each other anxiously. “I was also scared, scared that the Japanese had already obtained it before us, and that the last bits of my country’s identity were forever gone.” 

“I can understand that, but that doesn’t give you the right to lash out at me. Do you have any idea how scared I was? I thought you were going to kill me!” You shook your head in disbelief as a sigh escaped your lips. “Out of everyone on this team, I thought I could trust you the most. After all, you trusted me enough to bring me into this. And then when you accused me, all that trust was gone. I felt like I had no one, no one to turn to. I felt abandoned.” You then laughed almost bitterly. “Good thing the others had my back.” 

Jin’s hand clasped over his mouth as he listened to you spilling out your feelings. You saw how he thought over what you said. The millionaire was never not thinking, it seemed. “I felt similar. I felt our trust meant nothing in that moment. However, there was no reason for me to distrust you. My paranoia got the better of me in that moment.” 

The frown never left your face as you argued, “If you realized that, then why didn’t you bloody apologize earlier instead of ignoring me the rest of the day?” 

“I... I didn’t feel like it was the proper time to apologize, not when we were distracted with everything going on at once,” he answered, disregarding your bitter snort as he continued, “I know ignoring you was incredibly rude of me, but I couldn’t just pretend that everything was fine when it obviously wasn’t.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he continued, “I apologize fully for what I’ve done against you and for letting my paranoia getting the better of me.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed when a question popped in your mind out of the blue. “I know we have every reason to be constantly looking over our shoulders, now that the Japanese are after us, but why are you so paranoid of them finding us? You were like that back in the hotel in Darjeeling when that spy tried to mug me,” you questioned, resting your chin on the palm of your hand, waiting for him to answer. 

“I...” His voice trailed off with a slight groan. He pinched the bridge of his nose before throwing his hand in the air exasperatedly, slumping back into his chair. “It’s personal. Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of run-ins with the government. Every encounter I could’ve been executed. I wouldn’t be here, if I weren’t a bit paranoid.” 

You arched an eyebrow perplexedly. Hundreds of different thoughts sprung up into your mind at his mysterious answer. “Please don’t tell me that you’re secretly a rebellion leader,” you almost pleaded. That would’ve been the cherry on top, wouldn’t it be?  

He chuckled, and you relaxed when seeing that. That was the first time he actually laughed ever since the incident in the caves. “No, no, nothing like that. I wouldn’t be a good rebellion leader anyways.”

“A drug lord, perhaps?” 

“Oh, good Lord, no! I can barely handle smoking cigars let alone actually dealing drugs.” 

“How about a smuggler then? I hear the Americans are in need of liquor nowadays.” 

He scoffed, waving his hand in the air as if dismissing that idea. “I have no idea how the Prohibition is supposed to help. But all the same, no, I’m not a smuggler. I’m just a humble businessman.” 

Your arched eyebrow quirked even higher. “A businessman who has had multiple run-ins with the government, it seems,” you remarked, then remembering what Namjoon revealed to you hours prior, added, “and knows self-defense also.” 

He smiled fondly. “Ah, did Namjoon tell you that? Then he must’ve also told you that business is rather cutthroat.” He lifted his glass to his lips before taking a sip. 

You nodded slowly, still suspicious of his mysterious aura. “Yes, he did. Doesn’t mean I believe it for a bloody second,” you said bluntly. You’ve learned to call people’s bull over the years. That was made you into the talented journalist you were today.

“You’re going to have to believe it, darling, because that’s the story I’m sticking with. Now then, we’ve gotten a little off track. I was trying to make reparations for my disrespectful behavior before you began interrogating me.” He chuckled mirthfully, a playful glimmer in his eyes. “You definitely are a reporter through and through.” 

You took a drink, enjoying the taste and bubbles fill your mouth  before swallowing. “I have to be thorough. Nobody likes an article with little to no answers, me included,” you replied with a shrug of your shoulders.

“Good thing I’m good at keeping my secrets,” Jin asserted, leaning forward and resting his arms on his thighs. “Is there nothing I can do to help rebuild our trust?” 

You pondered the question for a few moments. At first, you wished for things to grow naturally, but a devious thought emerged in your mind. You tried your hardest to hide the evil smirk from crawling its way onto your face. “Actually, I do have an idea,” you admitted, the playful tone sneaking into your voice. 

Jin didn’t seem to notice, thankfully. Instead, he appeared to be desperate to mend the broken bond between the two of you. “Really?” His eyebrows shot up in slight shock. “Please, tell me, and I’ll gladly do it.” 

Oh ho, this was going to be perfect. “Stand up.” 

“Done- wait, what?” 

You rested your unhurt hand against your hip as you stood up from you seat. “You heard me.”

Although he was obviously confused by your command, Jin reluctantly got up only for you to take a few steps toward him. Little space was in between the two of you. One more step and you would be flush against his body. You smelled the faint scent of his cologne waft off him. His eyes widened slightly. “Ah, y/n, if I may ask, what do you have in mind?” 

You remained stoic in hopes that you wouldn’t give away what you were about to do. “Just stand there,” you ordered, your voice a lot more commanding than you expected. 

He then quirked an eyebrow almost amusedly. “Dear me, I never thought of you to be-” 

You didn’t give anytime to finish as your uninjured hand came flying across his cheek with a loud smack. Ah, it was so satisfying to hear the sound of your hand cracking against his face. You almost wanted to turn back the clock and do it again. 

Jin cried out loudly as he stumbled back a few paces, almost crashing against the table. The glasses and champagne bottle jingled as the table shook precariously. His hand flew to touch the now red skin gently, flinching at the stinging pain, as his other hand supported him on the table. He jerked to stare at you with round eyes, as if he couldn’t believe you actually slapped him. He stood there in stunned silence, groaning in pain. “I suppose I deserved that,” he admitted, shutting one of his eyes. 

A grin broke through your stoic expression. “Oh, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do,” you commented, a short laugh escaping your mouth. 

“Quite a while I’d imagine,” he responded, then looked at you with worried eyes. “It isn’t going to leave a bruise, is it? That’d be bad for my handsome face.” 

You rolled your eyes, annoyed at how he was thinking about his looks at a time like this. “You’ll be fine,” you groaned. 

The millionaire pouted with pursed lips like a child would and mumbled to himself about how he hoped the red mark faded away soon. “So, are we good now?” he asked, looking at you with hope. 

You shrugged your shoulders. Of course, you knew that a slap across his face wouldn’t immediately fix the broken bond like magic, although you wished it did. However, you knew that the slap meant the beginning of your mending relationship. “It’s a start, that’s for sure.” 

Jin rubbed his assaulted cheek tenderly. “I’ll take that over you being angry at me any day,” he confessed, then groaned. “For being injured, you have quite a swing.” 

You made your way to the door and opened it after unlocking it, gesturing for him to take his leave. “Thank you, I was pitcher for my school’s girl’s cricket team,” you mentioned, a cheeky smile curling the corners of your lips. “I was worried that I was slacking over the years.” 

The millionaire walked over to you, hand finally falling at his side to reveal his pink cheek. “Well, worry no more, you’re not slacking,” he complimented. 

You laughed softly before giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Thank you for letting me take my anger out on you,” you said innocently. “You should get some rest now after today.” Judging by the way his shoulders sagged slightly as if weights attached themselves to him, you knew he needed to rest.

Jin nodded in agreement after taking a step out your door, standing in the living room of the suite. “You should, too, we’re having a meeting in the morning on what our next step should be,” he informed you. He took a step to begin walking away but paused and turned back to you, a devious smirk pulling at his lips. “You know, since I’m done talking to you, I should let Taehyung know that you’re free to finish his business with.” 

Your eyes widened to the size of saucers as your lips parted in horror, your stomach suddenly lurching to your throat. “You better not, you little devil!” Taehyung is the last thing you need to deal with, especially after your “checkup” with Hoseok. 

Jin ignored your desperate pleas and lifted his head towards where the other boys’ rooms were. “Oh, Taehyung!” he called innocently, his wicked smirked growing into a grin. “Y/n is free to talk to!” 

“You bloody wanker!” you hissed venomously before slamming the door shut and locking it. 

You pressed your back against the hardwood, hearing Jin’s faint laughter through as it faded in the distance. Your hand flew to your chest, feeling the thrumming of your rapid heartbeat under your fingers. One of the drawbacks of rebuilding your relationship with Jin was the fact that he could tease you whenever he wanted once more. Great, now you were back to seven men relentlessly teasing you, two of which were taking the teasing to a whole new level. 

You figured you should do a little work before going to bed, if only to distract you from wandering thoughts about your teammates. Pulling yourself from the door, you took off your camera from around your neck, feeling somewhat odd since you’ve grown used to the familiar weight. You needed to develop the film, since you guessed that Namjoon and Jin would want to take a look at the pictures in the morning. As a reporter, you left the developing to your coworkers who were trained for this type of work, but the didn’t mean that you were unaware of how to do yourself. 

You went to your luggage and skimmed through your supplies, finding it difficult to grab the necessities with only one arm. God, how were you supposed to manage this for four weeks? You took out all the equipment needed for the developing process, which included: a safelight, a black and white developer, a changing bag, a developing tank and reels, a digital thermometer, a timer, scissors, beakers and containers, bottles, and film clips. Yes, it was quite excessive, but the process demanded it.

It took you quite a while for you to haul all of your supplies with one arm into the bathroom. Already you were wishing for your arm to miraculously heal. After nearly half an hour of carrying equipment to the water closet, you set everything up in the available space given to you and took out the film canister from the camera. 

You sighed as you stared at it. Who knew how many hours of sleep you were getting tonight? You set the canister down and immediately began to work into the night. 

—————————————

Your eyes groggily peeled themselves open when the first sliver of sunlight hit them. You tiredly groaned and pulled yourself up, sitting on the bed for a few moments to get rid of the heavy feeling of exhaustion. You took this moment to realize that you were still in your clothes from yesterday. Ugh, what time did you go to bed? You felt like you didn’t get a wink of sleep at all. 

You rubbed a hand over your eyes, getting rid of the gunky sand in the corners. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. You figured that if you got yourself clean and pumped yourself with at least eight cups of tea, you’d be fine. 

You stretched yourself, excluding your injured arm, and felt the various pops and cracks across your body. You let out a little groan before finally climbing out of bed, your feet hitting the soft, red carpet. You needed a shower, especially after rolling around in the forest for a few hours. 

You entered the water closet once more, finding all of the equipment still inside, leaving no room for a shower. You groaned in agony and lightly slammed your head against the doorway. You really didn’t want to clean out the equipment, not after the long, tedious process it took just to haul it all here. You could always just ask one of the boys if you could just use their shower instead. Realizing that was, indeed, a horrible idea, you reluctantly carried out the equipment from the water closet. 

After another half an hour, you finally got the supplies from the water closet and took that shower you desperately needed. It felt like you entered heaven right then and there, feeling the warm water on your grimy skin. You could take another nap in there if you wanted. However, you continued to wash yourself and got out, wishing you could sit under the water for an hour or two. 

When you finished drying yourself off, you put on a simple pair of trousers and a light shirt and stepped outside your room, expecting to see everyone already out in the living room. However, you were surprised to find no one except yourself outside. You craned your head around, looking for anyone else, but found no awake soul. Bloody hell, what time was it? The sun was out, right? So people should be waking up by now.

You finally found the clock and read the time. Five o’clock in the morning. Shit, no wonder no one was here, they were no doubt still sleeping. You groaned exasperatedly and ran a hand down your face, pulling down your skin. You probably only got three hours of sleep, if that. Bloody perfect. 

You needed a cup of tea right now. You went into the kitchen and managed to find the kettle. Placing it on the stove after filling it water, you turn on the heat and rummaged through the cabinets looking for teabags. You pulled out a box and read the label. Chamomile with lavender? You heard that this was supposed to have relaxing effects, although you never drank it before. However, relaxation sounded like exactly what you needed. 

Hearing the kettle’s high pitched whistle, you poured the kettle into a teapot you found and placed the teabag in the boiling water. You got together a tea tray with all the necessities and placed the teapot on it before carrying it back to the living room, precariously carrying it with one hand. Luckily, you managed to set it down on the table without dropping everything. 

You sat down with a satisfied sigh and prepared yourself a cup, making it to your contention. Just as you were about to pick up the cup and drink the nectar of the gods, a pair of hand wrapped themselves around your eyes, casting your vision into complete darkness. You jumped a little at its suddenness but soon relaxed, figuring it was one of the boys. 

“Guess who~?” a voice whispered playfully into your ear, causing your shoulders to scrunch up. Your ears were always sensitive. Even the slightest puff of breath on them would send you squirming and cringing. 

You rolled your eyes behind the hands, your eyelashes tickling his hands. “Good morning, Jimin,” you greeted politely despite your annoyance. 

The hands disappeared and instead were replaced with Jimin’s smiling face. He slid around the couch and took a seat next to you, a tray full of pastries accompanying him. “Ooooh! Did you make tea?” he asked excitedly, his eyes following the steam rise from the hot liquid. 

You nodded and made a gesture to it. “Help yourself.” You finally took a sip of the warm liquid, relishing in the release of dopamine rushing throughout your body. The scent of lavender fanned your face along with the comforting steam that rose from the cup. Ah, this is exactly what you needed. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to wake up so early? After all, you got to enjoy the peace and quiet. Well, until Jimin came along that is, not that you didn’t mind, of course. You enjoyed his presence, seeing as how he brought you comfort on the ride here. 

Jimin made herself a cup of tea, setting down the tray of pastries next to it. He took a small sip and curled the corners of his lips into a small smile. “Mhmm, what a perfect way to start the day,” he murmured more to himself than to you. He then gestured to the tray of pastries with a curious glance. “Would you like one?” 

Your stomach growled involuntarily. Now that you thought about it. You didn’t have much to eat yesterday what with all of the excitement. You completely missed dinner! No wonder the thought of food made you nearly drool in anticipation. Nodding your head, you set down your teacup and reached for the delicious looking cream puffs. Before you could claim it, however, Jimin quickly swatted your hand away. 

“Uh-uh.” He wagged his finger in front of you like a parent to a child. “Hoseok told me that you needed to rest. Now then, you wanted this one?” He plucked the cream puff from the silver tray like an apple and held it out to your face. 

Bewildered by his actions, your hand slowly reached out to take the puff from his fingers. What was he trying to do? Coddle you like a little girl? He suddenly retracted his hand when seeing your attempt to grab it. “Say ‘ahhhhhhh’!” He then held it right up to your lips, your eyebrows raised in surprise. 

You rolled your eyes once more. “Jimin, it’s not like I’m incapable of doing anything. I can eat on my own. Look, I even made a pot of tea without any help,” you protested. “I only sprained my elbow, not break every bone in my body.” Did he think you were suddenly a grandmother needing to assist your every need?

Jimin tilted his head to the side, concern slipping over his soft features. “But you went through a lot of stress yesterday, both mentally and physically. Why don’t you just sit back, relax, and let me take care of your body?”

You remembered those last words coming from Hoseok last night. For a mere moment, you feared that the doctor boasted to everyone about your little rendezvous, that he managed to get to you before Taehyung. However, your fears quelled when you didn’t recognize any mischief behind his eyes. You only saw a giddiness gleam in them.

You wanted to relax, true, but you weren’t sure if this was how you wanted to unwind. You could only imagine how awkward it might be to be fed by the survivalist. “I’m not a child,” you argued, glancing around the room to see if anyone else had left their rooms. “Besides, what if someone sees us? I would die of embarrassment!” 

He shook his head with an airy laugh. “No one else is going to be up for awhile. They’re gonna sleep like rocks, especially after that whole fiasco yesterday.” He lifted the cream puff closer to your mouth, his lips forming a tiny pout. “Come on, just for today at least.” 

Seeing as how he wouldn’t give in until you complied with his wishes, you hesitantly bit into the cream puff, tasting the delicious cream mixed with the bread. It honestly was one of the best cream puffs you had in awhile. “Did you make this?” you asked despite your mouth being full. 

“No,” he answered with a small giggle, “I asked the chefs downstairs if they could make me a breakfast platter, but I’m flattered you think I could make something as good as this.” 

“I’m surprised the kitchen is open at this hour.” You paused to swallow and then asked, “I take it you’re an early bird?” 

He nodded before practically shoving the puff into your mouth. You barely had time to prepare yourself for the impact. A surprised noise escaped your mouth muffled by the pastry. Jimin hid a snigger seeing your slightly shocked expression as he continued, “I’m a light sleeper, I guess you could say. As soon as the light hits me, I’m up. It’s okay, though. I usually take this time to stretch and workout a bit.” 

You never really had time to exercise given your constantly busy schedule, but you respected him for managing to keep in shape. You wished you could do the same. 

“You don’t seem like a morning person,” Jimin observed, probably because you looked like you wanted to crawl back into bed. “What are you doing up so early?” 

You munched on the puff for a few seconds before swallowing and replying, “I couldn’t really fall asleep last night. I don’t know why. I was bloody exhausted, but for some reason I couldn’t.”

Jimin shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Maybe there was too much on your mind? A lot happened yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if all the action kept you up,” he suggested, taking a sip of his tea. 

You leaned forward and took another bite, ready to say a reply to your own. However, a string of cream still connecting to the puff in Jimin’s hand suddenly broke and stuck itself to your chin. Your hand flew up to wipe off the mess, but Jimin was faster. 

“Oops, you got a little on your chin,” he chuckled. His free hand cupped your chin while his thumb rubbed itself over the skin, wiping off the cream. Your cheeks flared with heat at the intimate contact. You flickered your eyes to look to the side, taking a sudden interest in a brass vase sitting on a table. Wow, what year was that made? It had to made recently; no doubt anything older would be in a museum back in England. You estimated it was perhaps manufactured towards the end of the nineteenth century, judging from the design etched into the brass.

Your panicked examination of the vase was cut short when you noticed your heart rapidly beating in your chest like a ceremonial drum. Why were you so flustered? This wasn’t the worst thing any of the boys had done. If anything, Jimin was being kind and considerate. 

Of course, you spoke too soon, because in the next second Jimin brought his thumb to his mouth and licked the cream off of it, his tongue peeking through his plump, pink lips. It wouldn’t have set your skin ablaze if not for the fact that Jimin stared at you with the same narrowed eyes that Taehyung and Hoseok have been giving you recently. Oh Lord, why must he be so attractive?

You cleared your throat awkwardly and turn your head away. Maybe if you just ignored him long enough, he’ll lose interest and go away? The blood rushed to your ears, and you felt the tips tingle with the heat. Your heart pounded so hard in your chest, you thought it was going to burst. Your fingers played with themselves nervously, trying to distract you. Your mind chanted repeatedly for him to go away and leave you in peace. However, luck wasn’t on your side that morning, as per usual.

Jimin chuckled deeply, grabbing his teacup. “You’re too cute when you’re embarrassed,” he commented playfully. “So innocent, so sweet. I bet you taste sweeter than these treats.” 

With that, you drained the rest of the tea from your cup. It seemed the chamomile and lavender weren’t helping the amount of stress you were currently undergoing. “Oh! Would you look at that? I’m out of tea! I’m going to go to the kitchen and make some more,” you announced, standing up to quickly leave the room.

“Oh? And waste all the tea right here?” Jimin inquired while gesturing to the steaming teapot sitting on the table. Bollocks, you forgot about that small fact. 

You laughed sheepishly as you slowly spun on your heel to meet his expecting gaze. Nothing was going your way it seemed. Quick, you needed to come up with a lie! “I didn’t really like this type. I guess chamomile and lavender isn’t really my thing. I’m sure there’s probably some black tea bags in the kitchen!” 

You retreated back into the kitchen away from his prying gaze, throwing your back against the nearest open wall to support yourself on. You fanned yourself with your uninjured hand, hoping to cool down your hot skin. Ugh, you were such a prude. Even the slightest show of sensuality had you reeling. 

Were you always like this? You thought yourself to be rather confident when it came to romance. All your previous boyfriends never made you flustered or disoriented like these boys did. That may be because your previous boyfriends never really sought you out sexually. Everything was always casual, besides the once in awhile makeout sessions. Maybe it was because everything was happening too fast for you to keep up? These boys were constantly bombarding you so much that you couldn’t even think straight.

Embarrassingly enough, you were still a virgin. You never had sex with any of your previous boyfriends, because, well, you weren’t quite that attracted to them in that regard. Sure, you liked them, but you never got down to it. All of your friends would tease you that you’d be a virgin until you died, and maybe they were right. 

You pulled yourself out of your thoughts as your eyes wavered over to the stove. You rather not make another pot of tea, but you didn’t want to be caught in a lie. So, you grabbed the kettle and looked through the cabinets for any black tea bags. Unfortunately, it seemed that you found just about every other type of tea in existence except for the one you were searching for. 

You groaned in agony and frustration. Why the bloody hell did this place have green tea but not black tea? You were so focused on your burning rage that you didn’t notice Jimin sneaking in until he wrapped his arms around your waist, causing you to let out a surprised gasp. 

“Jimin! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you having breakfast or something?” you sputtered, hoping that he might leave if you reminded him of the abandoned baked goods. 

Jimin whined quietly and rested his chin on your shoulder, his lips forming a small pout once more. “I want something sweeter,” he complained, sounding like a spoiled child. 

You knew deep down exactly what he meant by that but remained oblivious. Maybe he really wanted something else to eat? “Alright, I can make some custard if you-“ 

“You’re really walking on thin ice here, y/n.” 

You froze in his arms, eyes glancing down at him. Was that a threat? “What do you mean by that?” 

Instead of replying right away, he moved his head so that his lips latched onto your neck. You flinched at the sudden contact, nearly dropping the box of teabags in your one hand. You bit your lip feeling him leave fiery kisses on your sensitive skin. Setting the box of teabags down, you gripped the edge of the counter so hard your almost left nail marks in the wood. 

“What I mean...” His voice trailed off as he sucked on your neck for a few more seconds. “... is that you’re driving me crazy.”

His kisses were soft and gentle, a change of pace compared to Hoseok’s rough and hot lips. Although your mind was going through a hurricane of emotions, your body began to relax under the pleasant feeling he gave you. 

His hot breath against your skin made you squirm with a soft squeal. Each puff of breath sent shivers running up and down your spine. It was almost unbearable. Damnit, how did these men know how to leave you breathless? 

His lips moved tantalizingly slow up your neck until he found that little space behind your jaw. As his mouth curled into a wicked smirk, he nibbled on the skin. Your eyes widened as your jaw went slack, a stifled gasp slipped from your lips. He replaced his lips with his tongue, sending warm sensations down to your core. You were practically melting in his hands. God, you didn't know how much longer you could survive this.

When Jimin’s hands left your waist to grip the counter, you saw your chance to escape. You dropped down low, leaving Jimin’s wandering lips hanging, and slithered through the small gap under his arms. Aha! You escaped like a mouse vanishing from a cat’s clutches. Jimin widened his eyes slightly in surprise when he realized you slipped away from his grasp and looked at you with confusion etched on his face. He honestly looked like a child whose favorite toy was just taken away.

You laughed nervously, tucking a few strands of hair behind your ear. “Well, if I drive you crazy, then maybe you take a break from me and just clear your head?” you spewed out. Dear Lord, what were you talking about?! You honestly wanted to bash your head into the nearest wall in mortification.

Jimin slowly crossed his arms while leaning against the counter, his confusion ebbing away into aggravation. His eyes narrowed onto you as his jaw clenched. You noticed his tongue poking into his cheek as he exhaled sharply through his nose. Oh God, he looked really ticked off. Your thighs clenched together involuntarily as a flash of excitement and fear shot down your spine. 

“You really love to play hard, don’t you, y/n?” Jimin tilted his head slightly to the side, eyes flickering over your form momentarily. You swallowed hard when hearing his growling tone, sweat beginning to form uncomfortably on your back. Oh, you were fucked…

“And you really love to play with me,” you retorted as you wrung your hands sheepishly, although you tried to keep a strong gaze of your own. You were digging your own grave, it seemed, like a complete and utter fool.

He pushed himself off the counter and took a few paces toward you. You stood your ground despite wanting to back away from him, your mind chanting at you to remain strong. He kept his arms folded as he stopped just a hair’s length from you, his cologne washing over your senses. “I think it’s about time we stopped playing these games though. I’d like to get right down to business.” 

You bit your lip in thought for a few seconds. “What if I like where we are now, playing these games?” Your mind screamed at you to just stop it, to just stop making the whole situation worse, but you just couldn’t. Words tumbled out of your mouth before you could even realize what you were saying.

Jimin arched an eyebrow as he kept his hard stare on you. “Then I just might have to play rough with you then,” he answered cooly. However, you recognized that familiar twinkle in his eyes that gleamed with mischief, although he desperately tried to mask it with nonchalance.

You cleared your throat that suddenly tightened upon hearing his response. Red lights went off in your head while sirens blared internally. Your body was throwing every signal at you to run away and hide, that this man was one second away from doing what Hoseok did the night before. However, you remained composed as you stared at him for a few painful seconds, unsure of what to reply with. 

Panic ran through you like a raging storm, though it didn’t show on your face. What do you do? What can you do? Your instincts took over your mind, shoving all logic and reason out the window. It was either fight and flight, and honestly…

You were going to take the flight instinct.

“You’re going to have to catch me first,” you sputtered out before breaking into a sprint out of the kitchen. Honestly, you had no idea what you were doing. You wanted to slap yourself for thinking that you could simply run away from your problems.

Luckily, you managed to get into the living room before what you said finally processed through Jimin’s mind. You fled for your bedroom, thinking that you could lock the door and hide from him until later. Unfortunately, Jimin charged right after you with the prowess of a jaguar. Curse him and his athleticism! You knew you wouldn’t be able to reach your bedroom in time. So, you made a sharp turn around the couch and spun around it before Jimin could grab you. You stood on one side of the couch while your chaser remained on the other side, waiting for you to make a move in one direction. 

You took a step to your left while he mirrored your actions, grinning from ear to ear and relishing in the rush of the chase. You then faked a step to your right and sprinted in the opposite direction. Jimin quickly pivoted and followed you, causing a small squeal of panic to escape your throat. Before he could lay a hand on you, you threw yourself over the couch and darted for your bedroom, hearing a small growl of frustration from Jimin. You made quite a distance from him. You had a good chance of actually making it to safety. 

All of a sudden, an arm wrapped itself around your waist, pulling you away from your sanctuary. You squeaked out of surprise when another arm slid behind your knees and scooped you up from the ground. You jerked your eyes to meet the perpetrator’s and instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck, your heart hammering in your chest. His eyes gleamed triumphantly, his lips curling into a smug smirk.

“I win.” His smirk widened when you huffed in chagrin. “Now then, you need to keep your side of the bargain.” He carried you back to the couch like a groom carrying his bride into their new house and dropped you onto it. Your body bounced on the plush cushions and pillows that were worth a good fraction of your weekly paycheck.

Jimin climbed onto you, his body hovering over yours. He placed his hands next to your head, caging you between him and the couch. A low chuckle rumbled through his chest as you swallowed the lumped lodged tightly in your throat. “You’re so cute,” he cooed, moving his himself so he was straddling your hips. “Look at you… all flustered and embarrassed, just by my presence. I wonder how hot and bothered you’ll get by my touch.”

He suddenly leaned down, eyes boring into yours with clouded emotions and want. Oh how those lips of his look so kissable. They must be so soft; after all, they felt amazing on your neck. You mentally slapped yourself when realizing your wanton thoughts. Why were you giving in so easily to his charms? 

His hands moved from their place on the couch and began to unbutton your shirt at a teasingly slow pace. You were fairly certain his fingers could feel the pounding of your heart against your chest. Goosebumps ran up and down your arms when the cool air came in contact with your hot skin. 

“You’ve told me in the past that you hate how much the boys and I tease you. But the thing is, y/n… You’re just as much of a tease to us as we are to you.” His smirk grew when seeing your perplexed expression. “Oh yes, you’re just as bad, doll. You, too, get us all worked up when you act so innocent and adorable. It’s only fair that-” He cut himself off when his pulled back your collar, revealing your collarbone to his roaming eyes. 

However, you noticed his eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he detected something that shouldn’t have been there. You would’ve moved your head to see when had him so bewildered, but you couldn’t seem to tear your eyes away from him no matter how hard you tried. His hand left your shirt and skimmed his fingers against your collarbone delicately, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Realization then suddenly dawned upon him, and a humorous chuckle spilled from his plump lips.

“Oh, y/n…” he drawled, pausing to tut playfully. “You’ve been a naughty girl lately, haven’t you?”

It was your turn now to stare at him in bewilderment. “What? What are you talking about?” you demanded, though you kept your tone leveled.

He rocked his hips suddenly, reigniting the heat in your very core. “Still acting innocent till the very end, I see. Very well, how do you explain these hickies?” he revealed, his smug smirk now forming a wicked grin.

You finally tore your ears from his enchanting orbs and bent your head to take in the view of your bruised collarbone and chest. Your eyes widened in horror at the sight, spots of red and purple painted your neck like drops on fine wine. Lovebites?! Your heart dropped to your stomach as a small feeling of slight nausea set in. Hoseok… next time you see him, and you will, you were going to give him hell for leaving those marks.

For now, all you could do was sputter in astonishment. “Those must be from the fall-”

“Oh, spare me the excuses.” Jimin leaned back on your hips, giving you a nice view of all he had to offer. “The evidence is damning. Someone had lots of fun with you last night, it seems. Now I wonder who?” His hands left your collarbone and began trailing down your chest, tracing your curves and prodding at your skin. “It couldn’t have been Taehyung, no matter how much he’d love to be in that position. He never left his room last night,” he mused to himself. “Maybe Jin? … No, Jin is somewhat of a gentleman. He would’ve left hickies on your chest so only he could see his handiwork. That leaves…” His face lit up with realization, almost dramatically. He mouth gaped open, as if he were told a scandalous secret. “The doctor?”

Your face burned with humiliation. You hoped this secret of yours would remain just that, a secret, something that you’d bury deep into the ground where no would dare go searching. However, before you even begin digging the hole, your secret was revealed like a present a child opened up the night before Christmas. 

Jimin snickered when you didn’t reply, further proving his suspicions. “So that’s why you were eager to pull him into your room. I thought you just wanted to avoid Taehyung, but I guess you really have a doctor kink.”

Your eyes widened even further to the size of saucer plates. “No!” you immediately protested, earning a curious arched eyebrow from the man looming above you. “He… he made the first move. I didn’t intend for him to…” Your voice trailed off as you couldn’t bring yourself to recall those sensual acts from last night. Sure, you didn’t have sex, but Hoseok’s kisses still left you breathless.

Jimin didn’t need for you to continue, for he already put two and two together. “Ah, so Hobi took the opportunity. Shame, I wanted to be the first one to mark you.” He released a deep, exasperated sigh, his shoulders sagging with the action. “Although… being first doesn’t mean being the best.” His hands stopped at the hem of your trousers, fingers curling around the fabric and pulling at it playfully. “Let me show you why I’m the best, baby.”

With that, he lowered himself onto you, your bodies flush against each other. His lips attached themselves to your neck. Instantly, a gasp fell from your mouth, feeling his lips mold against your neck perfectly. Involuntarily, your uninjured hand snaked up behind his head and dug your fingers into his dark locks, holding his head close to your neck. 

His lips moved magnificently, kissing your bare skin as if his life depended on it, as if he were addicted to you. Your breath hitched in your throat when he lightly nipped your sensitive skin, causing your fingers to tighten their grip slightly on his hair. Reactively, he groaned deeply, and the vibrations against your neck made you mewl softly for more.

His hands wandered up from where they rested around your waist and brought themselves up to your shirt once more, unfastening those pesky buttons that just got in the way of your passion. He practically ripped your shirt open and unhooked your bra before quickly discarding it, revealing more hickies from your amorous rendezvous with the doctor the night before. Jimin growled at the sight of them and attacked your chest, leaving no patch of skin unscathed. 

A long string of moans left your mouth as you arched your back like a bow, shoving your chest into his mouth. His kisses became a mix of teeth and sucking, wanting to get rid of all evidence of Hoseok’s marks. His lips moved dangerously low, now attacking the supple skin of your breasts. A low moan escaped your throat once more, feeling his mouth latch onto your nipple. Your moans seemed to encourage his actions, because he deepened his kiss, his tongue swirling around your sensitive bud. 

He pulled his lips away from your needy breast with a pop and looked up at you through his dark lashes. “Fuck, you look so pretty under me.” You bit your lip shyly and craned your neck to the side, too reticent to keep your gaze on him. He breathlessly chuckled and brought his hand to cup your chin between his fingers, forcing your head to face him again. “Uh-uh, princess, no looking away this time. You’re going to keep watching me as I cover your entire body with marks.” When your eyes widened at his words, he continued, “You know I love seeing you so bashful.”

He must love torturing you, it seemed. You had barely any time to reply or even register his words before he attacked your collarbone again. Your hand left his dark locks to grip at a pillow, the cushions, anything to keep you somewhat grounded. His lips made their way back up your neck and reached your ear. He nibbled on it playfully, and you naturally scrunched your shoulders together reactively. 

Pleased by your cute response, he gave your ear a kittenish lick, and you squeaked from how sensitive your ears had gotten. His hands roamed down your body and landed on your breasts once more. His fingers played with your susceptible skin, gracing it with soft strokes and touches that left you whining and panting. 

“Jimin…” The name fell from your mouth unconsciously in a quiet whisper. Your mind was a muddled mess of pleasure and pure bliss. You could barely even think straight from all the emotions and sensations that coursed throughout your body like a rapid moving river.

“Ah, fuck…” He paused his nibbling on your ear to capture your lips with his own. You knew his lips were extremely soft and plush, but they felt even more amazing on your mouth. He kissed you with passion, as if he couldn’t get enough of you. One of his hands left your breast to cup the back of your neck, pulling you closer to him. He acted as if he was intoxicated by the taste of you. “I was right.” He cut himself off to quickly peck your lips. “You taste so sweet.”

You both moaned into the kiss, finding yourselves equally addicted to each other. Hands gripped and clung to each other, as if letting go of each other would be the end of you both. Jimin undoubtedly wanted to prove to you how he was the best at passionate love, and he was certainly proving a good argument. 

For a moment, you feared the moaning, whining, and gasps would be enough to wake up one of the other boys. Because of this, you held yourself back, concentrating entirely on keeping yourself quiet. Jimin picked up on this, judging on your scrunched up and focused expression, and tugged on your nipple almost harshly. Your breath hitched for a mere moment as a choked gasp left your mouth.

“Don’t be quiet,” he practically growled, his eyes now taking on a darker gleam to them. “I want everyone here to hear how good I make you feel.”

A string of moans and whimpers left your mouth as he rolled your nipple in between his fingers before reluctantly letting it go. You whined from the loss of contact but soon noticed the same hand skimming down your abdomen and close to the hem on your pants. A mix of excitement and uneasiness rushed within you. 

His fingers teasingly curled around the fabric and played with it, torturing you as your desire for him was beginning to grow impatient. He smirked, knowing fully what kind of effect he was having on you at the moment. “Come on, baby, tell me how much you need me. Beg for me,” he whispered huskily, “and maybe I’ll oblige.”

Your cheeks blazed with heat once more, the familiar sensation tingling your skin. He was asking you to do what?! Beg like a dog? Your eyes widened to the size of saucers, flustered by what he wanted you to do. Your pride told you to remain stubborn. He actually wasn’t serious, right? 

From the lack of a response, Jimin took this as a challenge and placed a knee in between your legs, pressing it against your clothed core. “Tsk, you’re going to be a naughty girl now, of all times? Fine, I guess I’ll make you beg for me.”

You gulped, feeling a tiny bit intimidated by his words. He pressed his knee even further into your core, causing a rush of pleasure to blossom within you. He shuffled his leg a bit, causing his knee to rub against you slightly. A sharp gasp escaped your lips, giving his the reaction he wanted. He prepared himself to torture you a bit further until- 

The sound of a door opening and then closing sent your heart racing, not from arousal but from the flash of fear that shot throughout your entire body. Oh no, if any of the other boys saw you in such a disheveled and messy state, it would be the absolute end of you. On one hand, you were terrified someone would find you like this, but, on the other hand, you were glad that you had an excuse to avoid whatever punishment Jimin had in store for you. 

You ripped yourself from Jimin’s grasp and fell onto the floor with a thud. As quickly as you could move, you tried your best to make yourself appear as if you hadn’t been fucked out of your mind. You collected and fastened your bra, readjusted your shirt and trousers, and ran your fingers through your sweaty hair. You adjusted your shirt’s collar so that it covered the new lovebites that covered your skin.

You grumbled irritatedly when you noticed how Jimin only needed to brush himself off in order to look presentable. It didn’t help that he gave you a proud smirk as his eyes watched you skittishly clip your bra on. You brought your head to look away from his wandering eyes as he took a few steps toward you. He draped himself across the cough while propping his head up with his hand. “Good thing you reacted when you did. A second longer and whoever walked in would’ve had quite a show.” 

You cast your eyes to the ground as your cheeks blossomed with heat. You fixed your hair lastly before turning back to meet his smug grin. “If you mention this to anyone…” you threatened, jabbing a finger right into his chest. You were dead serious; you couldn’t afford him announcing to anyone about this. It would only end up with everyone stepping up their game. You didn’t know if you could handle that. 

Jimin’s eyes flickered down toward your finger before returning them to stare into yours. “Oh, don’t worry, doll,” he chuckled, finding your serious attitude all too cute. “This will be our little secret.” He brought his own finger to his plump lips, the same ones that were attached your neck minutes ago, and pressed it against them. “I’d worry more about Hoseok though, if I were you. He can’t keep such a thing to himself for long.”

Ugh, right, Hoseok. How could you forget? Not only did you have to worry about Taehyung, but you had to add Hoseok and Jimin to the pile of secrets. Eugh, you were really becoming a strumpet, weren’t you? 

You tucked your shirt into your trousers and fixed your collar before sitting on the couch across from where Jimin laid, grabbing a bun to appear a little less suspicious. Jimin merely smirked smugly watching you fidget and squirm. You were surprised to come across Jin looking elegant and professional as ever. He merely wore a white dress shirt and gray slacks with black leather shoes.

Jin paused his walking and looked at you and Jimin with a surprised expression creeping onto his features. “Oh, morning, you two,” he greeted, cuffing his sleeves as he took a few steps toward you. You relaxed when you realized he didn’t seem to notice your sweaty and rumpled state. “Are you both the only ones up? I thought the others would have woken up by now.”

Jimin shook his head innocently. “No, they’re sleeping like logs. It seems we’re the only responsible and mature people on this team.”

Jin rolled his eyes, annoyed by the others’ delay. He stomped over to the occupied rooms with an irritated groan. “Can’t believe I have to wake them up like a mother,” he grumbled to himself.

“Where were you, Jin?” you asked curiously, noticing that he came from the door leading to the elevator. 

The millionaire perked his head toward you as he made his way toward Yoongi’s door. “I was making sure no one managed to track us to this hotel, and I also decided to buy a few shirts to replace the ones that were ruined yesterday,” he answered before flinging the door open. “Rise and shine, Yoongi!” He clapped his hands loudly to gain Yoongi’s attention. “Wake up! It’s already seven o’clock!”

After the mechanic reluctantly dragged himself out of his room with messy hair and a glare that could kill, Jin gathered the remaining members, all of whom still looked exhausted. You were about to move into one of the armchairs next to you; but before you could even lift yourself from your spot, two bodies made themselves comfortable snug against you. You froze and lifted your round eyes to see the two men. 

Taehyung and Hoseok… could your morning get any worse?

Dread pooled in your stomach like lead as you settled yourself back into the couch, figuring it would have been way too obvious that you were trying to avoid them if you left now. You tried to push out the negativity that filled your mind. Maybe they just wanted to spend some time with you? No way they wanted to tease you so early in the day. Apparently that was Jimin’s thing. You should give them another chance.

“Good morning, boys,” you greeted, curling your lips into a pleasant smile. “Did you sleep well?”

Taehyung returned your smile with his own, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. “I would be better if I had a little more time to sleep,” he answered, his words slightly slurred from grogginess. 

“Me, too,” Hoseok chuckled tiredly. You noticed how unkempt the doctor’s appearance was. His hair was messy, his eyes were unfocused and glossed over, and his clothing was disheveled. However, his dazed eyes blown wide in remembrance. “Oh, y/n! I almost forgot!” He rushed off back into his room only to return with a clothed ice pack, offering it to your injured and slightly swollen arm. “Remember, you need to ice your arm for ten to twenty minutes for the next four days.” His exhausted aura gave way to his usual bright energy. Man, you envied how he could sometimes snap himself out of exhaustion.

You took the ice pack out of his hands and applied it to your casted arm, sighing at the calming coolness that washed over your heated and tender skin. After thanking Hoseok, he merely plopped down next to you and said, “No need to thank me, I almost forgot, anyway. Oh, and remind me to give you your painkillers sometime, okay?” You didn’t fail to notice the impish gleam in his eyes that glittered when he said those words. 

You just nodded your head and turned your gaze away sheepishly only for your stare to connect with Jimin’s. His eyes held the same gleam that Hoseok’s bore, but you also saw the way the corners of his lips curled into a smug smirk. Oh, he knew the meaning behind those words, didn’t he? He was never going to let this down, it seemed. 

“Geez, I feel like I could fall back asleep at any moment,” Taehyung butted into the conversation.

Hoseok nodded in agreement. “I’m pretty sure Jin woke me up from a dead sleep,” he commented. He brought a hand to his mouth to stifle his yawn before it broke away to an airy laugh. “Oh my God, Yoongi!” He gestured to the mechanic, who was plopped onto the armchair you planned on taking.

Yoongi had brought a fuzzy blanket from his room and was currently wrapped up in the cloth like an Inuit man huddling around a fire. The only thing visible was his pissed off face, glowering at everyone and everything in the room. “Don’t talk to me,” he grunted, his voice barely audible.

You tried your best to hold back your laughter in order to avoid Yoongi possibly strangling you, and offered the teapot to him. “Would you like some tea to wake you up a bit?” you asked, ignoring his warning.

A few long seconds passed, and you were unsure if Yoongi even heard you in the first place. However, you saw him nod his head subtly and widened your smile. You grabbed a teacup sitting unused on the table and poured the steaming, amber liquid into the porcelain cup. The scent of lavender wafted into the air, causing everyone to desire the warm drink. “Sugar?” you prompted, hand hovering over the sugar cubes.

“Noooooooo,” was his tired, mumbled reply, muffled by layers of blanket.

You complied with his wishes, smiling fondly at how adorable Yoongi looked and acted, and handed him the cup of tea. His hands wrapped around it and brought it up to his face, relishing in the warm scent before taking a sip of it. He released a relaxed sigh before sinking even further into his blankets. Your heart clenched at the sight; he looked so endearing!

“Alright, everyone!” Jin announced, dragging a half-asleep Jungkook into the living room followed by Namjoon walking in with a book in hand. “Now that we’re all here, we can get down to business.” He pushed Jungkook into a nearby armchair before standing in front of everybody, arms crossed in front of his chest. “We know our next step is in Punjab, but that’s a lot of area to cover. We need to figure out a way to narrow our search.”

Namjoon closed his book with a soft ‘thud’ and took a few steps toward Jin’s side. “If we had spent a few more hours down in those caves, we probably could’ve found where our ancestors went in Punjab, but those soldiers stopped us before we could look further,” he sighed disappointedly.

You felt a sting of pity in your heart upon seeing Namjoon with his arm in a sling. You supposed he was till in a lot of pain from the bullet that was lodged in his shoulder. You noticed how slowly he would move, as if the slightest movement would bring him pain. You wished you could’ve done something, anything, to prevent him from getting shot. However, you knew that no one expected the group to get ambushed, much less from the Japanese government.

“It’s not like we can go back either,” Jimin added, moving himself out of his lying position and now sitting upright. “That place is probably swarming with guards, especially after our little shoot-out there.”

You raised your non-cast arm to gather everyone’s attention. “I took some pictures of the tapestry in the caves and developed the pictures last night.” With a shrug, you commented, “I figured you chaps would like to study them, since you didn’t get the chance to yesterday.”

Namjoon released a sigh of relief and smiled broadly from ear to ear, absolutely beaming from your news. “God, y/n, you really are an angel,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

You brushed off his compliment, now getting used to all the light praise the boys would shower you in. Of course, if the boys praised you in a more flirtatious manner, well, that was a whole different story. “It’s nothing, I’m just doing my job.” You stood up from your spot on the couch and retrieved the pictures from your room. You were rather pleased with yourself that they developed rather nicely considering that you weren’t exactly experienced in developing film.

Returning back to the living room, you handed the photos Namjoon, who eagerly plucked them from your fingers and examined them over. His eyes scanned over the images quickly, absorbing every once of information he could obtain from such small pictures. You noticed the way his lips subtly moved to mumble the ancient language inscribed onto the tapestry. 

Quite a few seconds, or maybe it was minutes, passed in tensed silence. Everyone waited in anticipation for the great discovery that Namjoon was about to disclose. Everybody hoped for the best; that somewhere on that tapestry was the exact location of where the fleeing Koreans went to with the Dragon of the Stars. At least, everyone hoped for an indication of where to go next in this never-ending quest for treasure.

Finally, Namjoon tore his gaze from the picture and looked at a nearby wall in deep thought, his brows wrinkled in confusion. “‘Give drink with a bowl of stone waters from the lake of the moon’s flower to the Dragon in order to bring it to its homeland’...?” he wondered out loud, completely forgetting everyone else in the room.

“What?” Bewilderment stretched across your features at his cryptic words. What on earth was he talking about? He might as well have been speaking in tongues. “Was that on the tapestry?”

Namjoon nodded in confirmation, snapping himself out of his deep thoughts, before adding, “Yeah, this was the last line given to us by our ancestors. They must’ve left behind some clues to follow in this passage.”

“Great,” Yoongi grumbled, poking his head from his thick blankets. “More fucking riddles.”

“Could the Dragon in the riddle be the Dragon of the Stars?” Jungkook prompted, ignoring Yoongi’s complaining.

Jin shrugged his broad shoulders. “That’s the only connection I can think of. The phrase ‘in order to bring it to its homeland’ could mean finding it and taking it back to Korea.” He cupped his chin, his face scrunching together in deep concentration. “So in order to find the Dragon, we have to follow these instructions.”

“‘A bowl of stone’?” Jimin echoed the riddle, slight signs of frustrations creeping on his face. “That could literally be any bowl on the planet!”

Jin began pacing back and forth in front of everyone, one hand on his chin while the other rested on his hip. His leather shoes clicked against the stone floor rapidly as his strides became faster with hidden anxiety. “Bowl… bowl… bowl…” he repeated to himself. “What could that mean? Maybe they’re talking about a basin or something related to that?”

“Sounds to me they’re speaking literally,” Taehyung inputted with a yawn. “Who knows? Maybe they really want us to find a bowl.” He stretched his long arms above him with a groan and then wrapped one of his arms around your shoulders. He did it so casually that your brain didn’t register its presence until a few seconds too late, causing you to stiffen in reply and glance at him cautiously out of the corners of your eyes. “Too bad they couldn’t give us a better description of what this bowl looks like.”

“Ah, yes, a stone bowl,” Yoongi recalled, taking a sip out of his warm drink. “That helps us so much. Even if we just happened to know which bowl we’re supposed to be looking for, who’s to say that it’s still around? We were lucky that y/n’s tapestry was in good condition for it being nearly two thousand years old.”

“Well, I don’t know about you,” Hoseok began with a shrug of his shoulders, “but if I were someone who just made a bowl that was the key to finding a hidden treasure, I’d hide it somewhere where it’ll be protected from anything that might destroy it. People, natural causes, stuff like that.”

“Well, no shit, Sherlock,” the mechanic jeered. If he wasn’t wrapped up in fluffy, white blankets, his mock might have actually hurt Hoseok. “Got any ideas on where that might be?”

Hoseok raised his hands slightly in the air in surrender. “Hey, you didn’t let me finish! As I was saying, I might hide it in a container of sorts. Like a chest!”

Yoongi snorted. “Great… we’re pirates now.”

“Well, to be fair, we did desecrate a historical site that was hidden away for nearly two milenia,” Namjoon remarked, giving a pointed look to Taehyung, who merely gave him an angelic smile in reply.

“And kidnappers!” you added, reminding them of how they drugged you and captured you in order to obtain your tapestry.

Everyone released a collected groan at your comment, the loudest being Hoseok, who, of course, was the main culprit behind your kidnapping. “For the last time, we had to do what we needed to do!” Jin protested, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically.

“Still makes you kidnappers.”

“Wait, guys,” Namjoon interrupted the argument before it could spiral out of control. “I think I might have an idea of what this bowl might be.”

Jungkook deflated with a sigh. “And you just decide to tell us this now, after we’ve been wracking over brains over it?” He ran a hand through his dark locks, shoulders sagging in exasperation.

Namjoon turned his sharp gaze to the youngest. “Excuse me, you weren’t contributing much to the discussion. So you don’t get to say anything.” He returned his attention to the rest of the team and continued, “So before Koreans began using celadon in their pottery, they made what we call silla pottery, named after the time period it was first made in. Basically, silla pottery is stoneware pottery. They would make changgyong ho, which are tall jars, and kobae, which are wide bowls.”

Kobae. That word sounded so familiar to you. Your heart nearly stopped beating in your chest and your blood almost turned into ice at the name. Where did you hear that before? Did Namjoon mention this in previous conversations? You quickly searched through your memories, but you couldn’t recall such a discussion. Damnit, what was it?! Where did you hear that bloody word before?

The conversations around you were muted as you were lost in your own thoughts. You almost gave up on trying to remember, but then it all came back to you in a flood. Bloody hell! That’s what it was?

You suddenly stood up from the couch and began to search through the many newspapers that were lain strewn on the various tables in the room. Your eyes scoured through many articles, comics, and headlines. The others watched in curiosity and slight concern as you tossed bundles of newspapers to the side like it was trash. 

“Y/n? You alright?” Jimin called out to you, his voice full of worry more than confusion.

You distractedly nodded your head, not bothering to look back at them. “Yes, I’m fine. I just remembered something very important.” You tossed another newspaper to the side that almost fell to the floor. “Before I teamed up with you lads, I worked with the British’s newpaper company here while I was researching into the Indian Indepence Movement. We exchanged some info and articles and they told me- Here!” You pulled out a newspaper page from the rest and showed it to them as if it was the solution to all problems. You jabbed your finger at the article in question when Namjoon took it from your hands. “Some British archeologists found an artifact that left them bewildered in an excavation site by a Hindu temple in ruins. They said it was an artifact of Asian origin rather than Indian, and they think that the artifact is indeed…” You pulled away with a large grin plastered on your face. “A kobae.”

Everyone at this point was huddled around you and Namjoon, peering over your shoulders to read over the article with intense, focused stares. Their eyes ran over the words with a rapid pace, eating up the words like wolves devouring a caribou. Finally, Jungkook released a burst of laughter of shock. “I can’t believe it. That’s gotta be it!” He slapped a hand against his forehead in disbelief. “It’s right there for our taking. Jin, you can buy it, can’t you?”

Jin crossed his arms, his surprise fading away into disappointment. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped his lips. “Technically, this is now the property of the British government, and I highly doubt they’ll just give it away,” he revealed, causing everyone’s hidden excitement to quickly disperse.

“Look here,” Namjoon said, gathering everybody’s attention back to the article. “It says here that the discoveries of the archeologists will be displayed during a private exhibition opening gala at the Imperial Museum at Calcutta on Friday evening. That means that the kobae will be there.”

“But don’t we need the kobae in our actual hands, not behind a pane of glass?” you reminded, confusion etched across your face. “Besides, like Jin said, the government isn’t just going to hand the bloody bowl over to us.”

A long, pregnant pause settled upon the group as the tension began to rise. Unspoken words were said, but the boys began to give each other knowing stares. You watched in pure bewilderment as one by one the boys began to grin at each other, and only then did you realize what they were silently insinuating. Your eyes blew wide open in utter distress. “No! No, no, no! We are not going to break in and steal a bowl from a museum!” you protested, throwing your injured hand in the air in exasperation and dismay.

“One: they technically stole it from our ancestors and are claiming it as theirs,” Taehyung argued, raising one finger in the air before adding another. “And two: we won’t break in. We aren’t savages, after all.”

Jin clapped his hands together in anticipation and to gain everybody’s attention. “Alright, everyone, sit down. We need to make a plan of action.”

The team did as Jin ordered and settled back down in their previous spots. Dread filled every part of your being. Right now, you were going to be apart of a conspiracy to rob a museum. You were about to become a criminal. Great, another thing to add to the list of things you have done. First, you abandoned your job to join a treasure hunting expedition, then you were almost killed by the Japanese government, and now you were about to raid a historical museum. You have certainly done it all at this point of your life.

“So,” the millionaire began, clasping his hands together tightly. He stood in front of everyone like a boss about to give his employees the rundown of the week. “We know that the gala will begin in the evening on Friday, but it will most likely be guarded since it’s private.”

You rubbed your temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache already. You couldn’t believe you were about to seriously do this. “I can get us inside,” you announced, dropping your hand onto your lap in defeat. “They’ll let a journalist inside, especially if I’m there to write an article on the event. They’ll probably even let me bring at least one escort.” You regretted those last words leaving your lips, because now every set of eyes were on you. Each stared at you with that gleam, that gleam you were now so familiar with. 

You opened your mouth to protest any inappropriate behavior, but Jin interrupted you, saying, “I’ll be your escort for publicity’s sake, and we can bring Jungkook along and claim he is our bodyguard.” 

You desperately wanted to protest to such an idea, but you then realized that going with Jin was probably the smartest move out of everyone else. You also didn’t fail to notice the look of excitement that crossed Jungkook’s features. He bounced eagerly in his seat, looking like a child who was just told that he could go to the candy shop. 

“I can probably get in, too,” Namjoon mentioned, stuffing his hands into his pockets idly. “After all, I’m a historian. I won’t rouse any suspicion from others. That way, there’ll be four of us there to grab the kobae.”

“What about your shoulder?” Jungkook asked, his face full of concern for the historian.

Namjoon gave the youngest a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Kook, it’s not like I’m going to do any heavy lifting. I’m just going to be socializing and scoping out the area. If anyone asks about my shoulder, I’ll say I fell down a flight of stairs and injured it.”

“Can I go?!” Taehyung suddenly burst out, raising his hand to get Jin’s attention, who only shook his head in disagreement.

“Sorry, Tae, but too many of us will get some people suspicious.”

The demolition expert deflated and crossed his arms in front of his chest, his lips forming into a childish pout. Jin ignored Taehyung’s grumbling and continued, “The rest of you will be nearby though. What I propose is that we perform a lights-out operation. Yoongi, you can tamper with the building’s power, correct?”

Yoongi ran a hand down his face while letting out a tired groan. “Yeah, I can do it. I just need to study the building’s wiring to figure out which plug I need to pull. Hopefully, I can scout out the museum without anyone noticing me,” he answered.

“And then what? We just grab that bowl and run?” you questioned, wondering how the team could pull it off. “What about security?”

“We can take care of that!” Jimin exclaimed, gesturing to himself and Taehyung. “Kookie will be too busy making sure you three are safe. So we’ll make an escape path for you so the guards won’t notice you running off with the kobae.”

Hoseok waved his hand in the air excitedly. “And I’ll be nearby in case anything goes wrong!”

You sighed, feeling all the worries and anxieties come upon you all at once. “It can’t be that simple. We’re going to get caught one way or another,” you remarked, you stomach starting to do flips from the nervousness that began to settle in.

“Think of it this way, dollface,” Jimin began. “It won’t be a simple walk in, grab the kobae, and walk out. It’ll be more like… walk in, spend a few hours there, socialize, dance, drink, wait for everyone to get a little tipsy, pull the plug, grab the kobae, and then sneak out. No one will remember you because they’ll have enough alcohol to muddle up their memory.”

“And if we get caught?”

“Then we’ll knock them out and put an empty wine bottle in their hand.”

“... We’re going to end up in jail.”

—————————————

And that was how you ended up in Calcutta outside of what was definitely the biggest, fanciest, and richest clothing store you have ever seen in your entire life. Your round eyes continuously stared at the large building for what seemed like hours. Rich men and women walked in and out of its golden revolving doors with boxes and bags filled with items that would cost a big number out of your paycheck.

Jin had convinced you to come along with Namjoon and Jungkook to go shopping for the appropriate attire for the evening gala. You figured that you would wear the dress you had packed in your suitcase; but once Jin saw the dress you picked out, he cupped your face, called you a poor child, and then dragged you to this monstrosity of a store

You swallowed a large lump in your throat, clearly intimidated by the magnificence of the building. Your eyes roamed over the golden sign for what seemed like the millionth time. Goldosa. It sounded like the name of a foreign princess, to be honest.

Jin suddenly appeared by your side with big, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a special grey suit for the occasion, and, to be completely frank, you felt like a pauper next to him. He pushed his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose so his eyes could stare expectedly into yours. “Come on, y/n, we can’t have you be the fashion disaster of the gala!” he exclaimed as he looped his arm through yours and dragged you through the shining doors.

As you stumbled after him, you commented, “You know, Jin, I’m starting to think you wanted to be my escort only because you wanted to attend the gala.” You took in your surroundings. Your reflection could be seen on the polished marble floor. Everything shone brilliantly in the light , from the metalic, golden designs that seemed to cover every single wall and pillar to the crystal chandelier that hung magnificently above your heads. You were scared that by stepping into such a place that you’d have to pay an entrance fee.

Jin chuckled humorously at your remark, tearing you away from your wandering thoughts. “Of course not, I volunteered to be your escort so that I can get the kobae, simple as that.” He then gave you a cheeky smile followed by a flirtatious wink. “That and to have the pleasure of having a lovely lady at my side.” 

Your cheeks burned as you released a small huff. “I almost forgot how much of a flatterer you are,” you observed, willing your face to cool down.

“Ah, but I haven’t forgotten how susceptible you are to my flattery,” he replied, now taking off the sunglasses and placing them in his breast pocket. “Your reactions are far too cute. You do know that, right?”

You faintly recalled Jimin mentioning that you had as much of an effect on them as they did on you. Perhaps you could give them a taste of your own medicine for once? “So I’ve been told. In fact, a little birdy told me that I have quite an effect on you. Shall we test that out?” You wanted to see Jin’s face flare up like how yours had been for the past few days. Oh, what you would give just to see him act shy and timid for once.

However, your plan didn’t go very far as Jin suddenly pulled you very close toward him so that your bodies were flushed. You squeaked in surprise, unable to foresee such events, as your cheeks blossomed with even more heat than before. Your eyes looked around frantically, hoping that none of the shoppers saw what an embarrassing situation you found yourself in. 

Jin stared at you amusedly, a smirk tugging up the corners of his lips. “Is that an invitation, dear y/n?” he asked all too innocently. His hand reached out to cup your chin so that you were forced to look into his eyes. No doubt he could tell how much of a panic you were in. “Because if it is, then I’ll gladly take you somewhere else where I can bend you over a table and show you what an effect you have on me over and over again.”

Dear Lord! You couldn’t believe you just heard such vulgar words come from him! You stumbled over your words, your tongue suddenly tied. Your hands suddenly felt clammy as you squeezed them tightly. “N-no, it isn’t,” you meekly stuttered.

Jin seemed content with your quiet answer and pulled away, letting his hand fall away from your face. However, he still kept his arm looped in yours as he guided you throughout the store. “Then don’t suggest things that you don’t actually want.”

You shuffled after the millionaire, casting your sheepish gaze down to the marble stone floor. What the bloody hell was that?  You thought you had grown used to being in such suggestive situations, especially after your experiences with Jimin and Hoseok. However, it seemed that you were proven wrong yet again. You still were shy when confronted with flirting and vulgar comments. Would you ever get used to this?

Probably not.

“I thought you said that Namjoon and Jungkook would be with us,” you mumbled quietly. You desperately wanted to fan yourself from how hot you had suddenly gotten, but Jin currently grasped your unjuried arm in his own, and Hoseok told you not to use your wounded hand unnecessarily.

It seemed like you were going to die from heat stroke, you guessed.

“I sent them on ahead, since you were too busy ogling at the exterior of the building. They’re probably already looking through some suits if not getting tailored,” Jin answered, bringing you up a series of stairs. 

You climbed up with him, hearing the heels of your shoes clicking against the stone floor almost satisfyingly. Finally bringing your eyes up to him, you momentarily forgot your flustered state, protesting, “I’m sorry that not everyone can afford to go shopping at stores that cost a fortune to buy from! I’ve never been in a store like this before.”

“Which is why, my dear, I’m treating you this time with a dress and accessories of your choosing.”

Huh, was this what it felt like to have a sugar daddy? 

You were brought to a section of the store where racks of dresses were scattered across the space along with a few mannequins standing lifelessly on stools presenting the best of what Goldosa had to offer. You pulled yourself from Jin’s arm and began to look through the racks, marveling at the vibrant and intricate material of each dress.

The sweat that had built up on your brow and back grew sticky, your hair and clothing plastering against it. You only hoped that Jin wouldn’t notice how flustered you still were. In fact, you made sure that you retreated a few racks away from where Jin idly looked through the dresses. Never before had you seen so many flapper dresses in your entire life. Of course, you had a few of these in your possession, but the gala didn’t call for such promiscuous attire.

“Do you have any colors in mind, y/n?” Jin suddenly called out to you, snapping you from your thoughts.

You paused for a few moments, thinking over the question in your mind. You really didn’t have a preference. You just chose whatever happened to look nice on you; your closest was a mix of every color and style on the planet. “I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?” you replied, eyes scouring through the rows of dresses.

Jin looked up from his searching to study your face. You didn’t notice his staring until you got a feeling of someone watching you. Bringing your gaze to meet his, you both stared at each other for a few seconds. Awkwardness began to bubble within you, and you tried to think of anything to comment about. However, your mind was at a complete blank.

“I think red would be a lovely color on you. It would go very nicely with your skin,” he suggested, giving a gesture to you.

Red. The color of blood. You supposed with what you’ve gone through these past few days, red would be an appropriate color for you. You abandoned the rack you were searching through and went to another that had a few more dresses of that color and began to inspect the clothes hanging there. You collected a few dresses that caught your eye and laid them over your arm.

“I’m going to try these on,” you notified Jin, who gave you a nod of confirmation, and left the area.

Entering the changing rooms, you were immediately intimidated by the setup of the rooms. Everything was so… open. The changing rooms in the stores you shopped at had a closet for a changing room. This… this was almost excessive with how much space there was. You awkwardly scuttled past a woman who was checking herself out in the large mirrors in a dress that revealed more than you really cared to see.

You quickly ducked into one of the rooms and locked the door with a click. Finally, some privacy. You hung the dresses you admired on a hook and began to undress yourself. Occe your blouse was off, you just happened to glance up at the mirror, and your mouth instantly fell agape in horror. Your entire neck and chest was just a mass of lovebites. Blotches of red and purple  colored your skin as if someone took a paintbrush to your skin. The bloody hickies were even worse than before!

Jimin! Hoseok! Those little- argh! You couldn’t try on these dresses, not unless you wanted the entire world to see the scandalous activities you’ve been apart of as of late. Your hand massaged your face, feeling dread and humiliation wash over your entire being. Right now, you just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear from society.

There was a sudden knock on your door that nearly made you jump out of your bruised skin. You frantically whipped your head toward the source of the sound with wide eyes. “I-I’m almost done!” you responded, trying to mask the panic in your voice.

You continued to undress yourself and then slipped into the first dress that caught your eye. Unfortunately, this dress didn’t really cover your neck enough to hide the hickies. You felt your entire face heat up from the disgrace you were in. Another knock on the door made you panic even further. If Jin saw you like this… you would never hear the end of it.

“Y/n? Are you alright?” 

Namjoon! Oh thank God, he wouldn't force you to show yourself to him. After all, he was the most mature out of everyone on the team. 

“I’m fine!” you answered, beginning to undress yourself. “I’m done trying this on. I don’t like it, the fabric is too scratchy. Could you please take it back, Namjoon?”

“Jin told me to see you with the dress first before you took it off.”

Of course he bloody did. Nothing ever went your way. “Darn shame, I already took it off, and I don’t want to put it back on.” You quickly slipped out of the dress and returned it to its original hook. You brought it over the door for the historian to grab. You sighed quietly in relief when he took it without protest.

You then tried on another dress. Luckily, this one had a better fabric than the last one did. It slipped over your skin easily like silk. Once you adjusted it, you took a look at yourself in the mirror. Sadly, this one didn’t cover your lovebites either. You might just have to wear a nun’s habit to cover up the bruises. However, you really like this dress. It was a deep shade of red with a loose neckline. It fitted you nicely and had an open back with a necklace that drooped down your backline. In all honesty, you looked rather high-class in this dress, and that was what you were going for, correct?

Another knock on the door caught your attention. “Are you done getting dressed?” Namjoon asked, his tone more relaxed than before.

Before you could catch yourself, you answered, “Yes, I’m just about done.”

“Alright, I’m coming in.”

You whipped your head around, panic etched onto your face. “Wait! No-!”

Too late, Namjoon opened the door and took a step in. What the hell?! You thought you locked the bloody door! The historian took in your image, and it took him a few seconds to notice the artwork on your neck and chest. Humiliation blazed within every fiber of your being. This was just a nightmare, it had to be. There was no way that everything could be going wrong all on the same day.

Namjoon’s eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight. You stood there like a deer caught in the headlights and then ran a hand through your hair in frustration. “Look, it isn’t what it looks like,” you began slowly, trying to keep your tone even and calm. “This was all from the tumble I took down the hill.”

Okay, that had to be the worst lie in existence, but you honestly couldn’t think of anything else.

Namjoon nodded his head, his expression blatantly telling you that he wasn’t buying your story. “Yeah, you somehow managed to get bruised all over there but nowhere else besides your arm?” 

You sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion suddenly wash over you. You sagged your shoulders in defeat. “Please don’t tell anyone,” you begged languidly. You were tired of keeping these secrets. It was too much for you to handle.

The historian didn’t reply at first. You could practically see the gears that were turning in his head as he gathered his thoughts together. “Who did it?” he finally asked, his expression completely serious now.

You stood there awkwardly, unsure if you necessarily wanted to throw the two boys under the bus. However, you relented. “Hoseok…” you answered, then squeezed your eyes tightly together before adding, “and Jimin…”

Namjoon sighed in disappointment, and you obviously tell the disappointment was directed at you. He leaned against the wall of the changing room. “Leave it to them to do a messy job.”

Wait, what? That wasn’t the response you were expecting. You face took on a confused expression, your eyebrows knitting together closely. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard right.”

Namjoon pushed himself from the wall and took a step toward you, his face wincing for a mere moment. You figured he moved too fast and caused pain to shoot up his shoulder. “No, you heard me right. They did a very messy job,” he groaned from the pain, then shook his head and released another sigh. “What are they? Animals?”

You blinked a few times, unsure if he was actually acting serious. To be fair, you weren’t really sure what you were expecting, just certainly not… this. It was almost as if he was used to this type of behavior. “You’re taking this surprisingly well,” you remarked slowly.

His seriousness faded away into a small smile. “Normally, I’d teased the hell out of you over this, but something tells me you already have enough on your plate. I’ll let you off the hook this time, but only because I like you and you’ve been very helpful, despite all of our teasing,” he explained, digging his hands into his pants pockets.

You instantly relaxed, a smile of your own matching his. “Oh thank God,” you breathed out, feeling relief wash over you. “I was scared you would take advantage of this situation.”

“I would normally,” he admitted with a nonchalant shrug, “but you already looked fucked out.”

Your cheeks glowed with a small burst of heat at how bluntly he said those words. Did none of these boys have a filter for their mouths? “I guess you could say that…” you mumbled quietly, not wanting to mention that neither of them have actually fucked you yet.

Namjoon then looked you up and down, taking in the dress that hugged your body nicely. He approved of the color, seeing how red looked so gorgeous against your beautiful and soft skin. The open back was a plus, too. He always did admire a lovely back. “The dress looks beautiful on you,” he commented with a pleasant smile. “Do you like it?”

You smiled shyly at his kind words. “Yes, I think I’m going to get this one. It fits me rather nicely, don’t you think?” You spun around, allowing the skirt of the dress to fan out gracefully like a red rose in full bloom. 

Namjoon’s smile widened when seeing how relaxed you seemed to be in his presence. “Aphrodite herself would be jealous.”

You playfully hit his arm while rolling your eyes. “Oh please, now you’re exaggerating.”

“I’m an historian, I only state the facts.” An idea suddenly dawned upon him like a revelation sent from above. “I know what would go nicely with you dress.”

You arched an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering to yourself if he was thinking of a bracelet or a brooch of some kind. “Oh? What do you have in mind?” you asked inquisitively. 

The historian then took a step outside in the hallway. His hand began to close the door so he could give you privacy from wandering eyes. “Get dressed and I’ll show you.” Before you could further question him, he closed the door, leaving you alone with your questions and thoughts.

Slowly you began to take off the beautiful dress, trying to ignore the three digit number on the price tag, and placed back on its hanger. Questions still boggled in your mind as you stepped outside the changing room, the dress hanging over your arm. What exactly was he planning? You hoped deep down that whatever he had in mind wasn’t going to end up with your humiliation.

You walked out into the main store once more and noticed Namjoon waiting patiently for you. He glanced at a pocket watch in his hand before detecting your arrival. He shoved his watch into his pocket and strode over to you, a smile gracing his lips. He offered his hand to you in which you took. Somehow, this seemed more intimate than Jin’s interlooping his arm through yours. 

“What are you planning?” you finally asked, wondering what was going on in that brian of his.

He chuckled humorously and began to lead you down the store aisles. “Nothing malicious, I promise you. I saw it when Jungkook and I were going toward the suits, and I instantly thought of you.” 

Well, that was rather sweet of him. Men and women of high status gave you wondering glances as you walked hand-in-hand with Namjoon. You didn’t know if it was because of the fact you were walking with him hand-in-hand or because of Namjoon’s arm sling.

He suddenly tugged you down into a smaller area where belts, faux fur shrugs, and fur shawls all hung from racks. You stood there a little confused for a mere moment until Namjoon grabbed what he was on his mind the entire time. He held out a white fur shawl out toward you. You had to admit, this took you by surprise. You had no idea what animal the fur came from. Mink? Fox? This wasn’t exactly your area of expertise.

“Oh, Namjoon…” You took the fur from his hands and examined it further. This had to be the finest fur out of the whole collection. You never owned a fur shawl in your entire life. That was something for the high and rich class. “I can’t buy this… It’s too high quality for me.”

“I’ll buy it for you then,” he implored so casually, you would think he was discussing the beautiful weather outside.

You sputtered in shock, your mouth seemingly at a loss for words. You looked at him as if he suggested that you walk out of the store without paying for the fur shawl. “That’s not what I meant, although I probably couldn’t afford this either,” you babbled like a nervous trainwreck. “What I’m saying is this is too nice for me. I’ll probably end up ruining it or losing it or-”

“Y/n,” he interrupted with a chuckle, finding your stammering and babbling to be way too cute. “Nothing is too high-quality for you. If anything, you’re too high-quality for the shawl.” He looked earnestly into your eyes as if you were the most valuable thing in the entire room.

You shuffled in your spot and were oddly touched by his kind words. In all honesty, no one had ever complimented you like that before. You cleared your throat that had suddenly gotten tight and flickered your gaze away for a moment. “Thank you, that’s kind of you to say,” you said, feeling the butterflies flutter around your stomach once more. 

“Hey, I mean it. Besides…” He took the shawl from your hand and draped it over his arm. “Think of this as a thank you for your help so far. You’ve really been helpful in this expedition. I’m really glad that I got Jin to let you join us.”

You widened your eyes in surprise upon this revelation. This had never been disclosed to you before. In fact, you never questioned why exactly they let you come along. You knew that Jin said they needed someone to document the expedition, and you happened to be a journalist and were in possession of the tapestry. However, you never knew why they chose specifically you for the job. 

“You convinced Jin to let me come along?” you echoed, your eyebrows shooting up your forehead.

Namjoon realized the information he confessed and was, for once, the one who was stumbling over his words. “I… um… well… you are a reporter… and I thought…” He then sighed in defeat, letting his head hang low in shame. He rubbed the back of his neck stiffly, wondering to himself how he was going to dig himself out of this hole. “I thought that it would be unfair to you if we robbed you of the last tie to your grandmother. I saw how excited you were to learn more about the piece of history that she managed to have possession of in your letters to me, and I thought it was too cruel to just deprive you of the satisfaction of achieving your goal. Jin thought it was too dangerous to let you join us, but I made up an excuse that we needed someone to take pictures and document the journey. That way you could join us.”

You took in his words and processed them over. So Namjoon was the whole reason you were here and not back in England. If he hadn’t felt compassion toward your cause of coming to India, you would have never met the boys. You would never have become friends with such amazing people, even if they teased you relentlessly. You would probably be writing a boring article about the latest fashion trend, instead of embarking on a journey that could change a whole nation. 

You knew that anyone else in your position would be furious with him, but, for some reason, you were grateful to him. Something in your chest fluttered at this realization. “So, you’re the reason I’m here…” you concluded, feeling rather overwhelmed with all these emotions flooding over you.

Namjoon looked rather with ashamed of this confession. He cast his eyes to the ground, not bringing himself to meet your gaze. “I know… if I hadn’t convinced Jin, you wouldn’t have fallen down that hill, or nearly got shot, or be in this mess-”

You couldn’t hold yourself back anymore. Before you could stop your body, you closed the gap between the two of you and pressed your lips against his. The kiss was soft and gentle, and you felt your heart flutter ever-so-slightly in your chest. Namjoon froze for a few seconds before he melted into your kiss. His free hand cupped the side of your cheek, rubbing his thumb against the curve of your warm cheek. The fur shawl slipped off of his arm, long forgotten in the loving kiss you shared.

You pulled away and looked deep into his eyes, seeing the warm glimmer shine in them. You smiled lovingly at him and whispered, “Maybe so, but I would have never met you either.”

He shared your smile, and, for a moment, you thought you saw the beginnings of tears form in the corners of his eyes. He opened his mouth to reply to your sweet nothings, but was suddenly interrupted when you both heard, “Namjoon! Y/n!”

Jungkook. Of course he had to ruin your perfect moment. You and Namjoon quickly pulled away from each other, and you notice a slight shade of pink dust the historian’s cheeks. You couldn’t help but inwardly coo at how adorable he looked when he acted shy. Was this the reason why the boys were so insistent on getting you so flustered? If it was, you couldn’t exactly blame them anymore.

Jungkook quickly ran up to you two with a box in his arms. You assumed that pristine suits were what lay hidden inside them. One for each of the boys that were going to be accompanying you to the gala. “Did you find what you were looking for, y/n?” he asked, running a hand through his dark locks.

Snapped from your warm thoughts about the affectionate kiss from seconds ago, you stumbled over your words but finally managed to get out, “Oh! Right, um- yes, uh, I really like this one.” You practically shoved the dress on top of the box in Jungkook’s arms in your embarrassment. Dear Lord, you were so awkward sometimes!

Jungkook almost let the dress slip off the box but manage to grab it before it hit the ground and then tossed it back up on the box. “Alright, I’ll take this to Jin to pay for.” He then gave you and Namjoon a bold grin, as if he was ready to badger you both. “You can go back to making out again.” With that, he ran off with a little skip in his step. 

Oh how you wanted to chuck something at the boy in that moment. You instantly wanted to protest to what Jungkook insinuated, but he was already gone before you could get a single word out of your lips. You huffed in frustration and pinched the bridge of your nose. 

Namjoon chuckled at your annoyed grumbling and offered his hand to you once more. “How about we get out of here? We have a gala to get ready for.”

You stared at his hand for a few seconds, thinking over the plan to steal the kobae. Even if one thing went wrong, you could land yourselves in jail, or, even worse, end up dead. There was no turning back from this. After that night, you were officially deep in this expedition.

“Let’s go.” With that, you took his hand and enlaced your fingers with his before leaving Goldosa.

[apprenticenerd]

"Anyone can send me an ask with one of the titles and I’ll post a snippet or talk about that WIP!" The Acropolis, Tacet, Checklist, A Tiny Galaxy, Hearsay, Going Back, Ella Disenchanted, Making Peace, The Slashed Circle, Wake Up, Tenno, Midnight, Heliotropism, Arrhythmia, the one about Among Us, the one about Library of Ruina, the one that’s a D&D world concept. Yes, all of them. I know you wanna talk about all of them. So go, go forth and do it!

Hoooo boy, this is gonna be a long post. Lots and lots of writing snippets under the cut to avoid dash stretch!

The Acropolis - original - length uncertain - 1.4k and counting

im not ready for this im not i thought it would be yrs i thought id at least get an english degree first

omg sal whats goin on

fuckin hell whyd it have to be now i have a chem lab tomorrow

sally-tate macpherson. u never swear. ever. wtf is goin on.

ok. jess. i need u to listen really really carefully. understand?

answer the goddamn question ur scarin me

shut up and listen and this will go a lot better

fine but u need to tell me wtf is happnenig

ok. im going to tell you a bunch of stuff. not giving u advice, thats not allowed, but im gonna tell u stuff it seems like itd be impossible for me to know.

?????????????

i said shut up this is really important dont question how i know it. just go with it and figure out what to do. and dont die. bc no matter how crazy stuff seems, if u die, ur dead. here and everywhere. ok?

This is an original story coming straight from a @/writing-prompt-s prompt about a crack in a kid’s hardwood floor that they fantasized was a portal actually being one. I originally intended to write the entire thing like this, as a conversation over text, but that may not be feasible given a certain world-building detail at the other end of the portal (and the limits of my creativity lmao).

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Tacet - The Blackout Club - one-shot - 3.2k and counting

She closed her eyes again, and there it was. Hallucination? Some new science trick with electromagnetic radiation off the visible spectrum? Evidence that she was actually going insane? Whatever it was, it burned behind her eyelids in bright, incontrovertible red - and was completely invisible when she opened her eyes again. There was just the usual mess of club posters and one big one about someone’s exceedingly dumb-looking lost cat.

Eyes open, there was only Sargent Snuggles. Eyes closed, there was the normal darkness and then three lines of text where the poster had been, wavering like scarlet fire:

JOIN TBC JOIN TBC JOIN TBC

TBC? What the fuck was that? She’d never heard of any group with that acronym before. Hardly aware of the flurry of weird looks from half the other people in the hallway, she crossed the hall to examine the lost cat poster more closely. It felt like perfectly normal paper when she touched it, and there wasn’t even a hint of red with her eyes open, unless you counted the cat’s tacky pink sweater. How the hell was this even possible?

“You’re finally cracking, Bri,” she groaned under her breath, then headed for her locker. She did have to get home. Add another big fat entry to the weird shit list.

A backstory one-shot for my Blackout Club OC Briar, telling the story of how she got into the club in the first place. I’ve been stuck in the same spot for a while now, after Briar’s friend Dani explains the club to her, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the scene’s over as is. Of course, writing the next one is the tough part.

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Checklist - The Blackout Club - one-shot - 1.7k and counting

8. You still have a headache. Shouldn’t you go back to sleep and try to do this in the morning?

9. (wake up)

10. Nah, you’ve always been a night owl, and school starts criminally early, too early to get much done beforehand. It’s quiet, except for Dad snoring. Your parents are asleep already. You can stay up until this is done, and they’ll be none the wiser.

11. Your head hurts worse. It’s getting harder to think. At only 9 pm? 9:30? Whatever. You should sleep.

12. (wake UP)

13. What are you thinking? You have to read at least a little of this chapter, or there’s no way you’ll be able to bullshit your way through class tomorrow. Besides, all of a sudden, the silence feels...strange. Heavier? You can’t describe it.

14. You need to sleep. You need a drink of water or something. You need to finish this damn homework. You need to sleep. You need to sleep.

15. Stare at The Great Gatsby. It doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense.

16. Realize what’s up with the silence. Dad’s not snoring anymore. You aren’t feeling like yourself. You need to sleep.

17. Something’s weird.

18. (WAKE UP) 

19. ...No. Something’s wrong.

Another Blackout Club story and another Interface Screw, as it were, this time in the form of a (very long) checklist. None of the characters have names (yet). It describes another way a kid could find themself running around at night with the Blackout Club, this time by fighting off the Song just enough to run into a club member who could wake them up the rest of the way. As with Tacet, I still need to write the suspenseful part.

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A Tiny Galaxy - Warframe - 4 chapters planned, 1 complete, 1 in progress - 7.8k and counting

Try it if you don’t believe me, the kid in the vent had said.

It was impossible. It was physically impossible. All of this was impossible. Had the Void...? Could the Void...?

The ship was at a standstill. Her mother had tried to kill her, and something had happened. She’d made something happen. There had been no holoprojector in that kid’s hand. Nothing was impossible anymore.

Jhia took a deep breath. How the heck was she supposed to do this? Was she supposed to feel something, some internal guide? Blue Hair hadn’t said. Feeling incredibly stupid, she did a quick mental checkup on herself. Nothing felt wrong, or different - but now that she thought about it…

Afterward, she would try many times to explain it, and fail every time. The best she could come up with was that once she found the Void, calling on it was as easy and as natural as breathing. She opened her hands in front of her, concentrated on that force like an extension of herself, reopened her eyes, and there it was: a riotous little ball of energy, wisps and motes of light and not-quite-light like a tiny galaxy, the Tau system in the palm of her hand, raging.

More OC backstory time! This one’s for my Tenno, a nerdy fourteen-year-old (at the time of this story, anyway) by the name of Jhia, going through the hell that is the Zariman Ten-Zero and what happened on it. This is possibly the first part of the story I actually wrote: the roll-credits moment when Jhia realizes the Void’s changed her more already than she thought.

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Hearsay - Lobotomy Corporation/Library of Ruina - one-shot - 1k and counting

"Oh? Did they investigate further?"

"They tried. Found a few fingerprints, but they didn't match anyone in the database."

"What's the update, then?"

"Reports from elsewhere in the district of someone not in uniform carrying a Zwei sword. They're slippery, good at avoiding us, which would suggest Syndicate operative to me and HQ. Except that in every one of the descriptions we managed to get, our sword thief is a child."

"What? How?!"

"You tell me, Iona. You're the one who went to the crime scene."

"Right... Jeez, if it's a kid, I guess that'd explain why Petrov thought they weren't a threat..."

"My thoughts exactly. HQ has a fair amount of hearsay to go on, but nobody can quite agree on how old the child is, or whether or not she's with a Syndicate. Most agree that she appears to be a girl, tall for a child, auburn hair, clothes and demeanor typical of a Backstreets native."

"We got a name?"

"They've heard Yeri, Kali, Redbird, Suma, Aelfin... No one knows which is her real one, or if it's even any of them at all."

"Damn. ...Say, are you going to drink that entire pot of coffee?"

"Help yourself."

This is one of those stories that turned into an accidental AU when more of canon came out. The idea behind it is that it’s Kali’s backstory told entirely in conversations in which she did not participate, showcasing the fact that a Fixer’s fame is their livelihood and Kali was about as famous as they come, before the whole L Corp thing happened. Of course, the vast majority of the headcanons here got invalidated with a certain Ruina update, so my motivation’s kinda down on this one.

---

Going Back has already been talked about here!

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Ella Disenchanted - The Blackout Club - one-shot (maybe two-shot??) - 1.4k and counting

She woke. Her stomach went through a series of panicked flip-flops as she thought something strange had done it, Dad or a little-kid-nightmares shadow beast had made noise, but no - why had she fallen asleep in the first place? Her butt and shoulder were sore where they’d been leaning on the bottom and side of the windowsill, presumably all night, since the sun was full up over the trees on Old Growth Hill. 

All night. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall asleep, but she did anyway. God dammit.

As she unfolded herself from her cramped ball, though, she froze. Under the comforter she’d pulled around her shoulders for warmth, she was wearing her gray jacket, a T-shirt, jeans, sneakers getting dried mud all over the carpet. 

Last she remembered, she’d been in her pajamas.

In which a Blackout Club kid’s little sister wonders where he’s gone when he runs away to the boxcar, and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery herself. Usually she’d be too young for the club to recruit, but her investigations and an incident involving SAO are more than enough extenuating circumstance. Unlike most of my other WIPs, there’s a whole outline at the end of my doc for this one.

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Making Peace - Warframe - multi-chapter - 1.5k and counting

“I…” Iksoh finally said. “Sorna, I hope you realize. I’m not into this. I never - I’m not doing this. Whatever you’re doing, I can’t.”

“I know,” Sorna said softly. The decision tore at her heart again and she almost backed out of the vent, but no. She had to go. She wouldn’t see another innocent crumple in her rifle sights. “I hope you realize. I’m not coming back.”

Behind her, Iksoh let out a long, shaky breath. “It’s taking all I’ve got not to report you right now. Sorna… the Queens’ll have my head for this. Please, please, let it be worth it. Go. Don’t let them take yours.”

“I won’t,” Sorna promised, and meant it.

Later, after her last fight for her freedom was done, on the Steel Meridian ship headed for Kronia Relay, Sorna looked out at the planet retreating behind her and thought of Iksoh. She’d just learned a new word from a Meridian soldier: vaykor tal, the defector’s spirit. Iksoh had let her go, at risk of their own life. They’d had a bit of the vaykor tal themself, even if they hadn’t known it, even if they’d thought it was just some weakness that was bound to get them killed.

“Ranre treri, duf krun,” she whispered into space, a Grineer well-wishing passed down from sergeant to tube-fresh lancer since time immemorial. May your hands be steady, and may life be kind.

This is an AU born of me and some friends wondering why in the heck Perrin and the Meridian hate each other so much in game. It’s about a group of Kavor - Grineer defectors distinguished from other Meridian members by their pacifism - who get to a Relay and start wondering the same thing. Besides Sorna (and, later in the story, Iksoh as well), there would have been Chakh, Beket, and Sydon, plus at least four of the syndicate leaders and a bunch of side-character OCs, all caught up somehow in what turns out to be a surprisingly far-reaching web of intrigue.

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The Slashed Circle - Warframe - one-shot, probably - 429 and counting

In addition to their written and spoken language, the Grineer have a full language of hand signs. It has its quirks, as all languages do - be careful of confusing it with the Corpus sign language, in which the sign for “to pay” roughly approximates the Grineer sign for...a certain portion of the male anatomy. Among these is the common Grineer sentiment against those who defect from their ranks, baked into the sign just as much as their spoken words. 

The sign of the slashed circle, the sedashkur - a finger drawn in a circle on the chest, followed by a diagonal line - is the highest of taboos to any loyal Grineer. It shows support for such scum as the Kavor and Steel Meridian, enough so that it forms the basis for the Meridian’s battle standard. To sign the sedashkur is to betray your siblings, commit a grave insult to your superiors, paint a near-indelible target on your back. It is an object of hatred and fear throughout the ranks.

She fears it, yes, but she does not hate it, for all her life and into her death as well. It shouldn’t trouble her now, though. It is easy to hide a language, and she burned her journals before she was called to the fortress.

This is a fic about Jhia and her one (1) converted Kuva Lich, namely about the process of said Lich’s defeat and defection, that kinda never got off the ground. Contrary to this snippet, I think most of it would have been written in what are essentially space emails back and forth between Lich and Tenno? I definitely got as far as Jhia sending an audio recording of a bass-boosted dog fart, anyhow.

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Wake Up, Tenno - Warframe - one-shot - 950 and counting

“Wake up, Tenno.”

She wakes. She is - she is Tenno, right? She is a Tenno? Her mind is confused, so full of fog and dead ends - how long was she asleep?

The voice that woke her seems familiar. She might have loved the speaker, in her scrambled past life, the woman in the purple helmet, the one called Lotus in her HUD vision. Her surroundings are a ruin of some sort. Her body is—

...what?

She can move just fine. Her fingers and arms and legs respond with suspicious ease, given how long she must have slept to be this scattered upon waking up, and yet there’s some fundamental disconnect. This is her Warframe, her body, but it’s not her body somehow.

...wait, where did the term “Warframe” come from?

A Tenno, unnamed but intended to be Jhia on my end, wakes up on Earth at the very beginning of the in-game storyline. Since the tutorial has gotten an overhaul in recent months, I may have to modify even what little I have on this a lot.

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Midnight - Iconoclasts - poem - 280 and counting

been anything smaller than been anything

never been anything smaller than

“good morning, how’s miss grump doing today? i heard about that last mission...if you didn’t sleep well i can call you in sick, it’s alright-” “oh, shut up, grey”

there has never been anything

“oh, shut up, grey” “love you too”

smaller

“love you too”

than

me

A very fragmented, stream-of-consciousness-y poem meant to represent Agent Black’s failing sanity near the end of the game. The words of her famous one-liner (“there has never been anything smaller than me”) are interspersed, out of order until the end, with poetic descriptions of other characters and bits and pieces of a flashback involving Agent Grey.

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Heliotropism - Iconoclasts - one-shot - 1.1k and counting

Lily, though she’s superstitious, will have none of these self-important truths, none of these semblances of certainty when really all it is is wishing on Ivory and hoping for the best. She calls for Miss Andress instead. 

A stout but severe woman with ten grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way, Miss Andress is perhaps the quintessential matriarch: nurturing, selfless, brutally honest. She is the one the people of 17 trust when they feel they can trust no one else. Lily needs the kind of reassurance only she can give, with the authority of ninety-one years and the wisdom of two sons, one daughter, and some five dogs raised under her care.

When Miss Andress visits House 4, she asks Polro and Lily to each bring an object they cherish the most. For Polro it’s his largest wrench, pitted with use but still polished to a brassy shine; Lily surprises everyone by pulling out a tiny, unloaded stun-gun, and surprises them more by not explaining it at all. Miss Andress doesn’t question it. She just turns the two tools over and over in her hands, head bowed, squinting at them as if trying to read the secrets of the universe in the scratches carved into them by time.

Finally she straightens up and sighs, pushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear. Her forehead is slick with sweat, though the night is cool outside. “I don’t know what she’ll do,” the wise woman says, heavily, as if delivering bad news. “I just know she’ll change the world.”

Can you tell I like backstory fic? This one is for Robin, with one short anecdote for each year of her life, up to age 17 and the events of the game. It’s also an excuse to world-build a bunch, lol.

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Arrhythmia - Crypt of the NecroDancer - one-shot(?) - 4k and counting

The creature didn’t say anything, just beckoned to the shadows. Before I could move, two other creatures came for me, sending the other humans - former humans? - scrambling away in panic. One landed a hard blow on the back of my head that sent me to my hands and knees, seeing sparks; the other said “Freeze!” and I could only watch as ice sprouted from the leaf litter, cementing me to the ground.

The one who’d hit me produced a dagger from the inside of its cloak. I tried to pull myself up, to do anything at all to keep myself from getting shanked, but it was no good. There must have been a secondary effect on that spell; my limbs wouldn’t respond. I felt the dagger tear cloth in the region of my back, and prepared for the pain.

It didn’t come. The creature cut a slit in the back of my tunic, then another. Neither one touched the skin at all. I can’t really describe what happened next - my brain was having trouble computing how my arms were in front of me, visible, unable to move, but it felt like the creature was pulling them through the gashes in my tunic, but that was wrong, they didn’t feel like arms at all.

“Holy fuck,” I heard someone say.

The ice holding me down melted into nothing as the spell wore off. I jumped back up, head spinning a little, ready for another fight, only to spot two flicks of scarlet in my peripheral vision. I spun around, but they moved with me.

I think I already knew what they were. I just couldn’t admit it to myself.

You’ve already seen this one, Nick, though I’m pretty sure it was well over two years ago. It’s a pile of old headcanons, some of them now outdated I’m pretty sure, about how Nocturna ended up a vampire in the first place and a little bit about how vampire society works. According to Google Docs, I’ve been stuck on this one since March 2018. Whoops.

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untitled (working title “adult citra meets an impostor bc what is self-control”) - Among Us - one-shot - 572 and counting

“I know. You’re stuck, aren’t you?” Having well and truly gotten their full attention, Citra continues, “God, I can barely imagine. Having to take a weird-ass host whose biology might even be toxic to you, I don’t know. Needing to get to a whole other galaxy, feeling like the only way to do that is by deception and death.” “How…?”

She sighs. “I told you, this isn’t my first rodeo. One of your kind saved my life when I was a kid. Since he’d killed Mom and Dad had been out of the picture long before, he stayed here and helped raise me afterward. It’s how I learned to pronounce...a few of your words, at least.”

“You missed the ‘H’ sound.”

“Isn’t that the one that’s literally impossible to do right with Terran anatomy?”

“Maybe. You think I know Terran anatomy all that well?”

Citra chuckles. “Fair point. You let us find your buddy and fix the ship, I’ll raise Xai when we get comms back and he can try and help you get home. Deal?”

I found an Among Us comic on Tumblr, absolutely ran into left field with it to make a couple of OCs, and then made AUs of those OCs because of course I did. This one is from a future scenario in which Citra (typically orange) meets someone rather familiar on a mission with the crew of the Skeld.

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untitled (working title “library of ruina but they adopt half the guests”) - Library of Ruina - length uncertain - 1k and counting

“And what happened to not caring about others because it’s a waste of time and heartache?”

Now it’s Roland’s turn to sigh. “I don’t care about him. I just don’t want the guilt of killing - look at him, he can’t be older than eighteen or nineteen!”

Raised eyebrow. “Finn will be twenty years old in fifteen days’ time. He is a legal adult. I fail to see why this should matter to either of us.”

“He’s fresh off his first Fixer license! I have years of experience! He had no idea what he was getting into when he signed that invitation and you know it!”

Angela fixes him with a glare that turns his stomach, his freshly remade body reacting to the memory of its sudden, and extremely painful, dismemberment. “I could quite literally hold your soul in my hands if I wanted,” she reminds him in an undertone of steel. “I must do the same for him, following the invitation’s guidance, or my entire plan will be lost, my coworkers’ sacrifices all for naught. Do not disappoint me or ask any more impertinent questions. You know what to do, and what will happen if you do not.” 

Look, some of the people you fight in this game deserved so much better, okay? I came up with an AU concept where if a guest willingly concedes the fight and agrees to stick around, you can get their book without killing them. Finn doesn’t die; neither do Tomerry or Shi Association; all the former employees realize exactly what’s going on with Philip after the Wedge Office fight and manage to calm him down, avoiding the whole Crying Children situation. (And then Gebura makes him collect his jaw off the floor by revealing herself as the Red Mist.)

---

The one that’s a D&D world concept doesn’t have anything concrete written for it yet. (Don’t read this bit if you might want to play in my campaign at some point!) Instead of your typical Forgotten Realms planar setup, the world at large would be called the Seven Spheres, each of them different in terms of climate, geography, native species and magic, etc. The First Sphere would be the most “generic” one (to our way of thinking) and the main setting of the campaign; it would also be the smallest of the Seven, its primary continent home to a former empire of dragons that spanned most of the Sphere until its mysterious fall a thousand years ago.

Now, since the empire fell, the dragons and their children have slowly been dying out. Best estimates are that there’s only a thousand or two left in the entire First Sphere, with fewer eggs hatched every decade. The player characters enter a world with pretty typical low-level quests to start with, but every so often, especially if they engage with optional story stuff (this would be a more roleplay-focused than combat-focused campaign), they get wind of changes in the air - a failed harvest here, an unusually hot and stormy summer there, a trade war once they start hitting mid-levels.

It mimics real-world climate change in all but cause. As coastal cities struggle to contend with rising seas and, more alarmingly, wizards all over the Sphere start to notice their magic falter and wane, the PCs’ goal becomes getting to the bottom of this. And what’s at the bottom is...your typical Nerd fusion of science with fantasy settings.

The Seven Spheres are not planes of existence in the normal D&D sense, but seven planets in the same solar system, each with its own ancient god far more powerful than any god in any mortal pantheon; the First Sphere is so named because it’s closest to the sun. These planetary gods are incredibly large and incredibly alien, thinking in geologic time and concepts far too broad and slow for most sapient beings to comprehend. A thousand years ago, the fall of the dragon empire was caused by an ill-advised ritual meddling with the god of the First Sphere’s natural process of rebirth, causing said god to die without a replacement.

It’s taken this long for the First Sphere to feel the effects because, again, geologic time - a thousand years is a blink of an eye in this kind of time scale. But now the ancient earth-magic that had kept the Sphere’s climate temperate and its magicians in business is failing. The dragons, as beings of magic intrinsically, have been failing all along. And now it’s up to the PCs, up at level 17-20 if not higher by that point, to figure out how to fix the situation and find a new planetary god for the First Sphere before the whole Sphere burns to death.

[imastrangeone98]

Lost and Found -Chapter 4: Little Star

(A/N: Lolol ok here’s something happy to balance out the weird stuff that happened previously... also, if you think it’s weird now... hoooo boy you got a big storm coming)

(oh and have this song- this and some other choral songs will be a part of this ���soundtrack” for this pic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdZWKnShk80

The birds chirped and flew gracefully in the sky as fluffy clouds floated past. Children laughed and played in the grass as their parents lovingly watched from the shadows.

Everything was serene, the way things always should be. Faith was grateful for it, as it gave her time to reflect.

“You did something, didn’t you?”

The words bounced around in her head, impossible to ignore.

You did something.

She thought back to Ramiel, his face filled with utter horror as she forced the pain into him, watched as he dissolved into nothing, became nothing.

It wasn’t my fault! she tried to reason with herself. He would’ve stopped at nothing to eliminate me; he would’ve hurt thousands more if it meant that I’d be captured.

And then she thought of Dante and Lady. Their expressions of pain and confusion. Of fear.

They were afraid of her.

And if they were afraid... did that mean they were too?

She gazed down at her arms, at the deep scars on her wrists and exposed forearms. Her fingertips brushed over the mark on her neck. The splotch on her back. The bullet wounds on her stomach. The sting in her heart.

Had they thought about her in their final moments? As she stared each of them in the eye, what was running through their minds? Were they scared of her?

Did they resent her?

...They probably did, didn’t they?

And if they did, where did that leave her? She had failed so many times to make people happy, and each time she had failed them made her worse.

Would things have been different if she hadn’t met them at all? Would they still be alive?

Would it have been better... if she hadn’t existed ?

A small wail pierced through the tranquil air. Faith turned to notice a child sobbing just a few feet away, her teary eyes fixed on the fallen ice cream cone.

Her veins filled with sympathy. Poor kid.

She scooted closer to the child and cleared her throat.

No response. Only crying.

She tapped the girl’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“My... my ice cweam!” the little one cried. “Mommy said onwy one and I dwopped it!”

“It’s okay,” Faith soothed, rubbing the child’s back. “I’m sure your mom will understand; maybe she’ll get you another one.” She glanced around for any sign of the mother- none. There was a pinprick of worry somewhere, but it was too far away. “Where is your mom?”

“I- I don’t know!” The girl sobbed harder. “I’m wost!”

“It’s okay,” Faith reassured her again. “We’ll find her. In the meantime, how about I play you a little song? Do you like music?”

The child sniffled, then rubbed her eyes. “Uh huh.”

“Okay, what’s your favorite song?”

She gave it some thought. “Twinkle Twinkle Wittle Star!”

“Alright, let’s see what I can do.” Faith summoned her violin, and began to play.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

As she played, a small crowd began to form around them. The little girl smiled, her bright eyes full of joy.

The pinprick of worry that was far away was coming closer.

In the dark blue sky you keep,

Often through my curtains peep.

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

Out of the corner of her eye, Faith thought she saw a flash of silver and crimson. The faint idea that she should leave briefly raced through her mind, but one look into the girl’s radiant face convinced her otherwise.

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

The song came to a close. There was applause, but Faith didn’t notice; she felt the source of the worry approach, and the little girl beamed.

“Mommy!” She ran into her mother’s arms with a squeal of joy, completely ignoring the older woman’s tears of relief and murmurs of how she was so glad her little girl was safe and sound.

And as they walked away, Faith waved goodbye to the little girl and the mother and watched as their forms grew smaller and smaller, until they disappeared from view.

“Well, that was... interesting.”

Faith wasn’t as surprised as she probably should have been when she turned around to see the two people from the diner, Dante and Lady.

“But I admit,” Dante continued, “I’m more of a rock man myself.”

“Hello,” she said. “I thought I asked you not to look for me.”

“You did,” he confirmed, his finger tapping lightly on one of his holstered pistols. “But if you haven’t already noticed, we’re kinda bad at following orders.”

“Also, you still haven’t told us what the hell happened at Freddi’s,” Lady said. “Who the hell are you? What aren’t you telling us?”

Faith sat there for a bit, contemplating how to answer.

“My name is Faith Song,” she finally said to them. “I’m a nephilim, and I’m being hunted by angels.”

“Like the one in the diner?”

“Yes. That was Ramiel, an archangel of Heaven. There are many like him, and with his death, they’ll be coming after me with more force than ever before.”

“Why did you kill him?” Dante asked, an eyebrow lifted on his face. “You didn’t seem very happy doing it.”

“Yes...” Faith stared at her worn-down sneakers. “Fading them is usually my last resort, but... I suppose you could say I was... distracted.”

“He mentioned someone named Cate.”

She froze.

Cate. They know.

“...Touchy subject. Got it.” Dante couldn’t seem to help but stare at Faith. “You know, I usually have a hard time getting people to tell me things, but you seem like an open book.”

“...Uh-“

“You’re not telling us everything, are you?” Lady interrupted. Her eyes seemed to pierce through Faith, as if she was trying to extricate her past through sheer force of will alone. “Why are they hunting you? Is being a nephilim that bad?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I think otherwise.”

Faith didn’t know what to say. Why did they want to know about her so bad? Why did she always have to meet people who became so concerned for her?

And why did she always fall for them?

“You can’t know any more about me,” she said, but her voice was shaky, even to herself. “Everywhere I go, I bring nothing but trouble.”

“Seems like you’ll fit right in, then,” Dante said as he flopped down next to her. “Looks to me like you’re just trying to find a place to lay low for a while. You can stay with me in the meantime.”

Her voice stopped working.

“...Wha-“

“Good idea,” Lady announced, sitting on the opposite side of her. “You can keep an eye on her while I do some research on these angel things.”

...What? What was happening?

“What are you- What do you mean...?” Faith stammered, trying to address to obvious impossibility of their suggested idea.

“I got a spare room upstairs,” he mused; he seemed to have completely ignored her. “If you don’t mind a little dust, you can have it-“

“Wait, stop, both of you!”

They turned to look at her, clearly surprised.

“Why... why are you doing this?” she asked. “You just saw me Fade someone, and here you are, acting like I’m one of you! Why are you so open with me?!”

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then Dante said, “Look, we get it. You’re lost. You’re scared. You’ve seen horrible shit, and you probably feel like you’ve done horrible shit. We’ve been there.”

“What he’s trying to say is that you’re like us,” Lady murmured, tilting her head slightly to look at Faith in the eye. “We’ve all been through hell. People like us stick together. Also...” She turned back to stare at the fountain, blue-red eyes hardened like glass. “That angel bastard made me feel... God. I thought I’d never feel anything like what he made me feel.”

“You’re gonna have to explain that,” he said as he fiddled with one of his pistols. “What the hell did that guy do to us? This,” he gestured to his gun, “didn’t even phase him.”

They weren’t going away. Faith didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified.

“...Maybe later.”

“You’d better. We’re a unit now.”

Her gaze fixed on a small family that was resting under the shade of an oak tree. A father held his son high above his head and swung him around, the child squealing with delight.

A unit...

Faith wondered if she still remembered what that felt like.

———————————————————————

A/N: wtf is this why do I live this sucks ass

Hopefully I can get better- I’m still going over some bumps

Edit: read chapter 5! :D

[dingdongrumba]

Thoughts on Your turn to die ch. 2 pt. 2

TL;DR HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOI I CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT CHAPTER IM SO EXCITEDDDDD

wow! This was a crazy one!!

Ok first of all? I completely trust Keiji, like with my life, I will die being betrayed by this man because I will literally do anything he says from now on, I don’t care sdkfjsdkgdfg when he gave me the keymaster card at the start, right in front of my face, I knew there was no going back, I will follow this man to hell and back if he asked me to. Even if now I know he wasn’t *actually* the keymaster to begin with, I still trust him. The reveal of his backstory didn’t surprise me all that much and it honestly doesn’t change my opinion on him at all, I don’t think it’s supposed to, I just love him too much at this point.

It was really cool to be able to go back to the first floor, even if it hasn’t really been that long since we last saw it, but HA! I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING UP WITH THE HEART WINDOW IN THE PINK ROOM! Actually I was 100% sure Miley had come from there to begin with, I’m glad we got that little bit of information confirmed and even got some more victim videos and stuff from that room, I wonder if there was really someone standing in the other room...? Maybe that’ll get answered later like with the roster and the list of names in the bar.

This part! gave a lot of payoff!!!! That makes me really glad that we got some old mysteries cleared up, we finally got to use the blackboard in the bar and the black room with the paper shredder in the second floor, I really want the white room to be explained as well, but I’m guessing that’s gonna take a while too. I wonder what Gin was doing in the lower floors that whole time...? That didn’t really come up a lot, did it? Unless I forgot or missed it (completely possible)

It was interesting to get sacrifice role for a bit there, but I liked how it was handled, I don’t know what Sara would’ve actually done if she had stayed the sacrifice for the trial, but it was cool to see her freakout and then her recovery.

Okay, but now for the interesting stuff... hoooo boi this main game was a trip, full of twists and interesting reveals, pretty much everyone had a plan going on in the background and it was fun to see it unfold, even if it got VERY confusing towards the second half kdjdfkgtrfdh. I think I liked Keiji’s and Q-Taro’s plan the most, cause it made a lot of sense and it was the easiest one to follow.

I’m... surprised about Nao, to be completely frank, the acting she did to trick the fake Mishima’s AI was really cool and I’m really happy the development she got in part one wasn’t wasted. I loved seeing her development throughout the game and it’s honestly surprising to me how willing to sacrifice everybody she was, the Massacre ending was certainly an interesting one and if this game is gonna have multiple endings I’m glad this was one of them, it’s definitely an interesting outcome to see play out and I’m sure it brings for a lot of good AUs and scenarios. Now I want an ending where Joe’s role isn’t exposed and Sara escapes with him.

Kanna!! She was great, I was wondering if anyone would be selfless enough to actually be willing to throw their life away in favor of the rest or in favor of someone in particular and Kanna did just now, even if her plan didn’t carry out like she wanted thanks to Gashu, it was a good reveal that I feel makes a lot of sense. Her relationship with Sou was certainly interesting, if a little confusing, because Sou was really, really attached to her at the end and I’m not completely sure why’s that, but it was very heartwarming nonetheless. I have no idea if they simply developed a bond behind the scenes or if there was much to their relationship, but booooi did it have some wild ramifications at the end. And finally Kanna’s death was..... yikes lmao, poor girl.

Okay but to finish it off, Sou..... I think Sou was simultaneously the best and worst part of this chapter. Don’t get me wrong, he was so interesting, and I already mentioned I loved the little plan he and Kanna had before the main game, but his motives and actions are still... so unclear to me? Okay, he was so scared of dying that he basically made a whole different persona and acted like a dick most of the time, but to me, it was just confusing to see him fluctuate from being an absolute jerk to just extending his hand and saying “let’s be friends!!!!” and then repeating that cycle like 3 more times. Once or twice it’s fine, but I need to settle on a fucking opinion on him and to be honest I still am not sure.

Regardless of my mixed opinions about his whole character, I think he was great in the main game, finally, finally I felt like I could trust him to cooperate, I never labeled him as evil or downright antagonistic, but it was only in this main game that I felt like he was finally cooperating with us, especially after telling us about his first trial. I think his efforts to find an escape were genuine as well and it was cool to see him being so dependable.

Okay, so, I tried out both of the routes for the final vote. My first choice was to kill Kanna and let Sou live, mostly because I wanted to honor Kanna’s wish and I agreed with her that Sou was more valuable to the team as a whole, also because I thought his character had more to give to the story than Kanna’s. Having seen both I feel like the game isn’t really forcing a “correct choice” on the player, but killing off Sou is definitely a more happy ending lmao.

Comparing the endings I think it’s clear that Sou tampered with Joe’s AI if you let him live, which is.... incredibly shitty of him lmao but tbh we DID piss him off and he’s literally out for blood by that point, so it makes sense. I’m guessing if you let him live he WILL really become an antagonist for the final chapter, or something similar. It’s just really interesting to see how differently his character ends depending on whether you kill Kanna or not. It’s obviously a MAJOR choice that will have HUGE ramifications for the final chapter, so I’m really curious how different and how similar the two routes are going to be.

Lastly, Sara ends in such different mental states in the two routes (thanks Sou lmao) and it’s gonna be fascinating to see that play out in the final chapter. Her last interactions with the Joe AI were 1 beautiful and heartwarming and almost made me cry and 2 awful and terrible and oh god Sou really hates us lmao

I guess I’ll continue playing with the Sou is dead route when the next chapter comes out, but I’ll be sure to check out both routes.

[superemeralds]

I never understood this about Shadow, why does he even work with GUN?

*rubs my gay little hands together*

Finally it’s time for my analysis of GUN, the current GUN commander, Shadow’s relationship with both of them and speculations on the future…………..

warning: it’s actually gonna get……….. really wild. This turned out to be mainly an analysis of the GUN commander because he is the main factor that influences shadows decision but im… hoooo boy.

TLDR;

The commander is a Robotnik and the character development he went through, paired with Shadows acceptance of his judgement + forgiveness of his actions, as well as their friendly bond by the end of the game, gave Shadow the feeling that it is a good idea to join forces with GUN to keep his promise to Maria in keeping the planet safe.

( +3k words; all referenced videos and audio files are transcribed for accessibility; sources/references at the bottom)

If you have any questions or comments feel free to shoot me an ask! If you have anything to add or critique (because I’m 49320% sure i forgot half of the things i wanted to address again), feel free to add to my post!

Okay so before we can make out why Shadow would join GUN, we should establish why people think he wouldn’t.

As you said, you can’t understand his decision (very understandably so), therefor let’s sum up why you feel like this, and then I’ll try to explain how all that can actually lead to him joining in the end.

We all know GUN is responsible for Maria’s death, so why would Shadow want to join them? It doesn’t make sense!

Well, you see, it doesn’t. Things don’t always make sense. Not on first sight anyways.

First thing we should note is that the current GUN commander (I’ll talk abt him a lot now) and his family were aboard the ARK during the time that Shadow was created. We don’t know why, as there are no hints towards his parents’ jobs. There are also little hints to GUN actually having employees up there.

It is confirmed that GUN was funding the ARK project and all scientists abroad, they probably had agents up there that would live among the scientists to make sure to report back to the base frequently and keep HQ up-to-date about new findings and development of the experiments.

If the future commander was aware of that, or his parents were part of GUN, is not clear.

Speculative it is to say that he probably saw the GUN soldiers in the big invasion that killed his family (his parents either were scientists that were exterminated so they wouldn’t talk, or they were GUN agents that chose to defend the scientists, or they were killed by the artificial chaos that went on a rampage*) as heroes, since he canonically blames Shadow for everything.

He did have a deep and strong fear of Shadow since the very beginning because he happened to see Gerald and Black doom in a room with Shadow together at one point in time and associated Shadow with the alien ever since. It’s possible he didn’t know about Maria being very close to him, or he tolerated it because it was her.

Actually. 

Actually hold your fucking horses everyone I’m onto something.

Okay so… You know how the commander is super inconsistent with the whole family and Maria dying deal right?

SHADOW: Damn it! What does it all mean? These memories… thedoctor’s actions and words… nothing makes sense! Wasit real?

* - The GUN Commander walks up to Shadow, and points a handgun athim.

GUN COMMANDER: It’s been a long time… Shadow.

SHADOW: Who are you?! And how do you know my name?

GUN COMMANDER: I know you… Shadow the Hedgehog. You killedeveryone I loved… myfamily… Maria. I’ve been waiting all my life for this day!

SHADOW: What?! Me… and Maria?

* - A younger GUN Commander and Maria are running in a hall on theARK. He hits his ass to taunt Maria, and she catches up to him.She holds him in place, but he starts running again.

GUN COMMANDER (voiceover): Maria was like a sister to me. She wasthe only family I knew! And because of you… she waskilled!

* - The younger GUN-C gets to the door to Geral’d lab, and looksin the glass. Inside, Gerald and Black Doom are talking nearShadow’s pod.

GUN COMMANDER (voiceover): Witnessing it all… the plan to createthat horrifying evil creature... that black creature, and that insane professor who unleashed it all!

* - As the pod starts to move, the young GUN-C starts screaming.The pod sits upright, and Shadow opens his eyes.

SHADOW: So… the professor created me… with Black Doom?

GUN COMMANDER: You don’t fool me! It’s not just about Maria.Thanks to you, everyone I knewand loved was killed when the ARK was destroyed. Worst of all, myfamily! Finally… justice is served!

I bolded everything that is important to my analysis,,,,

ANYWAYS AS I WAS SAYING.

The Commanders words about his family and Maria being killed are all jumbled. One moment Maria is the only family he had, the next everyone he knew and loved was killed. Among those people Maria and his family.

We have no canon confirmation as to who his family was and why they were killed on the ARK. (Read speculation above again if needed, marked with an *)So what if Maria was his family? What if he was a Robotnik himself?

Who says that he knew about Ivo’s parents?

He might be blood related, or adopted by Gerald.

How else would a kid end up on a Space Station that is primarily for scientific research? Maria and the future commander should logically be the only children up there, because Gerald brought them with him. 

The commander witnessed Shadow’s creation and knows that Gerald was involved in it. He felt a deep hatred for Shadow, aswell as Gerald, for what happened. He mainly blames Shadow for the incident on ARK, but he also holds resentment towards Gerald for having created Shadow in the first place. (”The insane professor that unleashed it all!”)

This would imply that the commander refuses to see Gerald as part of his family anymore after that had happened, which would figuratively make Gerald “dead to him.” Maria would be the only family he had left after that, and she was killed on the ARK.

He was not there when it happened, he was escorted by GUN back to earth while Maria tried to defend Shadow and help him escape. He never got told how she died, he just, presumably, saw her on the list of victims.

This event shaped the commander into wanting to become someone who can protect the innocent from harm and prevent needless death.

We see his compassion in other cutscenes!

* - The Presiden’t helicopter touches down on the landing pad andseveral GUN soldiers run over to it. Slightly later, the GUNCommander helps the President walk to the control room. The Presidentsits down in a chair.

GUN COMMANDER: Sir, are you all right?

PRESIDENT: Never mind me… What about the people of Central City?

GUN COMMANDER: No need to worry, sir. Orders were issuedyesterday, and  everyone hasbeen evacuated to the safe zone.

[…]

GUN COMMANDER: So he’s finally decided to show himself. Attentionall command units! Mobilizeall Mech battle sections! Prepare all weapons to strikeincoming vessels! Mobilize “Diablon”!

GUN SOLDIR: But sir! It’s not ready yet!

GUN COMMANDER: I don’t care!! We have NO other option!! We MUSTprotect the President, andthe Chaos Emeralds, at all costs.

* - In the White House, the President is looking at Westopolisfrom the balcony. The sky is dark red/orange. The GUNCommander and two other soldiers come in through the door.

GUN COMMANDER: Sir, your transport is ready. We must go now! Sir,please!

PRESIDENT: Once again… I have failed my duty to protect ournation.

GUN COMMANDER: Sir, it’s not over! We can continue to fight. Theblack aliens may haverendered us unable for now, but we will rally, sir. You  must keep yournation strong and together.

PRESIDENT: Yes, keep the nation united. No matter what happens,we’ll never surrender to these creatures.*looks at the picture of Sonic and Shadow* This much I learnedfrom them.

GUN COMMANDER: Sir, please hurry.

PRESIDENT: Okay.

* - The President and the two soldiers start to leave. The GUNCommander looks at the picture the President keeps on his desk before leavinghimself.

GUN COMMANDER: The black creatures will feel their own bloodyHell!

Again, bold lines are important!

The commander made sure to evacuate the entire population of a major city that is based off the Washington metropolitan area with a populus of over 6 Million people within just one single day.

For reference I researched how long it normally takes to evacuate big cities in real life.

“At around 10 am on August 28, Mayor Ray Nagin declared a mandatory evacuation of the city, after Hurricane Katrina was updated to a Category 5, the strongest possible hurricane. By the time the hurricane hit, at around 7 AM on August 29, later studies revealed that around 90% of the New Orleans population left. That’s around one million people within 21 hours.

Preparations for Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia

This is important, as we can guestimate just how long an evacuation could take, if we assume that the cities can evacuate at a similar rate to New Orleans. Doing the math, this means that New York City takes around 8 days to clear out, and Tokyo needs around two weeks or so.

Thing is, however, evacuation procedures will likely suffer because these cities are much larger than New Orleans, so you might need to add a few days to them.

So, it’s more likely that NYC and Tokyo would need at least two weeks before the cities could be cleared.”

source

So he really did something really amazing.

He prioritizes to keep the President and the chaos emeralds safe above anything else and risks unleashing a new and unreliable weapon; and against what you might think- that he’s selfish/doesn’t care about the citizens- the reason he prioritizes the emeralds over people….. 1) They’ve already been evacuated.2) If Black Doom gets all of the Chaos Emeralds there won’t be an Earth anymore. No Humanity. He can think critically and in advance yall.

Also consider how he gives the President hope, not to give up. He’s confident in his abilities as commander, and his his soldiers, to do whatever they can to keep the people of their country, and the entire world, save. And he also emphasizes that the nation themselves should not loose hope, that the President should be a positive influence and stand up against the intruders (the aliens).

He also says he’ll return “their bloody hell” to the aliens, which 1) references his association of Shadow with those aliens and his firm belief that Shadow killed Maria (and by extend his (grand?)father Gerald ?).2) references the fact that the aliens have taken countless of soldiers lives already and that he wishes to return that favour to their kind.

The commander is generally a justice loving person who will do anything in his power to do the right thing. When it comes to Shadow, though, he seems to not have his personal grudge towards him under control and he gets a little extreme with his idea of justice.

GUN COMMANDER: Shadow? Deploy the troops, NOW! And if you findShadow with the black aliens…then kill them all.

GUN SOLDIER: But sir, isn’t Shadow on our side–

GUN COMMANDER: I gave you an order, soldier! He’s evil and he’sthe enemy!

//

GUN COMMANDER: Alert all field commanders in Sector B. I’mauthorizing full use of alltactical weapons. I want both black aliens and Shadow stopped andburied. Failure, is not an option.

//

GUN COMMANDER: Hm-hm… It’s over, Shadow. You’ll finally beexposed and eradicated forthe evil that you are.

//

GUN COMMANDER (radio): Come in, Eclipse Cannon! He must be stoppedat all costs! Take him out... that’s an order!

//

GUN COMMANDER: Shadow! Damn you! It’s been fifty years… justicewill finally be served.*cocks handgun*

This emotional side of him is a great flaw in a man of his position, but also a great strength.

As we know he confronted Shadow about his hatred and literally attempted to personally kill him.

* - He fires his gun, but Shadow’s now standing behind theCommander, faced away from him, with his eyes closed.

SHADOW: If what you say is true, then I will respectfully acceptmy fate.

GUN COMMANDER: You mean to tell me that, you really don’t remembera thing?

SHADOW: But I just need some time… to uncover the real truth.

* - As Shadow walks off, the Commander looks at his gun and fallsto his knees.

Shadow admits to not remembering any of what he is saying, but that he will take responsibility for those things if it’s true (WHILE NOT EVEN REMEMBERING ANY OF IT). This means that Shadow accepts the justice the commander wanted to serve. And also that he forgives him for being so bitter about it, for being so incredibly angry.

You might think it is because he knows what it’s like to hate someone for killing your loved one and then doing everything to avenge them but…. he doesn’t remember. He doesn’t remember SA2. All he knows is the empty feeling of rage and sorrow, that he can’t really put any context on. (He remembered that Maria died and that he wasn’t able to save her, but he never remembered how she died. This had to be told to him by someone else. Either it was directly shown to him by Black Doom when he uses chaos control to show Shadow the past, or by Doom’s Eye in a cutscene before a boss fight. (iirc anyways because I’ve gone through so much cutscene and script material now that I might mix some stuff up, please correct me if I’m wrong).

Once the commander learns that Shadow doesn’t remember anything and fucking accepts his plans to kill him, he is SHOCKED.

He looks at his gun, as if he’s realizing just what the fuck he was doing, threatening and literally trying to kill Shadow in an attempt to serve “justice”. He falls to his knees in shame for his misguided behaviour. He realized how foolish and childish is obsessive pursuit of Shadow was.

Later in The Last Way when Gerald tells the truth about Shadow and Black Dooms relation and Shadow saves the world….

* - All of the members are cheering and yelling.

GUN COMMANDER: *sigh*

* - The President pats the Commander’s back.

PRESIDENT: How ironic… After the way we all treated him, hesaved us all i the end. We were all wrong about the professor. Let us pay homageto Professor Gerald. Let’s work to ensure peace and prosperity for a brighter future! What do you say, Commander?

GUN COMMANDER: Excellent idea, Mister President.

They feel guilty for holding Shadow accountable for the destruction the aliens caused, aswell as for what happened to Gerald. They plan to reform the way they act in homage of Gerald Robotnik (and Shadow the hedgehog).

Now, it’s not confirmed when exactly in the timeline it is, but the commander does say this, but in Space Gadget (after completing the game I assume) during the training gameplay it is possible to get a random call from the commander which says:

“Shadow, do you read me? First… I want to apologize, for the other day. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know that training is tough, but try and do your best.”

(here’s the voice file in case you want to hear it)

This confirms that the commander is trying to build a friendly relationship with Shadow now and wants him to be part of his family (again. Since they are both Robotniks.). It could either be an invitation after Shadow already had joined GUN, or, and I think that’s more likely, he wants to discuss that matter when Shadow pays him a visit and they can talk about it in person.

Now Shadow does forgive the commander for his actions, and he accepts that what happened to Maria lies in the past and that it is not the fault of anyone else but the person that shot her, so he can’t be angry at the entire human race for it. He understands it now.

The commander makes a genuine effort to keep the country, and the planet, save; and GUN is an organization that focuses on keeping the world save. Shadow knows that it is impossible for one person alone to do it, so he likely sees this as a good option for help since he’s willing to cooperate with this commander. Due to his old age he would have to retire soon, though, so Shadow would also likely want to be inside that system to have influence on the new leaders in the future, so that GUN does not stray the wrong path again. (Be it shady experiments or useless killing.)

He likely agreed upon the request under the condition that OMEGA could join along with him, as well as the condition that he, OMEGA and Rouge are an inseparable Team that will work together from this day forth.

This is how I think it went.

Yes I got lazy towards the end because it’s super hot and I’m sweaty and my laptop is literally wet from my sweaty hands its disgusting akjsfhka

If you have any questions or comments feel free to shoot me an ask! If you have anything to add or critique (because I’m 49320% sure i forgot half of the things i wanted to address again), feel free to add to my post!

sources: (take the wiki ones with a grain of salt i only referred to the stuff that is absolute fact (sourced trivia, quotes and plot line); not personality descriptions or anything interpretative stuff since the wiki is also fan made and i disagree with some of that)

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_the_Hedgehog_(game)

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Commander

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/926671-shadow-the-hedgehog/faqs/39966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh7b_eml0EU (i used all 4 of those videos aswell as this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBisWZ8eKV0

[wecthil]

Ok, so I had kept myself from watching RWBY Vol. 6.1 so far because I had work for university to do, and that also meant I could watch it together with 6.2 right away, so my impressions. Gonna be long.

6.1 Argus Limited

- Aaaand we start right in the action. And it looks gorgeous. We done, animators. Also, hoooo boy those Manticores. - “Thank me later”, “Good to see you’re not rusty” Ahh those smirks, that dynamic, team RWBY is fucking BACK - “Why is it always something?” Mood, Nora. Mood. - Ren and Nora <3 - THE PETALS ARE RED AND WHITE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THEY ARE BAITING US AND THE KNOW IT! - Aaand that’s a jumpcut. - So Blake is still his trigger, also this guy has worse temper tantrums than pre-Vytal Yang. I can’t believe that there was a time where I honestly thought Adam was cool. But that sentiment’s been gone since his first appearance in the show proper. - And another jumpcut. Also narration (*insert CinemaSins Ding here*). - Can understand why they’re going with this story. Still probably more than he deserves, but you wouldn’t want a panic with the state of the world right now. - Also beautiful train station right there. And Ruby is as precious as ever. - SHE WEARS HER SHAWL! - ADORKABLE BEACH REN! - Poor Weiss, right back where you came from - Oh geez who are those? - Dee and Dudley nyahahaha what the hell - And the girls’ looks in response, solid gold right there. - “I do hope those weren’t Beacon graduates” “You know, sometimes the burden of saving the world feels overwhelming, but then people like that come along and make me grateful it’s our job and not theirs” *solemn nods all around* - Ilia’s new outfit. Also neat that the Faunus are finally in the good spotlight. Also hugging. - Sun’s here! As it Neptune! - “Wrong tree” nyahahaha - Also that version of “Like Morning Follows Night” is so sweet - On that note, the musical cues in this scene are ON. POINT. - Awwww - And the old lady is totally not gonna be an important character, no way. - Bunk beds! Innocence! Yang looking at prostetic arms! - Time will tell how allright Blake and Yang are gonna be again. We’ll see. There’s some way to go. - And now we’re at the start again. - Hello, Manticores. And helloooo, Sphinx. And by Dee. Yikes. - I mean smart idea on Dudley’s part, but why isn’t the armor always up? Also, while Qrow’s got a point about the turrets, so does Dudley. If they work it’s good, right? - Yiiiikes that crunch. - Yeah Ozpin what happened to no more lies? - Hey, Jaune uses his semblance again. And with Ren... yoooooo - Aaaaand of course they’re seperating - HELL YEAH VOCAL TRACK, GET FUCKING PUMPED SON - AND THOSE HARMONIES - Manticore has resistance to bludgeoning, looks like - Teamwork, yo. Fightscenes on fleek. - Knew it. Also, her theme sounds cool. - INTRO TIME BOIS - This is gonna be HYPE, yo. - Totally not Cinder there. - Totally not Salem there. - Totally not Ozpins... yeah, you get it. - REN AND NORA IN THE ENDSCENE! RUBY AND WEISS! - Well, we’re of to a good fucking start I’d say. This is gonna be good.

6.2 Uncovered

- Cinder’s alive, surprising absolutely nobody - You gotta lose that anger, hon (and that Grimm arm, that thing kinda has to go too I mean seriously) - Oh who is tha- OH NO SHE HAS CINDER’S OUTFIT FROM THE OPENING NO DON’T KILL THE INNOCENT BYSTANDER RUN BYSTANDER RUN SAVE YOURS----- ah fuck. - Ah, so we’re doing a lot of back-and-forth this volume. Got it. - I feel you, Weiss. Also, fair point, Nora. - Aka Winter is gonna be at that base - Yeah, ransoming Weiss back sounds good. - “Relic of Knowledge”, “Lamp”, “Three questions”... that’s a Djinn y’all. - Ah I love you Nora - Calling it right now, that’s a lie Oz. - “we’ll keep it safe” jumpcut to the relic lying around, unsafe. - Hi Maria Calavera. We love you. Also yeah, Yang kinda has a point. - YEAH SO MUCH FOR NO MORE LIES AND HALFTRUTHS - OH THAT’S BULLSHIT OZ AND YOU KNOW IT - Exactly, Weiss. - (Well I mean, kinda understand that point and kinda made it half and hour ago myself, so...) - Oh dear, here we go. - That a “Give me the ring”-scene right there, aka. someone is gonna shout or make a grab for it. - Oh fighting for control - “Her name is Djinn” KNEW IT! - HOOO BOY, also that’s the woman from the statue in Haven! - Aaand jumpcut. - Fuck of course Cinder killed her. Damn. - That’s a lot of purple is what it is. - Malachite as in the twins? Relation? Or will they actually get character somewhere down the road? Also that was some grade-A snark answer. - “It was somebody’s” FUCK YOU CINDER - Ugh let it GO, you got your ass handed to you the last time - Smart spider right there. Big guy? Hazel? - My thoughts exactly, Maria. - OH FUCK CALLED IT! - Yo why you all point your stuff at Qrow, kids? - OZPIN NO! - The fuck? (Sidenote: Nice touch with who calls out whose names) - ALSO CALLED IT! - Oh shit is about to go down.

[shima-draws]

Timeloop Aftermath

((I decided to create a possible idea of what might happen with the Aftermath of this AU. It’s a brilliant AU, so many possibilities and great writing on your part (I also love your art wow)! So, here it is! I hope you like it!))

After the incident, everything in Jeremy’s life changed, and for the better.

After he told Michael about everything that had happened (using the journal as proof, even if he has to read it to him and persuade it to him enough to make him believe him), he was convinced by Michael to get the Squip out of his brain.

There was a whole shitload of stuff that happened (may possibly write it out), whereas Jeremy had to fight against the Squip'a forces, talk to Rich, and finally get that Mountain Dew Red to end it all, Michael being his main support.

Afterwards, with everything that had happened to them with the party and Squips, Jeremy finally seemed to be accepted by people. Not only did Rich come out as bi and started being good friends with Jeremy and Michael, he got them one step closer to Jake, Chloe, Brook and Jenna. Christine had taken a liking to helping Michael after the accident (Jeremy wasn’t into her anymore since he figured out his feelings for Michael, however he couldn’t help appreciate all the amazing things she did), and so the Drama Crew was formed, their friendship really unexpected and magnificent.

Not to mention that Jeremy and Michael had gotten together quickly. Jeremy visited Michael in the hospital everyday after the accident until he got out. Apparently Michael would have full blindness for up to a year, six-nine months at least, and then he’s have eyesight problems for the rest of his life (so, worse than needing glasses obviously, however he’d have partial blindness at times. However it wouldn’t affect him as greatly, and not as bad forever).

Despite the joking bets about how long they’d last, they lasted.. that’s just it. They lasted. They graduated, went to college together (They were cool in college, let me tell you,) and moved in together shortly afterwards. They went on dates, got a dog named Pac-Man (a stray Michael found on the street, what a furry,) , and eventually had a wedding! It was small but cute, the Crew was there, Jeremy’s dad was there, Michael’s parents were there, and Mr. Reyes was there for some reason. It was all amazing, life couldn’t go better for Michael and Jeremy Heere.

That’s the saying, you can only go up. But when you’re up, where else can you go? Well.. only down, of course.

Jeremy and Michael were in their early 40’s. It had been so long since everything happened, the two never imagined Michael’s sight could be so bad ever again. He had been able to see just fine since he had turned 31, despite still needing glasses. They hadn’t even costed the doctor in a whole year, they were so confident.

Confidence wasn’t enough.

Michael had always been insistent on driving himself places after he had gotten better. To practice driving again after getting better, he went to the grocery store to get stuff for the week for them every week, and he had just kept it up since. It wasn’t a big deal.

It had been September when this whole instance occurred. Jeremy sat at home on this Monday, when he had the work day off for Labor day. He sorted through the papers in his hands that was keeping him busy. It wasn’t business papers, oh no (he couldn’t work for a big business anyways, it reminded him of the Squip. Plus he just hated the thought of working in a cubical), these were adoption papers. Jeremy and Michael had been thinking about this for yesrs, and now they were thing of going through with this. He was reading through the different foster care systems near them, when he heard his phone ring.

Jeremy wasn’t one to let his phone go to voicemail unless he was really, really into something or just couldn’t reach the phone. This wasn’t one of those times. He was quite calm at the moment, normal, feeling alright..

He suddenly didn’t feel alright. With the sound of the stranger over the line telling him about the accident. Telling him that his player two had swivered off the side of the highway into a ditch in a frenzy. He was at the hospital. He was under-

Jeremy had stopped listening. Why? Because he dripped his phone on the way outside. Panic ran through his body as he sped out of the driveway in his car, cutting someone off and not caring for a single second.

He could barely breathe as he raced towards the hospital. He knew where it was from how many times he’s been there for this man and this man alone. This man he loved more than anything in the world. The man he saw die so many times before- but felt it so real this time that he felt like he would die right here and now if he didn’t make it to the hospital.

Adrenalin filled him as he crashed into the ER, frantically waving down anyone at all to tell him where Michael was. He looked insane, so if course, security had stopped him before a nurse had came to him.

“Where’s Michael? Where- I-Im married to him! I-is he ok?”

“Sir, were doing everything we can. Hes in a critical state. You have to calm-”

“I can’t calm down! I have to see him- h-he can’t die! I can’t let him d-die! Please!” Jeremy held back the word ‘again’. He also held back tears.

“Sir, I..”

Just then, a doctor stepped into the area. He talked to the lady at the front counter before making his way over to us. “You’re Jeremy Heere, sir?”

Jeremy nodded quickly. “Y-yes, where’s Michael? Is he ok? H-hes ok, right?”

The doctor had paused.

Jeremy felt a fear rush through him at this silence. “H-hes, t-tell me Michael’s ok! Tell me!” He persisted, his voice escalating.

The doctor spoke calmly, obviously rehearsed and drone-like. “I’m sorry sir. There was nothing else we could do for him. Michael had punctured his lung and bled to death before we could do anything usef..”

Jeremy felt his heart drop as the words sunk in. His thoughts seemed to stop, scream to a halt, not disappear, but a much , much worse feeling. The feeling of his whole life crashing down on him and fleeing him at the same time. His heart stopped, like everything else, for a pause that seemed to last for hours.

Then it all hit him. All of it. His heart came back, feeling an ache that only grew worse with every pump. His mind filled with the words of the doctor, the thoughts of his lovers death, the thoughts of Michael, Michael, Michael is dead.

Jeremy was crying. His cheeks were leaking as he pulled himself away from the other men. He stumbled back, still staring at the doctor. His vision became blurry as he started crying harder than every before, his breath becoming tiny gasps, his feet losing balance when he realised he was outside the hospital, on the grass. He brought his hands to his face, weeping and whaling profusely to himself, alone.

Everything came flooding back. And it all guilted him. He could have gone grocery shopping with him. For him. He could have taken him to the doctors to get checked up, seen that his sight might get worse. Checked that his lover was ok with a phone call, say “I love you, player two” one last time. The worst part was that he couldn’t remember the last words they had exchanged.

His mind was in such a spiraling state that he started thinking of everything bad that he ever did to Michael. He reached his deaths, he reached the looping. He remembered every death. He remembered his pain and how none of that pain was nearly as bad as it is now. Now was the worst day of his life. And there had been many bad days for Jeremy Heere.

He just wanted to see his face one more time. He wanted to see his lover, his player two, his alive husband, his best friend, his partner in crime, the most amazing person in the world-

“Or you’ll what?”

The bathroom. The light. The taste of shitty, terrible liquor threatening his mouth. And right in front of him, almost 30 years younger, was the love of his life. He teared up.

“M-Michael?”

(HOOOOO BOYYYYYY I AM. I AM DEC E ASED

I AM LIKE. LIKE THIS

I’M AM PHYSICALLY W EAK

That was really really really fantastic, wow!! I have had thoughts about making the timeline where Michael goes blind the final timeline, sort of like, there’s gotta be some sacrifices, but they don’t necessarily have to be someone dying, ya know? And just imagining all the fun stuff that he and Jeremy go through afterward, hoooo!

All I can think about now is Jeremy pushing Michael (who’s wearing like, shutter shades or a pair of ridiculous sunglasses probably) around in a wheel chair through school and Michael’s like “Move outta the way, bitches, I got an escort to class” and like. Once they recover they get comfortable enough to make blind jokes ppfffp Although I do like the idea of Michael’s sight coming back eventually. Like the accident at Jake’s house was only temporary and he regains his sight after a couple months or a year or smth.

BUT ANYWAY BACK TO SCREAMING THAT WRECKED ME AAAA!! I just can’t imagine how awful that would be, to live thirty years and then be taken back in time all the way back to the start of the whole thing;; but now Jeremy can try to prevent the whole blind thing, yeah? (Maybe instead Jeremy ends up going blind :0)

STOP KILLING MICHAEL I say as I continue to kill Michael in multiple of my AUs haha--//shot

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! You guys are awesome continuing to shower me with fics and beautiful art and giving me more ideas for this AU I AM TRULY. TRULY BLESSED.)

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball 112

Last time on Dragon Ball... hoooo boy.  

Okay, so Krillin’s dead, Master Roshi’s dead, Tien’s been drugged, Goku got beat up, and King Piccolo is about to make his wish to Shenron.

The only good guy who can stop him is Chiaotzu.   Tien contacts him telepathically and tells him that their only chance is for him to go out there and say his wish before Piccolo can.  So basically, they’re using the same strategy Oolong used to thwart Emperor Pilaf, only Tien and Chiaotzu don’t know this has happened before.    Well, maybe Roshi told them about it, but he wasn’t there when that happened either.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.   Piccolo spots him at the last second and shoots him down.   Gotta give Chiaotzu credit for trying, though.    He’s one brave dude.

Okay, but there’s still.... no, wait.   Well what about...?   No, he hasn’t been born yet.   Okay, but... no, he’s in space.   Yeah, so King Piccolo makes his wish to get his youth restored.

   And it works!    He’s buffer and more powerful than ever!  Well, I guess he’s been this powerful before, at least once, but you get the idea.

I’m a little confused, because until this episode, the wording was “eternal youth”, but once Piccolo made his wish, he only asked to be made young again.  Maybe he was so excited that he messed up?  

The thing I always wondered was why he didn’t just wish to become immortal.   Maybe immortality and eternal youth are separate concepts to Shenron, and he didn’t want to risk being stuck in an elderly body for the rest of his life.   Or maybe there’s some Kami-related catch to immortality, like he’d be making Kami immortal too, and that wouldn’t suit his plans?

It doesn’t really matter, because whether Piccolo will continue to age or not, he’s young again right now, and that means the whole world is screwed.

His work done, Shenron takes his leave, but Piccolo has other plans...

HOLY SHIT HE KILLED SHENRON.  

When I first saw this episode, I was completely blown away by this.    Roshi’s death was a surprise to me, because they never mentioned it in DBZ.    I think I knew Chiaotzu died at some point in Dragon Ball, but I didn’t know when or how.   But Shenron???    It’s insane.    It just goes to show that you can watch stuff out of order and still be surprised.

So now King Piccolo is at his physical peak, and all the top fighters are dead or incapacitated, and there’s no more Dragon Balls to wish for a way out of this predicament.    I mean, it would have been a really sucky year for the good guys, waiting for the Dragon Balls to reactivate and then trying to gather them all and make their wish without Piccolo noticing, but at least it was a possibility.    Not anymore.

It makes a lot of sense that he’d do this, though.   King Piccolo doesn’t need anything else from the Dragon, so from here on, the Dragon Balls are a liability.  Someone could wish for him to be destroyed, as Chiaotzu just tried to do, or wish Master Roshi back to life so he could use the Mafuba on him again, or wish to undo King Piccolo’s wish, which would deal him a major setback.  

With all of that business dealt with, Piccolo orders Pilaf to take him to King Castle.    Pilaf is worried that this approach is a little too direct, but Piano reminds him that King Piccolo is now unstoppable.

And here’s King Castle right now.    I’ve seen it called “Chow Castle”, but I don’t know why anyone would call it that, when it has “KC” on the entrance.

Inside, King Furry is addressing a drought in a particular part of the world.   He deploys a relief package immediately.    This guy is great.   He’s a perfect counterpoint to the sort of madness King Piccolo represents.   For that matter, he’s a sober response to Emperor Pilaf’s megalomania.   Furry’s not about thrones or crowns or large crowds of adoring subjects.   He wears a suit and sits at a desk and he works hard to make life better for his people.   He’s what being a king should be about.

Back at... wherever this place is.   Tien’s finally up and around, and he doesn’t know what to do.   He’s no match for King Piccolo, and yet, he’s seen the Mafuba...

I can’t help but point out that this scene is a big far receipt from karma for Tien.   Chiaotzu was his best friend, and now he’s dead.   You know who might have been able to prevent that?   Yamcha.   I don’t know how things might have gone differently if a fourth good guy had been there.    Maybe Yamcha would have been the first to die.    But maybe he might have drawn King Piccolo’s fire, and at the very least he could have saved Chiaotzu’s life.    But Yamcha couldn’t be here, because Tien broke his leg.   

And why did Tien break Yamcha’s leg?   Because at the moment, he was drunk on his own superiority.   Tien thought he was unbeatable, and that gave him a license to do whatever he pleased to anyone who crossed his path.   Well, now he’s feeling that from the other side, even while he’s seeing the consequences of his own past deeds.    Yeah, Tien can reform, but he’ll still have to face the repercussions of his actions.

On the way to King Castle, Emperor Pilaf asks Piccolo about their prior agreement, but Piccolo simply orders Pilaf and his crew off the ship.   Like, immediately.    He just sends them overboard without parachutes.  

I prefer the dub version of this scene, because in that, Piccolo at least pretends to keep his word.   He offers Pilaf as much of the Earth as he can carry.... on the way down.

Miraculously, all three of them survive the fall.   So yeah, Piccolo turned on his own allies.   I think we all saw that coming, except for Emperor Pilaf.

On the bright side, Goku’s finaly arrived at the base of Korin Tower.   So maybe there’s still a chance after all...

[esseastri]

Literally everyone: AAHH MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA!!!! Me, seven years late with starbucks: so, I just finished ME2 and yowza, guys

.

Okay, so some of you might remember that a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (oh shit wrong fandom), I was liveblogging Mass Effect 2. For various personal reasons, I stopped the liveblog some time ago--I jumped ship and liveblogged all three Dragon Age games, and then, when I was meant to pick the ME2 blog back up, some personal shit happened and it was easier for me to just finish the game without the liveblog. I’m sorry if you were looking forward to live Suicide Mission reactions, but I can provide, in bullet point form, a summary of what would have been the end of the liveblog if I’d been able to finish it properly!

(Having now written it up, I guarantee, you’re not missing anything by this not being an immediate liveblog--it is JUST as funny this way, I promise!!)

It did get quite long, so here it is, under the cut:

I successfully scanned/probed every. planet. in the galaxy. I’m not joking. Every single one.

This made for a lot of boring scanning time, but it also revealed a lot of sidequests--all of which I completed. 

This included taking out the entirety of the Blue Suns mercenary operation via fucking up their fake-distress-signal trap and stealing their stolen cargo after killing off several of their captains.

Also I stopped some missiles from crashing into a small colony? I think?

I successfully completed every sidequest that had anything to do with quarians.

Samara’s loyalty mission!

I flirted with her daughter so badly it was embarrassing, but hey, that’s the way to bait serial killers into getting KO’d by their moms, so...

Thane’s loyalty mission:

I’m still genuinely surprised that that security guard honestly believed I was a health inspector are you kidding me I’m fully armed and armored how does this outfit say ‘health inspector’ to you pls I fear for the security of the Citadel

But hey, we stopped the kid from killing anyone, so that’s good.

Also, what is up with my squadies having kids who want to murder people who we have to prevent from murdering people? Guys. This is bad parenting. Pls. 

I scanned some more planets and did a few more sidequests.

Miranda’s loyalty mission:

there was some hinky shit with this whole situation, but it’s Miranda: of course there was hinky shit. But I’m glad her sister was WAY Chiller about the situation than I thought she was going to be.

I AM SAD I MISSED THE PARAGON QUICK-TIME-BUTTON AND MIRANDA MURDERED HER CHILDHOOD BESTIE THAT WAS VERY UPSETTING AND I’M NOT ABOUT THAT LIFE

Jacob’s loyalty mission:

TALK ABOUT HINKY SHIT WITH THE WHOLE SITUATION

tbqh, I’m still not 100% sure what the fuck happened on that mission. I got the toxic food made people wacky, but I’m unclear on the ten-year wait before activating the distress beacon. You cannot have just been chilling like a king while the crew got slowly more poisoned for ten years and been having a good time. Bro, pls.

I’m v glad Jacob was chill with me throwing his dad in jail.

I did some more sidequests. I cannot stress enough how many fuckin sidequests I completed.

LEGION: hoooo boy. 

1. I fucking hate husks and fighting husks and getting swarmed by husks and dying a lot but it’s fine, I’m fine

2. Geth still make me nervous. I understand that there are good geth and bad geth, but I spent waaayyy too long fighting that Colossus on Therum in game 1 to fully be okay with them.

3. Tali’s non-reaction was the most ridiculous and out of character anything in the Bioware universe. There was NO REACTION AT ALL to us activating a geth on board a ship that has an AI installed on it. And no reaction to us recruiting that geth. The only reaction we got--finally, AFTER FINISHING Legion’s mission--was her anger over Legion trying to send info on the Flotilla to the geth. Which, yes, warranted a reaction, but sO DID A LOT OF OTHER STUFF. And the fact that Bioware was too lazy to write Tali some reactions to this geth just chillin’ in our AI Core offends me deeply.

4. Legion’s mission: I really, really didn’t want to do either option, tbh. One felt like genocide and one felt like mind control and I was 100% not there for either of those versions of events. (I eventually decided to blow up the station: see point 2 above.)

The second EDI was like “u should take everyone on the shuttle; the ship will be fine!” I was like, “OH JESUS FUCK NOTHING WILL EVER BE ‘FINE’ AGAIN”

There is nothing--nothing--more #relateable than Joker running through the ship as it’s getting attacked by Collectors and just repeating “shitshitshitshitshit” for the entire time. 

It was about this time that I realized the next THING was the Omega-4 Relay and I had to do some googling. Did you know that the Mass Effect Wikia is 100% Useless when it comes to figuring out how to get through the Suicide Mission without getting anyone killed?

I spent a lot of time being TERRIFIED that I’d somehow missed a ship upgrade, even though there was no possible way for me to have missed a ship upgrade.

GARRUS AND I FINALLY DID THE DO. THERE WERE CANON FOREHEAD TOUCHES. HE WAS A NERD. IT WAS SO FUCKIN CUTE I DIED. IT WAS SO CUTE.

The fight with the Oracle in the basement was waaayy chiller than I thought it was going to be, and my sister, from across the room, just laughed and reminded me that I was playing on Casual mode.

The briefing room scene: 

Miranda: “We’re going to have to split up into several groups.”

Me: “Worst. Idea. Ever.”

Miranda: “You have to pick someone to go in the vents. I volunteer!”

Jacob: “I also volunteer!” 

Me: “Ahh, thanks, but I’ma send Legion, ‘cause Legion is the best tech guy we could possibly ever have? Considering it IS...tech?”

Miranda: “Ugh, fine. Pick someone to lead the second squad. Again, I volunteer.”

Me: “That’s nice. Hey Garrus, darling--meet me at that fucking door, and you better be alive, babe.”

Garrus: “Sure thing, babe.”

Miranda: “Uuughhh, at least we know he knows what he’s doing. Fine.”

SO WE SET OFF INTO THE COLLECTOR BASE, SPLIT UP INTO SEVERAL GROUPS, AND I ALMOST HYPERVENTILATED OUT OF NERVES AND MADE MYSELF COUGH.

I got Legion through the vents without it melting.

I spent a lot of time reminding myself that if you murder all the collector drones before you kill Harbinger, then you only have to kill Harbinger once, as opposed to once for every drone in the room.

There was a terrifying moment at the first locked door, when I was very certain we were all going to die.

No one died.

I WAS REALLY WORRIED THE CREW HAD BEEN LIQUEFIED BUT THEY WEREN’T, I SAVED THEM ALL! IT WAS AMAZING!

Also, the liquefying was suuppper gross and unnecessary, thanks Bioware.

The First Regrouping scene:

EDI: “Sorry, guys, but you need to go through that hallway full of seeker swarms, good fucking luck.”

Samara: “I could probably make a biotic barrier and keep them off us? It’ll be slow, but I can do it.” Miranda: “SO COULD I. Any biotic could do it! I VOLUNTEER!”

Me: “Uh, it was Samara’s idea, soooo...she’s gonna do it.”

Miranda: “FIIIINNE. Someone has to be a distraction and go the other way, though. I fucking volunteer, goddamit, Shep, just let me do my fucking job.” 

Me: “Garrus. Darling. Babe. Be safe.”

Garrus: “Sure thing, babe.”

Miranda: “I’m. going. to. stab. you.” Doctor Chakwas: “Can someone get us back to the ship? We’re all in really bad shape.” Miranda: “We do not have people to spare, sorry.” Me: “Hey, Mordin, I love you, but you are not extra great in combat. Want to escort mission this shit?” Mordin: “Good idea. Joker: need coordinates for pick up.” Miranda: “GOOD. LET’S GO. WE’VE GOT SHIT TO KILL. COME ON.”

At this point, I did feel a little bad for Miranda, but listen: I googled who was best for what, okay. Everyone had to live, okay.

We hiked it through the seeker swarm hallway and it was actually a really cool mechanic! I was impressed!

Thane kept getting into cover outside the protective bubble though, ‘cause he’s a doofus, and Tali and I were just like “pls, son, get inside and stay alive, we can’t take all these collectors just the two of us. I mean, we can, but it’ll go much faster with you helping. get inside the bubble. pls.”

I legitimately thought Samara was going to die of exhaustion before we reached the door. I assume that if she’s not Loyal, she might die there? But everyone was super loyal so it was fine, but I WAS WORRIED.

I had a heart attack when Garrus called for help and we had to bust down the door and save him and the other squad and I WAS SO WOORRRIIEEDD

AND THEN IT LOOKED LIKE HE GOT SHOT IN THE STOMACH AND I LITERALLY SCREAMED I WAS SO TERRIFIED BUT HE WAS FINE AND IT WAS FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE

It didn’t happen, because the game doesn’t support public displays of affection, but if you think that Gen didn’t grab Garrus’ face and kiss the fuck out of him once she’d decided he was alive and not shot, then you and I are not watching the same show.

So, after the traumatized, mid-battle kiss: 

The amount to which I wanted a v small, v scared scene in which Shep got to say a non-goodbye to the LI she is leaving to cover the door as she goes on ahead is astronomical, but the game did not provide, so I’m just going to have to fanfic the shit out of this.

The fucking human-reaper-larva was NASTY AF and I took half a look at it and went “NOPE, I’MA TAKE MY GLASSES OFF AND DO THIS FIGHT BLIND”

my sister laughed at me

I realized after two seconds that that wasn’t going to work ‘cause I couldn’t see the adds, and I had to murder them, too, sooo I put my glasses back on, and it was AWFUL

The “shoot the canisters” part of the fight was SOOOO easy, I was v concerned that I’d messed something up because it was so simple? Just waves of collectors? and then it just FALLS? I was Suspicious.

The Illusive Man chimed in with a “haven’t you people ever heard of working toward goddamned human supremacy” and wanted me to SAVE??? the collector base???? for “““RESEARCH”““???

So I said, “yeah, that’s fucking dumb, we’re not going to do that” and set the place to blow the fuck up

AND THEN I HAD TO FIGHT THE FUCKING TERRIFYING HUMAN REAPER THING AND IT WAS GROSS AND DIFFICULT BUT I WON IT WAS GR9 I DIDN’T EVEN DIE ONCE!!! OR RUN OUT OF AMMO!! IT WAS AMAZING! A MIRACLE!

So then everything blew up and THE PLATFORM STARTED FALLING AND I 100% FOR SURE THOUGHT TALI WAS DEAD

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TERRIFIED I WAS

I STARTED CRYING IMMEDIATELY AND THEN SHEP GRABBED HER HAND AND THEN LOST HER GRIP AND THEN THEY LANDED AND THERE WAS A GIANT BEAM ON TOP OF TALI AND I LEGIT STOPPED BREATHING

I STARTED COUGHING BECAUSE I WAS SO UPSET I STRESSED MYSELF INTO A COUGHING FIT IT WAS AWFUL I WAS CRYING AND MY SISTER WAS JUST LIKE “she’s Loyal, you’re fine, she’s fine” and I continued to freak out until she stood up and it was terrifying.

I then told the Illusive Man to fuck right off, stole the Normandy, and got my peeps together to murder some Reapers.

and BOY HOWDY THAT WAS A LOT OF REAPERS LIKE #YIKES???

SO That was the end of ME2!

A brief review: I liked bits of it, and viscerally hated other bits, tbh. I’m still not a fan of the mechanics, but once I figured out which guns to use against which enemies, things did get slightly better. I still hate the very idea of the Collectors--no one needs bug aliens who kidnap and liquefy people, I mean COME ON--but there was some cool stuff with that plotline as a whole. Also, I hate Cerberus, and I wish the game had let me more explicitly publicly pronounce myself as working WITH them out of desperation as opposed to FOR them because we believed in the same things.

Listen, Evil Martin Sheen, you underestimate how much I LOVE ALIENS and how little I care for the human race. So,

anyway

overall: not bad. Looking forward to the third one much more than I expected, tbqh, and that should be starting soon! I do plan to get back into the liveblogging swing of things, but that one WILL be over on the liveblog blog, found here. I’m hoping to start sometime next week, if not before then, as I’d really like to get to Andromeda before I have to fight the internet over spoilers. So, yeah! Thanks for putting up with this liveblog dying and being resurrected in this truncated form. I hope to see you on the liveblog blog for #Megan plays ME3 SOON! :D