#she shouldn't have agreed to meet this fan if she can't be bothered to follow through

[exitpursuedbyavulcan]

i know it should be assumed because you’re an aegon & aemond fan but to clarify, do you support the claim of aegon being the firstborn son (greens) or rhaenyra’s right as the heir to the throne (blacks)?

In real life? I agree with Shireen. Everyone sucks and ideally no one would be on the throne.

But if I'm thinking in-universe, show-wise? Yeah I'm Team Green. Not because I think Aegon would be a good king, bc he definitely sucks bigtime (there's another rant I can go on in terms of show v book Aegon but I digress), but I think it would have an overall better end result, if there somehow wasn't a civil war.

Aegon has no interest in being king. Therefore, he would pretty much let his mom and Otto run the kingdom. As we've seen from Vizzy T's rotting years, they're pretty good at it. Aegon would just be a puppet for people much more competent that him. It's not ideal, but it's not outright harmful.

But Rhaenyra? In the show, we're told that she doesn't have much interest in her duties as heir (the wheelhouse conversation in episode 3), and the one time we see her in the Small Council meeting, she's pushing for an action I don't agree with (going to war with little to no provocation). Unlike Aegon, she would want to be an active ruler. But in this case, I don't think that's a good thing. I think, like her consort Daemon, she would make rash decisions without fully thinking them through and they would lead, more often than not, to bad outcomes.

I want to be a feminist and say that Rhaenyra's gender shouldn't matter, and that she is the rightful ruler bc she was born first and Vizzy named her heir, but I just can't. The feminism in me, in this case, is outvoted by my logic. Rhaenys was right: the Lords would never have accepted her when there was a male heir. And even if she put all that unrest down (big if), I just don't think she would be a good queen.

The way Rhae and Daemon treat the Greens also really bothers me. Rhaenyra blaming Alicent for marrying her dad instead of her dad? Who was the grown-ass adult capable of making better decisions? The KING who Alicent couldn't say no to? I blame Otto for this too, btw. And how she responded to all of Alicent's efforts to mend that relationship so negatively? Don't even get me started on Driftmark, that's not good for my blood pressure. The way both of them treated Alicent when they came back to KL for Luke's petition is also heinous, but you can scroll in my 'hotd' tag to read about that.

But yeah, I know this is an opinion that may lose me some followers, but whatever. It's all fake, so does it really matter? And I still enjoy all these characters and would gladly take them to bed, so in the end it doesn't really matter all that much to me either.

There's my two cents, hope you at least found it interesting, even if you don't agree!

[mellometal]

Same anon as before, and yeah, I was talking about Sniperwolf ghosting a terminally ill fan. You'd think Dhar Mann would think twice about collaborating with someone like that but then again he seems to think being a horrible human being is totally normal.

Oh my god, that's awful!

Yeah, it is ironic that Dhar won't stick to his so-called "morals" about this kind of thing.

[ryangosking]

Deserve

Summary: You broach a tricky subject with Bucky. Recovering / soft Bucky x female reader. Angst / fluff / smut.

Warnings: 18+ for sexual content. Unprotected sex. Language.

A.N: I kept meaning to write for Steve but this happened. I usually write for Boyd Holbrook characters on my sideblog - Masterlist.

I didn’t tag anybody but let me know if you’d like to be, possibly a part 2 or a prequel to this. I’d like to thank @ionlyjoinedforboydholbrook​ for her constructive feedback! It’s my first time writing for Bucky so please be kind!

Your heart skips a beat when you see Bucky waiting outside your office building, holding a bunch of flowers no less. He's awkwardly leaning against a wall, eyes darting around searching for you.

"You shouldn't have." You smile as you approach him.

"I was just passing." He murmurs, cheeks flushing as you kiss him.

"Passing a flower stall too?" You ask, accepting the blooms.

"Yeah, I guess so." He smiles.

"Mr Barnes, sorry to bother you." A voice pipes up. You turn and vaguely recognise the guy, you've seen him in the office building. What does he want with Bucky though?

Bucky eyes him warily. "Do I know you?"

"Oh no, I'm uh....I'm a big fan." the guy stammers, starting to sweat.

"So you're a fan of my work as the Winter Soldier or...”

"No no, I mean since then. Saving the world and everything."

"Sure, thanks." Bucky sighs.

You kind of feel for the guy, Bucky wasn't exactly known for accepting compliments, you know that better than anyone.

"Hey, can I get a selfie?" the guy asks, pulling out his phone.

"He's off duty, sorry." You say diplomatically, taking Bucky’s arm. "Let's get going."

"I'll never get used to that, " Bucky mumbles, as you steer him away from his fan. "I spent so much effort trying to hide and now..." He trails off.

"You saved the world, that's what people know you for now." You say, determined to put a positive spin on things.

"It wasn't just me." He says, as you cross the street. He moves his arm and grabs your hand instead, squeezing lightly. He's wearing gloves as is usual in public, concealing his gleaming hand in black leather.

You fall into a companionable silence as you head in the direction of your apartment. You can't help noticing that you're taking the route that happens to pass Bucky's favourite diner - where you first met in fact, a little over four months ago.

"Feel like coffee and pie?" He asks casually.

You grin at his predictability. "Sure."

Your flowers sit on the table in a kindly donated water jug as you and Bucky tuck into pie and ice cream, apple and cherry respectively.

"This...is...the...best...pie." Bucky says between mouthfuls.

"I knew you were going to say that." You tease.

He smiles, his eyes twinkling and crinkling at the corners. Oh, he seems so happy and relaxed, you impulsively decide to broach a tricky subject, figuring now to be a good a time as any.

"So, you know my sister's getting married in a couple of weeks." You begin, glancing at him as you toy with your food.

Bucky's eyes flicker and he fills his mouth with pie. "Hm-hmm." He mumbles.

You take a deep breath. "Well, I was wondering if you'd consider coming with me, as my plus one?"

He pales a little and offers a tentative smile. "I don't know sweetheart."

"Clare wants to meet you, that's all. You don't even have to stay for the full day, just to say hello."

"Sounds more like a family thing." Bucky says tightly, shifting in his seat.

"Well yeah," you swallow, feeling yourself flush. "But you are my....I mean..."

He sighs. "I don't think it's a good idea, you saw what happened outside your office. Imagine that times a hundred."

"Everyone will be focused on the wedding, my family won't bug you, I promise. They aren’t like that.”

Bucky scoffs. “You might be surprised how brave people get after a couple glasses of champagne.”

You sigh impatiently, feeling something inside you break. "What are we doing here Bucky?"

"I thought we were eating pie." He half-smiles.

"You know what I mean. Us." You hated to push him like this, you really did, and you already knew that he wouldn’t react favourably to it, but your developing relationship had seemed to come to a standstill lately.

"We agreed to take things slowly, didn’t we? One day at a time." He says quietly, reaching for your hand.

"But that was four months ago, I thought that we might have progressed beyond that by now. It's like one step forward two steps back with you." You say, your voice cracking with emotion.

"You're not my shrink, ok?" He snaps suddenly.

You slide your hand away from his and reach for your bag, tears forming in your eyes.

"I'm going home." You say softly..

"Don't go, please. I'm sorry." He says, looking up at you, a note of quiet desperation in his voice.

"Enjoy your pie." You sniff, not looking at him. You’re halfway home before you realise that you've left the flowers on the table.

X - X - X

By the time you get home you're angry with yourself more than anything else, cursing the fact that you even mentioned the wedding. You had agreed to take things slowly, but the truth is that you’re falling for Bucky and you want him to be a bigger part of your life. The wedding seemed like the ideal opportunity to introduce him to your friends and family, but on reflection, you realise how overwhelming it might be.

Half an hour later when there's a knock at the door, you know that it's Bucky. He's carrying the flowers, still in the water jug.

"The waitress said we could have this, I think she just felt sorry for me." He chuckles dryly, following you into the living room.

You can’t help but smile at the image of him walking down the street with the flowers.

"I'm sorry." You murmur, setting the flowers on your coffee table.

"Why are you sorry? I was a jerk back there." Bucky frowns.

"I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

"You weren't pushing." He sighs.

"I spooked you.” You say softly, looking up at him.

"Yeah." He smiles. "A little. Look, I’m still trying to figure this out."

"I know. Me too. I've never been in a relationship like this."

"I should hope not." He says wryly.

You chuckle, fighting the urge to just throw youself into his arms.

"I like you, so much." Bucky murmurs, his eyes searching yours as he strokes your face. "But I can't help thinking that you'd be better off with someone else."

Your stomach drops. "No, Bucky-”

"I mean like someone who doesn't get spooked when you want to do regular relationship stuff, it's not fair on you." He says, brow furrowed.

"Look, forget the wedding, I'll ask one of my friends to come."

"It's not just the wedding though is it?" He sighs.

“I don’t want anybody else.” You state firmly, placing your hand on his chest - you can feel his ever present dog tags through the thin material of his sweater.

"You've been so patient with me, it's more than I deserve."

"This is what you deserve." You say, and kiss him gently on the cheek. "And this." then corner of his mouth. "And this." finally the hollow of his throat.

He lets out a soft groan and grips the nape of your neck, kissing you deeply, opening your mouth with his tongue. He tastes of cherry and vanilla, his lips soft but insistent.

"I want you." He breathes. "I want you."

Without a word, you take his hand and lead him to the bedroom. Bucky was so gentle and hesitant when you first started sleeping together, terrified of hurting you with his strength and self-conscious of his arm. You managed to convince him that you could take - even sometimes desired - a little roughness. He loved to take his time undressing you, kissing and touching your soft flesh as he went. And when you reciprocated, he'd been touch starved for so long that the feeling of your hands and lips on him was almost enough.

Tonight he didn't deviate, pulling off your clothes and kissing you everywhere as you laid on the bed. He hovers over you, still half dressed, and you stroke his hair, fingers entwined in the short strands as his lips travel down your body, making you squirm. Finally he kneels between your legs and tugs at your panties, eyes dark with lust.

"James." You sigh, touching yourself, wetness coating your fingertips.

"You're so beautiful." He says gruffly, eyes focused on you as he removes his jeans. You'd seen him naked a number of times now but you never failed to be impressed by his magnificence, even his cock, now hard and leaking at the tip, is a thing of beauty.

You hold your hand out for him to return to the bed but his hands reach for your waist, indicating for you to turn over; you comply and he moves behind you, lifting your hips and pushing into you in one swift movement. You cry out as he fills and stretches your pussy, digging your fingers into the mattress as you back up against him.

"Does that feel good, sweetheart?" He growls.

"Yes, please...don't stop." You mewl, as he buries his cock to the hilt.

Bucky’s flesh hand is between your legs, fingering your aching clit, while his metal one still grips your hip. You place your hand over his, interlacing your fingers with his vibranium digits.

The rhythmic clink of Bucky's dog tags and the sound of your soft cries fill the air, he continues to work your clit in tight circles as he moves inside you, leaning down to pepper kisses on your shoulder - it isn't long before you feel the familiar tightness building at your core.

"Oh, Bucky, I'm going to-" you trail off as he drives into you harder, making you come apart and you moan loudly as your orgasm rolls through you in hot waves.

Compared to you, Bucky's almost silent, quietly panting and groaning, his hold on you tightening as you feel him throbbing into you.

Afterwards he spoons you, his bionic arm around your waist like a vice, kissing your hair.

"Look, about the wedding-" He starts.

"We don't have to talk about it now." You yawn. “Let’s leave it until tomorrow. One day at a time.”

“One day at a time.” Bucky repeats, softly.

[gowithasmo]

Mirror mirror in my hand

"I need to keep moving, but it'll be safer if they don't know it's me." MC nods quickly, trying to rationalize the choice to themselves. "Smaller and more easily hidden, you already give your followers gifts all the time so it wouldn't be weird. Put me into the jewelry or whatever you can and then give me to one of them."

Asmo takes a second to rummage through his closet before pulling out a necklace. It's a gold chain with a medium sized ruby pendant adored by a few black gold rose buds. He takes a quick selfie with it, sending the photo to forums with his most dedicated fans. He framed it as an "exclusive raffle" for only the most precious of his followers, the winner to be decided in 20 minutes to see who actually bothered to regularly check his status updates. Within seconds a hundred have joined the raffle so he turns his attention back to MC.

"It's a prototype from Majolish, they wanted to design something off of our demon forms." He explains, clasping the chain around MC's neck. He guides them to the center of the room and continues to explain as he draws the magic circle around MC. "Your consciousness is going to be in the gem itself, so it's okay if the chain accidentally breaks. Being sealed within the gem will obscure your magic, but it also means you can't cast any magic while you're inside. "

"Have you used this before?" MC fiddles with the chain, growing more nervous as Asmo begins to write out symbols they've never seen in class.

"No, not personally. But I've seen Satan cast it and others have cast it for me. It shouldn't be difficult for me." With the circle complete and the spell open on his phone, Asmo weaves his magic with MC's, counting off in his head as each symbol lights up in the correct order. With a soft hiss and a rush of warm air, MC disappears and Asmo catches the necklace before it can hit the ground.

He stares at the gem, a shade darker than before, and gives it a kiss. "MC, can you hear me?"

The gem returns to its former color and a murky image appears. Asmo twists the stone in his hands and when the light hits it just right, MC appears on the top. Their face wavers for a second before MC focuses on Asmo's face. They try to speak, but it comes out warbled, as if they were underwater.

"I'm sorry love I can't hear you, but are you okay? Do you think you can stay in there?" Asmo asks. MC glances around, and although they look a bit unsure, they give him a thumbs up. "Alright, then go back into hiding. We've got to get going."

He watches MC fade from the gem top and the stone go back to the darker shade. Asmo cradles it to his chest for a moment, trying to still his racing heart.

This was insane right? When he spent the night in the hospital yesterday and woke up to bad hair with MC basically comatose next to him, Asmo was sure this day couldn't get worse. And now he was holding their soul in his hand, having to trust their life to another. He kisses the gem, whispering, "I promise to get you back soon."

Asmo cusses when he checks his "exclusive raffle", well over a thousand people have entered at this point. He sorts through the names, looking for a few in particular that he had in mind from the beginning. There- a fire spirit he's known for a few thousand years now, kinder than most, a good fighter, and has helped him in the past. Asmo ends the contest and sends a message to the fire spirit, agreeing to meet them at the edge of the forest so they wouldn't have to walk all the way into town- thankfully he wouldn't have to go past the academy to get to her. They meet up and the exchange happens less than 10 minutes later. Asmo puts on a show for the delivery.

It's an exclusive item only for the most darling of his loyal followers! They can take selfies together but she can't post them, the others can get so jealous you know, and we wouldn't want them to feel un-special just because they weren't lucky this time. Of course she's invited to the next party he throws- bring a friend!

His patience is wearing thin, and Asmo notices he's missed the deadline so with one last kiss on the cheek to seal the deal, he rushes off to the Royal Academy of Diavolo.

The fire spirit is over the moon in joy. She doesn't even pretend to walk, instead floating and cooing over the necklace all the way home. She admired herself in the mirror, already looking for a reason to wear it out when the reason delivered itself to her.

[DUDE! Someone must have seriously screwed up! I haven't seen skies like these since I was in kindergarten! Storm party at Roman's house tonight, I'd better see your sexy self there 😘]

The fire spirit checked outside and her friend was right. The navy blue sky was now a darker red than the gem on her chest, the gales were deafening and it took all of her lower body strength and some invisible hands to be able to shut the door again. This kind of weather meant the demon prince and his butler were distracted so everyone could get rowdier than usual- storm parties are something you NEVER skip out on!

Whatever the prince was pissed about wasn't on her head, so she dolled up to the nines with the necklace as the main attraction. By the time she was done she had to use magic to get to the party, acid rain flooding the streets and would definitely muddy her heels.

The party is every bit the rager she thought it would be- bass drowning out the rain, vices crammed into every room, enough demonus to swim in, and just as planned, everyone ravished her with praise the entire night. All of her friends asked where she got it from, but Asmo's words rang in her head so she lied through her teeth.

"An early release from the brand my boyfriend works at! No I didn't win the raffle, did you? Ohhh, I'm so sorry! Maybe we'll win next time!" All the while feeling superior for having a secret only she and the lovely Asmodeus knew. The party went on well into the morning, every time she thought the demonus was gone and drugs were used up, someone managed to pull out more. When she'd finally had enough, her best friend brought her home and slept off the high with her. When they were both sober, the best friend asked to borrow the necklace- she had a really big date coming up and he wasn't paying enough attention to her. The fire spirit's friend made promises and kissy faces, begging for the necklace so the fire spirit let her borrow it. How could she deny her best friend this?

--------------------

Months have gone by, so many consecutive storm parties that the Devildom almost stopped functioning altogether. All of its citizens were either high out of their mind or getting bolder, acting out in ways they never could have gotten away with before. Classes at RAD had been suspended for an entire month- while the citizens had been partying, instructors and royals alike weren't seen in the public eye for a while. But the skies had finally cleared, slowly returning to a navy blue, the moon shining bright in the sky again.

After Lord Diavolo had calmed down some, Solomon had defended MC's case for them at great risk for personal injury to himself. It took a solid couple of weeks, but with Barbatos and a handful of powerful witches acting as unbiased mediators, Solomon and Diavolo came to an understanding. MC ran because they felt like their life was in danger, and Diavolo had over reacted. MC can come back and they would both apologize, all could be forgiven.

Asmo could finally conceal his wounds, which is more than he could say for his brothers. But today was finally the day! Asmo was going to get MC back from the fire spirit! He made sure to pack 4 goodie bags of gifts and personal notes that he hand wrote and kissed as an apology for having to take back the necklace. If that wasn't enough he was sure he could find some way to make it up to her- take her to dinner, invite her out for a week- after he'd gotten to spend time with MC of course.

Asmo greets the fire spirit with a big hug, apologizing over and over again for giving her a "defective" gift and taking so long to replace it. He handed over the bags and had to restrain himself from snatching the necklace from her hands. Gold chain with a dark ruby pendant and silver rose buds-

Asmo stops and takes another look at the necklace. Silver rose buds? He turns to the fire spirit and finally gets a good look at her. Her ears were pressed flat against her skull, tail wrapped around one of her legs and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"What happened?"

The girl burst out into tears, throwing herself against Asmo and apologizing for being the worst person in the Devildom. She doesn't stay there long before Asmo rips her off, slamming her into the closest tree. She claws at his hand, too short to kick him, but Asmo's grip only tightened.

"That's not what I asked. What. Happened. To. My. Necklace?"

Through short- choked - sentences, Asmo finds out that she had lent the necklace to her friend and someone had stolen it off her. He leaves her sobbing on the ground, begging for forgiveness and goes to hunt down the best friend.

It turns out to be useless.

While the girl had gotten a good look at the person that stole the necklace, he'd already traded it to a friend. The friend? Sold it off.

Satan, Mammon, and Asmo were in the middle of checking every pawn shop in the Devildom when they made another unfortunate discovery. The first week of storms had ruined the business cycle of every store in the Devildom and everyone was desperate to make a profit. The necklace based on the prototype that Asmo put MC in had been released a month early, half of the designs with silver rose buds, the other half with black rose buds.

More than a thousand had been sold already.

Asmo racked up millions of dollars of debt within days, buying and taking version of the necklace he could get his hands on- Mammon stealing the ones that people didn't want to sell. Majolish couldn't stop the production fast enough- another 2 thousand sold and even shipped to the human realm franchises. By now, everyone knew that the demon of lust himself was obsessed with this necklace, so replicas began to flood the market as well. No matter how many necklaces Asmo bought, there always seemed to be 10 more he couldn't get his hands on.

After a few hundred odd years the search slowed and then stopped altogether. It was rare to see the demon lords or prince at RAD now. They've all taken up more official positions that kept them busy at all hours of the day. And in the streets, a new local legend passed through the mouths of the students.

A legend about a cursed necklace that would only respond to a spell now lost to time. 'It will grant you a wish!' some would say. 'It'll curse you to fail every exam until you kill someone!' claimed another. But it was just an old wives tale, and even if the necklace was real, the spell had been lost for so long that the necklace would never respond to anyone again.

[cocosstories]

Pete Davidson One Shot

XX-Pete and you have been dating for a while. You’re not famous or anything. Just a regular girl from NY. He starts bringing you around his famous friends and paps are constantly bothering you. People are sometimes rude but Pete always defends you and protects you.

one shot request! pete introduces you to his friends and he praises you after ;)

You and Pete had met five months ago at an event one of your friends had dragged you to. Big crowds and loud parties really weren't your thing but you had found refuge near the open bar and kept to yourself until Pete had come up.

The two of you talked for a while, each comparing your own brand of social awkwardness with a laugh.

By the end of the night, you had exchanged numbers with the promise to hang out again and said goodbye.

Within two days, Pete had called you, inviting you to dinner and you had been together since.

"Babe, I was thinking, maybe we could hang out with some of my friends today?"

Pete walks into your bedroom as you get dressed and you look at him through the mirror with a sigh.

He had been hinting at you meeting his friends for weeks and up until now, had never full out asked you.

You were nervous, a lot of his friends were famous and you were extremely worried about how they would react to you.

"I don't know, Pete."

He comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"They will love you. Don't worry. Honestly, they've been asking to meet you for a while."

You close your eyes and reluctantly agree. You were having a great time with Pete and even though you had only been together for a few months, you were really falling for him.

Being someone who had never dealt with the paparazzi or fans before, it was sort of an adjustment.

After the first few times you had been seen together, people seemed to want to know everything about you and they definitely have had their opinions. You tried your best to not let it affect you, but sometimes, things people said about you were just downright rude.

So now that Pete wants you to meet his friends, you were worried about how they would react to you. You wanted them to like you, for his sake.

"I promise, it will be fun alright?"

Pete kisses your cheek and leaves you to get dressed.

An hour later, you are sitting on a couch in one of Pete's friends houses, only half listening to what they were talking about.

"Are you alright?"

Pete asks, noticing how quiet you are.

"Yeah, I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

You kiss his cheek and head off to the bathroom.

"So what do you guys think of my girl?"

Pete asks once you are out of earshot.

"She's really sweet. A little shy though but we can probably break her out of it."

They all laugh and agree.

"Really? Good because some people can't seem to leave her alone. Some of the fans have been a little mean actually. She's been trying to hide it but I know its bothering her."

You were on your way back out from the bathroom when you hear the conversation and stay back to listen.

"They are just jealous. Look at the girls you have dated in the past few years. All out in the spotlight and now you have this regular girl who you are clearly crazy about and they all wish it could be them. She shouldn't listen to them. Honestly, she should be flattered."

You knew they were right, you shouldn't let what other people say bother you and just feel lucky that you have a man like Pete in your life.

You take a deep breath and walk back out to join the crowd, feeling a bit better about being around Pete's friends.

"Sorry guys."

You take your seat back next to Pete as he wraps an arm around your shoulder.

The rest of the day was great, you really felt like you could be yourself around Pete's friends now and you could tell he was very happy about that.

"You were amazing today baby. I know you weren't all that excited to go but they really loved you and I am so happy I finally got to show off my amazing girlfriend."

You smile happily, cuddling into his side as the two of you make your way down the street a while later, heading off to get some food.

"Pete! Pete! How long are you going to slum it?"

A small crowd of paparazzi swarms you, snapping pictures and yelling out questions.

Pete holds you tighter as he tries to push through them, protecting you as best as he can from the screaming vultures.

"Back off dude! If you think me being with this beautiful and amazing woman is slumming it then you need to get your fucking eyes checked."

Pete says angrily to the people still yelling out rude comments.

"Listen, say whatever you want about me, I certainly give you enough to talk about but leave Y/N out of it. She doesn't deserve it and I won't let you do it to her anymore."

You finally get passed them and duck into the restaurant that luckily did not allow them to follow.

"You didn't have to do that babe. I can handle it."

You say after you were seated and had ordered.

"You shouldn't have to babe. You didn't do anything to deserve it and I am not going let them continue to do it."

He reaches for your hand across the table, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you but thank you. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world."

You smile at him truly happy in this moment of just you and Pete.

[grayyxv]

An Analysis of Portgas D. Ace

Alright I decided to do this since people actually enjoyed the analysis i did for Kid. Also, i find myself relating to him more and more recently. So, I thought: why not do an analysis of him?

Ace is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters in all of one piece so this might segway to become a "Why is Ace such a good character?" post.

Before I begin, just a disclaimer; I am aware that not everyone will agree with what I say so just make sure you understand that this is just my opinion. im just a psychology student so im just using whatever crap i learnt into analyzing this.

* This post might contain spoilers *

Here we go.

I think we can all agree that Ace is definitely one of the most loved characters in one piece. He has a shit ton of fans so i dont even NEED to convince you on why you should like him. But of course, there are fans that like him only because of his appearance or because of his abilities. So, id like to offer a different perspective- the same goes with my Kid post. Im just here to kind of breakdown the reasons why Ace is such an amazing character such that we can all appreciate him even more.

1. Background

Let us take a look at his background shall we? I think this is a very important part of Ace's character as all his choices and decisions stems from how he was raised during his childhood.

In the recent chapters of one piece, they showed a panel of Roger saying how he wanted a son. But we all know how that went. He was dead so he couldnt take care of Ace. Instead, taking care of Ace became Garp's responsibility, then it shifted to Dadan's responsibility.

Dadan was Ace' primary caretaker. While she provided and place for him to stay & food to eat, she isn't really shown spending time with him. She cared for him, that's for sure. But did she meet his emotional needs? I dont think so. Spending time with a chuld is very importsnt for their growth. But Dadan did not do that. It's evident that Ace displays the insecure-avoidant attachment style as he is unconcerned about his caregiver. This led him to develop trust issues as he got a bit older.

Another reason that could explain his behaviour in his childhood is that no one tried to address the relationship between him and Gol D. Roger. No one took time to acknowledge Ace's feelings about Roger. Everyone around him had said that he was an amazing man, but no one understood Ace when he said that Roger wasn't as great of a father. This led him to resent Roger even more- as well as the people who praised him.

Sabo's 'death' really affected Ace. Sabo was the first person who accepted Ace and I guess Ace must've grieved over him. (I mean, he does have a tattoo in memory of Sabo) But, Sabo was the reason why Ace decided to become stronger. So that he could fight for whoever he cared about.

2. Love

This is arguably the main theme in Ace's character.

His whole character arc revolves around acceptance and his goal in life was simply to find someone that could love him for who he was- not because he was the son of Roger. As explained above, he had attachment issues as he wasn't really shown any love as a kid. The firet person to accept him was Sabo then eventually, Luffy. It's unclear how Sabo and Ace met but, Sabo was definitely the first person to help Ace open up his heart. This is purely hypothetical but I think Ace saw similarities between himself and Sabo which eventually led them to becoming friends. On the other hand, he took a long time before he accepted Luffy. Luffy was an interesting child because he was so persistent in getting Ace's attention and acceptance. I'm sure Ace must have felt confused as to why someone would try so hard to even be accepted by him. Was it because he was Roger's son? Or did Luffy really want to befriend Ace because of who he was? When they became sworn brothers, it had meant that Ace was going to sacrifice everything for Sabo and Luffy. They followed different paths but Ace never stopped caring for them.

Moving on to the point where he first joined the Whiteheard pirates, this is when he experienced what it was like to have a family. Over time, they taught him about how a family should be like. They showed him unconditional love and sheltered him from those who would try to harm him. In return, he does the same for them. This was when Ace had found his purpose. His purpose was to protect those he cared about and those who cared about him.

3. Marineford

This is where Ace's character really was at its peak. We see that everything that we have understood about Ace makes sense as they are reflected in his actions. Him going after Blackbeard after he killed Thatch, then getting captured. But, this is where we learn that Ace is still struggling with his issues. He doesn't want to be saved because there's a part of him that thinks that no one cares about him. He thinks that nobody would bother risking their lives for him so, he didn't ask for any help as he didn't want to ne disappointed when no one came. At the same time, part of him clung on to that hope that he could be saved. That maybe just one person would come and rescue him.

As an audience, his conflicting emotions really impacted me because his feelings are all too real. What do i mean? This is kind of personal but, if you have ever struggled with mental illness you'll understand Ace's feelings. I've dealt with depression all my life and I could really relate to his feelings. Sometimes I wonder if I'm worth the effort, if there is any point in me living. Does anyone really care about me? Even if you don't have a mental health condition, surely you must have had times where you were in despair. That is when you wonder to yourself if there is any point in clinging onto hope. If there is anyonr that could save you from this situation. I think this side of Ace's character is so well written because it reflects reality.

The most heartbreaking scene is when Ace protects Luffy from Akainu. Some people argue that Ace's death was his own fault as he shouldn't have gotten agitated when Akainu insulted Whitebeard. But, you need to understand Whitebeard's relationship to Ace. To Ace, Whitebeard was the man that gave him everything a father would have. He was there for Ace physically and emotionally. He literally was the one who gave Ace the confidence and strength to fight for who he loves. So, I think that his actions and choices in that scene is perfectly valid. It fits his character.

Finally, Ace's death and his last words.

"Thank you for loving me."

This fucking broke my heart.

Everything about Ace's character is coming in full circle. His past, his choices, everything had been leading to this moment where he would die protecting the one he loved. He had finally achieved his goal in life- which was to find someone who could love him. He must've felt so fucking happy when he saw how so many people were willing to fight to save him. He finally attainted the happiness he had been searching for so, so long.

Then, he died.

This is going to segway a little but I really, really couldn't accept his death because he didn't deserve to die. Don't get me wrong, I do know how important his death is for the story and Luffy's character but I still can't accept that he couldn't live out the rest of his days happily. Also, the fact that he never got to see Sabo again just fucking breaks my heart because Sabo was the first person in his LIFE to accept him. (that is why i ship them lmao)

Anyways.

In summary, I think the reason why everyone loves Ace so much was because they could see themselves in his position. We can understand his conflicting feelings, his fears and worries because they are a reflection of reality. We desire for the same thing as he does: Love and acceptance. Which is why, we root for him. In times of despair, he clings on to hope- much like how we do in real life.

With that said, like how Ace deserves all the love in the world, you do too.

You deserve better.

TLDR; i love this man so, so much

[themadauthorshatter]

WELCOME BACK ONE AND ALL!

Welcome back to MY take on Toppat!Charles, the series that gives you... angst and cliffhangers in every chapter, just like Game of Thrones😅.

In case you haven't read them yet here are links to the first three parts, which I recommend you read because the brief recaps don't do them justice.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

BRIEF RECAP AND HEADCANON TO FOLLOW FOR THE POST TIME!

After his attack on Burt, Charles has caved and is now open to what Right has to say and vice versa. Henry and Gerneral Galeforce, more Galeforce, have been contacted by the Center for Chaos Containment and offered their men for one Henry Stickmin. Ellie has been good emotional support, but Henry goes against Galeforce and Ellie in order to save his friend.

Got that? Great!👍

So what's the headcanon this week? Well, @triple-threat-toppats and @azuri-the-imperfect-artist have AU's/headcanons that Toppat-ing is in Henry's blood, whether that be biological or otherwise, and we'll be meeting a new character this chapter who ties this all together perfectly😈.

We all good? FANTASTIC!

LET'S DIVE IN!!

We pick up where we left off with Henry outside as a receptionist, of sorts, freaks out that he called, telling everyone on the floor and shouting for an official to take the call.

Through this entire exchange, Henry rolls his eyes at how much of a fan boy the receptionist is, groans that no one can find an official at two' in the moring, and eventually takes a seat and listens as a few mid-ranking officials argue about who gets to talk to him; 10.6 anomaly, he's a pretty big deal to them.

They all fall silent when a man shouts, "Hand 'im over to me."

Henry should be scared, but he's glad that FINALLY someone is on the other end to talk to.

"Mr. Stickmin," says the official. "Nice of you to call."

"Who am I speaking with right now?" Henry asks as he stands up, not at all interested in playing games. (The irony that hit me after I typed that🤦‍♀️😂😂)

The official scoffs, "Not one for banter. I respect that. Son, name's Corporal Bill Bullet, leading official of the Center for Chaos Containment. How can we help you at this hour?"

Henry paces as he continues talking. "You talked to General Rupert Galeforce, right?"

"We did, actually. About you, but you probably already guessed that."

Henry looks back at the toppat orbital station, staring at it as he stays silent. Again, he is not in the mood for games.

Bullet sighs on the other end of the phone. "Guess you calling means you've made you're choice?"

Henry is quiet for a second and swallows a lump in his throat. "What happens if I agree to the terms?"

"Take a guess, kid."

Henry sees flashes of his life if he is in the CCC's custody and groans at the migraine said flashes give him.

"You're quite the interesting person, Henry. Robbing a bank with a bag, breaking out of prison by dogding and throwing bullets before stealinga police car, stealing a diamond by pushing yourself off a bridge, taking down the toppats, and escaping a maximum security complex with barely even a scratch."

Henry bites his tongue as he remembers those moments and their alternative paths INCLUDING the fails.

"But you didn't just get a few scratches, you did? 10.6 is a pretty high rating on our meter. Can't imagine what would happen to a person who causes as much chaos as you."

Henry shakes his head and snaps, "Just tell me!"

Bullet is silent once more, disappointed at how he can't at least tease what is essentially a rabbit walking right into an easily seen trap.

"We'll study the source of your... ability. How one person can live one life before jumping to the next, but existing like he did before that life ended.

"You may be a young man, Henry, but you've probably lived longer and died more than the rest of us put together. Why is that? How, excatly?"

Despite the knot forming in his stomach, Henry nods and hums to let Bullet know he's listening.

"There's also a certain balance to the world, one that shouldn't be bothered, 'less we want to cause A LOT of collateral damage. Lead to a lot of people getting hurt, cause a lot of casualties. You already lost one person you care about. What if you lost all of them?"

Henry gulps as he remembers the complex riot and how a robot was sent to tear down the museum he stole the Tunisian Diamond from.

Any of those people could've easily been Ellie or the General or, if he'd gone down the Toppat route, the entire clan.

Bullet may be manipulating emotionally, but he kind of has a point.

The chaos Henry causes is extremely dangerous, if what we've seen in StD, ItA, FtC, and CtM are any examples. Imagine if he had caused that sort of chaos in a major city, like real world New York or Detroit.

I don't know about you guys, but if something like any of the games happened IRL, all caused by Henry, there would easily be cities flattened to the ground with COUNTLESS fatalities.

"Helloooo? You still with me, Mr. Stickmin?"

Henry snaps out of his stupor and takes a deep breath before talking again. "Promise me you'll help. I want your honest word."

"Which I'll stay good on as long ad you keep your end of the bargain," Bullet retorts. "A quarter of our forces at your disposal to help you get your friend back as long as you turn yourself in to our facility. Deal?"

Henry is silent again, but when he speaks again, he tries something:

"Will I still talk to anyone outside? Send them any letters?"

"Not really. Think the government would handle our research well? Or what you can do?

"Last chance, deal or no deal?"

Henry stares up at the sky, counting the stars and moon, and then watches orbital station drift across the sky, covering part of the moon.

"Sir, we have a situation!" Someone yells on the other end.

Bullet does one if those angry growls or snarls. "Don't keep me waiting on your answer, Henry. Our resources are limited, too. Make your decision and call me back the second you do."

"Sir-"

"I'M COMING!"

The call ends and Henry lets out a sigh as he drops to his knees and then hugging them to his chest, shaking and now doubting whether or not he's making the right choice.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Ellie had followed him when he walked out and is struggling very badly with hiding her tears and sobbing from Henry, who is over a few feet away.

JUMP TO SOME FAN SERVICE!!😍🤩

Er, Charles. Jump to Charles. I SAID CHARLES!!!!!

Charles is mostly done showering, mostly because he's done washing and cleaning himself up, even shaving because he looks better without facial hair, and is now simply standing in the shower and letting the water fall on him.

He can't exactly remember how long it's been since he showered last, but he doesn't bother trying to because it only makes him think about how the government destroyers were blown up and anyone who managed to get on the station was killed as a message to the government and Henry and Ellie, and as an example for Charles, in case he gets any ideas.

He keeps thinking about how Henry looked at him before he went unconscious, how Henry did nothing to help him even though HE could've done something. He had before on missions, so what had stopped him then and there?

"I was wondering the same thing," Right says, though Charles doesn't hear him over the water running.

Charles gasps as he slips to the ground and realizes how he's thinking about his friend, forgetting Right was standing on the other side of the wall and curtain to keep an eye on him, just in case.

"N-no," Charles says to who he thinks is himself. "He... He wouldn't just leave me. None of them would."

Right rolls his eyes at this and steps closer to where he's in front of the curtain, though he does grab a towel. "You know, you talk to yourself a lot. 'S kind of freaky."

Charles curls into himself and into the corner of the shower and covers his ears. "Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

"How long have you been here?" Right asks as he looks up at the ceiling. "And why isn't Henry here to get you out? Aren't you two supposed to be friends?"

"Stop it!" Charles cries, curling into himself further.

Right smirks and decides to twirs the knife. "He helped that Ellie girl, didn't he? When she needed his help? I wonder if what they say is true? Birds of a feather flock together? They're both criminals, so I wouldn't really blame them for teaming up."

"SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH!" Charles screams. "YOU'RE WRONG! ALL OF YOU ARE WRONG! HE'S COMING TO SAVE ME, THEY ALL ARE!"

Right's smirk drops and he raises and eyebrow before drawing back the curtain.

Charles flinches back, covering his head and waiting for the strike.

But it never comes.

He looks up at Right, who's standing and giving him a look that says very clearly, 'I'm getting sick of your shit, stop.'

The two stare at each other for a bit, Charles wide eyed and scared before glaring as hard as he can.

Right keeps his bored expression because while he's probably in the best shape he's been in in a WHILE, Charles has lost at least twenty-five pounds and is cowering in the corner of a shower with long hair and clean shaven face; one lesson they teach you: you don't always need a mirror to shave your face.

The two continue their staring contest until Right slings the towel over his shoulder, takes off his top hat, and reaches into the shower with his cybernetic hand and turns off the water, flicking any off his fingers before stepping back and putting his top hat back on, Charles staring the whole time in case Right attacks him.

Right doesn't, of course, and tosses Charles the towel before pointing to a set of clothes hanging behind him and , just something neat but comfortable, not exactly a sweater and sweat pants, but close enough.

He then walks away until he's facing the door, his back to Charles.

"Hurry up and get dressed. Your room's ready."

Charles dries off and does get dressed, but he's careful to not take his eyes off Right.

First this guy got Charles captured and isolated him from everyone else, and now he's letting Charles shower and have his own room?

What's he up to?

Don't worry, he doesn't talk to himself this time.

Charles finishes putting on the clothes Right gave him, and looks at the towel he'd just hung on the hanger that held his clothes. Then he looks at Right, who's back is still turned.

You know EXACTLY where this is going.

Charles takes down the towel, careful that it doesn't hit the wall, and starts twisting it up as he sneaks up to Right, who either looks down at a wrist watch or checks a pocket watch because now he's getting a little bored.

Just as Charles is about to get the jump on him, Right pivots to face him.

"Good. You're done. It took you long enough."

Charles is absolutely speechless as he goes completely pale his face drops.

"Here, let me take that for you." Right pulls the towel out of Charles's hands and unwinds it. "Shouldn't do this to a wet towel. Could get moldy."

Right nods his head as a 'follow me' and leaves the showers.

Charles remains shell shocked for a minute and tries not to burst into tears at how his plan blew up his his face, but ultimately walks after Right, who strides ahead with a smile on his face.

Think Henry got away with that call? Weeeeeeeelll...

CUT TO THE GOVERNMENT

Galeforce SLAMS his hands on his desk, making Henry jump slightly in his chair and Ellie flinch against the wall, her arms crossed and shoulders hunched.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? ACCEPTING THE DEAL MADE BY THOSE NUTJOBS!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

Henry's sign is sloppy and fast, but the general still understands it. 'Wanted Charles safe.'

"So do we, Henry, but not by selling one of our best!"

Henry shakes his head and signs again, this time more clearly. 'You can't make me change my mind.'

Ellie speaks up after being silent for so long: "Henry, think about what you're doing."

'Already did. Made up my mind.'

"Son, it's not worth it."

Those words hit Henry harder than they should, making him grit his teeth.

"Trust me. Those CCC guys are nothing but trouble. We can't accept their help."

Henry shoots up to his feet. "I DON'T CARE!" He screams. "CHARLES IS TRAPPED IN SPACE WITH NO ONE TO HELP HIM AND IT'S MY FAULT HE'S UP THERE TO BEGIN WITH, SO LET ME FIX THIS!"

No one talks as Henry pants, falling back into his chair and holdong his head in his hands, pulling slightly at his hair and shaking.

"It's all I can think of doing. It's our only option. I can't think of anything else."

Ellie and Galeforce exchange glances before turning back to Henry, who leans heavily on one hand or arm as he meets their gaze.

"You're sure you know what you're doing?"

Henry looks at them both for a moment while not speaking before nodding slowly. 'I can't think of anything else. The corporal hung up before I could say yes. Someone talked about a 'situation.''

Ellie and Henry stare at each other, the former more puffy eyed than she was last night because this could very well be the last time she sees her friend.

She doesn't want him to leave, but if it's really his choice, who is she to not support him after all he did to help her?

"When do you-"

'I'm going in to visit later. Called back and told them I'd gove my answer AFTER I talked to someone.'

Both look at him incredulously.

"Talk to who?" Galeforce asks as he turns his head to look at Henry through the corner of his eye.

Henry takes in a deep breath through his nose and holds either of his hands at the top of his head, raising them up and down, gesturing a top hat to them.

BACK TO CHARLES

Right leads Charles to the room and watches him walk inside and look around, almost confused because it's been so so long since he'd last been in a normal bedroom. And because there's a chance this could all be a trick.

"Been a while since you had a decent room. Prob'ly nicer than what you're used to."

Charles takes a seat on the bed and keeps his head down, confused and tired of Right's games.

"You don't really believe Henry's gonna save you, do you? It's been a while since the last destroyer was sent and the government has more pilots. You military people are pretty easy to replace. You are just a pilot, after all."

Charles keeps his head down and lets his hair hang; it's obviously grown longer and Right gave him a razor but no scissors.

"Why are you doing this?" Charles asks. "What do you want from me?"

Right fights a smile and approaches Charles, taking a knee infront of him and waiting for the pilot to acknowledge him, which Charles does by picking up his head and meeting his eyes.

BACK TO THE CCC HEADQUARTERS!!!!!

Henry is being led by four guards and Bill Bullet. He hasn't gotten a lot of sleep, but he's good at not showing it.

"Weird request to visit someone before you make your decision. Usually we don't allow visitors." Bullet turns and sees Henry keeping up behind him, zoning out slightly but snapping out of it when he sees him looking. "You're not as talkative as you were on the phone the other night."

'Only way to contact you,' Henry signs.

Bullet smirks a little bit. "You deaf in one of your ears?"

'If I need to, I'll talk. Otherwise, I'll sign. Now where is he?'

Bullet sighs stops at an acrylic wall, seeing a doctor talking to a man.

Henry bristles slightly before calming himself back down.

"Guessing you two haven't talked in a while. I love reunions."

Henry narrows his eyes at Bill and gestures to the room. 'Private?'

"Enough. Don't worry, we won't listen in." Bill then grabs Henry by his jacket lapel and shoves him against the wall, catching the attention of doctor and occupant. "But I'm warning you right now," Bill growls as he leans close to Henry's face. "Try anything funny while you're in there, and I'll make you regret ever being born."

Henry nods and Bullet backs off him, letting him collect himself as the doctor walks out.

"Sir? He's done with his tests. His vitals and mental state are stable. He's also ready to see his visitor."

Bullet sweeps a gesture to the door. "He's all yours, Mr. Stickmin."

Henry nods and enters the room, his eyes on its occupant.

The two stare at each other for a bit, taking in each other's features.

"Hello, Henry."

The man in this room used to be moderately fit, and a REAL charmer, but years spent in the CCC's facility have taken their toll. He's gotten skinnier, his face is wrinkled and sunken in, and his hair, while it's slightly longer than Henry's, is greying and becoming thin. He doesn't look terrible by any means, but he has definitely seen better days.

He has cybernetics for both his arms and one leg, along his spine, neck to tailbone, and in part of his jaw. Where his left eye used to be, the eyelids are closed and flat; he's not even allowed to have a glass eye.

Being overthrown by Reginald Copperbottom, both literally and figuratively, forever left him with a permanent reminder.

The two stare at each other for a little while longer before Henry replies to the notorious worst leader in the toppat clan's history.

"Hi, Dad."

The two continue staring, Henry shuffling in place and Terrence rubbing his neck.

Henry signs, 'How is it here?'

"A hell hole. Nothing to do, no one to talk to, and you only get something when they say you can. Other than that, it's peachy."

Terrence's eye darts to the guards and Bill before moving back to Henry. "Guess what they said was true. You're actually coming here so you can save your friend."

"Yeah," Henry replies after a second.

I know I'm putting in a lot of pauses, but these two don't even send letters to each other, so sharing a room and having a conversation for them is awkward and extremely uncomfortable.

Back on track, Terrence scoffs at Henry's line of thinking, commenting, "And I thought these doctors were crazy. Let me guess: Reggie decided to take something from you because you took something from him? He always was a child."

'Reginald's been in prison since I arrested him.'

"You arrested him?" Terrence repeats as he stands. "The leader of the toppat clan, the most infamous group of bandits and thieves, and you just turned him in to the government? Why didn't you join him, you would've been perfectly fine!"

'Right hand man has my friend, I need to get him back. That's why I'm here.'

Terrence puts his hands on his face and groans. "No. Do not tell me I'm hearing this." He meets eyes with Henry, who nods with a shrug.

"You broke out of prison with a bar from your own cell, stole a diamond on a scooter, and escaped a maximum security prison, but you arrested the leader of the toppat clan, the son of a bitch of did this to me-" Terrence holds his arms out to gesture to his cybernetic body. "- and gave him to the government, but didn't see his lap dog wanting to settle the score or even the odds with you!?"

'A lot goes through my head on missions, okay!?'

Terrence nods, humming cheekily. "I'll bet. Think it would've gone better if you'd used that gun you had? We both know he wasn't going to do anything."

Henry sees himself charging at Right rather than throwing away his gun, but signs back, 'You don't know what he would've done. You haven't seen him.'

Terrence points to a tv in the corner of the room, one right next to the camera. "Saw how he got an upgrade. You can groom and pamper a dog all you want, its bark will still be worse than it's bite."

Henry spots Bill talking to the guards before waving at him and tapping on his wrist, more specifically on a watch. 'Don't take long.'

"Saw their orbital station, too. Like hell you're getting your friend out of space. And like hell sunglasses over there is gonna let you out of his sight if you're serious about that deal."

Henry looks Terrence directly in the eye and nods. 'I know.'

Terrence's face drops as Henry continues.

'During the mission, I hesitated because I was scared he'd kill Charles, my friend. I helped the government by giving them plans, but nothing worked. This is my last option. You are my last option. You weren't around then to tell me what to do, but I need you now because for once I have everything I could ever want, and I'm about to lose it all for being a coward. I know you're not going to like it, or even care, but I just need you to be here when they bring me in. Just be there and tell me I did enough for once, when you're really around. That's all I need right now.'

It's this that makes Terrence drop the "tough loving father" act and makes him realize that this is for real. This is not his son saying, "I made a mistake, fix it for me." This is his son telling him that this is his plan and he needs support to know he's doing the right thing.

Henry is extremely shaky because this is something he does not do with his father. They aren't usually open with each other, as in they do get emotional; toxic masculinity at its finest... and daddy issues.

Regardless, Henry collects himself before signing again.

'I'm going to agree to the terms. If they can send a piece of the ground to space or erase the universe, then they can help me. It's all I can think of doing that'll work.'

Terrence is quiet for a moment, looking at Bill and the guards as they gossip about something before turning back to Henry.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Hebry nods. 'It's all that I can think of that's going to work. Again, if they can send a chunk of land of space or erase the universe, then they can help me.'

Terrence steps back and shakes his head.

"You're going to die here. You know that, right? I'm telling you now it's not worth it."

Henry's face drops.

"Look, I get it. You never were good at keeping friends, but, Henry, I'm telling you, just let this guy go. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life locked in a cage?"

Henry shakes his head as he signs. 'No, but I'm not going to abandon my friend like you abandoned us.'

"I had a clan to run, Henry!" Terrence snaps. "I wanted you to stay, have an easy life, but no. You two just ran off on me!"

'Just because something's easy doesn't always make it right,' Henry signs. He begins signing something else, but stops before continuing. 'Look. I'm accepting the terms. I wanted to tell you now ao you're not disappointed later.'

Henry holds up a hand in farewell and turns to leave, ready to get back to the base and start forming a new plan.

"Henry?"

He turns to see Terrence staring once again, but also sees his throat bobbing, like he's coughing or about to be sick.

"Good... Good luck. Getting your friend back."

Henry's eyes widen and he shakily nods. 'Thanks.'

The two stare at each other like before, but this time they slowly advance towards one another, maneuver their arms until they're in an admittedly awkward, uncomfortable, but welcome embrace; again, emotion is not their strong suit.

"You're going to regret it. Turning yourself in. Life's for living, and you're throwing it away."

Henry pulls back and waves 'goodbye' once more and leaves the room.

"Took you long enough," Bill says as Henry rejoins him. "Have a nice visit?"

Henry narrows his eyes.

"Well, you got your visit. Hope you know how to get into that station."

Henry takes one last look at his father before nodding.

'The terms-'

"Same as advertised," Bill interrupts. "A quarter of our forces as long as you come quietly so we study your ability."

'AFTER my friend is rescued and safe.'

Bill waves him off. "Fine, yes. After your friend's back home and safe." He holds his hand out infront of him and Henry. "What do you say, Henry? Do we have a deal?"

Behind the acrylic, Terrence watches the two of them, his hands against the wall and his eyes on his son.

Henry keeps his eyes on Bill's hand before looking into his eyes. With a mental push, he claps his hand into the corporal's and shakes it, nodding.

"Deal."

Terrence bumps and shakes his head against the wall. "You idiot," he murmurs. "What are you doing?"

AND THAT'S A WRAP ON PART 4!!!!! Oh my goodness, did I enjoy writing this one! A lot of twists and turns and opportunities to just leave you all hanging, I'm not even joking. I haven't really written manipulation or character dynamics like Henry's and Terrence's before, and I think I did pretty well.

Again, check out @multiverse-madness and @azuri-the-imperfect-artist for their Terrence Suave AUs because they are both amazing artists and, honestly, do better with the character than me.😅

For real, all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much for your patience with this one. Like I said in my update post, I have a lot going on in my personal life and just couldn't get in a good creative mindset to do this.

I know we didn't see a lot of Charles this time around, but that's gonna change in Part 5😈

ANYWAY, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!