#so van just decided to ignore her own heartbreak because breaking up was the right thing to do and she'll get over it eventually and

[youcanthelpbutbecomethesun]

Just can't help but think of Taissa drunkenly calling Shauna whilst outside a college party post break-up with Van sobbing and stumbling and Shauna being there for her but trying so hard not to be Sad and so Angry that those two can't just sort out their shit, because the only thing keeping them apart is each other and she never Got To Have Jackie, because she wasn't brave enough and she died whilst they fought. But obviously she just consoles a drunk morose Tai, who won't remember anything the next day, the only evidence of their conversation the 42 minute phone call in her call log.

[my-fanfic-library]

Something Different {BBC Dracula x Reader} [6]

Masterlistt

A/N: really quickly I just wanted to thank you all for the love and support on this fic. I’m so overwhelmed with all of the attention it got so far and I can’t tell you all how happy your likes and comments and reblogs have made me. I’ve just had the worst three months of my life and I haven’t been this happy in such a long time, so I just wanted to say thank you all so so so much for giving this dumb fic your time and affection it really means the world and more to me ❤️ I also just wanted to say that I’m not being ignorant or rude with not replying to people in the comments, this is a side blog of mine and thus tumblr won’t let me comment on this account - only as my main. Please know all of your comments have left huge smiles on my face time and time again and everyone who has requested to be on the taglist is on there. There’s a few accounts that won’t let me tag, so I am sorry to those individuals, I have tried my hardest to rectify the issue and I’ll continue to do so until it works.

Enough of my blabbering, let’s continue with your’s and Dracula’s journey❤️

~^*^~

You looked past Dracula’s face for a second, eyes locking with Zoe’s as she frowned. Her back was pressed against the wall, standing close to a man armed with a gun and the usual (stake and cross). Again, you found yourself in the glass box, sitting at the large desk with the vampire sitting opposite you. Today, he had been granted one wine glass of blood, which was sitting beside him. A gentleman and a wine glass went hand in hand, and you didn’t really mind the fluid that filled the glass.

“Must we proceed with such formalities?” Dracula sighed.

“Yes, Drac.” You rolled your eyes, focusing back on him.

“And why is that?”

“Because this is my job.” You crossed your legs as you sat, trying to get comfortable under the heat of his gaze, “now, today we’re going to talk.”

“As opposed to the sumo wrestling we did last time?”

“Funny.” You sneered, rolling your eyes, “I just want to know a little about you.”

“Ask me anything, darling, I’ll spill all my secrets to you.” He tenderly took the glass between his fingers and took a sip. He gasped, like he had been deprived of air and he was finally getting oxygen back into his system.

“I want to know, specifically, about blood. The last time we spoke here, we talked about the Demeter, remember?”

“How could I forget? It was in those moments you captivated me, [First].”

“Enough flirting, I’m trying to earn a living here.” You scolded.

“My bad, go on.” He licked his lips, deciding he wanted to create a little eye contact with you. His mind wandered back a week, to the second night he was ever allowed entrance to your humble abode. It was the most interesting affair.

~^*^~

You sat curled up on the sofa, as you did most evenings, watching the usual soaps when your door knocked. Instead of getting up to answer, you allowed it to open itself and a low “only me” rumbled to your ears. When your living room door opened, you peered over to see the familiar face of your vampire acquaintance. He took no time in strolling in and settling down into the plushness of your La Z Boy. Clearly he favoured that seat above all others in your home.

About ten minutes passed as he allowed you to watch the end of your soap, and when the credits began to roll, you stretched out on the sofa. Dracula eyed you, much to your obliviousness, and then spoke up.

“I’m glad to see you got my message. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Yes, I was meaning to ask about that. When did you get a phone?”

“Oh, it was a gift from my lawyer.” He told you nonchalantly.

“Your lawyer?” You cocked your eyebrow at him.

“Yes, I helped start the law firm back before I even met Jonny, you see, so he told me he feels indebted to me. Bought me the phone to help me settle in and adjust to the new world.” He explained.

“Right. Well, should we go for a quick walk?”

“A walk-...” he cut himself off, “seems good...” his attention on you had all but disappeared as he watched the next show begin to start. A food show, showcasing all sorts of delicacies, “gracious, and to think back when I was a mere mortal all we had was over-boiled starches...”

“Yes, culinary has come far, hasn’t it?”

“Is that chocolate?” He ignored your question, “but it’s so expensive!”

“Actually, it’s extremely cheap now. Besides, why are you of all people worried about the fate of chocolate? You don’t even eat it.”

“Humans are always so greedy for the delicacies of life. I suppose such things as pineapples are common as well.”

“We can literally grow them here now.”

“Let’s walk.” He chirped, clearly irked at how society had decided to treat such magnificent things.

“Honeslty, though,” you spoke, “I’d kill for some melted chocolate and strawberries.” You threw the words over your shoulder as you walked to the door.

A soft “oh” came from your lips when you swung open your front door to find a heavy drizzle greeting you. You felt Dracula’s hand slide over your back and then the sound of material as he opened up your umbrella. He stepped out, nicely sheltered with nylon. He held his hand out for you to join him. Not thinking twice, you took his hand and found yourself pleasantly surprised when he linked his arm with yours.

You allowed him to lead you where he wanted, first nearing the river before deciding to walk parallel to it. Walking in silence, you listened to the gurgle of the river and the sweet birdsong up in the thick canopy of trees. It was nice to know that the birds were enjoying their break from the hot weather.

Dracula took you up the steep hill that lead towards the viaduct, and once at the beginning of the ginormous structure, turned left, away from it and further away from Whitby town. The cindertrack this way was not lit at all and you found yourself relying on sheer instinct and the man beside you. Your heart began to race a little, wondering why on Earth he was leading you down this dark path.

Below your feet was an odd mixture. The firmness and sharpness of small rocks and pebbles, and the sinking feeling of the drowned cindertrack that clung to the underside of your shoes. On more than one occasion, you found yourself slipping and had to cling on to the vampire for dear life.

How ironic.

A good chunk way down the track, where a holiday park was a little in front of you and positioned to the left of the track, Dracula stopped and turned to face you, keeping the umbrella perched high above you to prevent you from getting wet. Now your heart really began to run.

“No need to panic, I just want to talk.” He explained gently.

“What is it? Why did it have to be here of all places?” You grumbled.

“I’ve brought you here because it occurred to me that your neighbours liked to listen in. To save you any trouble, I thought we’d talk here where no one would hear. Well, I’ve brought you close to where there’s other humans, so that if you needed to scream, they’d hear and come running.” He spoke in a tone of seriousness, but once finished, broke out into a toothy and boyish grin

“You’re not funny. It’s dark and wet. What did you want to talk about?” You folded your arms.

“Your proposal last night. Your life, for someone else’s? Will you gift me with the information of this so called meal you wish to bestow on me as a token of your gratitude?”

You froze. In your delirium, you had promised Dracula another’s life for your own. Although you genuinely hated that person from the bottom of your heart, could you ever send such a cruel doom to them? How could you live the rest of your life knowing that you, and solely you, had caused their death? All over some teenage heartbreak? Their behaviour had lead to your drastic move, your enrolment in such a dangerous occupation, your distrust of anyone and everyone. Did that justify you sending a vampire to feast on them?

Then again, if you didn’t deliver, what would Dracula do to you? You would have lied to him and he had already spared you once before with a warning. Do not cross him again. Did you dare to defy him? Did you dare to retract your proposal? Even if you sent him to that person, there was never a guarantee that he’d let you be. He could always strike out. Were you willing to risk that?

“Yes... there’s somebody down south, in London to be exact. I... I think she’d suit your tastes very well...”

“I hope you’re not just sending me as a revenge plot [First]. I would hate to have completely misread you.” He continued to grin.

“Not... entirely...”

“Not entirely? You bad girl. And I thought you were afraid of me? Now you’re using me as a weapon? How cold of you, [First]... How very...” he grinned at you, a wretched grin that seemed to highlight the exact type of evil he was. It may have stayed on his face for a second, if that, but it was enough, “delightful.”

“Don’t get too excited, toothy. I don’t know exactly where she is.”

“Give me her name, darling. I will be able to find her. Hopefully she can live up to your promise.”

“You’ll really go?” You asked, genuinely surprised at his willingness.

“You trusted me with entrance to your home, as well as being utterly alone with you. I’d like to return the favour and believe your words, as well.”

“I see... well before I tell you, you must promise to come to the Foundation a week today. I promised Dr. Van Helsing I’d continue my study on you.”

“You have my word.” He bowed his head a little in sincerity.

“In that case, the person in London you’re looking for is Lucy Westenra.”

~^*^~

Dracula eyed you as you glared at him. Had he done something wrong? It took all but six seconds for him to realise just how badly he had zoned out. He wondered how long you had been speaking, how much of your words he had missed thinking about that evening.

“You didn’t hear a word of what I said, did you?” You inquired, tone laced with annoyance.

“Now, that’s not true, I heard that sentence.” He smirked with a familiar boyish charm.

“I asked you about blood. You told me that when you drink a person’s blood, you build your skills. Care to elaborate for me?”

“Of course. You see, I believe you call it DNA nowadays, but when it is consumed, due to my... superhuman abilities, I am able to absorb in sorts, the very DNA. I can acquire desirable attributes all by drinking blood.”

“And that’s why you chose your victims carefully aboard the Demeter?”

“Indeed. My goodness, you are a smart little lady once you get that brain working, aren’t you?” He leaned forwards, gaze boring into your eyes. He liked the way they sparkled with life, glistened with mortality. He wondered what you saw in his eyes.

“You’re the one telling me, I’m just piecing together things that I already know with the new information you’re giving me.” You shrugged.

You continued to talk to Dracula, writing down important notes on him as he spoke to you. His voice carried easily and as you were already too aware, was very pleasing to the ear. For a long time, you bantered back and forth as he gave you answers to the questions that you needed. He seemed very at ease with you. Every now and then, one of you would glance over at Zoe, who kept a strange look of discontent on her face.

You looked over at Zoe once more, who tapped her wrist to signal that your time was up. You alerted Dracula of this, and also informed him that he would need to stay in the Foundation until sundown.

“I do have one last question for you, though,” you whispered. Zoe did not need to hear this, “where have you been for the past week? Did you find... it.”

“Indeed I did.” He smirked.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, but you ignored it and stalked out of the cell, leaving him alone. Zoe informed you as you left that she wished to speak with Dracula, and you were free to go. When you left that room, you collided into another familiar person.

Jack.

“Sorry, [First], I saw you coming but I guess I couldn’t stop in time.” He flushed a little.

“That’s alright.”

“Were you just in there with Count Dracula?” He inquired lowly. It was as if he was worried about the vampire hearing his words.

“I was getting information. Why?”

“Well... Dr. Van Helsing and myself... we’re a little worried about how close you’re getting to him...”

“Jack, it’s my job.” You glared lightly at him.

“I know that, but-“

“But nothing. If he wanted to kill me, rest assured I’d already be undead by now.”

“[First]-“ he began with an annoyed sigh, however you pushed past him and stalked away.

You decided not to go home, and instead found yourself sitting on a lonesome bench overlooking the harbour. Your eyes continued to wander towards the sight of the Abbey stood proudly on top of the cliffs. It was a very attractive town, Whitby. You could see why Dracula would want to become acquainted with it. It was picturesque and oozed with an old-fashioned aura only a small seaside town such as this could ever wish to. It was perfect in every way.

Sitting looking at the sight, you couldn’t help but think about Dracula’s visit to London. You wondered if he would return after today. He seemed to have forgotten you a little. He would occasionally send you a text (something that still made you laugh with the ridiculousness of it) but for the most part, he seemed very much preoccupied with London.

Had he already taken her life?

Had he really found her or was he bluffing to save face?

That night at around 11pm, when Dracula had still not come to visit you, you let your curiosity get the better of you. You only wished to know if she was still living. Maybe he hadn’t found her after all, and had travelled south again to continue searching for her. After all, London was a very big city.

Facebook was the obvious choice as you typed in her name. It came up straight away with the amount of mutual friends you shared. Her face was still as beautiful and youthful. Still as deceiving as her outward personality. She had begun to see an American boy, you noted, maybe a month or two ago, however, his own account seemed to be missing from her page. You knew why. Even if some men did know she was taken, they’d still happily bed her. You supposed she just liked the secrecy of this permanent man in her life. You scrolled down a little, looking through shared games and memories when one post struck you as odd.

‘Lucy Westenra is feeling... naughty 😈

[not usually into older guys, but.... ;)]’

So he had found her... and the fact that he had kept her alive made something odd stir in your stomach.

Two months passed without hearing a word from Dracula. You had begun work with Zoe and Jack - a secret project looking into the undead with the information Dracula had given you, along with ancient accounts found from the nunery Sister Agatha had been a part of. Although no undeads had been reported for a few decades, it was still worth a look into given the complexity of Dracula and the possibility of more dangerous creatures like him lurking out there.

Zoe was more than a little concerned at his disappearance. You chose to neglect to tell her that you had sent him to London to murder an old friend. She didn’t need to know that. And neither did Jack, considering his crush on Lucy had seemingly tripled in the time you had not spoken. You had to question his choices, in all honesty, considering how kind-hearted and tender Jack was and how... well, promiscuous and without inhibition Lucy was. They could not be more mismatched and you wondered if Jack knew this at all.

It wasn’t that you were jealous of his feelings towards her. It was more that you were disappointed. You would never confess that to him, though.

Whilst Dracula was gone, you were able to live your life somewhat normally again. You occasionally found yourself wondering over where he could be but other than that, your life returned to normal. You could sleep in peace, knowing that he was hours away from harming you. It was a nice break from the whirlwind friendship you had formed with him. Was it a friendship? Did you have any right to call him a friend? The thought made you feel ridiculous. What kind of person befriends a vampire?

You honeslty had no clue, but the way things had turned out, it seemed you hadn’t befriended him at all. He had disappeared. It made you a little disappointed - the realisation that he maybe wouldn’t come back. But it was most likely more unhealthy to loiter around a vampire than it was to not.

~^taglist^~

@vampiregirl1797 7 @avalanet @bunnyreese12 @nerdonpluto @teamceleries @grifffins @hitbythunder @winterseoul @mymagicsuitcase @angeli-fucking-cat cat @benedictethegoddess @bloodhon3yx @nifflersravenclaw @writteninthestars288 @labelladrama @frankcastlesgrunts @angelicdestieldemon @quakerlasss @aliisa-jones @wolverinexmenn @clairedragonessbaker

[iam-kenough]

Will  you ever notice me? Arthur Morgan x Original Female Character

Summary:  During they wandering in deep snowstorm, man from van  der Linde gang found odd looking girl and Dutch decides to take her to  camp to see if she can be any use, leading life of outlaw with them.  Quickly, new girl develops feelings towards Arthur, but he sees her just  as a kid...and she won't take that! It's an original character story  that starts in the place where Arthur, Dutch and Micah were supposed to  first meet with Sadie. Instead she's already with them.

Authors notes: It’s another chapter and you can find the rest of chapter on my blog if you want to read more of my fanfiction. I decided to post all parts I have at once so the fic could catch more attention.

Word count: 1576 Chapter 4 - Arthur...Mr Morgan. I can't...I can't hide what I think anymore. So I'm gonna tell it, once, but I make you sure once is gonna be too much anyway. - I'm gonna listen to ya whatever you wanna say  - his brows furrowed at her words and he sat next to her. Iris raised her head, showing red frame around deeply green eyes. She bit her lip as her hands was fidgetting on the wet tissue. And then she leaned in, placing gentle kiss on his lips, making him jump up as he opened his emerald eyes in surprise. Iris's lips were soft, little bit wet and salty from tears and she smelled like honey and flowers and her hair was soft too, tickling his face. Then he pushed her away, waking up from weird sensation that started devouring him. Iris wasn't surprised, when Arthur's strong hands pushed her away, touching her naked arms. She did what his actions were asking for. She smiled at him sadly and putting lock of hair behind her ear. - Listen, um - he began - I don't know what to say except fact I ain't expecting that...- Arthur scratched his chin. - No, don't say anything. I...I know what you think about it. Discovered weeks ago when I heard you talking with Hosea. - It's really nice but I ain't man to meddle with your heart after a heartbreak. I'm not even good friend for you. Not good enough - he stuttered, searching for any right words - Whoever hurt you today isn't worth you doing things you would normally regret. - Aren't you the most oblivious person I know, Arthur Morgan - she got up quickly, losing her temper. She pressed cold bottle of bear to her temple and collected her thoughts. He didn't understand, not at all. Oblivious? - No one broke my heart - she said finally - and I thought it's gonna be clear once I kiss you. - No one broke your heart, eh? Then what was it all about? You were sulking for weeks and now you kiss me, you crazy woman like I would mean anything in all that. - Y-you mean a lot, you blind fool! But you don't get it at all! No one ever was with me, Arthur! First time you asked me what was wrong I-I couldn't tell you for real that I love you since the day I saw you because I just heard what you told Hosea! You are the friend who doesn't see me the way I see him, you! And I didn't want to talk with you about it, especially when you and Mary started to get along with each other...You kissed her today, I saw you. And I decided to never tell you anything but I'm drunk and you pushed me! She was shaking, looking directly into Arthur's eyes. That's it, this is the end. Arthur opened his eyes in shock and surprise and he wanted to say anything but he couldn't so he was catching air like fish without water. - I said it will wreck my friendship with this person - she whispered weakly, looking at him. -I don't know what to say, kid... - Don't call me like that! - she bursted out. Her eyes was glossy again. - You don't have to be more obvious, really - she continued - I got it when you told Hosea I'm just a kid who likes your company. But don't call me that, not now, when I try confess to you - tears flushed on her cheeks. - I am sorry...- was all Arthur could say - I told you I ain't no good with words and I-I am really sorry this turned away like that. - You sorry - she whispered, looking at her feet - So...you reject me? - I ain't no match for you, that's sure - he reached out for her to at least cuddle her and make her more calm but she made a step back and shaked her head with agreement. - I get it. It's me who should be sorry for putting you in situation like this, Mr Morgan. Thanks for listening to me, though. It means a lot that you did. She turned around and ran away from him, leaving him with thoughts about her. When Mary-Beth noticed her she knew something was off immidiately although she didn't manage to ask, because Iris grabbed another beer, downed it and crashed bottle on the floor. - What ya think you doin' ya crazy? - Micah look at her with disgust. The same way he was looking from the start. - And how does it look, ya moron? I'm breaking the glass and getting drunk. - Ya won't speak towards me this way! - Make me - she almost whispered,  rolling up her sleeves. And then it happened. Micah jumped on her, completely ignoring any curtesy about not beating woman up. He tried to grab Iris's throat but she dodged. She was small, really small and she planned to use that as a weapon. Everyone around fire started yelling and laughing. If Micah's attempt to hurt Iris would be succesful Dutch or John would probably stop him, but it was almost like watching wild bull dancing a ballet with a cat. So instead of tearing Micah and Iris apart, they were waching. He tried to grab her, but he couldn't, alcohol and anger giving her swiftness. Every punch he directed towards her was hitting only air. And then she snapped. Iris grabbed Micah by his collar and knocked him out with  her head hitting his nose. ''Ooooh!'' said everybody, tone of voice different according to every person. - You'll wish you were dead when I'll got you - man said, removing blood from his face with sleeve. - If you will got me - she laughed at him - All you do is those weird attempts, clumsy boy! - You are the worst nightmare I ever saw, no wonder no one consider you woman! - Oh, shut it - it was probably the beer, probably the anger and deep sadness, but mostly fact he was right that made her grab a chair and break it on Micah's heard. Poor bastard were out. Iris dropped a piece of chair on the floor, took a deep breath and said: - Bless him and his soul, thank you very much. And with that words she turned around and walked away.It was late night when she heard Arthur entering his half of tent. He breathed heavy and she could see his silhouette on piece of cloth that was spliting those two tents as he undressed himself. She looked into small mirror wondering why she was born ugly and not loved. But it was all clear between them two now, wasn't it. Everyone disappeared in their tents and the only light there was was Arthur's oil lamp. Iris assumed he had fallen asleep, she heard Arthur's snoring.  She got up and jumped above trunks to get to his half, almost tripping on this cloth hanging inbetween. He was sleeping, drunk and calm, his face seemed so nice now. He...looked kind like someone, who you could call home. But she couldn't. He and Dutch saved her few months ago and it was time to become something on her own, without help of girls or Dutch. Iris went and packed all she had and threw it on one of horses, the one she was usually using. She was feeling bad about stealing it but she promised herself she will put it back, someday, on night like this, even if they gonna move their camp. She also decided not to steal the tent she was using. She entered Arthur's tent again. She noticed him having goosebumps so she covered him with some blanket and was standing there, looking at him. She noticed his journal and she picked it up. First thought there was to read it but it wouldn't be right. Iris didn't need to know what's inside Arthur's head, she knew already. I don't know what to say, kid. She borrowed a piece of paper from journal and a pencil and she begin to write. She writed long letter but it wasn't meant for Arthur. It was letter for Dutch, explaining him that she's going and thanking him for all he's done for her. She also apologised for stealing one of his horses and the fact he and Molly was apart, she wrote that she wished them all the best, no matter what. And then she borrowed another piece of paper. But it wasn't a letter any sort, just small text. I'm sorry and thank you - it said - you are really good friend, no matter what you think about yourself.  You are not stupid, ugly or old either.  I  need to go now, maybe we gonna meet someday again. Goodbye and sorry again. I.R. Night was warm and nice, when she was wondering on her horse, now far enough from camp. It's the way it should be, she said to herself, you knew it's gonna go down, didn't you. Crickets were singing their songs and she smiled faintly. She was thinking about his eyes. And she felt ashamed, all those months she spent with everyone in the camp was mainly for Arthur and Mary-Beth. Now she remided herself she didn't write anything for Mary-Beth, but she knew Dutch will tell everyone anyway. ''I ain't no match for you, that's sure''

[ohjohnno]

Outrageous Fortune Reviewcap: S1E09 (”When The Blood Burns”)

I’ve been demurring on this one, partly because of real life shit (well, mostly that to be honest) but also because this episode isn’t all that good. It’s an episode entirely centering around Antony Starr’s characters, and I sure hope they paid him double, cos the range he needed for it was tremendous. But, unfortunately, one of those characters (Van) just isn’t all that interesting yet, and the other (Jethro) is ill-served by one of the dumbest and most unfortunate sideplots the show has yet had. So, without further ado, we’ll get this one out of the way, and I’ll try and keep it short. 

We open with a dual appearance from the two most irritating characters in the show: Tracy and Suzy Hong, their differences now thoroughly mended and united in enjoying themselves by tormenting Van.

Yeah, it’s as insufferable as it looks. An incensed Van finally snaps and threatens to quit; Mr. Hong overhears, but Van finally manages to stand up for himself and it pays off: Mr. Hong makes him manager of one of his local little stores, which seems to sell mostly cheap novelty junk. I’m not entirely sure why he does this, honestly, but it’s a mildly important character moment for Van, so okay, I guess?

Meanwhile, in the West household, things are getting a little crazy.

Cheryl and Kacey are promoting their new underwear business with a sorta quasi-striptease party, hosted by and for middle-aged women. It’s one of the aspects of the episode I like best, not because the women are sexy but more because they really aren’t; they’re a bunch of trashy fortysomething women, reminding the world that it isn’t just model-type people who like having sex, or who know how to have fun with it. Kacey makes this explicit with a little barb at the morbidly fascinated Pascalle, telling her they didn’t offer to use her as a model because they wanted to use “real women”, which is a nice reminder that toxic standards of femininity cut cruelly in both directions. So, yeah, good segment - made all the better by the horror of the younger girls who’ve been dragged along.

Van returns, utterly nonplussed at the scene before him, and they all retreat to the bedroom. Antony Starr’s comic acting here is great, actually - he follows the others to the room and finds them using his drugs with an indignant and confused response of “well... don’t!”, and it makes me laugh every time. Draska expresses some clear interest in him, which he once again ignores, as usual. The next scene is where the plot properly begins.

The gist of it is this: the Hongs’ local store has their goods transported from warehouse to shelf by Draska’s clan, the Doslics. Van discovers that there’s a discrepancy between the number of trading cards he was meant to be shipped and the number he actually received; he goes and politely asks the Doslics about it, and they do not take that well.

   I come from good people - HONEST people! Made strong by our troubles!

Naturally, they think he’s accusing them of thievery. Naturally, this makes Van pretty sure they really are committing thievery, and a raging Mr. Hong agrees. The two proceed to keep escalating tensions, and the rest of the Wests get caught in the crossfire; mama Doslic gets into a fight with Cheryl in a supermarket car park, Pascalle finds her old tyre-modelling photos all defaced with violent graffiti, and it’s all mildly funny but also kinda dull. Eventually, it turns out that Van’s mate Munter has been stealing the cards from the warehouse all along, using the keys Van gave him for safekeeping. This is not the last time Van will find himself victimized by the consequences of his own actions.

I’m blasting through *a lot* of this plot here really quickly, and that’s cos it just isn’t very interesting for the most part. It’s trying to be a farce, mostly, and it sometimes succeeds; Van’s initial confrontation with the Doslics is really quite funny, and his steadily increasing panic as the situation just goes more and more wrong isn’t bad either. But it’s all a bit too by-the-numbers and predictable, and in the end none of the stakes feel real; we all know that in an episode like this, the Hongs and the Doslics were never really gonna properly come to blows, and they don’t. Van confesses a lot of stuff to Draska in a couple of secret meetings, and while he’s initially paranoid about her loyalty, she proves herself by finding a way to fix the issue; she places all the blame for the break-ins on Eric (who was selling the stolen cards anyway, after buying them from Munter) and the two families come together to absolutely motherfucking whoop the guy’s ass, leaving him looking rather worse for wear. 

      ...next thing I know I’m getting the shit kicked out of me by half the West                                                   Auckland United Nations!

If I have a favorite moment in this plot, it’s probably near the beginning, when the elder Doslic is first bringing in what he believes to be the full shipment of cards. He’s ranting and raving, the whole time he does it, about how much he just damn well hates the “chinks” and their terrible language skills, not to mention their driving - all while speaking in a heavy Croatian accent himself and also, oh yeah, taking their money. This show really does get quite a lot of comedy out of the idea that solidarity between marginalized groups really just doesn’t exist.

The rest of it, though? I mean, it does contain a couple of important moments, I guess. Van, after initially lying to protect Munter and only making everything worse, is genuinely willing to offer himself up, blame himself entirely, and essentially sacrifice himself in order to save everyone’s hides, and only doesn’t end up doing it because Draska fixes it all before he has to. That’s a nice reminder that Van, at his core, really is a genuinely good person, and that his internal conflict as a character all comes from the tension between that and the toxic masculinity he’s had indoctrinated deep within him by his father and the culture he’s grown up in. Cheryl demonstrates where her loyalties lie and takes Van’s side without a second’s hesitation after mama Doslic shows up with complaints; for all her problems with Van, she really does love him unconditionally. But there’s also too much stuff that doesn’t come off, like Van’s boring interactions with a mildly delinquent kid who likes the trading cards, or Tracy’s ever-one-dimensional mistreatment of Van. 

Still, at least it’s better than Jethro’s plot.

Remember how Tracy knows now about Jethro’s little rape-by-deception thing a few episodes ago? Well, she still doesn’t seem to be thinking of it as rape, but she is trying to get him to apologize for it nonetheless. Jethro, meanwhile, wants to root her again, and he knows he can’t do that without apologizing. So Jethro’s plot this episode is several scenes in a row of him miserably failing to pull off a convincing apology, and... that’s it, really. Hugh’s back, being annoying as usual (though it’s intentional enough that it doesn’t bother me too much), and Loretta briefly shows up to mock him for how bad he is at apologizing (talk about the pot calling the kettle black!), but for the most part this is all really redundant and dull. The only interesting part comes in Loretta’s video shack, where Jethro straight up lies to Caroline’s face, right in front of Loretta, in order to make himself some free time to go and keep trying it with Tracy. Loretta, of course, is too sociopathic to feel sorry for her, and we all knew a couple of episodes ago that Jethro wasn’t gonna be able to maintain it with her as a regular relationship, but the beginnings of heartbreak on Caroline’s face as she begins to get an inkling, in her subconscious, of what’s going on is genuinely sad.

But the ending of this plot? It’s awful, and in a really unfortunate way. In the end, see, it turns out Tracy never really wanted an apology; she likes Jethro, doesn’t really care about the fact that he deceived her in such an intimate way, and wants it with him again. She decides he’s ready when... he just refuses to apologize one time, admitting he isn’t sorry because (and this is possibly the worst line of dialogue in the whole show, so brace yourselves): “why would I be, when it was the best fuck I’ve ever had?” 

Eugh.

So they start having an affair, and that’ll stay important. Meanwhile, Van’s plot ends similarly, in the superficial respect: Draska finally convinces him to have sex with her, as a celebration for the two of them getting out of that little escapade with everything intact, and it’s also the start of a relationship. Her toxicity, of course, has been evident the whole time from her unhealthy fixation on him, but if she demonstrated anything in this episode it was her intelligence and resourcefulness, so one suspects bad things on the horizon for Van. Nothing much happens with the rest of the characters - Loretta doesn’t do much other than the aforementioned mockery of Jethro and some mildly funny jabs at Pascalle’s choice of career, and Pascalle doesn’t do much other than get all horrified by what’s been done to her poster. On the whole, then, this is a disappointing episode, and maybe the worst one so far. Van will get good, I promise - the potential is all there already. But we’ve still gotta wait for now. Until next time.

[elisaphoenix13]

Trigger The Light (Ch.7)

Everyone stood around the gauntlet looking at it like it was going to suddenly jump up and bite them...or snap its own fingers. These were the Infinity Stones. Quill wouldn't be surprised if the gauntlet did snap its fingers by itself. That would definitely be better than having one of them do it and that's what they were trying to decide. Who would do it? If Quill had his powers, he might be willing to volunteer, but he didn't so he wasn't really going to offer. Thor volunteered because of his powers but Tony was quick to veto that with the reason that the god wasn't it the right state of mind to do it. Bruce was the one who said he had to be the one to do it as the Hulk. The stones were mostly gamma radiation and that was how the Hulk came to be so it made sense. Everyone agrees and suits up to prepare for...anything...and Quill subconsciously positions himself a little in front of Scott. He wasn't fully in front of the man but the idea that he possibly still had his powers meant he might still be immortal, which meant he could take a hit better than Scott if it ended up being true.

He didn't miss the way some of the other Avengers looked at him but he pretended not to notice. They had their suspicions, but now wasn't the time to question him about it and they all knew it. Assuming everything went well and this worked, Quill would no doubt be questioned later. Much later. If this worked, everyone would be reunited with friends and family, and the suspicions of Quill and Scott would be shoved far back into everyone's minds. Which was just fine with him since he wasn't quite sure what his relationship with Scott was anyway.

Quill shakes the thought away as Bruce once again turns into the Hulk and then picks up the gauntlet after some hesitation. The metal expands over his arm as he slowly slips his hand into it, and then Hulk falls to his knees in pain when the stones light up in reaction to organic matter. Trails of burnt skin quickly cover Hulk's arm as he groans in pain, but reassures Thor that he can keep going when the god starts demanding that he needs to take it off. With an extreme amount of effort, Hulk lifts up his arm with the help of his other hand and just before he snaps, Quill moves fully in front of Scott as a bright light temporarily blinds them. When the light fades, the gauntlet slips off of the Hulk's arm and he falls back, and Tony rushes to his side to apply a medical spray to burnt flash while Clint kicks the gauntlet away. As the team helps their comrade, Quill subconsciously takes note of Scott leaving the room once Tony's 'Barn Door Protocol' is lifted, and looks toward one of the nearby tables when a phone starts vibrating.

"Guys...I think it worked." Scott whispers from the other room as Clint answers his phone.

Quill looks back at the Hulk, following his gaze upward to the window above them when the monster's eyes widen, and he turns toward Scott when he sees a large spaceship shooting a missile at the building.

"Sc-" The pirate tries to warn, but the missile hits and he is knocked unconscious for a few minutes until he feels someone smacking his face.

"Come on big guy." Clint's voice cuts through the haze and Quill groans. "That's it."

Quill blinks his eyes open and winces at the feeling of rock and metal digging into his back, but thankfully not piercing skin, and finds Clint crouching in front of him. With a half smile and a firm pat on the pirate's shoulder, the archer looks to the side as Quill gets to his feet, and brushes away some rubble to pick up the gauntlet that had been buried with them. As Quill rubs dirt and grime off of his face, both he and Clint froze at the sound of low growling and then look down the darkened tunnel. Clint slowly pulls out an arrow and sends it flying through the tunnel to light it up and the brief light shows a group of snarling aliens on the walls of the tunnel.

"Shit. Run!" Clint yells, and the two take off in the opposite direction.

While the archer planted arrows through the tunnel, Quill looked for a way out and stopped when he reached a dead end. Clint waves for him to move into the bit of tunnel connected to the one their in, and when he does, Quill happens to look up and find a way up through a hole above him. Immediately he links his hands as Clint rounds the corner and the bomb arrows go off, and with only a bit of scepticism on the archer's face, he steps into the pirate's hands and Quill boosts him up the next level. It was no small distance, but he put faith into what the Ancient One said and that he would have his superhuman strength, and successfully got Clint through an escape. He still had to deal with the aliens that survived the blast though, so he pulls out his guns and shoots the aliens running up to him and unclips a grenade from his belt to throw at the remaining ones. As soon as he throws the grenade, he flies up through the hole and the blast radius throws him the rest of the way, where he lands heavily next to Clint with a loud groan.

"How are you so strong?" Clint asks through heavy breaths.

"It's a long story dude."

Clint wheezes through a chuckle until Nebula steps next to them. "Hey...we know you." He hands the gauntlet up to the woman who takes it and presses the comm in her ear.

"Father. I have the stones."

Clint and Quill look up in alarm. What the actual fuck? Was Nebula a double agent?

"What?!" Clint asks incredulously and Nebula points a gun at the archer.

"Stop."

Oh...Quill knew that voice. There was no way…

He looks over at the exit and watches Gamora walk in pointing her own gun at Nebula.

"What the hell? Gamora?!" He questions but she ignores him.

"You're betraying us." Nebula says and then suddenly points her gun from Clint to...another Nebula? That was when Quill realized that there must have been some sort of switch during the heist.

"You don't have to do this." Present Nebula says with her hands up.

Quill elbows Clint and motions toward a wall and they both slip out of the way and behind it to watch whatever this was play out. Present Nebula and Past Gamora (Quill was relatively certain she was not the friend he knew) tried to talk Past Nebula down, but in the end she was killed for attempting to kill Gamora. As Clint went back to retrieve the gauntlet, Gamora paused long enough to look at Quill, but he saw no recognition in her eyes. It truly was her past self, and he really did lose his friend...someone he thought he had feelings for but after meeting Scott, he realized he and Gamora just had a close friendship. It was love, but not romantic love. Not like he had with Scott.

Oh.

Well this was an inopportune time to realize that. Especially when he didn't know if the younger thief survived the attack on the compound. That thought alone was heartbreaking. He knew he should have said something.

"Thanos is here...with an army." Nebula informs them.

"Of course he is." Quill gripes angrily. "Nothing can ever be easy."

He brushes past the women to join their own growing army that file out from multiple portals, and they follow until Quill stops by Tony. Just when he thought that everyone had arrived, the earth rumbles and a building breaks apart as Scott breaks through in giant form and holds out his hand so Rhodey, Rocket, and the Hulk can jump off.

Quill had never been so relieved in his life. Scott survived the direct attack. They all did...and he was a freaking giant. He knew Scott could shrink, but this was new.

"Avengers!"

Quill rolls his shoulders as he grabs his guns and Steve summons Mjolnir to him before looking toward Thanos and his army with a glare.

"Assemble."

War cries travel across the battlefield as everyone charges and Quill flies forward until he reaches some aliens and lands on top of one. With that alien stomped into the ground, he punches the closest one before shooting more oncoming aliens. The battle was long and harsh with a seemingly never-ending amount of aliens to fight, and Clint was evading attacks while running around with the gauntlet asking what to do with it. Steve told him to get it as far away as possible, but Bruce immediately told him they needed to return them to which Tony replied that Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel.

"Hold on!" Scott says and shrinks down to normal size. "That wasn't our only time machine."

'La Cucaracha' belts out from somewhere on the battlefield and Quill has to keep himself from laughing as he shoots a few more aliens, and kicks another away. When they first tested out the quantum tunnel without Tony's equipment, he had heard that and questioned Scott about it, and the thief said the van belonged to a friend of his. It was amusing at the time, but in the middle of a battle that their universe depended on? It was inappropriately hilarious.

"Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?" Steve asks.

"Yes!" Valkyrie responds. "But you're not going or like where it's parked!"

That made Quill think of the Milano for a brief moment and was upset that after Rocket and Nebula had taken the time to repair and return it to him, that it was once again destroyed. This time beyond repair. It was nice while it lasted he supposed.

"Scott, how long you need that thing to get working?"

"Uh...maybe ten minutes."

"Get it started. We'll get the stones to you." The captain commands.

The gauntlet was tossed around between them during that time until Wanda got to Thanos and started ripping his armor apart with her magic. The titan commanded to have the ship rain fire on the battlefield, and Quill caught a glimpse of Peter with the gauntlet and getting thrown to the ground when a blast of rocks knocks him out of the air. A nearby sorcerer had cast a shield above Quill and other allies until the attack suddenly directed toward the atmosphere. A bright light flashes through the sky and through Thanos' ship and destroys it, and a woman lands in front of Peter and takes the gauntlet. With help from some of the women they cut a path for Carol to the now activated quantum tunnel in the van, and Quill watches in horror (after shooting more aliens) as Thanos throws his weapon and it beats Carol to the van, and destroys it.

Quill saw red when the van exploded. Scott had been in the van and he never saw the thief leave and he was pissed. Not only that, but he was devastated. Now he really couldn't tell Scott how he felt because the fucking titan killed him. Quill yells out in despair as he flies toward Thanos and tackles the titan away from the gauntlet that had been tossed away, and to the ground in his fury. The pirate gets thrown off, but only charges at Thanos again when he gets up and catches the fist the alien throws at him with one hand. Thanos looks at him with some surprise as Quill growls at him, and understanding dawns in his eyes when the pirate starts glowing white.

The celestial had awoken.

"Congratulations." Quill snarls. "You've succeeded in taking away the universe." He grabs Thanos' arm and throws him into some ruins as pillars of light surround the celestial and his eyes fill with galaxy colors. "MY UNIVERSE!"

Quill and Thanos throws hands one on one, and at one point the titan manages to get a hold of the gauntlet and put it on when he knocks Quill away. Carol steps in to keep Thanos from snapping as the celestial shakes away his daze and he watches for just a split moment as his pillars of light skewers aliens all around the battlefield. He really did have his powers, but to his despair, his trigger was Scott's death. Quill wouldn't let his death be in vain though. The moment Thanos used the power stone to knock Carol away, Quill jumped back in and got a grip on the gauntlet before kicking the titan away and causing the gauntlet to slip off Thanos' arm.

He happened to look in Stephen's direction at the same time, and watches as the sorcerer looks over at him and pulls one of his hands away from his spell to keep the water at bay to hold up a single finger. Quill understood immediately and put the gauntlet on without a second thought, but instead of excruciating pain like he expected, the stones seemed to accept him. Or rather his Celestial genes. Celestial's were creators of the universe, so maybe they recognized his power and didn't want to destroy him (especially since he was the last remaining one). In fact, he felt a change in him since the gauntlet shrunk down to fit his arm and the Infinity Stones activated.

That didn't matter though because Thanos looked ready to charge at him, and Quill held his arm up with a smirk.

"What are you?" The titan asks as he falters.

"The last remaining Celestial, bitch."

Quill snaps and a bright light covers the battlefield for a few seconds, and he breathes heavily as the alien army turns to dust all around them. The god didn't feel like celebrating though. The love of his life was taken away from him, and now he would spend eternity alone. No more binge watching movies and falling asleep, no more teasing, no more idiotic dancing...no more Scott.

"Don't get close! He doesn't look like he's in control and he might lash out with those pillars!" Someone's yell temporarily breaks through his despair, but he just stood there.

Maybe he would lash out. If anyone tried to get too close right now, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He didn't want to hurt anyone...but he wasn't really in the mood to care. Quill wanted one thing and he was never getting--

"Quill?" A familiar voice asks carefully, and Quill's galaxy filled eyes snap toward the approaching man.

It was Scott. He looked a little scratched up but he was alive. Quill wanted to get with relief, but a bigger part of him didn't want to believe that the man slowly walking closer to him was actually Scott. He didn't believe it. Not until the younger thief touched his face anyway.

"Hey Spaceman. It's over now. You can calm down now."

That was all it took for the pillars of light to disappear, for the power humming around his body to fade, and for his eyes to recede back to normal green irises. The celestial allows the gauntlet to slip off and land on the ground with a clatter, wraps his arms tightly around Scott, and the younger steps even closer until their chests are flush against each other.

"There you are." Scott mumbles and Quill tightens the embrace.

"Scott?"

Scott hums in curiosity, and Quill knew he had to tell him now. Tell him how he felt before something else happened and he really didn't get a chance to.

"I want this. Us."

"I have a daughter." The younger half heartedly argues.

"She means the world to me too." Quill answers easily.

Scott grips the lapels of the pirate's jacket and bites his lip nervously as he looks up at Quill. "Are you sure?"

Quill smiles, gently grips the back of Scott's neck, and leans down to kiss him, completely uncaring of their audience. When he pulls away after a few seconds, he gently rests his forehead against Scott's and whispers:

"What I have with you...I don't want with anyone else."

[depressed-sock]

Can you hear me Part 5

Another Series based on a prompt and there will be Spoilers!!!. This time with Julia and my sidestep Luna Falso. Rescue au Set before heartbreak. (This is so freaking late but I finally got the motivation to go back and finish this)

A Fallen Hero fanfic

tw: canon-typical violence and mentions of blood

SPOILERS!

Relief

Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Luna: 

   It feels odd. Moving in a way you're not supposed too. Hands too stiff, eyes not focusing in the right way. They’ve let you have control but you don’t know what control is. Not yet at least but now is not the time to learn.

  You watch the scientists and lackeys move about the warehouse, moving cars, readying things for another departure. You stand still and silent, with your brethren beside you. Awaiting your orders. 

  Too familiar. Too wrong. 

  So your body... their body, you remind yourself, jolts forward. A walk that’s a bit too stiff but it goes unnoticed by the scientists around you. They ignore you assuming your following some unspoken order because to them you’re just a tool that can’t think for itself. They’re wrong.

  We’re here. We’re alive. 

  You can feel them, all of them. Regens watching you with empty eyes that mask the truth beneath. They know. They know and they let you continue. 

  You barely glance at your body as you walk past it, grabbing a medical knife and slipping it closer to your body’s hand, it’s eyes twitching under its lids as if your dreaming. Maybe you are, maybe that’s all this is. A dream that’s gone terribly wrong and turned into a nightmare. It’s time to wake up.

  Your hand reaches forward, a power welling up from your core and stopping right at your palm. None of them suspect a thing as your hand grips the hood of the van that had brought you here. You ask, silent and soft. You don’t want to hurt them but this definitely will.

  They don’t hesitate, forcing you out and into a spin of vertigo as you land with a gasp of air into your own body. A dizzy realization that you’ve found yourself right-side up. Barely awake enough to grab the knife just as the explosion hits you.

 Julia:

  "I can help!" The kid- Daniel tries to plead with you again. He's followed you all to the car and by now it's your job to tell him to go home. You don't have the time to babysit when- 

   When she's still alive. Still alive and if you don't find her in time... Will you ever be able to find her again?

  "Listen, Daniel, we greatly appreciate the help you've already given," more than he'll probably ever know, "but right now it isn't safe for you. So please, just go home."

  "But I-"

  "Go. Home." You turn away from him opening the passenger door to the car and slamming the door shut behind you as you slip into the seat, "Let's go."

   Steel looks at you, a mixture of feelings crossing his face, "Julia-" 

  You cut him off with a glare, "Anathema call Sentinel, Steel shut up and drive."

  "Oh, do you suddenly know where they're holding her?" He returns your glare at you before looking away with exasperation.

  "I figured we'd…" your voice trails off as you spot the black plumes of smoke drifting through the air, "Wei follow the smoke." You grip his arm pointing to it. 

  "That could be anything Julia."

  "Are you forgetting that one time Luna set fire to-"

  He starts the car immediately as he cuts you off with an irritated grumble, "Don't finish that I still want plausible deniability…. And that was more than one time."

  "Sentinel is on his way, should I tell him just to head for the smoke?"

  "Yep and tell him to be ready for a fight,” you rub your forehead as a headache begins to form. 

 Luna:

  You’re screaming in pain. Your wound pulling against the stitches, the smell of fire and burning flesh feeling your senses. Focus. Use the pain as a focus. Christ, you should have probably thought this through better. 

  You bite your lip, focusing on the knife in your hand, twisting it around to cut your bonds. Falling flat to the floor with a yelp. Okay, good start. You reach out with your mind, a soft touch against panicking minds. The regens have already disappeared in the panic, gone without a trace like theirs strings had suddenly been cut. 

  You get your hands under you, pushing yourself up to get your feet under you and into a crouch. Keep moving, keep running. An impossible task when the only part of your suit that's intact is the legs and only a flimsy hospital gown covering your chest. If anyone sees you they’ll know. 

  Or maybe they’ll be as ignorant as Daniel was about them. He’s already told the rangers everything he thought was important and now… Now they’re sure to be on the way. Stop daydreaming and keep moving.

  “You!” an unearthly screech from behind you and you turn to find the woman who had captured you. Her auburn hair sticking to the blood flowing down her forehead as she holds a gun steady at you, mind unreadable. She’s finally decided to take defensive measures against you but far too late. “You’ve ruined everything!”

  Your lips curl into a sneer, “You really thought it was going to be that easy? Capture the cuckoo and maybe get a promotion? Yeah, that was never going to happen.” You stand strong, orange tattoos curling across your dark skin. You’ll never be human to someone like her, and you’re not afraid to show her that. 

  “Don’t move or I’ll finish you off,” her voice cold as she threatens you but you’ve got nothing left to lose. Death is just another form of escape, the last one on your list of plans. Last one. You’ve got a few more before that luckily. 

  “Fine,” you hold your hands in surrender. You can’t fight in your condition but that won’t stop you. You’ll- 

   Duck!

   Familiar thoughts yelling against your mind’s shields. You feel your legs give out as you immediately listen. Watching in awe as something rams into the woman from behind her. Gun going off, the shot going wide and missing you. The kid stands back up, away from the woman he’s knocked unconsciousness, shaking a bit and very clearly hovering.

  ….”WHO THE FUCK GAVE YOU THE HERO DRUG!?” probably not the best time for this but the disbelief and anger are front and center in your mind. Someone gave a drug that has a low survival rate to a fucking kid. Christ, you’re beginning to hate people. 

  He stares at you before he panic finally sets in, “Is that really important right now?!”

  “No bu- Why the fuck didn’t you use your powers at the hospital?”

  “I don’t have the best control yet and we should really be leaving,” he glances over his shoulder superstitiously looking for enemies he can’t see. You can feel them, scrambling and trying to make sense of what’s going on.

  “Christ,” you walk forward, grabbing the gun that’s fallen limp in the woman's hand and forcibly taking off her lab coat. Ignoring the temptation to kick her for good measure, you shrug the jacket on to give you some coverage, “Either follow me or go high and get out of here. The smoke should give you enough cover so no one takes a pot shot at you.”

  “I’m not going to leave-”

  “Daniel,” you finally look at him your voice cold and steady, “I’m not going to be able to get out of here if I have to worry about you.”

  “I’m not leaving,” he holds your gaze with a determination you’re too familiar with. “And the Rangers are on their way so if we hold out long enough or even if I carry you out-”

  “You’re not carrying me anywhere mister ‘I don’t have the best control’,” you almost laugh but instead you begin to mutter to yourself,” And If we hold out long enough, they're going to have a very nasty surprise when they see me.” You move, turning and motioning for the kid to follow as you run for a better piece of coverage. The kid takes the unspoken hint and following right behind you. Closer to an out that’s not the roof or flying. Sentinel is probably already closing in. 

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks confused, so unaware of what this is really about. Ignorant of what your spiraling orange tattoos truly mean. Christ, you’ve gotten a kid stuck in a situation that will most definitely lead to death if anyone sees him. And they will see him, you can hear the shouting, feel the confusion light on fire and burn into anger. 

  “Nothing important right now. Stay here,” you check the clip in the gun, just enough to hopefully take them out.

  “Are you going to..” his face pales a bit as if killing these people had never been an option in his mind until this point. You can feel his unease, the sudden realization of what’s about to happen and you’re suddenly hit with your own pang of guilt. Christ, this kid is going to get you both killed.

  “..Goddamnit, no I'm apparently not,” you concede. You can plan around this, you look over your cover finding the smoke is too thick to clearly see through.  Hopefully, that goes both ways. “We’re going to make a break for that door.”

  You look back at him and he answers with a definitive nod, get the troublemaker out and then you can run and never look back hoping the world forgets your existence. Hoping that Julia…

Hoping that she doesn’t hate you for your choice, for your fear. 

  And you run, banging through the door and clearing the smoke and fire before it fully reaches you. Your lungs burning as your adrenaline starts to fail you. Fuck not yet, you’ve still got a ways to go.  

  “Luna.”

  And of course, nothing ever works in your favor. You stare at Julia, sparks dying around her hands as she fully realizes it’s you. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Just you, Julia, the kid, and too many secrets revealed at once. 

 Julia:

   She looks up at you like a deer caught in the headlights, her suit torn and covered only by a burnt lab coat that drapes over a hospital gown. You stare at her. Unmoving as the realization sets in. Alive. She's really alive. 

  "I'm sorry," her voice breaks as she looks away from you, arms crossing defensively against her chest her hands digging into the sleeves on her arms. They slide up just enough for orange to peak out, and you slowly begin to understand. You can see the truth before you. Orange tattoos that spin a story you’re not sure you’re ready to hear.

  You take a step forward only for her to take a step back. Fear crossing her features as if she's terrified of what your thinking...of what you intend to do. The kid stepping forward between the both of you. An unsure look as he glances between you.

  “It’s... Okay?” he looks back at Luna for confirmation but she’s already on the verge of breaking down. You can feel yourself breaking with her. She’s alive, and you are so fucking confused but she’s alive.

  "Luna," you don't hold back the sobs that break free, the tears that finally run down your cheeks, "You're alive. You're here," You can feel a laugh of relief bubbling in your chest. Your legs losing strength as they hit the pavement. The relief you're feeling is beyond anything else you can feel. 

  She finally moves forward, finally falls level with you, hesitating to touch you but you move first. Wrapping your arms around her, bringing her body close to yours. It’s like a chant going off in your head. She’s alive, she’s alive, she’s alive.

  She’s here, wrapping her own arms tight around you. Her sobs as strong as yours, as she hugs you close. Tears wetting your shoulder and you don’t care. She’s alive. You know what she is, and sooner or later you'll have to talk. But for now, you hold each other close, afraid to let go.

  You can feel her whisper to you, an apology repeated over and over. And in retaliation, you tell her exactly how much you adore her. At some point maybe you both even whisper I love you, but it’s lost in the sound of sirens.