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mellow-em · 3 years

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Bittersweet Temptations

CHAPTER 2

[special dt @bluewingedangel <3]

Your neighbors, Nathan and Elena, have been friends with your parents for years. Whether it’d be family gatherings or vacations, they were around; they were family. But when you return home from your final years of college, what will happen when you find that it isn't just them living in the house next door anymore?

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The afternoon sun brought in a relaxing mixture of natural light from the windows, but I wasn’t even remotely focused on it.

My right leg was bouncing hastily under the kitchen table while I prodded my salad with a fork. I tossed a particularly small carrot around in the bowl, swirling it around the sea of other vegetables.

“Are you gonna eat that or play around with it sweetie?” The sound of my mothers voice raced right through one ear and out the other one.

I only sighed in response, and leaned the side of my head on my hand, not bothering to look up at either of my parents that sat across from me.

They urged me to consistently have family meals with them today, in an attempt to dine on the experiences I had away at college. If they’d asked me to do this at any other time, I wouldn’t mind.

But my head was clouded by something else; or should I say by someone else.

Last night refused to escape my line of thinking. Even after it all went down, I went back to bed to try and fall back asleep, but it was absolutely no use.

The cunning quirk of his lips as he smirked back at me was an image that glued itself to the front of my brain. I reeled around in bed until sunrise, unable to silence my thoughts regardless of any persistence. So as of now, I was beyond exhausted.

“y/n? Are you alright?”

I jump faintly in my chair, with my fathers words pulling me away from my cogitation of the man from the pool, “I’m um.. I’m fine, sorry.”

I gave them a toothless smile as reassurance, but by the exchange of looks they both gave each other, they didn’t seem too convinced.

I shifted uncomfortably, and stabbed the carrot I was messing with. I slowly bring it towards my mouth, finally having the compulsion to take a bite.

Until the man’s wink decided to project in front of me, as if I was experiencing the whole ordeal all over again.

I abruptly dropped the fork into the bowl, resulting in a reverberating clash that not only startled my parents, but it startled me back into reality again.

“Jesus y/n, what’s gotten into you?”

I’m asking that same question, mom.

“Nothing, I uh- think I’m just tired,” the excuse flew out of my mouth in a panic, “I’m just.. I’m gonna go shower for the party later.”

I hurriedly sprung from my seat, and scurried up the stairs to the bathroom.

“Well that was smooth, dumbass,” I muttered out in the open, while slamming the door behind me.

That son of a bitch is driving me crazy, and I haven’t even had a single conversation with him.

I take a few steps into the bathroom, placing both of my hands on opposite sides of the sink, leaning over with my body weight. With my head bowed down to the direction of my feet, I suspired deeply.

This was stupid. The brief interaction was embarrassing, yes, but with how I reacted today during lunch, especially when the party was happening later on today..

I just needed to stop thinking about what happened last night.

Act like it didn’t happen.

It didn’t happen.

____________

Turmoil carried on in the form of muffled conversations, and distinct bass from the speakers on the lower levels of the house. Even being upstairs in my room, the walls weren’t thick enough to block the noise that derived from the party.

Of course, my dad’s annual excuse backfired, and instead of the party being fairly small, it was as big as the rest of the parties we've had in the past. Although I really shouldn’t be surprised, knowing this really has carried on for 10 years at most.

As of now, I could only assume that the booze was already out for everyone, and by the end of the night, I could guarantee that almost half the people here will be drunk. It reassured me though, especially when I’ll probably end up being one of those people.

I could use a little alcohol in my system; to let myself go a little bit.

While fixing the straps of my white sundress, I looked at myself in the mirror, making sure any scraps of exhaustion were not visible on my features. Despite longing for a few hours of rest, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t going to get much yet again.

With satisfaction, I back away from my vanity, and start for the door that barricaded me from the chaos.

The exchanges of laughter became much more pronounced as I slowly opened the door, and traveled down the hall. My feet carried me towards the stairs, shaking from the rumble of the speakers seeping through the walls and floors.

It was a blessing that the noise didn’t affect our neighbors enough for them to make complaints; but that was mostly because they were all here.

With each step down the flight, more of the party overtook my vision. Guests were dispersed amongst every room as far as I could see, gathering around each other in hopes of starting conversation over the music. It had been fairly crowded to say the least.

Immediately after I make it to the ground floor, I’m bombarded by my mother.

“Hey honey, Nathan and Elena are outside if you want to say hello to them!” her slightly raising her voice didn't really help much, with us being right next to the speakers. But I nodded letting her know I understood.

Turning away from her, I then faced the crowd of people in front of me. I start to weave my way through, making slight pauses along the way to thank them for coming. Most of the people around me had a slight stench of beer already, making me scrunch my nose; that smell is definitely going to linger afterwards.

Eventually making it to the door, I slide it open and step out, letting the freshness of the outside air fill my senses. I quickly noticed the difference between the outdoors and the impeded aura from inside the house. It felt like I was finally able to breathe.

After shutting the sliding door behind me, I strolled away towards the yard.

I made sure to make a slight detour to the cooler to grab myself a beer though, rashly cracking it open as soon as I got my hands on one. I take a swig while observing the guests around me.

As soon as I saw a familiar head of blonde hair a few yards away, I could feel myself smile widely. I hadn’t seen Nate or Elena in four years, and being back home now is making me realize how much I missed them.

The both of them had moved into the neighborhood about a year after my family, and that was over 15 years ago. Ever since then, they hit it off more than you could imagine.

They had all gotten so close to one another, that they’d have annual dinners together, game nights and tag along on all of our family trips. They would even bring in their ideal vacation spots up to us, which evolved into us traveling to entirely different countries most of the time.

While Elena and my mom went to any beach they could find, and my dad found the bar, Nathan really wanted to drag me along to the historical landmarks and teach me about everything he knew. It made our relationship blossom, and now I considered him my second father.

Plus, because of him I began to develop an endless love for history.

I liked it so much that I made the decision to go to college for it. Nathan’s reaction when I told him before I left was something for the cover of a photo album, and I just knew already that a million questions were going to arise when I got to them.

I stepped down from the deck, and walked towards them with my lips still curled in a smile.

As I made it closer to them though, my gaze became hazy. With my brows contorting, my confused demeanor became more visible with every footstep I made closer to Nate and Elena.

There was another man wrapped into their conversation. He was taller than the other two, especially Elena. I noticed his hair slicked back ruggedly, from above the others’ heads. Though, I still couldn’t get a proper look at his face yet.

I turned my direction slightly to discreetly see who my neighbors were conversing with. My curious nature was overriding my body.

I should have just listened to that universally cliche phrase.

Curiosity did kill the fucking cat, and I wish it would just kill me now.

From here, I had a clear view of his face. He stood there listening to Nate’s banter, with a cigarette wedged between his lips.

The lips I had been staring at the night before, along with the rest of him.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

By this point I would’ve been repeating my annual habit of staring in place. But fortunately, I turned on my heal sharply to try and escape.

“Oh my god y/n?” My breath hitched while Elena's voice rang out towards me.

Well great.

I held that particular breath in as I turned my body once more to face her. My warm smile returned to my face, but a layer of embarrassment and panic riddled beneath the surface.

“Elena, it’s so good to see you,” I went over and wrapped my arms around her carefully, keeping her baby bump in mind, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she returned the hug, leaning close to my ear, mumbling, “especially when I’ve had to deal with him all alone. I swear sometimes I really question whether the pregnancy hormones are hitting me or him harder.”

I look over at Nate for a quick second, stifling a laugh while I let go of Elena. The two of us continued laughing faintly, certainly gaining the attention of Nate.

“What are you two laughing about? What’d I do this time?” Nate looked genuinely perplexed, which made it funnier.

“Oh nothing, Nate,” Elena and I looked at each other, smirking as she spoke.

Even with Elena and I’s pleasant interaction, that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach just wouldn’t quit. I just knew he was watching my every move.

Especially, when in the corner of my eye, I watched his travel with me as I went to give Nate his hug.

“It’s good to have you back, Crash.”

Hearing the nickname took me away from my thoughts on the man behind me for a moment, and made my smile lift.

“It’s been too long, Aku.”

We stayed this way for a few more seconds, until I feel him pat my back. I let my arms fall away from him, and return to my spot in front of them.

I then feel my head slowly turn over to the unknown one of the three; well to me he was unknown.

“So who’s this?” I cross my arms in front of me, anticipating an answer from one of them.

But silence continued to radiate around us.

They all stood there, exchanging looks with one another, making me raise one of my brows. While awaiting a response I decided to take a long sip of my beer, feeling the cold liquid slide down my throat.

That is, before Nate finally spoke up, “Y/n, this is Sam,” he paused, and I could see the hesitation written all over him, “Sam Drake.”

I almost choked on my beer as soon as I heard the last name. I thought for a solid minute that my eyes were going to fall out of their sockets.

“Is this your-” I pointed between the both of them.

“He’s my older brother.” Nate finishes my sentence, as he scratched at the back of his neck.

My face fell even more if it was even possible.

Wait.

Nate was in his early forties to begin with, so that would make Sam…

I looked at Sam’s face intensely again, specifically at the wrinkles that were tainted across his face. Now that my brain was functioning properly, unlike last night, I noticed how many there really were.

Great. Not only was I checking out Nathan’s BROTHER, but the man that was more than twice my age.

Fuck.

#sam drake x reader #sam drake #samuel drake x reader #samuel drake #uncharted fanfiction #sam drake fanfiction #uncharted #naughty dog

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sixteenthshen · 4 years

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post-finale stuff

Possible spoilers. Beware

Last night, I happened to check the scriptwriter's Weibo and saw that she had liked this fan's post. It's the only non-work related Weibo post that she had liked, so of course, I went to read it.

The fact that this is the only fan post she's given her approval to must mean that it is on point and she agrees with the characterisation. I thought it's pretty good, so I've gone ahead to translate it here. I own 0 rights to this. I just thought it's a good perspective that may help others like me who struggled with the ending.

I think I've mostly made my peace with it now, and to sum it up:

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they are.

A-Xu never once blamed Lao Wen for how things turned out because he understood that. And he’s clearly a better person than I am (lol).

Let me be clear about my stand - the real victim of how the drama unfolded in the last six episodes is WKX. When we feel our hearts ache for ZZS, it's because the show let down WKX (the character). If your heart is only hurting for WKX during episodes 33-34, you should try to ship WKX with someone else, ok? If you think the last six episodes were great and that WKX was very romantic (and only romantic), then I honestly don't know what to say.

I ship wenzhou. That means I like both Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. I want them to love each other, be good to each other and live happily ever after. And I want them not to be OOC.

The rest behind the cut. Spoilers for the whole drama.

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First, the source. Here is a link to that Weibo post, by 爱吐槽的栗小姐. I will delete this if requested by the OP - because this is really in a grey area imo. But I think the intention of a public post is for it to be shared? (especially something like this, which argues a point)

Secondly, the poster does try to be fair in her post, but as the problem here is WKX's ruined characterisation, ZZS's character is analysed primarily concerning this issue only. There's quite a bit left to ZZS's character and backstory that isn't relevant. I believe that's why the post doesn't elaborate on it, or so I hope.

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Ever since WKX faked his death, I received three to four waves of fellow sister fans' mournful wails: "Lao Wen actually faked his death; does he have a heart?" "They were supposed to be of the same heart and treat each other with honesty. How did they regress?" "What happened to their innate soulmate-ness?" "Why does A-Xu always say to face things together, yet Lao Wen always keeps his plans from him?" "A-Xu loves Lao Wen, yet Lao Wen only loves himself"…….

Wait. What have you guys misunderstood about the meaning of soulmates?

Soulmates are about values, but a person's behaviour… that's methodology FFS!

(Do they no longer teach this in political affairs class in high school anymore?)

Wenzhou, these soulmates, are incomparably compatible and mesh well in terms of values. According to the scriptwriter, the entire jianghu wants and tries to get the pieces of Glazed Armour, save the two of them. Not only do they not care for the peerless martial arts, immense power, nor the massive wealth that the Glazed Armour represents, they don't even care for the power they hold in their hands –Ghost Valley and the Window of Heaven. Both of them willing to give it up without a second thought.

Before they met each other, they were so tired of (ZZS) and so angry at (WKX) this earthly world that they didn't even want to live on anymore.

After they met each other, they gradually began to feel the warmth in this world again. How nice it would be if they could live in seclusion, hand in hand and just bask in the sun.

In this world, where everyone else is fighting for power or wealth, they are true soulmates. To intelligent people like them, whether or not they're honest about their identities or secrets is merely a matter of formality. They had already determined their attraction to the other's soul early on and have never doubted it.

There may be some here who would criticise loudly at this point, "Then can't you be more considerate for your soulmate (the actual phrased used is "spiritual companion")? A-Xu has said many times, let's face everything together, I'll bet that you will be honest with me. If you really love him, then why can't you care for his feelings?"

----- You guys, you've never been married.

If two souls meeting can naturally resolve all behavioural conflicts and disagreements, then the theory of "breaking in" * would not exist.

Let us take a look at what kind of a person WKX and ZZS each are.

Wen Kexing, he's a lone wolf.

After his parents' death and his entering the Ghost Valley, his smooth sailing life suddenly fell off a cliff. Ever since then, the only person he could rely on was himself. That deep-seated hatred is carved into his bones, yet he can't speak of it to anyone else. He isn't the same type of person as the rest of the ghosts in the Ghost Valley; he isn't the same type of person as A-Xiang, who he raised. If we talk about the world and everyone who lives in it, he doesn't have any fetters or feels any (positive) emotions.

His supposed craziness is a form of indifference. He's indifferent to others' lives, nor his own, because he just doesn't care. (T/N: I think he does care for his own life, but only for revenge, after that, he's indifferent. Indifferent isn't suicidal. I don't know why some fans seem to be confusing the two. Although he didn't plan to, if he somehow manages to stay alive after getting his revenge, WKX will continue to live on, even if it's only to keep A-Xiang happy because he is indifferent.)

Growing up like this, being solitary became his style. He's used to doing everything alone, used to making his own decisions, used to digesting all his emotions himself.

Every time he argues with A-Xu, he digests his emotions himself. The next day, he faces A-Xu with a smile again.

This is how he loves, to take it upon himself to face danger, difficulty and pain alone. It's how he had supported A-Xiang all these years in the Ghost Valley and what he's used to.

While Zhou Zishu, he's a lead horse (of a herd). **

Since a very young age, he's taught to take responsibility. He's used to bearing everything on his shoulders, be it the responsibility of his family or the responsibility for the Four Seasons Manor, even the responsibility for saving commoners from disasters.

Unlike the lone wolf, the lead horse is ultimately a social animal.

Regardless of his identity as the Manor Lord of the Four Seasons Manor or the Leader of the Window of Heaven, he's always the one to lead the herd and rarely fights alone. So, A-Xu not only has leadership ability but more than that, he also knows how to be tolerant and accepting of the differences of his team members. You can see the various ways he managed to influence Lao Wen along the road; he's firm when he needs to be and soft the other times. It's absolutely textbook in managing your lover workplace management.

Zhou Zishu believes in communication whenever there's a problem, that they should be open and honest. So, teamwork is what he's used to.

Does it mean that when a horse and lone wolf fall in love, that there won't be a breaking in period?

Obviously not.

I guess this is where some may say again, "isn't this part of a character's arc/development? The two of them quarrel time and time again. Did WKX not grow at all from it?"

Of course, after meeting each other, they both grew and saved each other.

When he first left Window of Heaven, A-Xu was lonely with regret. Unlike the lone wolf who's used to doing everything alone, a lead horse without the last of his herd has no way to bear the bone-deep loneliness and merciless self-recrimination.

ZZS wandered around this world aimlessly until Lao Wen started pestering him, until he picked up Zhang Chengling, right up until he felt he hadn't singlehandedly destroyed the Four Seasons Manor. This lead horse finally regained a goal in life. He gained a partner and a lover. Lao Wen sticks to him, Chengling relies on him, and the abandoned Four Seasons Manor became like-new in his hands. He finally reconciles with himself.

When he first came out of the valley, Lao Wen carried a rage strong enough to burn the world down. But when he met A-Xu, he also met the beauty of the world.

When the Four Sages of Anji died, WKX understood how he caused innocent suffering. When Gao Chong walked to his death knowingly, he understood that although some may desire power, they could still be righteous and upstanding people. When he learned of everything Long Que sacrificed to protect his family***, he finally relaxed his guard.

There were so many types of good people and things that he saw along this journey that he hadn't seen in the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu told him he was a good person as they basked in the sun, he genuinely wanted to return to the human (vs ghost) realm and be a good man.

Along their journey, A-Xu made up for the morals and values that WKX lost in the Ghost Valley and showed him a new world outlook. He appeased Lao Wen's anger, tempered his extremism. The process wasn't easy, but not that difficult either, because, in the end, Lao Wen is kind at heart.

But in the end, being a lone wolf is how he survived and succeeded in a place like the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu was so heavily injured and needed a lot of rest (for Wu Xi) to save his life, Lao Wen suddenly recalled his enemies and how such an excellent opportunity to take revenge just fell into his lap. Everything was in place, and all he needed to do was hide it from A-Xu; he could leave for a short while and have it settled quickly. Upon returning, he could then live happily ever after with his wife. To a crazy lone wolf, why would he not take a gamble?

What he couldn't predict was the news would've been leaked (to A-Xu), and he didn't know that by doing so, he would've forever lost his love.

Both of them were using their own methods to love the other person. Zhou Zishu is more forgiving and accepting because being forgiving is in his blood. While what WKX learned in his years in the Ghost Valley is -- love needs to be protected, like how he has A-Xiang, who he considers a sister, call himself master (to protect her).

Only when faced with painful consequences can a person's deep-rooted habits and approach to things change. So I don't think faking his death ruined the characterisation of Wen Kexing, but I regret that the last two episodes did not have a scene to show us Lao Wen's heartbreak when he learns the truth.

Until I know what it feels like to have lost you, I will only love you in my own way.

T/N:

*I can't think of the correct phrase for this as I don't read all that much about relationships >< please let me know if you know of it. Here, I'm referring to the process of wearing something new (like shoes) that will hurt at the start until it becomes soft and comfortable.

** I did some side-reading, and omg, A-Xu is TOTALLY the lead mare. Although he's not the stallion and weak/dying for most of the show, he's the head of their little family, and he expects "to be obeyed", aka, I'm not going to learn how to cook. Call me for dinner. Kthxbye.

From Rutgers' website: A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares, and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the "alpha mare"), even though one stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role even though she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has had more experiences, more close encounters, and survived more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; if this were so, then humans could never dominate a horse. Dominance is established not only through aggression but also through attitudes that let the other horses know she expects to be obeyed.

***I think this is important here because WKX wasn't crying for his loss. I think a big part of him was realising not everyone in the world was callous and turned their backs on his parents, that he could've gone his whole life without ever discovering what sacrifices some people have made. Good people suffer quietly and in silence. It's a big moment to realise he was wrong about many things that he had let hatred blind himself to the world. Because although he was sad about the Four Sages and somewhat shocked by Gao Chong's death, he hadn't truly faced up to his actions until now.

(screenshot of the scriptwriter liking the above post)

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To add:

I'm not sure how many of you read my "opinion" posts, but I've been struggling to find a way to accept the last six episodes of Word of Honor. I first tried looking at open forum postings, comments, and Tumblr posts. None of it worked because it was just arguing and emotions and no one made points good enough for me to accept things.

So I gave up and went back to reading Chinese sites. I found many posts discussing the plot. Some I liked, some I didn't, but none satisfied my need for a reasonable explanation. I felt they had biases (both ways), or else it lacked logic. After a time, I realised that I should be looking for WKX-stans (or pro-WKX fans) because they would be more motivated to explain his side, but also because well-written posts by wenzhou-fans & ZZS-stans made me super sad.

I'm sorry, but those who keep trying to explain why the ending was good completely missed that episodes 32-34 are the real problem to those who don't like it and only focused on 36. I can understand if people don't think those episodes are a problem, but no one could provide an articulate and sensible reason. There are just too few well-reasoned plot-focused posts in English (sorry). I've seen too many examples of WKX-fans arguing with people who are upset about the ending, backed by nothing more than "look how much WKX suffers, woe is him. And how romantic is this????" *dies*

Lastly, if you spot anything inaccurate, let me know & I will correct it.

#word of honor #word of honor meta #wenzhou #opinion #i think this counts as meta #if you think the drama did WKX justice #and that he can do no wrong #in the last 6 episodes #....#......#srsly #you can't claim to ship wenzhou #& think the last 6 eps are perfect

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wildernessuntothemselves · 2 years

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Not me literally dreaming about yamqn after reading the new chapter... twice in the same night. First time taehyun show up in any of my dreams. That's what I get for reading drunk in bed -_-

First dream was basically me spoiling taehyun rotten lol. Full on babying him and watching he soften and melt more and more. Surprisingly nothing sexual, just confort and reassurance to the max for him.

(lord tyun is indeed a emotionally stunted prideful baby. that's cute and sad at the same time. i'm glad oc finally got around to understanding his love language and having the patience to be compationate with him and his trauma related boundaries. the little tic you added was a nice touch to convey his inner turmoil in some moments.)

Second dream I was the assassin tasked with killing the king and yeonjun. I had so much fun killing the old thing lol. Killing yeonjun was half sad half sensual - he looked so confused but so entranced, and in pain but also relieved (? as if he wanted to die? he looked like he was enjoying it) Somehow in the dream my "payment" for the job was to have my sentence changed from being beheaded to becoming beomgyu’s personal slave??? (I am not even into that sort of thing! help)

And talking about Beomgyu... YES!! HE IS ALIVE AND INSANE AND MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER!! Why do I feel weirdly proud of him?? Like, yes baby, do your thing! That's what the man in your family get for treating you like a weak good-for-nothing! Go paint with their blood and dance on their graves!! God, I waited so long to see that happen!

Also, Kai... my dude scrambling over every excuse in the book to blindly defend his friend awful actions regardless?? I can't even even condemn him cause that's exactly what I've been doing for beomgyu (except the rape. nothing justify rape. but that's not the point here) lol. And him basically telling oc "we are talking about beomgyu... just go already bitch 🙄" every few paragraphs?? He feels so bitter but so relatable now lol. I guess I was supposed to hate him, but it didn't work, I get him.

I have a lot more to say but this whole rambling is already a mess, so I will stop now and try to organize my brain first.

~♡anon

ahhhh I want your dreams 😭 i think about yamqn every night and every day so I can develop the story, why do i not get the dreams? 😭

your dream about taehyun was actually something i had originally wanted oc to do. there would've been scenes where she would baby him and he would let her because he never got to experience being doted on before. but unfortunately, tyun's character was resistant lmao so sadly now those scenes only belong in an alternate universe where gyu wasn't so crazy and oc and tyun were allowed to develop their relationship naturally without interference. sighhhh it would've been so cute

this is so interesting! i didn't conceptualize yeonjun as that but i also didn't really give many details about him so this is very valid. imagine a yeonjun who actually didn't want to be the next king and he saw how terrible the state of his family is and how his little brother was going crazier by the day but he couldn't do anything so when he realized he was getting killed, he was kind of relieved to be free from this horrible life. awww you made me feel sad for him and i actually hated him a lot as in my mind he was modeled after my older brother lmao.

beomgyu personal sex slave? 👀 😏 sign me up

our murder baby diaper yandere is flourishing 😭 go baby slay them (literally) you're doing amazing sweetie

you're not actually supposed to hate him (but it's okay if people do) but i wrote him as a very passionate and protective but kinda immature boy. he is also kind of sheltered by tyun but at the same time he is fiercely defendant of him. it makes sense that he'd want to protect his brother and he's proven right more and more everyday. it's unfair but oc is risking a lot of people's lives by staying so he has a point in that. his defense of jaeyun is less understandable but i think he just sees it as the beginning of the end. to him it starts with jaeyun and ends with taehyun. and ofc because jaeyun is his closest friend so he's going to make excuses for him

#i'm so glad you liked it babe ❤️#mort talks #yamqn #♡anon

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agentnico · 3 years

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The Suicide Squad (2021) Review

This may be the better of the two, but the first Suicide Squad film will always hold the crown for managing to win an Oscar... somehow.

Plot: The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world -- Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.

“So that’s it, huh? We’re some kind of suicide squad?” says Will Smith in the original first film, with the line in itself being a poor attempt at a fourth wall break, yet, that movie never reached that promise of being a true Suicide Squad film. Because hardly anyone died, and as a whole David Ayer’s film was a generic mess, regardless of studio interference or not. In comes James Gunn from Marvel, who seems to have cracked the code for how to bring this comic book series to live action in proper gratuitous form, with even the ‘The’ in the title symbolizing that this is the one!

I remember going to see the first Guardians of the Galaxy film at the cinema, and back then I was still only just getting acquainted with watching western media, and that included superhero films. Heck my first ever Marvel movie was Thor: The Dark World! I know, what a banger to start with.......NAAAWT!! Anyway, I went to see Guardians and it was one of the first superhero films I came out of feeling like I truly witnessed something special. It had action, comedy and a good heart to it, and wouldn’t you know, my good old pal James Gunn was behind that flick. I don’t know why I called him my good old pal, I don’t even know the fella. Except in my dreams, but we don’t talk about that. So, flashforward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which I absolutely hated, and for that movie I’m pretty sure Marvel gave Mr Gunn mostly full reigns of creative freedom, as long as he kept it family friendly, and the result was a mess. Hence naturally now I was really sceptical when James Gunn ended up at Warner Bros. following the controversial moment when cancel culture decided to aim it’s slimy fingers at him, as he was given directing and writing duties for this new The Suicide Squad film, and also it was heavily insinuated that Warner Bros. basically told him he could do with the movie whatever the f*** he wanted, excuse my French. And we remember how it panned out last time when James Gunn was given a lot of creative freedom.

Flashforward to present day; here I am wondering and scratching my head thinking what in the heavens has happened, as by golly I am happy to report that The Suicide Squad is a total winner and a blast with a capital B - Blast! Gosh goodness golly goblin, this movie is so much fun from beginning to end. Right from the opening sequence you know that this film isn’t holding back any punches. It’s going at a 447.19 km/h speed of a Koenigsegg Agera RS crashing through any barriers like it’s nothing. Speaking of the opening sequence, it establishes why the movie is called what it’s called from the get-go. You straight away are proven how not a single character is safe, minus the obvious one that we know who it is, as there ain’t no way Warner Bros. would have allowed James Gunn to kill off that one character. But besides that person, everyone else feels like they could die at any given moment. That’s really a big charm of it, as it is frustrating how in many superhero films, let alone any blockbuster action flicks, so many characters always feel so safe and unstoppable, no matter how many times they get shot or how many buildings crash down upon them. And yes, this movie features a certain CGI character that constantly gets that treatment and survives, although it’s very self aware in that regard and is purposefully humoristic. But overall the entire set of characters feel easily disposable, and so so many of them die in such gruesome fashion, so indeed don’t get attached, as they don’t.

Speaking of which, this movie is hardcore gory! You see limbs and intestines flying round left and right, a guy gets ripped in half by a humanoid shark, another’s face gets teared off by a shotgun bullet and so on forth in all kinds of gruesome fashion. Visually this is one for the big screen, as here’s the thing: you’re either a mummy’s boy or you grow some cojones and go see a man’s heart get stabbed with a piece of debris glass in 4K high rate definition! Your choice! Oh, and it’s not just the violence, also the cinematography and the practical set pieces all look incredible. This is easily James Gunn’s best looking movie. The entire think LOOKS incredible!

We also have to talk about the cast, as they are all great! There literally isn’t a single weakling among them. Each one, no matter how big or small their role is, brings something to the table. I can’t talk about all of them, as we’d be here all day, so I’m simply going to mention a few of the stand-outs. Idris Elba comes in to replace Will Smith as a character called Bloodsport, who is in some ways a different character but evidently is a replacement of Smith’s. But that’s no bad thing, as with any ensemble movie you still need a main character to latch onto and have an emotional hook towards, and he is that character. In fact, I’d say he’s arguably better than Will Smith in the last movie, or at least he seems to be having more fun here. He works as a solid leading man, however what works even more is his banterous competitive genital-size-measuring back and forth with John Cena’s Peacemaker, who by the way is awesome as that character. He is not a good character, in fact he is as bad as a bad guy can get, especially cause he’s someone who believes that what he is doing is right, making him much more of a dangerous wild card. This is easily John Cena’s best role, with him adding to the comedy one-liners, but also delivering such an interesting character who I’m looking forward to seeing more of in his standalone spin-off show confirmed for next year. Oh, and he wears a toilet helmet on his head which he defines as “a beacon of freedom” which says it all. We also have returning characters from the last film Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis as Rick Flag and Amanda Waller respectively, and both are given much more room to stretch their talents and spread their beautiful acting wings like the Hollywood angels that they are. Kinnaman’s Rick Flag is the moral compass of the group, as even though Elba is our main guy, he’s nonetheless a villain still, whilst Flag is a genuinely good guy and what is defined as a true American hero, to which Kinnaman fits the part well. And Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is on an absolutely different level. You can tell she’s an Academy Award winner through and through, as she plays such a serious character in an otherwise goofy movie, and so her presence is felt and it is felt BAD! She’s such a despicable yet intimidating personality and she gravitates all of the screen presence to herself. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, and she gets even more chance to develop this character that she’s played in multiple DCEU films now, and as per usual the Harley Quinn shtick works well for her, though I do kind of wish she didn’t always get all the attention. Look, I think she’s a fun character and Robbie plays her well, however she’s constantly used to overshadow others in these films which I don’t think is too fair, and its evident as ever in this film too. Anyway, the remainder of the cast including Jay Courtney as Captain Boomerang, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Michael Rooker as Savant, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 (who gave me strong A Plague Tale: Innocence vibes) and many more all play villains, but villains that don’t have particularly great superpowers. This is where the tragedy of Task Force X as a team plays a part, as many of these villains aren’t even good at being villains. They are useless, and the movie is really self aware of this and so treats all characters as they should be. Dare I also not forget to mention the CGI characters in this film, with both Weasel and King Shark being absolute scene stealers!

The Suicide Squad is the type of wham-bam-thank-you-mam batshit crazy entertainment which exists for the pure reasons of fun. It doesn’t set out to be the best superhero film ever, nor does it need to be. It’s an exhilarating, shocking, funny and amusing ride from beginning to end, with the energy never stopping, and is easily the best time I’ve had with a comic-book film in a long while, and I’m even talking about before COVID! Do yourself a favour and watch this one as soon as you can, as I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - The Suicide Squad is a BLAST!!

Overall score: 9/10

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bedbellyandbeyond · 3 years

Photo

Talk to a Doctor

(Story Post)

Dax had his doctor’s appointment right after Nari called. He explained everything that happened on the weekend to Syd who then proceeded to give him an exam. “You appear to be in good health,” Sydryn concluded after the examination. “It sounds like you had a thunderbird episode which may have caused or was influenced by a severe hormonal fluctuation.” “Yes, but I need to know what caused this…” Dax said. “This has literally never happened before. Not even close.” “I understand, but I don't have immediate answers for you,” Sydryn said. “I'm going to have some blood drawn so we can see your hormone levels. It could be a few days for the results. Meanwhile, have you talked with your case worker?” “Yes, and I have a meeting with her right after this…” Dax rubbing his forehead. “She's probably upset… I've become a liability after all.” Syd sighed and shook their head. “What makes you say that?” “The black vans that followed me around last night and today.”

“Ah… I can understand how that could make you feel,” Sydryn empathised. “It's fine, I get that it's all my fault…” Dax said. “I hurt Nathan, the love of my life, and I got Kent wrapped up in something he shouldn't have to be involved in…” He sniffled and wiped his eyes. “Now here I am trying to find a medical reason for just fucking up shit really bad… Maybe I did it on purpose, you know? I mean, Kent's a complete asshole, but I do find him attractive, and I love Nathan, but he doesn't have the confidence back to be intimate with me… I just thought I was more patient than that. I didn't think I'd hurt him…” Sydryn offered him the tissue box of their desk. “Don't be so hard on yourself. You're human. Your existence is inherently flawed. It's entirely possible there could be a medically explainable reason behind what happened on the weekend. It's also possible there was a little bit of motivation in there but it was amplified by your condition.” Dax took a tissue and blew his nose. “You think so?” Sydryn set the tissue box down on the edge of the table closest to Dax. “I believe you've mentioned before that the thunderbird will sometimes influence you to pursue your desires that you've been hesitant to pursue, is that not correct?” “Well, yes… When I was first realising my feelings for Nathan, they shocked me to get me out of my case worker meeting one night so I could bump into Nathan,” Dax said. “Moments like that have always frightened me a little. Just how much they know about those around me…” “Well you are dealing with a supernatural being with their own will and power,” Sydryn said. “I don't presume to fully understand the background they are coming from, but APID generally tries not to meddle with the desires of such beings with unfathomable ability because they are deemed unpredictable. We've established that you and the thunderbird are both different entities sharing the same body. It is possible their will to grant your desires took over.” “But, what confuses me is that I used to have more control,” Dax said. “It's like they have no boundaries now. They'll just take over whenever they see fit.” “This is where I’m hoping to be able to help you,” Sydryn said. “It could be that something has been affecting you that has broken down your ability to control the thunderbird. Usually, it is stormier weather that may weaken you, however we are not aware of that naturally occurring that night.” “Yes, there wasn't a storm in effect until I turned into the thunderbird,” Dax said. “Right, so look at it like this,” Syd said. “A cold shouldn't kill the average person with a healthy immune system, but someone who obtains an illness which drastically compromises their immune system, the common cold could now be fatal to them. I'm looking for the illness.” “Right, I understand…” Dax said. “I'm worried you might not find one.” “If there isn't one, we won't find it,” Sydryn said. “But you explained how you were ill that day with a fever and you reported that this Kent person said you were emitting pheromones like an animal in heat. I can't ignore that.” Dax shrugged. “I mean, Kent could be lying… He lies to himself all the time.” “Regardless, I will do my best to look for any biochemical issues that may have influence in this case,” Sydryn explained. “There are many factors to consider, including but not limited to stress, change in environment, change in physical activity, and change in diet. The body can potentially develop extreme reactions to any of these.” “What, like allergies?” Dax asked. “Possibly. Comparably.” “Okay…” Dax rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope you find something… It really feels like I wasn't myself at all.” “Well, we'll run all the tests.” Sydryn went to their computer. “In the meantime, might I suggest you sit down with the therapist to talk some of this out? It sounds like you're undergoing a lot of stress and you could benefit from discussing your feelings.” “Right… I shouldn't bore you with all my anxieties after all,” Dax said. “No, it's not like that at all. I am a fully licensed psychologist as well as a physician, however I do have other patients to see, and I find the resident therapist's methods to be much more amicable than I.” “Honestly, I appreciate your straightforward and blunt approach,” Dax said. “But I get it. You must be busy as well.” “If you'd really like to speak to me, you certainly can book another appointment,” Sydryn said. “It's really up to you who you're comfortable with talking to. I'm just not really practicing psychology as frequently, though I do take into account all forms of health in my practice.” Dax nodded slowly. “I think for now I just want to go home… I haven't been around enough to be a proper bird parent to Orpheus. She's driving Samara crazy.” “If I recall correctly, she’s a blue ringneck parakeet?” Sydryn remembered. “Yeah, I'm surprised you remembered,” Dax said. “That's why I appreciate you.” “I have several animals of my own, however they too are under the care of others as I live away from them for work,” Sydryn stated. “What kinds?” Dax asked. “Well, some dogs and others…” Sydryn said. “As much as I'd like to muse about our respective companions, I do have to ask if you need me for anything else before seeing my next patient.” “Ah, sorry. No, I'm good for now…” Dax said getting up to leave. Sydryn stood as well. “I believe if you talk to reception now, Köbi should be able to fit you in with a technician to get your blood drawn today.” Dax nodded. “Alright. If it's done today, when should I expect my results?” “We’re a bit pressed right now, so it could be a week, to be honest,” Sydryn admitted. “I will call you personally as soon as I have them.” “Okay,” Dax said going to the door. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” “It was an APID priority,” Sydryn stated. “Ah, figures…” Dax sighed. “D’accord, salut.” “À bientôt.”

#lore #Dax #Sydryn

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jobrookekarev · 3 years

Text

I Double Dare You: Cousins Edition

Chapter One of One

Words: 6231

Summary: Link dares Jo to give him another godchild, and Jo dares him to back to give her another godchild as well. Alex and Amelia agree, and Luna and Scout become big siblings.

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson, and Atticus Lincoln/Amelia Shepherd.

Characters: Alex Karev, Jo Wilson, Amelia Shepherd, Atticus Lincoln, Scout Shepherd-Lincoln, Luna Ashton, and Carina DeLuca.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences.

Additional Tags: Fluff, Pregnancy, Babies, Truth or Dare, Luna and Scout being BFFs, it’s a little crazy but just go with it.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

AN: This was a crazy idea that we threw around in the GC, and I decided to pursue it, and it turned out pretty cute.

……………………………………………………………………

Jo’s laughter rang through the loft as she leaned against Alex. Her giggles were joined by his own roar of laughter as Link sat on the riding pony. Jo and Alex had got the two foot tall brown toy horse for Luna for her birthday last month. But the sight of her partner on the little pony was the best thing Amelia had seen all year as she giggled.

“Yeehaw,” Link shouted as he rocked back and forth, waving around an imaginary lasso.

His time ran out long ago, but he was having so much fun that he just continued on riding. The four of them were all sitting around as Amelia sipped on her soda while Link, Alex, and Jo, were drinking for the first time in what seemed like a year. Ever since Amelia and Link had Scout and Jo and Alex had adopted Luna, their social visits usually consisted of activities for the babies. Since Link’s parents were visiting, they eagerly offered to take both kids overnight, leaving the four of them to have the first adult only evening in over a year.

The night started off with dinner and drinks and quickly turned into a drinking game of truth or dare with Amelia as the moderator, lest their drunken activities get out of hand. So far, nothing too dangerous or sexual had happened, although Alex’s hand was far too high on Jo’s thigh, and Link had nuzzled up to her pretty close, so it was only a matter of time.

After one last yeehaw, Link finished and came stumbling back to sit next to her on the living room rug.

“I was a cowboy,” Link said, giving her a big smile as Jo laughed so hard that she started hiccupping.

“You certainly were,” Amelia smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. “It's your turn. Do you want to go?”

“Yeah,” Link said eagerly before he looked over at the three of them. “Um, Jo, truth or dare.”

“Dare,” Jo said as she struggled to contain her giggles and hiccups.

“Okay, umm, I dare you to umm,” Link scrunched up his face in an adorably serious look as he tried to think of something.

Amelia's phone dinged, and she looked down to see a quick text from her mother-in-law, Maureen, saying that the kids had gone down for the night. The text was accompanied with a picture of Scout and Luna sleeping side by side, holding each other's hands as their heads were turned towards each other. She smiled and turned her phone so that the rest of them could see the photo. Link smiled as Jo took the phone out of Amelia's hand to kiss the screen.

She cooed in between her hiccups as Alex rubbed her back. “Aww, she's so cute. It reminds me of when she was a baby. I miss her being a baby. She’s so big now. She's walking and talking.”

“And getting into trouble, yesterday she got into the shaving cream on the ledge of the shower and got it all over the bathroom!” Alex laughed as he smiled at the photo with his crooked grin. “She looks so little and peaceful when she sleeps.”

Jo looked over at Alex and put a hand on his chest. “I want another one.”

“Me too,” Alex said, staring at her with a crooked grin as they got lost in each other's eyes.

Amelia wasn't sure how much of this conversation they would remember in the morning or if they would actually go through with it. As of last week, Jo was still adamant about putting off having a second kid since Luna was still in diapers.

“That's my dare!” Link said, pointing at them, as Jo turned her head back to look at him. Suddenly, he got very serious and leaned forward to stare at her. “Jo, I dare you to give me a second godchild.”

“Don't I get a say in this?” Alex asked, looking confused before Link quickly shushed him.

“Oh please, you've been trying to knock me up for years. Are you not excited to do it now?” Jo said, giving him a look.

Alex smiled and gave a shrug as he took another sip of his beer. “Fair enough.”

“This is so exciting. I'm going to get another godchild,” Link said, looking over and smiling at Amelia as she just laughed.

“Okay, but since I'm giving you a godchild, you should give me a godchild in return. Then our kids could be double best friends, just like Scout and Luna are!” Jo said, getting so excited that she started to bounce up and down.

“Oh yes,” Link said, looking back at her.

“Okay, hold up, cowboy, I don't think we should make this decision while you're inebriated,” Amelia said, trying to rein them in before it got out of control.

“Why not,” Link said, looking over at her with sad eyes. “Scout's over a year old, and I want him to have a sibling. Growing up as an only kid was so lonely. We said we would try for a second kid when Scout was older and if not now, then when?”

Amelia had to admit that she did want a second kid with him. She grew up in a big family, and although her family wasn't the best, she loved having a big brother. Derek was always there for her and she loved him. If they had another kid, Scout would be their big brother just like Derek was to her. She wanted that for her son and for her other child.

“Okay, how about we talk about this in the morning, yeah,” Amelia said, stealing away the last of the liquor and going to put it away.

“That's not a no,” Link said, looking back at her with a hopeful smile.

“No, it's not a no, but it's not a yes either,” Amelia said, pointing her finger at him, hoping that it would get through to his drunken brain.

“Oh, it's happening,” Link said before turning back to Jo. “We're both going to have another baby!”

“Yay, we're having twin cousins!” Jo said, throwing her hands up in the air as she squealed in happiness, while Alex just burst out laughing and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss.

……………………………………………………………………

A few weeks later, Amelia walked into the bathroom at the hospital looking for Jo in between the stalls only to hear her throwing up. She went over to see her hunched over the toilet right where Amelia had left her. She kneeled down and rubbed Jo's back as she continued to heave what little bile and water she had in her stomach. Eventually, Jo's nausea passed, and she sat back as Amelia handed her some toilet paper so she could wipe her mouth.

“Did you get it?” Jo asked, looking up at her.

“Yep,” Amelia said, holding up both pregnancy tests before handing one to Jo.

“How are you not puking right now?” Jo looked up at her as Amelia just smiled and bristled with excitement.

“I never really got morning sickness when I’ve been pregnant, and besides, I'm not pregnant,” Amelia said with a shrug as she struggled not to smile as Jo scowled at her.

“I hate you so much right now. I hope you're just as knocked up as I am,” Jo said as she glared at her.

“I'm not, but keep dreaming. Besides, you're the one who wanted to do this. You said, let's be pregnant together, it'll be great,” Amelia said with a smirk.

Instead of glaring at her, Jo squeezed her eyes shut as she put her hand over her mouth, and Amelia instantly regretted her words. Amelia's smile fell as Jo truly looked miserable. She had been throwing up all morning and, according to Alex, part of last night as well. Although she had never had much morning sickness, she knew how terrible it could be, and she felt for her.

Jo finally moved her hand away from her mouth as she let out of breath and opened her eyes. Amelia helped Jo up and handed her the test. Despite her morning sickness, Jo smiled, and Amelia couldn't help but share her excitement. Regardless of whether she was pregnant, which she wasn't, she was excited to get another niece or nephew from Jo and Alex. She knew the two of them would be so over the moon to have a new baby.

“Ready?” Jo said, smiling up at her as she tore off the packaging.

“I guess so,” Amelia said, with a shrug before she went over to the next stall.

They remained silent as they peed side by side before they washed their hands and sat against the wall as they waited for the tests to develop. Jo sighed and leaned her head against Amelia’s shoulders as Amelia wrapped her arm around her. Although Jo was Link's friend first, ever since Jo and Alex had adopted Luna and Amelia and Link had Scout, the two of them had become good friends as they became new mothers together.

Jo closed her eyes and sighed as they waited for the test to develop, while Amelia kept her eye on both tests. She didn't really think she was pregnant. She didn't have any of the signs. Then again, she didn't realize she was pregnant with Scout until she was ten weeks along. She was even further along when she realized she was pregnant with Christopher. Amelia was both excited and terrified at the thought of being pregnant again, but as she watched both tests develop two very dark pink lines, she couldn't help but smile. She gently nudged Jo as she picked her head up and gasped, putting her hand over her mouth as she stared at their pregnancy tests.

“We're pregnant,” Jo said, looking at her test again before looking back at Amelia, her eyes wide and a large smile across her face.

“We are!” Amelia said before they both looked at each other and exchanged a smile before they burst out laughing as they hugged. Although, she was apprehensive about having another kid initially. Now that it was real, she was extremely excited.

“Oh my god, I can't wait to tell Alex. He's going to be so excited, and Link too!” Jo said in excitement as she looked down at the test again. “Oh, we should do it together! Why don't we go see Carina, and we can get an ultrasound done, then show the boys the photos.”

“Okay,” Amelia said with a smile as she let Jo pull her up and out of the bathroom.

Although she was a little apprehensive about getting an ultrasound first off, she was a little bit excited. When she had Scout, she was so scared that he would have anencephalic too, but Scout was a happy and healthy baby. She felt more excited than nervous this time around, and she just wanted to enjoy her pregnancy. So she let Jo drag her over to the maternity ward as she babbled about how happy she was to see their babies.

……………………………………………………………………

“No way,” Jo said, again still trying to process the information, while Carina and Amelia shared a giggle. Jo was slack jawed and wide eyed as she stared up at the ultrasound screen that Carina had turned towards her. “No way.”

The two of them were sitting in the ultrasound room. Jo had completed Amelia's ultrasound and was happy to see that her little godchild was doing well and offered to be Amelia's OB, something she had eagerly agreed to. Now it was her turn, and Jo was currently laying on the bed with her legs in the stirrup and a sheet over her waist and knees. Carina moved the ultrasound wand inside her vagina to get a look at her currently very, very occupied uterus.

“No freaking way.” Jo was in her third year of residency for OB/GYN, and from the moment she saw the ultrasound of her uterus, she knew what was going on inside her, yet she still couldn’t believe it. “No freaking way.”

“I am just going to get a few more photos and once Alex gets here, I will let you two hear the heartbeats,” Carina said with a smile as she looked back at the ultrasound screen.

Amelia laughed again before she looked down at the picture of her own ultrasound. Jo couldn't believe that she was laughing and was about to call her out on it before the door opened, letting light into the dark room. Jo turned her head to see Link come into the room.

“Hey… Whoa,” Link said as he stopped in the doorway, turning pale before he looked over at Amelia.

She held up her ultrasound photo to him with a smile and a little laugh. Link's expression immediately changed to excitement as he rushed forward to wrap his arms around her. Finally, Alex made his way into the room, and just as Link had, he looked at her, then at the monitor, and turned pale. He just stood there in the doorway and stared at her, which was extremely infuriating.

“Twins,” Jo said, sitting up on her elbows as she glared at him. “You knocked me up with twins Alex Karev.”

Alex's jaw dropped as he put a hand over his chin, rubbing his beard as he just stared at her. “You're pregnant?”

Jo reached back to grab the pillow she was lying on and chucked it at his head. Alex was so in shock that the pillow hit him square in the face, and he didn't even blink. Finally, he seemed to come out of his daze as he came over to her and sat down on the chair Amelia had previously occupied. Alex stared up at the ultrasound and then back at her before doing a double-take.

“Twins?” Alex asked, his eyebrows nearly in his forehead as he just stared at her.

“Obviously,” Jo said, pointing to the two grey spots on the screen that held two little babies inside her uterus.

“Wait, you're not having twins, are you?” Link said, looking down at Amelia before staring at the ultrasound screen.

“Considering that the ultrasound wand is currently in my vagina. I'd say I'm the one with two babies in my uterus,” Jo said, glaring at him as well before laying back on the bed and crossing her arms. “But no, Amelia just has one baby. I checked myself.”

Link shrunk back and hid behind Amelia, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek as she smiled, as they both stared down at their ultrasound photo. Jo looked over at her best friends as they had a sweet moment together before she looked up at her husband, who was still in shock. Alex was still staring, slack-jawed at the monitor, but at least he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Carina laughed at the whole situation before she pointed at the screen where she had labeled each baby. “This one is baby A and this one is baby B. Although it's too early to tell if they're identical or fraternal.”

“We're having twins. We’re having two more babies,” Alex said, looking down at her as tears collected in his eyes. “I love them already.”

“I love them too,” Jo said, instantly tearing up as well.

Alex leaned down to press his forehead against hers as they both cried happy tears. He pressed his lips to hers as Jo let herself relax into his kiss. When Alex pulled back, he sat close to her and squeezed her hand as they stared up at their two babies on the monitor. She was both overwhelmed and extremely excited. Ever since they had started trying for a baby, they had both been so excited, but Alex was so ready for another child. He had already bought a dozen onesies, and Helen had sent them a dozen adorable large sized baby hats. However, they agreed to reuse most of Luna's things since half of her stuff was gender neutral anyway. At least now, the extra onesies would come in handy, as they would certainly need the extras of everything.

“Those are our babies,” Alex said, looking up at the monitor was such an affectionate smile.

“Our babies,” Jo whispered, looking up at the screen, studying each of her babies.

“We're going to need another crib,” Alex said, scrunching up his nose in excitement.

“We're going to need a new house, we can't fit three babies in the Loft. There's barely enough space for the three of us as it is!” Jo said with a shaking her head.

“It'll be worth it,” Alex said, leaning down and kissing her again, and Jo knew that regardless of how terrified she was to carry twins, it would be worth it.

……………………………………………………………………

“This is so not fair,” Amelia said as she stared at Jo, who was lying on the bed with a smile completely drugged up as her epidural kicked in.

As the two of them entered their third trimester, they agreed that they were both done with being pregnant, and they had been pretty miserable in the last few months. They had been doing everything to try and induce labor, but to no avail, until now.

They had been eating lunch together with their kids and whining together about being pregnant when Jo’s water had broken. Given that baby A was breech and both twins had large heads, Jo and Carina agreed that a C-section was necessary. Instead of being scared or anxious like Amelia thought she would be, Jo was actually excited to be in labor and had had a smile across her face ever since her water broke. Then again Jo had been an OB resident for a while now, and she knew exactly what she was getting into. So she just laid there, smiling and happily rubbing her belly.

“Oh your just jelly I went into labor first, but I have two Karev baby’s inside of me that have been torturing me for the past nine months, and now they get to come out, and I’ll be free,” Jo said smirking up at her, extremely excited for her C-section.

“Yeah, until they're here and they’re hanging off your boobs 24/7,” Amelia said, as she rolled her eyes, and Jo just shrugged, still smiling.

“Mama, babies here?” Luna asked, looking up from where she and Scout were settled in the chair across the room, watching a show on the tablet.

“Your sisters aren't here yet, Little Moon, but soon,” Jo reassured her with a smile.

“Mommy, my baby's here?” Scout asked, having heard Luna’s question and looking up as well. He had been calling the baby his baby ever since they got him a baby doll that they used to teach him about the new baby.

“Not yet bud, I guess they're still cooking,” Amelia said, looking down at her swollen stomach as she rubbed her belly.

One of the nurses Jo was friends with was supposed to be there any minute to take Luna and Scout back down to daycare. For now, they were all just hanging out in Jo's room. Luna slipped off of the seat and tottled over to Jo’s bed. To both of their surprise, Luna crawled up on the bed and settled next to Jo, who wrapped her arms around her daughter and cuddled her close.

“Hey babies,” Luna said, pressing her mouth against Jo’s belly to talk to her younger sisters. “Time to come out now.”

Amelia and Jo both laughed as Jo pulled Luna back to hug her close and placed a kiss on her head in between her two little blonde pigtails. Luna seemed content to cuddle against her mom's side, and Scout came over too, missing his best friend, and Amelia pulled him up to sit on her ever small lap as they started the show again. A few minutes later, nurse Sophie came in to take them down to the daycare.

“Bye, Mommy,” Scout said, kissing her cheek before he hopped down and took Sophie’s hand.

“Bye Mama, bye babies, come out soon,” Luna said, kissing Jo and then leaning down to kiss her belly before Sophie lifted her off the bed. Scout took Luna’s hand as they both waved to them as they left.

“I just heard from Carina, she is still getting the OR prepped, and I heard that Dr. Karev just got out of surgery and is on his way up,” Sophie said as she ushered the kids out into the hall.

“Thank you,” Jo said as Sophie closed the door before she looked back at Amelia with a smirk. “Still jealous?”

“Shut up,” Amelia said as she shook her head and looked away while Jo only giggled.

Jo closed her eyes and enjoyed a little bit of peace and quiet before she had to go up for her C-section. To be honest, Amelia was a little envious that Jo had gone into labor already. This was her third pregnancy, and at 38 weeks, Amelia was ready to be done. Jo had also been complaining about being pregnant with the twins from the very beginning. At this point, she was measuring at 45 weeks, despite being only 37 weeks and her belly was the size of a beach ball, compared to Amelia's smaller basketball sized belly.

Jo wasn't even supposed to be at the hospital, as she was technically on maternity leave, but Carina and Alex had her come in every day so that they could keep a close eye on her. Although, Jo was stuck at the nurse’s station doing paperwork and taking calls. Amelia, however, was eagerly committed to working up until her water broke. It was a good distraction from her frustration of not being in labor yet. Besides, she knew that when she went on maternity leave, she would miss surgery. So she had scheduled as many as she could and had two craniotomies later this afternoon.

A few moments later, Carina knocked before she came into the room. “Okay, Jo, the OR is ready.”

“Wait, Alex isn't here yet,” Jo pleaded, her smile disappearing as she frantically looked between Amelia and Carina. “I can't do this without him.”

“It is alright, Jo, you are only a few centimeters dilated, and your contractions aren't very close, so we're in no rush,” Carina said, coming over to reassure Jo as she placed a hand on her shoulder and Jo took a deep breath and relaxed.

Amelia squeezed Jo’s hand as she looked back at her and took another deep breath. Carina came over and sat in the chair on Jo's other side and took her hand. Jo closed her eyes and laid back on the bed, trying to relax until Alex got there. Amelia had gone through her labors with both of her sons without their father's present. She knew how hard it was and was so grateful that her friends and Bailey had been there for her, and she was determined to stay with Jo throughout her labor and C-section.

Ever since they had both gotten pregnant, Jo and Amelia had gone through most of their milestones together, although Amelia was a week ahead of Jo. Amelia had taught Jo all the tricks she used to make her pregnancy easier, although it was hard for Jo carrying the twins either way. They had found out together, they had gone to appointments together. They had even helped each other make up the nurseries as they had both bought houses side by side. Jo and Alex rented out the Loft to Levi and Link and Amelia finally moved out of Meredith’s place. Together, they combined their backyards to create one giant yard for all of their kids to play in together.

Suddenly, the door swung open as Alex rushed in, with Link just behind him. Carina got up and moved from Jo's side as Alex scrambled over to her. “I'm here, I'm here, Jo!”

Alex cupped Jo's face with his hand and rubbed her cheek with his thumb as Jo’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. “You made it.”

“Of course I made it. I wouldn't miss this for the world and I got out of surgery as quickly as I could,” Alex whispered to her as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

Link came up behind her as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, placing the other on her belly as they felt the baby kick, and Amelia smiled up at him.

“Alright, now that the other Dr. Karev is here, are we ready to go up?” Carina asked as she placed her hands on the railing at the end of Jo’s bed.

“Meredith’s still good to take Luna tonight, right?” Jo asked, looking up at Alex as he squeezed her hand.

“Yep, I called her as I was running up, and she said she’d bring Luna up once you're ready for visitors. Then she’ll take her home for the next few days while you and the girls are in the hospital,” Alex assured her as he held Jo’s hand up against his lips and laid a kiss on the back of her hand.

“And she's going to be there too, right?”

“Yep, she's going to meet us in the OR. Everyone’s there waiting for you.”

Jo nodded, signaling that she was ready to go and Alex helped Carina get Jo prepped to move as he put the hair net over her hair and checked her IV again before they took off the brakes and began to wheel Jo out of the room.

“Are you sure you're okay with all of us being there?” Link asked again as he gripped the railing and helped push the bed down the hall and Amelia walked beside him.

The plan was for the four of them, including Meredith, to be in the OR. Although Amelia had heard that several other people would be up in the gallery as the whole hospital was eager to see the arrival of the Karev twins.

“Yeah, it's just surgery on my belly. It’s not like you guys are gonna see my vagina,” Jo said with a shrug as Alex and Amelia chuckled while Link turned red.

As they walked down the hall, Amelia paused for a second, letting go of the bed rail as she clutched her belly. She had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the past few weeks, but they had ramped up earlier this morning, although she thought they had slowed down.

“Amelia, are you all right,” Link asked as he paused as well and put his hand on her back, rubbing up and down.

“Amelia?” Carina's gentle voice reached her ear, but Amelia didn’t respond as her contraction continued. When it finally passed she thought it was all over, until she felt a trickling of wetness run down her thighs.

“Oh boy,” Amelia said as she looked down to see her scrub pants turn dark as her amniotic fluid stained her pants.

“Your water broke. You’re in labor!” Link excitedly said, almost jumping up and down next to her.

Jo smiled as she looked over at her and reached out to squeezed Amelia’s hand. “I told you the babies were in sync!”

“Seriously, you too,” Alex said as he looked between Jo and Amelia.

“Okay,” Carina said, taking control of the situation. “Amelia, you stay here, and Dr. Link can go get you a wheelchair. I know we planned for either I or Jo to deliver your baby, but it looks like we might have to have someone else. I’ll have a nurse page either Lebeck or Connie.”

“Aww, I wanted to deliver your baby,” Jo said with a frown.

“Not my first choice, but they're nice enough,” Amelia said with a shrug.

“Alright then, hey Jenny, could you please page the on-call OB,” Carina said before she looked back at Amelia. “They’ll get you settled and check on your progress. Then after Jo’s C-section, I'll come to check on you and hopefully be able to deliver your baby.”

“Sounds good,” Amelia said, looking over at Carina with a nod. “Besides, I've done this two times already. I know what I'm doing.”

“Keep us updated though!” Jo insisted, giving Amelia’s hand another squeeze.

“We will,” Link said, as he grabbed a wheelchair from one of the adjacent rooms and helped Amelia sit down.

They waved Jo off as they continued down the hall before nurse Jenny took them back up to L & D.

“Ready to have a baby?” Link said, smiling down at her as his eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Yep,” Amelia said, smiling as she let his excitement fill her as well. She was so excited to finally have her baby. “Meredith and Maggie are going to be doing a lot of babysitting tonight.”

……………………………………………………………………

Several hours later, Jo was lying in bed with one of the babies on her chest with a newborn blanket covering them. Alex had the other newborn on his chest as he sat on the chair next to her. Her C-section had gone well and both she and the girls were healthy. She had been transferred into the postpartum ward, where she had breastfed them before the three of them took a nap. She had woken up a few hours later as one of the babies was fussing, but now they were doing skin to skin with each girl as they discussed names.

Still, she wasn't surprised when Carina opened the door to see that her new roommates were Link, Amelia, and their newborn baby girl as Link wheeled them into the room. Link had kept her updated on Amelia’s labor which had progressed normally, if not a little faster since it was her third. Yet, Carina had still had time to deliver the twins before going to help Amelia deliver her baby.

“Hey, you three,” Alex said, smiling up at him.

“Hey, you four,” Amelia said as she looked over at them as Jo and Alex exchanged a smile before they looked down at the babies in their arms.

“Guys meet baby A,” Alex said, gesturing to the little girl in his arms before looking over at the little girl on Jo’s chest. “And baby B.”

Link parked them next to Jo's bed as she moved the blanket back so they could see the little girl resting on her chest. She had the purple hat Helen had knitted, and her sister had the green one as their heads were too big for the hospital hats. Alex moved to sit down at Jo's bedside, and they held the girls next to each other. They looked exactly the same, but they were identical after all. They had the same big heads and round cheeks, although they were both utterly adorable and looked exactly like her. According to Alex, at least although, Jo thought they looked an awful lot like him.

“Still no names yet,” Link said with a laugh as Alex chuckled too and Jo just shrugged.

“At least this one's got a birthmark on the bottom of her foot so we can tell them apart,” Alex said, pulling a little girl’s foot out of the blanket to show them a tiny birthmark on the sole of her heel.

“It looks like Pangea,” Link said as he tilted his head to look at it.

“That's what I said,” Alex said with a smile as the boys chuckled, and Jo rolled her eyes.

“How are you doing?” Jo asked Amelia as Link and the nurse helped her into the bed.

“Exhausted and tired, but still kind of in awe,” Amelia said as she stared down with a little girl and her arms. “What about you?”

“Very, very much in awe,” Jo said as she looked down at the little girl on her chest before looking at the little girl in Alex's arms. “And pretty sore, but only a little tired as the three of us just woke up from a nap.”

“Lucky,” Amelia said as Jo giggled.

“We’ll probably take another nap soon, but we have to decide on the names for them first,” Jo said, rubbing her hand up and down her baby’s back.

“Do you want to know her name?” Amelia asked, transferring the newborn into Link’s arms.

“Guys meet, Sawyer Carolyn Maureen Shepherd Lincoln,” Link said as he proudly came over and showed them the little newborn who was the spitting image of Amelia with her nose, and chin, and tufts of dark hair.

“Poor kid is gonna have a great time with the paperwork on that one,” Alex said with a chuckle.

“Alex!” Jo lightheartedly snapped at him as she slapped his arm. “It's a beautiful name.”

“It's okay, he's kind of right. We could barely fit it on the birth certificate,” Amelia said with a shrug as Link came back over and sat in the chair next to the bed.

“What names did you guys have in mind? I know you were throwing around a few,” Link said, peering over at the little girls.

“Yeah, we have a few in mind, but we keep arguing,” Jo said, staring down at the little girl in her arms before adjusting the hat on her head as she thought of the names they had been throwing around.

“Jo’s still loopy from the drugs. She wanted to name one of them Clover,” Alex said, making a face.

“It's nice!” Jo insisted as she stared down at the little girl in her arms.

They had both agreed to do flower names as those were the ones they seemed drawn to. They wanted something that would be common but also unique enough that they wouldn’t have kids with the same name in their classes. So far, they had gone through a few names, but nothing seemed to fit.

“Do we still like Lily?” Alex asked, staring down at the little girl in his arms.

“Lily, I’m getting some Harry Potter vibes there,” Amelia said, raising her eyebrow at him.

Alex just snorted. “Only preteen girls would care about that.”

"Alex, you work with preteen girls,” Jo reminded him with a raised eyebrow.

He was already making plans to take the twins over to the Ped’s ward to show them off to all of his kids. They were eagerly awaiting the twin’s arrival, if not to poke fun at Alex for being a Dad of three girls.

“Oh yeah,” Alex's eyes went wide as he realized it. “Well, it was a long labor.”

“What are you talking about? My C-section was just an hour long, and all you did was pull them out and cut the cord. I've done all the hard work for the past nine months,” Jo said, glaring at him so hard she almost put him six feet under.

Alex could tell that he had messed up on that one and gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry Jo, you did do all the hard work and I did nothing. You were amazing.”

Jo accepted his apology as he leaned forward and pressed to kiss to her cheek and her glare lessened. She looked down at her daughter and tried to think of how the name would sound on each of the girls.

“I don't really think either of them are a Lily, besides it's too common,” Jo said, staring down at the little girl in her arms. “I think this one's an Ivy.”

“Yeah,” Alex said, looking down at her, she looked up as their eyes met before they looked down at the little girl in Alex's arms. “What do we think about Rose? She seems like a Rose?”

“I like it,” Jo agreed as she reached out to hold Rose’s hand as her tiny fingers wrapped around Jo's big finger. “Rose Meredith Karev and Ivy Josephine Karev.”

“My beautiful little flower girls,” Alex said, looking down at the twins before he leaned forward to kiss her.

Eventually, they all settled in, and Alex and Link lined up the bassinets in between their beds, placing the newborns inside of them as they quietly talked and took a few photos.

Amelia smiled as she looked over at all of the babies. “I can't believe Link dared you into getting pregnant.”

“I can't believe you let him get you pregnant after I dared him back,” Jo said with a smile as they exchanged a laugh.

“Best game of truth or dare ever,” Amelia said as she reached out to where Sawyer's hand had slipped out of the swaddle and she ran her fingers up and down her tiny arm.

“Yeah,” Jo easily agreed as she looked over at her little flower girls before she looked over to see that Amelia had laid her head back in her bed as her eyes closed.

Jo quickly followed suit as all of the girls got the nap they deserved while the boys looked over their daughters. Who would have thought that they would have ended up with three perfect little girls after getting drunk one night where Jo and Link dared each other to give the other another godchild, but neither Jo nor Amelia were complaining.

……………………………………………………………………

AN: I promised Coco that I would give her twins a while back and I finally did. Also, Jo really jinxes herself with this one. Let me know if you caught all the hints about the twins.

#jo wilson #alex karev #jolex #atticus lincoln #amelia shepherd #amelink #scout shepherd lincoln #luna ashton #grey's anatomy fanfic #grey's anatomy #otp: home and heart #my work #my writing #my fanfiction #luna wilson

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victoria-daydreams · 4 years

Text

Of Vices and Virtues

Chapter Ten: Old Wounds

AN: I really don’t know what to say here, other than enjoy!

Word Count: 4.3k

Trigger Warnings: unhealthy coping mechanisms?

Taglist: @azayamari

Chapter Eleven: Bottled Up

"Claudia," Erik called. "I'm bored,"

We were sitting in Central Park where I sat on a bench enjoying the fall season of New York. The sound of children playing freely with their parents was all around me, and I couldn't help but to wish that was the childhood I had. So carefree, so normal.

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked, too immersed in my reading to look up.

"I'd figured that maybe you would entertain me," Erik suggested.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled before I continued my reading, switching from both hands holding the novel to my left hand holding it open as I bit the nail of my right thumb.

"If you wanted entertainment, you should have stayed with Moira and Charles to watch the musicians playing," I reminded dryly, finally looking up from my book and turning my head to follow the sound violins being played beautifully.

They played Bach and Handel, then they moved to Mozart, and then they played some pieces that I was unable to identify, possibly compositions of their own. Their fingers moved as if they were dancing over the necks of the violins, the notes filled the air. The sound of high pitched laughter broke the daze I had gone into and my eyes darted to the source of it. A smile graced my lips as I watched a group of children playing tag with each other.

Erik followed my gaze, "How you ever thought about it?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Thought about what?" I asked back, turning my head to him.

"Having children of your own?"

"Maybe," I answered, slightly shrugging my shoulders. "If the world wasn't so cruel," I continued, sighing heavily. "I wouldn't want to raise my child in an environment that hates them the moment they're born," I added, shaking my head. "What about you? Do you want children?" I questioned, closing my copy of The Great Gatsby.

"I do," Erik answered, and I raised my eyebrows in shock.

"Boy or girl?" I asked again, turning my body to face him.

"Girl,"

"Aww, who knew that someone like Erik Lehnsherr would want a little baby girl," I teased, a smile on my face and Erik just rolled his eyes at me. "She'll be in good hands and well taken care of, she'll have a better childhood than the both of us," I proposed, nodding my head with a grin.

We sat in silence for a moment, Erik, I could feel him watching me, but I was too preoccupied by staring off into space, chewing on my bottom lip. Thinking of what could have been with my own family.

"Bombing aside," Erik began pulling me back to reality. "Did you have a happy childhood?" he asked, draping his arm over the back of the park bench, his body now facing my own.

"Bombing aside," I repeated, cocking my head to the side. "I would say I had a decent childhood," I corrected. "Until I was seven," I remembered, my hand closing and forming a fist.

"What happened when you were seven?"

"I found out that I was different from most kids," I stated quietly, a tight-lipped smile appearing on my face.

A high pitched squeal escaped from my mouth as I kicked the ball back to my dad before I ran around our small backyard the grass tickling my feet. A wide smile on my face as my bare feet hit the cool green surface, my toes digging into the earth. A bright yellow spot caught my eye, surrounded by a sea of green grass. I forced myself to slow down and stopped at the yellow dot, bending down I realized it was a dandelion. My grin grew wider and I snatched it from the ground, raising up from the ground I turned to the back porch where my mom and grandma were residing.

"Mama, look!" I yelled, proudly displaying my dandelion.

Mama lifted her head up from the sleeping of bundle of my sister and smiled at me, "That's so pretty, Claudia!" Mama cheered, and I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

"Claudia watch out!" Daddy shouted.

I turned my head immediately to the sound of his voice and the ball we had been kicking was on a straight path to my face. I let out a shriek and threw my hands out to protect myself. And just like that, it seemed like time froze. I peeked behind my raised arms and gasped, the ball hadn't hit me, instead the ball was suspended in midair surrounded in a pretty shade of violet. Confused, I lowered my arms and was shocked to see the ball slowly coming closer to the ground as I moved my arms down; I was controlling whatever force held it. I lowered the ball to the ground gently, before releasing the force around the ball.

"Mama, Daddy! Did you see what I did?" I asked excitedly.

No one answered me. It was dead quiet and I swallowed nervously, as I looked at my parents and Grandma. Mama had her hand covering her mouth and her eyes were wide open, filling up with tears. Seconds later Daddy was at my side. Grandma got to her knees, before clasping her hands together and began praying quietly.

"Claudia, what did you do?" Mama asked, in the most frightened tone I had ever heard her use.

"I knew my parents were horrified, even my father, although he never let it show. I mean why wouldn't he be. What I could do...it wasn't exactly normal behavior," I recalled, a mirthless laugh escaping my mouth.

"They didn't disown you, I hope?" Erik asked, a frown appearing on his face.

"Luckily, they didn't. Could you imagine throwing your seven year-old daughter out the house?" I speculated, knitting my eyebrows together. "That would be horrific!" I exclaimed.

"What did your parents do after witnessing your ability? How did they react?" Erik questioned.

"They told me they loved me regardless..." I trailed off.

Daddy knelt down in front of me and grasped my small shoulders, inspecting me closely, "Claudia…sweetheart…Mama and I want you to stay quiet about this. Alright?"

I frowned at what Daddy asked, "But why? It's amazing and so pretty!"

Mama knelt down beside Daddy and gave me a small, sad smile, "Yes, it is. But you have to understand something...sometimes...people get scared of things they don't understand," Mama explained gently.

I tilted my head to the side as I processed what Mama just said, "Why would people be scared?"

"That's hard to explain, honey. Personally...we don't know of anyone that has a...gift...like you do. If you showed others, they may react badly to it and they might hurt you," Mama tried to further explain to me.

I looked down at the ground. I had noticed Mama's hesitation about using the word gift. It made me wonder. "Are you scared of me now?"

At my question, both Mama and Daddy embraced me tightly. "No. No we're not," Daddy said with conviction.

"But you didn't believe them, did you?"

"You know what? I did actually. It was what my Grandma said that made questioned my parents true feelings about my mutation," I admitted.

"What did she say?"

"She told me that one day there will be a cure for me," I spat, recalling my Grandma's words. "I thought that would be the worst thing she would say to me, but oh how wrong I was," I went on, shaking my head.

"I take it you developed your empathic powers soon after," Erik guessed.

I nodded, "Two weeks had barely passed after my telekinetic incident, when I started to get these horrible headaches," I explained, my expression darkening. "That's when I began to pick up on emotions that weren't mine. I had told my parent's that I could feel their emotions as they passed through their minds. Of course, at first, they assumed I was playing around but after proving my talent to them both, they were shaken," I added.

I shook my head again, thinking back to how it had taken my family quite a while to get used to my empathy. To realize that a pain in your chest caused by the anguish that suddenly rose from no where was not your own, but someone else's. It was a violation in a way, and one that made my family hesitant to be near me.

"My grandma turned completely hostile toward me. In an attempt to get rid of me, my grandma suggested that they send me to psych ward because I was having a a mental breakdown," I stated, crinkling my noise in disgust while shaking my head. "God Erik, why did you ruin this beautiful day by making me recall my childhood," I groaned, running hand through my hair. "Now I actually need some entertainment," I mentioned, standing up from the wooden bench and walking away from him.

"Claudia, wait," Erik called, and I could hear his footsteps jogging behind me. "Come on, you know that was never my intention," he reasoned, falling in line with my stride.

Sighing, I looked over at him and nodded my head, "I know," I agreed. "You know I can be over dramatic," I breathed, my lips quirking up into a small smile.

A cool breeze blew through the trees of Central Park, bringing with it a flurry of freshly fallen leaves which stood a stark contrast to flocks of lively birds making their way steadily northward. My eyes scanned my surroundings, people were about the park as always, going about their business as only New Yorkers truly could.

"Erik," I began, sliding my book into my coat pocket. "Do you think I'm going crazy?" I asked randomly, facing him again

He cocked an eyebrow and laughed, "What? No," Erik answered, shaking his head with a smile. "I haven't seen one sign that you're losing your mind," he continued, his smile widening. "A strange question to ask Claudia, I have to say," Erik stated, with a chuckle.

I shrugged, "I have a feeling that Charles thinks I'm going crazy," I theorized, interlocking my fingers together behind my back.

"Don't be ridiculous Claudia," Erik grinned. "What would ever make you think that?" he inquired, letting out a hearty laugh.

"Why else do you think we took this impromptu trip here?" I pointed out, unlinking my fingers and sticking my hand in front of me. "He means wells, but all because I was distant two days ago, he's been like a mother hen," I complained, beginning to fiddle with the amber charm of my necklace. "Always watching me from over my shoulder and monitoring me. I haven't been able to really use my empathic powers because all Charles wants to do is focus on my telekinesis," I finished, a slight scowl appearing on my face.

"Here's a crazy thought, maybe he's just worried about you, Claudia," Erik replied sarcastically. "You have been a lot training these past two days, one would say too hard. You're not eating a lot, I noticed that you're up later than you usually are," he listed, ticking them off with his fingers. "Not to mention your temper has been shorter than usual," Erik remembered.

"I am not up late," I argued, knowing that the dark circles underneath my eyes I hid beneath my makeup showed all of the signs of restless night's sleep. "Nor have I been short of temper lately," I insisted, crossing my arms together.

"You cut your lights off at 11:00 pm on the dot every night. Recently, your lights have been on up until 1:00 am," Erik deadpanned, giving me a knowing look and my brow rose. "Yes, I've noticed that," he added, answering my silent question.

I really couldn't help myself from asking, "Oh, so you notice things about me?" I questioned grinning. "Because usually I have to tell you when you should look for something," I added, still grinning.

Erik rolled his eyes and laughed, "I notice things about everyone," he replied, and then looked at me slyly. "But I maybe paying some...extra attention to you,"

We proceeded down the walkway not sure where I wanted to go, but I wanted to be somewhere. I came across one of the many fountains in Central Park and lowered my hand into the water and ran the tips of my fingers over it. A thought crossed my mind and I lifted my hand, flicking water at Erik and drew back from the onslaught of the water droplets.

"You're such a child," Erik commented, his lips curving into a smile as he went to grab for my hand which I easily spun away from.

"I try to be," I smiled back.

I moved off the cement path and walked onto the seemingly endless lawn of the park. I made my way further onto the grass until we come near a thick grove of oak trees interspersed with some hearty pines. There were people spread out all over the field of all sorts, around the clearing's edges parents watched their children idly. Women read magazines or gossiped with one another while men ate their lunches or smoked amongst the trees, college students were laid on picnic blankets or throwing a football around.

Sticking my hand out I began to trace the rough bark of the tree next to me, beginning to walk in a circle. I closed my eyes and let my hand guide me around the tree, circling the tree twice in blissful content.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Erik asked, stopping me in my tracks and I opened my eyes, he was standing next to me, an amused expression painted on his face.

I glanced at him and smirked, "Whatever I want I suppose," I answered, continuing on my path around the tree.

Erik began to circle the tree as well only he went the opposite way, "And what is it that you want Miss Walker?" he inquired.

"I'm in need of some entertainment, just like you," I answered, turning around to meet Erik in front of the tree. He abruptly stopped once he saw me, our fingers brushed together momentarily before I leaned my back against the tree, looking at him with a mischievous grin.

"What are you about to do?"

"That man can't remember if it's his wife's birthday or their anniversary," I informed, still grinning.

I pointed to a bald middle-aged man who walked to the right of us with a confused, thoughtful look on his face.

Erik continued to look at me confused, "What?"

I slid my hands into my coat pockets jut as another gust of the autumn breeze swept past me, causing me to shiver and sigh contentedly as it ruffled my dark hair. I closed my eyes for a split second before opening them.

"That woman, over there? Found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Nice right hook, that one," I commented smirking, before shifting gaze away from the woman. "And that man..." I trailed off, as he happened to look back to where we were.

He was a tall, young man probably the same age I was, his blond hair was tousled most likely from the breeze which framed his blue eyes along with his square jaw. He shot me a wonky grin and I just smirked and wiggled my fingers giving him a small wave as I stared into his eyes, scrapping what I had originally planned to do and formulating a new way to have some fun.

"What are you doing?" Erik murmured from beside me.

"Just watch,"

Suddenly, the football he had been previously throwing came sailing back towards him and striking him on the back of the head. The man flinched and let out a groan of pain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey man, what the hell!" he exclaimed. His friend glanced over at me, seeing that I'm the reason why the blond-haired man didn't see the football coming. "Are you blind? Why didn't you hold the ball?" he asked angrily, storming over to his friend.

"Relax Aaron," the friend snickered. "Stop ogling at a girl and pay attention next time," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"You've got a problem, Luke?" Aaron asked, getting up in his friend's face.

"No, I think you have a problem," Luke said, shoving Aaron away from him.

I turned my head to Erik, "Are you entertained?" I asked grinning proudly, and Erik let out a short laugh.

I suddenly became aware of another presence near me and my head turned and gazed up at Charles.

"There you two are, everyone was wondering where you had gone off to," Charles greeted, a relieved smile on his face. "What are you two doing?" he asked curiously, his eyes bouncing between Erik and I.

"Oh, we're just watching a bit of entertainment," I answered, a smirk on my face. "Right Erik?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"That would be correct," Erik confirmed.

Charles looked over at me and followed my gaze, watching the shoving match between the two men.

"Oh my God, Claudia please don't tell me this is your doing?" Charles questioned, his eyes back on me now.

I turned my head to Charles, his was mouth set in a firm grimace, "What can I say? We were bored," I explained nonchalantly, with a shrug.

"That's enough Claudia, you've had your fun now," Charles declared.

"Hold on Charles, I think she's onto something," Erik disagreed, raising his index finger up. "No one is even paying attention to them," Erik pointed out.

"I'll never not be amazed with my powers," I remarked, looking around at people going about their day not noticing the fight happening in front of their eyes. "A little inducement of calmness works wonders," I mused, folding my arms together.

Within a blink of the eye, Aaron swung his fist out and it connected with Luke's face, sending him to the ground.

"Hell of a right hook," I observed, as Aaron got on top of Luke to continue his pummeling.

"Claudia!"

"You know Erik, I once made a man punch himself," I informed, glancing over at him. "One night I had this drunk customer screaming in my face, and I grew angry enough that I imagined punching him, and he somehow punched himself," I recounted, thinking back to my diner job as a teenager.

"Impressive," Erik chuckled.

"You should see what happens when I sing, with my power," I boasted, walking ahead a little bit to get a closer look at the two men on the ground.

I went to take another step forward, but hand held me back, keeping a tight hold onto my wrist. I looked back to see who the culprit was just as the wind gently ruffled my hair as I met the stern stare of a dreamy blue-eyed familiar face.

"Claudia, stop it," Charles demanded, his voice dropping an octave.

Sighing, I finally gave in, "Fine," I agreed, turning my head back to the men and restored their peaceful state of mind.

Charles glanced at Erik and I for a moment, and we all share a look.

"Let's go," Charles ordered.

~~~x~~~

"Hey, do you know what's wrong with Charles?" Raven asked, as she pushed the barbell up and back onto the rack. "He's been upset ever since we came back from the park," she commented, maneuvering her way from under the bar and sitting up.

I paused mid crunch and relaxed, looking between my legs to look at Raven, "Yes," I answered, sitting up and hugging my knees. "I'm the reason he's upset," I confessed, and Raven's eyes widened. "I did something that made Charles quite upset," I explained, pushing away the fly-away hairs escaping my bun.

Raven crossed her arms and wandered over to me, "Claudia Walker making Charles Xavier mad, I never thought that I'd see the day," Raven quipped, before sticking her hand out to help me up.

"Neither did I," I stated, shaking my head.

"I wouldn't worry, Charles can't stay mad at you. He likes you too much," Raven reminded with a giggle, as I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up.

The sudden motion made me feel dizzy, I slowly walked over to the towel basket and plucked one out, "I don't know Raven, he seemed pretty upset," I doubted, dabbing the cloth against my face and closed my eyes trying to stabilize myself.

"What did you do?" she asked curiously.

Opening my eyes as my vision had stopped spinning, I removed the towel from my face, "I made these two men fight for entertainment," I explained, and Raven’s brows raised. "Erik and I wanted entertainment, we had gotten bored at the park," I continued, beginning to leave the room. "Do you know where I can Charles? I should probably go make things right," I added.

"In the library, most likely. Where else would he be?" Raven joked, and I nodded my head in agreement and laughed before exiting the gym.

I wrapped the towel around my neck and made way down the hall admiring the paintings on the wall as I headed to the library. The door to the library was cracked, slowly pushing it open revealed Charles standing in front of the window. I walked quietly into the room but he didn't turn around, he simply waited for whoever had entered to speak first. Out of the corner of Charles' eye he saw me move to stand beside him, still not saying a word.

At last, I broke the silence, "It's clear that you're upset with me," I began, searching his face for a reaction, but there wasn't one.

"How about disappointed?" he corrected, still looking out the window. I turned to look at him again and I was surprised to find his face free of anger, his face was calm. "You could have seriously injured those men Claudia. Worst, you could have killed them," Charles stated grimly, staring at me.

Backing away from where Charles stood, I sat down on top of the sofa, "Oh, come on, I wouldn't have let it get to that point," I answered, crossing my arms and returning Charles' stare.

He turned all the way around to face me, "It should have never happened in the first place!" Charles argued, slightly raising his voice. "Why on God's green earth would make those men fight?" he questioned, throwing his hands up.

"For fun, I suppose," I answered, with a slight shrug.

Charles scoffed, "That's your definition of fun? he asked incredulously.

"Fun is interpreted differently from person to person," I countered.

"No, I don't believe that's the whole story. I have never seen use your powers so irresponsibly. What is going on with you?" Charles asked again, walking towards me.

I pushed off the sofa, "You have been mother henning me for two days straight and I'm at my wits end here! I needed a release!" I snapped, spreading my arms out. "I'm not myself for one day, and for two days you have constantly been over my shoulder like I'm some fragile-" I continued pointing my finger, until another wave of dizziness me, this time stronger than before.

I felt myself falling as my vision slightly darkened, but a pair of arms caught me before I fell to the floor.

"Hey, I got you, I got you," Charles repeated softly, my head leaning against his chest. He lowered us to the ground slowly, "I'm going to pick you up, alright," he announced, before hooking his arms underneath my legs and slowly lifting me up. He walked over to the front of the sofa and placed me down onto the plush cushions. "Good thing I've been a mother hen, right?" Charles asked smiling, his hand brushing away a stray lock of hair from my face.

"I guess it paid off in the end," I conceded, smiling weakly as Charles sat on the edge of the sofa.

He placed the back of his hand against my forehead and frowned, "Claudia, you're burning up," he noted, removing his hand. "I knew you were pushing yourself too hard these past two days," he continued, placing each of his hands down on the cushions on either side of my waist. "Why didn't you tell me, love?" Charles asked quietly.

He was tense, his hands were clenched into fist by my side, I lifted my arm and soothingly rubbed his arm and felt the muscles in his arm slowly release some of their tension. His blue eyes met mine and he relaxed a little more.

"I thought I could push through it, I've done it before," I explained, giving him a small smile in an attempt to make him feel more at ease. "I really didn't want you to start smothering me anymore," I added, a short laugh erupting from me.

Charles shook his head gazing down at me with worried eyes, "Yes, and look where it's gotten you right now," he remarked, shaking his head once more. "You are so guarded at times Claudia, you've got to learn that not everyone wants to hurt you. I want to help you, I truly do. But I can't do anything unless you can accept that," Charles stated.

I was shocked by his bluntness and stared at him in shock, being quiet for several moments and looking away. When I didn't answer, Charles reached for my hand and held my hand in his.

"Do you trust me Claudia?" Charles asked softly.

It was such a simple question, yet I knew it meant a lot more to Charles...and myself. I stared up at him saw the genuine concern written across his features, and knew that what he told me was true.

"You're the first person I have trusted in years, Charles," I admitted softly.

The telepath gave me the most adorable, beautiful grin of relief, "I'm honored," Charles answered, and lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the palm of it. The simple gesture made my stomach flip. "Let's get you some rest, yeah?" he suggested, nodding his head toward the door.

Chapter Twelve: What Are These Feelings?

#x-men fanfiction #black fanfiction #x-men fanfic #charles xavier fanfiction #charles xavier x oc #black!oc #magneto x oc #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr #erik lehnsherr fanfiction #erik lehnsherr x oc #black!reader #x men fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic #marvel imagine

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notebook-13 · 4 years

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BNHA History

Alright! I decided to assemble what we’ve been told about how society has changed since the advent of quirks. So here’s a rough timeline + my speculation.

Distant Past

≈200 years ago

The birth of a glowing baby signaled the beginning of superpowers. Considering the tremendous chaos that followed, I think it’s likely that the onset was fairly rapid—the glowing baby was the first of a lot of people all at once born with superpowers (or, it was the first baby born with a noticeable superpower). Crime skyrocketed, the law became meaningless, humanity came apart at the seams.

Why there was such an explosion of crime and chaos hasn’t been directly addressed; presumably it’s because early metas were violently shunned as nonhuman, and because new powers entailed the opportunity to use them.

Under these conditions, All for One rose to prominence. He used his meta power to win slavish loyalty, granting powers to those who desired them and removing them from metas who rejected them. His manipulation of his devotees was so great that he didn’t need to give them orders: they anticipated his will and acted on it. He didn’t tolerate dissent and crushed those who defied him. (ch193)

AfO’s period of de facto rule is not included in history books (he persists as a myth), so it’s unlikely that he occupied an official, publicly recognized position. But his rule apparently stretches from approximately the advent of quirks till the battle of Kamino Ward. (ch59)

However, AfO’s younger brother opposed him. AfO punished him by forcing on him a “useless” power-stocking ability. This power fused with the brother’s latent ability to transfer his ability, and the brother was able to pass it on. Over the next two centuries, the OfA holders continued to pass it on, largely to whoever happened to be nearby when they were dying instead of to selected proteges. (ch59, 257)

Relatively soon after the advent of superpowers, the police foreswore using them as weapons in order to keep the trust of the public. Vigilantes emerged to fulfill this role, attempting to mete out justice, and at some point the government authorized certain people (heroes) to use their powers offensively to enforce the law. Heroes were heavily criticized at first, but they eventually developed public support thanks to their strict adherence to the law (according to police chief Tsuragamae). (ch56)

According to the bnha spinoff Vigilantes, the government classified vigilantes into heroes or villains based on public opinion of them. (ch13)

MLA Era

How long ago was the Meta Liberation Army active?

Ch232: Redestro weakly implies that Destro was born before the beginning of heroes as a profession. This early date would also coincide with writing legislation to authorize heroes to use their powers to apprehend any other meta who used their ability.

Ch238: the MLA was in hiding for generations, plural.

Ch223: Redestro states the MLA has trained for “many generations”

So…somewhere between seventy years ago and more than a hundred years ago?

Regardless of the exact dates, Destro was born into a borderline period when there was intense prejudice against metas and official effort to coexist peacefully. When his mother defended him by claiming his power was a mere “quirk,” she was killed by a mob.

Sometime later, when the government drafted legislation to (supposedly?) promote peaceful coexistence, they recalled her idea of “quirk” and tried to use it as part of their reform. Destro, now an adult, opposed this and their reform, asserting that this was not the world his mother envisioned when she’d said “quirk.” (ch232)

He rallied metas to his cause, to bar any restriction of meta ability use, and the MLA fought the government for several years before defeat. It dissolved, many of its members in jail, including Destro himself. He penned his autobiography and then killed himself. (ch218)

Post-MLA, Pre-Symbol of Peace

Unknown number of years ago

Villain: “Seems like no one’s willing to break the law nowadays. All this whining about not selling out their friends. It’s a real pain. […] Man, I miss the days before All Might came along… I was young, and this country was a way more impulsive place.” (ch57)

Yagi: “I believed that this country needed a symbol so I started dashing headlong towards that goal. A shining light…hope. A wake-up call for everyone. As I ran, I swore I’d become that sort of man. People always had these worried looks. All the heroes in the world couldn’t slow the rising crime rates. Much more than now…they were truly scared.” (ch165)

This was an apparently cutthroat, impulsive period where efforts to curb chaos continued but found limited success. Crime was on the rise, something Yagi attributed to the idea that there wasn’t anyone (a “pillar”) for people to rely on. (ch93)

≈70 years ago

When Ujiko proposed his “paranormal singularity theory,” he was roundly rejected and mocked. Due to his own struggles with housing multiple quirks, AfO recognized how prescient Ujiko’s warning was, and he reached out to recruit Ujiko. (ch270)

(Note: Ujiko’s use of “paranormal” could mean he proposed his theory before “quirk” became the standard term, meaning “quirk” could be a rather recent change of language.)

≈35 years ago

AfO killed Nana. All Might was eighteen; he subsequently went to America to complete his training.

Symbol of Peace Era

≈30 years ago – Battle of Kamino Ward

Deku: “Ever since he appeared on the hero scene, his strength has won him undisputed popularity. Every year that he’s been active has seen a marked decrease in the appearance rate of villains. His existence alone is a deterrent to villainy.” (ch2)

Gran Torino: “[Stain’s] ideals and opinions…they’re gonna get out there. On the net. In papers and magazines. On TV. This age we live in, for better or worse, is one of suppression. But mark my words—people are gonna be influenced by this.” (ch57)

Shigaraki: “It’s not crazy to imagine that someone could commit an atrocity at any given moment. So why do they smile and mingle like this? Because the laws and rules are built on their individual morality, they’re convinced that ‘No one would ever do that.’” (ch69)

Shigaraki: “The reason these fools can smile and live their lives is cuz All Might’s always got that grin on his face. Smiling wide, as if to say there’s no one he can’t save!!” (ch69)

Deku: “All Might. Was there ever a time you really couldn’t save someone…?” Yagi: “…? … Sure. Plenty of times. Right now, somewhere out in the world, someone could be hurting or dying. It sucks, but I’m only human. I can’t save people who are out of my reach… That’s why I stand tall and smile. I’m the Symbol of Justice. The citizens…heroes…villains…I need to light the way for all of them.” (ch70)

Kid: “Nowadays people expect different things from heroes than they used to. It’s all about the entertainment factor and approval ratings.” (ch144)

Shigaraki: “You heroes pretend to be society’s guardians. For generations, you pretended not to see those you couldn’t protect and swept their pain under the rug. It’s tainted everything you’ve built. That means your system’s all rotten from the inside with maggots crawling out. It all builds up, little by little, over time. You’ve got the common trash, all too dependent on being protected. And the brave guardians who created the trash that need coddling. […] I don’t care if you don’t understand. That’s what makes us heroes and villains.” (ch281)

After about two centuries of chaos, Japan achieved stability after All Might established himself as the Symbol of Peace. All Might was specifically noted to have demolished most organized crime, so that villain teams were relatively rare (ch83, 115, 125). As Shigaraki put it, now people could go about their lives confident of their safety because All Might convinced them that everything will be alright, a hero will take care of them. This was true to the extent that people would flock to the sites of hero/villain battles to take photos and videos.

Whereas, as Twice put it, if you were on the wrong side of the law, then All Might’s catchphrase “I’m here” was a curse, something to fear and loathe. Gran Torino characterized this era as an age of suppression, as in, the symptoms were suppressed, producing superficial stability, but the underlying conditions hadn’t changed.

During this period, the industry of heroism shifted to over-emphasize heroism as public entertainment, rewarding attention-grabbing stunts and PR skills over humbler virtues.

This shift inspired Stain the Hero Killer to enact a purge of unworthy heroes in order to revive true heroism. He deeply impressed society, and, despite his murders, he became a popular figure. His ideals provoked some people to question whether society’s heroes were “true heroes,” while others disregarded his ideals and simply found him cool.

During this era, 80% of the population had a quirk. Whether that statistic was stable or if it was an effect of demographics (ie, most quirkless people are elderly and almost all kids have quirks) hasn’t been specified.

This era could be separated into All Might’s Bronze, Silver, and Golden Ages, each with a different costume.

≈30 years ago

All Might debuted in Japan, and he kicked off an unprecedented era of stability.

5 years ago

All Might fought and “killed” AfO.

Age of Endeavor

Battle of Kamino Ward – Present (ch283)

HPSC: “All Might had it all…power with enough charm to win the people over. The gulf between him and the perennial runner-up was always huge… I doubt we’re gonna find someone that charismatic again anytime soon.” Mera: While we’re waiting for the next All Might, hero squads with a focus on team unity are gonna have to fill the gap. This order from up high is meant to make some headway on that front… (ch111)

Miyagi (newscaster): “If we’re being honest, I think All Might just got too big for our own good. So big that we lost sight of things. […] As for us, we shouldn’t just passively protect the status quo. Isn’t it our duty to bring back a culture of excitement around heroes?” (ch115)

Kid: “We know what’s up. Mom and dad and the TV all ask the same thing. ‘Are the heroes doing okay?’ …We know. We’re better than them!” (ch165)

Hawks: “That guy earlier, screaming ‘Long live metahuman liberation’…this [rumors of nomu sightings] is kinda like that. They republished some old-school criminal’s autobiography, and it’s flying off the shelves. I’m thinking that’s influencing people. That stuff tends to sell best when society’s feeling unstable, right?” (ch186)

Gentle: “What counts as a spectacle is a question for the current generation. We shall go to the source [UA]—the source that enchants our society.” (ch171)

Newscaster (surveying the stampede of fleeing civilians during Endeavor’s nomu battle): “This is society without a Symbol of Peace!!” Can’tcha See-kun: “Stop saying that crap already!! Open your eyes before spouting off on TV! Especially at a time like this! Look! Those flames’re still rising up! You see ’em, right?! Endeavor’s alive and fighting!! So don’t give up just cuz the other guy’s gone! There’s still a dude out there risking it all for us!! Can’tcha see?!” (ch189)

Kuraishisu (newscaster): “In the past, a situation like this [the destruction of Deika City], where heroes were forced to make a difficult call, would have earned those same heroes criticism, but I suspect we may be witnessing a critical turning point in this era. A large-scale shift in opinion from criticism to passionate support.” Uraraka: “Feels like everything’s different ever since the ‘Can’tcha See kid’ did his thing.” Ashido: “It’s all cuz Endeavor kicked butt!” Mt. Lady: “Y’think the future’s bright? Not so fast!! It might seem like the winds of good fortune are blowing our way, but if you stop and think about the flip side of all this…it’s actually coming from a sense of urgency—it’s a response to danger! These cheers for the conquering heroes are really prayers—a plea that we emerge victorious! They’ve had enough of the showbiz side of heroism and want us to prove our worth for real now!” (ch241)

Mineta: “Not too long ago, she didn’t give a crap about anything except being on camera…” Aizawa: “Mt. Lady’s not the only one who has changed. Every hero out there is being pulled up by the number one’s rising ride.” (ch241)

After All Might retired, uncertainty gripped Japan as people wondered what would happen now. A strong consensus agreed that Endeavor wasn’t suited to fill All Might’s boots, something reflected in how the crime rate went up 3% in the month after Kamino, and reflected in how people suddenly became interested in reading the MLA ideology of rejecting heroes and protecting themselves.

During Endeavor’s battle against the nomu, the press attributed the public’s frantic stampede—ignoring heroes trying to guide evacuation—to the public’s lack of trust in Endeavor (and heroes generally) now that All Might was gone. Public trust improved after the nomu battle, especially thanks to Can’tcha See-kun.

Within a month after the battle, expectations shifted. People had enough of showbiz heroism and wanted the heroes to walk the talk and protect the public against villains, to the extent that comfortable armchair criticism was replaced a passionate support driven by fear of villains.

Miscellaneous Questions

When did “hero” become a recognized profession?

When did the hero ranking system begin?

When did the celebrity culture around heroes develop?

When did “quirk” come into common use?

How old is Yagi? How long ago did he debut in Japan and begin the era of peace?

How old is AfO? How long after the advent of quirks did he come to power?

When did AfO recruit Machia?

When were the nomu invented?

When did humanity pass the point of quirk singularity? (ch193)

#bnha #reference #worldbuilding #bnha meta #bnha manga spoilers

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lesbianlotties · 3 years

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five times Deena and Sam met in secret (and one time they didn’t) - Chapter 2

Chapters: 2/6 Fandom: Fear Street Trilogy (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Fraser/Deena Johnson Characters: Deena Johnson, Samantha "Sam" Fraser (Fear Street) Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, High School, Cheerleaders, Band, Teenagers, Teen Romance, First Meetings, First Love, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Fluff, Happy Ending

Secrets.

Deena and Sam met by accident. They fell in love in secret.

But how long can they last together like that?

Chapter 2:

Sam walked out of her classroom with full confidence, chin up, and a straight face. As she walked the empty hallways of the school though, her courage started to waver. Her shoulders tensed, her hands tightened into fists, and she was looking around nervously. All the doors were closed, all the students and teachers were in class. She just had to round one more corner. Why did she have a faint feeling of being observed? Followed? What if…

“Sam!”

The blonde let out a small shriek and jumped in place when someone called her name and wrapped a pair of arms around her. Her moment of panic was instantly over though. She knew that voice, those arms, that smell, and that tickle of a wild mane of hair.

“Deena! What the hell?! You scared me!” Sam whispered-yelled, clutching the arms still holding on to her.

“I’m sorry!” Deena defended herself, though she was still laughing. She rested her chin on Sam’s shoulder and added, “I couldn’t help it. You looked terrified, babe.”

The accidental term of endearment, not for the first time, left Sam speechless. That moment of silence was more than enough to make both girls keenly aware of their positions. Which, in turn, paralyzed them even more. It was just a few seconds, but it was more than enough for their minds to run. Images of the past few weeks flashing through. Passing looks in the hallways, staring at each other from across classrooms, secret smiles. Clandestine meetings under the bleachers, where they grew closer and closer, where they got to know each other. Separately, long nights in each of their beds, unable to sleep, unable to put together the clues, unwilling to think of anything but each other. If it was too late to turn back the moment their eyes met, now that they actually knew each other, it would be impossible to go back to the way things were, to the way they used to be. Because now Deena knew the exact soft texture of Sam’s sweaters. Sam knew the smell of the cologne Deena stole from her dad. Even worse, they just found out that Sam fitted perfectly in Deena’s arms.

“Sorry,” Deena blurted out nervously when both of them simultaneously snapped from their thoughts and hastily stepped away from each other. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, but felt compelled to add, “for scaring you.”

“It’s okay,” Sam replied. She tried to stand taller, even if she was blushing and nervously pushing her hair behind her ear. “So, um, where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Deena answered, her expression lighting up with a smile that was just mischievous enough to make the other girl feel like she could faint.

Deena gathered all her courage and reached out to lightly grab Sam’s hand and lead her along the way. Before she had a chance to overthink her move, fear if her hands were sweaty, or even take more than two steps, her boldness backfired on her. As it often did, whenever Sam was involved. Because then it was Sam who fixed her grip on Deena’s hand so their fingers interlocked. Deena could only hope Sam didn’t hear the small gasp she let out upon realizing how perfectly their hands fit together.

Despite the underlying bravery of Sam’s actions, she hadn’t yet overcome some very important barriers. Her fear, at the time, still rose to the surface. “Deena! Where are we going? What if someone sees us?” She asked in whispers that were sounding exponentially more alarmed.

“Relax,” Deena chuckled, looking over her shoulder at Sam. “As if this wasn’t your idea in the first place.”

“Um, excuse me,” Sam hurried up so she could look the brunette in the eyes when she frowned at her. “I only said I… uh…”

“Missed me?”

“I said I wish we could see each other more,” Sam tried to speak with a nonchalant tone. “I didn’t mean we should skip class and risk getting detention and- Where did you get that?!”

“I have very resourceful friends,” Deena smirked.

She had pulled out from the back pocket of her pants a key to a janitor’s closet. The place may or may not have had a secret spot where a box filled with drugs was kept for a certain friend’s business. It wasn’t the most perfect location, but at least nobody would bother them there. Deena was just desperate for a moment of privacy with Sam. If she could have just one moment… She just needed to know… Anyway, with all the classrooms in use, and Sam’s fears too heavy to carry too far, they had few options. They still hadn’t even talked about meeting outside of school yet, and it wouldn’t be easy, they already knew. They had a still unofficial secret that was already too big to easily sneak into public places or either of their homes. So, a janitor’s closet it was. Not perfect. But perfectly worth it, if only for the way Sam instantly relaxed when they stepped inside and leaned her back against the locked door as if it was enough to keep any monsters out and away from them.

“You’re crazy,” Sam shook her head fondly at Deena. They couldn’t tear their eyes away from each other. Although there was a solitary lightbulb hanging above them, Sam’s slightly playful smile could have illuminated the small room perfectly fine. In fact, in Deena’s mind, that smile alone could light up all of Shadyside. “Alright, rockstar, you got me here. Now what?”

First, Deena rolled her eyes. She played drums, begrudgingly at most, but Sam had latched on to the nickname. And she looked so blissfully proud to tease Deena, that Deena had to keep pretending to be annoyed and hide how much she’d come to love that little detail. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Deena chuckled, carefully taking one step closer, “Do you want to leave?”

“No,” Sam slowly shook her head.

She was biting her bottom lip to hold back a smile, making the girl in front of her wonder if she could possibly suspect the effect that small action had on her. Sam could feel her entire body buzzing with energy, and nerves, but surprisingly, she wasn’t afraid in the slightest. She knew she should be afraid, but she was just eager to ride to the top of the rollercoaster and see what the view was like up there, regardless of how far she could fall down next. She liked that feeling, and she couldn’t ignore the fact that it happened only when she was alone with Deena.

“Then what do you want?”

When Deena asked that question, she took another step closer. Closer than they had ever stood with each other. She noticed Sam make a sharp intake of breath, and shift in place so she was standing straight, pressed against the door, seeing Deena eye to eye.

“I won’t say it,” Sam replied. Her words were barely a sigh. The ghost of a smirk was still hanging to her lips. But she couldn’t keep her eyes from glancing at Deena’s lips.

Upon noticing this, Deena licked her lips. In the back of her mind, she was faintly worried Sam could hear how hard her heart was beating. She could confidently say this was the most nerve-wracking moment of her life. But no matter how scared she could be, the feelings she had developed for Sam would always overshadow those fears. They might have been so close already, but then Deena raised her arm and rested her palm on the door beside Sam’s head. She leaned in closer.

“Say it,” Deena said, willing her voice to stay steady.

“I can’t,” Sam sighed.

An instant later, Sam was kissing Deena.

She had just instinctively pushed away from the door, crashed her lips against Deena’s, and changed both their lives forever. The kiss wasn’t perfect, but it was sweet. It carried as much desperation as it did trust. It was weeks of yearning. In every look, in every fleeting touch, in every thought. So much wondering. So much wanting. So much wishing. If they had waited any longer it would have suffocated them. But that aggression was swiftly vanished by the tenderness of it. Of course they were both nervous, but they trusted each other. Whatever the outcome of the kiss, regardless of how each of them felt afterward, that kiss became an official secret. And secrets can be weaponized. Not if you kiss the right person though. By kissing Deena, Sam was telling her ‘I don’t know what will happen next, but I trust you’ll never use this to hurt me’. It was an act of trust. The instant Deena started kissing her back, she was replying ‘This secret is now ours. We’re in this together.” The kiss, however, was barely long enough for Deena to reciprocate.

Sam pulled back hastily, knocking her back against the door, looking down and breathing heavily.

“Sam,” Deena gasped. She looked incredibly surprised for someone that had pretty much orchestrated every detail so this moment could happen. But living in Shadyside, and being who she was, Deena had learned to keep her dreams on a short leash, keep low expectations and the bar close to the ground to avoid disappointments. No matter how badly she’d wanted Sam, she knew she shouldn’t have expected anything to happen, really. Let alone Sam being the one to kiss her. Even if Sam couldn’t look at her now. “Sam?” Deena repeated, in a much softer tone, so cautious that not many people would’ve believed that was still Deena Johnson.

“I’m sorry,” Sam said.

Then she wasn’t just looking away, she closed her eyes tightly to hold back tears. Was that kiss the best thing she had ever experienced? Yes, without a doubt. But it also confirmed a long series of complicated feelings and realizations about herself that she had trouble accepting. Things that she knew would make her life very difficult as soon as she stepped out of that small room. However, she was still there, with Deena, and now Deena was very carefully placing her hand on her jaw. Deena’s fingers were barely grazing Sam’s skin with how delicate she was trying to be. But just the smallest push and Sam was looking up at her again. Unshed tears and unmeasurable fear shining in those pretty blue eyes. Deena’s heart ached and swelled. In one heavy hit, she had to accept her feelings for Sam were larger than she even imagined.

“Sam, it’s okay. I…” Deena whispered, but she felt at a loss for words. Her other hand also came up to gently cradle Sam’s face, her thumb soothingly caressing her rosy cheek. “Are you okay?”

A second before, Sam had felt on the edge of breaking down. But with Deena’s gentle hands holding her, wasn’t she unbreakable? Invincible? Didn’t she trust her wholeheartedly? Sam gave a shaky exhale, staring into loving brown eyes, and tentatively put her hands on Deena’s waist. Before speaking, she took one deep and encouraging breath.

“Deena,” Sam asked, “Can you kiss me again?”

It was nearly magical, the way all worries faded from Deena’s face as soon as she heard those words. She tilted her head and started smiling. That very smile that stole Sam’s heart from the very first day.

“Technically, Sam,” Deena started saying as she leaned in closer, “You were the one who kissed me.”

That earned a small laugh from Sam. Suddenly, the weight of the world was gone. The heaviness of their secret was put down for a moment. Everything turned light and lively like the feeling of butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. Sam started smiling brightly again, if only for one second, before Deena kissed her. Again, and again, and again.

#posting chapter 2 here bc im starving for attention as usual :)#fear street #fear street fanfic #deena x sam #sameena #my fic

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petri808 · 4 years

Text

Hauntober day 7 prompt Haunted FYI these hauntober drabbles are written straight on tunglr so ignore the grammar lol. I’m just doing them for fun.

Nalu drabble requested by @phoneboxfairy yeah this story just did what it wanted to 🤣

Lucy looks around her kitchen as she stood in the middle of it, unsure of how she’d ended up there. ‘What am I doing back home?’ The last thing she remembered was leaving for work that morning, frustrated for having over slept. If it wasn’t for Natsu pinching her, she probably wouldn’t have gotten up at all. Guess having a ghost for a roommate had its advantages.

When she’d bought the cozy house, the realtor had warned her that it had some quirks to it; aka haunted. Back then she didn’t really believe in ghosts or spirits, but now she did. It was weird at first, and he’d definitely done his best to scare her away. But eventually they’d grown accustomed to each other’s presence and even enjoyed it. She wasn’t lonely anymore and neither was he.

In fact, she rather enjoyed some of the moments they shared. Natsu could be a little handsy at times, loved to tease or tickle her, and she swore he was sleeping next to her in bed despite his denials. Okay, so maybe she didn’t mind the attention and purposely taunted him while she changed. It was the only action she was getting lately and who was he going to spill to? It’s not like a ghost could leak nude pictures of her on the internet like some real life creep.

It took a lot of effort for Natsu to ‘talk’ to her or touch things. He’d told her at certain times of the month it was easier to gather the energy necessary or if he was riled up, he was able to pull it off. Natsu told her he’d been stuck there for a ‘long time.’ How long he couldn’t say exactly, but before ‘those electronic thingys.’ When Lucy found out he couldn’t leave the property, she was sad for him. To be stuck somewhere all alone, but at least according to him it was a place he had loved in life.

She often tried to picture what he looked like based on his own descriptions. Natsu claimed to be taller by about a foot, green eyes, and when he died he was only 24 years old, 1 year older than Lucy was now. He sounded cute or maybe she just hoped he was since she was starting to like him. Crazy, yes, to develop feelings for a ghost but when you spend so much time with someone, is it really a crazy idea? They say people should fall for a personality and not looks, so well, guess this fit the bill. A long distance boyfriend just instead of another State he was in another dimension.

They talked about a lot of things, their lives, friends, family, hobbies, but the only thing he refused to talk about was how he died. Natsu said he didn’t know exactly what happened, only that they’d been ambushed and there was a loud explosion. It made her wonder if Natsu had been a soldier during the Civil War or maybe even the American Revolution. Regardless, the records for this area were sparse and she couldn’t find anything about a Natsu living there at any point in time.

‘What time is it?’ Maybe she’d only dreamt up going to work this morning. It is Monday, right?! Wow, had she drank too much at the party last night and now her brain is only half working? “Ugh, I should’a listened to...”

“Lucy?”

“Natsu?” She whips around at such a strong voice. He’s never come through so well before! It was almost as if, “how are you standing there?!” He was right in front of her. Not translucent but as if he was, “alive?!”

The half smile on his face withers away as he shakes his head ‘no,’ he wasn’t alive. But that would mean?! Lucy races to the back door and throws it open... tried to anyways. Her hand slips right through the door knob. “N-Natsu?!” Lucy turns around slowly to find him closer now.

“I’m sorry,” he pulls her into a hug, gently cradling her head. “I’m so sorry Lucy.”

“D-did I die?!” The tears trickle out into a full-blown sob. This was all too much take!

“I can only assume so.”

His voice was soft and full of empathy. Of course, he couldn’t know since he can’t leave either. Was it a car accident? ‘Oh, no maybe I’d been rushing and got into an accident!’ “Why can’t I remember?” Lucy cries harder.

“Sometimes vague stuff comes back or if you hear or see information about it.” He rests his head against hers, “but I got ya Lucy, I’ll help you get through this.”

At that moment, another presence makes itself known. Lucy raises her head up and sees her dog Plue standing in the doorway to the living room staring at them. “Plue?!” She pushes away from Natsu and drops before the animal, but it continues to stare forward as if it can’t see her. “H-he can’t see me, can he?” The words choke through sobs.

“No, but animals sense us.”

Her head hangs lower as her body collapses. “Oh, Plue...” but is again buffered by Natsu as he holds her close against his body. Her fingers grip tightly to his shirt as she buries her face into his chest.

“Shh,” he gently runs his fingers through her hair and rubs circles on her back. “You’ll be okay, Lucy, I’m here for you.”

As Natsu soothes a sobbing Lucy, they hear the front door open and a familiar voice yelling for Plue. The dog takes off running towards it, and Lucy scrambles to her feet as well. “It’s Levy.” When they reach the front of the house they see the woman clinging to Plue, tears streaming down her face. Levy was her best friend, and despite the pain of her circumstances, Lucy was glad to see she’d come for Plue, however was torn by the pain her friend was in. “It really sucks I can’t comfort her.”

Lucy watches quietly as Levy puts Plue’s leash on and after taking a few silent moments, leaves again. “I hope she’ll be okay.”

“Your friends a tough one, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“You’re probably right.” Lucy let’s out a heavy sigh. “Thank you, Natsu. I can’t even imagine how it was for you to be alone all these years.”

“It wasn’t... easy— I was angry for a long time, but hey,” he throws on a silly smile, “at least we’ll both have company from now on.”

“Pfft!” As poor in taste it was under the circumstances, his smile brought out one from her too. “So, now what do we do? Like, how does this all work?”

He chuckles, “well we don’t need to eat or sleep, but other than that we go on with our lives here. We can interact with each other as if were physical, it’s just the living we can’t touch, you know, like how I’d explained before.” Natsu shrugs. “Just takes getting used to.”

She steps closer, facing him, staring at his face, each second ticking by like a contest of who’ll blink first.

“Um, Lucy?”

She places her hands on the sides of his cheeks, her fingers almost testing the surface and exploring his features. Head tipping, studying, as his eyes look back widened and confused.

“Lucy, you’re being weird now.”

“You are handsome. I’d always wondered if you were.”

Heat flood his cheeks. “Um, thank you?”

“Since we’re stuck with each other, might as well make the most of it.”

“O—okay...”

Lucy giggles at his innocence and confusion. She pulls his face down and places a kiss on his lips. ‘Oooh, their soft!’ When she pulls away, Natsu still looks completely shocked. Guess it was understandable considering how long ago it must have been since he’s kissed a girl. She giggles again. “I’m really happy you’re here with me Natsu.”

“I mean, so am I Lucy, but what’s with the kiss?”

“Just checking...” her eyes flit lower for a second, “...which parts of your body still work.”

“What... par— oh, oh! That one still works, yes, why?”

“How do you know for sure?”

#hauntober #haunted prompt #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #nalu au #ghost au #fairy tail #nalu drabble #nalu fan fic

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captainrexisboo · 4 years

Text

In A Single Night Chp 2

Here it is ❤️❤️❤️ Link to Previous Chapter (in case you missed it)

I’m not gonna say anything about it, except no warnings apply ✨

Tag list in the replies, please let me know if you would like to be tagged, and All Comments Are Welcome!!! Enjoy my lads, ladies, and lovers!!!

Edit: link to chp3 🥰

You banged on the thick, almost black oak door, knowing he was awake despite the hour, “Commander! Commander, please, open up, we need to-”

“Y/N!” he hisses through grit teeth as he swings open the door, still fully clothed as you expected in the same white uniform Rex was donning earlier that night, with deep bags under his eyes and dark curls sticking up, out of their usual well-kept place from running his fingers through it too many times, “The Captain isn’t here, so please, my dearest liege, if you could keep it down-”

“Of course Rex isn’t here, Cody, he’s out galavanting in the woods without a thing to cover his backside except blasted blond fur,” you seethed as you pushed through into the dim candlelit office, your now-tattered cloak trailing behind you, “How long has your brother been a werewolf?”

He stared at you, brows furrowed and lips pulled into a tight grimace as if you had sprouted two heads. His gaze switched from you to glare defeatedly at the full moon that hung outside his window, illuminating the room even more than the candles. He shook his head, stiffening his back as he brought up two fingers to rub at his scarred brow, “My...he...walk me through this. What happened?”

You shuffled on your feet, clenching and unclenching your fists as you cleared your throat, “Rex...wanted to see me tonight. During patrol. And before I could reach him, he…”

Good lords, you sounded mad. You bit your lip as you stopped talking, not finding it in you to continue, tearing your gaze off the floor to look up into Cody’s signature deadpan expression, as if you could project into his mind exactly what you had seen. He stood straight, hands folded behind him, tired eyes still actively surveying your form, precise and calculating. At your extended pause and fidgeting shoulders, he clicked his tongue, “You know, canoodling with any soldier, regardless of rank, isn’t allowed while they’re on duty, your grace.”

“Cody!” you whined, stepping up to him to place your hands on his shoulders, “This isn’t about that! It’s about Rex! He turned into a-”

“I know,” Cody sighed, gently taking hold of your wrists and pulling them off of him, “I had suspected this, I was going to prepare for it, but-”

He groaned gruffly, letting go of a wrist to scrub a hand over his face and covering an obscene yawn, “I guess I lost track of the moon cycle.”

You could only stand there, mouth agape. You pulled your other wrist away, a bewildered scoff exhaling from you, “You knew!?”

He nodded, his exhausted demeanor making his stoic expression all the more bored, as if this was just another debriefing of the low level muggings that took place over the weekend.

“Why didn’t either of you say anything!”

“What makes you think he knew?”

You paused, the question putting you through such a loop you momentarily forgot you were in hysterics. You shook your head, furrowing your brows low as you groaned, “Well why wouldn’t he know?”

“Well, this is a quite a recent development-”

“Commander!” you couldn’t stand the idle chatter that he seemed intent on keeping, “I would love to be casual and catch up some other time, but right now your brother, my love, our Captain is out there somewhere, going crazy with bloodlust-”

“As opposed to what other type of lust?”

“Cody!” you screeched, not bothering if the entire castle heard you two bickering at this point. The infuriating smirk he wore made you want to tear your hair out. You stamped your foot and pointed to the blanket of tall, thick trees that stretched across the starlit landscape outside his office window, “You need to go out there, right now, find your brother, and throw his clothes at him!”

You never thought you’d see the day that Commander Cody Fett, of the Republic Aegis, laughed. Not his normal, brief, smug chuckle that made all the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes go weak in the knees and swoon under his cool facade. No, this laugh was deep, and building, he was taking large breaths in between, clutching at his diaphragm, until he was howling not unlike his brother, barely an hour ago.

It made you furious.

You ground your molars, tightening your fists, nearly twitching with your anger. You could feel your cheek stitch up as your eyes narrowed, a thrumming growl coming from the back of your throat. You let out a huff, hands flying up to the dark metal clasp of your cloak, a beautiful thick charcoal wool with royal blue velvet on the bottom hem. It was a gift from Rex about a year ago, after coming home from a diplomatic visit, and it immediately became your favorite thing to wear. You kept it clean, and stored it safely in the warmer months- now it was dirt smeared, ripped in odd places from falling onto scraggly rock, and torn from where his claws had pierced next to your head...and you were noticing now, his back claws had pierced the fabric that had bunched around your knees as well when he had you pinned underneath him.

As you were inspecting your cloak with puffy red eyes, Cody was coming down from his bout of hysterics. You could hear his weakening breath, and you held out the cloak, not wanting to meet the taunt you were sure he held in his stare, “He attacked me. Pinned me to the road before running off…”

Cody grunted low, clearing his throat of the remaining bit of humor as he took the thick, warm material in his hands. He breathed deeply as his fingers traced the irregular tears, blinking heavily as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, coming down from madness as he looked back up at you. You refused to look at him, but his tone was surprisingly somber, “Look, I’m sorry, truly. As you can imagine, I’m very tired...you walk in here telling me my brother is a werewolf, and that the solution is to throw clothes at him? Where did you even hear such a thing?”

You finally looked up at him, expecting more brutish teasing, but instead finding a morbid, genuine curiosity. You clenched your jaw, taking a shuddering breath, “My grandmere...she lost her suitor to the soul of the beast. I didn’t really think about it before, but it makes sense now.”

Your eyes stung with the realization, voice choking with emotion, but no tears were able to fall. You looked at Cody, he was leaning against his desk, cloak folded beside him and listening intently. His eyes were focused on you as he folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head towards you in a silent request to continue. You cleared your throat of emotion, speaking low, “She was already with child at the time, my mother- his daughter, but… only the purest love can change the wolf back to a human. Giving them clothes, leading them back to a warm bed. Well, it turns out he didn’t love my grandmother like she thought. He attacked her, giving her claw marks down her shoulder and over her chest. The only reason she lived was because her father and his hunting party followed her with their rifles, driving away the monster.”

You paused, a quaking breath wracking through you. Your throat was tight, and you were starting to get dizzy from the irregular breathing, “She lived in heartache for the rest of her days, the scar a reminder she wasn’t enough. Whatever love she thought she had was an illusion- he was only marrying her out of a sense of duty to the child he sired. I’m obviously not pregnant, Cody, I don’t even have that delusion to give me strength-”

“You want me to go out there instead of you,” Cody interrupted, piecing together your last bit of thought for you so you could focus on your breathing, “Because you’re unsure of his love towards you?”

You nodded, choking back dry, sobbing breaths, “I mean. What’s more pure love than the bond between brothers? He hasn’t even asked for my hand yet.”

“If you weren’t in the middle of a panic attack, I’d start laughing again,” Cody sighed heavy. You opened your mouth about to scold him again, when he held up a hand, “I knew he was asking you to meet with him tonight. He’s been hounding me all damn week for my opinions on ‘Will Y/N prefer this coat on me, or my cape? What time of day should it be? Does this sound okay as an opener?’ on and on and on- meanwhile there’s a war about to brew if Skywalker can’t sit still for a moment, Kenobi’s insistent on visiting with daily tea no matter how much I have on my plate, I have troops to train, and I had to research on how to keep Rex’s wolf in check- and you know how well that faired- don’t even get me started on the pot that Sir Palpatine is intent on stirring-“

“Commander.”

He looked to you, snapped out from his exhausted ramblings at your clipped tone. You waved your wrist loosely, asking him to get to the damned point already. He coughed lightly, “Ah, right.”

He stood straight again, wrapping his hands behind his back and clearing his throat, “Your graciousness Y/N L/N of the Established Republic, Captain Rex Fett of the Republic Aegis was planning, tonight, to ask for your hand in marriage. Under the light of the full moon, ‘because the atmosphere would be just perfect’-”

You tuned out right as the word marriage was spoken. Cody’s voice rang clear in your head, the word turning itself over and over in your mind.

Your love. Your dearest Captain. Him. Rex. He was going to propose tonight. Tonight was supposed to be wonderful, given celebration, filled with purely blissful feelings and warmth- he would’ve proposed tonight. You would’ve stolen him away from his “break on patrol” and taken him back to your quarters for proper celebration, expected protocol be damned. You were supposed to be in the arms of your love right now, letting each other’s heartbeats lull each other to sleep as you shared lazy kisses of simple adoration, but instead you were listening to his sleep deprived twin wail on and on about something or other that didn’t really matter right now because he would’ve proposed.

But instead. He attacked you with gnashing fangs and a snarling maw. He held you beneath him, claws spearing the rock by your head, intent on having his slaughterous way with your flesh-

But instead. You whispered his name. A broken plea. A pathetic whimper… and he heard you. He listened. He threw himself off of you and didn’t look back. It wasn’t the beast- Rex had heard you.

Your love was still in there.

And you were going to be the one to free him.

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maribatz-2k · 4 years

Text

BatBug Kid(s?)

🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇

08/30/2020 Twenty-Two

Day of the wedding and Mari was helping Chloe into her gown with Sabrina, while Louis was in the grooms room with Luka getting ready. Mari dressed into her Maid-of-Honor gown and smiled taking a photo with Chloe and the other Bride-Maids.The chapel bell rang letting them know it was time. Everyone got into position as the doors open and the music began, signalling the beginning. Mari watched just before it was her turn making sure everything stayed in order. She walked down arm in arm with Louis smiling wide and happily toward the groom she stepped to her position beside Sabrina, then watched as the bride walked down the aisle behind her veil with her father.

The ceremony began wonderfully, and it was time for the vows. They were beautiful vows that no one can ever compare. They exchanged the rings as the Priest continued on.

“Does anyone here object to these two coming together on this blessed day?” Louis looked around the church, don’t get him wrong, he wants them to be married and live happily ever after, he just wants something else to happen too. When no one answered and all was quiet, he let out a sad sigh and smiled trying to hide his disappointment. “Then with no further delay, I now pronounce you-”

The church doors slam open revealing a tall gentleman and a small boy dressed in matching suits walking down the aisle. The boy looked stern and moved quickly while the man walked calmly and steady.

“I object to this marriage father.” The man said, Louis smiled greatly and looked to his uncle receiving a wink. “I cannot allow this woman to marry this man.” They stop just short from the bride and groom, with the veil still on they couldn’t see who it really was.

“Why is this sir?” Luka asked, holding an annoyed look.

“Because I love her.” A roar of gasps filled the church. “Marinette, please come home. My sons miss you, our sons need to stay together, and I miss you. Please, our home isn’t the same without you, and our sons and I are going crazy.” The man began.

“He hasn’t slept since you left.” The young boy who looked like Louis says.

“I miss your smile, your laugh when you bake in the kitchen. I miss being able to hold you when we watch the night sky in the gardens. I know when we fight it’s my fault at times, I should have given you an apologize. You left the first time and I was a coward to not have came after you. I won’t make that mistake again. Please Marinette, come home to me and our sons. I’m sorry.” The man said. When the bride didn’t move but to look at Luka, that was all the man needed before he sighed. “I see, I guess it’s for the best.” He turned around and started back down the aisle toward the doors. Luka lifted the veil of his bride revealing a almost crying Chloe, she turned toward a crying Marinette and hugged her. After that she pushed Mari into the aisle and smiled at her.

“Bruce wait.” Mari’s voice was shaky as she stopped him half way. He turned around finding her in a midnight blue floor length gown littered in stars that sparkled by the light. Her hair was neatly pinned with tendrils of curls surrounding her face as a tear escaped and glistened by the light. “I’m sorry too. I love you and I wouldn’t ever leave you or our boys.”

“You’ll come home?” Bruce said, Damian stared at her confused about something. Mari ran over and hugged the man holding onto him tightly.

“Yes, I will.” She let him go just enough to give him a kiss, earning a loud awe from the crowd around them. She blushed red stepping back then turn toward the bride and groom. “Um...sorry to disturbing the ceremony, please continue.” From there the wedding finished with no further interruptions, Chloe and Luka finally kissed to seal the deal. The reception was no different. Mari and Chloe changed their clothes into a more dance appealing gowns and joined Louis and Luka at the entrance of Le Grand Paris. Bruce meet with them after the initial introductions and the dinner being served, introducing himself properly to the wedded couple.

“I apologize for disturbing your wedding. I hope I didn’t too much trouble.” Bruce said, holding his hand out to Luka.

“No worries, I’m glad to see our Marinette is in good hands.” He said giving him a kind smile.

“So treat her well Bruce, I’ll know where to find you.” Chloe followed with holding the warning in her smile. He returned the smile and walked over away as they left the table to dance. He walked over to Mari sitting in her spot at the table, watching Louis talking to Damian.

“Hey.” She said noticing him coming toward her. He held out his hand to her.

“Can I have this dance?” She took his hand and followed holding his shoulder lightly.

“You know I was already planning to come home this weekend right?” Bruce stiffened and looked down at her face.

“You were? Last I knew you were suppose to have last weekend. When I heard you were getting married I just assumed...” Bruce stated confusion held in his eyes.

“Yeah, I was suppose to but I couldn’t get Chloe’s wedding dress right and it - wait, what do you mean?” Mari asked. Bruce explained everything that happened ending with her laughing. This confused him even more. She apologized herself and kissed him before anything else could be said. The evening went on the rest of the night as planned. Sending the couple off on their honeymoon. Mari and Louis introduced Damian and Bruce to her parents. Damian wasn’t sure how to handle the big burly man who was bigger in height compared to Jason. Bruce was sort of scared of the little woman who is Mari’s mother.

The following Sunday they headed home, back to Gotham. The moment Mari stepped into the doors of the Manor all three of the boys tackled her into a hug and wouldn’t let her go. Mari and Louis moved into the manor a week later settling in and enjoying their wonderful new life with their family. Louis had a room set up across from Damian’s. They’re relationship became stronger through saving abused or abandoned animals and Uno strategies, while Damian, Tim, and Mari developed a strong connection as well. Bruce and Mari got married a year later, but that didn’t stop their endless amount of bickering. Regardless, Mari got her happily ever after and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End.

🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇🐞🦇

@fsketchart @moonlightstar64 @dorkus-minimus @toodaloo-kangaroo @amayakans @miraculous786 @crazylittlemunchkin @messymessyml @i-will-be-your-ace @tbehartoo @tazanna-blythe @ertyzeta

#maribat #mlb x dc #brucinette #ml x dc #twins #bio!dad au

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another-sonic-blog · 4 years

Note

do u have any advice for writing amy rose? i am trying to get back into writing fanfiction again and i love yours so much so i thought i'd ask for ur take on her character.

A short analyzation on Amy Rose.

I want to start by saying that I really appreciate the support and I am honored that you asked my intake on Amy’s character. So, I am not a professional writer or anything for that matter however I will give you my intake on Amy Rose as a fan and how I perceive her as a character. So, let’s start!

The positive and negatives of Amy Rose

To write a good character we need someone who people can relate to. This character needs to be three dimensional, meaning that they act like a person. Someone who struggles, thinks, learns and develops. This character has good and bad. Good written characters are not all good nor all bad so let’s think about that while we talk about Amy Rose.

Canonically speaking Amy Rose has a lot of good traits:

-Loves unconditionally

-Loyal

-Kind

-Cares for others

-Determined

And negative as well:

-Has an explosive personality, gets angry easily

-Has no patience

- She takes other’s needs into consideration but hers. (This may be seen as a good quality but on the long run it actually isn’t. This is more of a personal opinion but I think it is important to consider our own happiness as well.)

-Obsessive (Although we can see she has grown out of this recently

-Stubborn

You can play around with these but we can talk about that later.

Amy’s uniqueness

Alright so now that we know her good and bad, let’s talk about her character. The unique thing about Amy Rose is that out of the Sonic characters she has been the only one who has shown development. (Besides Shadow in 06, but that didn’t happen so all his character development went to the trash lol)

So, we went from this:

To this:

In conclusion, Amy stopped being that obsessive, she developed. Our pink hedgehog is now independent and pretty much do whatever she pleases. She is not as attached to Sonic and although she still loves him, she now thinks for her own and may even question his decisions from time to time. I believe she does her own thing now and wants to give him Sonic his space as well. For me Amy can be described as ‘Cute & Dangerous’

Amy’s interaction with other characters.

Alright, so Amy Rose is a pretty solid character and it’s a cinnamon roll. So, her bad qualities are not going to show up as often. For these negative (and good) qualities to show, it all depends on circumstances and character interaction. Just take a few minutes and think about it …

How will Amy interact with Rouge? Would she be more open and let get girly side show up? Will they even be friends? Does Amy see Rouge as an older sister?

How will Amy interact with Shadow? Would they be friends? Or would their personalities just crash? Does Shadow’s character take out the worst on Amy?

How does Amy interact with Sonic? With Knuckles? Cream? Tails?

This also depends in what kind of story and circumstances you will place Amy in. Does she live in our world and is struggling to get by the days? Does that make her stop caring about herself and only focus on work? Does she still love Sonic but he doesn’t love her back so that makes her depressed? Will she be stubborn enough to get him to love her? Will she love him regardless and put her happiness aside? Or is she afraid that she won’t be able to find happiness or love? Maybe she has other things in mind besides love? Maybe she wants to do her own adventures? Or she just wants to open up a café and live a peaceful life forever?

As you can see, you can explore a lot of situations with her character. So, here are some (in my opinion) relationships that Amy would have with other characters. (Based on canon and personal opinion)

Amy/Sonic: Love interest of course, but its platonic romance. Care deeply for each other. Friends for life. Sonic is just not that interest in love right now but that doesn’t mean he can’t love others or Amy.

Amy/Knuckles: Older brother and sister. Both are matured when needed and protect each other.

Amy/Silver: Crazy all the time together, plan the stupidest shit and get away with everything. Besties.

Amy/Shadow: (I can honestly write an entire essay as to why this two have such good POTENTIAL platonic or romantic but anyways) They are ok with each other’s presence. Won’t willingly talk to each other unless they are forced to. Once they do though, I can see them hanging out from time to time. They are friends and nobody expects that from them.

Amy/Rouge: Rouge is the big sister and Amy the little one. Amy goes to her for advice and talk about things she can’t talk about with Vanilla or Cream.

Amy/Cream: Amy is the oldest sister and she takes care of Cream and advises her. Amy would do anything for her.

Amy/Blaze: I think she will be the closest to her. Amy has helped Blaze open up and they are really good friends.

Alright now, some tips:

1. Feel free to write your character according to your interpretation.

There is no good or bad way to write a character. At the end of the day everything comes down to character interpretation. I personally see Amy as a young adorable, fashionable girl who is not afraid to express how she feels. She can be sweet and dangerous and she won’t let anyone step on her unless is totally necessary. However, you may see her or interpret her differently and that’s completely fine!

2. Let your character feel, suffer and develop.

I cannot stress this enough, everyone is a sucker for a character development. Not everything has to be flowers and sunshine. Let your characters have flaws, let her to be annoying or a cry baby, what matters here is that you DEVELOP them throughout the story.

3. Plan ahead and don’t

First, write down the kind of story you want to write. Romance? Adventure? Mystery? Then start writing your characters. After you are done writing your characters, analyze them. However, I was once told that your characters are kinda like your kids. You made them but you don’t ever truthfully end up knowing them. Just like people, we have our embarrassing, sad, happy moments. We even have our ‘Out of Character’ moments. Just explore your characters, let them be free as they can.

Amy Rose is a very versatile character. If you think about it, Amy can literally be in any story and she still be such a good character to write about. She is funny, entertaining, stubborn and obsessive. She can be so many things! At the end of the day, it all really depends on how you develop her.

I hope this helps somehow? Like I said before I am no expert but this are some tips and character analyzation that has helped me when I write stories. I am honestly SUPER excited to see what kind of stories you come up with and if you ever need help with something else let me know! If you do end up writing a fanfiction, please do tag me! Or just tell, I will loooooooooooove to read it.

Again, thank you so much for the support! I am glad you enjoy my stories. I will keep working hard! I can’t wait to see what kind of stories you come up with!

#Amy Rose #amyrose #sonic the hedgehog #sonic fanfiction #sonic fanfic #sonamy fanfiction #sonamyshad #sonic boom #Shadamy #sonic fan character #character analysis #writing tips #character study

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hearthandhomemagick · 4 years

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Cottage Witch Journal Entry - Post Yule & Christmas

Okay, so far this forum of mine has discussed some very off the wall topics that invade my head throughout the day. Some very self destructive thoughts, and some self awareness thoughts. Thoughts on religion, video games, spirituality. Hell, I may even choose to discuss sexual exploration in the future. Who knows? All I know is that after looking back at some of my posts, I’m starting to realize how chaotic one individuals thoughts can be. How genuinely complex a humans life and mind can truly be.

Think about it, if you’ve read my posts in the past, regarding witchcraft, self care, self love, eating awareness, hyperawareness, overthinking, and so on and so forth, then you would think you’d be able to point me out in a crowd.

The truth is, you wouldn’t. A great deal of my writing is simply the regurgitation of my persistent, sometimes unrelenting, thoughts. I’m noticing the complexities of humanity, and it’s beautiful and tragic all at once.

Last time we spoke, I discussed in a mini post that Judy Alvarez was mine for the taking a staple of independence and power to me and that getting my power back was of high priority to me. It’s been a few days, but this still remains a significant thought in my head. I find myself becoming more and more enthralled by her character and persona, drawn into why I relate to her as much as I do. Then, I noticed the underwater life she loves so much, and am reminded of the blue jellyfish behind my left ear. I see her whale tattoo and think of the same one I have under my left boob. I think of how I wanted to shave the right side of my head similar to Judy’s hair back in High School and my mom telling me it wouldn’t look good. And finally, I think of her selflessness, and her need to help a traumatized soul, and how I used to be a Sexual Violence Outreach Advocate, just trying to help a traumatized soul. I relate to her in more ways than one, as silly and stupid as it sounds, and these may be extremely minute to notice, but important for me.

My boyfriend and I had a few conversations this weekend, all separate times, that really pinned me to myself. One conversation, he asked me what exactly I believed, in that moment, when it came to religion and spirituality. From there we got into a lengthy discussion (mostly my fault) where I explained my thoughts in detail. One quote I said stood out (I was also stoned so when I said it, it came out as a surprise to me as well), for I digress from the want to overexplain myself.

As I told my boyfriend, Hyperawareness will destroy a man before it enlightens him. And this year, Hyperawareness seemed to be the proprietor of my mind, for it most definitely would have destroyed me had I continued.

Another conversation we had, which we both agreed to, was the power of our physical bodies directly correlating to past experiences we’ve had with other humans. Also, our relationship with unsustainable lifestyles.

Example, my body issues are founded on the idea that I wasn’t allowed to be a tomboy and play sports or take karate or MMA Fighting classes, but I also wasn’t perceived as delicate and pretty because of my weight/I was bigger than other girls. I was discouraged from doing the physical things I was interested in, and gave up as a result.

Those experiences have perpetuated in many areas of my life as well. In High School, I chose Shop as my number one elective and Weight Training as my second. They chose to put me in Theatre and Intensive Reading instead (Intensive Reading is a class kids take when they make below average on state wide tests). Now, my first choices were classes I felt would develop my character and reflect the life I wanted to live, and I was told it was a bit manly for me to choose those classes. Now, as an adult, I don’t go out of my way to work on mechanics, even though it’s an interest of mine and I haven’t done weight lifting because I thought I’d look like a man. False ideas.

When you are denied your own personality as a child, and don’t realize that is what is happening because it is still happening, it becomes a spiral of what options do you actually have? You become an open book for others influences to freely write in, because you want to be your own independent self but you don’t even know who or how that person is. So, for a while when I got out of High School I was clinging to others personalities in an attempt to find myself. That’s not a good way of doing it, either.

I lived to please, so when people called me Sunshine, I figured the Sun didn’t wear a lot of black and didn’t act like a man.

Reality check, I was overthinking it.

I should dress and live how I see fit, regardless of the typical aesthetic. Fuck the idea that I have to subscribe to one aesthetic anyways. If I want to own a Bee Hive, a Cottage in the Mountains by the river with a tiny self sustaining garden, all while wearing black alternative outfits that somewhat line the aesthetic of post apocalyptical, then fuck yes I’m going to be a gentle, bright, motorcycle loving, knife wielding, MMA Fighting, Yoga and Meditation doing, soft spoken bad bitch.

Here’s the thing, I haven’t even bought myself clothes this year, because people were literally buying clothes for me. WHICH I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR!!!! But, over the weekend I got rid of a lot of those clothes because they restrict my personality, I never wear them or they don’t fit anymore.

After the lengthy conversations, we both agreed that our youthful selves are not finished being fully alive. We didn’t stop being young once we got out of High School, we stopped being young when we started saying we were too old. So, we are starting to set goals together. Getting rid of old clothes was the first step, and we took into consideration that we are still individuals just helping each other accomplish a common goal, so the next step is our physical selves.

The plan is to clean out our storage room and transform it into a self-care/training area. Together, we will start the P90X after work on some days, while I try to keep up with yoga on my off days. This month, being aware of what I eat without the focus of losing weight has helped me actually lose weight. Now, focusing on my workout regime is the goal. Not to lose weight, but to be able to start MMA Fighting Classes.

MMA Fighting is something I started in High School right before going to college, but never finished. It’s something I want to commit to so as to release anger while Yoga will help me process my anger. So, healthy eating to support energy, and healthy workouts! I have also been having more endometriosis pain than usual, so avoiding my health won’t help me!

Spiritual wise, I want to focus on my better self. I want to put more effort into me rather than letting myself go in a world of people who don’t care if my personality exists or not. I want to be open, strong and powerful in what I believe. I want to own my shit, and fuck anyone who wants to stop that type of Sunshine. In the words of Meghan Thee Stallion, “Fuck being good, I’m a bad bitch. I’m sick of motherfuckers tryna tell me how to live.”

I’m inconvenient, and I’m happy with that. I’m not perfect, but I’m a process. I’m not weak and quiet, I’m strong and silent.

This specific post is a reclamation of my power. Somewhere along the road of this shitty adult life, I forgot the beauty in my own power. I’m equal, not less than.

Thank you for reading, if you did. This is, again, one of those things where I am journaling my thoughts, and trying to go over everything in my head without going crazy. If you thought this was annoying, just remember I deleted 5 paragraphs before posting, because I was overthinking and didn’t want to overexplain. (I do everything in copious quantities). If it bothered you, look past my post. If you related, let’s talk about it. All in all, thank you for being alive, darling. I’ll see you later!

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