#since the start he had no respect for the scientists or any authority

[circeyoru]

The Only Reason

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Worker!Reader]

Note: I have no idea what to call this AU, but I don't think a lot of people will read this so... Haha~ Mental AU? Chaos AU?

Update! This AU is called Mana Chaos AU! Plus there's Part 2 up!!

Part 1 (here) 一 Part 2

Once, the world’s strongest Hunters were revered as humanity’s saviours and heroes for the weak and ordinary. They were once treated like celebrities and hold the highest power and authority. They were respected, praised, and idolized. They still were, now, with a hint of fear.

It all happened due to the infamous incident now dubbed as <The Outrage Incident>. It happened like any other day, in any other country, in any other city. But to only that one strong Hunter. He was an S-Rank Mage, a successful and loved one at that. The story goes like this. 

One day, this powerful Hunter was out on the street enjoying a day off, but something set him off and he used his powerful ability to set things right. It would have been the end of it since an S-Rank’s threat was enough to make the majority crumble. However, his power got out of control and caused an outrage to his being. He was using his powers in public and there was no dungeon outbreak or monsters nearby for him. No amount of justification could calm the public.

After that one incident, other countries’ S-Rank or higher started to experience a similar issue. The worst case was that even Healers of their level didn’t escape such a phenomenon. Soon, the public feared the strong protectors they once saw as shields and swords against the gates. 

Researchers and scientists were put to work quickly to investigate why and how this issue was happening now. The answer was in the overflowing mana levels within their bodies that couldn’t be contained since the human body was weak and frail for such a change. Addition to that, it correlated to the Hunter’s emotional level and their control. Institutions were built to imprison house the S-Ranks while monitoring their situation. 

Whenever an S-Rank’s mana levels and emotions show signs of <Outrage>, a term they now use to describe the Hunter going haywire with their powers on everything and anything around them, they will be sent to a dungeon alone. In the people’s eyes, it was better for that one Hunter to die in battle than kill innocents. Because at first, it was only the S-Ranks, but then some A-Ranks would fall victim to <Outrage> as well. 

The professionals have named the correlation as Emotional Mana, EM for short, which made way for the Emotional Mana Institution, EMI for strong Hunters. The Hunters were treated like mental patients or worse, forced into a straitjacket and some had a muzzle for certain Hunters. These were specially designed and created items that limit and restricts a Hunter’s use of their powers and abilities. 

It was a miracle that someone managed to create such equipment. That someone was also targetted by the S-Ranks after being announced and killed for such a disrespectful act, still the blueprints and prototypes were created and other talents that took over were able to finalize the perfect form.

“Personnel 002, you were specifically requested by SM-10.” 

You looked up from your laptop and paused in your rapid typing for just a few second before you looked back to your screen and continued typing. That code name was to protect you and everyone else that worked in EMI or have some form of connection to it, so that no innocent is sacrificed for the greater good. Still, you can’t get used to it nor do you want to. “I’m busy.”

“Please… SM-10 is way too picky with the people that enters his cell.” This person, Supervisor 843, was one of the newest employee to join the crew. Though, unlike the name of the duty, they were people that were disposable hence the frequent newcomers and high number. “Please help me.”

You sighed and glared up at the person who had a mask over their head and a voice changer to mask their identity. Though, with the way they were speaking, you could deduce this person was a ‘she’. You got up and snatched the file extended to you. Just when you thought you could rest and work in peace, trouble comes knocking on your door. “Get me a drink and some refreshment, I want to see it on my desk by the time I’m back.”

“Yes? Yes!” Supervisor 843 bowed and clapped her hands together, “I’ll do so!”

As swiftly and automatically, you made your way through the hallways and doorways, tapping your access card to unlock needed doors and lifts for your travel. On the way, other Supervisors nodded their heads and bowed in your presence when you walked by. Unlike them who wear a uniform, you only have a lab coat over your usual outfits. You don’t even have a mask or voice changer. 

Why?

You stood in front of the door that was labelled in bold ‘SM-10’, meaning the 10th S-Rank in Korea that belonged to the Mage class. The guard dressed in black from head to toe nodded their heads at you before they started unlocking the various security checkpoints and locks for you to enter into a battlefield in its own right.

“Will one hour be enough, Personnel 002?” One of the guards asked.

“Not sure, just be alert in case I need to rush out.” You spoke stoically with indifference.

Step by step, you walked in, announcing loudly of your arrival to the individual inside. The doors closed behind you and locked you inside with what everyone feared. You sighed and put away your glasses since there was no need for it right now. The room was eerily silent and cold, something you were long used to. 

You took a few more steps, walking deeper into the room where it seemed to get darker and darker even though the lights in all housed Hunters would be on 24/7 to monitor their actions and activities within the room. 

Just when your vision failed you to the point where you can’t see what was in front of you, you were enveloped in a pair of strong arms, your entire form effortlessly pulled back till your back was pressed against a firm wall of muscle one would call chest and abs. Hair tickled one side of your cheek and neck, you felt a breath cooed before a deep voice rang in your ear, “I’ve been waiting for my favourite Personnel~”

It wasn’t at all odd that your name was called as well, if it was someone like him, he’d know everything there was to know. In fact, everyone should be worshipping him right now for his controlled and well-mannered behaviour. Especially when he could have destroyed this entire facility and killed everyone in it within seconds if he so wished. 

“Jinwoo. I need to work, don’t bully the newcomers.” You sighed while looking to the side as if making eye contact with him. 

“I like it when you call me by name and not some code, thanks for that.” Jinwoo hummed as he played with your fingers. “I guess I’ll think about it. It’s a bit bored here, you understand.”

“You removed your straitjacket again.” You let him fiddle with your fingers as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. “You’ll get caught one of these days and then it’ll be game over.”

“Igris helped me remove it. You know how they are with seeing me constrained and imprisoned here.” He chuckled and leaned back, but it turned out he was just taking a seat, presumably on his bed since you still couldn’t see anything in the darkness. “Don’t worry, I’ve made sure no one could see me free and they didn’t kill anyone. Yet.”

Every Hunter that was admitted into the EMI was evaluated and thoroughly investigated to create the perfect profile for reference. All their fighting style, powers and abilities, weapons of choice, gear type, and any other detail was accounted down. It was all for people to be prepared in case one would have an <Outrage> and they were needed to be countered by weaker Hunters. 

For Jinwoo, however, his profile was lacking to put it in the best terms. His mana levels were unmeasureable, yes, so he was placed as an S-Rank. Though, his powers and abilities were unknown. Since he was a Reawakened Hunter, most would assume he was the same class as he was as an E-Rank; a Fighter Class. But he exhibit <Telekinese> and <Shadow Manipulation> so he was placed as into Mage class.

That wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. 

You saw through his innocence and lie, uncovering his true powers and abilities. To be honest, even if you told your higher-ups of Jinwoo’s secrets, there was nothing they could do to counter it. Jinwoo was a league of his own and only you knew it. He was no mere S-Rank, he was definitely a National Level Hunter.

Ah, yes. The question as to why you don’t wear a mask or bother having done anything to hide your identity. It was not because you’ve been in one of the people who has been in service of EMI for the longest time or wanted something as shallow as respect from the newcomers or other coworkers. It was completely because you knew it was useless to hide when someone like Sung Jinwoo had his eyes on you.

“I’ll try and arrange a dungeon for you to raid.” You marked down on your phone while Jinwoo continued to treat you like a teddy bear.

“You have to join though. If you don’t…” Jinwoo’s voice went deeper as glowing eyes stared at you from the shadows, “I don’t know what I’ll do to get your attention…”

You nodded, pushing down the urge to flinch or jerk away from him. It was normal, something you expected but still unnerving to hear with your own ear from his lips. You swear this place made the Hunters mad in the head, it was a place that made them sick and mentally ill, it wasn’t actually helping them at all. “Yeah, of course. I’m sure everyone will be relieved to hear it.”

Jinwoo smirked as his arms tightened around you, his face buried between your neck and shoulder. “You’re the only reason I stay here. Remember that. If you leave here… Leave me… I’ll do what Thomas Andre did to America.”

Note: I can't help it, it was supposed to upload the requested ones first, but then this idea hit me like a truck (without the isekai part), so now here it is. There are like 2 requested stories written and ready to be posted, but I'm double checking and stuff. Hope you like this AU/idea.

Circe Y.

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist: (none at the moment)

[efverse]

grandparents part 3 outta 3, baby!!!!

Long text under the cut,

espeon evolved at a young age. when he had begun to develop a mysterious illness in his brain that couldve been fatal if his body didnt evolve into an espeon to combat the potentially terminal disease early on. it didnt really impact him past that point in his life and recovered very well but...

his own unconventional evolution piqued his interest in how far an eevees adaptive abilities could be pushed. But from what he could tell no one else had been able Really look into that.

but espeon had always been fascinated by evolution in general helping his parents with their work. espeon was born around the time they started the research facility in kanto after they had moved there together. he had made impressive advancements in the field of evolution studies himself. wrote books, publicly spoke on the topic and just. generally became a respected authority on it all, over the course of his life.

over the years he had also found the time to start a family. not very present in their lives since he was extremely busy with his work. his oldest and youngest did not have much interest in their family's line of research at all but his middleborn always had a respect for the work his father did.

However, as successful as he was in his field...he still wasn't satisfied with his personal knowledge of his own species's natural abilities...

---

one day espeon had gotten an offer from team rocket to be a lead scientist on some project. something about cloning mew. they said that they would assist him with anything he wanted. give him any amount of money he wanted for him to be on the project. he made a big show of kicking them out of the facility, however...he secretly contacted them telepathically before they got very far away telling them he would work with them.

the project progressed and espeon became fascinated with not only the science and technology involved in what they were doing but the ethics as well. And how they could just...do it. But then again he'd never personally cared about whether an experiment could be considered cruel to its participants. Always being ruled by his own curiosity and his want of knowledge in that regard...

As he felt like the progress was going smoothly on the project...something went wrong and Mewtwo broke out. He was prepared for his offer to be rescinded but...team rocket kept up their part of the deal they agreed on and gave him as much protection and money for whatever he had in mind as they could...

he wanted to see how far an eevees natural adaptation could be pushed. Even though he knew the route he was going possibly wouldn't offer reliable research he didn't particularly care as long as he could sate his own curiosity in the topic...he only had three test subjects after all.

Espeon couldn't let his kids evolve for the sake of his pet project to work. Not only did he do experiments that physically harmed them on occasion but since eevees also evolved w emotional stimuli he messed around a lot with that aspect of it too... his eldest evolved on her own one day the first chance she got. after an argument w him she left home on her own. Soon after his youngest followed her lead. Left with only his middleborn he still did what he could...

Begrudgingly the experiments came to an end. leaving him still unsatisfied but he understood that there was little point in continuing on.

---

as the years went on he actually did try to have a *decent(by his standards at least) relationship with his grandkids despite his son being "overly cautious" and not really wanting them to have to interact with him in any way if they didnt have to...

when one of his grandchildren evolved into an espeon he immediately took them on as an assistant of sorts in hopes that they would be able to take over the family business. However his expectations were not met and he was disappointed more than anything.

When he eventually passed around his late 70s(?) he kind of had no other choice but to put his son in charge of the family labs seeing as everyone else he thought of as a possible option was either no longer in contact with him or dead.

He died about 2 years before EVs egg was laid.

[slxsherwriter]

Research Gone Wrong

Fandom: Python (2000)

Pairings: Hinted/developing Anton Rudolph x reader

Word Count: 6,671

Warnings: Death, cursing

Author's Note: This is the longest thing single fic that I have written. If I had a nickle for herpetologists in a monster flick that I've written for, I'd have two. Which isn't a lot, but starts a collection. Gif made by me. Tagging: @slashingdisneypasta

Biogene. Just the name caused your hackles to rise and jump on the defensive. The company had screwed you and your research over several years ago, and it was a slight that would not and could not be forgiven. Not after three years of dedication to such an important project, only to have the entire thing yanked out from under your feet, your work butchered, and your reputation almost irreparable damaged. 

So when the US military came knocking, with the promise of state of the art facilities, all the hands you could ask for, and more funding than any humble scientist could have wished for, well, it became rather difficult to turn down the offer. Not that you were entirely pleased with selling your soul to the government, but there weren't any offers coming in, and it was better than giving up on your passions. At least you hoped. For all of those things and that you wouldn't have to deal with the company that had nearly destroyed you ever again.

Only one end of those hopes had come true. Surprisingly, the government treated you well, and your colleagues were respectful of both you and your work.  A little niche that you found comfort and a routine in that allowed enjoyment in both work and life. 

Biogene came roaring back into your life due to one giant mistake on their end. Quite literally giant. Bart Parker, an agent with the NSA, had made the call, asking for your help. You knew him through one of your coworkers and had been friendly enough. The call was a surprise, though. He wouldn't explain much over the phone, just that something bad had happened involving Biogene, and your expertise was needed. None of that settled well for you, but you responded without question. Bart and the NSA weren't super involved when it came to you and your research that when he asked for your expertise, it had to be something significantly serious.

A little hustle was needed to be able to get over to the office, ending with you all but running up the stairs, taking them two at a time. It took you a second to get yourself together before entering the office. Bart looked up, shoulders closer to his ears and posture rigid. The typical easygoing smile was missing from his face. 

“Is it that bad?”

“Don’t know just yet, but we have an entire team dead….” Huffing out a small sigh, you moved to settle into the desk across from him before he shook his head and motioned to the seat on his right. 

“Where do I fit into this?”

“We’re about to find out the exact details now. Their scientist is on his way up.” Their scientist? Oh, shit. Rubbing your eyes, it took every ounce of willpower in your body to restrain a groan. 

“None of this is helping me feel good about whatever mess you have pulled me into, Parker.” A noncommittal shrug was your answer. Settling into the seat, you took the file that was offered. There wasn't a whole lot of information that you could utilize. Whatever was being transported was supposedly massive. The research was interrupted when the door opened. The man who walked through the door was instantly recognizable. 

Anton Rudolph. The older man had always been kind, patient, and more than willing to help when and where asked. He was one of the only scientists that you had respect for and had kept some sort of professional and somewhat non-professional bridge between since you had left. Nothing more than the occasional email mainly centered around whatever the latest research that had been published. Not anything that either of you were involved in, naturally. But, having a colleague in the field made it easier to discuss things. And well, maybe you had been the cliche when starting work at Biogene, harboring a small crush on the man. That was neither here nor there at the moment. 

It was a relief seeing him walk through the door. At least you wouldn't be butting heads with some arrogant, stubborn asshole. He would be easy to work with, even if you didn't know what it was you were working on. He paused at the door when his eyes fell on you before a small smile appeared. Hopefully, he was having the same thoughts. 

As he explained what really was aboard the plane, your heart leapt into your throat. Was that even possible? Were they entirely out of their minds? A snake that massive with those sorts of abilities would be nearly unstoppable. The words burned into your brain. A one hundred and twenty-nine foot all-terrain vehicle, capable of speeds exceeding fifty miles an hour, with skin that can deflect an antitank round, enhanced night vision, and a voracious appetite for human flesh. This was what happened when science got a little too ambitious, and humans didn't understand their limitations. A man made killing machine that was now on the loose and uncontrollable. And what the hell were you supposed to do about it? Bart had called you in on what felt like a suicide mission after Dr. Rudolph was done explaining everything. 

Had he had a part in making this thing? Something of that nature wouldn't have evolved naturally. It could be played off as not man made all anyone wanted, but nature hadn't been playing in that sort of sandbox for ages. Quite literally. The last time something even close to that roamed the Earth? It would have been with the dinosaurs. And even then, to have so many components of different snakes and different abilities? Not a shot. Your head was spinning with the implications, not even jumping to how to kill it. It was the sole focus for Bart and the NSA team that had been assembled. 

Naturally, Bart thought that it wasn’t the case of this time being as difficult to kill as the other man had made out, and enough firepower could end anything. He looked at you for some sort of backup, but all you could do was shake your head. Something more clever than bullets and rockets would need to be used to handle such a beast like this. 

Hell, if half of what Anton had said was true, there was a chance that Bart was leading all his men into a slaughter. Anton realized that, and you realized that, but it seemed that Bart was too caught up in his mind to accept the true danger that he was getting ready to throw himself and his men into. Bravado was a massive downfall, and it was entirely possible that it would be the death of you all. Something that you would mention to him in private, so it didn’t seem like you were questioning his authority. Bart and his second in command slipped out of the room, but Anton stopped you with a gentle touch to your wrist before you could get out of the room yourself. 

“You know what sort of problem this could be,” he murmured gently, as if he didn't want the others to hear. “I didn't expect to see a familiar face or someone that could understand the gravity of the situation.” They wouldn't, given they had left and were likely already attempting to figure out a plan of attack. Raising a hand, you scrubbed it over the side of your face. Each possible outcome kept playing over and over in your head. 

“What were you guys thinking of transporting something like that?” He had the decency to look a little ashamed. “The insights and knowledge isn't worth all of this.”

“Coming from the scientist working for the government.” Yeah, that would have stung if you didn't have the high ground in this argument. “My research is now medical based. Trying to create not only an anti-venom but reversals for neurotoxins in general. I'm hardly sitting in the lab and creating hybrids that could wipe us all out in one fell swoop.” His shoulders fell some. 

“It wasn’t entirely my idea. Once they heard, there wasn’t any backing out. And really, we should be trying to capture it. Think if the implications…”

“Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, Dr. Rudolph. I need to speak with Agent Parker, and we have to get ready for whatever it is they are planning.” That seemed to be accepted with a small nod. 

“Yes….of course.” He let go of your wrist, a hold that you hadn't realized he held. Thankfully, you had turned and headed to the door, not wanting to confront anything awkward about the whole moment. Focusing on getting Bart to listen to some sense of reason was the main priority, and you couldn't afford any distractions. 

********

The talk with Bart had gone over like a lead balloon. Absolutely non-productive and counteracting the fact that he had brought you on to consult. Briefly, it caused you to wonder if this was how all scientists felt when dealing with the military and trying to warn of consequences that could not be seen by those focused on the short term without that specialized expertise. A fact that you lamented quietly to yourself rather than out loud. It seemed, though, that Anton sensed the frustration. He stuck close, making the occasion comment under his breath that had you less and less angry with him and his company. 

Led down into the emergency water treatment facility or underground bunker as it really was, it was all you could do to bite your tongue and not let on that you still thought throwing all the fire power that they had at this snake was a bad idea. Well, not bad exactly. Just useless. Which, in the case of a ninety something foot apex predator, was a bad idea. That gut feeling that had never led you wrong before was ever present as you listened to them talk about the track and what they would use against the creature. 

“This is a bad idea…” you murmured softly to the man standing beside you. It seemed that perhaps he was starting to understand the predicament that they were all in. 

“I know, but what are we supposed to do?” A valid point. Your hands were tied. Crossing your arms over your chest and rocking on the balls of your feet, the same thoughts that had plagued you since the incident came to light kept tumbling around your head. Of course, his concern over it being a bad idea was still slightly different from yours. He did still want to save the snake for various research reasons. If it wasn't a giant killing machine, you may have been more apt to agree. But that was not the case. Bart had one thing right. This thing was going to kill and keep killing. The risk of the loss of life here did outweigh the potential of various research breakthroughs.

“We have to figure out some backup plan. There has to be some way that we can know for sure that the thing will die. There isn't any salvaging this or saving the specimen.” He hummed thoughtfully. “If firepower doesn't do it, and they are going to hit it hard, then there has to be some other method for us to cause harm and damage.” Drowning it was a possibility, but that would require something to be able to hold it under the water. Less likely a possible scenario than dying by gunfire. Chopping off its head wasn't exactly practical, either. It wasn't like you were dealing with anything that either of you had dealt with before. Half zoned out, focused on the thoughts swirling in your head, you missed the fact that the men were discussing just what they were throwing at the snake and the plan of moving in on it. Until Anton's voice rang out a little louder and asked about another heat signature on the map. Shifting closer, you took a look yourself. That didn’t seem right. There was one snake. There shouldn't have been two heat signatures. Could it have been shedding? Bart immediately passed it off as a radar echo. Still, it didn't sit right. It was too similar, looking to the signature for the snake.

“Are you suddenly having the same concerns that I am?” You glanced towards Anton. The other men had already moved to get everything together and ready as they were on a timetable. He seemed troubled. Maybe he was having the same thoughts that you were. But until he confirmed it, you wouldn't say it. 

“It is rather suspicious.”

“If this thing is as intelligent as it appears to be, this could turn out worse than what we think. We have to let them know.”

“And if we are wrong, we risk putting them in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Just felt like the textbook definition of stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you were right and the snake was shedding and the second Heat Signature ended up being shed skin, then likely the snake will have moved by the time that the satellite passed over again and the men were in position. If you were wrong, and Bart was right, then Anton was also correct in stating that you could be putting the men in a bad position. There was no winning here. All you could do was inform part of your thoughts. He would have to make the call from there. None of this is what you had signed up for. You were beginning to regret agreeing to consult for Bart. Nothing good was going to come of this either way. And, you still didn't have a good idea of how to kill the snake. This wasn't the sort of situation that you could fly by the seam of your pants. But unfortunately, there wasn't any more time to plan. The men were getting ready to leave, and that meant you had to too.

You let Bart know your thoughts. It was the most that you could do. Though as before, he took it into consideration but continued to move forward with what he had planned. His reaction almost suggested that he felt like you were working against him and had decided to side with Dr Rudolph. His mind was set, and there was no changing it. You are along for the ride without a choice.

The men went from running around and were at the ready in the blink of an eye. And being the resident experts, both you and Anton were expected to be right out there with them. With no choice in the matter, you both were told to stick close to Bart. There was no room or allowance to stray far from him. For protection was how they framed it. A partial truth. They didn't want either of you to go off and do something stupid. A concern that would be unfounded. You did not have a death wish, and you were fairly certain that the other scientist didn't either. There were still no viable solutions to the problem at hand. Killing a snake that massive was no easy feat even if it was meant to be more or less indestructible. 

“How did they manage to subdue it for capture?” The question slipped out without any thought. You hadn't meant to say it aloud just yet, but the thought occurred, and maybe that would provide a little insight on how to handle the situation. If it could be sedated, it could be killed. But that would likely require a lot of sedation. Gas preferably, so you didn’t need to get close. Suffocation would be one way to handle it. If you could entrap it somewhere long enough without it breaking out. You and Anton were stuck in the middle of the group of men, but they weren't paying close attention. It was pulled elsewhere, mainly focused on scanning the area for threats or potential sightings. Even if this snake had eaten a few people, it surely wouldn't have been enough for it to need to bask and digest. 

“I'm sorry?” It seemed that he had been in his own thoughts as well. 

“For transport. I imagine that the specimen was sedated. It had to be subdued to be able to be prepared for shipment and then for the journey itself. Clearly, it had not been sedate enough if it broke out. But something had to work, or it wouldn't be here. It would still be over in Asia.” Where it belonged. But you managed to bite your tongue and not add that little bit. 

“I imagine with your run of the mill tranquilizers in extremely large doses. But it would have been easy to do that in the lab. It was likely under constant heavy sedation to be able to handle it properly.”

“Suffocating it would require trapping it in a space that it wouldn't be able to break out of, and frankly, that doesn't sound like a possibility. And we would need enough noxious fumes to do that job, which would put us all at risk of a rather gruesome and unpleasant death.” It felt like you were grasping at straws. There had to be something. 

“No, but you might be onto something there. Do you know this area well?” Finally. You glanced towards him as you stepped over a log. 

“Not extremely well but somewhat. What are you thinking?”

“Industrial complexes and plants. Are there any around?” It took a second, but you suddenly understood where he was going with it. It was risky leading the snake into town, but that might be the only way to stop it. Wracking your brain, you tried to think of anything that you had seen or driven by that could be of any use. 

“I think there is a plating plant closer to the edge of town. There should be enough chemicals there that it could work. If we can manage to get it there and not send it right into town.”

The group came to a stop, and so did your discussion. Though the choppy, just hashed out plan continued to formulate in your mind. Chemicals didn't have to mean gas. Simply dumping chemicals on it wouldn't be enough. It would still need to be submerged to some degree. 

Bart was radioing the team that was meant to be in a closer position, waiting on confirmation of a visual. And it seemed that he had it when he motioned for all the time to get ready. Shit. They were actually going to go through with this idiotic idea. Wincing, you reached up to cover your ears, knowing it was going to get very loud, very quickly.  Anton followed suit. The signal was given, and almost immediately, it felt like you were in the middle of an action sequence in a movie. The thunderous roar of shells and gunfire consumed the area. Gone was the scent of nature. Replaced with burnt gunpowder and smoke. For a single second, it even felt like the ground shook beneath your feet. It felt like forever before things just stopped. The switch in sound was so abrupt. Even with covering your ears, they were left ringing with the seemingly devouring silence. 

Cautiously, you removed your hands from their position clasped over your ears. Just as it had been feared, the men had unloaded everything on skin shed rather than the snake itself. Every muscle in your body felt tense. That thing was out here, with you, hungry and lying in wait. The order to fall back and take defensive positions was shouted out, but things quickly devolved into chaos with men dying left and right. Before you could truly comprehend what was going on, it was you, Bart, and Anton left in the small clearing. 

“Stand very still. Do. Not. Move.” As if you needed to be told twice. The primal part of your brain was screaming run, danger, run. But running would be a death sentence. You couldn't outrun this beast. The python reared its head, appearing before Bart. 

“Oh. Shit.” Descriptions did not do the creature justice. As terrifying as it sounded, it was even more so in person. People had designed this thing? What the fuck was wrong with your profession? The giant head crept closer to Bart and like an idiot, he was slowly raising his gun. Anton tried to dissuade him but it wasn’t any use. Before a round could be fired off, the tail of the python speared him through the chest. The sound that came from him was horrible and would haunt you for the rest of your life. Instantly, you squeezed your eyes closed, not wanting to witness the snake devour the man if that was where it was going. The thud of the body hitting the ground told you otherwise but you still couldn't open your eyes. If this was where you died, you could not bring yourself to watch it coming. 

There were no further sounds. Hopefully, that meant that it had decided not to attack Anton. But that still left you. All but holding your breath, you waited. And waited. The heat coming from the behemoth was felt, meaning it’s massive head was right beside you. Was this how you died? Nothing came after several moments, and the heavy exhale from Anton meant that neither of you were dead. Slowly, you risked opening your eyes. The snake was gone. It was gone, and neither of you were dead. The thought repeated, barely able to believe that you had escaped with your life. You could hardly breathe before dropping to your knees, unable to process what had just happened. It was the closest that you had ever come to death. There was a quiet rustling behind you that had your heart back in your throat before a warm hand met your shoulder. Anton.

“We should move….” His voice sounded far off. Logically, you knew he was right, but every inch of your body felt like a lead weight, locked into place. Being around when that thing came back was not an option. So, you forced yourself to your feet. Both of you walked almost to the point of touch, stumbling your way towards the treatment facility. At least there was a chance of hiding within the structure. All plans from before went out the window. What were you supposed to do against a creature like that when it was only the two of you? Bile rose in the back of your throat, but a few steady breaths calmed it down. 

There was no recollection of how you both ended up back underground. Anton had settled into a corner between some pipes while you paced back and forth, unable to stop the need for movement. It felt like if you did, everything was going to collapse. All of those worst-case scenarios that had been warned about seemed to come true in the blink of an eye. Powerless. You had all been utterly powerless to stop it. So many people were dead. 

Your pacing only came to a pause when you caught sight of Anton holding something. Not something. A python. A young one by the looks of it. Even with the adrenaline that was still causing you to shake, you found yourself smiling and moving over to him. He blinked and seemed to come out of his own stupor for just a moment. 

“I've raised her from a hatchling,” he offered softly. 

“She's beautiful.” Despite everything that had happened and the fear that had seized you earlier, you could still see the beauty in the animals that had been the dedication of your life. He offered her up to you after a second, and with gentle hands, you took the juvenile python you had not realized he had. “What's her name?”

“Arabelle.” 

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” you offered, finding the moment of peace soothing. Looking at you, it was hard to imagine that there was a relation to the snake that had killed so many men. There was, of course. You knew that, logically and as a scientist. But that animal had been created in a lab, and while it shared some instincts, it wasn't the same creature. Her tail curled around your fingers, body balling up in a sign of comfort. She hardly seemed stressed after everything that you had all gone through. 

“What a minute….you've had her with you this whole time?” He shrugged with a sheepish smile. 

“She’s comfortable in my pocket. Favorite place for her to be.” Stoic little thing. Not even all that jostling, vibrations, and threat of a much larger snake seemed to have rattled her. A few silent moments passed, and attention for the both of you focused on the python in your hands. “You always had the sweetest snakes. I remember Cassie loving to just arm around an arm and stay there for as long as someone would let her.”

“You remember her?” He seemed surprised, the tone of his voice rising just enough to grab your attention away. 

“Of course. She was a gorgeous little red coat morph. Always happy to be handled and, like I said, loved wrapping around an arm. Perfect girl for taking samples if needed or just a good cuddle when needed.” 

“She was. She is one that I think I will always miss.” 

“We have to do something, Anton.”

“I know.” Another lapse of silence. Eventually, you passed Arabelle back over to him before she was gently tucked back into his pocket. Rubbing your eyes, you tried to force yourself to focus on the plan that had been worked on before it all went to hell. 

“Okay. So, what do we know? We know that it’s smart. Very damn smart. We know that firepower isn’t going to do anything to it. It moves fast. Real, god damn fast. So, you were thinking industrial plant. Drowning it in chemicals?”

“Something like that. I'm not sure how we would do it, though.” Before anything else could be said, two more bodies came stumbling into the room, catching the both of you off guard. They looked panicked. They had been outside, and only one thing in this area could cause panic like that. Hopefully, the snake hadn't followed them in. Guess you would be learning that soon enough. You and Anton were in a far better mindset to deal with them now than you were ten minutes ago. He was still a bit curled in on himself, and you were nearly pressed into his side, but your head felt significantly clearer, and from his responses to you, his head did as well. At this point, the more bodies, the better. Even if it was a risk to life. Maybe, just maybe you could all get out of this without losing anyone else. 

You let Anton explain what it was they had encountered, all while you focused on where it could be led and how that could be done safely. A task that felt fruitless and pointless. But laying down to die simply was not an option. 

You almost interjected yourself into the conversation when they were discussing the potential of it being a naturally evolved predator versus something made in a lab. Of course the man, John, was correct but it seemed that Anton was unwilling to admit to it, playing back over Kristin's claim that it could just be the next evolutionary step in some bigger natural scheme. It was best not to say anything. Implicating yourself could just lead to bigger problems down the road. If you survived. 

“No, no. Leading it down here is a bad idea,” you finally offered when the hairbrained schemes started to be concocted. “Firepower isn't enough to kill it, and having it down here is a death trap for all of us. We need another way to kill it.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Before anything else could be said, the sound of something moving around echoed out. 

“Did you remember to lock the door?”

“Lock it? We didn’t even close it.” Shit. Anton grabbed a hold of your hand and yanked you back away from the door towards a corner. Kristin did something similar with John grabbed a piece of metal and hid behind the door. Whacking at it would just piss it off, but the distraction might be enough to flee. Waiting on bated breath, your eyes remained fixed to the door. As much as you did not want to see the snake again, there was no looking away.

Seconds felt like minutes before a woman, dressed in nothing but a towel, came stumbling through the doorway. A heavy breath escaped your lungs, your chest feeling like it was practically caving in with the force. John and Kristin seemed to know exactly who it was and immediately reacted to help. 

“I don't know how many scares I can take,” you murmured softly to the man beside you. It took a second for you to realize that you were still holding his hand. You could feel some heat rising to your cheeks despite everything, and it took a few seconds for your body to respond to the demand that your brain made to release his hand. Thankfully, attention was placed on the woman who needed some help and back to the snake problem. 

****************

John admitted that he worked at a plating plant. There would be enough chemicals there that could work in your favor. It was going to be a matter of leading the snake there and figuring out how to use them to your advantage. Apparently, the police that had been set up in the area were still present when the voice came over one of the radios. And he had a car. You could lure it to the plant somewhat safely then. At least, potentially out, run it if it came to that point. Kristin explained the situation as she seemed to know the guy and had the best chance of getting him to agree to the crazy scheme that had been thought up.

“We are only going to get one shot at this.”

“We better make it the best shot we have then.” There seemed to be a new resolve in his voice that hadn't been there before when talking about the snake. It seemed that he was finally fully on board with killing the snake. There wasn’t a single chance that there was any way to salvage and save it for future use. Maybe this would also make him see the light about Biogene. Just as it was making you reconsider your own position within research and the US military. 

“We can't lead it into town and not have this work.” It was the best shot that would be given. You weren't foolish enough to think that you would get another chance or a better one at this point. “Whatever it takes, we have to kill it.” 

“We will.” The other three seemed just as determined to see this to an end. They had lost someone, so it made sense that they wanted to see the snake dead. His hand found yours again, this time giving it a gentle squeeze. One that was meant to be comforting. And it was. This time, you didn’t bother to pull away, taking in what was freely being offered. There was no way of knowing if either of you were going to make it through this. “I know it hardly means much now, but for what it’s worth, I'm sorry. I could have tried to put a stop to all of this. I was too focused on the research and the implications of what could come from it. I didn't see the danger.” 

“You're trying to make it right now. And that's what matters.” It was a shame that it took this much death and mortal danger to you all for him to see it, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that. Your focus and his had to be on the tasks at hand. Not the previous mistakes that had happened. “We do this, and it all ends. No one else gets hurt. No one else dies.” He nodded. It seemed that the other three were ready to go. It was now or never it seemed.

There was hardly enough for all of you in the cruiser. Theresa got the front seat of the car while you were squeezed between Anton and John, Kristin settled in his lap. The cop, Greg, didn't want to believe it at first. He listened and was willing to help since he thought something odd was happening. It wasn't until the snake rear its head behind the cruiser that he believed the whole thing. 

“Jesus christ!” That was an appropriate reaction. 

“Just keep driving!” The command slipped from you before you could help it. Slowing down meant death. You had to get to the plant. There was no other choice. Otherwise, not only would you all be dead, but the snake would have a clear shot right into the city and an all you can eat buffet. 

It was a tense ten minutes, everyone glancing out the windows and seemingly waiting for the car to be taken out. If it wanted, the snake would have been able to bat aside the car as if it were a toy. The plant appearing in sight should have brought some sense of relief, but instead, it only worsened anticipation and nerves. This was it, now or never. 

“Everyone remember the plan?” John was the one to speak up. He knew the layout of the plant, so he was going to have to be the mastermind. Unfortunately, that likely meant that he needed to be bait, too. A chorus of acknowledgment went up from everyone. “Good. Then let's make sure we kill this son of a bitch.” That was a sentiment that you could not have agreed with more. Stepping out of the car, you shared a look with everyone else in the group for just a moment before John began to direct everyone, leading the charge inside. His boss thought it was all a practical joke until there was a rumble from outside the building, and Greg issued a command with authority. That seemed to get everyone moving. 

You and Anton were charged with making sure the snake entered the building. From there, the girls would distract him just long enough that John had time to finish setting up the trap.

“Be careful,” he murmured softly to you. The best that you can manage, you gave him a smile before leaning in and hugging him. There was a small sound of surprise before his arms wrapped around you in return. At least your last moments would be nice if they were indeed your last moments. 

“You too.” He was the one to offer a smile this time. It seemed like there was something else that he wanted to say, but there wasn’t any more time. The bang against the wall beside you cut any further conversation short. You stepped back and moved towards the controls for the overhead door. Anton had volunteered to stand closer to the doorway so that the snake saw him. Some sort of redemption for allowing the snake to be brought over from Asia. There was no stopping the shake of your hands as you worked the controls, allowing the door to open, lifting upward, and allowing the beast entry. 

In the blink of an eye, it was slithering inside and moving closer to Anton. Your stomach rolled, bile rising in the back of your throat. There was a second delay before he was taking off, and the snake was after him. Shit. Shit. Shit. Everything felt like a lead weight, all over, like after the first encounter with the python. Except this time, it was harder to move than before, maybe because you knew that there was a potential you were going to come across something you really did not want to see. But you had to. There was still a job to do, and the snake wasn’t dead. 

You turned a corner and were yanked backward. Before any yelp could come, a hand was over your mouth. A hand. It wasn't the snake. You weren't about to die. 

“Calm down.” That was Anton's voice. He had made it out of the chase alive. You all but collapsed back against his hold, wanting to sob in relief. But the sounds of metal smashing downward and the shouts of the other girls meant that you still had work to do. “Take a breath for me. We will check on them in a moment. Everything is going according to plan so far. If we move too quickly, we can cause a problem.” You did just that, sucking in a breath between your teeth now that his hand had been removed. He was right. Thankfully, he was thinking logically. Then John was shouting, but the shouting wasn't panicked sounding. No, he was grabbing its attention. This could be the end. 

“Come on.” Grabbing a hold of his hand, you and Anton headed off quickly and as quietly as you could in the direction of the shouts. 

You could see the snake hovering over the pool of chemicals, acid to be exact, but it wasn't in it. The head kept rearing and slamming down as if trying to get to someone. You moved at the same time Kristin appeared, heading for what looked like the control panel for the hydraulic arm that was over the snake and the pool of acid. She slammed her hand against the buttons while you were trying to figure out the panel so that the arm would move. It started to lower, pressing into the snake. John was yelling, and you didn't know if he had been bit or worse. 

In what felt like minutes, but in reality was probably half a minute to forty-five seconds, the arm finally pressed down with enough force to send the sensitive underbelly of the snake right into the acid. It made a horrible hissing shriek sound as it reared up, head flailing as the acid ate away at its flesh. Soon enough, organs were slipping from the hole that had been created, and the snake fell over. Finally dead. It was over. Kristin instantly ran over to check on John, making sure that he was okay. You weren't planning on getting close to the thing, knowing the head was still a bit of a risk for a little while, dead or not. 

“It's over….” Slumping back against the wall, you slid into a seated position, staring absently at the snake as the adrenaline finally started to slow down. Anton settled next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. Nothing was said between the two of you as the three friends huddled around one another, hugging and feeling the same sense of relief that you were. Greg moved about, checking on each individual, his training kicking in. He knelt before the two of you. 

“You guys okay? No injuries?”

“No, we're fine.” Anton answered before you could, though it hardly bothered you that he answered for you. Greg glanced at you as if wanting confirmation, which you gave with a nod. Leaning your head against Anton's shoulder, exhaustion washed over you in waves, and all you wanted to do was curl up and sleep. “Come on. Let's get out of here.” It didn't matter where. You were happy to leave the building and away from the scene. 

“Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.” A good rest was needed, and then you could both figure out what you were going to do from there. With your career and the man beside you, keeping you close with a warm, comforting touch. 

[fanaticfangirl001]

Tolerable, Dutiful, and Half A Brain

Chapter 1: The Presentation of Eloise Bridgerton And The Return of Lady Whistledown.

Anthony Bridgerton x OC Ottoline Greggett

Author's Note: No Kate or Edwina.

As Eloise’s morning begins horribly wearing a ridiculous white dress accessorized with a large feather plume adorning her head, she looks towards the moment after at the ball that she is amongst her  friends: Penelope and Ottoline adorning the walls of the palace like wallflowers. Although Penelope will not be attending due to morning. While Eloise begs her family not to utter a word as they leave for the palace. Ottoline stands with her brother’s already inside the palace waiting for the presentation of ladies. 

Ottoline Greggett stands an inch taller than her eldest brother Sebastian, the oldest of nine. Her long red hair is braided and pinned into an exquisite high bun. She wears a light blue silk dress with silver embroidery mimicking the stars that the late Lord Xavier Greggett, her father studied. He was an avid astronomer and scientist. A quality he passed onto all of his children, especially Ottoline. Her avidity for the pursuit of knowledge gives her a boring and too intelligent reputation among the men of the Ton. Her introverted nature keeping her towards the walls affects her reputation with the women of the Ton. They deem her to be insignificant to the season. Ottoline’s name had not graced the pages of Lady Whistledown’s papers. Not that it bothered Ottoline, she like Eloise did not put much stock in Lady Whistledown’s gossip. 

 At an age of twenty-two years Ottoline has not had a single legitimate suitor. Men typically visited her in order to pay a favor back to her eight older brothers: Sebastian, Alexander,Theodore,Nathaniel, Benjamin, William, Oliver, and Gabriel. Having so many brothers did come with its benefits but also its hindrances. The past seasons each brother found a bride, she put up with so many women interloping into her home and criticizing the way she lived over the course. Each lady and respective brother understood now that Ottoline was fine. Nothing wrong with her body or mind. Many of her sister in laws believe her to be beautiful and fairly gifted. She just wastes all the beauty that her mother bestode Ottoline with.The late Lady Seraphina Greggett was one of the most beautiful and charming women in Queen Charlotte’s court. This would be Ottoline’s fourth season as an eligible woman. 

As the palace begins to fill, Queen Charlotte speaks to Lady Dansbury. 

“I yearn for someone fresh, someone unexpected,to turn this season on its head. That is what we need.There is no room for indifference. Apathy is a blight the monarchy simply cannot endure.

“Of course, Your Majesty. But remember, A young lady cannot be a diamond until you anoint her as such. So if for any reason you do not find one among the candidates today .” Lady Dansbury is interrupted. 

“Do you think she will return?” The Queen asks “We have heard nary a peep from Lady Whistledown since last season ended. Perhaps the writer came to her senses. Perhaps she realizes taking on her Queen was a bad idea, and she will never publish again.” 

“It is a convincing theory, ma’m.” replies Lady Dansbury. 

“Or she simply left for the country as the rest of us did in the off-season,bored by the lack of any real gossip. You do know what that would make her then.”The Queen says with a realization. “One of us.” 

The Bridgerton ladies are in one carriage while the Bridgerton men are in another. The ladies prepare Eloise for her presentation as she melts in the blistering sun and ricochet snarky remarks.  The Bridgerton men discuss another matter completely. 

“My task this season cannot be exceptionally difficult. Hastings did it after all.How hard can it be?” Anthony starts. 

“Ah, spoken with such feeling too.” Benedict chimes in. 

“I do not need feeling.What I need is what I have, and that is a list.Tolerable, Dutiful, Suitable enough hips for childbearing, and and at least half a brain. And that last part is not so much a requirement but a preference in fact.” Anthony ends his list. 

The other brothers nod dismissively to Anthony’s lack of emotion. 

As the presentation begins Ottoline finds herself falling into her old patterns, stiffly standing in a corner of the wall beside her eldest brother Sebastian and his wife Arabella. Sebastian turns to his sister and whispers, “This season you’re tasked with finding a husband.” 

“It shouldn’t be that hard.” Arabella pipes in. “You are beautiful. I wished my hips were as full as yours.”  

“Thank you.” Ottoline whispers to her sister-in-law. Arabella being the nicest one. “I have a list.” She whispers to her brother. 

“A list of what?” Sebastian asks. 

“Qualities for my husband. If I’m to have one forever. I must find the best one.” Ottoline takes out a small notebook and shows her brother. 

“This isn’t one of your plant experiments. This is your life.” Sebastian takes the notebook into his coat pocket. 

“Exactly, and you want me to have the best life.” Ottoline tries to take it back as everyone else is watching the presentation of the ladies.

“What are the qualities?” asks Arabella. 

“ Tolerable,Dutiful, Responsible,Kind, Loyal, Handsome, and at least half a brain. That is not so much a requirement as it is a preference.” Ottoline answers hearing Eloise’s name being called. 

“You have the brains of a thousand men.” Sebastian smiles. 

“Thank you.” Ottoline nods. 

“It wasn’t a compliment.” Sebastian replies. 

“Sebastian. Be nice.” Arabella scolds lightly, smacking her husband with a fan. 

Sebastian sighs, “ All I want for you is a nice marriage to a nice gentleman, but do not take anyone’s affections for granted.” 

“What affections? Most of these men have visited me only to pay you a favor in return.” Ottoline says as the presentations grind to a halt with the arrival of Lady’s Whistledown’s papers.

“I have seen enough.” The Queen walks out. 

“Does this mean I can go.” Eloise asks, grabbed by her mother. 

“I don’t know what this means.” Violet answers letting go. 

Eloise runs back prompting Daphne to call out but remains in her line. The royal attendants begin passing out Lady Whistledown’s papers. 

Ottoline looks over Arabella’s shoulder as she reads. 

Dearest Gentle Reader, 

Did you miss me? 

The event ended early with the Lady Whistledown’s arrival back to the ton sparking rumors and speculation about who she might be. Ottoline rolls her eyes at those partaking in the speculation especially Arabella who multiple times suspected Ottoline. Arriving home early from the presentation Ottoline let her hair down, began reading and continued to make small annotations in the margins. 

[1uckygold]

Changing One's Tune (10)

Summary: Hybrids have always been known to humanity after scientist decided to test the limits of the animal genetics on humans. Now the world uses them as adoptable companions, which is why a group of friends found their way at a Hybrid Shelter. Though one trip turns into an ugly fight involving Yoongi to walk away—But what happens when that same male finds a cat hybrid that is scared out of her mind with a dark past. Who said that dark past was over?

~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Suga x Hybrid f! Reader

~Genre: Angst & Fluff, Hybrid au

~Word Count: 3.6K

~Tag List: @tanumiki @yummiethedragoon2 @llcalumllhoodll @darkmangoo @kurochan3 @wooya1224 @lilacdreams-00 @fangirl125reader @halesandy @aviwasabi21 @mrcleanheichou @loveyoongles @queenthorin1 @rosquilleta @a-golden-sunflower-vol-6 @sockie-the-dumbass @jipwark02 @malewife-supremacy @tinyoonsblog @becomingbts @lenafarn @ultralillylove @deathkat657 @janeelizabeth1216 @sumzysworld @beach-bitch-bitch-beach @agustdjoon @ironrosestylist @d-noona @matchat3a @zae007live @friendlywraith @bangtannie7 @bangtanswrld @marieebarbzz8 @quokkahideout @that-author @honeybxes @kim-jias-den @loner0907

Part: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / More Chapters Soon...

The quietness was almost unbearable, Seokjin had decided to give Yoongi and you a lift back home. Although not a single word was said between the three during the ride, there was no need. This involved two people only, a conversation that was much needed alone.

Your ears twitched in nervousness while you fidgeted in the front seat, silently playing with your tail to ease anxiety that was building up. Cat-like eyes constantly glancing out the window in wonder seeing buildings and people in their own conversations fly past.

Occasionally, Seokjin would take a quick peek in the rear-view mirror to see Yoongi dozing off, head bobbing as his breathing grew softer. It would have been normal Yoongi behavior if he did not appear like sleep wasn’t an option for last night.

Shaking his head, Seokjin rid of his thoughts before they clouded the mind in worry. He was just overthinking… Yoongi wouldn’t miss an opportunity to sleep at any time or anywhere.

When arriving at the building, you gave a slight wave of goodbye to Seokjin before heading inside with Yoongi. The awkward silence inside the elevator had you practically crying inside, wishing to be back in the car—Anything was better than this! Not even bothering to walk next to Yoongi when on the right floor, having followed quietly and obediently behind.

Damn it… Just get it over with Yoongi!

Scold you for disappearing and running off without a word or warning, demand respect to never do that again—Hell, even scream from the rooftops that you were getting sent to some ugly shelter. Just… break the uncomfortable silence first, please!

“Are you hungry? I can cook something up,” Yoongi asked with a yawn, the question catching you off guard for a moment, ears standing tall in such surprise. That was the last thing you’ve ever expected for him to say.

After the first words spoken since being alone with one another, Yoongi did not speak anything more. The music composer going through cabinets in the kitchen and setting up water to boil for ramen. Yoongi even had taken beef out from the fridge to sizzle on the pan, planning to make enough for two people and seconds.

You watched on, eyes darting around with every little movement Yoongi made, the delicious aroma started to make your stomach growl in anticipation—No! You had to stay focus; answers were need! Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you were about to let questions run wild in the air. However, something else caught your attention, having frozen you in place.

Nose scrunching up in confusion seeing the entire living room a mess, it was not like this when you left. Blankets were thrown everywhere, along with empty cups that once held coffee inside. What was with all the caffeine? You turned towards Yoongi, ears drooping and pinning back in despair. He looked absolutely exhausted; you were a hundred percent that Yoongi did not sleep a wink of sleep last night.

All because of you…

“Do you want it spicy or—” Yoongi questioned, raising an eyebrow, and turning to face you. Only to be practically shoved into the counter, a painful hiss leaving his lips at the hard impact. Though you couldn’t control yourself, feeling a strong urge to tackle the music lover in a tight hug. Guilt clawing away at your heart.

You’ve never felt anything for humans than fear and yet… you still did not understand why it was different with Yoongi.

“I’m sorry for disobeying and leaving! I’ll be better, I promise… just please do not send me back to my old owners,” You panicked, words frantically leaving your mouth as you rubbed against Yoongi’s shirt. Tears ran free and it felt as if there was a lump in your throat, slightly gasping to intake oxygen back into your lungs. Crying always felt as if there was a weight on your chest, and you hated it.

The desperation in your voice had Yoongi’s heart breaking in two, turning off the stove and leading you towards the couch. Food that will soon grow cold being left long forgotten. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble. Y/N, you did nothing wrong, okay?”

“I’m actually the one who should be apologizing, for the whole collar incident…” Yoongi trailed off, not knowing how to explain himself without sounding like a complete bubbling moron. However, he felt worse when seeing you flinch, practically curling farther away on the couch without a word. In fact, your whole face was unreadable at that moment, face neutral as you stared off into space. The only sign for Yoongi that you were still in distress was the fallen tears sliding down your cheeks.

“You see, I am not… very good at expressing myself, sometimes coming off as cold when not meaning too,” Yoongi mumbled, brushing a hand through his jet-black locks, and refusing to make eye contact. Looking anywhere else but at you.

“When taking the collar, I didn’t know it was special from a hybrid’s perspective. Honestly, it was never my intention to imply that you were not wanted anymore. I thought it was the right thing to do and—I mean… What I mean is… I’m sorry for everything,” Yoongi confessed, stumbling over his words, and feeling awkward. This was completely out of his comfort zone, cheeks tinting a light pink and feeling shy all of a sudden. Did it feel warmer in the room?

Although, you didn’t seem to notice Yoongi’s flustered state. Theories and ideas racing throughout your mind on the new information, trying to process it all.

This did not make sense, tail flickering to show your distress that was taking over the mind. If Yoongi wished for you to stay, then why…?

“…Why did you do it then?” You whispered, the question almost falling on deaf ears, if not for the room being extremely quiet. Feeling Yoongi’s gaze upon yourself once more, you bit down on your lip in anticipation, being careful to not prick through skin from your canines. During any tense situation, it was unnerving being out of your animal form, not giving you a chance to run and hide if things took a turn for the worse.

“I remembered… on what happened to you. My stomach feels sick knowing there is a monster out there that actually will break an innocent hybrid’s spirit—When I found out your secret, being a hybrid, it made me feel… dirty about the collar. Forcing you to wear a collar without your approval was wrong to me,” Yoongi explained as you glanced up, eyes widening when seeing the most serious expression upon his face. Despite exhausted, his eyes showed nothing but confidence and sincere. Yoongi wanting you to know his intentions were nothing but good.

“Hybrids aren’t slaves, they never were. They’re human too, just… with a few extra changes in the DNA. What your old owners taught and did was wrong, the world doesn’t work how they told it—Sure, some people dislike hybrids for being different. Though that could be said about anything that does not fit those moron’s “Normal” perspective,” Yoongi scoffed, remembering all those times hearing judgmental comments from people that would laugh about whenever someone walked past. Yoongi wanted to punch them in the face thinking about it, but he knew that wouldn’t solve anything.

“Y/N, I speak for the others as well. None of us want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I promise, you won’t get punished for speaking your mind or wanting something. In fact right now, tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you!” Yoongi shouted in determination, getting up to search for his keys around the house and preparing for you both to go out. Frowning, you stayed put to process Yoongi’s words.

“Anything?” You questioned softly, playing with your fingers in nervousness as Yoongi turned around to face you with a nod. Confidence was booming in your tone of voice, eyes never breaking contact with Yoongi. There was something that you desired, and it was more priceless than anything you could imagine.

“I would like my collar back, please.”

~

“Y/N, you need to wake up!” A bark was heard in the pit of darkness, trying to drag you out from a peaceful slumber. The loudness had you curling further into a ball to get rid of the pesky noise. However, it was not long until more barks were heard, one after the other.

You felt like screaming—Usually when people ignore the calls of their name, it means they want to be alone!

As the sounds continued on, a warning cry left your lips. You did not want to get up and move away from the window, loving the sunlight against your fur. It was like having a heater blanket draped over you. After some time passed, it grew quiet once more that sleep welcomed you back like an old friend.

However, a rough nudge had your tail flicking in irritation, hitting something soft that let out a small squeak. Ears twitching when hearing light sniffing after a small sneeze. “Okay… you asked for it.”

Asked for what exactly?

Unfortunately, the question was answered not even a second later, eyes immediately snapping wide open when feeling a wet tongue brush against your entire face. You were stunned, blinking to focus your vision on a blurry yellow figure and coming face-to-face with an excited golden retriever.

Hoseok stood on his hind legs to reach the cat bed that was attached and secured against the window. A black bunny lazily laid upon the top of his head with a small twitch of his nose, staring wide eye in amusement. Glaring directly at the two hybrids, you rushed to jump on the ground and shake your head to realign the fur that was now sticking out in different directions.

“I can not believe you did that,” You hissed after a transformation, although it came off more as a pouty whine than anything. Your nose scrunching in disgust at the slobber all over yourself, laughter echoing throughout the living room as you wiped your face clean with a sleeve.

Jungkook and Hoseok, having changed in their human form, didn’t decease their laugher as they rolled around on the floor. Only stopping dead in their tracks for a moment, yelps leaving them when you threw a squishy cat ball that was laying around at their heads.

“Yah, no need to get violent! I did it for the greater good, you wouldn’t have gotten up otherwise,” Hoseok shouted, playfully shielding himself and rubbing his head with a bright smile. You swore the room lit up from the two’s positive energy. The dog hybrid’s tail wagging in nothing but happiness as giggles left Jungkook’s mouth, despite your attack—You couldn’t even stay mad at them for long.

Yawning, you got up and stretched out, unconsciously lifting a single hand to make sure your collar was still there. A tiny smile breaking out as you traced the hybrid accessory. It’s only been two or three days since the famous collar incident, though you still couldn’t help but check on it whenever waking up.

Yoongi wouldn’t take the collar again, he told you… but it doesn’t change the uncertainty that was still there. You didn’t want to spread hope in your heart just in case a day like that comes again. Although since then, everyone has been helping and teaching you to be more confident in yourself. As well to break your old owners lessons from you… however, it’s not as easy as it would sound to dismiss what you’ve been taught harshly for years.

“Are you guys ready?” Yoongi’s familiar voice echoed out, ears perking up as you, Hoseok, and Jungkook turned towards the music lover. Seokjin, Namjoon, and Jimin trailing behind, along with a large white tiger following closely behind the four. They must have woken Taehyung up as well, the male hybrid appearing half awake and yawning wide.

Wait a second… let’s backtrack—Ready for what?

Eyes darting around, you saw Jimin practically hopping up and down with Hoseok. All of them were beyond excited for something that you could not place, not remembering what was so special about today. However, you didn’t have time to sit and think as Jungkook slipped his hand into yours. The others and him dragging you out the door, almost making you trip over your own feet to keep up with their chaotic self.

During the ride, the five of you needed to transform back into your animal form to save space and not be as crowded. You didn’t mind, enjoying sitting on Yoongi’s lap as purrs rumbled throughout your chest whenever he brushed a hand in your fur. Although, you had to endure the teasing snickers that were sent your way from Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung. All three staring with a mischievous glint in their eyes, as if they knew something that you didn’t.

Though, Hoseok wasn’t in the mix like he usually would be, head out the window and tongue sticking out. The sunshine dog couldn’t help himself but howl in joy to greet the world, people walking or driving pass the moving car were in awe. Some cooing and shouting to Seokjin and Namjoon about what a beautiful dog they have. You snorted in amusement when seeing Hoseok straighten up and puff out more at the compliments that boosted his ego.

Soon enough the car slowed down that had you practically pouncing towards the window, startling Yoongi and catching the attention of three hybrids. Your eyes widen seeing a giant building that had people running in and out like worker ants.

That’s right… all of you were going to the mall today. Yoongi had planned this long ago to take you out shopping for clothes instead of stealing his, as well getting anything that caught your eye.

This explains a lot on Hoseok and Jimin’s earlier behavior, Namjoon and Seokjin also promising them new clothes. Taehyung was even more wide awake, tail wagging in pure happiness and dreaming about all the items in his favorite store… He has been meaning to get that new Gucci collar that was now on display. While Jungkook was more interested and eager about heading to the food court when all the shopping was done.

“We’re going to take the guys to pick out their clothes. Let’s all meet back here in two hours—Oh, and Yoongi… try to be a handsome man like me and tough it out,” Seokjin teased, knowing full well that Yoongi hated shopping unless it was music or meat related. The oldest chuckled thinking about a flustered and embarrassed Yoongi needing to walk into an all-women’s store, but you weren’t paying much attention to the conversation.

Your senses going into overdrive from all the different kind of smells and noises throughout the large building. People walking everywhere and some crowding to get around, you had to bite down on your tongue to keep yourself from hissing at anyone that got near to pass through.

It was all overwhelming, at least the park had fresh air to breath instead of it being stuffy!

“Y/N, breathe. It’ll be okay,” Yoongi’s gentle tone had you snapping towards him, eyes widen slightly that he noticed your distress. Nodding slowly, you did what was instructed to calm down… the breathing technique helping only so much.

Eventually the building anxiety forced you to slip a hand in Yoongi’s for comfort, his warmth and scent being closer than before had your entire body relaxing. The action had him blinking in surprise, turning away to hide his bright gummy smile.

Yoongi secretly loved affection, and you going to him automatically for comfort and protection had the music composer feeling proud. Months ago, you would not have even considered holding his hand or be near him for anything.

Squeezing your hand once in reassurance, Yoongi tugged you lightly and further into the mall. There was a specific destination in mind, the store selling female clothes for hybrid and non. Yoongi knew this only because right across was a store that Jungkook would often drag him too, whenever the youngest got the chance.

Inside the clothing store, your eyes sparkled in awe at the multiple styles of clothes they contained. Forgetting for at least a minute on any fears or doubts that were in your mind, unconsciously dragging Yoongi all over the store. You hesitated to grab anything, not exactly remembering your size in clothing from ripping off the tags because they were itchy.

“Can I help you two with anything?” A sudden new voice had your tail puffing up, completely startled as you hid behind Yoongi. Glancing up to see a male worker with a polite smile, standing patiently to wait an answer. Yoongi was about to speak, until he got an idea… nudging you with a gesture to speak to the kind man.

“I… I, uh… need clothes?” You winced at how stupid it sounded, your words coming out more like a question than a statement. Of course you were here for clothes, it’s a clothing store you dummy! God… this was embarrassing, your cheeks burning a bright red.

“I’m Min Yoongi, this here is Y/N—We’re here shopping for a complete wardrobe for her, but as you can see… we’re a bit lost,” Yoongi chuckled at your shy behavior, expecting for this to happen. The man didn’t seem to mind however, giggling lightly before nodding in understanding.

“Right this way than Mrs. Min. We need to measure you before getting an idea on a style that represents yourself,” The gentleman bowed politely, leading towards a dressing where mirrors stood tall. Yoongi didn’t seem to react to the worker using his last name for you, wandering behind silently. You on the other hand fought against the blush wanting to appear.

At first, you were hesitated to let the man and his coworker get near to measure your correct size. Though after a while, you finally relaxed and let them both do their job. Only letting out an instinctive hiss when the women accidently touched your tail, the employ apologizing profusely. Afterwards, Yoongi was slightly surprised that the two of you had a similar taste in style.

However… when it was time to move on towards the undergarment section, you couldn’t look Yoongi in the eye.

“Why? How does this even work?” Yoongi questioned with a stern expression, curiosity burning in his eyes as he inspected a string. Glancing at him, your eyes widen in horror and embarrassment on what he had. You used to not have a lot of freedom, but you knew how to read, slapping the G-String out of Yoongi’s hand.

“What?” Yoongi tilted his head cutely with a pout and followed after you, it was quite clear he did not even know what he was holding himself. It almost felt as if the roles of hybrid and owner were switched for a second. Stubbornly, you refused to tell Yoongi exactly what he was playing around with like a slingshot.

When everything was all paid for and a small argument involving the price, you and Yoongi were walking out the store with tons of bags. You two were already heading to meet up with the rest of the guys, until your nose twitched at a wonderful smell.

Yoongi halted in his steps when seeing you had frozen with a dazed look in your eye, following the line of sight to a bakery. Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped in Yoongi’s head, placing the bags down near you before running into the bakery full of baked goods. You snapped out of your trance when he came back with a white paper bag in his hand, ears standing straight in anticipation. “What’s that?”

“Well usually I would make something healthier at home, but I believe a treat is in order,” Yoongi smirked, knowing you were burning in curiosity from your nose twitching at the sugary scent that laid inside the paper barrier. When he pulled out a sweet-smelling circle bread, your tail waved around excitedly.

“What’s wrong?” Yoongi asked in concern, seeing you grab the baked treat but hesitate to take a bite out of it. He didn’t get it; you were so excited about it not too long ago. Maybe… you had smelled something bad that he couldn’t?

“I… I don’t know what this is,” You confessed shyly, once again your cheeks reddening in embarrassment on not knowing what this lovely dessert is called. Yoongi stared at you in shock at first, like he couldn’t believe you did not know what a donut was. Though his eyes softened almost immediately.

Right… because you use to not get those kind of pleasures in life before meeting him.

“It’s called a donut; this one is chocolate. There are many different flavors we could try together, but I promise this one is delicious,” Yoongi explained with a smile, reaching over to take a bite out of the donut to show you that it’s okay. Seeing his face light up in delight at the taste, you didn’t hesitate to take a bite out of the chocolatey bread.

Oh my god, this is the most delicious thing that you’ve ever tasted!

Your taste buds were on fire, screaming for more as your canines sunk in the soft bread and tore it apart with ease. Yoongi gazed at you softly, glad that he was able to bring such a happy expression to your face after everything that you've been through. Chuckles leaving him seeing you do a mini dance in joy.

That day… a tune inside your heart started to open up for a change.

~~~~

Welcome to the tenth chapter of Changing One's Tune! Thank you lovelies for your patience, love, and support—You talked it out with Yoongi, got your collar back, and a donut! Though is this the calm before the storm?

Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are appreciated if you enjoy the story. Its always exciting to know that you like my writing, and it gives me more motivation to update faster!

See you all soon, Stay Gold! <3

[pondering-and-wondering]

Solar Eclipse Part Three

A Spider-Man Fanfiction 

Previous Part

Platonic!Doc Ock X Peter Parker X Reader

Summary: Peter Parker is your Best Friend and your mom is a nuclear fusion scientist who works closely with Doctor Otto Octavius.

Author’s Note: Here is part three!! I am once again profusely thanking @dreaminrubies for being the greatest and everyone should go follow her and read her stuff. Also writing this made me sad.

Warnings: Death, Death Mention

The next morning you woke up early to ride into the city with your mom. Leaning your head against the glass of the car window you watched the towers and skyscrapers pass by, watching the clouds dance through the lightning rods of the concrete jungle.

“We aren't going to the main building, I don't remember if I told you that. We’re going to Otto’s personal lab, it’s better just in case… in case of anything…and if anything happens I want you out of there” she murmured, reaching over to hold your hand and giving it a hard squeeze.

“Don’t talk like that, you guys have been working at this for years. Everything will go great and we’ll get renewable energy for everyone and it’ll be fantastic!!” you chirped. If you were being honest you didn't know how this was going to turn out. In best case scenario everything worked out, Oscorp bought the technology and distributed it across the world. Worst case scenario… you had no clue, and you really didn't want to find out. It was better to not put it out into the world.

You squeezed her hand back, taking a deep breath as she found a parking spot. It wasn't even your presentation but you were a nervous wreck. Part of it was being worried about how stressed your mom was. You could see her constantly picking at her nails, the troubled look in her eye despite the grin on her lips. Maybe you were also nervous to see Doctor Octavius. 

You had met him on several occasions and he was a very sweet man. He and his wife, Rosie, had known you since you were tiny. He always remembered to bring you your favorite sweets when you came by with your mom. But it had been at least five years since you had seen him and you had changed and grown. Would he still see you as the little one you once were?

Getting out of the car, you took your bag and put it on walking next to your mom as you went inside. As you walked in you could hear the chattering of the scientists getting set up for the demonstration, and louder than the others came the booming voice of Doctor Octavius.

“Let’s move those pick-up receptors a bit out of sight, they don’t want to see the math, they want to see the sun”

“And the sun they will see, good morning Otto, I’m sure you remember my little one…though they aren't nearly as little anymore” your mother beamed, walking over to him with newfound confidence. You trailed two steps behind her and gave a shy nod, greeting yourself with a small hello.

“But of course, how could I forget? Though it's been a few years now. It’s a shame had I known you were coming I would have told Rosie to bring those treats you always liked…Rosie! Come look who’s here” he chuckled, full of excitement and enthusiasm as he practically bounced over to his wife. Any semblance of being nervous was gone. You relaxed your shoulders and let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding in. Nothing to worry about at all.

You looked to the side and started to take in the actual fusion equipment. It looked like it was straight out of a Sci-Fi flick. Except this was way more actual science and way less fiction. Your eyes lingered on a large heap covered in a cloth. If the portal-looking thing was the reactor, which it seemed to be, what the hell was under that? You assumed the answer would come with time, and if it wasn't revealed during the presentation you’d just ask Otto himself.

As you started to wander, Rosie came over to greet you, embracing you in a big hug before starting to catch up with you on the last few years. You had so much respect for both her and her husband, but Rosie was the one who seemed to remember that you were an adult. As you spoke more people started to make their way in. Reporters, scientists, businessmen…but no Peter yet.

You weren't surprised at all. For most things, you actually started the habit of telling him to be places half an hour early. But you didn't want him to get locked out. Would they lock up the lab? You genuinely had no clue. Rosie had to get up, helping Doctor Octavius set up a few last-minute things. While you had this moment alone, you shot Peter a text.

“Hey, are you almost here? The demonstration is gonna start at any minute”

Two minutes later you got a response.

“Hey hi hello there was traffic I’ll be there ten minutes tops”

“Make it five minutes”

“I make no promises you know this”

“Love you”

“See you :)”

You sighed a bit looking out at the river before you heard Doctor Octavius start his spiel. You slowly walked over and kept to the back, only half listening before feeling a tap on your shoulder. You jumped, holding back the gasp, your head shooting back at him.

“Peter Parker you cannot do that to me… and why do you like you’ve been in a wind turbine?” you asked, whispering furiously.

He gave you a confused look, running his hand through his hair and shrugging “Don’t know, I'll explain later, pay attention” he whispered back, nudging your shoulder with his. You rolled your eyes and went on your toes, trying to see what was going on.

As you tuned back in you heard Doctor Octavius say “And now let me introduce my assistants.” But he had already introduced all his fellow scientists? You watched with curiosity as he walked over the cloth cover heap you had been eyeing, taking off the cloth to reveal a backpack-like metal contraption. Attached were four large tendrils. You looked back at Peter, making eye contact before looking back. 

Doctor Octavius continued to explain their purpose as he got harnessed in. The room collectively grimaced as the device attached itself to his back.

“That thing has got to hurt…did those needle things go in him?” Peter whispered in your ear. You nodded and kept your eyes glued to what was happening as the actuators were activated, slowly hovering around the Doctor. Maybe it was the human tendency to anthropomorphize but those things seemed odd. You knew Octavius controlled them he just explained how, not that you entirely understood it. They seemed almost too life like for you to be comfortable. The metal moved too fluidly. And yes, science can do crazy things, but it was like a cousin to the uncanny valley phenomenon.

Before you could get too caught up in your thoughts Octavius announced “And now onto the main event” where your mother and a few other scientists helped unveil the fusion reactor. You reached behind you to squeeze Peter’s arm. This was it! This is what your mom spent years of her life working on. You felt Peter leaning in again and you braced yourself.

“You think that thing could double as a portal to Narnia?” he teased and you tried your best to hold back a snicker giving him a whack on the arm.

You watched Octavius work, seeing him take what was apparently called Tritium and make a sun in the machine.

“Holy Shit they actually did it” you whispered, watching in awe as the sun grew larger and larger illuminating the laboratory.

You felt Peter starting to tense up behind you and he moved forward to hold you. 

“Pete, what are you-” you turned to look up at him but notices the metal fixtures in the room bending towards the reactor. Paper clips and jewelry started flying towards the pseudo sun.

“Keep calm! It’s only a spike, it’ll soon stabilize” called Octavius. 

“You need to get out of here right now,” Peter said seriously.

“Are you kidding me? I can’t just leave what about my mom?” you argued, shoving your way out of his hold. 

“They’re telling people to evacuate, the system is overloading. Go!! I’ll be right out with your mom as soon as possible but you go!!” 

You looked at him silently, staring him down for a moment. “Fine, I trust you…be safe” you whispered, hugging him before running off. You stopped for a moment to try and see your mom. You caught her briefly. Typing away furiously as one of the activity monitors before looking up at you. Locking her eyes with yours she gave you a small nod, mouthing “I love you” before you were caught up with the crowd trying to get out.

You ran past the building, seeking refuge in a nearby Shake Shack, hoping that was the goldilocks zone of safety. You quickly sent you and your mom a text.

“ I’m at the Shake Shack waiting”

No, response, as to be expected. It would take them a while to even look at their phones, right? They’d find you and then you’d cry with them, and it would just be a bad memory you shared. 

You waited there for what felt like an eternity. You could hear several booms and thuds reverberating through the streets and it took every ounce of self-control to not go running after the emergency vehicles heading in the direction of the lab. Pacing up and down the block, your eyes scoured the area trying to see Pete, your mom, or the both of them. Maybe if you used up every once of hope in your body everything would be okay.

As you turned to walk down the block you paused and closed your eyes, only to feel a pair of arms around you.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” said the voice. It was Peter. He was okay. You whipped around and hugged him tightly.

“I was so worried about you don’t ever do anything like that ever again” you murmured into his chest, waiting for the voice of your mom to interrupt.

But it never did.

You pulled away from him and looked around confused, feeling the tears start to well in your eyes. “Peter, where is my mom, you told me you’d bring her where is she?”

He didn't say anything, looking down at his feet and starting to rub his eyes.

“Peter where is she? WHERE IS SHE?” you shouted, lunging forward to grab his arms.

You saw the tears trickle down his cheeks, his shoulders quivering “I’m sorry…I’m so so sorry…by the time I got to her…there was so much glass…I’m so sorry.” He covered his face with his hands and shook his head. You let go of his arms and backed away once more.

“P-Peter you cannot be telling me what you are telling me you can not,” you said quickly. Your breathing was picking up and you held onto your chest, shaking your head violently.

“She wasn't responding there was nothing I could do- I’m so sorry” he sobbed.

And with that your mother was dead. 

This was the worst-case scenario. 

Next Part

[cardboard-aliens]

since infinite basically confirmed the multiverse exists in the bioshock universe, I wonder if there’s a reality where suchong is the one saving the sisters instead of tenenbaum… it would make for some interesting character interactions lmao

The child hater turned child protector.... I'm imagining him being like "I hate children" as he's got like three sisters hanging off of him 24/7 (because he's probably NICER to them in the first place sjdkfldf)

I AM going to put forwards having Tenenbaum AND Suchong saving the sisters together- either he read the note she left him and is "hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm she's got a point." and goes MIA mid civil war to track her down and help her cause or if they come to the same conclusion before the war breakouts and try to tag-team Fontaine being like "pspspsps join us in thinking child experimentation is bad" for him to fake his death so THEN they try the same thing on Ryan to also no avail (because Fontaine and Ryan are the SAME). Now they either both disappear into the sunset with two armfuls of children to start working on a cure, OR them both trying to dismantle the Little Sister program from the inside.

Still tho the character interactions... This weird camaraderie as they go from very respected colleagues to "let's run away and protect children" and now they're like??? Friends??? Maybe??? They're both so sassy and prickly the two of them working together would be full of good conversations sjdfklsdf.

Fontaine has to be exasperated at BOTH of his lead scientists being squeaky wheels about "morals" and "ethics" and is so ready to fake his death so he doesn't have to listen to them talk anymore. Ryan takes over and is baffled this company has managed to flourish with the two scientific heads complaining about everything all the time and sending him memo after memo about how to dismantle the most productive part of the business- just of them both to vanish one day, leaving Ryan out to hang with no one who knows anything about Little Sisters.

And the girls are now being whisked away and saved by BOTH of their parental figures, so any doubts they had about going to the safe house are squashed because both of their authority figures say it's okay.

But bro the Jack interactions sjdfks, unless you say through Suchong and Tenenbaum's combined conscious growth they change early enough to take Jack from the labs and run away, Jack goes through the main game having two people advocating for Little Sisters and working with him just to find out they BOTH experimented on him too- I'm just imagining post-reveal being like;

Suchong: "You are awake-"

Jack: "You had me kill my dog >:("

Suchong: "-ah... yes..."

With Suchong in the safehouse, they might be able to fully remove Jack's mental conditioning, or at least do more so than Tenenbaum could do on her own, since Suchong would know every phrase packaged into Jack's mind and have more knowledge to remove them.

I dunno if there would be some phrases Suchong knows that he could use to try to help pre-reveal in getting Jack away from Atlas, or if Suchong and Tenenbaum wouldn't want to use any of Jack's mental conditioning because they see him as a person now not something to control, or if they just wouldn't want to take that risk at his safety and instead wait for a safer moment to intervene.

[austarus]

HR Wells x Reader - Reversal of Denouement

*A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful owner.

**Please don’t forget to comment, like, and reblog. It means a lot to content creators of all kinds!

***I’d also like to thank @grimtamlain-writes​ for being my beta reader.

Word Count: 8251

MASTERLIST

A low groan left HR's lips. His body felt numb, his chest ached - tingled as his heart beats steadily. Is it beating? The darkness of his eyelids eased the stinging coming from his mind – it wasn’t so bright. The headache formed there. His body screamed at him as the novelist made the slightest of movement. His left shoulder in particular had protested in desperate agony. He couldn’t move it very much, the area succumbed to restraints of some sort. HR’s throat felt raw as his body throbbed, the blood coursing meticulously through his blood vessels. The sound of a soft voice greeted his ears, but his eyes refused to open.

"I... you, HR... even if... see it." The voice was so familiar, so gentle. So sweet. "Should... better." A drop of water hit his numbed hand, static still prominent there from the little movement his body had done. “I wish…” The dark-haired doppelganger could only understand fragments of what the speaker was saying. He felt a pressure on his hand, tender skin holding onto his before something tickled his forehead. Feather-light. What was it? Who was it? A few moments passed and he heard nothing, the novelist only assumed that the voice’s owner had left. He didn’t want to be alone right now though, not with the darkness.

It had become unbearable.

Since... Since when did…? How...? Oh. Right. Savitar... Am I dead? Is this where spirits wait for their turn to pass into their designated afterlife? Have I really...? Events from earlier resurfaced to his mind, his senses coming together. Right, had to protect Iris. For Barry – it was my fault Savitar had gotten to her. My big mouth. Even if Barry didn't really see me as a helpful friend. At least... At least I proved Savitar wrong, who ironically is a version of Barry. That's hella twisted. He huffed out a breath before venturing back into the calmness of sleep. Maybe a little more rest will help?

***

HR cracked an eye open: this time, harsh filtered light had greeted him. The novelist grunted in pain, adjusting himself slightly to assess where he was. What day was it? What was the time? How long have I  been here? A yawn left his lips this time, his throat and mouth as dry as a desert.

“Well look who finally decided to wake up?” HR’s eyes met Cisco’s, who stood with a tablet in hand. “How’s sleeping beauty feeling?”

The Wells doppelganger cleared his throat. “Like I’ve gotten assaulted by an Amtrack bus, and not the good kinds.” HR’s baby blue eyes scanned the room, landing on the flower vase that was set on a table near him. Blue forget-me-knots and pink hydrangeas stood proudly in their vases, nurtured well. HR felt his heart swell, his eyes not daring to leave the delicate petals that accented the med bay in better tones. Cisco handed him a cup of water to which HR downed it immediately.

“Amtrack does trains.”

“Not on my Earth, Francisco.” The author couldn’t help but ask, his eyes lingering on the flowers once more. “Did Tracy bring those?”

Cisco pursed his lips, an odd look present on his face. He wanted to tell HR, but… “No. Um, she didn’t.” Tracy had been visiting, though it had become some sort of a nuisance to all her complaining at this point. She hadn’t even known HR for that long, anyway.

“Oh?” His shoulders dropped subtly in disappointment. “They’re beautiful, I was just wondering and…”

“Let’s just say, a special someone’s been… dropping by and bringing a new flower each day. That’s all you’re getting from me, Aurora.” Cisco reasoned with the Wells doppelganger. The mechanical genius knew, but it wasn’t his place to say. It killed him, but… “I wouldn’t move around too much, if I were you. You’ve got a fractured shoulder and that chest wound. I’ve been told to relay the message that you’re to be on strict bed rest until that shoulder further heals.” HR lowered his gaze to see the cross-body sling. He clenched his slinged hand and unclenched it to bring some feeling into the limb.

“What about my chest?”

“Miraculously, that’s been healing really well since day one.” Cisco kept the talk real, showing the injured doppelganger the schematics and pictures. “You got lucky that it missed your heart by a centimeter.” A stab wound like that should have… I wonder if she knows that I know.

HR blinked at the seriousness in his injury, the looming idea of death from his decision. “How long was I out?”

“A week and a half.”

“What?” HR’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I-”

“HR!” Tracy’s sudden voice pierced the room, stunning Cisco and triggering an ache in HR’s head. The grad scientists shuffled over to him, both forgetting that Cisco was in the room. “HR, my love, how are you? Are you feeling okay? Is there any pain?” He continued checking his friend’s vitals and adjusting dosages to the IV and morphine administered – as per your request. The room was growing ever louder with HR and Tracy. Tracy embraced him, minding his injuries as she continued to fuss over him. It made the Wells writer smile, yet… his heart didn’t swell as much as it used to.

Odd.

Cisco sent you a quick text while the two were preoccupied, but you were already at the Labs. You stopped just outside the entrance, the wall and dimly light hallway obscuring you from who remained in the med bay. They wouldn’t be able to see you from where you stood.  A shaky breath left you as you clutched the Freesia flower in hand. Your heart shriveled in your chest as you backtracked. Hearing his voice is enough. After all, with Tracy around you couldn’t be near him – those dirty and hateful looks she’d send you. Best to keep my distance, I guess. You couldn’t help but sneak a peek at him though, the man who had unknowingly captured your heart and would never reciprocate your love. You pushed down the lump in your throat. Hastily, you sent Cisco a text to check on the flowers. Silently, you trailed away from the med bay and to the upper levels of STAR Labs. I wonder if he liked the flowers. Standing at such altitude with the wind blowing lightly had calmed you a bit. Looking down at the flower, you gripped it tightly before you began to pick off the petals one by one. The little moments you had with the goofy novelist surfaced to the forefront of your mind with each petal you held. Your little curious escapades. The little talks. The nights you’d visit him when Tracy wasn’t around.

“He loves me, he loves me not,” You murmured, a stray tear trickled down your cheek. The freesia symbolizes unconditional love and honor. “He loves me, he loves me not,” Your voice cracked as more tears fell. “He loves me, he loves me not…”

***

A frown presented itself on HR’s lips as he tilted his head to crack his neck. The crack relieved him tremendously. It didn’t make sense. The novelist mused to himself, setting aside the current chapter draft he was working on. The voice I heard was… different. It didn’t sound like Tracy’s. HR couldn’t get that voice out of his mind – the tenderness that was laced in the tone of that voice. Nothing like the slight shrill in Tracy’s. He eyed the flowers once more that day, their presence was prominent. If Tracy hadn’t brought those, then who had?

The team had helped situate HR in his room in order to vacate the med bay should another imminent event occur. He had overheard Cisco tell Wally that you were preoccupied with something in Star City – a bit of disappointment twinged inside him. HR had taken up doing bits of physical therapy for the rest of his body without moving his shoulder as much. His shoulder and arm remained in a crossbody sling. The flowers sat on his bedside counter; he tended to them as best as he could with the limited movement he had. Tracy protested that they don’t need to be around, but the novelist was vehement on keeping the plants. HR won’t deny the fact that he had gotten annoyed several times with her around when he needed thinking space for his writing. He couldn’t write with noise and nonsensical chatter, especially if it’s mainly coming from someone who doesn’t want to really listen to his input. She’d go on and on about her scientific research and such, but wouldn’t hear a word from HR regarding his writing. The longer the novelist was confined to his room for rest, the more he had time to think – to contemplate. Yes, he liked Tracy, but… it just seemed that she didn’t really see HR. She does all the talking; she doesn’t really ask about how I feel about things or ask me about my life, even things about Earth-19… It’s like she doesn’t see me for anything other than a pretty face. It’s not even my face that Tracy sees, just Randolph’s. Was I too quick to jump at the first person who showed interest in me? Had I rushed into ‘forever’ with her?

He tabled those thoughts for now. HR reached for his laptop; one hand opened it to start it up. While the device loaded, he grabbed his black-clear glasses and set them on his face. If anyone saw him as such, they wouldn’t be able to tell the physical difference between him and his handsome, yet grumpy doppelganger. Except for the eyebrow scar, but that was obscured by the glasses. HR did a couple of searches with a concentrated look. Surely, it was the person with that… angel-like voice.

“Hydrangeas,” HR whispered as his eyes skimmed over the text that had popped up. “The hydrangea represents gratitude, grace and beauty. It also radiates abundance because of the lavish number of flowers and the generous round shape. Its colors symbolize love, harmony and peace.” The Wells doppelganger scrolled further. “Pink hydrangeas symbolize heartfelt emotions.” Interesting. HR continued his research, glancing at the other flower type that resting in the vase. “Forget-me-nots symbolize true love and respect. When you give someone these tiny blooms, it represents a promise that you will always remember them and will keep them in your thoughts. They are also considered a symbol of fidelity and faithfulness.” A particular link caught his eye, he clicked on it. The novelist read to himself the text once more, “Based on Christian lore, the story about forget-me-nots is that God was walking in the Garden of Eden. He saw a blue flower and asked it its name. The flower was a shy flower and whispered that he had forgotten his name. God renamed the flower as forget-me-not saying that He will not forget the flower.”

HR swallowed thickly; contrary to popular belief around here, he wasn’t stupid. Sure, he wasn’t a science-based genius, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t an expert on other aspects of life and had basic common sense. The author was emotionally intelligent and intact with the world around him. These flowers weren’t picked out on accident. But who would do that? Who doesn’t want me to forget about them? The dark-haired man shook his head slightly as he shut his laptop. A surge of sadness welled inside him at the notion of ‘being forgotten’. Who had he done that to? He’d get to the bottom of this mystery in due time. Right now, I need to jog my memory on what I was writing. A hand found a rough draft paper, his eyes scanned over the words he had typed out. His brows creased as the written notes he’d made on the paper as well. (Y/N) … I had… What had I been writing about again? The novelist read each line, each note he had made no drafts and scratch paper.

The hairs at the back of his neck stood up as realization hit him the more he had read on. The drafts, the notes, all of it – the little novel he had been writing regarding his adventures. But this particular part of his story – the ‘angel’ in his story. The one who stuck by him since coming here, the one who had given him a safe space… And the one he hadn’t seen since waking up. How could he forget? HR lowered the paper; his eyes became half-lidded as guilt shot through him. Before Barry had gone to the future and gotten hints of Tracy with her Speed Bazooka, HR had been working on his book. A book that he had pushed off to stick with Tracy and help in any way that he can to make the speed weapon possible. He had gotten distracted from doing the things he loves. A few conjectures arose in his mind as he slipped his glasses off, one arm end pressed to his lips. His heart hammered into his chest; you were among the last faces he had seen before passing out that night.

The irony. How could I forget that (Y/N) was the ‘angel’ in my story?

***

“Look at you, up and at ‘em.” Cisco strolled into the lounge with a cheeky grin. The mechanical genius didn’t take HR for granted anymore, not with the stunt he pulled. No, Cisco willingly checked up on him – not just for you, but for himself. HR had truly become one of his close friends in the end, especially with all the advice about Gypsy. “What are you cooking up this time?”

“Just an omelet with a side of bacon and toast, Francisco,” HR turned to the mechanical engineer who continued to tinker away at the schematics to get Barry out of the Speedforce. He offered Cisco some with a gesture only for the scientist to politely decline. “I haven’t seen (Y/N) anywhere. Um, is she also…?”

“Oh, you know how she’s like. Either up in the vents or chilling in her birds’ nest on the roof. And on that note, our resident hummingbird has become quite the firecracker.”

HR raised an eyebrow at his friend. “How so?”

“She punched Savitar square in the face then decked him multiple times over when Barry brought him in. Harry had to be the one to pull her away – well, more like carry her away kicking and screaming bloody murder at him. It sounded badass; wish I had been there to see it.”

The Wells doppelganger gritted his teeth at the mental image of Harry carrying you – touching you. The thought ruffled his feathers for some reason.  HR expertly masked his irritation, turning the stove off and assembling the food on his plate. “Why?”

“Because he hurt you, HR.”

“…”

“He almost killed you.” And that was unforgivable, especially to her. “We almost lost you. She almost lost you.”

A rough sigh escaped HR as Cisco had sent him a knowing look before exiting the STAR Labs lounge. The Earth-19 man chewed on the inside of his cheek. Only a fool would misunderstand Cisco’s subtle intentions. HR knew what he had to do – he’d been reflecting on his time here, thinking about the people around him, about the relationships he’s formed. The novelist glanced outside – the sun shined, the birds chirped, and the trees rustled with the wind. 

And the world continues to move on.

***

“When are you going to tell him?”

“…” You tensed at the abrupt voice. You snapped your head up, eyes darting to find Cisco approaching you with pocketed hands in his gray-black jacket. He wore a Bulbasaur shirt. The clouds surged by with the intensity of the breeze. Your hair blew over your shoulders slightly. Tilting your head, you turned back to watch the city. Days had passed and you refused to see HR, content on what Cisco had been telling you. He’d been recovering tremendously well, but… you didn’t really want to hear about what he and Tracy were up to. It wounded you. “Tell who, what?”

“You know exactly who I’m talking about, Ms. I’m-going-to-put-my-feelings-in-a-box.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ohohohoho, no. I am tired of the love eyes, the lingering gazes, the pining. It ends.” Your best friend came to sit down next to you with that frustrated look on his face. “I know you have powers.” Your heart stopped in your chest at his accusation. “I know you used your powers to heal HR.” You bit down on your lip, not wanting to validate his statement. Cisco saw “I analyzed the wounds, looked at his healing at a microscopic level. I’m not Caitlin, but even I can pick up a few things. His cells were excelled to heal, but there were residues of your genetic markers at the wound point. You stitched his wounds together, cell-by-cell. My point is: why didn’t you say anything? Your powers are a-”

“-A curse.”

“What?”

“They’re a curse.” You threw a hard look at Cisco, making sure your hands wouldn’t touch him. “I can’t be playing God, Cisco. And… it’s unpredictable, volatile. I could either heal the life in my hands or take it away. I could rip someone ‘cell-by-cell’, Cisco. There’s no ‘in between’, not this time. He got lucky with my powers. He got lucky I didn’t make things 100% irreversible.”

“But why didn’t you say anything?” Cisco eyed the gloves you wore; it wasn’t the season for leather gloves.

“Because I didn’t want to give anyone false hope.”

“You don’t want to give yourself false hope, you mean.”

“…I can’t even heal a plant, Cisco. No matter how hard I tried, it wilted further. It’s a curse.”

“That’s not guaranteed every time, you know. It takes practice – discipline to get your powers to work with you instead of for you.” He nudged your shoulder with his, turning his gaze to the flock of birds drifting through the wind. “You know, he broke up with Tracy.”

“Ok?”

“Happened a week ago. She didn’t take it well and let me tell you. Tracy Brand was livid – the rage and yelling were off the charts. I think she has Harry beat. I knew it wasn’t going to last anyway, it was too superficial to begin with.”

“Uh huh.” You tried to sound uninterested, but deep down you were relieved. You heard a little ring in your ear. You wondered…

“She’s gone, won’t be coming here anymore.

“Ok.”

“So, go make your move.”

You turned abruptly to face him. “Cisco, have you thought that maybe HR doesn’t want to dive into a relationship right away? That… maybe he needs space to focus on himself?” All were things you had contemplated for yourself before.

“And what better way to do that than with a new roommate.”

“Excuse me?”

“Surprise, you’re getting a temporary roommate while we fully fix up things around the labs. I volunteered you since you have the space and the patience to deal with HR.” Your blood froze in your veins.

“Francisco Ramon, I am going to-”

“-Thank me, you’re going to thank me.” He had already breached away before you had the chance to strangle him. Heat rushed to your cheeks at the idea of HR living with you, even if it was a temporary living arrangement. You scolded your heart for beating loudly in your chest. One hand gripped tightly to your other. An audible sigh escaped you as your mind played with the idea.

Shit, what am I going to do?

***Day 1***

Cisco blew out an exhausted breath, setting down another box on top of a box in the guest room. You and the mechanical genius had been breaching back and forth with HR’s things as said novelist was crippled. His arm would take about another four weeks to heal. About 20 percent of shoulder fractures are displaced and may require some type of manipulation to restore normal anatomy. Occasionally the rotator cuff muscles are injured or torn at the same time as the fracture. Fortunately for HR, his rotator cuff muscles weren’t as damaged. This can further complicate the treatment. Therefore, in that time, HR would just be handling the lighter stuff, bless his heart. The novelist entered the room with his black backpack slung over his functioning shoulder – it was the last thing that he could carry.

“I think there’s one more box left,” HR pointed with his thumb towards his back direction, the breach closing behind him.

“I’ll go get it, not a problem. Why don’t you two get started on unpacking, huh?” HR shrugged with one shoulder and stepped away to set his bag down by the bed. Cisco threw a cheeky look your way when HR had his back turned, his eyebrows wiggling. ‘Have fun love birds,’ the scientist had mouthed at you. You flicked him off with a deadpanned look. Instantly you dropped it when the Wells doppelganger turned as Cisco snickered before he breached away. He gave you a confused look, but you waved it off.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For allowing me to stay obviously. And for all the help since I’m, well, a bit tangled up at the moment.”

He was referring to the cross-body sling that clung onto him like a spider. HR rubbed the back of his neck, and you didn’t miss the way his bicep flexed at the motion in that gray short-sleeve shirt. Calm the fuck down, it’s just a toned muscle. You’ve seen things like that before.  The puppy-like smile HR sent you had your cheeks warming up. The gentle smile that made your heart melt all over again. You cleared your throat as you reached for a box. “It’s no big deal, HR.” Undoing the tape seal with scissors, you opened the box- and the first thing you see are a pair of handcuffs accompanied by a silky black blindfold.

“What’s in the box?”

A little noise left you as you shut the flaps of the box, trying to seal it again. The flaps remained downward in the box. “Nope, nothing. Just some clothes here. I’m going to get that one box from the living room.” You had backtracked right into the door, your nose throbbed in response at the collision. “Ow,” you muttered to yourself, rubbing the skin.

“You ok?”

“I’m fine,” your response was quick, but not rude. A deep chuckle made its way to your ears as you scrambled out the room, your heart hammering in your chest. Your thoughts scolded you for being so awkward and flustered around him. Be cool, just chill out… The man you’re hopelessly in love with is just living with you temporarily, it’s not like anything will amount from this. You picked up the last box in the living room, hoping that just clothes would be in here and not anymore kink toys. I mean… I have toys, too. AW SHIT, I HAVE TO HIDE THEM!

HR’s eyes never left you as you made your panicked exit. He let out a little breath before shuffling over to the box you had been attending to. Immediately, he face-palmed hard when he had opened it with one hand. His face felt impossibly hot at what you had seen. She must think I’m an idiot or something. His mind thought back to when you helped him shop for some new clothes then it had gotten ruined from a meta. His hand fell away from his face, the image of your kind grin imprinted in his mind. I am an idiot, though. A fool.

Once Cisco returned, you three continued unpacking HR’s things for the time he’d spend here. The labs were still in ‘piss-poor’ shape according to Cisco and that he’ll need to consult with Harry and Wally regarding repairs.

“HR, how are you showering?”

“Um, like a normal person?” A dumbfounded look crossed HR’s features as he set the plate of sandwiches down. The novelist had knitted his eyebrows at Cisco. He had taken up to experimenting in the kitchen when he wasn’t writing. The tea and coffee were still brewing in your kitchen.

“No, I mean with how your shoulder is injured,” Cisco snuck an evil look at you, you returned it with a glare, “must be hard handling it alone.” You knew exactly where this dumbass wanted to take this conversation, so you stayed silent as to not get caught in the crossfire.

HR thought to himself for a moment. “Just a bit, but I’ve gotten used to the mild discomforts and pain. I can mostly reach everything thanks to my long limbs. But I think the nice thing is that it’s an internal issue, not an external one. An external injury or wound would require me to really have help with showering that way the area doesn’t get infected or irritated with the contents of soaps.” A laugh fell from his lips, but his mind wondered what his friend was playing at while you were around.

“I’m just saying, if you ever need a hand well,” Cisco trailed off with a smirk, chomping on his third sandwich.

Oh, I see. Devious, but a futile effort. “I’ll make sure you’re the first one I ask for help,” HR teased with a smirk of his own for Cisco to drop his in disgust. A cough escaped you, which had HR’s eyes land on you. Your eyes met for a moment before you deviated your gaze. HR felt hypnotized for a moment. Hm… The engineer quickly recovered from HR’s snide remark.

“Alright kids, I’ll be going now. The labs require some diligent work that I, a capable and distinguished engineer, could only do.”

“Yet, we still have the occasional security issues,” You sipped your tea once the snarky comment was out. HR stifled a chuckle, but you heard it. The corners of your mouth lifted slightly at the notion.

“Hey, that’s not fair. They always come up with something new to invade our space by.” Cisco pointed a finger at you, mocking a hurtful expression on his face. It dropped into a sneaky smile. “Make good choices and always use protection, you two!” He breached away before you could throw your cup at him.

***Multiple Days Pass***

Through his time here, you noticed HR fueled to write what’s on his mind in the guest room. You could only assume that he continued his adventure story. Sometimes he would venture out for some coffee or take a walk to give his creativity a break. Keeping that in mind, you gave HR the space he needed as well as all noises to a minimum. You knew he liked the quiet atmosphere to pour his heart and soul into words as he did research for a scene. Pulling your jacket on, you compiled a list of groceries before you stepped out of your apartment. Locking the door, you headed out to the store picking up a few necessities as well as some snacks for HR. Like Harry, the novelist can easily lose himself in his task – which meant that he tended to forget about eating and such. You found a bag of Jitters coffee beans, adding it to your cart of items. Buying some snacks and fruit, you’d leave a note in the kitchen of the snacks when he emerged from his writing cave.

On the way back, you stopped by at Iris’ studio to check up on her. A few groceries for her as well were in hand. Cecile and you did your best to visit Iris. But you can’t deny that you blamed her to a certain extent. Had she spoken up once she had left Savitar’s place disguised as HR, HR wouldn’t have been hurt that night on Infantino Street. Surely, she could have contacted her father or Cisco or something. The transition could have been smoother. HR wouldn’t have been… The journalist was faring; she pushed through the pain and as Barry had told her ‘to keep living’. So, Iris did. She hadn’t been herself since Barry went into the Speedforce – she pushed too much, the smile wouldn’t reach her eyes sometimes. You sympathized; she lost the love of her life. But you almost had too.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine, just… taking it one day at a time.” You nodded at her response, a small smile on your face. “How are things with you and HR? I heard of the temporary living conditions.”

“It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m in my bubble and he’s in his doing his writing.”

“Right. Nothing going on whatsoever?”

“Iris.”

Iris set her cup of hot chocolate down and raised both hands in mock defeat. “We all saw it. We all see it.”

“See what?”

“How smitten you are for him.”

“I’m not-”

“-Don’t say you’re not. If you weren’t you, Harry wouldn’t have to pry you off Savitar before you clawed his eyes out.”

“…” You just looked into your tea, the honey that settled at the bottom. Iris placed a sympathetic hand on your shoulder, but you didn’t look at her.

“The heart will want what it wants, (Y/N). Pushing your feelings into a box and denying it out loud won’t change things.”

“I know.”

And my heart wants him, over and over again. Even if he can’t see me.

***

HR tapped his pencil against the desk at a steady pace. His mind wouldn’t focus on the words in front of him, on the scene he wanted to set. Instead, it kept drifting further from it. Further towards you: your eyes, your smile, the kindness that you held; the serenity that your existence held as the world continued to turn and chaos had unfolded at each turn. HR didn’t see much of you while he was here, the novelist missed your company. You were here, but you weren’t really here. You were either in your room or at the balcony with a book or on the couch with your Switch. He didn’t want to bother you, but… sometimes HR just wanted to sit beside you and pull you close to talk. To hold you in his arms and ask you about your day, to understand what you were thinking. HR cracked his back in a stretch from where he sat on his bed, being mindful of his injured shoulder. It didn’t hurt as it had originally done a few weeks back. The Wells doppelganger noticed that you were careful to avoid touching him or him touching you. Not even a hug that you used to graciously give him. You were especially guarded with your hands. A rough sigh left him as he threw his pencil down. The frustration was setting in, he was getting nowhere. You consumed his thoughts. HR wondered if you were revolted by him but doesn’t verbalize his thoughts to you. He didn’t think you’d give him your truthful answer. Maybe she is revolted by me. She did find the cuffs and the blindfold… No, she knew about the cuff stage thing well before that.

The sound of the front door greeted his ears followed by the soft tune of music. A frown made its way onto his face. Might as well take a break. HR stretched once more when he fully stood up, a little noise of relief left his lips. He cracked his back once more before smelling himself. For safe measure, the novelist sprayed a bit of cologne on himself and turned off the candle he had on. He mentally noted to take a shower after dinner since his last was yesterday. He liked the feeling of being clean, to be honest. HR carded a hand through his hair. I need a haircut soon, too. Yeesh, I feel like I’m letting myself go. Once I’m all healed it’s back to proper cuts and the labs’ recreation room. He wanted to go back to lifting weights and doing yoga for body stability purposes – especially now because of his shoulder. HR rested a hand on his chest, the wound had healed completely, but a scar remained. Upon entering the kitchen, he saw the groceries on the table and heard you whisper along with the lyrics. The music was set to a low level that your whispers were audible enough. He watched you sway a bit with the tune.

So please don't break my heart

Don't tear me apart

I know how it starts

Trust me I've been broken before

Don't break me again

I am delicate

Please don't break my heart

Trust me I've been broken before

The guitar tune pulled at his heart, feeling the raw emotion behind the lyrics. He eyed you for a moment. HR cleared his throat to make his presence known, he knew you didn’t like to be snuck up on. However, a little gasp left you from where you were. “You went out shopping?”

You looked up from where you crouched to put away the cereal. “Uh yeah, we were running low on some stuff.” You shut the cabinet and went to the other items you had bought. The music continued to delicately play.

“Need any help?”

“Um, sure. Uh, just set these into the cabinet on the left.” Normal, be normal. He’s not going to eat you or anything. Distance is good. Distance keeps you safe. You didn’t meet his eyes, the eyes that’d pull you in and never let you out – your heart shook with him here and the song that played. You were hoping HR wouldn’t come out while you prepped dinner to have a sort of peace of mind. The next song played before you could stop it-

My last made me feel like I would never try again

But when I saw you, I felt something I never felt

Come closer, I'll give you all my love

If you treat me right, baby, I'll give you everything

“I like this song,” HR started as he was finishing up with putting his side of the groceries away. Another guitar-like song that brought out the soft feelings of love and rejection. HR mused to himself if fate had planned this out. If this was some sort of sign or a cruel joke… You had stopped yourself from clicking the button to skip the song at his comment. You don’t know what possessed you to let him indulge in another song that you’ve cried to late at night. “Hey, I can cook dinner tonight. I have something I’ve been wanting to try. I’m not that crippled so I can manage with a few cookware.” HR chuckled to himself, a goofy grin on his face. Your heart leapt in your chest; his grin caused a small smile to pull at your lips. “You can wash up first?”

You swallowed thickly, your eyes meeting his icy blues. You felt your cheeks warm up slightly as the nerves crawled up your spine. “Oh, ok. Cool, yeah. Can’t wait to see what you cook up.” You nodded, ducking your head away and shuffling out of the kitchen with that shy smile on your face. You missed the longing look he had sent you as you fastened your steps to head to your room.

God I love that smile. What goes on in that little head of yours? We used to be so close… before Tracy came into the picture. HR pulled out the spices and the chicken breast. He shook his head and proceeded to prep the food with his one useful hand. I need to consult Francisco.

***

“We need to talk,” HR’s voice broke the silence in the side lab of the Cortex. He had breached to the labs using the Breach Extrapolator after he had showered and such. His damp hair was pushed back in HR’s normal style.

“About what?” Cisco raised a concerned eyebrow at the writer, stopping what he had been doing.

“(Y/N).”

A nervous laugh left Cisco as he went back to attempting to make the necessary modifications to the Speed Bazooka. Tracy was reluctant to help the mechanical engineer after the breakup. “What about (Y/N)?” Cisco put down his screwdriver. “Did you do something weird to her?”

“What? No! I- we used to be closer. We always talked, we’d hang out after a long day here at the labs.”

“Uh huh.”

“And, maybe it’s just me, but things have changed.”

“How so?” Cisco was wondering what conclusion HR was leading himself to.

“Things changed when Tracy came into the picture.”

Cisco made a little ‘o’ with his mouth with a little nod before closing it. He pushed a rough sigh past his lips, he was getting really tired of this puppy love game. “Why do you think that?”

“Francisco, she flinches when I get close – almost when I touch her… Does she hate me?”

“I think you and I know the answer to that one. But I think the real question should be: Why do you care so much? Why does it bother you? Do you love her, HR?”

The novelist tensed a bit. “…” HR pursed his lips as Cisco walked around the table that the speed weapon was mounted on. Blueprints were scattered on one table while the glass board held variables and equations he could not decipher. “What?”

“I said what I said,” the mechanical genius smoothly responded. One look at HR and Cisco knew that he was baffled by his forward words. But they needed to be said. “Now run along and use that head of yours to think about what your heart wants. Barry isn’t going to get himself out of the Speedforce.”

***

Cisco’s words mulled through HR’s mind as he breached back to your apartment’s living room.  Only the lamp light on the side table was on. HR’s eyes landed on you, who laid on the couch with the book you had been reading on the back ledge of the couch. The novelist took off his shoes and set down his bag. He had detoured to the bookstore, looking for the next installment of your current book. The Wells doppelganger had assumed you didn’t buy it yet as it was vacant from your bookshelf. The gentle giant stepped silently closer to you; the dim light cast over you like a glow. There were slight bags under your eyes. She hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Spotting a large and fluffy blanket near, HR grabs it and lays it on top of you. He remembered you mentioned to him prior that you easily get cold, especially at night. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, HR contemplated something before his body moved impulsively. The novelist placed a gentle kiss on your forehead; his lips lingered for a few more seconds. Pulling back, HR watched your chest rise and fall.  He turned the light off and stumbled over to his room with his phone light guiding him. He knew what he was going to write. Cisco’s question pestered him enough though.

Do you love her, HR?

HR took one look out his door before shutting it, his heart squeezed tightly in his chest as he whispered, “Goodnight, my angel.” Only the shadows that lingered were a witness to the fondness laced in those simple words.

***

You woke up with a start, you hand instantly smacking right into your chest. Heavy breaths left you as your nerves were in overdrive. Cold sweat beaded your skin as you gasp for air. It was another night terror – the same one for a few weeks now; a new way in which you caused HR’s death. Swallowing thickly, you screw your eyes tightly shut and whisper the mantra that calmed you down. After a few minutes, you started to regain control of your breathing – the thoughts that ravaged your mind finally ceased like the tides subsiding after a tsunami. You blinked languidly, hating nights like these. They weren’t rare, but they weren’t an uncommon occurrence. Deciding that you needed to step out for some air, you did so with the intent of getting a glass of water from the kitchen. Your fingers found the lights for the dimmers in your room, setting it to its lowest setting for you to see yourself out.

Cracking the door open, you were instantly met with the scene of HR passed out on the couch again. He’s been doing that for around two weeks now, the couch his new base of operations. His mouth was slightly open as little snores escaped him. A lovestruck smile crossed your features at the sight. Papers were littered around him, on the ground, and on the tables. Must be the manuscript he’s working on for his final draft. I hope I can read it at some point. Coming back from the kitchen with the water in hand you couldn’t help but stop to admire the sight. You noticed the glasses still perched on his face. Moving as silent as a ninja, you inched closer to pull off the glasses from his face. They’ll break if he keeps them on while he sleeps. Then he won’t see for shit when reading things. You nibbled on your bottom lip as your eyes drifted to the papers. One peek won’t hurt anyone. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Seating yourself on the ground, you leaned your back against the foundation of the couch. You were opposite to where HR’s upper body was. If there were any telltale signs of him waking, you’d hightail out before he could fully wake up and process what you were doing. Picking up a small stack, you started sifting through them. Your mind became engrossed with the words – the beginnings of the story he had spun about his adventures as to how he came to Earth-1. Then… mentions of an angel eluded you. It couldn’t be Tracy, could it? I know they broke up, but… on the other hand, it doesn’t mean that he can’t say that she was his angel at the time. Like a character development thing leading to their break up?? Well fuck, I don’t even think he’d mention such a personal thing in his book. I know I wouldn’t… would I? I don’t know. A little smile danced at your lips while you read on about the synonymous things regarding Team Flash that you failed to notice HR rouse from sleep.

“Do you like it?” Lethargy intertwined his words. A stunned noise left you as you clutched the papers. You turned to see HR rubbing his eyes before gazing at you.

I could get lost in those eyes if I stared too long.

“Uh, yeah, its- it’s really good,” you stuttered, setting the papers down in your lap. Embarrassment of getting caught gripped you. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I don’t mind you taking a peek. I don’t have anything to be ashamed of in it.” HR shifted his lithe body to sit next to you on the ground.

“Oh.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“No.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“It’s not that important, I’ll be ok.”

“If you say so,” HR’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I’m here if you want to talk.” You nodded at him, whispering a little thank you. HR ran a hand over his knee, he took a glimpse at you who stared at the papers. He noticed what chapter you hand been reading – the angel was making an appearance in the story. The hair at the back of his neck stood while you thumbed the words on the paper back in forth, just lost in your mind. Your hair was messy from sleep, the bags under your eyes were still there. It killed him how you wouldn’t confide in him anymore. But he didn’t push you. You would open up to him if you wanted to or not, even if he wanted you to do so as so his mind can be at ease with knowing what’s going on with you. Cisco’s question sprang up in his mind once more before he licked his lips, his eyes watching you. “I do.”

You gave HR a strange look. I do, what?

“Tracy wasn’t her.” Realization struck HR the more you whispered with him.

“Huh??”

“I heard this voice before I woke up.” The novelist fully turned to you with intense eyes, the enlightenment in them – the fire that burned brightly. “The tenderness in it could rival any tasteful delight in the multiverse.”

“A voice?”

“Mm, it made me think that only a heavenly deity would have such a voice.” You remained silent as he spoke. “I never got to hear that voice since my coma… until now?”

You tensed at what he was insinuating. “Now?”

“How could I forget?”

“I-I don’t understand.”

“How could I forget about you?” The baritone huskiness in his voice made you melt with the way he said those words. You swallowed, trying to calm the butterflies that raged in the pit of your stomach. “The flowers that were left – beautiful, delicate, yet meaningful. You left those after visiting me.”

“…”

She didn’t deny it. “But you never visited when I was awake because of Tracy.”

“She hates me.”

“And I was too blind to see that until I broke up with her, she threw quite a fit.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because you must have loved her so much that it would be hard to let go.” She was your angel, after all.

“She didn’t even know me. Truly know me.”

“… Did she hurt you?”

“Slightly, but the bruise is gone.” You and he were silent for a moment. Only the sound of a distant car horn was heard from the streets. “You didn’t deny it.”

“Deny what?”

“The flowers, the visit…” HR licked his lips as a rough breath left him. His nerves were climbing, but he needed to do this. “Cisco told me what you did to Savitar when you saw him. How angry you were that Harry had to pry you off him – I was so angry.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t know then… but I know now.”

“And?”

“Tracy was never the one written in my story – she didn’t care. She didn’t see me for anything other than a pretty face obsessed with coffee. You did.” HR tucked your hair behind your ear, carefully gauging your reaction. He saw how you tried not to flinch away from him. “Do you hate me?” He asked as he retracted a hand from you, happy that he was at least getting through to you.

“Never could I feel such a way towards you.” You hesitated for a moment before testing the waters. You started to explain, “I- the night you were stabbed by Savitar I… I just broke. I pushed Tracy away, I had Barry rush you back to the labs. You were dying, unconscious on the gurney and… I got to work trying to resuscitate you. I had Cisco take care of Tracy while I worked, I needed space to think clearly, but I couldn’t. When- when the others were preoccupied with Iris’ appearance, I used these powers.” It was now or never. “I was desperate. Your life was hanging by a thread- I didn’t think it was going to work, but nothing else was working. You were bleeding so much. But I had to try. I…” Your glassy eyes locked back on his, your hands pulled close to your body. HR understood now why you never tried touching him. Why you are avoiding getting too close. “Cisco found out, he confronted me. But these powers, life isn’t guaranteed. They’re volatile, unprecedented – regardless of how I feel in the moment the balance can tip between giving a life and taking one.” There was a tightness in your chest as your voice cracked, “I’m cursed, I could hurt you.” I’m dangerous.

“I don’t think you will.”

“You don’t know that!”

“But I do,” HR reached a hand out to hold yours. Tension filled your heart as panic started to settle. “You wouldn’t let yourself hurt me. It would pain you too much.” HR squeezed your slightly shaky hand, his other hand still bound by the cross-sling. “My life is in your hands.”

“How can you trust me so much?”

“Because love cannot be built without a foundation of trust.” He placed a sweet kiss on the knuckles of your hand. “And understanding.” He took the other and kissed it, baby blue eyes shifted back to yours with such intense emotion. The adoration that filled the author to the brim for you. Just for you. Only you. The one who saw him for everything and anything that he is. His safe space – the one other thing he wanted to be for you as well. He wanted to eliminate any fears that resided in your heart, the pain and doubt that remained.

“Do you hate me?”

HR cupped your cheek tenderly as he leaned close, your heart wanted to stop as blood rushed to your cheeks and ears. Your half-lidded eyes shut slowly as his lips skimmed over your own. “Never in my life, angel,” the novelist whispered as he captured your lips in a tender and sentimental kiss.

Never in my life could I hate the one who my heart has yearned for.

[lemonadesoda]

Fic Authors Self Rec

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

Tagged by @banyanas and @prosebushpatch

Sorry this took so long. Tbh I had a hard time because I don't have that many options to choose from lol. Everything I've written in the last few years has been A Hat in Time

Catching Icarus

Blorbo bias. This is an oc-centric continuation story of Hide and Seek, which I would say stat-wise is probably my most well known fic? Follows the character journey of Tevane, the former captain and pseudo-antagonist of ch17 of H&S, as he struggles with the realization that he's rather far off course from being the kind of person he wants to be. Soul-searching coincidentally brings him back to Earth to meet an exiled fugitive Time scientist Lemel, who he hopes can use their knowledge of alternate timelines to give him clear answers about whether he can fix what he's done wrong. Canon-typical Earth shenanigans conspire to strand him on the planet, and together they get immersed in deeper mysteries of Time and magic...and grow closer as friends in the process.

There's a lot I think I would fix but also this was just a lot of fun and I'm really happy with the overarching character arcs of everyone and the way it ties into the themes of Hide and Seek overall. Also just an exploration of a variety of deep platonic love in various forms. It makes me happy.

Ill-Fated

Gift for Bany in their Beingverse AU setting.

Wanted to make a horror story from the perspective of people being hunted by pre-character-development Snowl, who likes to play with his food. A couple of filmmakers, desperate for a big break in their own ways, sneak into the forbidden Subcon Forest in hopes of unraveling the truth of the deadly place.

I think the writing on a technical level really holds up in this one tbh. I like rereading it. Sometimes you just get possessed and write something really good.

Not as simple as the storybooks, my love

The seasons of love for the prince and Vanessa, starting from childhood to death.

Follows the headcanon that they met in childhood and genuinely loved each other once. This is an exploration for how that changed, as well as the ways love can get twisted. In all honesty, I don't really put that much thought into the pre-freeze characterizations ^^" but prose-wise I think this one holds up like Ill-Fated.

Luka

Part of the written series for Mak's Oh the Humanity AU. Hat and Bow are invited to the premiere of their movie collab with both Conductor and DJ Grooves and convince Snatcher to get dressed up with them and attend a party, despite his hesitation around crowds and social events. Not only do they convince him, he has a few crucial realizations about what he sees in himself.

I've made no secret this is my favorite of the OtH series. The character dynamics have really settled into place, and it just feels good. He's starting to really feel genuine joy in his body and self. This is the self-love story and I like it.

Hide and Seek

The classic Dadtcher and Moonparent fic. Hat Kid returns to Earth after a dissatisfying reunion back home and revisits her old haunts. After starting the Death Wish challenges with Snatcher as a chance to have some fun together, she starts noticing he's acting a bit strange...almost like he actually cares. And she notices that she feels pretty good about that. To balance that somewhat confusing relationship, her friendship with Moonjumper brings stability to both her and Snatcher and the three of them start to truly Find Family.

Almost feel obligated to put this here since it's what started everything and respect your roots and all that. I wouldn't have written any of the above without this fic after all, and it's brought a lot of good into my life, especially some incredible friendships.

I don't have anyone to tag as I took so long to do this that I'm pretty sure everyone i would tag has been tagged.

[jeminy3]

old archie x maxie (hardenshipping) doodles i never posted, from 2017 or 2018. they were related to some of the doodles in this post.

I have a lot of unpublished drawings of these guys, and i never did elaborate on my headcanons for them. The truth is, I was (and still kinda am) very anxious and embarrassed about this fixation, probably because it centers around villains and “woobifies” them, but also because after playing and researching more into ORAS, i discovered that my personal canon was contradicted by actual canon and i felt invalidated.

For the sake of posterity, I’ll summarize my old headcanons below. (It’s still pretty long, ugh)

A grunt in Team Magma’s hideout says that Archie and Maxie “used to be on the same team.” In canon, this probably implies that they worked together on New Mauville, Sea Mauville, or another unnamed project, depending on how old they are and how long ago those projects started and ended.

However, like many other fans, I thought this meant they used to be in Team Rocket together, and I elaborated an entire backstory based on that:

+ Maxie and Archie were part of a group of Rocket recruits attempting to start a branch of Team Rocket in the Hoenn Region. The project failed because soon after they arrived, Giovanni was defeated in Kanto and officially dissolved Team Rocket, causing a schism to form within the Hoenn team over whether to give up the project or not. This eventually lead to the team splintering into two factions, one lead by Maxie and the other lead by Archie, which eventually grew and rebranded themselves into Team Magma and Team Aqua.

-Maxie and Archie met and connected enough to start dating, though they were emotionally dysfunctional. As problems arose and the Team began to splinter, their relationship also broke down and their separation was very messy.

Maxie clung to the ambition of staying in Hoenn and building up the Team as a paragon of human industry, pushing away Archie and anyone else he deemed as “not useful.”

Archie also wanted to make the Team work, but not in the way Maxie and his side wanted, at the expense of nature. Archie felt hurt and betrayed as Maxie pushed him away and disagreed with him, making him contradict and lash out at Maxie even more.

This all culminated in a huge fight between Archie and Maxie and their respective sides, involving both Pokemon battling and actual fist-fighting. Local authorities were called in, causing the teams to scatter, but not before Archie and Maxie promised to face each other again, reforging themselves as bitter rivals.

-- Maxie

+ Maxie is (the pokemon equivalent of) German/Japanese, and was born on Cinnabar Island. His birth name was Maximillian Matsubasa Von Brandt, but he prefers simply “Maxie”. He IDs as bigender, asexual and demi-homoromantic.

His father is a Kanto businessman named Masaru Matsubasa. His mother is from somewhere in or near Kalos, named Melissa Von Brandt. They were both wealthy and successful business people who frequently left on business trips, Masaru travelling between Kanto and Johto and Melissa to her home country.

Maxie was often left alone or with a nanny at home. He was well-provided for and self-sufficient, but he was lonely and emotionally stunted. He had a passion for geology and engineering, and showed interest in contributing to helping Cinnabar’s local issues, which were often tense because of the limited land space. Homelessness and unemployment were high, and development plans to alleviate these were stymied by parties who lobbied for the preservation of the local Pokemon wildlife by any means.

Maxie’s parents were skeptical of his choice in career but still supported him, if only half-heartedly. This lead Maxie to study Cinnabar’s volcano, which he found to be very much active and possibly dangerous. He developed a plan to build in and around the volcano in such a way that it would utilize extra space inside the mountain for housing/businesses and its magma for natural energy to power the city, possibly circumventing its eventual eruption.

He presented this plan to Cinnabar’s city council, but was practically laughed out of the meeting for such an ambitious and dangerous idea, especially by the wildlife parties. This damaged his reputation and caused him to be fired/demoted from his job. His parents reprimanded him, regretting their decision to support him.

Lost and disgusted with his life, Maxie found recruitment with Team Rocket and left Cinnabar to join their efforts on the mainland. When he presented his research to their higher-ups, they were impressed enough to pass it along to Giovanni himself, and Maxie ended up contributing to the construction of some of their underground lairs, like in Celadon City.

This also made him a prime candidate for the Rocket Hoenn project as a lead engineer and scientist, and he joined the project with high hopes.

+ His interest in Pokemon was soured by his past and usually only extends are far as his ambitions, which means he views Pokemon only as things that can be useful to whatever projects he’s working on, otherwise they are a nuisance. After becoming the leader of Team Magma and having to train a personal team to defend himself with, he warms up to Pokemon a bit more.

+ Maxie plays up his confidence and genius, but does have moments of crippling self-doubt and anxiety. Deep down, he’s socially awkward and has trouble expressing his feelings, tending to bottle things up until they spill out in moments of anger.

+ Maxie used to be a semi-heavy smoker in his youth to cope with his anxiety. After becoming the leader of Team Magma, his health was suffering and his grunts were visibly uncomfortable around him, so for the sake of his own health and that of his team, he quit, with help and advice from Courtney and Tabitha.

+ Maxie hates his parents and hasn’t contacted them since he left Cinnabar, which was over ten years ago by the end of ORAS events. He avoids them to the point that he uses a forged identity in Hoenn, named “Maxie Stormfront.” ‘Stormfront’ is a reference from one of his favorite metal bands, the Doom Hounds, because he is a nerd.

+ Years later, Cinnabar’s volcano did erupt and destroy the town, displacing its human population. Maxie has mixed feelings about this – he’s not sure if it’s righteous karma for the City Council rejecting his plans, or a sign that his old plans were doomed to failure and he was better off leaving Cinnabar after all.

-- Archie

+ Archie is (the pokemon equivalent of) Black/Hispanic and a Hoenn native. His birth name is Archibald Rodriguez. He IDs as a cis man (or trans?), pansexual and panromantic.

He was born to his father, Alexander Rodriguez and his mother, Alicia Fuentes (Rodriguez after marriage) in a small fishing town on one of Hoenn’s coasts, with its fishery being its only major industry. Most of its residents are middle-class or poor, and few members pursue an education after high school, usually joining the local fishing industry.

In his youth, Archie didn’t care much for school or work, preferring to spend his days playing with the local water Pokemon and his friends, Matt and Shelly. However, this exposed him to the effects that overfishing and pollution had on the local wildlife, and he eventually grew to want to pursue a career as a Veterinarian, specifically for water pokemon.

His parents didn’t believe he would be successful and his town had few resources to help him. The most he could do was research at the local library and a then-primitive internet.

Worse, his town was outright apathetic to the damage their industry was causing to the local wildlife because they depended on its capital to survive.

+A possible traumatic memory involves a young Archie nursing a sick Magikarp back to health for weeks, only to later discover it trapped in the nets of the fishery his father worked at, doomed to become food/products. When he attempted to cut the nets and save the Magikarp, his father restrained him and reprimanded him, claiming “it’s just a fish, boy! They’re all just stupid fish!”

Eventually, Archie was a depressed drifter in his 20s, unable to hold onto work and unable to afford to leave to a larger city. He often fought with his abrasive father and his mother was coddling, but unsupportive. This made Archie a prime candidate for Team Rocket recruiters as they arrived on Hoenn, promising a way out of his backwater town, decent pay, and a career where he’d be appreciated and be able to work with Pokemon to change the world.  He joined as a lowly Grunt, but was talented and well-respected within the Team.

-Archie has limited contact with his parents since he left home, only calling them once a year or so.

-Archie doesn’t like being referred to as his full name, it feels pretentious and brings back uncomfortable memories of his family.

+I used to headcanon Archie and Matt as biological brothers because of the “bro” thing, but I’m not sure about keeping that. If so, Matt’s name would be short for Matthias Rodriguez, because their parents liked pretentious names.

-Like some of his dialog implies, Archie is kind of depressed, pessimistic and cynical deep down, but hides it behind his boisterous, reckless attitude. At his worst, he’s downright bitter, uncaring of his own life or the lives of humanity in general, in favor of Pokemon.

[artzychic27]

An akuma with reality powers, The Artist Family and the canon Art kids (maybe the other classmates too) meet each other

Their reaction? Chaos?

Another day, another Akuma for the Malevolent Miraculous team

This one is named Alterna, and they’re a scientist who got Akumatized because their alternate universe theory was rejected

They have the power to open portals to other dimensions

While fighting, Alterna grabbed Black Widower’s whip and used it to ensnare the team before flinging them into a portal

Once they land, they find themselves... In Paris? Only, something feels off, very off...

Since there doesn’t seem to be any danger, they detransform

They look around while getting weird looks from people. (Imagine the ‘Going into town’ scene form the Addams Family 2019 movie)

Nathaniel Artist: Everyone’s dressed so... Conformist. *Sees a magazine with Adrien on the cover* And what happened to Adrien’s new look?

Rose Artist: Is this one of the universes where his dad is a jerk?

Alix Artist scares off a few people by throwing a brick through a few car windows.

Marc Artist: Alix, don’t be rude. Let the others have their turns.

Manon approaches Marinette Artist and asks why she’s wearing dark colors

Marinette Artist: Manon, you know I despise all colors.

A few more minutes of walking, and they see Marinette Dupain-Cheng running to school

Marinette Artist: *Checks her watch* School has begun three minutes ago. She’s not very punctual, is she?

The Artist Family follow her to the alternate DuPont to see what’s going on, then they bump into Mme. Bustier, who was making her way to the teachers lounge.

Mme. Bustier: Marinette? But I just... I saw you, all of you in the classroom. And Marc, shouldn’t you also be in class?

The Artists rush to their respective classrooms and find their alternate sleeves, much to their shock

Nathaniel Kurtzberg: ... What the fuck?!

Nathaniel Artist: I could ask the same about your outfit. Must you insult my eyes with such a color combination?

Chloé: Ha! You just got burned by yourself, tomato head!

Marinette Artist: At least he doesn’t go out looking like a clown gave him a makeover.

Chloé: I’m telling daddy!

Marinette Artist: Yes, let your father get involved with petty teenage drama. That will get him more votes in the upcoming election. Now silence.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng: ... Thank you, me?

They explain what happened, (Leaving out the part about them being superheroes because this universe’s Lila will no doubt run her big mouth to Hawkmoth who they’re sure she’s working for), and the art club is not sure how to react

Alix Kudbel: So we’re basically the Addams Family?

Lila: Oh! You know, my great great grandfather actually inspired Chauncey Addams to create the Addams Family!

While the class eats it up, the art club and Artists just glare at her

Marinette Addams: It’s Charles Addams, idiot.

Lila: Oh, you guys hate me too? *Cue bitch crying*

Juleka Artist: *Waves a skull in front of Lila* Luxor, nexor, burst and burn!

Lila: What’s she doing?

Juleka Artist: Just a curse that will make your pants burst into flames every time you lie.

Lili: *Whining* Why are you all trying to hurt me?! I never lie! *Her pants bursts into flames and she runs out of the school before she’s left in only her underwear*

Alya: *To her Marinette* My sincerest apologies.

Suddenly, screams are heard, followed by Mme. Mendelive and her students running past the classroom. Marc Anciel and Artist walk into the classroom while being trailed by a clutter of spiders

Marc Artist: Well that was quite rude, wouldn’t you say?

Marc Anciel: In their defense, spiders are a little... Horripilante.

Nathaniel Artist just stands there, trying very hard not to kiss the alternate version of his boyfriend and wondering why his alternate self isn’t going kissing his Marc madly with passion

The Artists explain to the Art Club during lunch about their situation and tell them that they’re Miraculous holders in their world, much to Marinette’s shock since she’s never heard of the Malevolent Miraculous

The art club let their alternate selves stay with them until they can figure out a way to get back, but Nathaniel and Marc Artist insist that they stay together

Alix Kudbel and Artist volunteer to let them stay with them. (Cuz they ship ‘em!)

Marinette A is stunned to see her alternate parents, and when they welcome her with open arms since her own parents were always so distant.

Even when she shows her dark nature, they still treat her like family. She tries very hard not to show any emotion

When they’re alone, Tikki and Screech reveal themselves. Tikki explains that there are alternate realities with different Kwamis with similar powers to the Kwamis they’ve alternate versions of. Screech is her alternate self

Marinette A questions why Marinette DC’s Ladybug suit is so skintight and insists that she change her suit which Marinette DC doesn’t mind doing

Marinette A tells Marinette DC about her boyfriend, Damian, confusing DC a bit. What about Adrien?

Marinette A: Adrien wasn’t able to satisfy my needs. Yes, he’s quite attractive, but I needed someone who could keep up with me, worship me, be my love servant and follow me into the underworld.

Marinette DC: ... So who’s this Damian?

Nathaniel K insists that Nathaniel A spend some time away from his Marc so they can talk without them making out every five minutes

Nathaniel A: How is it that you have not gouged out your own eyes?! Your Marc is miles away from you, and you believe you have the right to live?!

Nathaniel K: ... We call each other.

Nathaniel K is starting to regret letting his alternate self live with him since he keeps starting fires! He had to hide all of the matches and anything flammable. And if that’s not bad, Chompp keep chewing on his sketchbooks

Once all of the fire causes were hidden, they bonded over their love for painting and sketching

Nathaniel K: So, your paintings are actually cursed?

Nathaniel A: Very much. One caused the mayor to stumble down the stairs and stay in intensive care.

Nathaniel K: *Thinking of all the ways he could torture Chloé and Lila with his art* ... Teach me.

Marc Anciel is trying not to scream every time one of Marc Artist’s spiders crawl on him, not wanting to seem rude

Marc Anciel: *Shudders* Oh, and that’s a black widow in my hair.

Marc Artist: They’re my favorite. It’s why I chose the name Black Widower.

To release some of the tension, Marc Anciel suggests they read each other’s writing... He will not be sleeping for a while after reading Marc’s Artist’s stories. He asks why his alternate self wrote eulogies for his Nathaniel

Marc Artist: I want others to know of the love we shared together before he’s put to rest. And who better to write my love’s eulogy than the one who knows him best? The one who has loved him, tangoed with him, stabbed his heart.

Marc Andiel ignores the last part and actually considers writing Nathaniel’s eulogy.

Alix K and Alix A are having an awesome time together

Alix A and Duuo throw grenades which Alix K dodges while skating until Alim tells them to do this away from the museum

They outrun the police, prank Kim by putting itching powder in the pool, and watch their Marcs and Nathaniels make out

It’s all fun and well until Alix A meets this universe’ Jalil. Her Jalil sold her out since there was a reward to turn her in, forcing her to run from the authorities and she’s never forgiven him

Jalil K assures her that he’d never do that and reminds her that family always comes first. Alix A is resisting the urge to cry and instead lights a firecracker in his jacket

Juleka A CANNOT stop staring at her alternate self’s Luka. She can actually see his face and body. And he can talk!

Luka: Hey, are Marinette and I a... Thing where you’re from?

Juleka A: She has two hands. Soon to be three when she takes Damian’s in marriage when they’re of age.

Juleka C and A bond over their love for the macabre and witch culture. She even teaches her a few spells to use against Chloé and Lila if she ever shows her face again

They work! Chloé broke out into a terrible rash, and all of Lila’s pants are on fire

Rabbid also may or may not have chewed up the rest of Lila’s clothes, forcing her to spend all of her money on new clothes

Rose A tries to get used to her alternate self’s love of bright colors and Disney movies, but it’s a struggle. So, she exposes her to the darker side of Disney.

Rose L is horrified but also a little excited.

They do a dark Disney marathon and watch all of the movies Disney tried to hide from audiences.

Rose A even changes up Rose L’s look so she looks like a badass punk Princess, which gives Juleka C a slight nosebleed

Rose L is still her bubbly self, but now also has a love for the darker things in life

The Artists stay in this universe for three more days, starting another goth trend in the alternate Paris by giving Adrien a makeover, introducing Marinette to Damian via pen pal program, teaching Nathaniel and Juleka how to curse their enemies, setting Lila’s clothes on fire a couple more times, introducing Marc to a more gothic style of or writing & Rose to a punk style of clothing, and teaching Alix all of the stunts she’s never even thought of doing that involve explosives

They also have a little fun with Nino and help him pursue his dream of traumatizing Gabriel Agreste

This involves chloroform, a coffin, and a walkee talkee. Gabriel is forced to listen to Nino’s voice for 12 whole hours, telling him to be a better dad to Adrien, fire Lila, and to give him $1000 dollars

Gabriel gives Adrien more freedom, fires Lila and burns all of the magazines with her face and name in them, and gives Nino $1000 dollars. Then he passes out

Nino: *Hugging the Artists* I... I love you guys so much. I don’t ever want you to leave. You have made me the happiest man alive!

Then Alterna shows up

Nino: NO! DON’T TAKE THEM! TAKE GABRIEL!

Adrien: Hey!

Nino: I’m just kidding... Not.

The Artists and Marinette transform. The Malevolent Miraculous team are shocked to see Chat Noir but are even more shocked when they immediately recognize him as Adrien

They’re able to defeat the Akuma even though Lila (Who’s being a brat because she got fired) keeps interfering by whining about her broken leg, this time in a skirt. (Loophole) And she keeps trying to snatch their Miraculous whenever she gets close to them

Jaws: *Uses power to make his teeth sharper* Keep crying and I’ll give you a real broken leg. *Lila shuts up and lets them work*

They defeat Alterna, and Ladybug and Nocturna use the Miracle/Malevolent cure to remove all of the portals opened by the Akuma and put people back in their respective dimensions

They start to disappear and head back to their dimension as the Bats and Ladybugs swarm around them

Nino: NO! TAKE ME WITH YOU! *They disappear* DAMNIT!

Alya: You have them. *Points to the Art Club*

Nino: Can they murder Gabriel or frame him for a crime?

Juleka: We can try. There’s six of us, one of him. Nathaniel and I now know how to curse people.

Nino: I’m in!

Alya: And while you go ruin Gabriel’s life, I’m gonna go kill Lila.

Back in the Artist’s Dimension!

Juleka Artist: Are we back? Is this our dimension?

Nino: Oh, thank God you’re back! Gabriel was starting to gain consciousness again and Adrien is becoming suspicious. I think he knows I’m keeping him in my basement.

Marinette Artist: *Sighs* Yep. This is our place.

[mcmystery]

Ok ok, I know this is a doozy of a Question:

Dissecting Team Salem, what is Cerise’s Opinion on them, how would she describe them. And which of those she would allow to join the Ranks Of Good. Or to be Cast Down?

Well this is gonna be a bit hard to answer since you haven't caught up with vol 8 and a lot of these characters have gone through some, interesting character development.

Let's start with Tyrian. From Cerise's POV, Tyrian is a very disturbed and troubled individual. She's heard about the crimes he's committed from Mr. B and was told in the past to not travel to the locations the murders were taking place. Or if she was to travel, that he had to accompany her if possible to do so. Meeting Tyrian now, and knowing where he stands with Salem's group makes Cerise feel a bit uneasy, but she isn't afraid of him. She's more concerned about what he's capable of doing to others, if she or someone else can't take him down. Sadly, as much as she doesn't want to believe it, she sees him as a lost hope. That he's too devoted to Salem and too damaged (from whatever caused him to be like this) to save him or let him join their side.

Arthur Watt From what she was told, he was a respected scientist in Atlas and tragically died in an accident (which we know is false). Learning about Watts in the present time and what he did, which includes the hacking of the Academies and his role at Haven. Cerise thinks that he could have used his talents for the good of Remnant and not just focused on Atlas. That he wasted his potential to serve someone like Salem for such a petty reason. Cerise truly believes that any of the Headmasters would have gladly welcomed his work and funded it for him, but he chose to lose all those opportunities because he was narrow minded. Cerise believe that he could still have made the right choice and help; that his potential to expand his research can be made else where. That is, if he's willing to help the heroes to see that world where his research can be made in peace.

Hazel Someone like Hazel, leave Cerise feeling complicated on how she sees him. On one hand, she views his reasons to side with Salem doesn't justify what had happened to his sister. She sees that Hazel is hurting from the loss, a loss that Cerise can relate too. Losing someone that felt like a sister. But his anger is misplaced because he wants to find someone who will take the blame and can be punished for it. Obviously Salem can't take any punishment because she can't die. There is no rewarding feeling for Hazel that will justify his sister's death. So who's the next person to blame? Someone who has equal involvement in his sisters death? Ozpin. Someone who can take the blame and punishment for it. With Cerise finding out about what happened at Haven with Oscar/Ozpin and the events that took place in vol 8; Cerise has conflicted feelings about Hazel. In the end, I think she can come to accept him as an ally, if Oscar was able to accept him and understand the warped justice Hazel was clinging to. If Oscar can accept Hazel, then Cerise can too.

Emerald Cerise feels sympathy for Emerald and her situation. She can tell that Emerald got wrapped up in the wrong crowd and they lead her down this path. They used Emerald's misfortunate past to the enemies advantage. Cerise can see the qualities that Emerald holds, the care for the person that saved her, Cinder. This is enough to show Cerise that Emerald isn't really bad, she's just holding onto the only companion she's known to trust. And Cerise can relate to that. To hold onto a companion that was there for you at your lowest moment in life and they gave you that support. Cerise knows that Emerald can be saved, she just needs someone to reach out a hand to her and hopefully, Emerald grabs back.

Mercury Cerise's doesn't know much about Mercury, only that he seems very rude and craves control over his life. Either that's through powerful allies or some type of authority. Cerise views him as a punk, but also someone who's suffered through some issues in life. She can't really trust him at this point to let him join the heroes. He seems too power hungry to associate with people who are trying to take down the very power source he seeks.

Cinder Cerise has strong feelings about Cinder. Ones that are very complex and hard to swallow. She knows that Cinder is the main source of Beacon's Fall; the destruction of the school and all those that perished that night. The reason why Vale and the surrounding villages have had a hard time living in peaceful conditions. How she was also involved at Haven and the events in Atlas. Similar to Tyrian and Mercury, Cerise sees that Cinder is driven by wanting power, that she's damaged because no individual can cause all this pain and suffering just to get what they want, and do it with a smile. Cerise wants justice for the wrong Cinder has caused. So at this point, no, Cerise doesn't want Cinder anywhere near our heroes. If anything, Cerise will personally stand between the two if the moment called for it.

[blxetsi]

Hi there! I love your work!! So I know this sounds a little niche but, could we get headcanons for a reader in a polyamorous relationship with Hange and Miche please? Hope you’re having a really good day!

NO BEXAUSE IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEINE TO REQUEST POLYAMOROUS STUFF OMGGGGG 😭 ty for your service anon it means a lot 😔🙏

hange and mike dating headcanons (canonverse)

zoë hange x gn!reader x mike zacharias

warnings: polyamorous relationship, and titans ??, reader is kinda innocent ?? like just easily wound up

also this is going to be SO fucking long and focused on hange for the first long bit sorry !

btw this isnt rlly dating headcanons so much as backstory, how you met, and shit leading up to actually getting together i went so fucking overboard and went the complete opposite way of what you asked ill do a part two with ACTUAL dating headcanons if youd like anon just tell me and ill do it

- i think you wouldve worked for garrison originally

- in season one when hange started the experiments on sawney and bean thats when you would've met them

- you had been a big fan of their research studies for a while, so being in front of someone you thought was so cool was a little nerve wracking

- you had just became newly appointed as a captain for a garrison squad, being one of the youngest recruits to get the position, which also meant some people thought you couldnt handle the job

- you were good at telling others what to do, and guiding them when needed, you took over the leader role very quickly, you had to if you wanted to keep the position

- although you thought you were a good leader, others didnt

- specifically older members of garrison who thought because you were so young, youd be naive

- and since you were a garrison captain, you worked closely with hange and moblit during their experiments

- any request they made for supplies or anything, went through you and youd get it for them

- they needed more help ? youre requesting three soldiers to the experimentation zone immediately. anything they needed you helped with, because you liked helping

- hange had quickly grown fond of you, they were so thankful that you were so willingly to have your squad help them. you remember the brunette grabbing your hand and saying "thank you for your dedication to this project and to science !" while bowing multiple times

- as unsanitary and childish as it was,,, you didnt wash that hand for a day

- hange saw how some members of your squad treated you, and it may have irked them a bit

- causing them to rant to moblit while writing down research data

- "hange." "i just dont get it, why dont they say anything ? theyre so nice so why dont people respect them like they should-" "hange !" "what ?!" "youre writing down captain l/n's name on your page !" "so what ?!- wait what" this causes a night of bickering between the two of them 😐🤚

- when sawney and bean died hange was devastated. you had grown to like the section commander as a friend and respected them greatly, so to see their hardwork and research all go down the drain was hard

- you immediately went into leader mode and started ordering your squad around "listen up ! i want this whole perimeter checked and searched for any evidence to help us find out who did this." a couple members groaned, and one man, who was in his early thirties made a comment about it. "theyre just stupid fucking titans. we're supposed to kill them, not keep them alive for some freak to experiment on them."

- yknow,, looking back on it maybe you shouldnt have went off on them the way you did, but you did because not only was the man questioning your authority and orders, he was blatantly disrespecting a section commander. "i am your captain. i am your leader. you will respect me, and you will listen to me. you either do i say or youll be suspended and taken off my squad immediately. and that goes for everyone ! do i make myself clear ?" you shouted. the man who had talked back raised his eyebrows, youd never once yelled or demanded things be done in a manner like this, and it clearly shocked him when you stood up for yourself.

- a bunch of murmurs came from your squad and you dismissed them, but not before stepping in front of your soldier in front of everyone. "between you and me ? you should be discharged for not only your blatant disrespect and defiance to me for months now, but also for your innapropriate and degrading comments about section commander hange. you wanna pull some shit like this in the future, not just to me but to anybody ? you should kiss your position in garrison squad goodbye, since youre too childish to keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself. now grow the fuck up and go do what ive asked please." the man looked scared as he stared at you, no one had seen you act like this before, his jaw clenched as he nodded and walked off, the rest of your squad dispersing with him

- you didnt notice hange calling your name until you felt their hand on your shoulder. you turned around and saw their sympathetic gaze on you. "thank you for defending me. are you okay ?"

- you rubbed the back of your neck and answered. "honestly ? i feel kind of bad, like i embarassed him or something." the survey corps leader tilted their head back as they laughed. "youre so kind y/n, but im proud of you." the comment, although lighthearted, struck a cord with you

- a couple days later you were requested to meet with not only the section commander but commander smith, as well as your superior, dot pixis

- the meeting only lasted about thirty minutes, but hange had boasted about not only your leadership skills but also your knowledge and ideas on various sciences. erwin decided to offer you a position to work under hange, and dot pixis agreed to have you transferred to the survey corps if you agreed.

- did your decision have to do with your crush on hange ? maybe. would you ever admit it ? no.

- pixis explained to you that youd be honorably disharged from the garrison regiment before being moved to the scouts' headquarters in trost

- you surprisingly got along well with others there. working in hanges squad was fun, and even though you were demoted from a captain back to a cadet you didnt mind

- hange had offered to share as much knowledge as they could with you, which led you to be in their office (as messy as it was) after work hours

- and thats where you met mike

- well, got to know him

- hange introduced you two when you first joined and the first thing the section commander did was NOT shake the hand you held out for him but to lean down and sniff around your hair and neck

- your face felt hot as you stuttered over your words, thrown off by his,,, unique, greeting

- hange and laughed and lightly pushed him away, before explaining to you that thats just what mike did

- back to being in hanges office

- for nights on end youd stay up together in their office, two chairs huddled beside one another while you read through books of research, not just from hange but from published scientists and anthropologists too

- mike had started joining you two only three days after you and hange started

- he would stay quiet, but would sit next to hange making them be sandwiched by the two of you

- after that you started to notice him more often

- down the halls he'd send you a small smile, which you brightly returned

- sometimes he'd be in charge of training that day, and he would wordlessly help you position your arms to properly block or punch when sparring with other members

- then he started bringing tea when he would come and listen to you and hange discuss different theories, articles and information together

- you didnt even know the two were dating until you accidentally walked in on them in hange's office

- they werent doing anything dirty, just giving each other a kiss, but you had walked in on them with a stack of papers captain levi told you to give to hange.

- you kinda,, stood there, slackjawed, while the two pulled apart slowly to look at you. hange had a mischievous grin on their face while mike just gave you a blank stare

- you dropped the papers. the stack of documents levi tasked you to give to hange. you dropped them. How Embarassing.

- your face began to feel hot not just from seeing them but also because youre embarassing yourself by dropping the papers and just standing there like an IDIOT

- "uh,,, i- captain levi said to give you those documents you requested." your voice cracked at the end making you wince

- "you mean the documents that are spread out on my floor now ?" hange asked. you looked between them and the floor, then at mike, then back to the floor than back at hange. "yes." you said, and you could feel that warmth in your face spreading to your ears now too. "im sorry." you exclaimed, your voice sounding strained as you quickly walked backwords and closed the door in front of you

- you started avoiding hange and mike after that, and became hyper aware of everything that they did. they were TAUNTING YOU 🙄 you could feel it

- instead of small smiles in the halls, after you started ducking your head down when you saw mike, he would now give you head pats when you crossed him

- hange would let their hand linger on your shoulder or side as they shuffled past you during meetings or experiments, and would come closer than usual when handing you documents

- mike would give you teasing smiles when you got your ass handed to you during sparring

- and finally you were fed up ! did this count as workplace harassment ? you didnt know but you wanted answers ! so you went to the source, hange's room after dinner

- you didnt bother knocking, you just walked in with your eyes closed

- hange giggled, "what are you doing y/n ?" "making sure im not walking into something i shouldnt be seeing, section commander." "by that do you mean the kiss mike and i shared ?" "yes." "well we're not kissing right now." they said, and you peaked one eye open to be sure they werent lying, and they werent !

mike stood up from his chair and slowly made his way past you, closing the door. you took a deep breath before throwing all of your word vomit on blond and brunette duo. "so i dont know why you guys think teasing me like this is fun, but it isnt. it makes me flustered and nervous and feel weird and im not sure if it counts as abuse of power but i dont like it so it needs to stop." you huffed in a big breath of air after saying all of that, and hange rested their head in their hands.

"y/n do you have a crush on me ?" they asked. their voice was soft but they still had that stupid smile on their face. you could feel your face getting warmer by the second. your mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

" i uh, im gonna leave now." you turned around but hit something hard, and looked up at mike looking down on you, a smirk on his face. he put his hands on your shoulders and turned you back around to hange, walking the two of you over to their desk. he gave you a slight push, causing you to put your hands on the desk and lean on it, while mike kept his hands on you to keep you from running.

hange leaned into you, your noses barely touching. "i only ask because, mike and i have grown very fond of you." they said. you nodded a little bit, the tips of your noses brushing against each other.

"yeah well, id be a little sad if my superiors didnt like me, that would be kind of bad." you replied.

"can i kiss you ?" they asked.

and now is when your brain really stops functioning. thoughts fill your mind of mike and his relationship to hange. are they actually together or is it a friends with benefits kind of thing ?

"i uh, i cant kiss you." you replied, a bit breathlessly caused by both section commanders.

"why not y/n ?"

"well i'm not a cheater, or a homewrecker. i mean i assume that you and mike are together so, im not going to kiss someone in a relationship." you stammered out. this was making you very nervous, butterflies errupting in your stomach. you knew they were just teasing you, goofing around to make you flustered, but a part of you hoped youd be able to kiss hange, and maybe mike for that matter.

they chuckled a bit, before their brown eyes looking behind you to mike's towering form. "honey, can you tell y/n its okay if they kiss me ?" they asked. mike let out a small laugh through his nose before leaning down.

"only if y/n promises to give me a kiss afterwards." he whispered. he pressed a faint kiss to your temple, and you shivered from the contact. he was warm, very warm, and even though it was such a small amount of contact it did so many things to you.

you gulped before bringing your eyes back to hange. you looked to their eyes, and then to their lips, and continued that pattern silently in hopes theyd understand. you didnt want to be teased anymore ! you wanted something to happen.

hange got the hint and smirked, before leaning in again and lightly brushing her lips against yours. theirs were soft compared to mikes chapped ones, and the kiss was so slow, so innocent, it had you leaning in for more. it was a slow, lazy kiss, a kiss to test the waters, it helped calm your nerves, but also made your nerved explode with heat.

finally the researched pulled away, and put their hands on your cheeks, squishing them to pucker your lips, before giving a kiss to your forehead, nose and lips one last time. they let go with a soft smile on their face, and a blush of their own.

you could feel mike press his body down against yours, making your knees buckle slightly. he took his right hand off your shoulder to place it on hange's cheek, thumbing over the red pigmentation. he then turned your head up and to the side, before giving you a kiss of his own. this one was a bit more dominating, hard. his chapped lips scratched against your own but you didnt mind. in a weird way it made you feel at ease, having him take control of it, the same way hange did but his was just more, needy.

he pulled back with a shaky breath and looked at you before looking at hange. "so y/n," hange began. they stood up and made their way around the table, mike pulling himself and you up straight so hange could sit on the edge, pulling you in to stand between their legs. being sandwiched in between mike and hange made you so aware of them, and even though you were very new to something like this you felt weirdly safe and secure. "mike and i genuinely care about you, and we want to be with you the way that we're with each other. would you like that ?"

honestly, how could you say no ?

thats it again im sorry the anon who requested this you did not get what you asked for 😭😭😭😭 hope u all enjoyed requests r open stay safe

[juicebox-sys]

Damien’s Dads as the Accidental Replacement Father Figures of the entire friend group

Stan and Lucien are great dads, and Damien knows he’s lucky to have them

Some of Damien’s friends don’t have the best father figures, or no fathers at all, and those that haven’t already been taken under Coach’s wing tend to flock to Damien’s dads

They’re always welcoming a new member of their family, and they’ve learned to be a bit more patient with those that need more time

The first friend to be accidentally adopted was Vicky

The scientist who stitched her back together was like a mother to her, but she had brought around one or two toxic boyfriends while Vicky was growing up

She doesn’t do well with male authority figures and can be a little combative at first, and she has good reason

Lucien could pick up on her discomfort around them almost immediately and decided giving her space would be the best option

Stan was similar, but if Vicky and Damien were talking in the same room, he made an effort to pick up on her interest so he could bring it up later and talk with her about them

Slowly but surely, she relaxed bit by bit

She wouldn’t outright say they’re like fathers to her - she doesn’t really need a father figure in her life, let alone two. Her mother, though not perfect, did a great job.

But she does occasionally go to them for things she isn’t comfortable telling her mom, and they’re always there to help.

Miranda was up next on the List of Kids Who Desperately Needed Guidance

Both coming from a royal family, Dames and Miri had known each other since early childhood, but only really started talking and becoming close friends during high school

Miri wouldn’t really come over often - Hell is hot and it dries out her skin - but Stan and Lucien both noticed when Damien started actually talking to her at royal events with the Merkingdom.

Damien tells his dads basically everything. They knew the Merkingdom was fucked up, but the more Damien talked about things Miranda had told him, the more they realized that the Kingdom was always on the brink of a full-blown rebellion

Worst of all, Miranda was brainwashed by her psychopath of a father and caught in the middle of it.

Damien, among other people, have been slowly trying to plant seeds of doubt in Miri’s mind for a while now. Stan and Lucien have been friendly and welcoming to her as well.

Once something happens and tables turn, Miranda may need somewhere safe to go where she can be safe and sort things out. They’ve agreed that in that event, she can come to them for safety if need be.

Miranda herself is still relatively oblivious to the whole thing, but she does know that should something ever happen to the Merkingdom (Like a devastating airpeople attack!) she could go to Damien for help, and by extension, Stan and Lucien.

Next up was Polly

Before the events of the Locket ending, Polly really struggled to be open about what she was feeling, especially if it wasn’t something positive.

She obviously came around Damien’s place, sometimes to hang out and sometimes to drag him along to a party she knew he’d like, but she never stuck around long enough for Stan and Lucien to pick up on much

She never seemed outright uncomfortable, but she seemed like something was bugging her every now and then, and they were never sure what.

After the events of the Locket ending, she started being a bit more open

She didn’t bounce around quite as much, she let herself settle every now and then

No particular effort was put in on Stan and Lucien’s part - they were friendly, they helped Damien support her if he wasn’t sure what to do in certain cases, but in the end it was Polly who chose to tell them about her dad and what had happened.

Of course, they were supportive of her and let her talk about it all she wanted, but never pushed or anything, which she greatly appreciated

Similar to Vicky, she wouldn’t go as far as to outright say they’re her father figures. Polly has a dad - a dad that made mistakes, but she had forgiven him, as hard as it was. She would never deny that they had a positive impact on her, though.

The hardest nut to crack was almost definitely Liam

He’s the angstiest motherfucker around and he knows it

Also, his parents died over 400 years ago. He’s had a lot of time to mourn, and a lot of time to get used to just... not having parental figures.

Damien is pretty loud and brash, but he and Liam are still decent enough friends, so occasionally Liam does visit

He wasn’t unused to seeing his friends get parental affection when he went over. More often than not he was fine with it

But Stan and Lucien welcomed him with open arms in a way that in all his 420 years had never happened once

At first he didn’t like it. He didn’t understand why his friend’s parents seemed so interested in things he was interested in. Why does Lucien know so much about Instagram algorithms?? 

His usual, standoffish demeanor really amped up for a bit, and he actually stopped visiting for a while at some point

Eventually Damien dragged him over for help on a school project (and by help I mean he threatened Liam into doing it for him) 

Stan overheard him bitching talking about the food pic Damien had interrupted him taking and took that as his chance to talk to him about the infamous LaVey Chili

Surprisingly enough, Stan is really good at plating, and ended up showing him a few pictures he’d taken

It wasn’t minimalistic as Liam typically would’ve done it, but he could tell there was passion put into it, and that’s why he started coming around again

From there it was a very gradual process, but eventually Liam was mostly comfortable around Damien’s dads. He would never, ever, EVER for any reason admit that, though. He’ll never drop his angsty shit.

There are a few others that ended up under Stan and Lucien’s wings, like Zoe and Calculester. Since neither of them had parents, it’s hard for them to understand what it even means to have a father figure. They know they respect Damien’s dads, and look up to them in certain aspects, but they aren’t sure if that’s just respect or if it’s a semi-parental relationship.

In conclusion, Stan and Lucien may have only had one biological child, but they ended up with like seven kids, and they support them to no end because they are Good Dads

[darkqueenofshadows85]

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Film Review

Introduction

Greetings, mortals! For today's review, we'll be looking at Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog (2020).

So, I've been thinking... since I've already covered the storylines of the mainline games, as well as the storylines of spin-off titles such as the Sonic Riders trilogy and the Sonic Boom game trilogy in my previous reviews, I've decided to write reviews of some of Sonic's adventures outside of the games as well, starting with the 2020 film.

I do plan on writing reviews of Sonic SatAM, Sonic Underground and Sonic X at some point in the future, and I also plan on reviewing Sonic Prime and the Sonic movie sequel as soon as I get the chance to do so. I may or may not review the Sonic OVA (I haven't really decided yet). I won't be reviewing Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog or the Sonic Boom TV series because A) they have no plot, B) there's not much I can really say about AoSTH other than it's just weird, and C) I've already expressed my great disdain towards the Sonic Boom branding as a whole in my previous posts (including my scathing review of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric), so by reviewing the TV series, I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse at this point.

This is part of a series of reviews in which I’ll be going into slightly more detail about my thoughts on various Sonic TV shows and movies, and why I think they're either well written and engaging, or an absolute trainwreck (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on the character portrayals, visuals, soundtracks, voice actors (and actors in general), and what themes/messages they had to offer. Keep in mind that these are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions!

Anyway, let us begin! ^^

Plot

Sonic tries to navigate the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound best friend, a human named Tom Wachowski. They must soon join forces to prevent the evil Dr. Robotnik from capturing Sonic and using his powers for world domination.

Characters

First if all, I LOVE how Sonic was depicted in this movie, and I personally consider this to be my favorite depiction of the character outside of the games (besides Sonic X of course). I love his design, voice, and how his personality is overall quite accurate to the Sonic we had before Roger Craig Smith and the Pontaff duo. It's like they combined the youthful, energetic cockiness of Ryan Drummond's Sonic with the earnest, good-hearted nature of Jason Griffith's Sonic and wrapped it up into one extremely adorable and charming package. His relationship and dynamic with Tom was super cute as well ^w^

Speaking of Tom, I honestly think he's one of the best human characters in the Sonic franchise, and he's a much better human companion for Sonic than Chris Thorndyke ever was. Sure, he did serve a similar purpose in the narrative to Chris (befriending Sonic, providing Sonic with a home, protecting Sonic from the government and authorities, etc.), but without any of the dislikable traits that made Chris such a reviled character within the fandom. As I said before, the relationship between Sonic and Tom is super cute and you do become invested in it.

Every good film needs a great bad guy and Dr. Robotnik is hilariously deranged, as the unhinged mad scientist on a one man vendetta to try and hunt down Sonic. After the majority of the Meta Era titles depicted him as a complete joke, I'd say this movie definitely got his character right, as it managed to make him both funny and scarily psychotic at the same time. I also like how he gradually transforms into the Eggman we know from the game series, to the point where he even does a Mike Pollock impression in the mid-credits scene he appears in.

Visuals

The CG effects and cinematography looked AMAZING in my opinion, and I especially love Sonic's new design. I have immense amounts of respect for Paramount and the crew who worked on this movie for caring about the fans and the audience. I was legitimately horrified when I saw Sonic's old design in the first trailer, and when I found out that they were redesigning Sonic due to the backlash, I was shocked. I never thought a studio would listen to our voice, and oh was our voice heard. Big respect to you, Paramount. Your love and care for the fans is greatly appreciated 👍

Fun fact: Blur Studio, who worked on the special effects for this movie, also did the CGI cutscenes for Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06.

Soundtrack

I think the soundtrack is pretty good for the most part, and the end credits theme, Speed Me Up, is actually pretty catchy. The only thing that would have made this soundtrack truly complete in my eyes are some top tier Crush 40 tracks. Maybe they'll incorporate that into the sequel, who knows?

Acting

Ben Schwartz was a great pick to provide the voice and motion-capture of Sonic himself, both emanating the character's trademark cocky attitude while also showcasing his loneliness and longing for true friendship. This, in turn, makes him more relatable to the audience and causes him to have more human traits than some of the actual people in the film.

James Marsden also gave a likeable performance as Tom Wachowski, not merely being relegated to the straight man role but also having his fair share of funny moments as well.

Jim Carrey did a fantastic job playing Dr. Robotnik, who will eventually adopt the name Eggman. He really succeeded in making him funny, scary and dangerous, all at the same time. We know that he's not physically the same from the original Robotnik, but the statements, the movements and even the humor is Robotnik and Jim made it well. Mike Pollock may be the definitive Eggman actor for the game series, but when it comes to Paramount's take on the character, I honestly don't think anyone could have pulled it off better than Jim Carrey did.

The supporting actors were all great as well. Natasha Rothwell (Rachel), Adam Pally (Wade) and Frank C. Turner (Crazy Carl) brought some nice bits of funny comedy to the picture, while Tika Sumpter (Maddie) and Melody Niemann (Jojo) brought more touching moments. Neal McDonough (Major Bennington) had one scene and to be honest, the only particularly memorable moment from that one scene is when Dr. Robotnik immediately declares himself superior to Major Bennington and mouths off to him. Also, I LOVE the dynamic and relationship between Jim Carrey (Robotnik) and Lee Majdoub (Agent Stone). These two... They bring me to near tears...

Theme/Message

There is some emotion to the movie and a theme that anyone can relate to: overcoming loneliness. Sonic feels lonely and wants a friend. When he meets Tom, a police officer, they develop a great friendship, but they have to face Dr. Robotnik who is obsessed with everything fast and wants to experiment on Sonic. In their journey, both learn that they don't have to run away from their problems. The message of this film is that friends in our lives bring us the most joy and they are the family we choose. And in my opinion, it's a really sweet, wholesome, touching and very relatable message that gives the movie depth and meaning, making for an overall cute, wholesome and heartfelt experience ^w^

Conclusion

Overall, I personally consider this to be an AMAZING movie, and one of my favorite pieces of Sonic media outside of the games next to Sonic X, Sonic Underground and the reboot Archie comics. It's cute, funny, witty, fast-paced, heartwarming, action-packed and overall highly entertaining. I think Sonic is 100% absolutely adorable and all the characters are so fun to watch. There are a lot of action scenes and fantastic visuals in the film as well. The music adds so much energy; it is catchy and upbeat. There are plenty of Easter eggs and nods to the game series, the script (in my opinion) feels like a nice callback to the Adventure Era games' writing style, and the overall narrative even took a few notes from Sonic X in a sense. Of course, there are some references to modern trends (for example, Sonic flosses at one point in the movie), but they are kept to a minimum likely so that the film will age better.

In short, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) is absolutely worth your time and I highly recommend it to any fan of the franchise.

Oh, and that post-credits scene with Tails... Hands down, one of the best parts of the movie in my opinion, and I am REALLY looking forward to the sequel >w<

My final score:

5.8/5 (Amazing)

[harcourtholmesii]

Letters of Thanks

Fandoms: MCU / Avengers

Pairings: Slight / Referenced Thor X Bruce

Warnings: - References to Violence

Words: 2954

Please don’t expect this to be perfect writing. I tried, but as much as I do love the MCU, I am not great at writing their characters.

Enjoy!

Fan mail.

 Care packages.

 Letters of gratitude.

 The penthouse floors of Stark Tower were overrun with them. After the Battle for New York, everyone and their uncle seemed keen to say their piece and write something special to the Avengers.

 Since Bruce, Thor and Steve had nowhere else to go, the general populace had come to the correct conclusion that they could send their letters to Tony Stark’s letterbox. Since his address was public knowledge and since the defeat of the Chitauri, his home had been flooded with paper and cardboard boxes.

 Sorting through it all had been a hassle.

 With Thor off-world, the secret agents off on their respective missions and Rogers having left for his tour of America, it was left up to Tony and Bruce to sort through it all. It was a momentous task, but it was a welcome distraction.

 Over time, the piles continued to grow.

 Seven piles in total.

 Tony had, by far, the largest amount of letters written to him. They created an unsteady mountain range across his personal study, threatening to topple and fall if it weren’t for Tony’s effort to read them all.

 As quickly as they grew, they shrank. Tony read through his mail quickly and with fervour. Some nights, Bruce, Pepper and Happy had been unable to convince him to sleep. Some nights, he would spend researching the person behind the letter, and send care packages of his own to those who had written him.

 Unlike the majority of the other Avengers, Tony managed himself well. Even though most of it was kind or complimentary, there were those that expressed their disdain or their upset. When it got particularly bad, Bruce could see how it all weighed down on the man. He would wave away Pepper’s worry, and Bruce’s own concerns, with his usual snarky attitude, but it was obvious to all of them that he was most affected by those he couldn’t help.

 Steve’s pile was mostly complimentary. The younger authors tended to keep their letters short, with questions about him and where he had been. How was he alive after so long? Did he know about the moon landing? Had he seen Blade Runner? Most of the letters went from serious to curious in the span of a paragraph, but Steve had been no less flattered.

 Some letters were from older veterans or soldiers who cited him as their inspiration for joining the military. There were those that mentioned how their parents or grandparents had met him those seventy years ago, and how it was a piece of family history they loved to share.

 Steve handled them well for the most part, but he rarely went out of his way to answer them all. With his new career path at SHIELD, Steve only narrowed down his responses to those he felt were ‘genuine’. Specifically, those that asked less questions about what he did or did not know about the future, and those that seemed to take the Battle for New York as a serious, potential threat.

 Much like Tony, Thor’s pile was one of the larger ones, and it grew at a rapid pace from the start. A lot of the mail he received were care packages, cardboard boxes filled with everything from chocolates to alcohol, and other tokens of affection. Thor had been astounded when he first returned to Earth; his room, as large and royal as Tony could make it, housed a mountain of parcels and parchment awaiting his notice.

 He had spent overnight opening as many as possible and reading as much as he could. Some of the language and plenty of the references used caused him a great deal of confusion, and he would seek out Bruce for help. Too many of the letters, though very sweet and thankful, contained phone numbers or an Instagram link. Bruce had caught on quickly; a good portion of these were men, women and others of all types, were hopeless romantics, seeking the God of Thunder’s attention.

 No matter the intention or the person who had written the letter, Thor tasked himself with responding to each and every one. However, at the rate the pile was growing, and with Thor’s admittance that he wasn’t much a scholar, Bruce and Tony were roped into helping him in his quest. He wrote back, and had Tony show him how Facebook, Twitter and Instagram worked so he could publish quick responses online.

 Bruce helped him with those that didn’t leave behind online addresses or phone numbers, and wrote back what Thor asked him to write. Though, before each parchment was shipped off, Thor would be sure to sign it himself.

 The fourth and fifth piles were small by comparison; the both of them for Clint and Natasha. Without any idea where else to send them, the majority of these letters were quick and to the point. Short and simple. The writers would express their gratitude, perhaps explain their reasons for sending the letter, and then end the short paragraph.

 To Clint and Natasha, these were perfect. They couldn’t easily respond to them, as much as they wished to, so they kept them close instead. Natasha filed hers away in her room at Stark Tower, and Clint had sent his away. He didn’t mention where, just that they would be safe.

 It was fair that the master assassin wanted to keep it secret.

 Then, there was the general pile for all of the Avengers team. Most of these were sent by families and young children, from crayon sketches to some baked goods. The team, especially Thor and Clint were ecstatic with these ones in particular.

 They came together to read them, as difficult as that was. They would read out a single letter to the rest; they might have a slight chuckle and smiles would light up all their faces as they heard the praise. None of the mail addressed to the Avengers was negative, as it seemed any criticism was left to the specific ‘hero’.

 The smallest pile by far, belonged to Bruce Banner. Only a few letters had been delivered that were addressed specifically to him, and unlike the others, Bruce had avoided opening them. When Natasha asked him about his letters, he would say he would ‘get around to it’, and she would leave it alone for a while, disbelieving his statement.

 Thor asked him about it the most, always curious and always keen to hear what people had to say about the ‘second strongest’ Avenger. Bruce would just smile, already a little bashful under the other’s excitable gaze and warm touches.

 ‘I haven’t read them yet.’

 ‘You should!’ Large hands would take hold of Bruce’s own and he would be spun around so the other could look at him face-to-face. ‘There is much they have to say to you, and I am sure much of it is kind.’

 Bruce would just shrug his words away, very aware that the other would only try to see the best in him. He hadn’t been around when Hulk had first destroyed New York, and what the God had witnessed on the helicarrier had been next to nothing in the amount of damage the Hulk had caused. They had been lucky.

 Unlike the rest, Tony, though encouraging, didn’t pressure him to read the letters. He knew of Bruce’s fear, and though he found a way to bring it up subtly in conversation, he never demanded the meek scientist open his mail.

 Finally, they came up with an idea.

 ‘Big mean and green.’ Where Bruce had been hovering over the coffee pot, he clicked his jaw in annoyance, and turned his tired eyes over to the lounge. His teammates were all sat on the half-circle sofa, with a small pile of recognisable letters in the middle. He swallowed thickly around the nervous lump in his throat, and tried to laugh away his worry.

 ‘What is this? An intervention?’

 ‘Sort of.’ Clint said, offering him a polite smile. It seemed Clint and Steve, in particular, were both nervous about this. Then why participate?

 ‘We just wanna help try and release some tension here.’ Tony stated, gesturing to the pile. ‘It is no surprise to us, Bruce, you can’t stand to look at this. But you don’t have the heart to throw it all away.’

 Bruce’s eyes fell to the coffee he now nursed in his hands.

 ‘We don’t want to make you uncomfortable.’ Steve chimed in. ‘But… Well, we don’t want you to run yourself into the ground because you’re scared of what people have to say.’

 ‘I’m not scared. I just know what I would see, and I do not need more confirmation that I am a monster.’

 ‘No!’ Thor’s voice bellowed, and he was standing in an instant. He was by Bruce’s side in a mere moment and gently nudging him (as gentle as Thor could manage) towards the lounge. ‘You do not understand, Banner! We believe that these are all letters of gratitude towards you, and rather than you think the worst, we want to disprove your claim.’

 ‘Yes… Well…’ Bruce’s eyes landed on the pile in front of him. He didn’t find SHIELD as frightening as he had expected when he had first met Natasha. He had not been as overcome with fear when he had first seen the Chitauri. But this small, seemingly trivial pile of notes… The words of an everyday person that he had hurt scared him more than anything.

 ‘If you don’t mind it, we came up with a simple system. Nothing too bad, we hope, but just so we might ease your fears a little.’ Tony said, reaching and digging around in the pile for a moment.

 After a bit of shuffling about, he pulled out a small, pastel pink card, showing it to Bruce.

 ‘We just want you to know that you don’t have to be worried about this. We came up with this plan-’

 ‘Tony came up with a plan.’ Natasha interrupted.

 ‘- That we will each read out one letter to you. One random letter. And we’ll all be here in case you want to take a break or if you need to just…’

 ‘Talk.’ Steve finished.

 And just like that, Clint, Steve, Natasha and Thor reached into the pile.

 Clint pulled one, exceptionally thick, envelope from the top; perfectly pristine, well-kept, with ‘Bruce Banner’ written in fine, royal blue cursive.

 Natasha dug her hand deep into the pile until she pulled her hand away with a large, but thin, green folder. On the front, it read Bruce’s name in a collage of cut-out, magazine letters.

 Steve removed a small parcel from the pile, wrapped in dirty brown paper with a green ribbon around it. There was the sound of something gently rattling against the inside as Steve moved.

 Thor pulled one letter from the pile which had a large, child’s drawing on the back. Evidently, it was of a large, green figure holding what looked like a yellow car in his hands and roaring. Bruce did not look too keen.

 It was Clint that opened his letter first and had begun to read.

 “Dear Doctor Banner,

 You may not recall me well, but my name is Lucille Davidson. We studied together for a period in college, and I would like to consider us friends, or at the very least, acquaintances.

 You’re work in nuclear physics is astounding, and I have, for years now, have wanted to address your papers and reports of your studies.  I have never had the chance, as I had thought you dead after your disappearance.

 Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw you on the news. Well, not you exactly, but to then have it confirmed to be you in the interview following the events, I was not only relieved but I was over the moon. Hearing you would be staying with Mister Stark for the time being, I wrote to you immediately, and I do hope this has found its way.

 I wanted to just say how I am not only inspired by your work, but I wish that we could sit together for coffee and go over our theories on anti-electron collisions…”

 By this point, Clint started to look a little lost. He raised his eyes from the paper, with an apologetic expression and a half smile.

 ‘Sorry, but I can’t understand this kind of science jargon. I am not an expert on thermonuclear… anything… Whatever this person is attempting to say, it seems…’ He turned the paper over, and glanced at the other papers. ‘Yeah… They appear to have sent you a full thesis on whatever this is…’

 He passed it across to Bruce, who seemed shocked still. The coffee cup was retrieved from his hands by Tony, in case he should drop it, and placed on the coffee table. Bruce took the papers with shaking hands and read over that first part again and again, almost in disbelief. The worry in his face had lessened slightly, as he placed the essay down and looked up when Steve cleared his throat.

 ‘There isn’t, uh… There’s only a small card here, apart from the parcel. And it reads ‘to Bruce Banner and to Hulk. Thank you!” He passed the card and parcel over, so Bruce could open it.

 He did so slowly, hesitantly, with the movements of a man disarming a bomb. Once the ribbon was undone and the tape removed, the brown paper fell apart in his hands, revealing a plastic container. Through the clear plastic there was a small pile of about eight cookies, all of them, though a little smudged, decorated to look like the Hulk’s face.

 There was a chortle from Tony, and a guffaw from Thor as the God landed a hard smack to Bruce’s back. It hurt, but Bruce just smiled down at the strange but lovely gift. There was no return address or signature, which seemed a little disappointing.

 “To Mister Banner.” Tony started, a sly, cattish grin on his face. Bruce could already feel his own face going red. He raised his hands to his face in a terrible attempt to hide his embarrassment as Tony continued to read with some level of theatrical exaggeration.

 “I will admit, I’m a little embarrassed to write this, but I just needed to get my feelings down onto paper. I was working during the Battle for New York and we met very briefly. Well, you were Hulk at the time, but still… You saved my life. I was about to be killed by one of those weird, alien creatures when you crushed them beneath your fists. And I couldn’t help but salivate…” There was a muttered, embarrassed groan from Bruce as he snatched the letter out of Tony’s hand. The billionaire and the others shared a laugh as Bruce continued to read the letter.

 Indeed, it was just a little scandalous, and as flattering as it was… He quietly tucked it away in his pants pocket, not willing to discuss it at this time. That was fair, and none of the other’s held that against him.

 Natasha opened her own folder, her face brighter than Bruce had ever seen it. She showed it off like she was doing a presentation, opening the folder wide and reading it out. There were only two pages to it, the first with an image of a small building with a mural on one of its walls.

 The mural showcased the Hulk with his hands raised as if holding up the roof of the building. Beneath him, as if a shadow that stood before him, was a silhouette of Bruce doing the same pose. Beneath it, written in bright lettering with all kinds of little pictures, was the message:

 ‘To Doctor Banner and the Hulk, the heroes that saved our daycare and the children therein.’ The second page was a collage of parents and staff thanking him and the Hulk alike, with little signatures and drawings from the children.

 Natasha passed it over to him, and Bruce clutched it close, feeling himself near brought to tears.

 Thor didn’t read out the letter he had plucked out of the pile, but passed it to Bruce all the same. It was difficult to read, as it was a scribble of a child’s writing. Only the address was clearly stamped out, presumably by a parent.

 ‘Thank you Mister Hulk. You saved mommy and daddy from the monsters. I want to be a hero like you when I’m grown up. Could you teach me to be strong like you? From Markus’

 Turning the paper over to look over the image again, Bruce could now make out the scratchy faces of two people in the yellow car. At first, he thought they were screaming, but when he was able to make out the black line of a speech bubble amongst the dark blue crayon, he could read they were yelling ‘YAY!’

 ‘How cute.’ Natasha hummed.

 ‘That ought to go onto the fridge.’ Tony agreed.

 Bruce shifted in his seat, wiping beneath his glasses with his sleeve. A hand on his shoulder, warm and comforting, brought his eyes up to look at the Thor.

 ‘Would Banner like some time alone? To read and look through his gifts?’

 Despite what he had read, Bruce did not ask them to leave. In fact, he snuggled deeper into the lounge as he plucked one letter from the pile. The others didn’t mind being asked to stay. In fact, to them, it was a relief to see the doctor express anything other than worry or discomfort, and a joy to watch his face break into a smile.