#that's why i'd rather be on the safe side by suspecting her as much as Donovan

[midnight-in-town]

Weirdly enough, I’m with Twilight on this, not necessarily on the setup possibility, but on the idea that Melinda’s fishy and that, maybe, she figured out who Yor was (Anya’s mom/Loid’s wife) as she initially invited her to come along. 

After all, the main theme of this story is about fake identities, lies and deceiving others. Since the Desmonds and the Forgers are clearly mirroring each other narratively speaking, as the antagonists vs main characters, it just wouldn’t surprise me if Donovan and Melinda were as untraditional, as a married couple, as Loid and Yor are. 

Let me explain: until two weeks ago, almost no reader really thought Melinda would appear any time soon nor that she would be as relevant as she’s turning out to be. Why is that? Because Sensei had a lot of fun so far writing a story in which Berlint’s high society is depicted as very traditional (with the men having the important jobs while women... idk, take care of the house or go shopping?).

Of course, that’s something the made-up family of Loid, Yor and Anya only pretends to live up to, as they subvert all these tropes with pride. For example, Loid is the one who cooks and sews, Yor is the strongest character in the whole series and Anya’s on a whole other level of "gifted”. 

That’s why I just wouldn’t be surprised if the Desmond family only pretended to be on the same level of “traditional” that the rest of their peers expect them to be, only for Melinda to weigh as heavily in the plot as her husband (if not more!). 

In other words, sure, Donovan Desmond is the head of an ultra nationalist conservative party, but does this mean Melinda was just introduced to play the dutiful wife act?

maybe (after all, WISE has nothing on her and she does sound lonely, with most of her friends being from before she was First Lady)

but maybe not because that’s only a cover that she deceives others with, as she plays a big part in her husband’s war plans or in an entirely different business

TL;DR

If the ladies are actually stronger and scarier than their husband in this series, then Melinda is a real foe we’ll have to watch out for, as a good match up for Yor.

Stay tuned, this chapter was insane lmao.

[peachymilkandcream]

Hi can you do a one shot when Evelyn pregnant and she try to get rid of it, but Levi caught her. How do thing he would react to it.

Thanks so much😘😘

Levi x Evelyn -> Body And Soul

(A/N: It'll be nice I'm not going to lie to do more of an angsty one. All of the oneshots thus far have been pretty much just smut. Whereas this one will be strictly angst. Simply because she's pregnant he can't go full on beast mode. So getting to see the more manipulative side of Levi should be fun! [Also we got a lot of Levi in the inbox where's my Afton fans at?])

WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, violence, mind breaking, misogyny, mentions of suicide etc.

=========================================

Fertility had not been going well for Levi and Evelyn, he so desperately wanted a child and she wanted her freedom. In all the stress had resulted in no pregnancies, which led them to a fertility specialist who claimed to be able to help with their issues. Levi disliked the idea of anyone, even a woman examining his wife, but if it meant he could have children sooner it was worth it. All of her questions were answered bluntly, trying to get to the root of the problem as soon as possible to see success sooner.

"Thank you Captain and Mrs. Ackerman, now if you don't mind sir I'd like to speak to Mrs. Ackerman on her own."

Immediately Levi's grip on Evelyn's hand tightened, this was the last thing he wanted. All he needed was for his wife to bitch to someone about their "problems" and then he'd have another person to deal with. "I'd rather not."

"I asked if you didn't mind sir to be polite, this isn't up for debate. I always have the men leave the room for this portion since it isn't proper for the man to hear these things."

She was using his own mindset against him, he knew, but if even part of her was telling the truth he could be labelled "vulgar" and "improper". While he didn't care about his reputation he care about that of his children. If he had a bad reputation then his children wouldn't have all the opportunities he wanted them to have. With a sigh he stands.

"Make it fast, five minutes." He leaves with another huff.

The woman stares at Evelyn's meek posture, her folded hands. This man had broken her down, it was obvious. Poor girl had clearly been used at the hands of this monster, and now he wanted to get her pregnant, but the doctor suspected there was more to the story.

"You're already pregnant, aren't you?" She asks softly.

The hesitation is evident, she's unsure who to trust, clearly this Captain Levi had made sure of that, only letting her rely on him and him alone.

"It's okay, I won't tell him."

Evelyn hesitates for a moment longer. "Yes I'm pregnant."

"Tell me Mrs. Ackerman, why are you afraid of your husband and you having a child?"

"You've seen how he is, how could I in good conscious bring a child into that?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to judge. In fact I agree with you, which is why I want to help."

"Help? How could you possibly help?"

The doctor stands, going over to a shelf and pulling down a small bottle and sliding it to her. "Here. I give it to all the young women I see who are trapped in abusive marriages. It will get rid of the child so you can escape."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"I've seen too many of my fellow women suffering at the hands of men like that. And if I'm completely honest, he's the worst I've seen to date."

Evelyn looks down, tears escaping her eyes as she nods.

"Don't worry, we'll beat him. You'll get away. You'll get away and be safe."

The smallest hint of a smile lights up her face as she tucks the vial into her coat pocket. "Thank you..."

==========================================

Evelyn grasped the small vial in her shaking hands, birth control was crude and never really worked how it should. However the woman who had sold this to her had promised that it would work, it would be painful, but it would work. Whether she was lying or not was irrelevant, Evelyn was desperate enough to trust her word for it even if it was a waste of money. Levi was becoming suspicious, he kept rigorous track of her cycle, although she had known for a few weeks before hand, now he knew that she was late. Perhaps he already thought she was pregnant, waiting for her to confirm his suspicions. Guilt filled her, she didn't want to do this, but her chances of escape were sliming as time went by. Plus what kind of mother would she be if she brought a child under Levi's oppressive rule?

She re-read the instructions in faded ink, working up the courage to swallow its contents before Levi came home.

==============================================

On his walk home, Levi's thoughts were filled with that of children, according to his very detailed plan of Evelyn's cycles he knew she was late. And not just by a few days either, it had been some time passed since her cycle should have arrived and nothing had happened. Without a doubt she was pregnant, he was giddy on the inside but none of this was a shock either. After the way he had so carefully planned everything there was no way this wouldn't have happened. Although now his days were spent concentrating on the renovations to accommodate the child. He had the space, he'd just have to ensure the nursery built was up to his standards. As well as he'd need to train Evelyn on how to be a good wife.

Optimism coursed through his veins as he unlocked the door to the house. A huge smile was plastered on his face as he hung up his coat, the cockiness had gotten to him. He felt on top of the world, everyone had doubted how far he would come and now here was, living the dream. He was going to be a father.

He stopped himself from calling out to her, determined to surprise her with his presence and rare affection he was willing to offer. With careful and quiet steps he crept up the stairs, taking his time. When she wasn't in the bedroom he noticed the bathroom door open and the water running. The perfect surprise would of course be joining her now as she was bathing. The door creaked open and he saw her with a bottle to her lips, tears down her face.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Levi slaps the bottle out of her hands.

She jumps and stares at him in wide-eyed fear as the bottle hits the floor with a crash, spilling the contents all over. By her tearful expression Levi had a feeling that he really didn't want to know exactly what was in that bottle, but he had to know.

"What was that." It wasn't voiced as a question, he tried to keep himself in check but the anger was coursing through him, especially when she kept silent. "Fucking answer me!"

It takes only a moment before the facade shatters and she bursts into full sobs. "The doctor- she said- she said to take it, it would get rid of it-"

Disgust and anger filled him, targeted at whoever it was who dared to interfere with his marriage and at his wife for doing something as stupid as following an other advice other than his. His hand was swift and hard across her face.

"You would dare to think about exterminating my child?!"

"I was scared Levi I didn't know what to do-"

"What to do!? All you should have done was tell me so I could teach you how to prepare for motherhood instead of taking drastic measures and being selfish! What if that was actually poison!? You could've been killed because someone told you to disobey your husband! Who was it, I'll see to it their medical license is revoked."

"No Levi don't do that please-"

"Oh I will, you think whoever is giving you this shit advice and these shit solutions is going to get away with it?"

"She was just trying to help me!"

"You act as if you want double the punishment so I won't harm this doctor."

Evelyn pauses, considering her options. "Yes, I'll take it, I'll take it all. Just don't hurt her for my mistakes."

"I'm impressed love, too selfish for your child but selfless to take the pain for someone else."

"I'll do it, it's my fault anyway."

"You're damn right honey, it is your fault." He grabs her by the wrist, dragging her along.

She doesn't fight back until they get to the door leading to the basement. Then she struggles, instead of beating her upside the head like normal he simply picks her up and brings her down the stairs. He couldn't afford to be too rough with her, the baby was above all else his most prized possession. Once there he sets her on that thin and hard bed. This crime was almost unforgivable, but he couldn't let her be too uncomfortable for the baby's sake.

"Keep it up and you'll never see your child once it's born. Be a good wife and mother and I might actually let you raise it." These were his final words as he retreated up the stairs, the key in his hand. He'd leave her there for at least a week to learn what she could not touch, then he'd forgive her.

=======================================

Levi oversaw as the MPs tore apart that "fertility specialist"'s entire practice. He had finally gotten it out of Evelyn who gave her that shit in a bottle. Now she would pay for messing with his family, murder was easier when a person was disgraced first, it always looked like suicide when he was finished with them. She stood in horror as her entire career went up in flames, the MPs stacking all of her records and equipment before lighting them all on fire.

"You monster-" She spat it out.

"You should have thought about that before trying to kill my child."

"You try so hard for the ideal life, you'll never have it. I told her to run and I'm not ashamed. The whole world should know what you are."

Levi pauses before turning, connecting his boot with her face as she bashes her head in with the heel.

When he's finished he nods for a couple of MPs to haul her to jail. She was still alive, that was until Levi went in the cell and rigged everything to look like suicide, no one who committed crimes like this deserved to live.

His eyes glowed orange from the fire, the smoke sending the comforting smell of paper and burnt flesh.

[countrymusiclover]

39 - Impatient Witches

Part 40

Gemini Runaway

Tag list ask to be added @dragonixfrye @secretdreamlandmentality

Klaus and I were now standing beside each other with the Harvest witch standing in front of us. Tim was sitting behind the three of us counting as he was compelled to do. Looping my fingers in the belt loop of my jeans I just watched my boyfriend stalk the witch. “I assume you know who I am. Then, let's get right to it, shall we? Your current dilemma strikes me as a case of poor alliances. You're loyal to Marcel and yet he keeps you tucked away in an attic. Surely you prefer just a little bit more freedom. And yet Marcel keeps you prisoner.” 

Davina responded back sternly. “Marcel doesn't keep me prisoner, he keeps me safe. He's my friend.” 

“Yeah but it seems odd that your friend isn’t helping you escape from the witches. Wouldn’t he care about your safety and get you out of the city. Not keep you locked away in a church.” I pointed out to her crossing my arms over my chest worrying about how far she really trusted her so-called vampire friend. 

The Harvest witch stepped towards me slowly but still kept her distance from Nik. “I trust Marcel. But you seem nice. I just want to wait until the witches lose their powers.” 

“Well, I've no doubt he is. For a girl caught in a war between witches and vampires, I might be a better friend. I would keep you safe. And I'd allow you your freedom. If Marcel could do that, why hasn't he done so already? And it does beg the question: If Marcel can't protect you, then what of those you care about?” He gestures to Tim, who is sitting in the last pew. 

Davina threatened him. “If anyone tries to hurt anyone I care about, I'll kill them.” 

“Well, then. Sounds like you don't need Marcel at all. Perhaps you've suspected it all along. Your dear friend Marcel tricks you into doing his bidding. And all the while you rot in an attic, alone, while young Timothy moves on with his life.” Nik shrugged his shoulders walking up to her where they were almost pressed chest to chest with one another. 

Davina stares intently at Klaus, angry. “You feel that? That's your blood starting to boil.” Klaus groans as we hear the hiss of his blood boiling with sweat starting to drip from his forehead. 

He composes himself and vamp-runs to Tim and puts him in a headlock. “Such a shame to lose him, just as you found him again. And I really did admire your skill with that violin.” 

“Nik!” I gasped getting in a fighting stance not expecting him to kill the boy. But he would if she didn’t agree to his terms. He was always certain on his threats that much was for sure. “If you hurt the boy I’ll hurt you. He’s human and not everyone can be handled through violence!” 

He shifted his blue eyes on me still holding the boy in a headlock. “Raelyn, sweetheart stay out of this. She is putting a rather halt on my plans at the moment. So I need to get her on my side.” 

Davina raised her voice. “Don't you dare hurt him!” 

“Oh, I hope I won't have to, sweetheart. But, then, that depends on you.” He tightened his hold on the human boy with the veins appearing underneath his eyes. 

“Let him go now, Nik!” I raised my voice raising my hand to stop him but the girl got to him first. 

“You should know, I don't do well with demands.” Klaus threatens her before she thrusts her open hand out and twists it, using her magic to break the bones in his leg. 

Unfortunately, it takes only a moment for Klaus to reset his bones and heal. “Impressive. But you don't want to fight me, love. Innocent people have a way of ending up dead.” 

Tim whispers to my boyfriend. “Please, let me go.” 

“Nik, that’s enough!” I vamped forward until my head started hurting where I grabbed it groaning in pain dropping to my knees for an unknown reason. Since I didn’t know who or what was causing this. The pain shifted down to my stomach where I gasped feeling my water break between my legs. “No, no, it’s too soon. Urgh Nik.. Something’s wrong!” 

“Your choice, little witch. Swear allegiance to me alone and the boy lives. Stand against me–“ He cut himself short focusing on the witch girl when the candles behind Davina flare as Davina gets angrier. After a moment, she thrusts both hands in front of her and shrieks. Her magic causes paper and books to be blown around by wind, and all the windows in the church shatter. The glass shards fly backwards, and Klaus and Tim are forcibly blown backwards toward the entrance. 

Davina shortly woke up afterwards where she rushed over to me seeing that I was on the ground moaning in agony. She grabbed a hold of my shoulders. “Raelyn, what’s wrong. I’m sorry if I did anything.” 

“It’s not you, Davina. Ohh…My water broke I think. Ahh…” I bared my teeth down before something snapped my neck and my boys disappeared before the young witches eyes. 

Blinking my eyes a few times I sat up seeing that I was in a very dark area. There were a few bodies that looked to be vampires because their entire bodies were covered in veins meaning that they were desiccating. “What the hell is this place?” 

“This is my prison world. Now might I ask who exactly you are?” Whipping my head around, throwing my hair around in front of my eyes. I came face to face with a woman who had raven black hair and dark eyes. She was wearing a white corset dress that looked to be something women wore long before my time. 

Knitting my brows at the woman my hands gripped my stomach seeing that the babies were still inside me but that doesn’t explain why exactly I am here. “I’m Raelyn Lane. I thought there was only one prison world. At least that I was aware of.” 

“My name is Lillian Salvatore. I am a vampire like you but it seems that you aren’t just that. Congratulations on being pregnant. May I ask how?” She introduced herself, sticking her hand out to me where my eyes watched the dead vampires laying behind her. 

Stepping away from her I didn’t trust this woman. “Salvatore as in Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Sorry I don’t know who the hell you think you are but I am not telling you anything.” I raised my hand to snap her neck with magic. 

“Ah, I understand now. You are like my friends here. The Gemini coven is brutal to the ones that don’t fit into their standards. You are a heretic, Raelyn. Half witch and vampire.” She declares to me looking at her supposed friends. “I do wish to know more about you. But you should know that you are not alone anymore.” 

Shifting my gaze away from hers I counted six total vampire’s in this place with her. I wanted to feel relieved that I wasn’t by myself but it wasn’t right that I was somehow in a prison world shortly yet again. I shouldn’t be here unless I was sent to her by someone else, yet I knew my uncle Joshua would never banish the new leader. “As much as I would love to continue this weird conversation I need to find my way out of here. Because I was going into labor before I came here and-“ I gasped holding my stomach before everything went black again and I collapsed onto the floor. 

Shooting my eyes open I was met with a girl that had orange hair who had two other witches holding me down. I attempted to move from laying down on a cold table but I winced sharply feeling vervain ropes tied to my wrists and ankles. “Who the hell are you. - argh what are you doing to me?” 

“We can’t wait to find Davina Claire. We need more power and the only way to get that is to sacrifice your children as an offering.” The woman with orange hair declared. 

“To be reborn we must sacrifice.” One with curly black hair muttered back to me. 

Jerking my head upright I frantically glanced around seeing that we were in the middle of a witch cemetery. I could feel my magic running through my veins when I tried to do the unlocking spell but the second that I did I only felt pain in my stomach. “Ahhh! I will kill all of you for hurting my babies!" 

"No you won't. Neither will Klaus or Elijah." The third witch said back getting everything set up to where I would give birth soon whether or not I liked it. 

My chest begins heaving up and down where I was panicking. Shutting my eyes I focused on one spell that worked for me and Klaus once before. "Dic mihi, hva du vet…..Dic mihi, hva du vet - Ah Nik…help me!” 

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[rongzhi]

Hiii there op! You have gotten me HOOKED on the sleuth of Ming dynasty! But istg, your memes had me thinking that all the side characters, were actually the mc's! but, ur blog single handedly got me addicted to this. Now i come back to you and ask for reqs! ( Also, take some buFF mEN i found from a webcomic i like called Nan Hao and Shang Feng as payment)

Thank you so much!!!!

a few months ago I saw someone post that they thought ding rong was completely overrated in the tsomd fandom, despite the fact that he has maybe 5 minutes of total dialogue in the entire show and I think I am at least 60% to blame (´-ω-`)🍸

Thank you for the buff webcomic men. I shall store them safely in a cool, dry location.

Unfortunately, I cannot really recommend too many other dramas similar to TSOMD bc I don’t really watch cdramas.

Of the few I've seen I would recommend the following:

无心法师 || Wu Xin: the Monster Killer (season 1) (2015)

(20 episodes, 45 minutes) || Watch online with English subtitles

Despite his immortality, Wu Xin is condemned to wander the earth, purposeless and penniless. In an act of kindness, Lue Ya shares her last bit of food with him and he returns the favor with a strange form of gratitude: killing monsters.

Notes: Only recommending the first season bc that’s the only one I’ve seen! Season 1 is rather self-contained but subsequent seasons feature some of the same characters. I really enjoyed this show's supernatural/monster lore and the 3 main characters have great chemistry.

天盛长歌 || The Rise of Phoenixes (2018)

(70 episodes, 45 minutes)

When a secret from the past rears its head, a respected court scholar must choose between avenging her family and staying true to the prince she loves.

Notes: Extremely well shot, gorgeous costumes, and amazing acting. That said, I think I think I ended my watch of this show with higher blood pressure than when I had started it. I livetweeted my watch of the show if you want to take a skim: here

大秦赋 || Qin Dynasty Epic (2020)

(78 episodes, 45 minutes) || Watch online with English subtitles

Qin Dynasty Epic is a historical drama that tells the story of Qin Shihuang, Ying Zheng, who, with the assistance of Lv Buwei, Li Si, Wang Jian, and more, conquered six kingdoms and established the first unified state in Chinese history.

Notes: This show has a shit ton of characters and also some pretty hard to believe age portrayals (the guy on the cover there plays his character who is like 15-25 for most of the show lolol). That said, there are some pretty compelling character arcs if you can get into it, and the costume/hair and makeup is really well done. I livetweeted my watch of the show if you want to take a skim: (episode 1) (episode 2-78) (predictably I do a lot of yelling about a side character)

双探 || Double Tap (2021)

(16 episodes, 40 minutes) || Watch online with English subtitles

When one of his son’s school friends is kidnapped by two masked assailants, Li Huiyan, a perpetually broke but sharp-witted police detective, investigates. The trail brings him to a small town in the icy north. But after the father of Zhou You, a funeral parlor worker, is murdered in mysterious circumstances, Zhou You also hunts for answers – with the murderer fleeing to the very same town…

Notes: This show is one of the beautiful quiet thrillers and I absolutely love the vibe of it. I watched this as it was airing which is why I recommend it, but I have to warn you that I and many Chinese netizens thought the very last episode was unsatisfying (I suspect censorship and later rewrites had a hand in tanking the finale). Even so, I recommend it for the mystery and cinematography. I livetweeted it if you want to give it a skim: here.

Honorable mentions

三国机密 || Secret of the Three Kingdoms (2018)

I'd genuinely forgotten that I watched this until a second ago but I remember it being decent. Livetweet thread that I have zero recollection of here

Some other dramas that I know others have enjoyed but I haven't watched:

Empresses in the Palace (后宫·甄嬛传)

Nirvana in Fire (琅琊榜)

Winter Begonia (鬓边不是海棠红)

The Bad Kids (隐秘的角落)

The Untamed (陈情令) (I've watched half of this show but it wasn't for me. The donghua is nice! Great soundtrack.)

Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (如懿传)

Guardian (镇魂)

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One: the Delicacies of Time

Chapter 28: Doing the Math

Only a moment after Zelena had gone into Mary Margaret's hospital room, a second after he heard noise from within, a new command reached him.

Back to the house.

He didn't fight it; he couldn't, even if he wanted to. So he let the magic that she commanded rouse within him and take him back to…

"Why are we here?" he asked, glancing around at the road leading up to the farmhouse. He didn't expect she'd want to be back here. He expected that she'd want to go directly to the barn. It was the smartest thing that she could have done! She had the child and the others knew, the faster she could enact her spell, the higher the chance of success! Why would she come back to the house?

"Why are we here? What are we doing? Where are we? My…aren't we just full of questions today," Zelena observed, not in his direction, but rather in the direction of the bundle she held in her arms, a child that was so new he smelled blood all over him. Him? Her? He hadn't even thought to ask. He didn't want to know. What was the point?

"If you want the child in the barn, why not just take it to the barn?"

"Because there's a spell cast over it to make sure that people can't get to it with magic," she pointed out. He recalled the protection spell she'd raised over the barn before they'd left to confront Emma and Hook. It was clever. But he wished it wasn't. "What?" Zelena questioned, suddenly looking over her shoulder at him. "You think I'd spend all my time working on this spell and then leave the portal without any protection? You think I'd allow someone to steal one of my ingredients while I was off getting another? No wonder Dark Ones have never managed to figure out time travel before."

A number of the voices in his head hissed at that statement. And another, the one he suspected had actually given time travel a genuine try…he didn't say anything, but he could feel the mental middle finger he flipped at the woman as she began to walk.

"A protection spell won't stop them from trying," he threatened. "And you know as well as I do that a spell as powerful as the one you intend to cast will draw that magic away from the protection spell. It'll act as a beacon to any who can sense magic in all of Storybrooke. They'll know right where to come."

"True," Zelena sighed. "But by the time they arrive, it'll be too late, and we will be safe in the past…won't we, little one?" she questioned, looking down at the sleeping child with a smile it couldn't see. His stomach turned when she began to hum to it. To the naked eye, it would look like she'd soothed the thing to sleep, but he could feel the magic seeping out of her, keeping the child calm and sedated as they moved.

"It's all right, little one. We're almost home."

Literally. Much to his surprise Zelena didn't go to the barn but rather walked up the stairs to her house and ushered the child inside. He stood to the side, thankful she wasn't ordering him to take part in this…disgusting behavior.

Cradling and cooing it was sick enough, given what she intended to do to it. But watching her wash the babe and swaddle him up tight again was a new sort of low. And watching her sit in a rocking chair with it, humming a joyful little jaunt as she fucking fed the thing…as a parent himself, he'd never been so angry.

"Eat up…you'll need your strength," she encouraged with a smile.

She'd ripped that child right out of its mother's arms before she'd had the chance to bond or feed or wash it herself. He knew the act alone would be devastating to Mary Margaret, but to watch the child's would-be murderer steal that small token of bliss from her made him want to strike her dead right then and there. So much so that he wondered if he could use his magic and stop her heart fast enough before she reached for the dagger to make him stop.

He hated that she was coddling it, preparing it for this. If this kind of magic had destroyed other fully grown magicians, what did she think it would do to a baby?! Whether or not it was well-fed would make no difference in the grand scheme of things.

And yet, a small hopeful piece of him was grateful for it. It was that small piece that stood back in the shadows, letting her act on her own behalf, watching the clock as Zelena finally burped the child and took it to the table to anoint it with…it smelled like oil of some kind. It was that small piece that was ecstatic with each and every step she took. Every second, every minute, was precious time that was wasted. Terrible as it was, it bought the others time, making her "by the time they get here, it'll be too late" threat a little less believable with every tick of the clock.

By the time she'd lulled the child to sleep, and they began escorting it to the barn, his mind was doing the math. Twenty minutes. He figured from the time that they'd left the hospital to now, Zelena had taken about twenty minutes of time. The others didn't know about the barn just yet, but the house was the first place they'd come looking for them. How far away was Zelena's house from the hospital? Twenty-five? Maybe twenty if David sped? It would be less if they could get Regina up and her magic working, she could get them here in the blink of an eye, but she'd need all the magic she had if she stood any hope at overpowering Zelena long enough to get just one of her precious ingredients from her and someplace she couldn't touch them.

Twenty-five minutes by the time they made it to the barn and Zelena lowered the protection spell saying simply, "Won't be needing that anymore." Twenty-five minutes. It was cutting it close, but he knew there was still time. Better yet, now that the barrier was down, he knew it was a possibility. No, they wouldn't know where to look now that they weren't in the house. But once the magic was started, it should be powerful enough to draw even Regina to it easily enough. It was a complication, but not a fatal one. He just hoped that help would arrive sooner rather than later.

The one time he needed Prince Charming to be headstrong and predictable…

"At last…the final ingredient. Innocence…" Zelena whispered twenty-six minutes later as she walked over to the western marking with the baby in her arms. "There's nothing more innocent than a newborn babe. And you, my sweet, are the most innocent of all…the product of the truest love," she remarked, setting the baby down. "See, once I change the past, you and I shall meet under different circumstances…"

He let out a huff.

So that was why she thought nothing of this act. In her mind, she wasn't killing the child she was simply…reimagining. In her mind, everything for this child would turn out the same way it had because she hadn't done nearly as much fucking research as she thought she had. Otherwise, she'd know just how entangled the events of Cora's life after she'd given Zelena away were with this child. Hell, she thought she was going to get Regina's life…she probably thought that in her version of the future, she'd be at the hospital with the others celebrating the birth of Little Charming Jr.

"And Rumple, you will choose me. And I will be enough."

All this for a choice that would never come to pass even if she was successful…what a waste.

"No, you won't," he contradicted as she moved into the center circle twenty-seven minutes later. "And no matter where you go in time, I will find a way to kill you."

He remembered enough to know that Baelfire had fucking hated her just as much as he did. He promised his son, for imprisoning them and taking Neal's life or erasing Henry and Emma from reality; either way, he'd be sure he killed her for this.

But Zelena only chuckled. Twenty-eight minutes after the child was born, she raised her hands to the sky and channeled his magic into her through the dagger. Once it touched each of the symbols, he felt a different kind of magic that he'd never felt before begin to flair. Literally. Fire erupted from each of the corners of the compass he'd etched out. The brain, sword, and heart were all shades of yellow and red, but the baby…that was bluish-white. Light Magic. The child was working as a battery. Just as Zelena predicted. Fuck.

As each of the flames swirled in toward the center of the circle, toward Zelena, he stood back and balked at it.

"Don't worry, dearie," she muttered. "Once all this is over, you won't remember a thing."

She'd been right. And now…now they were all doomed.

[nikadoesanart]

Will Jouno assist Fukuchi?

In ch 92, Fukuchi shows Bram to Jouno (though I'd say introduce would be a better way to describe it cause Jouno's blind but minor inconsequential details) and reveals that he is the mastermind behind the Agency being framed and asks Jouno to help him. Personally, I think that Jouno is just a bit more likely to form some kind of alliance with Fukuchi but not necessarily a full-on partnership, much less to the point where it'd be considered working more with Fukuchi as Kamui of the DOA than helping Fukuchi as Fukuchi himself or as the commander of the HD.

Also, I am using @buraihatranslations translation of ch 92, so that's where my exact phrasing for quotations and page counts are coming from. You can read the full translation here.

The main context of our focus

“I’m the mastermind. Jouno, wouldn’t you like to assist me?” (p 19)

For starters, I don’t think Fukuchi is being a reckless idiot for saying this. Considering that he's literally Kamui, he obviously must’ve considered this as a calculated but worthwhile risk to take. As I’ve previously mentioned in my ch 89.5 cover art analysis, Jouno is the most on the fence of the HD in terms of supporting Fukuchi vs believing in the Agency’s innocence. In fact, as we learned in 92, he simply doesn’t care and can therefore be considered a (nearly) neutral party. Jouno is also basically a living breathing lie detector, so he can tell apart the likes of jokes and lies from the truth very easily. Jouno also cares primarily about being able to hear his victim’s suffering, regardless of who’s right or wrong or innocent or guilty (as he’s told Aya). It logically just makes the most sense for Fukuchi to try to get Jouno on his side out of all the HD because :

Teruko is a simp for Fukuchi but she still cares about civilians and being able to take pride in her job as an officer (Sky Casino)

Tachihara has already clearly established his doubts in the ADA being guilty in front of all of the HD (ch 89) and told Fukuchi that he sees himself as more Mafia than HD now (ch 89.5)

Tecchou has a very strong sense of justice and cares about fairness, so asking him to quite literally join the side of the terrorists would never work out and would essentially be a waste of both time and possibly personnel too

What does Jouno personally want?

As I've already briefly touched on (and presumably you already read ch 92 before this), Jouno has already stated his goals, which gives us a good sense of where he stands morally.

“I just want to hear the voice of someone’s suffering.” (p 9)

“To hurt people under the name of the law[,] corner them and hear their “sound” as they break.” (p 10)

Now that we’ve more than established that Jouno is in fact, a sadist, I do want to emphasize Jouno’s mention of the law. Not only does he enjoy making people suffer (specifically psychologically, as he’s mentioned before), but he specifically mentions that he wants to do it “under/in the name of the law”, meaning that he likely either only wants to do it in a “justifiable”/“excusable” way or that he doesn’t want or plan to be held accountable for his actions (or worse, both). Until we get a backstory reveal, there could be any number of reasons for him being this way. I think it’s fairly likely that he’s from a similar situation to Fukuchi (took part in the Great War, and the mental scarring of everything he experienced then caused him to find some sort of extreme and inhumane goal or enjoyment to cope with it all). So for example, he could have been drafted for the War because he’s an ability user (or maybe he already happened to be in some sort of training where he received recognition for his skills, ie. the military academy or part of a renowned dojo) and eventually that led him to become a sadist because coping mechanism or discovering that he’s a sadist because of some extreme circumstances (ie. having to interrogate a prisoner for the first time and realizing how much he enjoyed giving and hearing the psychological torture).

Example of Jouno's excuses and justification

“I was just asking suspects for cooperation!”

“Then do it after they sign the consent form for judicial transaction. Otherwise, it’s not justice.” (p 12)

On one hand, we have Jouno who is very quick to make excuses for his actions by using his position as an officer to justify his behavior. Despite knowingly and intentionally using extreme measures, beyond what's necessary for the situation, he's using the law and his job to try to justify it. (If you're seeing some real-world parallels here, good job!)

On the other hand, we have Tecchou who very clearly values actual justice that is fair to all parties (as we’ve seen previously with him promising the cafe owner that the ADA will get a fair trial at the very least in ch 72). In fact, I think it’d be safe to say that Tecchou is the one that values impartial justice and fairness the most out of the HD, but that's not the focus here.

Parallelisms and which other organizations would suit him and his goals

(p 15-16)

For starters, Jouno appears to be on the side that believes that the ADA is a part of/affiliated with the DOA (if I’m not reading this wrong)

Also, I’d like to highlight him saying:

“ ‘Our tastes match’, if I should say. The abusive nature. To be honest, I’m almost empathetic. If we happen to lose this battle, I wouldn’t mind reemploying to their side. Not to say that we wouldn’t possibly lose.”

Jouno has no doubt in the strength of the HD but also just wants to be on the abusively cruel side dishing out the suffering. If he’s able to use his position to excuse his actions (ie. what he said about Aya just a few pages ago), then that’s even better for him. The ADA has an ability permit and currently ⅓ of the police force is siding with them and believes in their innocence. Joining the ADA next, should the HD lose, would be the most advantageous for him, if the allegations of them being abusively cruel terrorists were true.

In my opinion, his actual next best organization to join, based on his interests and goals so far as well as his own methods, would be the PM. They have an ability permit too and he’d have just as many chances to be either on the front lines and/or work with the interrogation team. With what his goals has revealed about his moral code, he’s just more cut out for the nature and surface level goals of the PM than the ADA. In fact, Dazai has already admitted to the two of them being alike (which we as the readers can deduce is for their methods in manipulation and interrogation) and Dazai has previously mentioned that he’d sometimes have to come in and help Kouyou’s interrogation team with the job (ch 19). Jouno joining the PM could be a very easy transition, should he stop caring about doing things “under the name of the law” (p 10). However, there is a loophole with the PM being a part of the tripartite tactic, of which the whole goal is to protect Yokohama. Both we as the readers and the members of the ADA know that despite their methods, the PM does in fact care about upholding the overall peace and safety of Yokohama. The reason why he jokes about joining the ADA and makes no mention of the PM (at least in my opinion), is because before all of this, to the public eye, the ADA was one of the “good guys” that were upholding the law whereas the PM is quite literally the mafia. (I touch on this part too in my ch 89.5 cover art analysis.)

Back to answering Fukuchi's question now

I feel like Jouno is ever so slightly more likely to form some kind of alliance with Fukuchi as Kamui but not straight up joining the DOA/allying with the DOA as a whole because again, Jouno is very much sadistic but he also specifically tells Aya (a possible hostage and a confirmed supporter of the ADA) that he specifically wants to “to hurt people under the name of the law” (p 10). Fully siding with the DOA and Kamui would mean that he’d no longer be working under the protection of the law, by any extent, unless Fukuchi were to create some kind of excuse as the commander of the HD (ie. Jouno was under the control of the vampirism). He might work with Fukuchi but I don’t think he’d work with or for Kamui. Either way, I think that overall it’s a very close tie.

In short:

If he says yes then he’d risk not having the law to protect him any longer, which is a part of what he clearly wants to have. The only way around this is some sort of agreement where Fukuchi will create a believable excuse for Jouno helping or he does it in a very indirect way that won't be noticed by others or can easily be played off as some sort of coincidence.

If he says no, he’d likely have to go up against Fukuchi and Bram and risk getting turned as well. I doubt he’d be killed since that would raise too many questions with Tecchou and Teruko, and thanks to Tachihara’s fight, I’d say it’s all been explicitly stated that still being alive is a part of the requirements to be turned into a vampire. When Tachihara tried to off himself as a last resort, specifically to stop Fukuchi and Bram from turning him into a vampire, Fukuchi personally prevented that from happening (ch 90).

Jouno has established that he just wants to hear the sound of people suffering (which Fukuchi would probably have learned of or figured out by now, considering that he’s the commanding officer here), which can be achieved from quite literally any side. However, his condition to this is doing it "under the name of the law", so being on a side that has the law’s protection and works on the front lines is where he’d be closest to achieving this with minimal risk (so realistically the HD or ADA). I doubt Jouno would have any interest in joining the Special Division because I doubt he’d get to do much interrogating or front-line work there, in addition to him having less of an excuse for his cruel methods, and I've already gone over why he'd rather join the ADA than the PM.

[rise-above-the-grave]

[smashes down door] who is Bail and why do you like him? I could look it up but I'd rather you gush over him

OH BOY.

So first off, a quick (canon) history lesson: Bail Organa was the Senator and Viceroy (aka Prince Consort) of Alderaan. If you don't know what that means (because old titles are Weird - I'm not judging the only reason I know this is because of this very character), it means that Breha, Bail's wife, is ruling Queen of Alderaan and was the heir to the throne. She married Bail, making him a ruler by marriage, though technically she still held the crown. He, at some point, was also elected Senator of Alderaan, and was Senator leading up to and during The Clone Wars (and after, but we're getting to that).

So Bail, we come to find out, became (best) friends with Padmé Amidala. We see him in a couple of scenes in Attack of the Clones with Padmé, just kinda vibing and making the occasional commentary. We know he stood with her on the Opposition bill (the bill Padmé was nearly killed over at the beginning of AOTC, which was against the formation of a Republic military), though we don't learn much about the rest of his politics until later.

So he's kinda...there, but obvs isn't the focus of the story, and is really just a minor background character. The first real insight we get into Bail is, actually, a really tiny character moment right at the end of AOTC, when Palpatine and some of the Senators are looking down at the Clone troops loading up onto the ship, watching their new military gear up for war.

Bail looks away. While everyone else is staring down at the (slave) army, some of them smiling (like Sheev), some of them just serious, Bail looks away from them and makes this tiny little hand gesture: a simple, closed fist knocking against the banister of the balcony.

It's this, I think, that first piqued my interest in this character. He was the only one not triumphant in that situation. He was the only one who saw things for what they were: a tragedy, and a horror, and that this wasn't something to celebrate but to mourn.

Then we come to Revenge of the Sith, and boy howdy. The man may have like 10 minutes of screen time, but does he make those 10 minutes count!

A quick bullet point of the Important Things Bail Does in ROTS:

When the Jedi Temple is burning, what does Bail do? He flies to it to figure out what's going on and see if he can save anyone. He then watches as a youngling is shot and killed by Clone Troopers, and manages to escape because he's a fucking badass.

Please note, to our knowledge, Bail is the only one who actually goes to check on the Jedi Temple.

As soon as he escapes the Temple, Bail immediately - like immediately - takes his ship and goes to find any surviving Jedi. He is almost certainly the reason both Yoda and Obi-Wan don't walk into the trap that is the Jedi Temple, or are captured - and even if that's not true, he most definitely is the reason they manage to sneak safely onto Coruscant and figure out what happened.

He's the one who rescues Yoda (again) after Yoda's failed duel with Palpatine in the Senate. Which, let me rant about the SYMBOLISM of that for a second please. Because holy shit, the entire duel between Yoda and Palpatine takes place in the Senate, with the Senate building and pods. Here Palpatine proves to Yoda that yes, he is the Senate, he controls it, the new Empire is under his control and no one can stop him. But then - but then - Yoda escapes, and who saves him? Bail. Bail sneaks in with a speeder, saves Yoda, and gets him back to safety. Which is such a huge fucking metaphor for the fact that Bail will be the one who, ultimately, is responsible for Palpatine's defeat. But, more on that later.

Bail is there when Padmé (remember, his best friend) gives birth to Luke and Leia. Bail is literally one of 3 sentients in the galaxy who canonically knows about both Luke and Leia.

Bail instantly offers to adopt one of the children, saying "She will be loved with us." (And then she absolutely is.)

And he does all of that in line 10 minutes of screen time.

He shows up again briefly in Star Wars Rebels, and again in Rogue One, but I'm going to take a trip down a side alley here into a territory that is grossly unused in the SW EU: the founding of the Rebellion.

So we don't actually know much about how the Rebellion got started. What we do know is that Bail was one of the (if not the main) Founders. Bail was the mastermind behind the Rebellion, by all accounts knowing...everything about it: who was who, who did what, where they were located, etc. He knows (and controls) Fulcrum in Rebels, as just one example, and Fulcrum is considered by that text to be one of the most powerful Rebel operatives at the time. In Rogue One (regardless of whether you liked what they did with the Rebellion which, side note, I did not), we see he certainly has a position of great authority and power. People respect him, and listen to him, and he's on an even footing with Mon Mothma (or Mom Mothma as my autocorrect tried to say) who is canonically one of the most powerful people in the Rebellion, according to ROTJ.

More than what he did, though, we can look to his character as a reason I love him. He is a good, kind, honorable man who does (or at least tries) his best. We see again and again, throughout all of SW media he's in, that he consistently chooses the right path, regardless of whether or not it's the easy one. He fights corruption, fights for justice, fights for freedom, fights against tyranny.

He is also, canonically, an amazing father and (according to EU content, since Breha literally doesn't have a spoken line in any media content) an incredible husband. We know he's well-loved by his people, and by the Rebellion, by the extraneous texts and mentions about him in the wake of his death on Alderaan. He's also respected by many Senators during his time in the Clone Wars (Padmé makes a comment in a TCW episode about how he's the best and most respected speaker and Senator she knows), and regardless of how people felt about him after the Rise of the Empire (which is, unfortunately - or fortunately maybe, because I don't trust Disney to do it right - up to headcanon), the fact remains that Bail played an incredibly tricky position as an Imperial Senator, having to balance fighting for his people, the people of the galaxy, and setting up the Rebellion, with not making himself too much of a nuisance, or too much of a traitor, that Palpatine straight up had him executed.

Which, speaking of that, can we also take a moment to appreciate the fact that Bail knew almost every single secret that Palpatine and Vader wanted??? He knew where Obi-Wan was, and possibly where Yoda was. He knew where both of Anakin and Padmé's children were. He knew everything about the fledgling Rebellion. Like...that man, had he been captured and interrogated (and had he broken) would have damned the entire galaxy. Yet he never was. He played his cards perfectly, and was either never suspected, or was able to somehow hide all of the information they wanted to know from being found. Personally, I suspect a mixture of the two.

Furthermore, Bail Organa is a great father and husband. He is directly responsible for Leia being the amazing woman we know and love. The one shot we get of Breha, you can practically see and feel the love and adoration Bail has for her radiating off of him through the screen. Literally the most unproblematic ship in Star Wars. I have never seen a single person say they aren't amazing (unless they just want to break them up to make Bail gay? Which, come on, bisexual and polyamorous people exist, y'all. But that's a talk for another time).

If you're still not convinced, the only thing left that I can say is: I'm a raging lesbian and like, while I definitely wouldn't fuck him, Bail/Jimmy Smits (his actor) is handsome. Have some pictures that I have saved on my phone for when I'm feeling sad.

Tl;dr: Bail Organa is singlehandedly responsible for putting into motion the events that secure the galaxy's freedom, not only by being one of the founding fathers of the Rebellion, but also by reaching Yoda and Obi-Wan before the new Empire can, and getting them safely to Coruscant. He is a good, kind, and noble man who does his best in shitty times, and even if he has to make hard choices, he always makes them for the right reasons. He is a loving father, husband, and ruler, who does right by his people and his family. He fights for what's right, even when that fight is nearly impossible. He's a badass, and arguably a literal genius (you'd have to be, to do the kinds of things he does in canon).

Anyway, Bail Organa is great and I love him - and you should too.

[stargaze-issei]

— "𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞" (𝐛. 𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭; when your father, the head of the japanese mafia, was killed, your childhood friend swore to protect you till his death. now, you're the empress of the underground world, and he doesn't know what's harder, to keep you safe or manage to hide his feelings. what will he do when, for the first time, your life's at risk and he isn't anywhere near?

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞; mafia!au, angst.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; swearing, mentions of blood, guns, murder, kidnap, yk... mafia stuff.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭; 2.7k

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞; lemme know if u want a part two bc i felt like it was getting too long and i don't know if anyone will read it or like it 👉🏻👈🏻

"where the fuck are you?" bakugou's voice stroke over the phone, noticeably angry. he had told you several times to never go anywhere without him, which you mostly did, if it weren't for him being away a lot of times. nothing less was expected from your right hand, who handled every dirty job, and considering your line of work, it wasn't scarce. but you did had other bodyguards, just as trained as katsuki, willing to give their lifes for you, which was extremely better than having bakugou giving his life.

to his eyes, you were still the little girl from before. he saw you as a someone who needed protection. at first, you agreed. your father was murdered, someone managed to get through all his security and killed him, none of the guns he and his security team carried around could protect him, killing you would be like stealing a sweet from a baby. bakugou had always kept you safe, despite his agressive usual safe, he cared about you more than he cared for himself. so you stuck to his side, believing, hoping, he'd die for you. but that was a long time ago, now, you could defend yourself, and had raised a sense of loyalty in your people by your own. your father's empire was based in fear, yours? by admiration. you didn't see your people as working ants, but as important parts of a whole. still, anyone who was a threat to you, bakugou made sure to erase them forever.

"don't talk to me like that, i'm your boss" you could feel him losing his shit, a smile began to form in your face. even when everyone respected you, he was still the same.

"you can't boss anyone if you're fucking dead, you dumb shit" a laugh came out of your throat, he couldn't avoid smiling at the sound "wait, oh, okay, i know we're you are. stay there, i'll be in three" he hung up before you could reply.

you looked back, at one of your guards who was just putting away his phone. of course they told him. why couldn't you go get your own coffee? being in the office all day was tiring, to be five minutes outside was all you asked for. a few seconds after, they handed you your coffee, obviously, a guard had to try it first, in case that barista wanted to suddenly murder you. of course he didn't.

"who let her go outside without me knowing, huh?" a furious katsuki appeared through the door, making a scene in the place. you gave him a warning look. if there was something you hated, was that. everyone in the area knew who you were, but why make it any more obvious. those people were just living their usual lifes, and people tend to get nervous around you. "the car is waiting outside" he understood, but you knew he was going to scold you anyways.

you walked outside, smiling, and got into the car, followed by katsuki and one of his subordinates, the other one got in the front sit, next to the driver.

"save it, i'm n–"

"the fuck you are" he cut you "your safety is my responsibility, if i say you can't go out without me, then you fucking don't. specially not when there are people after your head" there was no denying he was right, but still, it upset you.

"there's always people after my head, bakugou".

two weeks ago, two men went into your office. they were in charge of some dealing territories, though small, important. most contraband had to pass those places, you controlled those police departments making everything easier to your truck drivers. they were beaten, cover in blood and barely standing.

"our men, all of them... they all..." only one of them could talk, the other being too shocked to even look at you. "kazuhito's men, it was them... they said we had to tell you, they're coming after you" you couldn't show any fear in front of your so called soldiers, and your template remained at ease. a shout was enough to get those men the help they needed, after holding their hands, you promised to go see them once they were checked by doctors. you called bakugou as soon as they left, he was the first who should know and help you decide what to do next.

the kazuhito family had always been rivals, enemies of the worst kind. everyone suspect they were behind your father's assassination, but with no proof, even you knew it would be the biggest mistake to charge against them, despite your personal desires.

"i already told the drivers they had to take rout b for a while, but we can't let them just keep what's our" you explained to katsuki once he arrived. "those drugs have to get in town by us, damnit". it was clear how frustrated you were, those assholes had mess with your and your father's hardwork.

"if we retaliate, a war will unchain. your father tried to avoid that for years"

"and see how he ended up" bakugou didn't know if it was the anger, or you talking. "we will lose everyone's respect if we don't do something, they killed dozens of our people, katsuki".

he was trying hard to stay objective in that situation, but it was near impossible. a war would put you in more danger than ever, your life was at stake, and bakugou wasn't sure if he was willing to risk it. growing up by your side, your father taking him in when his parents died, you were his only family. more than that, he loved you. the only reason he was able to do his job right, was the fear of losing you. your head was already valued in millions, how could he protect you in the middle of a conflict, that would end only with your death or the kazuhito's leader's death? your power was bigger than theirs by little, but they did something that reckless, which meant they thought they had out powered you. had they? or were they just bluffing? had they miscalculated?.

"we're taking action, wether you support me or not" you looked into each other's eyes, you knew him enough to understand his fear, just not the reason behind it. your voice softened "but i'd much rather do it with you by my side".

"you're the boss" he spoke, already regretting it "i'll schedule a meeting so the high charges let everyone else know, i'm staying at your place so we can trace a plan".

and there you were now, being reprimanded by bakugou. he was extremely tired, he decided to stay with you until things were calmer, which could be several months from then. getting up at six a.m, going to sleep past midnight, being always looking for possible threats, it had given him bags under his eyes.

"i'm sorry" you said once you were alone with him, it was only then that you could let your guard down "i'm making this harder for you".

"yeah, you are. but it's my job, after all" that came out wrong, he thought. it wasn't his job, it was his fucking life purpose. he wanted you to live a long, happy life, as hard as it seemed.

"i guess it is" deep down, his response disappointed you.

"hey, look at me" out of nowhere, his body was insanely close to yours, you felt his breath in your face as he lifted your chin with his finger "there's nothing i wouldn't do for you, got that, dumbass?"

for a brief moment, the taste of his lips was all you could think about. i bet they're soft. but as fast as it started, it was over, katsuki pulled away harshly, inventing an excuse to leave. he had flown too close to the sun, so close that it burned his skin.

a few more people went to see you that day, asking for diverse permissions, advice and stuff like that. since it had been slow, compared to other times, you decided to home early. a call to your team, and the car was already outside. bakugou left instructions for your departure, because he had things to do somewhere else, much to his displeasure. you were accompanied by your escorts to the doors of the building, that seemed like a normal office compound. there were waiting two other guards, making a total of six people protecting you. way to go, bakugou.

"how's your wife, ryota?" you asked the driver. of course, not everyone fitted in the same car, so you got into the second one, middle seat, between a built up woman and a big man. you tried to remember everyone's name, but it was difficult.

"she's good, ma'am, sends her regards" he smiled at you over the mirror.

"and the baby? he must be a month old, right?" at the memory of his child, his face lightened "you should take some days off, i bet your wife and son miss you"

"i have a duty with you, m–" a loud impact interrupted him, the front glass had exploded. the car had an abrupt movement back and forward, all you could see was blood, everywhere.

the woman next to you took her gun out, in order to protect you , you thought, completely wrong. before everyone could react to her act, she shot the guard in front of you.  you looked at your side, searching for someone alive, the same bullet that had killed ryota was in the guard's at your right forehead. besides you , the only other person was that woman. if she hadn't glasses on, that stare could've seen throughout your soul. then you remembered, katsuki made you bare with a knife under your sleeve. with a weird move, you felt its sharpness against your skin, it was there, but she read you like a book. before you could even pull it out, another shot stroke followed by a intense pain in you thight. the bitch had shot you. you blamed it on the adrenaline, because nothing hurt. what happened after was a couple of blurry images in your memory.

bakugou had called you more than a hundred times, you, the drivers, the guards, everyone in his fucking team, but no one knew anything. the cameras at your house never showed you arriving, your phone's location was off. he was out of his head, if he didn't hear from you in the next five minutes, someone's going to die. he rushed into his car, following your rout at a dangerous speed. 

both cars were full of bullet holes, and every guard he had hired was dead. there wasn't a place without blood. tears of pure rage came to his eyes, fuck, it was his fault. he started to look for you, but the whole world was spinning around him. where were you? where was your body? were you alive?, this couldn't be happening. he had left you unprotected, alone, and now you could be dead, because of his uselessness. his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"sir, we– we have– the kazuhito's are here" he left as fast as he came. they had touch you, they had taken you away from him, and he wasn't going to let them get away with it, even if he had to go against a whole army, whoever was behind it all was going to pay.

a man in a suit was sitting in the chair of your office, smoking a cigarette, as calm as a rock. katsuki was so close to rip his head of right there, that somebody had to hold him down. his own people updated him, saying that he had gone into the building alone, with no weapons of any kind, not even a cellphone.

"where the fuck is she?" he crashed his hand against the desk.

"ah, mr. bakugou, please take a se–"

"tell me where she is right now if you want to keep your head, fucking bastard" his hand had wondered to the tip of the gun in his belt, menacing to blow up at any second.

"you won't do that, mr., if i don't return to my people in one hour, she'll be so fucked up that not even you will recognize her" a laugh surge grom bakugou, a dark, cold laugh.

"i don't have to kill you, then" one of the man's hand rested in the desk, like asking for katsuki to rip it off his body. as you did, he also carried knifes under his shirt. in less than a second, one of them was buried into the man's hand. he screamed, both in shock and pain, giving your bodyguard a hatred look. "what do you want, shitface?"

"i-it's quite simple, actually" his face was white as paper, and even though he wanted to talk normally, his voice shivered "we want you to take over the y/l/n's business, under our command of course" he let out a sigh, trying to keep his composure and ignoring his bleeding hand "if you– if you agree, she will have to leave japan and never..."

bakugou won't agree to that. not now and not ever. to give away what you and your father built from scratch, and spent decades keeping safe, was like killing your child, and your father's memory. to send you away, alone, where he most likely won't see you again in years, was also off the table. it wasn't funny anymore. he started walking around the man's chair, picking up his sleeves. he checked the clock in the office, he had forty-five minutes with the man, meaning, forty-five minutes to make him talk. he ressourced to every fast interrogation method he knew. the people outside the door weren't surprised when they heard the man's screams, even wondering what had taken so long for the boss to start acting. katsuki was never a patient man. his senses were blocked, he couldn't hear anything but screams and begging, all his eyes could see was pain through all the man's body, his hands felt nothing but warm blood. but for the first time in a while, he wasn't enjoying it. he was doing it out of need, the need to save you. every minute that went by, was a minute were your life risked. he never felt so close to losing his sanity.

"outside the city! she's in one of our safe houses outside the city! i don't know which, please stop!" ten minutes before the timeline he finally gave up. your intelligence had all their safe houses, storages, garages, every location needed. not a second passed when one of yours men delivered a map with all the points marked. there were five in total.

"throw him outside in ten minutes" he shouted, walking to the armory "two teams, six people each, my fucking people, hear me? now, dammit! we're leaving in a minute, if i have to go by my fucking self, i'll do it"

when he was armed to the teeth, almost a dozen of people followed him outside. they were his most trusted men and women, being trained together, he knew they were as skilled as him, and they were all willing to put their life's at stake for you, their boss. in the car, bakugou barked the instructions. he had narrowed it down to two possible locations with all the information he had. if they had to kill every person in those places, then be it. he's going to get you back.

[roselen-mylady]

In Another Life

Bucky Barnes x reader ° part eight

Summary: Waiting 88 years to find your soulmate? It was cruel. But it was a cruel fate Bucky would have to face whether he accepted it or not. Bucky was a tortured man all his life and he wasn't even granted the solace of having his soulmate at his side. All he had was the promise of one in another life. They were separated by two different times.

But the pain in their lives were connected.

Y/n had been alone ever since she could remember. All she could depend on was the soulmate that was destined to be at her side. Yet when the snap occurred she lost him.

And Bucky never got to meet her.

After the rather unsuccessful trial, Y/n asked Nat to help her find the showers, figuring the routine act of showering couldn't hurt in easing her busy mind. Y/n dropped the bag off in a room Nat told her was free to use and once grabbing a new set of clothes, they headed off making friendly chatter as they went. But Nat was quieter than usual, an unconscious frown settling in her lips. 

"Wow, if I had known the showers here were so nice I wouldn't have insisted on going home after training." Y/n marveled at the spotless shower room, ogling at the appeasing design. 

Nat let herself be removed from her thoughts, a small smile escaping as she stepped further into the room. Like most gym showers they were separated by small stalls, a clouded door cutting off the occupant from view. It was well lit and simplistic, the only noticeable decoration outside of the marbled tiles being the Avengers logo. 

"Yeah, the showers are pretty nice. There’s towels and toiletries in any of those cabinets over there.” Nat explained, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the row of neat and out of the way cabinets. Y/n nodded quietly, looking around as Nat moved to sit on one of the benches in the center of the room. 

Y/n tried to ignore the tension that seemed to build around Nat. Her eyes focused on the floor not even noticing as Y/n walked past her making her way to the cabinet. A familiar sense of worry crept into her bones as she shot another glance at Nat. 

Even the towels were pleasing to the eye, all stacked in beautiful rolls on the shelf. Y/n grabbed one, pondering if being one of the heroes was really such a bad thing. A painful feeling bubbled in her chest at the thought and she shut the cabinet with a silent exhale. The responsibilities that came with being a hero certainly weren't worth nice towels. But maybe her friends were. 

"You know in Steve's defense, he tried to tell them to wait for you." Nat vouched, looking up from her hands as Y/n moved to the showers. Y/n scoffed a little, relieved that Nat was talking again. She switched on the water, grateful for the sound it created to fill the silence between their statements. 

"Yeah, well, for Steve that was a pathetic attempt. He could talk someone into robbing a bank if he wanted to, you know." Y/n replied, sending Nat a jesting look. She received a half hearted laugh from Nat as the door closed behind her. 

She tugged off her clothes letting them pile onto the floor before tossing them onto the bench next to her clean set. Both were silent for a moment or two as Y/n stepped into the water, telling herself she was only a little jealous of the water pressure. The warmth that flushed against her skin was soothing and a soft breath slipped past her lips as she allowed herself to relax. 

However, her relief didn't last much longer than a couple of fleeting seconds before Nat spoke up again, her tone establishing a more serious mood. "Why do you still belittle yourself?" Her voice rang out clear as a bell, making sure Y/n couldn't pretend she didn't hear. 

Y/n's bare shoulders slumped and she inhaled deeply, pushing forward her palms to the falling water. Apparently her past hadn't been as concealed as she hoped. 

"What do you mean?" Y/n questioned, trying her best to keep an innocent feel to her words. But Nat wasn't having any of her games. 

"Your whole, 'I'm just a psychiatrist' thing. I'm surprised Steve hasn't figured out that it's not true." Nat remarked. Y/n knew it was an accusation but the way in which Nat spoke was calm like she was making an observation. 

"He hasn't had reason to suspect otherwise. I thought the same about you but I was wrong, I guess." Y/n confessed, any defensiveness toward being exposed washing away with the sweat on her body. It was only a matter of time before one of the Avengers found out and she was glad it was just Nat. 

A strained laugh echoed through the room and Y/n could practically see Nat's offended expression. "I used to be a spy and assassin, you really think I didn't find out everything about you when Steve brought you here the first time?" She questioned. Y/n hummed in response, grabbing the shampoo bottle next to her towel. 

"I was going to tell Steve too but, ever the gentleman, he wanted to respect your privacy." Nat explained. She shifted her legs, letting them cross as her eyes landed on the signature 'A' on the wall. 

"And you didn't?"

Nat dropped her gaze to her folded hands, picking at her fingers more out of habit than distress. "I couldn't. When you started to come around, we were receiving the backlash of the snap. There were hundreds more death threats than ever before, which I didn't even think was possible. I couldn't take the chance of Steve getting hurt because he's too trusting." 

Y/n remained silent, understanding Nat's actions. Though it irked her that the secret of her history was no longer her own, she reasoned with her irrational side to let it go. 

"Imagine my surprise when I found out you'd actually been scouted by S.H.I.E.L.D for years." Nat continued. The slick feeling lingered in Y/n's hair as she struggled to get the conditioner to wash out, her focus deviating from the routine toward Nat. 

"Why did you never accept? They'd been hunting you down since you were 13." The question sounded desperate and hurt as if the refusal was directed at Nat herself.  

Y/n sighed wringing out her hair and shutting off the water. "You don't know everything." She mumbled. "I did accept." She tucked the towel around herself before stepping out, meeting Nat's confused gaze. "S.H.I.E.L.D had been trying to get me to join since they had found out about me and once I was 14, I ran away and joined." She continued. 

A darkness settled in her eyes and she directed her eyes away from Nat, instead glaring at the floor. "Why didn't you stay?" Nat asked, her voice more tender once noticing the pain in Y/n's expression. 

"I realized S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't what I thought it was." A sick feeling settled in Nat's core as she quickly put a timeline together. 

HYDRA. 

Nat stayed silent even as Y/n moved to sit next to her. "Look, I'm sorry for not telling you. Believe it or not I have trust issues too. But by the time I got to know you guys, I thought telling you the truth would do more harm than good." Y/n admitted, lifting her eyes to meet Nat's. 

"It's okay." Nat offered her support, glancing over at Y/n. The brisk air nipped at her damp skin making her almost shiver when droplets fell from her hair and ran down her back. "I just wish you'd stop pretending you don't belong here." 

"I don't belong here." Y/n fought, her brows furrowing in frustration. "I'm not a hero. I'm not an Avenger. Everything I said back there was true." She insisted, trying to cling to the life she'd created for herself. 

"But you worked for S.H.I.E.L.D." Nat tried to emphasize as though it would change Y/n's mind. She shook her head looking away from Nat. She should've never stayed. 

"I don't want to talk about it, Nat." Y/n pleaded. The desperation in her tone overpowered any need to question further and Nat nodded, putting a gentle hand on her friend's forearm. 

"Alright, we don't have to talk about it." Her words trailed on and Y/n dreaded what she sensed Nat wanted to say. "But you have to tell Steve. The longer you wait, the more it'll hurt him." She warned.

Y/n dragged herself up to her feet offering a reluctant nod. She knew telling Steve would either change nothing or everything about their relationship and she feared the moment when she would have to find out which. 

"I will. But you can't say anything to him about this until I do. This stays between us." Y/n urged. Nat gave a small nod of agreement but Y/n could tell she would go back on her word if it meant keeping Steve safe. 

Though it hurt a little that Nat believed she'd hurt Steve, she understood her weariness. Her past had been the one thing Y/n had protected for so long and Nat wasn't sure how she would react to having to share it. But what Nat didn't know was that Steve and her came first to Y/n even before herself. 

"So, what exactly did they recruit you for? It didn't say in the report." Nat asked cautiously, trying to ease some of the tension between them. Y/n felt a hint of a smile creep onto her face, figuring Fury must've had some kind of contingency plan to protect her even after his death. 

"Well, I'm kind of a certified genius." Y/n answered, slightly amused by her explanation and the look of surprise it earned. "Graduated early and stayed at SHIELD for a year as their personal genius." Y/n elaborated looking back at Nat with an offended gawk. "What did you think I was recruited for?"

"I'm not sure." Nat replied, trying to apply this new piece of information to her memories with Y/n. All this time she was a genius? It didn't seem real with some of the stupid things she'd done.

"After my time with S.H.I.E.L.D I joined a high school for some normalcy until I transferred to college. Thankfully I'd be moved around enough classes to avoid suspicion. You must've seen all the classes on my record." Y/n explained, tugging on a t-shirt. 

Nat's brow furrowed and she scoffed, letting her shoulders slump in disbelief. "I thought you were just indecisive." Nat let out a breathless laugh. Y/n chuckled, pulling her jeans up and opening the door. Bringing her belongings out with her, she sat next to Nat to slip on her shoes. 

"Maybe that played into it. Everything was too easy for me but psychology kept my attention." Y/n turned to Nat, studying her thoughtful gaze. "Come on, I'm sure Steve is looking for us." She nudged her friend's arm, drawing her to her feet. 

"You know, for being ex-S.H.I.E.L.D, I thought you'd be easier to train." Nat teased earning a harsh glare from Y/n. 

"They wanted me for my brain, I only had to pass basic training." Y/n defended, jabbing her elbow into Nat's side. The woman laughed in reply, enjoying the pout that had settled on Y/n's lips. 

•••

As if the universe decided to have pity on them, Tony changed his mind, arriving at the compound with what he affectionately called a Time-Space GPS. Bruce seemed almost relieved now that Tony had joined, knowing the whole operation no longer rested on him. 

Or so he thought. Surely, he must've noticed Y/n adjusting his calculations and making suggestions that he would've never thought of. Maybe he just wanted to respect her secret? She gazed at said man with a suspicious glint in her eyes, not even noticing as Tony turned to her.  

"Hey, Doc. What are you doing here?" Tony asked suddenly, turning to Y/n's strangely familiar face. Her eyes flicked toward him, her face flushing in embarrassment as she readied herself for his disapproval. 

"I-I..." She stammered timidly under the gaze of her idol. Something in his eyes seemed knowing, a look that Nat gave her only minutes before and she began to crack with fear of her past being out in the open. It was out of character for her to be so anxious and Steve quickly stepped in sensing her unease.  

"She's with me." He said, his tone firm as Tony turned to him. Tony raised an eyebrow at this, confused by Steve's defensiveness. She was at risk being there but Steve didn't seem to care. 

Y/n had already gone this far with them and that made her a part of the team in his book. She may not have had superpowers or been in battles like they had but she was a hero for years by simply helping those their failure had hurt. She did what they had hoped to do but in the end never really did. She made the world better. 

"Alright…and since when did we bring civilians into this?" Tony argued. Y/n could hear a bit of concern in his tone and her brows furrowed wondering why on Earth he'd care if she got caught in the crossfire. She was a nobody to him.

"Since now." Steve fought. Tony sighed knowing fighting with Steve was pointless. He had spent years resenting the man and he didn't have the energy to fight him anymore. 

"Okay, awesome." Tony said sarcastically. Y/n watched as he held his hand next to his mouth leaning over to her. "Blink twice if you're being held here against your will." He whispered, loud enough for Steve to hear. 

Y/n's nerves dissipated and a soft smile came to her face as Steve frowned. She turned to Tony shaking her head, her suppressed laugh bringing his own smile forward. 

"I like you." She told him. He looked at her with an amused glimmer in his eye as he put an arm around her shoulders. He didn't know why but there was something familiar about her, a joy from his presence that only came from one that admired him. 

"Y'know what, I kinda like you too." He said gently, trying to figure out why he seemed to recognize the feeling. "Well, let's at least get you some kind of gear since you're gonna be stuck with us. Jeez, are we just gonna send her out there with a little clipboard? You guys are insane." Tony taunted, pulling himself away and turning a playful glare to Steve. 

"I wasn't planning on sending her into a fight." Steve tried to defend, not picking up on Tony's joke. Tony's mood changed with Steve's and he sighed, starting to lead Y/n off to the lab.  

"Yeah, well, I learned the hard way that anyone who's involved with us always ends up in the fight." Tony told him, not waiting around for a response. Y/n gave Steve a tender look as she followed Tony, her heart aching at the sight of Steve's guilty expression. As much as he hated to admit it Tony wasn't wrong. 

Was he doing the right thing? 

"What school did you go to?" Tony asked suddenly. She opened her mouth to question why he was asking but he beat her to it with a short shrug. "I saw the work you did. Lemme guess, some kind of tech school?" He inferred. 

She nodded slowly, trying to hide the stupid grin on her face at his subtle compliment. If only he'd known. They entered the lab and she stopped walking as Tony paced forward, trying to find some bracelets like Natasha had once used. 

"Midtown. I was really interested in making new technology." She explained. The mention of the school made him pause an intense feeling of grief washing over him as Peter came to his mind. He sighed trying to force the memories away. He was doing this for Peter and everyone else. 

"Why'd you stop?" He asked. Y/n shook her head, coming to stand next to the table to his right. 

"I guess other opportunities came around." She replied hoping he wouldn't question further. "But after that didn't pan out I went to college, learned anything and everything I could. I wanted to do it all and couldn't stick to one topic. Don't get me wrong, I still love science, hell, I even have the old arc reactor and repulsors I made back in the day. Just psychology was the only thing that could meet my ambition." She sighed, leaning against the table. 

Tony was silent for a moment realizing why he took such a liking to her. She reminded him of Peter. He sighed knowing he was going to do something stupid as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small earpiece. 

"Were they any good?" He asked. She laughed giving a little nod as she thought of all the cuts and bruises she got from using them. 

"Well, I could fly a few yards in the air and I'm sure those poor soda cans had seen better days but they weren't exactly Iron Man quality." She confessed. He nodded, putting out his hand to her. Her eyes fell on the piece, her brow creasing in confusion. 

"Come on, before I change my mind." He urged. She quickly took it, studying the earpiece as he looked away. Tony never really had handled touching moments like those well. It had something to do with his own self hatred, he just couldn't understand why someone would look up to him. 

"What is it?" She asked curiously, tracing over the small button behind the ear hook. He moved to lean against the table beside her, using his finger to point out the button. 

"Uh, a gift for my wife but she didn't much care for the color. It's just a prototype anyways but it should work the same. Put it on and press that." He instructed watching as she pushed off the table and took a couple steps in front of him. She slipped on the earpiece, pressing the button like he told her. 

Bits of metal began to expand from the piece and it flushed over her body covering her from head to toe. A display lit up in front of her and she gasped as a voice greeted her, introducing itself as F.R.I.D.A.Y and welcoming Y/n. She quickly retracted the helmet staring at Tony with wide eyes, completely speechless. He smirked, trying not to show how entertained he was by her awestruck expression. 

"I don't understand…" Y/n said quietly. She was overjoyed to be given a suit, something she had spent most of her teenage years trying to recreate, by her hero nonetheless. But also confused. Why would he give her something so valuable? 

"How old are you?" Tony asked. Y/n's mouth hung open trying to find the relevance of the question before looking away. 

"24, almost 25." She answered slowly. Tony nodded. She was still so young yet so smart for someone who hadn't even reached thirty. Yet, she still had the ignorance that came with innocence. She hadn't seen what most of those on the team had and he wished to protect that like he had intended for Morgan. 

"I lost a kid because of Thanos. Though it wasn't just Thanos's fault I guess, we were too busy fighting one another to get our heads out of our asses and pay attention to the real threat." He crossed his arms, staring at the wall. 

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how that must've felt." She said. He offered her a half hearted chuckle looking up at her. 

"You really are a psychiatrist." He said, trying to mask the sorrow that filled his heart and gaze. But Y/n had seen enough people to know exactly what diverting looked like. Tony had been right about her not experiencing horrible things and she knew she'd never understand what they felt. The only trauma she'd experienced was the loss of her family but it was nothing compared to half the universe's blood on your hands. 

But while she didn't experience it first hand, she did through the people she'd become close to. She saw not only every tragedy that affected them but every reaction to it. She saw the brightest in them but also the dark that no one should ever have to see. She saw the aftermath of what they did and had experienced. And in that way she was just as wise.  

"He would've been around your age. He was like you, bright and hopeful. He was going to be better than me, better than any of us." Tony said softly and Y/n listened carefully. It was strange seeing the man that once appeared godlike in her eyes to have flaws or breakdowns for that matter but she had to remind herself he was human too. 

"Well, maybe after all of this, you can give him this suit instead." She suggested. He looked up to her, his expression insecure but his eyes grateful as he chuckled. 

"Keep it. Black never really was his style anyways." Tony remarked. Y/n smiled and he smiled back, realizing just how much he had changed her life by doing that. He cleared his throat, breaking eye contact before pushing off the table and walking off. 

"Well, we better get to work. I promised the old soulmate I'd be back for dinner." He joked. Y/n nodded watching as he went before turning back to the suit. 

It shaped to her frame as if it was fitted for her which was strange for a metal suit. Judging by the way it had moved she figured it had been nanotech, similar to the suit Tony had worn in the New York fight in 2018. It was surprisingly easy to maneuver in and she instantly figured out the concept of the display, getting acquainted with the A.I. F.R.I.D.A.Y. 

She didn't understand why Tony's wife wouldn't just adore the suit even though it was a prototype. The color was amazingly detailed, mostly black with silver accents in the grooves of the metal. She supposed having Tony Stark as a husband meant being able to make specific requests as to high tech.  

Y/n grinned idiotically, letting the suit retract back into the earpiece before going out to meet the others. 

Could she be one of them? 

•••

"That's Thor?" Y/n whispered harshly to Rhodey as the hobo looking man sipped his beer. His prominent beer gut moved with him and his sunglasses slipped down the bridge of his nose as Y/n stared in distaste.  

"Supposed to be." Rhodey answered shortly. Y/n remembered Thor being the object of every woman's fantasies but the years had not been kind to him and she figured it was no longer the case. 

"I'm gonna go check in with Big Guy. Ask Tony how long this thing's gonna take." Rhodey announced, jerking his thumb back to the time machine behind them. Y/n nodded absently, catching sight of Tony as Rhodey walked away. 

"Hey, Tony! I told Rocket that we need to add more paneling the exterior of this thing or it's going to fall apart but he doesn't think so. You'd think fixing spacecraft and all he'd understand the importance of paneling!" She explained, shouting the last part back at Rocket with a glare. "But whatever." She sighed sarcastically, turning back to Tony with an annoyed expression

Tony came toward her, carrying a bit of tubing over his shoulder as he carefully walked around Thor. He rolled his eyes at both him and her statement, calling over to Rocket. 

"What's the thickness of that exterior?" He questioned. Rocket looked at him from his hanging position giving a nonchalant shrug. 

"Quarter inch. Your girl over here is just paranoid." Rocket argued, making Y/n cross her arms. Tony shook his head, walking over to him and setting down the tubing. 

"You might wanna listen to her, Ratchet. That's like half an inch short of what we need." Tony said. Y/n hummed in agreement, not caring about the annoyed look she earned from the angry raccoon. 

"It's Rocket. Take it easy, you two aren't the only geniuses on Earth." Rocket fought before returning to his task. Tony scoffed, turning to look at Y/n whose face was flushed at the comment. 

"Hey, Couch Doctor. You want me to help you start on the paneling?" He questioned. She waved her hand dismissively, looking around for the metal sheets they would need. 

"Nah, it's ok. I'll handle it. I was the one that mentioned it anyways." She volunteered, tugging off her Midtown sweatshirt and tossing it over a stack of materials they'd been using. Her arms were now exposed in the tank top she wore, allowing Tony to catch sight of her countdown. 

"Well, that's interesting." He commented. Y/n followed his gaze to her wrist. Her face flushed from uncovering her rare countdown but she tried to brush it off but grabbing some welding tools. Thankfully, it was only them and the raccoon, making her relax slightly.

"Yeah, wish I could explain it but I'm at a loss." She mumbled. Tony couldn't bring his gaze from her wrist as she gathered the welding unit and protective gear. He tried not to make it obvious while he calculated the numbers but Y/n caught his stare giving him a quizzical look. 

"That's almost 90 years ago. Isn't that around Cap's time?" He asked. Y/n paused, her gaze dropping to her countdown. She'd made her own calculations before, piecing together that her countdown would put her 88 years in the future.

However, she'd never thought about it the opposite way. There was no reason to.

Tony felt a little at fault for her sorrow and he quickly changed the subject, trying to take her mind off it. 

"I mean there can't be too many hundred year-old men in the world." He mumbled. She shook away the thought, doing her best to disregard any theroies. It made more sense that her countdown was looking into the future rather than the past, as odd as that sounded.

Trying hard to force away the thought of her soulmate, she began welding some of the plating onto the machine. It was a difficult subject for her yet it had been brought up twice in the matter of a day. 

"So, I gave you a suit. Now I gotta give you a name." He announced suddenly. She stopped her hand lifting the welding helmet to rest atop her head. 

"A name?" She repeated, raising a brow. He nodded, putting out his hands in a playful gesture. 

"Yeah, I mean a hero name. Y'know like Iron Man or Captain America, the whole deal." He explained quickly. She was reluctant but figured a simple name couldn't hurt and she finally smiled looking over at him. 

"What'd you have in mind?" She asked him, watching as he stared at the ground thoughtfully. 

"Um, Iron Girl?" He suggested. 

"Wow, I could tell you put a lot of thought into that." Y/n mused. He chuckled coming to stand next to her, leaning against the machine. 

"You're right that's a little sexist. Uh, Iron Star?" He tried. Y/n provided a small shrug in response, reaching up to pull down the welding helmet. 

"I think I'll just stick with Y/n." She laughed. He groaned letting his hands fall against his thighs. 

"Come on, Iron Star's pretty cool." He argued, rather proud of his brainstorming. Y/n shook her head, sending him an amused glance through the visor. 

"If you say so, Stark."

•••

"Do you think it'll work?" Nat questioned gently. Y/n leaned further into the couch under Nat's intent stare, sipping the water bottle she'd been given. 

"Well, with Tony's help I think we have a chance. His algorithm sure as hell makes more sense than mine." Y/n sighed. Sweat had collected on her brow and she wiped at it with the back of her hand as she closed her eyes. 

She silently wondered how she missed something like that before. Asking about soulmates was an unspoken ban. It was risky after the snap just as risky as asking about someone's family. She'd never thought to ask because Y/n kept it covered and Nat had just assumed she'd lost her soulmate to the snap. 

They'd been working for hours and Y/n requested a break, not sure how much longer she could handle Tony and Rocket bickering over loud music. Nat had come to keep her company but also out of her own curiosity about Y/n's past. From Y/n's position she got a clear few of her countdown something she'd realized she had never seen before. Had her numbers always been so odd? 

Nat shifted uncomfortably on the couch opposite to Y/n, thinking about all those who had disappeared that fateful day. She'd been there when they all vanished and she vividly remembered the dread that set in after watching such a horrific display.

Suddenly, Steve's need for Y/n made perfect sense to her. 

The way Steve's fingers numbly fell into the pile that was once his lifelong friend. The words of shock that slipped through his lips in the form of a whisper. Collapsing onto the ground with the most devastated expression she had ever seen. 

He lost Bucky and so many of his other friends. His new family. He'd lost everything  But he had Y/n. 

And now that he had someone left to fight for he couldn't let her go. Not with hope hanging in the air. 

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Nat looked up, forcing a smile as Y/n took another sip of her water. 

"Just thinking about what's going to happen when we get everyone back." She lied. Y/n swallowed quickly, pointing a playful finger at Nat. 

"I don't know about you but I'm going to take a nap as soon as this is over. Tony's horrible sleeping schedule is rubbing off on me." Y/n laughed. Nat's smile became more genuine as she watched Y/n tap her earpiece letting just the helmet unfold around her head. 

"But first I gotta fix up these protocols a bit. I have no idea what 'Last Ditch Effort Protocol' entails but I really don't wanna find out." Y/n's voice came out sort of muffled and mechanical like Tony's was as Iron Man. 

"Probably something flamboyant." Nat replied. Y/n nodded, her hands swiping at the air before her nonchalantly. 

"Yeah, no one's quite as extra as Tony Stark."

Part nine 

Taglist

@cancanmarvel

@jessyballet

@eldahae

@mc225g

@kissesofdeadforme

@wantingtobekorra

@sxphiiwrld

@lunaticbarnes

@indecisivedolly

@saiyanprincesswanue

@lextheflexsthings

[one-boring-person]

Only Traitors Consort With The Damned. (Part Ten)

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: blood, mentioned death, injury, gun violence

Context: The SRS have finally arrived, in time for Halloween.

A/N: This is a little bit late, but it's slightly Halloween themed, so I hope that it's still alright! Spot the reference I "accidentally" left in there😉😅

Masterlist

Eerie music plays from hidden speakers as the costumed crowd ambles by, children screaming and laughing as scare actors jump out at them, the variety of zombies, witches and mummies, not to mention vampires, too, astounding, movie characters and even some book characters making appearances around every turn, familiar and unfamiliar lines being spoken to cheerful bypassers. Painted masks and faces litter the mixed throng of people, the twinkling, orange-cast lights throwing the crevices of each visage into sharper definition, ghoulish grins becoming longer, twisted grimaces becoming even more painful, the many slashers roaming the Boardwalk now covered in a blacker blood than before, each fake knife, axe and machete lathered in the stuff. A sickly sweet odour lingers in the air as sweets and chocolate are passed around, often accompanied by a smoking joint, or sachet of some other high-class substance, the strong reek of sweat providing an unpleasant undertone as the stifling costumes heat their wearers despite the late October chill.

As a child, I used to love Halloween. There was always something enchanting about it: you could become anything, or anyone you wanted for the night, and no one would question you on your choice, or look at you oddly because everyone was doing the same. A cheery atmosphere always seemed to hang over the annual event, the leading pumpkins that glittered along the streets and the creative decorations building up the necessary excitement over the weeks before the 31st; a fun game of mine had been to run down the streets of my hometown and count every pumpkin we could see, separately, and see who had the highest tally at the end of the day. Once the winner had been decided, they'd get first dibs on the treats handed to us at each door when we later went Trick-Or-Treating, a rule which drew many arguments to the table when we eventually compiled our loot.

Now, as I watch the roaming children, all I can think of is how easy it is for the supernatural to wreck havoc on this night, given that the spiritual veil is much thinner than usual, and no one suspects anyone of the authenticity of their outfit until it's too late. On his night, the SRS always have their hands full, meaning everyone is deployed, not just the normal Hunters: the retired Soldiers still capable of fighting, Clean-Up teams and A.R.O (Aftermath Recon Operatives) Soldiers all made to help out with the bloody massacres that occur all over the country. The holiday has a morbid side that no one sees, and there's always a high body count the next morning.

Beside me, Marko pushes and shoves at people that come too close, the vampire loudly criticizing any costume made to look like his species, his "improvements" just a little too specific to be joking ones, not quite realising that I'm not listening to him. Instead, I'm scanning the crowds, looking out for the tell tale uniform and tactics used by the SRS Clean-Up teams, eyeing any suspicious person keenly until they prove to me they aren't a threat, often earning me harsh stares from their companions. The two of us look out of place in our "normal" clothing, neither of us dressing up, as we forgot that it was, in fact, the 31st, meaning a costume would've provided a good disguise in case we do come across any dangers. Even as we walk, I bite at my lip, feeling very exposed in my current state, my fists clenching at my sides as I try to stop myself from fidgeting too much, knowing that a nervous disposition is a great disadvantage in a fight, should one break out.

"Hey can we get something to eat? I kinda want some food." Marko suddenly asks me, not waiting for my reply as he pulls me over to a nearby sweet stand, the vampire excited by the prospect of buying the sugary treats.

Uneasy, I stand and turn back to the crowd, watching each face closely, my gut starting to feel odd as I notice something odd about a certain few members of the crowd. Eyes widening in realisation, I grab the back of Marko's coat and drag him away from the stand and into the alley behind it, ignoring his protests as I clap a hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet." I command him in a low voice, giving him a warning look as I slowly take my hand away from his mouth.

"What are you doing?" He hisses at me, eyes narrowed.

"They're here." I respond, looking out at the crowd as I try to figure out what to do, thinking over my options until I notice that someone has spotted us over here; someone who I've already identified.

As I watch, they start to make their way over to the stand, casually wading through the people around them as they try to look inconspicuous, though the mere sight of them makes my pulse hitch.

Thinking quickly, I grab the front of Marko's jacket and pull him closer, pressing my back to the wall as I lean closer to his face, ignoring his shocked expression.

"Kiss me, quick!" I order him, wrapping my hands around his neck as he splutters slightly.

"What?"

"Do it!" I growl, pulling him closer.

Still shocked, the vampire leans in and presses his lips to mine, carefully kissing me until I yank on his hair, silently asking him to be a little more rough, to which he responds by shoving me harder into the wall, his hands gripping my hips much tighter. Groaning slightly, I momentarily forget why we're in this situation, letting myself enjoy the rough kisses as he ravishes my mouth with his tongue, only opening my eyes again to look briefly over his shoulder at the Boardwalk, noticing that the person is no longer there. Knowing this, I let the kiss come to its natural end, before pulling away.

"Thanks..." I say, awkwardly, blushing as he reluctantly lets me go, the vampire clearly wanting more as he allows his hand to linger at my hip a little longer than necessary.

"No problem." He wipes his mouth, grinning at me as he regains his composure, "What did you need it for?"

"One of them was coming over here, and it was the first thing I could think of." I admit sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Right." Marko lifts an eyebrow, smirking, "How did you know it was one of them?"

I laugh, dryly, gesturing with my head for him to follow me back out into the crowd.

"Well, back in New Orleans, the head of the SRS realised one Halloween that our Soldiers need a disguise for this particular night, without being too conspicuous, so that they fit in but can also be recognised by each other. She decided that the mask of a plague doctor would be fitting. She said it works for us, because we're ridding the world of a "plague", just as they were." I roll my eyes, "Obviosuly, this makes them very easy for me to spot them, seeing as I used to dress up the same way."

"Oh, right." Marko nods, understandingly, evidently sending some mental explanation to the rest of the vampires, who are stationed around the Boardwalk.

"You can tell them apart, because they have a golden cross engraved just below the right eye on the mask, so we don't get mixed up with others." I clarify for him.

"Good to know." He frowns, "Did you say she decided? As in the head of the SRS is a girl?"

I nod, a little annoyed by the question, but knowing where he's coming from.

"Yep. Her name is Valentine Fletcher. She's the best fighter we've ever had and has the largest body count of all. Not even the Generals around the world come close to her efficiency, she's just too good. I've met her once, and she was also one of the most stuck-up princesses I've ever come across."

"I guess that's why she's the leader, then." Marko chuckles, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Excuse me." An unfamiliar voice interrupts us, a hand placing itself firmly on my shoulder as I turn around to face the person. My heart drops as I take in the eerie black beak-shaped mask, the golden cross glittering under the right eye as they catch the lights, the cloaked figure keeping a strong grip on my arm.

"Can I help you?" I ask, getting ready to run as Marko notices the cross, too.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could come with me." The Soldier says, though the tone in her voice is much more demanding, informing me that there is, in fact, no choice.

"I'd rather not." Without a second thought, I slam my arm into her elbow, snapping it inwards as she lets out a surprised cry, allwoig me time to duck under her and and push past her, sprinting away into the crowd with Marko hot on my heels.

Five loud gunshots sound behind us, the Soldier having shot at us with a hidden gun through the crowd, screams and shouts of fear and panic suddenly tearing through the air as the atmosphere suddenly becomes too real, the bullets smashing into the ground behind the two of us terrifying the costumed Boardwalk-goers. Instantly, the crowd around us starts pushing and shoving each other, the heaving current of people now pushing us along as they scramble to get to safety, arms flailing and legs kicking as they go, slowing our progress significantly. Growling in frustration, I pull Marko to the side, intending to reach the alley again, wincing when there are two more shots behind us, though I make it to safety without a scratch. It's only when I hear Marko's laboured breathing that I realise he wasn't so lucky.

"Shit, Marko, are you going to be alright? Can you keep moving?" I ask him, being to figure out where he was shot as he starts to sway on his feet, eyes drooping closed as the pain starts to eat away at him. Grimacing, I swiftly scan the area, spotting a large bin a little way away, which I drag him over to.

"Get in there and close the lid, you'll be safe." I tell him, opening it and giving him a leg up into the reeking interior, helping him settle as quickly as I can, before I go to move again, "I'll be back."

With one last look at him, I firmly shut the lid and start running down the alley, taking as many winding corners as I can, hoping to throw them off as I start to hear pounding footsteps behind me, shouts and calls seemingly coming from everywhere as I start to breathe harder, my pulse pounding in my ears. Adrenaline pumps through my veins, giving me the speed I need to get away from my pursuer, the air rushing harshly into my throat as I turn down another backroad.

A sudden gunshot, followed by a spike of agony in the back of my knee brings me to the floor, my body crashing into a discarded car as it rolls awkwardly to a halt, groans of pain swiftly starting to leave me. Gripping at the new wound on my leg, I try to force myself upright again, only to be kicked back to the ground again by a cloaked figure, who keeps kicking until I'm cowering on the ground, blood pouring down my face. When they are finished, they reach down and force me into a standing position, half-dragging me out of the alley and to the car park conveniently placed by the mouth of the road, where a circle of similarly clad people are waiting, the forms of three kneeling people visible in the dim light of the streetlights. Pulling me over to them, my attacker throws me to the ground in the centre of the circle, manhandling me onto my knees, drawing a small cry of pain from me.

Looking around at the three kneeling people, I feel my heart stop as I instantly recognise them: David, Dwayne and Paul, the three of them bloodied and beaten, burn marks littering their faces from the holy water that was most likely used on them. Horror and guilt flood me as I see them, David's head coming up so he can make eye contact with me, his blue eyes filled with hate and anger.

"Are we all here now?" Someone asks, their voice unfamiliar to me.

"No, there is one more." A voice calls from a little way away, Marko soon being forced onto his knees beside Paul as he is dragged into the light. The vampire is pale now, dark circles appearing under his eyes as his vampiric features break through, his body trying to keep itself from shutting down as he slowly bleeds out, the bullet wounds still oozing the crimson stuff out onto his shirt.

"Ok, that's everyone, we can get started." The person speaks again, this time sounding more decisive.

"(Y/n) (Y/l/n), you have been arrested for conspiring with the enemy, and for shooting a senior officer, willingly, instead of a vampire that was held hostage. Do you accept these charges?" Someone else says, the voice somewhat familiar, though I don't remember where from.

Knowing it is pointless to resist, I lower my head to my chest and reply.

"I do."

"And you are aware of the punishments that these crimes bring upon you?"

"I am."

"And they are?"

I take a deep breath, my muscles tense as I try to ignore the pain in my body.

"Execution on the sight of capture." I recite robotically, knowing them well.

"Good, you remember some form of honour." They sneer, before addressing the rest of the gathered Soldiers, "Are there any volunteers among us who would like to carry out the deed?"

"I do." My blood runs cold at the sound of the voice, my head lifting to look up at the Hunter that has stepped forwards.

"Elijah Forsyth, you wish to perform the necessary execution of (Y/n) (Y/l/n)?" The first speaker questions, confirming the name to me even as they take off their mask.

Instantly, the cold blue eyes lock with mine, the dark-haired Hunter giving me a poisonous look as he limps over to me.

"I do."

"Then it shall be so. Do what you must."

With those words, Elijah steps over to me, drawing a gun from his belt and cocking it deliberately, maintaining eye contact as he lowers it to my forehead.

As the weapon is brought to my skin, I keep my chin up, refusing to feel bad about the actions that brought me here in the first place. Without a word, I accept the fate that will befall me.

Part Eleven

[papergirllife]

有缘再见

（If Fate Allows We'll Meet Again)

Liu Yang Yang

" What was the most impulsive thing you did before coming to SM ? "

It was another session of soju and wine among the wayv members on a typical Friday night.

All of them exchanged stories of their lives before wayv during these times, and now the question is directed at Yang Yang.

" I had a girlfriend for 4 hours and she's the only girl I dated. "

The mall was crowded as usual, both tourists and locals shop here in Germany.

All of Yang Yang's friends left him to hang out with their girlfriends.

' So much for the bro code ' , he thought.

He walked towards the entrance of the indoor amusement park in the mall.

' Nah it's ridiculous coming here on my own. ' , so he halted his tracks and prepared to leave.

That is until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned his head to see a girl who's significantly shorter than himself, what surprised him was that she was Asian.

" Hi, I'm Y/N, and I'm here alone because my parents are in the concert hall next door. Their concert is going to end at 12, so I have nothing to do and I'm unfamiliar with this country. So I was just wondering if you wanted to be my boyfriend for the next 4 hours ? Show me around, stuff like that. This seems like a huge mall with lots of nice dating spots. "

" Sure. "

Next thing Yang Yang knew was that Y/N bolted towards the ticketing counter and bought back two entry tickets to the indoor amusement park.

" Come on ! We only have 4 hours. "

She took his hand and dragged him to the nearest ride.

" Don't worry, this is really safe. " Yang Yang said as they got into the roller coaster.

" Who says I'm scared ? "

And true to her words, she wasn't.

Yang Yang was surprised to see that she enjoyed every moment of the thrill of the exhilarating ride.

She even laughed aloud after they finished the ride. She truly was a girl Yang Yang had never encountered.

Yang Yang and Y/N got on all the rides that girls usually never go for, the ones that make your hair all messed up, the ones that get you a little wet, even the scary ones that his homies' girlfriends avoided like the plague.

When Yang Yang asked her why she said, " because the more scary they are, the more complicated the mechanism is, the more complicated the mechanism is, the more expensive the cost of the ride is. In conclusion, I'm making my money's worth instead of wasting it on the plastic ponies. "

She pointed at the carrousel which was filled with girls their age with full fledged make up, taking selfies in front of the magical lights.

That was when Yang Yang noticed that she wasn't wearing any make up, unlike all the German girls he's seen. The only thing she's wearing is probably coloured lip balm, a bright shade of orange red adorned on her lips.

Even her clothes were different, more eastern style he suspects.

Instead of the gym tights girls like to wear, she's wearing black skinny jeans and a silk button up. A tiny jade replica of a dragon dangles from a yarn necklace, similar to the one his mom has. Y/N's Chinese, just like him.

' That would explain her opinion on rides that are worth her money. ' Yang Yang lets out a smile at that thought.

" What are you laughing about ? Is it about my hair being messed up ? "

She reached her hand up to tame her messy hair.

" No I was just thinking about your theory on rides that are worth your money. "

" I should be eligible for Harvard for that. "

Yang Yang realised how much he truly enjoyed Y/N's presence, the way she jokes and the way she sees things differently.

Yang Yang shook his head of these thoughts.

' You only get to be her for a few hours, don't overthink this, just enjoy it while it lasts. '

" How about we grab something to eat ? My treat. "

" I'd love to. "

They arrived at a classic German cuisine restaurant.

" Are you sure about this, Yang Yang ? This place looks kinda pricey. "

" Don't worry, I bought extra money thinking my friends wouldn't bail me out on this. "

" You were with friends? "

" Yeah, they ditched me for their girlfriends. "

" My girls do that to me too, I'm always jealous of them, running off like that. They always say I'm too shy to date anyone. Y/N, the one who's never impulsive when it comes to dating. "

" How about we take a photo together ? You can brag about our little rendezvous here. "

" Your ideas are always appealing, Yang Yang. "

She scooted over her chair to Yang Yang whilst he asks for a waiter's aid in taking the photo.

After they finished their meal, they went to the clawing machines.

" You didn't seem like the type to like these. "

" I used to get them for my mom when I was young. I want you to have one too, something to remember me by or this moment. "

Yang Yang got it on his 5th try, which probably costs the same as if you bought one at a store.

' But it's the sentimental meaning that counts. ' Y/N thought to herself.

Yang Yang placed the plushie in her hands. It was a Stitch.

" Why the Stitch ? "

" You don't like it ? "

" I do. But I want to know the reason behind your choice of plushie for me. "

" In Hawaiian, Lilo and Stitch means lost and found. You were sort of lost tonight, but you found me. Now that I've given you a Stitch, I'll always be beside you wherever you are. Whenever you feel lost in life, give it a hug, think of it as me being there for you. "

Y/N enveloped Yang Yang into her tiny, but warm embrace.

" Thank you so much Yang Yang, I'll remember you forever and this moment we're having. "

Both Yang Yang and Y/N are tearing up now, both of them have never encountered such a special person in their lives, and the thought of separating after tonight seems to hollow out their hearts.

Yang Yang checked his watch, 11.30 p.m. .

" We only have thirty minutes left before your parents come back to fetch you and the mall closes. How about we break your rule about rides that are complicated only and take a ride on the ferris wheel ? "

" Sure. "

Yang Yang took Y/N's hand into his and led her to the queue of the ferris wheel, they didn't let go all the way throughout the waiting, even as they boarded the compartment.

The ride was silent, the both of them leaned into each other's embrace. Y/N's head on Yang Yang shoulder. Yang Yang's hand around her waist.

As they reached the top of the ride, Yang Yang broke the silence.

" This is going to be the most cliché thing you ever heard. But can I kiss you? "

Y/N had the biggest smile on her face as she put her hands behind his nape to lean in and connect their lips.

The happy couple was inseparable as they wandered through the flee market in the mall, Yang Yang's arm slung over Y/N's shoulder, keeping her by his side.

Y/N stopped her tracks at a jewelry stall. She picked up a pair of earrings that were placed on the table.

" How much is this ? "

" 8. "

She paid for the earrings and took off one of her own, and slipped it into her wallet

It was a star, the other was a crescent moon.

She handed the moon to Yang Yang.

" Wear this as long as you still like me, and take it off when you no longer like me. So when the next time if we ever meet again I'll know if we still share the same feelings. Deal ? "

" Deal. "

Yang Yang removed his earring to put on the one you have him.

" Dear shoppers, closing time is in two minutes. Please finish your shopping and proceed to the exits. We're opening at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, we welcome you again then. And remember to drive home safely. "

" My parents should be waiting for me at the main exit about now. "

" I'll walk you there. "

Yang Yang wished this mall was when bigger than it is now, just so that he could spend more time with Y/N.

Y/N stopped her tracks at the side of the escalators at the first floor.

" Those are my parents. It's best that they don't see me with someone they don't know, they're rather protective. "

" So this is goodbye ? We could keep in touch, Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat ? "

" I live on the other side of the world, Yang Yang. But there's still a chance we'll meet again, let fate decide for us. "

She gave him one last kiss on the lips.

“ 有缘再见。”

“ 有缘再见。 ”

Yang Yang was starting to let her hand go, but he suddenly thought of something he hasn't asked.

" Wait. I still have one more thing I need to know. Why the moon and the star? Out of all the other ones. "

" Because in the vast night sky, the moon and the stars will always belong together, no matter where they are. "

She squeeze his hand for the last time, and let go.

Yang Yang watched her until she reached her family, he could see her smile from here.

Y/N turned back to look at Yang Yang one last time.

' I'll never forget you and I'll probably never move on. ' She thought to herself.

After Yang Yang finished the story, he grabbed the nearest soju bottle and downed the remaining of its contents.

" Thank goodness we don't have any schedules tomorrow. " Kun muttered to himself.

" So that's why you never take off this earring unless the stylists tell you to. " Ten said to the others.

" You never found this girl? Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat ? " Xiao Jun asked.

" No, she's like a ghost. "

" Get some sleep soon, Yang Yang. " Kun told him.

Yang Yang only nodded, too far down the memory lane to heed Kun's words.

One by one all of them retired back into their own rooms to rest for the day.

' Will I ever meet her again ? " Yang Yang asked himself.

A week has passed since Yang Yang retold his story. All the members avoided triggering his mood. He was still smiley Yang Yang in front of the fans, but he shut himself in his room more often than usual.

Yang Yang and Hendery were messing around in the dance studio while the rest of the members were doing their own things, Kun and Xiao Jun practicing a song, Ten and Winwin choreographing.

Suddenly, their manager popped his head in.

" Guys, I'd like you all to meet the members of SM's girl group that are going to promote in China along side wayv. Lee Soo Man said that you guys have to get to know each other in order to work alongside each other. "

He ushered in a group of girls and shut the door behind him.

Kun, being the dutiful leader he is started introducing the wayv members to the girls as they stood in a line.

Yang Yang was typing away on his phone to tell Jaemin when Kun told him to turn it off.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and looked up.

It's her, Y/N.

The both of them had shocked expressions on their face. Y/N's leader was telling her to introduce herself, but she couldn't hear or see anything else other than Yang Yang.

Yang Yang shifted his gaze to her ears, there it was, his star. Y/N did the same to him, seeing the moon made her breath a sigh of relief.

" Hi Stitch. Lilo's back. "

Yang Yang pulled her into himself, holding her close.

" Don't ever leave me again. "

" Never again. "

The rests of the people in the room carried on with their intros, letting the couple have some time to themselves.

Y/N pulled away slightly and looked into Yang Yang's eyes.

" I still have the Stitch you gave me. "

" I'd like to see it again. "

" Deal. "

[pokefanbri]

For you.

Nomatter our storms, I glowed bright while with you, so much that I'd do anything for you, even take a bullet. I know you glowed around me too. My heart felt vibrations it never knew it had. But now I dont just glow, I burn brighter than a thousand suns & for myself. But dont forget the light I shined into your life. When you needed me most, I was always there. To not be that for me, well..the way things were left should've shown me you were never willing to have my back in return like I always suspected. Something broke in you, early on it was though you were lost, not the same, different than the spontaneous romantic man that I used to know & boredom of me set in quick. My light dwindled thereon but I still shined it on you anyway. Depression can affect so much i know, dont let it, but if it does take a stand & do something differently to help the situation at hand

Sweetheart you broke my spirt, I trusted you not to hurt & let me down. I was unacceptable to you, but i accepted you. No girl deserves that treatment to their heart. You may guard yours til you find what your looking for, but 1st find what you're missing, know how you affect, actually care about a girls feelings & yes even more than your own if u wanna make her happy. Love is when you go out of your way to make someone happy..its feeling happy with someone by your side..but u lost that.. your light.

Thats all i did & making sure you were was a full time job...u lost interest anyway, but you didnt care about mine as much...my happiness was everything to do with you babe...you're all i had up there. What would happen if i did go to work then, would u go behind my back with some1 else or wait for me to come home with backrubs at the ready? actually fucked my life up because i trusted you when I shouldn't have, & didnt have to result to that all either 😔 Dont hurt a girls heart for the sake of protecting yours, from ever being shown. You expect someone to do anything for u out of love, expect them to listen of your promises of love but then cannot deliver the same.

Why do you hate me my love, what did i ever do to deserve an unjust chance with you at all. Why did you try to be with me if you weren't expecting love to happen. Ive never met someone so heartless toward someone else's. Love knows no bounds, apparently you do.

This is extremely important. Sweetheart the more you hold back, the more it makes it so much harder to find...Believe that. Your heart needs vulnerability so you can feel it. God if u felt the way do..in any relationship really, your heart might beat for the 1st time. Its a bizarre & great feeling cuz u just know, its the heartbreak that follows which hurts so much.

You treated me like i was a bad influence after things were said & done, made me out to be the bad guy, but I wasn't at all. I was damn good to you babe 😔 I deserve to be treated fairly. But the more i was ignored, the more my health was low. You affect me in a good way, but also in a way that was destroying me. 90% of my sobbing was over you not being there for me.

My point is, dont ever let someone down again, do not betray them, do not treat them like you do a random on xbox, sympathize & relate, be more accepting of others. Be better for their sake & your own. Open your heart..even if you guard it to not be hurt..thats just part of the experience.

It killed you to be alone before, you're right back where you started...and now I'm in the same boat. As much as i should hate you I can't, cause nomatter how much you hurt me or hurt eachother...the limitless forgiveness I get from God, our experiences & kindness together and just the shitty timing of 2020 prevents my heart from pushing you out completely.

If I could have the "if we were still alone with no kids & tired of the bs at age 35-40ish" pact with any best friend, id reserve it for you babe hands down. You are best guy friend afterall, whether you consider me one idk. And if u ever want dating advice & whatever help u need regarding a relationship, im here to give any encouraging advice ❤

Few last words. I found the broadcast of her memorial & sat with undivided attention, was like I was at church again 😊 loved the welcoming warmth. Saw you speak, heard what you said, you spoke well but were so sad i wanted to hold you & take your pain away 😥 I broke down as I sit there thinking of your grandma & how I would've loved to meet her. I was praying..speaking to her as if she were listening & ofcourse about u, praying for u & asking for her God & all my passed loved ones to lay their hands on me & pray with me. A breezy chill ran up my spine & I calmly paused...but then i continued to cry even harder & fell to my knees, i know I was heard. Hope u dont dismiss my heart to heart writing if u find them. I give great advice..somewhere in all the nonsense 🤔 jk. That scar on my left leg from your basement steps 😂 you left your mark on me in that way as well, you'll always be a part of me. Ive continued my progress from up there, I began to change the things u didnt like but kept going after things ended. I've quit smoking & feel/look better than I have in ages..whilst still keepin u in mind, I have you to thank 100%. U know how much of a dick you are lol knock it off. U best not turn into a bitter old man rather than sweet as sugar. Accept her, eachother at your worst, & she'll be the best...& you'll be the best for her too. Hope you grow & get to experience true mutual love 1 day. Nobody will take care of your needs if u simply don't for them.

You were an awesome & beautiful waste of my time. Let 2021 be hopefully different & less shitty for us both. Protect yourself & stay safe out there. Pray to God everyday & ask for healing. You're definitely a Trip to remember, see u around someday friend

I have nothing else to say.

❤👋

https://open.spotify.com/track/1uviKYHZuM4uINK33F7sCt?si=XMEoUDe3RKOYk4z4HuYO9Q

[theangrypokemaniac]

@nyarthsis

If Team Rocket 'always had a heart for unpopular Pokémon', that's an admission their Alola catches aren't particular loveable creatures, so I'm not thinking anything too controversial.

You're saying they take pity on the animals no one wants, as in it's normal for me not to find them adorable.

Some Pokémon, such as Lucario, become fan favourites without the advertisement of a regular role the anime. With Wobbuffet, Bewear, Stufful, Mareanie and Mimikyu, do people like them for themselves, or because of their association with Team Rocket?

I think its the latter. I can't imagine there would be such interest in them were they to be owned by a Twerp or appear as a one-off. Really then, it's not what or who they are, it's to whom they belong that matters.

Alola has really devalued catching. Rather than be true to the source material, so battering a Pokémon into submission, as Ash did with Bulbasaur, Primeape, Muk, and many others, now you have to ask their permission!

Bewear didn't even get that. She hung around for no reason, and her 'friend' Stufful was belatedly tacked on. I see why those two were left behind, as Team Rocket had no right to take them elsewhere.

In terms of welfare, Mimikyu and Mareanie are better off staying with them, free and safe, rather than locked in the insalubrious depths of H.Q., but then it never bothered the writers sending previous Pokémon into an uncertain future, so what difference does it make now?

It can only be that, like their predecessors, there is no intention to ever bring them back, but unlike the rest, the fans can't even be allowed the vain hope of a return, not with this rather awkward disposal.

It's feasible that Jessie and James could call their base and request old monsters to join them, but it's difficult to imagine they'd fly across the world to Alola, wander through the woods, pick 'em up and go all the way back again. Why make parting so final and irreversible?

It does imply that Game Freak don't like them, so why should I?

I keep noticing this fickle attitude. A new era starts, we're expected to fall instantaneously in love with every element, beg for more and yet more. Then, once the next region arrives, this adoration asked of us is meant to evaporate and immediately transfer to the next batch.

Well why start to like them, if eventually the makers don't care, to the extent you wouldn't even know previous Pokémon had ever been alive?

Have you heard one mention of Seviper, Yanmega, Dustox, Cacnea, Carnivine, and Mime Junior since they left?

Why were they happy to chuck Wobbuffet after Sinnoh, yet fetched for Kalos?

How could Team Rocket live without it for an entire generation but suddenly it's indispensable again? What do you imagine the rest of their Pokémon felt about that?

Have Jessie and James wondered allowed how Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel are doing?

What of the last two generations?

What is this nonsense where every character is so detached from the past?

Supposing I was to force myself to appreciate them: since they've gone, never to return, I'd be dissatisfied with the show, thus no better off than I am now.

My feelings don't run on a switch. I can't find myself besotted one minute then dump the object of affection without a second thought, just because Nintendo want it from me.

Even if I had a more positive opinion of the current interpretation, there's no benefit to becoming involved when it's all so fleeting.

Mareanie is ugly, with three teeth. I think he's a sea anenome, so ought to be more attractive, but it's covered in nipples instead!

It looks like a bonsai tree growing breasts, reminiscent of the hideous content lurking within an Hieronymous Bosch painting.

The idea that all Mimikyu copy Pikachu, the most famous Pokémon, when in their world it's nothing special, is too stupid for me to accept. How could that be coincidence?

It's referencing reality, acknowledging the real world's view of Pikachu as the star, so if it's breaking the fourth wall, it invites disbelief.

Wobbuffet does sod all. It's a complete dead weight and has no attacks. Yet it's the one to survive generation after generation. Where's the logic in that?

I suspect his popularity rests on being there so long he's considered part of the furniture, the sole catch in which you can invest an emotional connection whilst fairly certain he'll remain around.

By now it ought to have developed some semblance of a personality, but it's as faceless as ever. Other Pokémon that have been and gone had a bit more about them, but Wobba's so bland no one can summon the energy to write him out.

If he went, what would you miss? Breaking out of his ball and hissing 'WAAAAAHBUHFEH'? Is that so integral?

I have several objections:

What is it meant to be?

Why does its tail have eyes?

Why is that never mentioned?

Is it a sort of quadruped, or has it only one foot with four toes, arranged like the bottom of a medical walking stick?

A lot of my reactions to Pokémon are influenced by encountering them in the games. With Wobbuffet, I remember first coming across it in the cave near Blackthorn City, and just as you're winning the fight, it pulls out Destiny Bond and suddenly you're both down.

When you finally get one, it's tricky to train. You have no choice but to guess whether the opposition will launch a physical or special move, and mostly you get it wrong. He never learns anything else and doesn't evolve, so it's that forever.

Persevering with Magikarp is worthwhile, but what's to be gained from taking any time out to fight with Wobbuffet?

The anime eliminates this problem. You're aware of the nature of the approaching onslaught because you can see it coming, and the opponent said it aloud.

In this context Wobbuffet should be the most powerful Pokémon in the universe. Come on, it can deflect every attack!

Is it? No. It has a successful defence about once a generation, and still loses the battle. I can't say if it's worse to be utterly pointless, or to not fulfil one's potential.

I resent it muscling in on the motto, as if it's considers itself of equal rank to Meowth. No it's not!

When I was young, there was a tendency for magazines to refer to Team Rocket as a duo. Meowth was judged to be in the same position as Pikachu: a main character yes, and valuable enough to be accorded the privilege of liberty, but still very much owned by people.

You would see references to Jessie and James as his Trainers, though how they assumed this worked went unexplained. Even if shared, one had to have to caught him, thus be his proper owner.

Later on this developed into them being three equal members, and the term 'TRio' emerged, but now, although perhaps not officially recognised, there's an attitude of treating them as a quartet.

It's just wrong! Wobbuffet's not been around since day one. He didn't join Team Rocket voluntarily because he had nowhere else to go. It was a choice made for him by his original Trainer, so out of his hands, or rather his flippers.

If he was an independent Pokémon who just tagged along one day, that would be different, but it belongs to Jessie. Promoting one of hers means James is lesser, and no longer equal.

In each generation Team Rocket catch at least one local Pokémon, but as Wobbuffet's there, it ends up with Jessie having more on her side than James, and I dislike the imbalance. Plus the one he does get is violent.

It can't be solved by giving him another new one, as then he's captured two in the region, and she has only one, so again it's skewed.

Whilst Wobbuffet does count in numbers, he's not on the level of the rest, who fight regularly. He's both there and not simultaneously.

I'm still irked the way Lickitung was ejected to make room.

It was the best Pokémon they ever had! It took out Pikachu, Vulpix and Bulbasaur with one move! It would've won those Princess Dolls for Jessie if the writers hadn't changed the rules so that Lick only affects those of sound mind!

It was as if they realised their mistake too late, and so Lickitung was featured less and less to avoid it dominating a fight, then hurriedly traded away for something reliably feeble.

The following analogy you may not understand, but I think it fits rather aptly:

There's a game called Final Fantasy VIII. One of the side quests involves you racing through a castle under a time limit. If successful, you are rewarded with Odin as a Guardian Force, which is a deity that will provide a defence.

Unlike others, he is out of your control, but every so often, as you enter battle, he turns up and annihilates your opponents. It's very welcome.

Unfortunately this game was programmed by bunyips, who clearly didn't want the last section of the game to be accidently easier for you. Oh no. If you're progressing, it ain't gonna be through luck, or turning the console on and off until he arises.

Therefore, towards the close, you come up against ex-friend Seifer. Odin is fixed to rush to your aid, but when he does, bloody Seifer slices him in half, horse and all!

He killed Odin, the ancient King of the North! The Lord of Valhallah! The Father of the Vikings!

It's not normal fighting death, it's irreversible. He's gone for good.

After this Gilgamesh introduces himself as a replacement. He too will randomly appear and set about the enemy.

The problem is that whilst Odin destroyed monsters unfailingly, with Gilgamesh it's a rarity.

He uses four swords, and which you get is also a lottery.

One is the same as Odin's, two deal average damage, but not death, and the worst one depletes 1 HP, so it might as well not have bothered.

Not only does it arrive but a fraction of the time, but it's in a fraction of those times that it's of any assistance, which is something of a comedown.

Lickitung is Odin: didn't see it often, but it tore the place apart!

Wobbuffet is Gilgamesh: once in a blue moon it provides rescue, but it's on a lot lower percentage than it's predecessor.

It's difficult not to be disappointed.

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Hi, ladies! Just wanted to say I love the stories, and one of my favorite ones is Come Hell or Helwater, and I'd love to see more of it ♥️♥️

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight

Come Hell or Helwater - Part Nine

Claire tried to get more information from Isobel as she followed the girl through the mud of the yard to the main house. The rain had let up earlier that afternoon but clouds shrouded the moon suggesting that the reprieve would only be a temporary one.

“Your sister sent you to fetch me?” she asked.

“I wanted to send for Mother but she said I shouldn’t bother her and that I wasn’t to wake anyone in the house, so I asked if I could come for you and she said I could if it would make me feel better,” Isobel explained, rambling in her anxious state.

Claire felt the surge of adrenaline begin to abate as they came to one of the servants’ entrances near the kitchen in the back of the house.

“Wait,” she urged Isobel in a whisper. “If we need to be quiet about this, I want you to tell me now what’s happened. Why did you want to fetch anyone? You said there was blood?”

Isobel looked longingly at the door for a moment before turning back to Claire and taking a deep breath. “I don’t know what woke me exactly. Usually it doesn’t take too much—the wind or the rain. That’s what I thought it was at first—the wind picking up because the rain was starting again. It sounded like it was howling but as it went on, I realized it wasn’t the wind at all.” Isobel blinked back at the sympathetic wetness gathering in her eyes. “It was Geneva. She was crying, trying to muffle it in her pillow. My room is across the hall from hers. We used to sneak out of bed and climb in with one another when we were younger and had difficulty sleeping or if we heard the other wake with nightmares. I found her in bed but there was some blood too—on her hands and on her shift.”

“But she was conscious and coherent,” Claire said, clarifying and reassuring Isobel. “We’ll be as quiet as we can but from what you’ve told me, it doesn’t sound like she’s in immediate danger. Now… lead the way.”

Isobel seemed calmer as she led Claire into the deserted kitchen. Claire held her back a moment, grabbing a towel and urging her to clean her feet, which, to Claire’s horror, were bare. She also did her best to wipe the mud from her own shoes and minimize the evidence of their trail through the house. Satisfied, she nodded for Isobel to continue showing her the way up the servants’ stairway to the side of the house where the family’s sleeping quarters were.

It was strange to be in that part of the house and not encounter another soul. Each time Claire had gone to see and treat Lady Dunsany there had been housemaids and other servants scurrying around—tending fires, replacing flowers, dusting, carrying clothes to be washed and mended… The carpeting was thick and muffled the sound of their footsteps, even when they passed over spots where the floorboards beneath groaned under their weight.

Isobel didn’t knock, just tried the handle and then the door eased open on silent hinges and Geneva stood before them looking composed and annoyed on the surface, but Claire noted the puffiness around her eyes and the strain in the way she held herself ushering them in and closing the door behind them.

“You… you’ve changed,” Isobel whispered, glancing at Geneva’s crisp shift.

“Go to bed, Isobel,” Geneva instructed her sister. “I let you go for Mrs. Mackenzie, now please, go to bed.”

Isobel looked to Claire with uncertainty and reluctance. Claire took one look at Geneva and smiled at Isobel to reassure her. “Go on,” she said warmly. “I’ll make sure she’s alright and then I can see myself out. You’ve done everything you should’ve and now you need your rest.”

Conceding, Isobel slipped back to the door and across to her own room, Geneva going to peek into the hallway to see that Isobel’s door closed as she’d been bid before shutting her own once more. Claire noticed the momentary ripple of relief through Geneva’s shoulders before she turned and the tension was back holding her straight and tall, that polite smile on her lips.

“I’m sorry my sister pulled you from your bed and wasted your time. I assure you I’m fine. I don’t know what notions she got into her head but I’m sure it was some dream that she couldn’t shake once she woke,” Geneva told Claire, her voice quiet and apologetic.

“If that were true you wouldn’t have put the fear of God into her about waking anyone up,” Claire challenged her as gently as she could, “and the shift she said was stained with blood wouldn’t be in your fireplace now. You’ll need to be sure every last scrap burns or it’ll start gossip. Now, first things first, are you injured or in any pain?”

Geneva held Claire’s gaze, defiant and proud for a moment but her eyes were beginning to shine in the darkness. “No,” she yielded at last.

“Will you tell me what happened and let me examine you? If there was bleeding, I just want to be sure it’s safely stopped and if it needs to be dressed that it’s treated properly so you don’t contract an infection,” Claire explained.

Geneva remained tight lipped but Claire could see flickers of the war she was waging with herself.

“I swear to you that anything you say to me in this room will be held in complete confidence,” Claire assured her. “It was part of the oath I took when I became a healer. I won’t share anything about this with anyone—not even your mother. You are my patient and your needs are my priority.”

A dam inside Geneva cracked enough for silent tears to begin weaving their way down her cheeks. Claire took slow steps toward Geneva, realizing again just how young she truly was behind the bravado. She loosely put her arms around Geneva and gave the girl her shoulder to cry on. Geneva remained stiff for a moment but the crack in the dam split wider and she needed to grab hold of something or risk being swept away. She clung to Claire while her body shook with silent sobs.

“I have an idea of what might have happened,” Claire whispered when Geneva had transitioned from jarring shakes to a more controlled trembling. Claire pulled back so she could look Geneva in the eye. “I know you said you’re not injured but I need to know, were you attacked?”

Geneva failed to look indignant though Claire had the impression she was trying as she shook her head and pulled out of Claire’s grasp. She turned to the bed, staring at the bedclothes, still rumpled from sleep… and perhaps more.

“I… asked him to come,” Geneva said quietly. “It was my choice. I thought…” her voice wavered and there was an audible hitch as she drew in a deep breath before continuing. “I thought… it would be easier… marrying Lord Ellesmere and… I thought it would be easier if I could at least choose for myself…” She turned to face Claire again, tears shining in her eyes and her expression furious and terrified. “But how can I go through with it now? I thought, one night. I thought it would be enough to have that first time be someone I wanted.” She sighed and dropped onto the bed, leaning forward, her hands curling in the fabric of her shift. “How am I supposed to share that man’s bed when I know what it’s like to…”

Claire crossed and eased herself down beside Geneva, careful not to touch her or otherwise spook her.

“I thought my husband was dead for ten years,” Claire told Geneva. “I had a child who needed a father… so I was married to another during those ten years… and shared that man’s bed. I had known him before and he was a good man.” Not as good as she’d remembered or maybe it was that their time apart had changed them both. It didn’t matter anymore. “It’s… different… Physical desire is only one part of the equation when it comes to sex. Even that… the body reacts sometimes, whether you want it to or not. But it’s different when it’s with someone you truly care about… someone you love,” Claire said gently. “I lay with my other husband during those years and… even when I enjoyed it… it was never quite what I have now.”

“I fancied him when we were younger but assumed he saw me as a sister because of how close he and Gordon were. I didn’t know he fancied me too. I was just… desperate… when I hinted at what I wanted… But he agreed. And when he came earlier… he told me he loves me and if he could have… he would have said or done something. But he has nothing to offer that my parents…” Geneva rambled, the words pouring forth, carried along by the combined weight of the burden and the swirling emotions.

“It wasn’t an attack but did he hurt you?” Claire asked. “He wouldn’t necessarily have meant to…”

Geneva shook her head. “Not more than he’d warned me about. He… he started with kissing me and then we moved to the bed and he touched me too.” Geneva’s legs clamped together tight, trapping whatever sensation her memory conjured. “And it felt… so good,” she sighed.

She wasn’t looking at Claire but rather at the shift slowly burning in the hearth. Claire wasn’t sure Geneva registered her presence at all.

“He told me that from what he’d heard it would probably hurt the first time but that he’d try to be gentle and quick about it. And he was right. It did hurt a little at first but then it started to feel good again and I didn’t want him to stop. He told me to lie still and he took a cloth to clean me up… there. I bled a little but it had stopped. I asked if he would come to my room again and he smiled and said we had more time before he had to leave—that the next time would be better. And it was. He said he loves me and I told him I love him and… we made love.”

Claire could just make out the color rising in Geneva’s cheeks and suspected it wasn’t from embarrassment or her own presence.

“I fell asleep after and when I woke… he’d gone. It was like I’d woken from a perfect dream and then I realized… I had.” She turned to Claire again, her self-consciousness beginning to return. “It’s like it didn’t really happen. It’s not going to stop my wedding or change anything except now I know what it should be like, what it is I’ll never have.” The tears were winding their way silently down her cheeks again, her attention shifting to the few bloody scraps of fabric that remained in the hearth. “I realized I was bleeding again and I wanted to scream but couldn’t. I must have been making some noise because that’s when Isobel came to check on me and… you know the rest.”

Claire slowly extended her hand and took one of Geneva’s, giving it a squeeze of sympathy.

“As I said before, I won’t breathe a word. But you should consider telling your sister. Aside from the fact that she’s worried for you, I think it will help you to have someone more than me to share this with,” Claire suggested. “Now… I’d like to give you a physical examination to be sure the bleeding isn’t a sign of something more but I’ll need natural light for that. I can give you some herbs that will help ease the soreness—because trust me, even if you don’t feel it right now, you will feel sore. You need to let them steep in warm water and use a cloth to apply them—not soaking wet, but rung out and tucked between your legs like you would during your courses for a few minutes at a time. Say you have a headache and ask if I can come make something for you. That’ll give us a chance to get in a physical exam.”

Claire rose from the bed and carried the medical bag closer to the hearth, so she could use its light to find what she was looking for.

“Thank you, Mrs. Mackenzie,” Geneva said with a sincerity Claire had never heard from the young woman before but the formal edge was beginning to return. “Your discretion is appreciated.”

Claire merely nodded as she pulled the corners of a scrap of cloth around the little pile of dried herbs, twisting the ends and tying them with a bit of leftover twine from her bag. Then she carried it over and held it out for Geneva to take. “For ten years I believed my husband was dead and that I’d never again have what Jamie and I shared… But I was wrong and it’s still there and is even more precious for having thought it lost.”

Geneva looked up at her, the reluctance to hope raw in her eyes but its spark sinking in nonetheless.

“I wouldn’t entirely give up on your young man if I were you. Life has a way of surprising us and Mr…?”

“Daniel,” Geneva murmured.

“Ten years is a long time but I guarantee you’ll be in a different situation then than where you find yourself now.”

[vagrantblvrd]

i'd love anything from hard way home!

(Hard Way Home)

Okay, SO.

Michael’s been with the crew for a while and everyone Knows about him and Ryan and Ryan’s terrible life choices.

Give him shit for it, right, for being an idiot and running and whatnot? But none of them really blame him for it, because honestly. The situation hits a little too close to home for most of them and they all understand why he did. Because FEELINGS, but they do love giving him shit.

But then!

They’re all all hiding out in a safe house somewhere after a heist waiting for things to cool down and all that, and Gavin.

Gavin’s gotten bored and there’s been a little drinking, Jeremy and Gavin stupid/brilliant enough to grab some booze from the convenience store they crashed into (a little bit, just a little bit) on the way to the safe house. (There was a lot of chaos going on okay, and Jeremy’s rusty when it comes to hot-wiring cars, takes just long enough for Gavin to nip over to the booze section and grab select drinks for later celebrations, don’t judge Michael.)

ANYWAY.

Gavin’s had a few, is on the troublesome side of not quite!drunk where his brain filters are faultier than usual and he asks the kind of questions he normally wouldn’t. (Random things shading towards the too-personal sort he knows better than to ask, you know? Ones that dig into someone’s past more than what they’ve felt comfortable enough to share and the like. )

He leans (sways) towards Michael and Ryan who have (adorably) ended up ~snuggling on the love seat.    

Michael – who has also had a few – is just being considerate since the seating is limited and since he and Ryan are boning it makes sense for them to take the love seat. (Personal space bubbles and whatnot and shut the fuck up, Ryan, fucking Christ, he can see you smirking you know.)

Gavin looks at Ryan, and – incredibly worryingly - giggles.

“Ry~an,” he says. “Did you know any of Michael's bounties?”

He’s talking quietly enough, but something about the question catches everyone’s attention.

Has Geoff and Jack talking about something look over curiously, and Jeremy who’s been checking to see what social media has to say about the Fakes glances up.

Michael opens his mouth to tell Gavin to shut the fuck up – like a reflex now – but then he stops.

Tips his head back to look up at Ryan, eyebrows raised because it’s actually a good question.

Back when he thought the idiot’s name was ‘James’ and he only suspected him of being involved in shady shit he was just...weird about Michael’s work.

Which, fair.

Not your typical job or anything.

But the idiot had happily tagged along on a few jobs. Did as much work as Michael did when it came to investigating the bounties and tracking them down. Put himself at risk just as much with the more dangerous or unpredictable ones, although Michael tried to keep him away from those when he could.

This mix between not knowing how well he could handle himself and this Didn’t know how well he could handle himself and general worry for this idiot he’d found more than half-dead in an alley.

“You gonna answer the question?” Michael asks, little grin tugging at his mouth because Ryan, okay.

Ryan’s got this look to him like he’d really rather avoid the whole mess, pretend Gavin didn’t ask that particular question.

“Uh - “

“Oh my God,” Geoff says, laughter bubbling out of him. “You did. You absolutely did, didn’t you?”

Ryan groans because Jack starts laughing and Jeremy is sitting all the way up now, all curious and shit. Gavin is giggling and squeaking and Michael is only just keeping himself from laughing. (Saving it up for Ryan’s answer, and then.)

“...Yeah,” Ryan admits.

He did know a few of them.

Some by reputation only, a few who were rivals or even would-be clients.

“That Simmons asshole?” he prompts Michael.

Some obnoxiously rich real estate mogul whose wife was planning to divorce him when she found out he was cheating on her with some poor girl half his age. Too arrogant to think he’d need a per-nuptial agreement because why would he? (Such a catch, and whoever he married should consider herself lucky he’d chosen her and so on and so forth.)

Found his way to Ryan and offered him an obscene amount of money to make the whole problem go away – rather pay someone to kill her than give her half his fortune and so on – and Ryan.

He has morals, things he won’t do for any amount of money. Something most people who approached him knew and respected. (And if they didn’t, he made sure they learned.)

But Simmons, he wouldn’t take the hint when Ryan turned him down. Explained in small words why, and then when he didn’t get the picture showed him a little glimpse of the Vagabond. Just enough to spook him into running, and then Ryan made a few anonymous phone calls that – come to think of it - probably led to Michael being the one to collect the bounty on him later on.

“Oh, yeah,” Michael says. “I remember him now.”

Sharp little smile to go along with that because they’d brought Simmons in with a broken jaw. (Asshole made the mistake of going after Michael with a pool cue when they caught up to him in some seedy bar somewhere. Didn’t even see Ryan coming up behind him.)

A few others here and there, and thanks to Ryan’s mask and face paint none of them realized who he was, but it came close a few times.

Ryan worried Michael might take note of the ones who muttered to themselves about thinking Ryan’s voice sounded familiar. The occasional ones who kept stealing glances at him while he and Michael brought them in because because he reminded them of that creepy Vagabond asshole.

There’s the one informant/snitch who one hundred percent knew “James” was the Vagabond and goddamn had that been a struggle keeping him from revealing that to Michael.

Like.

All-out sitcom level shenanigans while Michael was working on a way to get them back home when their car broke down and all the other delays kept happening.

And oh, okay.

Now Michael is laughing at him because he remembers that one all too clearly alright? Thought “James” had finally lost his goddamned mind the way he was acting, their bounty this mouthy little prick who kept goading him for whatever reason and Ryan  -

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Michael says, because so much about those bounties makes sense now.

The others give Ryan shit, make little jokes and laugh at all his idiot life choices. After a while they decide to go to sleep because it’s been a hell of a day and they’re all tired.

Ryan helps steer Michael to their little corner of the safe house even though he’s barely tipsy, if that. Still, there were enough close calls and stressful moments during the heist that neither of them say anything about it.

Michael tugging Ryan down into the tiny bed they’re sharing and kissing him, corners of his mouth pulled up in a little smile because Ryan’s kind of ridiculous okay.

This idiot who was so worried Michael would find about him and still insisted on going along when  Michael went after a bounty.

Worried about Michael getting hurt and willing to accept the possibility someone would recognize him so he could protect him best he could.

“You’re ridiculous,” Michael tells him, something Ryan’s came to terms with years ago.

“Yeah,” he agrees, goofy little smile on his face because he is, but so it Michael and somehow it all works out.

[arizonagirldiary]

KITTYGATE: A True Crime Story

THE CRIME

It all began on a warm autumn day. Summer stays around for a long time here in Arizona and it was over 90 degrees before noon that day.

That morning, to be precise.

I awaken slowly in the morning. I'd had a few cups of coffee, played on Twitter, and I really don't remember why I decided to walk outside of the back of my house where I have a small patio and a carport.

The patio is fenced in and I could see a plastic storage bin tipped on its side on the other side of my gate, with its top tightly in place. It was clear plastic with a white top. The type of container you might pack Christmas decorations in. I could see fabric, blankets, something that had fallen to the bottom when the bin was placed on its side.

“What the holy hell?"

I opened the gate, righted the tub, and pulled off the lid. What happened next sent me through so many emotions at one time that I decided I would first just scream and then sort things out afterward.

Inside the storage bin were 11 kittens. Later I would find out that they were two different litters. Seven two-week old and four four-week old kittens. The bin was swelteringly hot and the kittens were limp from the heat and no air. At this point I had stopped screaming and was now crying while hiccuping nonstop oh-my-Gods.

I knew, that if I had walked out my back door—perhaps five minutes later--this story would have a very different ending and I would never be telling you about it because I refuse to listen to or tell sad animal stories.

With all the commotion I was making, my across the alley neighbor, Gladys Kravitz, came running over to find out what was up for her bulletin reports to the neighborhood. Little did she know I was going to feed her enough info for a newsletter throughout the weekend.

As I mentioned, I was overcome with so many emotions. Fear, not understanding, confusion, maternal tugs, and looming above all others was a big grey cloud was an anger that stayed for days over this outrageous animal cruelty.

As I began to gather clues and witnesses for later reference for Kittygate, I noticed a note inside the bin which read:

"Dear friend,

Thank you so much for agreeing to take these kittens. We know you are the perfect person to take care of them."

Unsigned, of course.

THE SUSPECTS

Interestingly, my first suspect, Gladys Kravitz, who in addition to being the block gossip, is also known as The Cat Lady because she takes in the pregnant abandoned cats in our condos and finds homes for the kittens. A worthy deed. Indeed.

I knew.

I absolutely, unequivocally knew.

That the bin of kittens was accidentally left on my carport instead of Gladys's.

And so did she.

The proof was in her disappearing immediately. I could not believe it. All those litters she raised and no offer of help? My anger cloud grew, loomed and seethed. But I had no time to make a small doll and stick pins in it. I had 11 new children and not a clue of what to do with them.

There is also an older red-headed woman (a man I know says red hair is a sign from God) who is quite nosy, complains about the abandoned cats, and frequently walks by my house. Suspect number two.

THE CARE & FEEDING OF ROGUE KITTENS

I didn't know much about kittens but I did know they had to be in a safe, cool, place and must be fed. I make a 911 call to my sister-in-law, also a Cat Lady but much younger and nicer, to help me with these poor babies. She was over in 10 minutes. We corralled them in their first temporary home--a pillow fort in my bedroom. Cross that off your list as a good place for kittens. The older kittens immediately found delight in climbing over the pillow barriers and scampered all over the bedroom. Apparently the cooler air gave them a second wind. The smaller ones just piled on top of each other and slept.

My sister-in-law, who knows about all things feline, sent me off to a feed store for kitten formula and a stop by CVS, to get teeny plungers to feed them with. When I came home, my very wise sis-in-law had moved them to the bathtub where the porcelain walls made escape impossible. She asked if I had anything soft to put down on the bottom so I ran to raid my closet.

I returned with nearly all of my cashmere sweaters and scarves. I had just moved back to Arizona from California. A tank top and flip-flops are winter wear here. Sigh. I knew I'd never wear cashmere here. Might as well donate them to kittens in need.

As it turns out, kittens require nourishment every two hours. Thoughts of newborns did cross my mind. Especially thinking of waking every two hours and the idea of lack of sleep. Fortunately, my sister-in-law is a bonafide card-carrying Cat Lady. She not only feeds her own cats, but every stray within blocks of her home. She has a heart of gold and is one of my favorite relatives. Her daughter, Sara, is a Cat Lady-in-training, and was soon called in to action to join Kittygate. Between the three of us, we turned my bathroom into the perfect kitten feeding station.

YOU’RE ALL ON NOTICE AND I KNOW WHO YOU ARE

I took the note taped to the kitten’s bin and spewed venom all over a large note and pinned it to the back wall of my condo. Well, it might even qualify as a sign, I suppose. I accuse whoever left the kittens that they had left them at the wrong house, I was not their “friend,” and furthermore they nearly killed the kittens locked in an airless bin. Outraged I was. I wrote that I was going door to door (not really) to find the perpetrator.

ANIMAL CONTROL

This was a strange plot twist, but the next day Animal Control left an unsolicited note on my front door wanting details of Kittygate. Did I know that whoever left the kittens had committed the crime of animal cruelty? Hah. You bet I did. A copy of the Animal Control note was pinned to the ever expanding, okay it is a sign, on my back wall. Jail. I wanted jail time for these murderous fiends. I contacted Animal Control and told them what little information I knew. They even wanted the bin the kittens were left in, as well as the note. My kind of bureaucrats.

DAY THREE

By now, the four older kittens had figured out how to scale the Mt. Everest bathtub wall and were wandering around the toilet area. Kitty dorm had now became two separate areas. Which, in a way, was good because the older ones were now eating soft kitten food.

I have a cat, but have never had a kitten. I assumed they were born knowing how to use a cat box. Um, no. They were very adept at pooping next to the shoe box top litter boxes I made, but never quite hit the target.

It was time to find a place for the kittens to go—as much as I wanted 11 new pets. Of course, my sister-in-law had called every cat rescue in town. Cats are impossible to find homes for, and if you bring them to the city shelter…well, it's not good news.

THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

BUT. Wonderful sis-in-law found a shelter in Phoenix that would take all 11 kittens if I would pay for foster families to care for them until they were six weeks old—an adoptable age. And the very best part, they were a no kill shelter.

So we bundled them up in cashmere-lined boxes and drove to Phoenix from where I live in suburban Mesa. Only when the intake person made up cards for each kitten did I truly believe there was really going to be a happily ever after for my precious kittens.

I made my final entry on the Kittygate sign and left it up for one more week before I took it down.

Total cost, kaching = $256.00 you heartless (x-rated words)

SOLVING THE CASE

A bright spot to come out of this whole debacle is that most of my neighbors are now afraid of me and no one talks to me. As I prefer. My brother Danny claims that everyone is afraid of me due to an incident with my mother's gardener. I rather like it this way. Fear me. Even Gladys Kravitz returned her spare key to my house. A guilt offering, no doubt.

I suppose I'll never find out who left the kittens at my door, upended my life for three days, and cost me the $256 I really didn't have to spare. But I can tell you this much…

My neighbors now all believe I'm BADASS.

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This true story is dedicated to Allison Pecallier.