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kaerimichirami · 11 months

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Inkling (2023 Halloween Special Short Story)

“C’mon, I’d love it if you came along!”

“I don’t know… how will they look at our relationship? A-and I’m not good with young people!”

“Pfff… you wouldn’t have pulled me if you weren’t.” That wasn’t true, as Liv was mostly like a tired salary man in his fifties. “It’s just a six-year gap, five for Maddie! Besiiiiides, it’s my first trip since dad’s passing… I want you to be there if I end up breaking down or something.” Well, in that case… Liv was really close to her late dad, and they would often go on trips together. He was a sweet father, but had been battling depression after a succession of bad happenings in his life. One day, he abruptly ended all of it, by hanging himself. Liv and I were dating for only a few months, and I remember how many nights I hugged her so tightly as it was borderline unbearable. If going meant I was going to be there for her, then…

“Okay… I’ll go.”

“Thank you, Claire. It will be so cool! Cece got us a minibus and everything!” It was rare for Liv to be that excited about something, so I didn’t feel like disappointing her.

Over a week passed, and we were getting in the minibus. I needed to check with Liv their names, of course. I didn’t want to mess up. Maddie was the oldest, who was dating Cece’s twin brother, Darius. Let’s say he ‘fit in well with the girls’ and that Cecelia was so much more masculine than him. Maddie… didn’t seem to notice. It was almost like a twin event, Cece’s girlfriend being Aurora, Aurelia’s sister. They were identical. I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart if Aurelia didn’t have shorter hair, shaved eyebrows and many, many body piercings. She was a little scary…? No, not for her looks. She was just scary. Then, there was Jen and Sophie. Jen had so many tattoos, but she was hilarious and light. I also managed to have some deeper talks with her. Sophie was one year younger than the rest of them, and she was deaf, so I managed to learn a few signs to communicate with her. As the sweet girl she was, she got so happy with that.

When I met Liv, she always talked about Sophie. Deep down, I thought there was something between them. Turns out they just had a really deep sister-like bond, as both of them had lost their moms when they were younger, and Liv simply sympathized a lot and learned ASL to talk to Sophie properly. As Liv had rather a hard shell, Sophie seemed to be one of the few people to get to know her truly. Also, Sophie was down baaaad for Jen. Bad.

As for Cecelia, she was the jokester, the troublemaker, and lacked a little of respect and know-your-placeness. She was an extremely rich kid, so I never wondered why she was like that. Liv claimed she was in fact a good person and was really special, deep inside. I had trouble understanding that, though…

Going camping, in the mountains, with these folks, let’s say it didn’t sound like an amazing thing, you know? Camping was a hard no for me, I hated insects, sleeping in tents… but I couldn’t resist Liv’s begging, so there I was. We got in the minibus, and, wow, it wasn’t mini. In fact, it was huge and it even had a bathroom. Yes. With a shower. That was more like an RV, right?

We would take turns driving, except for Sophie who didn’t have a license, and Cece who “couldn’t be trusted driving”, Maddie’s words. She was supposedly the oldest, but she lacked much personality. I hated to perceive her that way, but she was a big-boobed straight girl with a gay boyfriend. Nothing but that. Ugh… I felt bad being surrounded by people between 18 and 20 years of age. It was fine, really, but it also felt a little weird. Liv searched for my hand, and it felt quite reassuring.

Over an hour in, and we were really getting along. Darius was an annoying piece of shit, and neither Maddie nor Aurora had much to their character, but Aurelia and Jen were really fun people. Sophie was seemingly in her own world, even though she wore hearing aids, they often didn’t make her justice. But Liv told me it was always like that, and she didn’t mind. Aside from her, Jen also knew ASL, so they had their own private conversations sometimes. I looked at them, and I wondered if they were flirting? But the signs I knew couldn’t answer that doubt.

We had superb snacks, and we were just having a nice time. I wondered what it would be like. Liv told me we would sleep in cabins, so we would have rooms. That would be nice, right? Not having to sleep inside tents.

It was my turn to drive, and it felt very easy. Well, it was late at night, and the road was basically empty… I wasn’t the best driver, but my only obstacle here was to not fall asleep. Liv sat beside me, and her loud laugh in response to her friend’s telling stories was keeping me pretty awake. She would often caress my thigh when it felt right, and you know, give me her little looks. After about an hour, the timer they set ran out and the brother took charge. Liv brought me to the back, and said she wanted to talk. We went to the bathroom, that was quite spacious. I mean, if you consider it was a bus. Also, it didn’t smell or felt weird (despite Maddie’s sickness from earlier).

Instead of words, she just gave me a kiss.

“Sorry. I just wanted to kiss you.” So, that meant they didn’t know. In fact, I was Liv’s professor from College. I had just graduated, and I was a mere substitute. But I was still older, and it was still quite immoral, despite Liv not being underage. Still, I wanted to kiss her, too… they would know, right? That we were making out. The fact we were taking so long, and the fact we would look all messed up when we came back… but she was so captivating, her lips were so sweet, honey-like, and her hands on my back just felt so right. Liv was much taller than me, so it always felt a little unfair when I would top her most of the time. I mean… I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, right? We… we were just kissing, nothing else. As we were dizzy and sopping, we ran out of breath and separated. She gave me a sweet smile before opening the door and leaving, and I followed her right after. They didn’t seem to mind, although Cece looked at us with a smirk. I knew she knew, but my face still got red.

“Wait… I don’t think that’s the right way.” Jen said. Darius replied, saying he had only followed the GPS, nothing else. Besides, there was no turning he reminded of taking. Just going forward, and forward. I wondered what happened…? It was dark outside, as it was, as I checked, two in the morning. But the streets looked eerie, in a sense, the trees seemed so old and, well, not exactly withered, but… dying.

They fought over it for a moment, when they decided to stop the engine. There was a sign next to us, and it didn’t look like English. In fact, I knew many writing systems, and I couldn’t recall that. I tried picking up my phone to use some photo reverse search to find what it was, when I found out we had no signal. Uh-oh. The GPS also seemed to not be working properly. I asked them if they had signal, but no one else had. What was really fun for a few hours soon got to be a little stressing.

Aurelia didn’t seem to mind, but I could see a little panic in Sophie’s eyes. Liv and I looked at each other, but neither of us knew what was happening. There was some sudden fog outside, and I couldn’t see much. I wondered what the sign meant? I told Liv, but we couldn’t read it anymore.

Even Cece was getting a little scared, because it was so sudden. Well, we had food for a few days, right? We could just turn around and make our way back. I suggested it, and they seemed to agree. Miles back, there was a hotel. We could stay there and continue our trip the next day, or we could just sleep in the bus, in a safer location.

Darius tried starting the bus many times, but it would always die. He tried, over and over again. Then Jen tried, then I tried… nothing worked. As I was trying for the third time, I heard that Bossa Nova tune Liv kept as her ringtone. So, we had signal. I was going to say something like “Wow, I’m so glad”, when I saw the dread in my dear Olivia’s eyes as she looked at the phone.

“W-what’s wrong?” She was in utter shock, and she barely managed to mumble:

“I-it’s my… dad…” As she showed the phone to us. That could be a joke, right? Also, that could just be someone with the old number. No… he had died four months ago and Liv didn’t cancel the plan, she kept paying it and put the SIM card in an old phone, so she could use it as an emergency one. Trembling, as we all heard that cheerful-but-sad Brazilian melody, she picked it up and put it on speakerphone.

“H-Hello?” But no one would reply a thing. It was just an eerie sound, like a scary video game BGM. We thought no one would say anything, until, we heard voices. Many voices. Like a chorus, who sang “come with us, come with us.” That could only be a prank, right? That’s what we all chose to believe. We were sticking to that, and trying to make the bus work again, when we heard a knocking on the door.

“Do not open it.” Jen said, and we all nodded. All the curtains were on, but there was still the front of the bus, right? The old man… no, the thing… it kept knocking, and knocking. Its eyes were empty, I could see it so well as it was right in front of me. It smiled at us. It looked friendly, as if it was inviting us to a local party.

Suddenly, Sophie fell to the ground. She started screaming, as she covered her ears. I didn’t know what was happening, but she took off her aids, and it seemed to cease. Our phones were all glitching, and Darius’ smartwatch, too. We put all the electronics aside, but it was distressing for Sophie. She now relied on Jen and Liv, so Jen offered herself to intertwine her arms with hers. This way, she would feel safer.

The thing… it kept looking, and knocking. I couldn’t see much because of the fog, but I could hear more knocking, from various sides of the bus. Knocking, and knocking… it was some kind of rhythm. I slowly realized it was the same tune from the Bossa Nova from earlier. Liv must have noticed it too, and she started crying. That was her dad’s favorite song.

“Whoever’s doing this, it’s not fun!” Liv cried, and I hugged her. It seemed like it wasn’t a joke. Cece, who could be the only person to do something like this, was on the verge of tears herself. Even the twin, who didn’t care much about stuff, was scared. We were surrounded by a cult. And they were probably not human. We had nowhere to go, and we could only hope daylight would save us. But it didn’t.

“I… need to go to the bathroom.” Aurora said. Two minutes later, we heard her scream from the small room. It was locked, and we couldn’t get to her. She wouldn’t reply, just that loud noise, and then nothing. Cece was crying, and crying, and banging on the door, trying to open it. After a couple of minutes of extreme insistence, we managed to do it.

We found her bleeding, with a hole in her chest. There was no gunshot sound, there was no sign of someone breaking in. She was alone there, and now she was losing blood and unconscious. Liv looked so terrified and done. Sophie shared the same face.

“That’s how her mom died. Someone shot her, right there.” That’s right. The twins were actually adopted, after losing both of their parents. We didn’t know if we were losing Aurora or not. There was a first aid kit, but how could it help with that? There was no bullet. No damn bullet. There was no gun. There was no killer. There was just us. Cece was yelling almost incomprehensible things to her girlfriend, trying to keep her alive. Then, suddenly, she started convulsing. Her body shook and shook on the ground. It was violent. Cruel. Suddenly, she stopped. We checked both of their pulses, and they were dead. Liv and I did CPR, but it didn’t work. It was hopeless. The remaining siblings, who never talked, just looked at each other. None said a word. None cried. They couldn’t cry. It was that horrible.

Suddenly, Sophie seemed in pain again. She looked at us extremely confused, and it seemed like she had no idea where she was. We managed to have her sit down, and we tried calming her, but she replied to our every word, and she said the noise was too loud. What was that place, even? Now Sophie could hear? What the hell was happening? What killed those girls?

Darius remembered about an uncle of theirs, that had a stroke and died. He was really close to Cece, as she learned all of her tricks and jokes with him. Then… I looked at Liv… if we were bound to die like people in our family did, it only meant…

Before we could do anything, Maddie’s body jerked forward. She started to bleed heavily from her belly, as if there was a deep cut. She involuntarily got on her knees and was throwing up blood. We were face to face, and I saw her as she cried, trying to mutter something. She fell completely silent to the ground, defeated.

Liv looked at me with so much horror in her face. It wasn’t my sweet Liv. It’s like she had been through several wars. Then, I recalled. It wasn’t just her friend dying. She had told Liv just three days ago, she was pregnant. It was a shock, obviously. Did Darius know? They didn’t talk about a baby or anything. But he was so done, so terrified, too. We were just waiting for the other one to die. It was a matter of time.

The knocking still wouldn’t stop. It never stopped. The people were still there, as we looked from the windows. Then, I received a call. Unknown number. But the area code… I knew that well, it was from my hometown. I didn’t pick up, but I tried calling the police, thinking there could be a signal. Dumb me… as I unlocked my phone, it died, and I couldn’t turn it back up. I kept thinking about the area code... I couldn’t recall someone close to me who died, except for one… I had a little cousin, when I was five years old, she was a few months older. We only played together during the summer, as she lived in another town. One day, though, we were playing in the water and were both drowning. An older cousin thought I was the only one there, so he saw me struggling and got me out of the water. He had to give me CPR, but I couldn’t say she was still there. When he realized, it was too late. So that was it? I was going to die like that?

We all knew something was soon happening. It was just… so horrible. I wanted to cry. In fact, I was crying. As I hugged Liv, we cried our hearts out. The bodies gave me so much pain, and the knocking was making me go insane. But, overall, Sophie seemed to have it worse. It was unbearable for her. The knocking got only more intense, as the bus started to vibrate. I looked at Sophie, Jen was holding for dear life onto her, while her ears started bleeding. No… not only her ears… Her eyes and mouth started bleeding. She was the sweetest-looking girl, with her chubby cheeks… and then she looked like a monster, a suffering monster. She started coughing up that blood, and as she moved forward we saw that, to the back of her head, there was a huge cut. As if there was an axe wound. But there was no actual weapon. Jen was trembling to the point she couldn’t hold her anymore, and Sophie’s body just fell to the ground. We all looked at her, with so much sadness in our eyes.

Darius, who was trying to keep his cool, finally weakened. As the knocking grew louder and a chanting, like the one from the phone, started. He started screaming, and breaking things. It was just a matter of time for us to die, right? He looked like a beast. When, suddenly, he got calmer, and slowly descended to the ground. As if… he had received some kind of injection? There was a small bleeding coming from his arm. Upon checking, there was no breathing or pulse.

So, the remaining were Aurelia, Jen, Liv and me. I had my cousin, Liv had her father, Aurelia had her dad that died alongside her mother, but Jen didn’t know about her family. She was given away as a baby, and grew up in an orphanage, passing through many foster families. We tried asking her if there was anyone dear to her that could have died. But before she could reply, we started to smell something weird. It was… burning? Soon, I saw Jen’s face, her hair was falling apart, her skin, covered in bruises. It wasn’t hot near her. But she was on fire, somehow. There was once a fire in an orphanage in that city, I knew. That was the worst thing I have ever seen. I thought Maddie’s death was brutal, but Jen’s… she agonized, and agonized, and we couldn’t do anything.

At the same time, we heard a semi-scream coming from Aurelia. Her sister was shot on the chest, but hers… was right on her face. She looked at us for a few seconds, then fell to the ground, just like the others. The bus was so cramped with all of the corpses, and the knocking just got louder and louder, and the chanting just got louder and louder, and my fear just got worse and worse, and I held onto Liv and didn’t want to let her go.

I was happy that Jen finally seemed to die. Her agonized, melting, liquified face was too much for me to bear. I looked at Liv one more time, and I kissed her deeply. That would be our last kiss, I knew.

“I’m so sorry for bringing you here, Claire, I’m really sorry. I love you so mu-” I was crying listening to her words, that were soon interrupted. She was asphyxiating. Right… I couldn’t stand that. But I held her hands, and I repeated “I love you too” so many times. I saw her face turn bluish, then almost purple. She finally gave in, as her lifeless body fell into my arms. There was only me left, right? That meant… I would die. I closed my eyes, preparing myself.

But it wouldn’t come. It just wouldn’t come. I thought I would also feel the same thing, but it just wouldn’t happen. Then, it hit me. I had died. My cousin had saved me that time. So I wouldn’t die a creepy, senseless death without an author. I was the one that was being saved for last. I was the main dish.

The knocking stopped. And that was a terrible sign. They started breaking in. Through the windows, through the door. It was too many of them, and just me. I tried fighting back, of course I did, but I couldn’t do much. Their chanting never stopped, and it was indeed terrible. It messed up with my senses, I was extremely overwhelmed.

It would be terrifying to live after that. I saw every single one of them die. I saw my dear Liv die. I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t bear it. As I thought that, they stopped advancing over me. One by one, they left. It was just in time for sunrise, too. The street wasn’t foggy, and the sign was clear English. They disappeared in the horizon, leaving me free and alone. I looked around… all the bodies were still on the ground. The smell of vomit, blood and guts was making me so sick. I looked at my lovely Olivia in my arms, her closed eyes, growing colder each second. I had no will to live. I didn’t want it anymore. It felt suffocating. As if I was drowning. The phone rang again, and I looked at it. Trembling, I picked it up. A childlike voice answered it:

“So, Claire, tell me… how does it feel to be the one who’s chosen to live?”

(End)

Author's comment: this is my second attempt at horror. Hm, okay, when I was 14 I wrote some stuff, but nothing nearly like this. I know this isn't, like, extremely original and amazingly written, but I got some chills. Of course I had to put that "fate" thing into it. I can't do just pure horror where people die for reasons. Do I think any of them deserved to die? Nope. It's unfair. Extremely unfair. And that's how life feels most of the time. Sometimes, you just want to write some psychological horror and a little gore. I think Maddie's death is a bit too much, right? Because there's a baby there. Well... sorry. Well, about Darius is that he died like their family dog who got euthanized, I hope that made sense. Unlike my other stories, there's no message here. It's just for the thrills. You could think Aurora died from lack of serving or that Darius was a jerk, or that Claire and Liv's relationship was wrong and they should die for it. But no. I mean, maybe they weren't the best people on Earth, but it was just me being mean this time. I loved writing most of these characters, honestly. Also, I pictured Jen as a transfem but I couldn't put it in a nice way in the story (despite me being trans myself). I don't know if Claire knew that. I'll use that as my excuse, as it is her POV. Also, I don't really think it's her cousin called, but more something like... her guilt, that took a monster form in the underworld. Yes. We can think that. All of these characters felt some kind of guilt for the death of their loved ones. I never explain the background for Maddie and Sophie, but you can understand that it's people from their families, right? I didn't think too much. So, maybe there is a message here. Kill your guilt before it kills you. If you worry that much, it's probably not your fault and even if there is, you regret it, right? So let's move on before we get calls from people who died.

#horror #halloween #psychological horror #gore #body horror #supernatural #literature #sasoris #glancing my way back home

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klutzyzombie · 4 years

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Summary: From a young age, Bakugou Katsuki is told his hearing will continue to fade with use of his explosive quirk. He's given hearing aids to help when he reaches high school but refuses to wear them because what pro hero wears those? It takes some red-headed courage to convince him otherwise. Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Eijirou Kirishima, Ashido Mina, Denki Kaminari, Sero Hanta Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki & Kirishima Eijirou (KiriBaku) Rating: General Warnings: N/A Words: 6,701 Notes: So this is my first official fic for this fandom and I don't exactly have anyone to proofread this so I sincerely apologize if it's out of character and for the errors! This was written from my own experiences with going deaf and requiring hearing aids and how I felt about it when I was first told. It seemed like something Bakugou may have also felt so you'll have to excuse me projecting~

**Please note that when a character is signing, it will be italicized.

Ao3: [click here!]

He started losing his hearing in grade school. He had been about eight when his family took him to get his ears checked when his grades slipped and he continued to miss things said at home. From there he was bounced from doctor to doctor but the general consensus was the same; his quirk was causing him to go deaf. It made sense really; continued exposure to loud constant boom’s. Like playing a rock concert next to the amp turned up all the way. It was bound to happen the second his quirk manifested and the decision to be a pro hero was made.

They recommended easing down on use of his quirk unless the situation called for it to try and put off the inevitable, but that wasn’t about to happen. Pro heroes in training needed to have master over their own quirks! So they also suggested hearing aids which Katsuki was against. What pro hero wore those tacky things?! For now, his hearing loss was manageable, but if Katsuki was keen on becoming a hero (and he was; even eight year old Katsuki knew this) then the doctors expected his hearing to be practically gone by the time he was in his late teens.

So the Bakugou family learned sign language as a safety net and as he grew, his hearing faded more and more as expected. It became Katsuki’s new normal for things to be a little jumbled and almost like people were talking underwater if they weren’t close enough or if they soft spoken. Maybe that was why as got older he had a tendency to yell constantly, his voice growing a little more gruff with age as well. He’d also picked up on lip reading which was immensely helpful in middle school as he refused to tell a teacher he couldn’t hear them or ask to sit in the front. It wasn’t going to be the future he imagined when he was a kid, but hey, he was Bakugou fucking Katsuki! He wasn’t about to let something like hearing loss stop him from becoming the next number one hero! He was nothing but goal driven from a young age, refusing to tell anyone about what he deemed to be his biggest weakness, preferring to make due with his lip reading. When his acceptance into U.A. was announced, his parents made a decision and while he fought tooth and nail – literally – he was fitted for a pair of hearing aids.

U.A. was everything he had hoped it would be as a child (though he could have done without the damn nerd also getting in and sitting right behind him) and much to his utter chagrin, he even made a few friends despite the fact that he’d never refer to them as such. They were more like a few idiots who wouldn't know how to fuck off if their lives depended on it. One such of these idiots and the biggest offender was Kirishima who, from day one, seemed to latch on to Katsuki. It was annoying at first; sure he had ‘friends’ in middle school but they were more afraid of him and only followed him as some sort of leader or popularity magnet. Kirishima just- liked him. For him! There wasn’t any fear and he damn sure wasn’t getting popular by hanging around Katsuki. If anything that was reversed since the stupid idiot seemed to be friends with just about everyone to varying degrees.

And Katsuki wanted to hate it- hate HIM because he didn’t need friends let alone overly enthusiastic idiot friends and with Kirishima deeming him ‘friendly’, the rest of the idiot brigade followed suit. Before Katsuki knew what had happened, Kaminari had wormed his way into his and Kirishima’s study sessions, Ashido had started tugging on his arm in her bubbly excitement at something or another, and Sero had taken too confining in him about whatever trouble had been on his mind. Bakugou Katsuki had actual honest to god friends and it was Kirishima’s fault. It hit him one night after moving into the dorms after he’d been dragged to watch a movie in Kirishima’s room. Like, forcefully dragged and as they sat there, watching as Iron Man and Captain America did some epic team up move on some aliens, he realized he was actually enjoying himself around these idiots.

He wasn’t supposed to be fond of the dunces. He didn’t need anyone and after the hero exam he and Todoroki failed, he tried to go back to how things were. Katsuki didn’t need friends and Kirishima and Kaminari passing while he failed was proof of that. So he separated himself from them. Well, he tried to at least. It wasn’t easy to do since the clingy idiots couldn’t take a hint if he stapled it to their faces. It was exhausting and when he did finally manage it, about a week into his granted alone time he was miserable and angry and ended up back on Kirishima’s bed while he and Kaminari played some game on Kaminari’s Switch.

He couldn’t shake the idiots he unwillingly befriended and he whole heartedly blamed Kirishima for all of it. On a rare weekend home, he was bitching to his mom about the annoyances who kept blowing up his phone with their stupid ‘Bakusquad’ group text. Mitsuki was sitting at the kitchen table with designs and fabrics spread out while Katsuki ranted on. She hadn’t known her comment about him being popular due to his phone’s continued dinging would lead to this, but now it was hard to stop the small smile building as he went on and on about them. Something he pointed out to her with annoyance.

‘Sorry, it’s just nice to know you have actual friends! Finally.’

“I can fuckin’ hear you, hag!” Katsuki snapped.

‘Are you sure? I don’t see your hearing aids in.’

His response to that was to simply flip her off as he marched out of the room. “I’m not going to wear those fuckin’ things.”

“Katsuki!” They had this argument so many times now he could almost recite it word for word. It was what she always said since the moment they picked up the stupid devices. 'Wear them!' 'Are you wearing them?' 'How is training with the hearing aids working out?' Every damn time she called it was the same song and dance and it was getting more and more irritating every time she brought the damn things up! He could picture her pushing away from the table and marching after him so it wasn’t a surprise when her raised voice shouted after him. “We spent good money-“

“’-on those things so the least I could do is wear them’! Get a new speech! I don't fuckin' need them because I can still hear just fine!” There was an uncharacteristic pause after that and he wheeled around to glare at her, to see what she was trying to prove, only to see Mitsuki giving him a pointed look. “What?!”

‘I said if that was true, then you would be able to hear me.’ She signed while speaking. Well, he assumed she was. Her lips were moving and he could hear a faint sound that was in teh same tone as her voice, but couldn't quite make out the words. Katsuki stood there, red eyes narrowed at her which was a look she was mirroring back at him for all of a few seconds before she sighed, expression softening. ‘Katsuki, it’s gotten worse since you started high school. I’ve been practically yelling at you just so you’d hear me since you got home.’ The look on his face must have been horrified because his mom’s melted from fond annoyance to one of almost-pity. She lifted her hands to sign something else but he quickly turned and marched back up to his room to finish getting ready to head back to the dorms. He hated that look on her. Hated that look on anyone and he didn't need her to see that she was right. That his hearing really had gotten worse. It would make sense that it had, he guessed. He went from only training with his quirk a few times a week to preserve his hearing to using it about daily for hours on end.

So then why hadn’t he noticed it?

He guessed the whole ‘it’s a gradual process’ thing could be a factor and if he thought about it, he was having a harder time hearing Aizawa now. Deku’s muttering had also seemed to bother him less as of late and it damn sure wasn’t because the nerd had suddenly stopped the habit he’d had since they were kids. His hearing really had faded drastically in just under a year and that was a reality check.

One he also apparently wasn’t great at hiding because a few days back in school had Kirishima draping an arm across his shoulders in the locker room. He had a habit of doing that no matter what murderous look was on Katsuki's face and today when he went to shoot a glare at the red head - one he knew would just be ignored- he was met with a concerned look on Kirishima's face. “Yo man, you good? You’ve seemed kinda…”

“Extra murder-y.” Kaminari supplied.

Katsuki and Kirishima shot him a look, Katsuki’s much more threatening, but he went on. “Is everything alright? You know you can always talk to me!”

“Fuck off, I’m fine.” Was his eloquent reply and he knew Kirishima wasn’t convinced, but the red head knew enough about him to know to drop it. The look that now shifted across his face was proof he knew something was up, but he turned back to talking about some new show with Kaminari and Sero to make sure nobody else tried to take the opportunity to ask Katsuki about his oh so chipper mood. Kirishima was good at reading him like that. He seemed to always know what Katsuki meant or needed in the moment. It would be endearing if it wasn’t also equal parts annoying. Sometimes he wished the idiot would remember how damn powerful Katsuki was! But then again, Kirishima was also the perfect foil to him.

He watched as said boy grinned and laughed at something Kaminari had said, head tilting back slightly from the force of it. He was so stupidly friendly and he seemed to really want to be Katsuki’s friend if not his best one. He liked to proclaim as such at least and he guessed it was true to a degree. Kirishima knew him better than anyone else probably did and just how that happened should be concering. Just when had he allowed the idiot to figure him out so well?

Katsuki looked back at his locker with a huff, not about to give Kirishima another reason to ask about his mood again. He looked at his mask and the orange and black wing tips behind it. Looked at the orange X crossing the otherwise all black uniform. Looked at the matching heavy-duty boots and belt that housed mini versions of his quirk. Looked at how the entire ensemble represented everything he wanted to become and how his stupid hearing was likely to take all of that away.

He slammed the locker shut with more force than needed, meeting Kirishima’s gaze as he glanced over at the sound. “Meet me after dinner.” He said simply, walking off before he could see or hear the red head’s reaction.

---

Katsuki was a proud person and that was a fact that was well know. He never needed and never asked for help. He was self-sufficient and refused to lean on others to get to where he wanted to be. So reaching out to Kirishima about this was going to be a challenge. Said teen had been in his room for going on ten minutes, silently watching and waiting, sitting in his deskchair backwards as Katsuki glared daggers at the ground. It would be unnerving to have the talkative bastard so quiet if it wasn’t once again proof how well Kirishimia knew him; knew whatever was on his mind was heavy enough to make him clearly agitated and extra moody. This fact had him glance up so red eyes could meet red and at Kirishima’s concerned but patient face, he sighed and looked away.

“I can barely fuckin’ hear.” He admitted like it was the biggest secret he’d ever be forced to admit because to him, it was.

“Yeah?” Kirishima sounded confused but not in the way he had been anticipating. He was confused like you had just told him Ashido’s favorite color was pink. Like what Katsuki had just said was common knowledge.

This had Katsuki whipping his head back to look at him. “’Yeah’?! The fuck does that mean?!”

Kirishima tilted his head like he did when he could tell Katsuki was upset with him but didn’t know why. “It means yeah? Like, yeah I know?”

It was Katsuki’s turn to be confused now. “You know?”

“Dude, if it was supposed to be a secret, your awful at hiding it!” Kirishima laughed and he glared at him for it. This was supposed to be his close kept secret! His weakness nobody, except for maybe Deku, knew! Kirishima seemed to understand his inner turmoil (because of course he would) and gave the teen a small smile, moving to rub the back of his neck. “Well, maybe it just was to me? I dunno, man. I noticed from the quirk assessment we had on the first day.”

“How?!” His voice sounded more confused than annoyed.

Kirishima shrugged and moved his toe against the floor a bit to slightly spin the chair he was sitting on. A nervous habit he’d get when he was the center of attention, Katsuki noted. “You just weren’t responding to anyone. First I thought you were just kinda an asshole and ignoring people, ya know?” He looked back up at him with a grin. “But then when Aizawa-Sensei would repeat something louder and you’d respond and I saw your quirk in action, I guess I just put two-and-two together. I didn’t know it was some big secret though.”

“It’s not!” Katsuki was quick to snap but that wasn’t really true. It clearly was or his heart wouldn’t have dropped when he realized Kirishima had figured it out within hours of meeting him. He huffed to himself, not wanting to snap at Kirishima over his own overlook and looked away again, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Does anyone else know?”

Kirishima hummed in thought, looking up at the ceiling. “I think all of us kinda know somethings up to varying degrees.” He must have heard the speed at which Katsuki whipped his head around because Kirishima quickly clarified, “I mean those of us in the squad. Kaminari talks louder when he’s around us. Ashido and Sero started too as well after they hung out with us for a while. I suppose it also helps that the four of us are naturally loud anyway, but they definatley talk up and more clear when they're with us.”

Katsuki just looked at him stunned. They had all figured it out? And they hadn’t ever commented on it? Made it a point to make a joke about it? Tease him about it like they endlessly teased him about everything else? They had just started to talk louder for his sake?! Here he thought they were just obnoxious assholes…

Kirishima seemed to notice his lack of anger and response and crossed his arms over the back of the chair he was sitting on, resting his head on them as he studied Katsuki carefully. “Is this what’s been bothering you?”

Katsuki shot him a glare before huffing and looking away again. A nonverbal yes before he sighed, eyes closing. His mind was still reeling from the knowledge that not only did the other idiots figure it out, but that they had all apparently silently just decided to not talk about it and simply speak up and clearer so he could hear them all better. He had a plan going into this. He was going to tell Kirishima he was hard of hearing, tell him he’d known it was coming, and how he was supposed to wear hearing aids. He had planned for questions and for almost snapping at Kirishima for giving him a pitying look before quickly covering it up because Kirishima knew he hated pity. He had expected this conversation to go the opposite direction it had gone and now he was at a loss.

“They…" How was he supposed to proceed now?! "I’m supposed to wear hearing aids.” He blurted out quietly, almost hoping Kirishima didn’t hear him.

But of course he did. “So why don’t you?”

“Are you stupid?!” Kirishima frowned. It wasn’t pity on his face but almost like disappointment? That look was somehow worse and Katsuki quickly looked away from him again. “I can’t be number one like that.”

“So you’d rather just not be at your best then?”

Wellp. Anger was back. Least that was familiar over the weird sensation knowing his friends never brought up his hearing had left him with. He jerked back to face Kirishima, on his feet before he even registered he’d moved. Kirishima just looked at him with same look he had on earlier. “What?!”

“You can’t be your best if you aren’t even going to work with something that improves your skills.” Kirishima repeated, apparently oblivious to the absolute inferno of anger his words had lit. “Dude, you can’t stand there and tell me with a straight face you’d be at your absolute best going into situations as you are when you could be going in with your senses heightened. That would be like fighting with one hand tied behind you back all the time! It doesn’t make any sense, man!”

Katsuki stood where he was, keeping Kirishima’s gaze which had narrowed. It wasn’t anger, but the look he got when determination had set in and he wasn’t about to even think about budging on something. Katsuki liked to imagine it was the look he had when he tried to convince their classmates to come to Kamino Ward. What made it worse this go around was that, well, Katsuki knew he was right. “Tch.” He turned and stalked back to his bed before slumping down on it, glaring up at the ceiling as if it had personally wronged him. “What pro hero do you know wears hearing aids, shitty hair?”

“You?” That answer had Katsuki turn to shoot him a ‘stop bullshitting’ look but Kirishima’s face was so purely earnest the words died on his tongue. “Sure none of the current pros do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be the first! I bet they’ll even make some with little orange X’s on them! That would be so cool!” He gave Katsuki one of those toothy grins that rivaled the sun in brightness and it took all Katsuki had not to smile at him in return.

He scoffed and looked away instead. “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe, but I’m right about this!” Kirishima stood up and moved to sit beside his feet on the bed. “You always are the first and best at everything. Wouldn't it be super manly to be the representation to little kids you want now?” Katsuki didn’t say anything, afraid speaking might betray how hot his face was starting to feel at Kirishima’s unbridled admiration. “Besides think of all the cool ways you could make them look! I bet you could get them like, orange to match your uniform or-!”

“They’re already orange.” Kirishima turned to look at him and Katsuki rolled his eyes at the awe on the red heads face. He knew what was coming without Kirishima even asking so he sat up to pull a small box from the far corner of his nightstand. He tossed it to Kirishima who caught and opened it, eyes growing wide.

“Dude, these look so cool!”

“No they fuckin’ don’t. Don’t lie to me-“

“I’m not, man! Dude, picture this.” He picked one of them up and held it so Katsuki could see before splaying his other fingers out behind it. “You could have them as part of you mask! I bet support could even make some super badass ones that could have another dual factor! Maybe even like Mic’s speaker thing? No, I guess that wouldn’t make sense. But maybe they can block out certain things? Like Shinsou’s quirk! Oh man, you’re an even better match for him now! Just turn them off and you can’t even hear him!” Kirishima went into a rant about all the things he thought the stupid device in his hand could be used for and honestly Katsuki wasn’t hearing any of it but not because of the hearing loss. He just watched the idiot talk, watched his lips move and hands gesture. Watched as he’d occasionally laugh at something he’d thought of and how his smile reached his eyes when he did. How he was so excited just to sit here and come up with dumb ideas and how happy he was that Katsuki was potentially going to be an even better hero.

That thought alone made Katsuki’s heart jump again. Kirishima had really meant it about being an example. He really did think wearing the stupid devices would make him a better hero. Didn’t think it would make him any less of a person or any less of a pro. Kirishima genuinely didn’t think less or pity him for it and it actually seemed like he was furious that Katsuki would risk throwing his own dream of being a hero away just because of two tiny devices that would help him.

It was almost too much for him.

“You’re an idiot.” He repeated. Kirishima stopped talking and looked at him. He was still smiling and Katsuki was willing to bet that he was too if the slight tug at his lips was any indicator. “Fuckin’-! Fine, you rambling moron. I’ll wear the damn things tomorrow.”

The grin he got in return had to rival the brightest light in the galaxy and before he could open his mouth to warn against it, Kirishima tackled him back on the bed. The curses and explosions he sent in return were simply laughed off and otherwise ignored.

---

True to his word, Katsuki stood in front of his mirror with the small devices in his hand. He looked at his reflection without them, took in the way he looked one last time as if he could never go back to this look before sliding them in and turning them on as he remembered the doctor demonstrating. He winced at the resistance he was met with as they flickered to life but looked back at his reflection once they were snugly in and properly adjusted. His hair hid them for the most part, ash blond strands hanging low enough that unless he really looked, he couldn’t see them. Maybe that meant nobody else would since he was actually looking for them. He let out a sigh and turned to grab his bag. He doubted that severely. He swore quietly to himself, ignoring how it actually wasn't as quiet as he thought, and started the trek to class.

The walk out of the dorms and into the school was… different? He could hear things he hadn’t otherwise heard before. He could hear birds chirping in the trees he walked under, bits and pieces of conversations of the people he passed, that one weirdo from 1-B saying something and even the faint smack that followed as that orange haired chick apologized for him. It was almost like he’d been listening to the TV volume only turned up to 2 and now suddenly it was changed to 10. It would be overwhelming if he were anyone else, he guessed. Katsuki imagined this is what those videos of colorblind people wearing those special glasses was like. To experience the world with a sense that was dulled for so long only to be informed that said sense could be much better.

He’d spent so much time glaring at the stupid things and then fiddling with them to get them adjusted that he’d been beaten to class by the self proclaimed ‘Bakusquad’. Kirishima was sitting on Sero's desk facing the door and when he spotted Katsuki, broke back out into that same grin he did that rivaled the light flickering in from the windows. “Hey, Bakugou!” He raised an arm in greeting, grabbing the attention of the other idiots who all turned to greet him though not as enthusiastically as Kirishima. Not much of a surprise considering the red head was very clearly the only morning person among them.

Katsuki tsk'ed in greeting but Kirishima seemed to be studying him harder than usual and it was pretty clear what he was searching for. So with a roll of his eyes, Katsuki turned his head slightly so Kirishima could see the small bit of orange poking out from under his hair and if the smile he was greeted with was bright, this one was blinding. He didn’t say anything much to Katsuki's relief, just looked back at Kaminari despite his grin not fading as Katsuki walked over to his desk and tossed his bag down. Such a stupid little thing and Kirishima was grinning like he'd won the lottery.

Class was almost night and day.

He could hear Aizawa’s lazy tone easily, better than he had ever remembered being able to. He didn't need to rely on his handouts and the board to take notes. It was considerably easier to understand Ectoplasm now too and, much to his sheer and utter annoyance, he could hear Deku muttering to himself again. It was annoying, sure, and he almost considered taking the stupid things out to prevent it, but the fact that he actually could stopped him. Even Deku's muttering couldn't quite distract from the almost wonder he had. He could also pick up on Kaminari and Kirishima whispering though he coldn't make out what. (Probably about the math problem Ectoplasm just wrote down.)

The lunchroom was another experience. He hadn’t ever heard it this loud and he muttered to Sero if something special was happening because of the noise before Sero eyed him confused and said it was always this loud. Huh. He knew it should be considering the amount of teenagers cramed into it, but the thought hadn't really ever crossed his mind just how loud it should be. It was almost painful. Their usual table was at least a little quieter since it was in the far back. Katsuki was actually able to hear Kaminari approaching without relying on the slight ting of electricity in the air that usually was his give away. He looked up and watched as he and Kirishima stepped over towards them, caught up in some conversation about something, only stopping when Kirishima moved away and took his usual spot beside Katsuki while Kaminari went to sit in front of him.

“Hey, Bakubro! You look-“

Katsuki winced. “Fuck, can you maybe not talk so damn loud?!” He brought his hands up to his ears, wincing as they gave off feedback which he assumed was due to the mentioned static Kaminari gave off. Maybe he really should speak to support about upgrading them if he was going to start using them more. Wait, was that going to be a thing? He'd told Kirishima he'd wear them today; not from then on. When had he decided this was going to be a permanent thing?

He was lost in his own thoughts about if this so he missed the way Sero, Ashido, and Kaminari looked at each other, then at him, then back to one another. “Uh? He’s talking like he usually does. Which yeah, it’s loud, but it’s his usual volume.” Sero defended, looking all the world like Katsuki had just started sprouting a second head.

Shit.

Katsuki huffed and looked down pointedly at his lunch, taking a bite of rice to further avoid meeting their gaze. “Well tone it the fuck down, dunce-face.”

Kirishima was pointedly quiet while the three others sat in silence for a joyous and nerve wracking moment. He wondered briefly if they would just drop it, but no, he was never that lucky. He heard a gasp, knew it was Ashido, and jerked his gaze back up just as she leaned across the table and reached over to move his hair aside. “You got hearing aids!”

“Fuckin’-! Don’t touch me!” He swatted her hand away but the damage was done.

She was grinning from ear to ear and practically bouncing in her seat. “Oh my gosh, they look so good! That color is going to match your uniform perfectly!”

“Nice, dude! When did you get those?”

“Does this mean you’ll answer when I ask you for help now?”

“I think he was just always ignoring you, Kami.”

"What? No! Why would he do that?"

"Because you ask him for answers on every problem rather than how to solve it?"

Bakugou watched the three teens in front of him suddenly turn on Kaminari, laughing at the other blond’s expense. They hadn’t even flinched at him wearing them! No jokes, no sympathetic looks, nothing! They just took it in stride as if he’d said the weather outside was cool. He looked over at Kirishima to get confirmation that he wasn’t insane and they had really found out what he deemed his weakness. Kirishima met his gaze with a knowing grin and a shrug of his shoulders, a silent ‘I-told-you-it-wasn’t-a-big-deal’ look on his face. Katsuki shot him a glare but turned back to his meal to try and hide the smile he knew would betray any small amount of anger it may have had.

They didn't seem to care. He'd spent so much of his life dreading the day he'd have to wear these stupid things. Dreading the way people would look at or perceive him. He was Bakugou Katsuki and the only way he should be looked at was with admiration or fear; not pity or sympathy, and he whole heartedly believed that was going to be the outcome wearing these would bring. He expected the three idiots in front of him to make a huge ordeal about it, but they just seemed relieved and excited. Just like Kirishima had been.

Maybe having friends wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

---

After that, Katsuki wore them daily. They became second nature from then on and he wanted to be surprised that nobody seemed to even flinch at them, but after seeing his friend’s reactions, he really wasn't. What was supposed to be a weakness was nothing more than another area he could work with. Something Katsuki could train and hone like his quirk. He’d even followed Kirishima’s idea and got a pair that would work with his mask. They got upgraded to protect his remaining hearing from his explosions while enhancing it. His regular ones got an upgrade as well so they’d stop sending him feedback every time Kaminari got within a foot of him which spared Kaminari getting threatened and snapped at so it was a win for him as well. (Both pairs were returned black with an orange X printed on them and Kirishima swore he knew nothing about it.)

Months passed and it was hard to imagine he’d ever put up such a fight to wear the stupid things. They really did make a difference and it was even better knowing nobody felt the need to shout at him. Part of him wondered just how many people did but also didn’t think his pride could risk asking. It was like nothing had changed and while he wouldn’t ever admit it, it was apparent he had worried and put this off for absolutely no reason. His friends rolled with it like nothing had happened and that alone, while he refused to admit it, was the real reason he continued to keep it up after the first day. The idiots seemed to be full of surprises, especially Kirishima.

So it really shouldn’t have been a surprise what happened one night during the middle of their second year. The pair were up late in Bakugou’s room going over the latest math homework they’d been given. Well, more like Katsuki was going over Kirishima’s since his was already finished. At some point he’d taken his hearing aids out figuring he wouldn’t really need them in the quiet of his room.

He marked one last problem Kirishima needed to look over and handed the paper back. The red head took it then asked ‘Do you want to go get something to eat?’

“Yeah sure.”

He pushed himself up and brought an arm back behind his head to stretch it out and then it dawned on him. Kirishima hadn’t spoken. His lips hadn’t moved.

“What?!”

Kirishima startled at his yelling. “I asked-“

“I know what you asked!” Katsuki was pretty sure he must look strange because Kirishima was looking at him with sheer, utter confusion. “It’s- it’s how you asked it!”

The red head blinked at him in confusion, clearly not understanding why Katsuki was suddenly so upset. “What about it?”

“You signed!”

“Yeah?” He held the ‘ea’ sound out as if the pause would help him figure out what had happened. Katsuki could feel his face heating up. “Dude, I’m so confused right now. What’s wrong?”

“You-! You fuckin’ signed to me!”

“Yeah, you covered that part. What about it?”

“When the fuck did you learn it?!”

Kirishima still looked at him baffled. “Dude, I’ve known for years. My mom is hard of hearing.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I didn’t think I’d need to? I sign to you all the time, man!” Now it was Katsuki’s turn to look lost. He looked at the red head for a few minutes as if he’d just told him some world altering view, which he kinda did. “You good, bro?”

“No I’m not ‘good’! When the fuck have you ever signed to me?!” Though as the question left his lips, memories started replaying in his head. One’s of Kirishima casually signing ‘lunch?’ while verbally saying they should head to grab a bite to eat. Memories of Kirishima signing ‘that was awesome!’ after Katsuki did some impressive move in training. Of Kirishima’s fingers moving to ask him to pass his notes back over. Vision after vision of Kirishima slipping it into such casual setting from the first weeks he knew him and wow, okay that did something to his heart.

Why hadn’t he ever noticed it before? When the hell had Kirishima become such a casual part of his life that him speaking in a language hardly anyone knew became second nature? How had he learned so much about Katsuki without him ever knowing the red head was close enough to figure him out? Why did he decide to dedicate so much of his energy and time to be around him?!

“Dude?” He looked over at Kirishima who was now looking at him worried. “I was kinda kidding when I asked if you were good but now I’m actually worried. Are you alright? You look, like, sick."

Katsuki dropped to his knees in front of the red head who was looking even more concerned now. He opened his mouth, probably to once again ask if Katsuki was okay, when Katsuki put his hands on either side of his head and pulled him into a kiss. It wasn’t anything spectacular on the outside, just a chaste kiss, but it was an awakening for Katsuki who avoided feelings and distractions. Katsuki who had mentioned romance was the furthest thing on his mind when Ashido asked him back in first year if he was interested in anyone. So yeah, it wasn’t the most romantic of kisses as Katsuki hadn’t exactly kissed anyone aside from one or two people back in middle school and Kirishima hadn’t exactly moved or leaned into it let alone reacted.

Wait, shit. Kirishima hadn’t reacted.

That thought had him pulling back immediately, apology already forming but going unspoken as Kirishima mirrored the gesture of grabbing his face and pulling him into a kiss. Now it was Katsuki’s turn to be shocked but it faded in seconds, eyes closing on instinct as he moved to rest his hands on Kirishima’s hips. Kirishima in turn gently cupped the side of his face, guiding Katsuki’s head to tilt to the side slightly so he could deepen it. Alright, this one was much better than the pitiful one Katsuki had just done. Kirishima’s lips slid against his like they were meant to be connected and his hands lit Katsuki’s skin on fire. The feeling was like wearing his hearing aids for the first time. Like reawakening a sense that had been muted for years. He didn’t want it to end but after one last slow kiss, Kirishima pulled back, lips parted as he breathed.

Katsuki opened his eyes and blinked down at him, no doubt looking as kiss-drunk as the red head. Kirishima beamed back up at him, cheeks tinted red which Katsuki could feel his own face mimicking. He glanced away as if that would hide it, ignoring the way his heart rate picked up when Kirishima’s arms moved to wrap around his waist, head resting against his chest. He had about a billion things he wanted to say, knew Kirishima had about a billion he probably wanted to ask, but of course the red head knew him well enough to know he needed a minute before he spoke. Kirishima knew him so well. How did he not ever connect these dots and do this sooner?!

“So you like me.”

Alright, maybe not the elegant response he wanted but he earned a laugh from Kirishima. He shrugged and looked up at him so Katsuki could see his lips, smile still present. “What finally gave that away?”

Katsuki could feel his face flush anew. “’Finally’?”

“I haven’t exactly been trying to hide it from you.”

“You never fuckin’ said anything!”

“Again, never thought I’d need to.”

And alright, that was fair if he thought about it. He frowned but it was more at himself than at Kirishima and he ducked his head down to rest against the red head’s shoulder, the red head pulling him close. “You have awful taste.” He muttered to which Kirishima just hummed, lightly resting his head against the side of Katsuki’s.

They stayed like that for a while longer before Kirishima’s stomach made them remember what had started this whole ordeal in the first place. As they stood up and started to head out, Katsuki paused and turned grabbing his hearing aids and sliding them into place, ignoring the way Kirishima’s face lit up at the simple motion. He didn’t comment on it though, only taking Katsuki’s hand for a whole second before dropping it. Katsuki arched a brow, about to ask what was wrong.

‘I really, really like you, Katsuki.’

Katsuki was pretty sure his face was currently redder than the idiot in front of him’s hair and mumbled a quiet “Fuck you” as he lightly punched his shoulder. Kirishima laughed and caught Katsuki’s hand before it fell away. He went to lace their fingers together and tug him down the hall but Katsuki stayed rooted to the spot. Kirishima looked back at him, head tilting in the ‘whats-up’ way he did before Katsuki pulled his hand back.

‘You are an idiot, but I like you too.’

It shouldn’t be a surprise the way Kirishima’s eyes lit up. It shouldn’t be breath taking the blinding smile such a simple statement was met with. It shouldn’t make his heart skip when he was rewarded with another kiss. None of it should be but here Katsuki was, arms wrapped around this dumb, red headed ray of sunshine who managed to do the impossible.

#KiriBaku #Bakugou Katsuki #Kirishima Eijirou #BakuShima #Deaf Bakugou #Bakugou #Kirishima #BNHA #Boku no Hero Academia #My Hero Academia #MHA #klutzys writing

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blackevermore · 3 years

Text

x Secrets of The Lake: The Company of Misery and Pain

{ Chapter 2 }

Summary: Vladimir Masters' family tree has always been tainted by secrets swept under the rug. From generation to generation there have been countless reasons the Masters' family had seemed to keep private from the public. Even to this day, Vladimir was no exception. But what was one to do when a restless spirit from the settlement years finally breaks free from restraints and demands you answer for your ancestor's crimes? Vladimir doesn't know. However, Clockworks does.

Notes: We just having fun, rewriting some of the canon, new adventure new characters. I will apologize now for any grammar, spelling, weird sentence structuring in advance. My brain writes faster than my fingers and even when I go back through to reread it I still miss things. Sorry about that!

Word Count: 3287

If Vlad could find a stronger word besides irritating...aggravating...ah- vexatious! The vexatious ticking around him was about to drive him up a wall the longer he waited for Clockwork to acknowledge him. When Vlad found the calling card he only had to wait until after his morning coffee for the time ghost to open a portal to his lair. Vlad didn’t feel the need to change himself as he strolled through the portal, but he wished he brought a chair if it meant waiting.

“So much time but not enough done,” Clockwork finally finished his business viewing another timeline. He turned and gave Vlad a polite smile as he nodded his head to greet the other. “I’m happy you chose to adhere to my calling, this is a rather important conversation.”

“I figured I had no choice considering anything that has to deal with you means danger.” Vlad said aloofly and Clockwork only chuckled, friendly-ish banter, but Vlad was serious. The last time he dealt with the time ghost timelines were doomed and certain baddies were wreaking havoc. Vlad couldn’t help but wonder about how Clockwork was keeping Dan. Or rather where, Clockworks lair was larger than it looked and every door led to another endless path of nowhere. Perfect for keeping people away from things they shouldn’t be doing or seeing.

“This danger is rather serious as the one before considering it’s linked to you.” Clockwork waved his hand to open another portal to the Ghost Zone. Images flashed by like a slide show showing different groups of habitats covering their ears in fear or trying to hide. Vlad held his breath, believing Clockwork was about to show him another doomed timeline. Vlad really didn’t wish to be sent off on a rescue mission again, one was all he could handle. But instead, the last image that flashed across the portal was of a female ghost standing in the middle of lake as ecto-energy shot off of her like lightning zapping the water but also the trees around her. Her body shifted in blurs from left to right as her mouth twisted into a horrid scream. Vlad nearly stumbled back in disbelief when he recognized that face as the girl from his nightmares.

“You’re speechless as if you’ve seen her before.” Clockwork turned towards Vlad with a raised brow.

“That’s the ghost that’s been haunting my dreams as of recently. I knew it had to be a ghost but what does she want with me? I don’t even know who she is.” Vlad said, annoyed and very confused.

“But you do,” Clockwork waved his hand once again across the portal and the image was now of the ghost alive weaving a basket by the water. She looked so different from the other image, happier, calm and relaxed, not at all in pain or screaming with anger. “Or a part of you that wishes to remain hidden does.”

“What does that mean?” Vlad bit his tongue from snapping at the time ghost for being vague. Clockwork always loved dragging things out and making both Vlad and Danny think before telling them anything. But right now, Vlad wasn’t in the mood, that ghost that has been haunting him has been confirmed and now Clockwork was saying he knew her. Vlad was keen on remembering faces, if not names, surely if he ever met someone like this dead or alive.

“Vladimir, your past is catching up with you and causing trouble within the ghost zone. I’ve known about her since my creation, she was not as bad as she is now. A very sad ghost that normally kept quiet on her small island plot. But now she has found you-”

“Found me? What on Earth does that mean? I’ve never seen her before.” Vlad rudely interrupted and Clockwork sighed. Dealing with halfas was always a tricky thing but what was one to do when they’re the ones causing the problems.

“In this life you have never met her, you were born again as Vladimir Akimovich Masters. But in another life you were someone else, your great ancestor who settled in the new lands with only a servant in tow. For so long you were able to avoid what happened due to being born again and again, without stopping through the Ghost Zone. But it was this timeline that you finally found your way there, when you became a halfa you created the energy that dragged her from the depths of her sombre. You awakened her the moment you got stronger.” Clockwork waved his staff around in the air and the room grew dark. They were no longer in the lair but at the island the ghost resided in. Vlad heard the sound of soft weeping come from behind him and when he slowly turned around he was standing inches away from the girl. She didn’t seem to notice him as she grumbled a few words and shook her head back and forth.

“Death has already found me,” she said. Vlad’s core almost froze when he heard those words so clearly. “Death has already taken me away.” The girl fell to her knees and clenched her chest. Vlad took a step back and looked over his shoulder to see if Clockwork was there but he wasn’t. Vlad was completely alone with this ghost even if he wasn’t actually there and that was unnerving.

“Death...has finally… found you!” The girl’s head shot up with fiery green eyes stabbing Vlad right through the chest. Just like in the nightmares she gritted her teeth in anger then let out the same wail Vlad heard over and over again night after night. Vlad stumbled to the ground and covered his ears to soften the attack. The wail quickly faded away and Vlad shot his eyes open to see that he was back in Clockworks lair. The ghost looked very unpleased, worried even and tired.

“That is what the Ghost Zone has been hearing over and over in waves every hour. All because of you.”

“Because of me?!” Vlad yelled back, surely Clockwork had also seen the countless nights Vlad had been up and how tired throughout the day he was from this wretched ghost. If all this was to be true you can’t fault someone from the present for things that happen in the past. Vlad had no control over anything that happened or anyone that was already dead centuries before he was conceived. It was one thing to actually cause the trouble that was unfolding around him, but to be accused felt so disrespectful. Vlad was already on the road of trying to stray away from being known as just the villain of a finished story. He had made his peace with Danny, helped to even save the world from Dan, he released his control over his minions only to call upon them when needed. This was insulting and it only made Vlad angrier.

“You have no control over what has been done but you have the power now to fix it. If this isn't handled now while I give you the chance to do so then your future will be no longer. Besides, wouldn't you rather put a restless spirit to rest now rather than being stuck with them for eternity?” Clockwork chuckled when he saw Vlad’s eyes shoot open. There was no point in trying to argue with Clockwork, Vlad knew that, he was right about a lot of things and a lot of outcomes. Vlad lowered his head and took in a deep breath.

“And what pray tell do you expect me to do.” Vlad steeled himself as he waited for an answer.

“Aid the young Phantom in finding Tayonna before she finds you outside of the Ghost Zone. I cannot promise you talking will silence her soul but try to figure out how to put her to rest. Or at least get the screaming to stop. I can hear it all the way from here and it disturbs my work.” Clockwork thumbed back towards his endless floating timelines he had to oversee and shook his head.

“Daniel knows about this?” Vlad asked, a bit grateful he wouldn’t have to figure this out by himself.

“I have not spoken to him but he was in the Ghost Zone and heard it himself. He has already planned on investigating some time soon, it would be best if you go with him.” Clockwork turned away from Vlad and floated up towards another portal that showed a timeline. “That is all for now Vladimir, I wish you luck in fixing this before it’s too late.” With that Clockwork opened a portal for Vlad back to his home. Vlad had so many questions he wished to ask but he knew they would fall on deaf ears. So he turned sharply on his heels and left through the portal. Once he was back in the kitchen of his home he fell into a nearby chair and covered his face with a hand.

He really wanted a drink but when he checked the clock above the sink, it was still the same time it was when he left. Wonderful, he still had to be at work in half an hour and deal with human interactions. Vlad closed his eyes and gave himself a prep talk of not calling off and to go be the adult he was. With a few more grumbles of food and candy related curses, Vlad pulled himself together and headed to work. Vlad failed to notice the small puddle footsteps that followed him all the way to the door.

---

“Why can’t I go!?” Dani yelled towards Danny as she slid down the stair railing. Dani had overheard Jazz and Danny talking about what was going on when she came home from school and was excited about an adventure. "I wanna go!”

“No. You have school and I don’t have time to explain everything to mom and dad if you get us caught.” Danny rolled his eyes as he made his way to the kitchen to get a snack.

“You have school too, that was a crappy excuse.” Dani crossed her arms and leaned against the table.

“Yeah I know, that’s why I’d make a great parent one day.” Danny rummages through the frig for a moment before settling on shredded cheese. It may have not been 3am there in Minnesota but it was 3 am somewhere and that was good enough. Dani whispered an ‘ew’ and Danny shrugged before stuffing his mouth.

“Come on, I wanna help find this ghost and pow pow!” Dani punched the air a few times in her “oh so killer” fighting moves.

“How do you know it’s a bad ghost?” Danny smirked and put a hand on his hip.

“How do you know it’s not?” Dani cocked an eyebrow and Danny silently agreed. “Besides, you totally need me, I’m the better Phantom here.” Dani flipped her ponytail and struck a pose. Danny let out a ‘ha!’ before stuffing his face again and placing the cheese back into the frig before turning invisible and slipping through the floor. Dani laughed and followed him to the basement. When they made it to the ground Danny changed into his ghost form. Dani was about to change too but a hand quickly stopped her and Danny told her no.

“Now way are you going, if I remember correctly you need to pack to go back home. You know how Vlad gets when you’re never ready.” Danny said.

“Ughhhhh! He can wait! I haven’t been there in 6 months. I think he’ll be fine if I’m not ready for five minutes.” Dani crossed her arms and pouted but it didn’t phase Danny as he placed a hand on his hip and pointed for her to go back upstairs.

“I wish I was the older one,” Dani grumbled, turning invisible and flying away. Danny groaned and shook his head before turning back towards the portal. Danny wouldn’t have minded Dani tagging along if he had a better understanding of what was going on. But the older brother in him didn’t want to put her in danger. That was also the reason he hadn’t told Sam and Tucker about it. Over the past few years, Danny had found himself still sticking a toe in the ring before asking for help. Unlike before when he did it for hero points, he now was just worried about everyone around him. Danny stepped over to the button to open the portal and braced himself just in case he was opening it to another scream. Luckily the only sounds that came were the normal everyday portal sounds. Danny floated in and closed the portal with his remote on his utility belt. Wouldn’t want anyone who shouldn’t be out getting out.

Unlike the day before Danny actually saw other ghosts out and about. But something still felt odd or more so upsetting. As he flew around he tried to pinpoint the negative energy. Just then he heard fighting coming from his right on a random floating rock.

“Johnny I don’t wanna ride with you anymore!” Kitty yelled as she kicked off the bike and walked away from her boyfriend. Danny cocked an eyebrow as he watched Johnny and Kitty, it wasn’t unusual to see them going at it every once and a while. But something told Danny to keep watching.

“Babe we don’t have time for this, whatever it is, we gotta get somewhere safe so we don’t hear that screaming.” Johnny kicked out his kickstand and hopped off his bike.

“No! You’re being reckless again, you’re always being reckless and look where it got us. I told you when it started let’s go to the human world and you told me no. Why don’t you listen to me?” Kitty crossed her arms and snatched away from Johnny when he tried to touch her.

“Well I didn’t think it would get this bad but now it's driving us all crazy. Get on the bike and we’ll go wherever you want, ‘k?” Johnny was trying to reason with Kitty but the other seemed to only get more upset.

“I don’t wanna go there anymore, you’ll just try and chat up that redhead again!” Kitty turned and screamed at her boyfriend then quickly covered her mouth.

“What?” Danny whispered to himself. That was so long ago, Danny himself almost didn’t remember it and he was the shittiest when it happened. Kitty had long forgiven Johnny after he explained why he did what he did. They even made up and were stronger together than before. So why would she bring up old news all of a sudden?

“J-Johnny why did I say that?” Kitty was scared by the words that left her mouth. She asked him again in panic and Johnny shook his head and grabbed her hand to hurry back over to his bike. They quickly rode off farther into the Ghost Zone. Danny flew off as well heading mindlessly in the opposite direction but was quickly stopped in his tracks when a blast nearly took off his face.

“Screw you Skulker!” Danny looked down and Saw Ember and Skulker ready to go head to head. Now this was new. Ember was fired up and ready to strum her boyfriend away with on note, while Skulker already had his weapons drawn. Danny had never seen them fight like this unless it was against him. Of course, the couple threw jabs at each other but honestly, they were in love.

“Just admit you were wrong, Ember, and we can move on from this.” Skulker refused to lower his weapon, the tech ghost was ready for anything.

“Why do you keep saying that? I didn’t do anything, you’re the one that fucked up!” Ember rose her peck in the air and slammed down on the strings sending a wave Skulker way. The other ghost quickly dodged it and fired back while Ember used her guitar to block it.

“I didn’t do anything! You’re the one that started it!” Skulker yelled back.

“Started what?!”

“I don’t know!” Skulker lowered his gun and thought for a moment. What were they fighting about? No really why were they fighting? They were just watching tv and talking about new music when all of a sudden they were at each other’s neck.

“I don’t know either,” Ember floated to a rock and placed her head in her hands. Skulker flew over to her and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. It was then he noticed Danny watching them.

“ What is going on?” Danny flew a bit closer and the couple shook their heads.

“The screaming is making everyone lose their minds, or what is left of them.” Ember answered. She looked so tired and worn out.

“Have you guys been fighting a lot?” Danny had a very weird idea that he wanted to test out.

“Is it noticeable?” Skulker scuffed and pulled Ember in for an apology hug. Ember smirked and accepted it.

“I just saw Johnny and Kitty fighting and it was weird.” Danny thought out loud as he tried to fit the pieces together.

“That’s not new, what’s new is Box Ghost and Lunch Lady fighting. I saw them yesterday throwing things back and forth before Lunch Lady got the upper hand and shoved Box into a container.” Ember started to chuckle to herself and Skulker followed. The couple then started cracking jokes about how dumb other ghosts were.

“Has anything else seemed out of place around here?” Danny hated to interrupt their kiki time but he really needed answers.

“Desiree has been crying about that sultan guy again.” Skulker answered.

“Poindexter keeps muttering about somebody named Dexter wanting to apologize to him or whatever.” Ember added. “Did you know Spectra and Bertrand were a thing? I didn’t until I saw them going at it.” Danny made a face of disgust, he honestly thought Spectra would be with someone else.

“So it's mostly couples or people with some type of relationship being affected, but why?” Danny scratched his head trying to figure out the connection and the screaming but he kept drawing a blank.

“Oh god don’t tell me the screaming is coming from a heartbroken ghost, that is lame.” Ember said, she rolled her eyes and made a fake gagging noise.

“Seems like the likely case.” Danny had to agree with her, that was pretty lame.

“Well she needs to get over it, we’re already dead, move on.” Danny had to bite his tongue from calling Ember a hypocrite when it took a long while for her to move on to Skulker.

“Skulker, do you have any idea where the screaming could be coming from?” Danny asked, hoping for a lead. The tech ghost removed his arm from Ember and hit the button on his wrist to bring up an echo map. He tapped at the holo screen a few times then turned the projection towards Danny.

“Southbound heading almost towards the pits, which is surprising. No one in their right mind should be near the pits.” Danny had heard of the pits before, it was basically the darkest part of the Ghost Zone. It was said that no matter how hard you tried to light your way it seemed to only get darker and darker. “You’re going to go, aren’t you?” Skulker asked Danny and the young ghost smirked and shrugged.

“Someone has to keep you all under control, if not me like always then who? Catch ya later.” Danny bided a farewell to the couple who seemed to be in a way better mood and started to head downward.

#📖Ghost Stories👻#vlad masters #Danny Phantom #my writing #Secrets of The Lake #dp fanfic

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whitewolfmoving · 3 years

Text

Boston Burning Part Three

In Your Orbit

Summary: Chris takes Nika with him to the station during his next shift, there she's introduced to the latest transfer from Austin, Texas—Arden Daniels. A simple question from an outside perspective brings out an overdue confession in a roundabout way.

Warnings: cheesiness, flirting, Chris Evans absolutely doting on Nika Stan (yes it absolutely needs its own warning lol)

Word Count: 2770

A/N: This fic will feature a lot of implied signed dialogue, as two of the characters are a part of the Deaf Community. Dialogue expressed in ASL (American Sign Language) will appear in bold and italics preceded or followed by the proper indicators. Unless otherwise stated, regularly spoken dialogue will be used for interpretation purposes for characters who do not sign when mixed in with signed dialogue. As I, myself, am part of the Deaf Community and wanted to bring a character to the table that represented my own experience with my deafness, I DO NOT speak for all d/Deaf/HoH individuals nor the Community as a whole. I am but one person, these are MY OWN experiences. Happy reading!

"Are you sure you want to come to the Station with me tonight?" Chris asked, poking his head into the bathroom as he and Nika got ready to go.

"For the last time, Evans, I'm going. I'm not sitting around here waiting for shift to be over," Nika said, applying a small amount of antibiotic burn cream over her skin.

He put his hands up in surrender, leaning against the doorframe. He wouldn't offer to help her unless she indicated that she needed him to. "Alright, alright. I'll quit asking. I just want to make sure you're as ready to see everyone as they are to see you."

"Chris," she paused, looking over her shoulder, "I'll be fine, I promise. I'll take it easy and I'll let you or Lizzie or Scar know if I need to come home. Now, can you help me with my shoulder?"

Chris nodded and accepted the tube. He took his place behind her and moved her hair to the side revealing the wound on her shoulder to him. He gingerly rubbed a thin film of cream over the healing blisters. "It's looking better already."

Nika scoffed. She'd never really taken the time to look at herself in the mirror before, never really felt the need to. Since the fire, all she did was stare at her reflection.

"Hey," Chris said softly, "you're still just as beautiful now as you were before."

"Are you flirting with me, Evans?"

"Depends, is it working?"

"Maybe."

The two continued to stare at each other in the mirror; Chris's fingers idly glided over the rough skin of Nika's scar tissue. She watched intrigued as he leaned into his own touch of her skin instead of pulling away repulsed by the feeling as she would have been. Chris was good to her, too good, in ways Nika felt she hadn't earned.

As if he'd read her mind, he turned her around to face him, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. The pad of his thumb gently brushed over her cheek. Stop that. You don't need to earn my attention or my affection or my care.

Why are you so good to me? How can you just give me that much of your time so easily? Nika questioned, her hands moved furiously to highlight her frustration. Try as she might, she couldn't understand what he saw in her — more so now, thanks to the scarring left behind by the fire.

Chris understood that Nika's confidence had been shaken, he understood that she didn't see herself as she once had. It's simple, Nik. You're my best friend, it's yours if you want it.

The drive to the firehouse was quiet. Nika left her hearing aids at home, not wanting to burden herself with attempting to follow so many conversations. Chris was there to interpret for anyone who didn't sign, giving her a much needed break.

Chris pulled up outside of the station and looked over at Nika. He waited patiently for her to make a move or a sound or any indication that she was ready to go in. She sat still as a stone, amber eyes fixed on the brick and mortar building in front of them. Chris softly tapped her left knee with his right hand, grabbing her attention. You ok? Nervous?

Nika shook her head. No, not nervous. Indifferent.

We don't have to go in. We can go home. Whatever you want to do.

I want to go.

Then we go. Chris reached across the seat and grabbed Nika's hand. He slid his fingers through the spaces between hers, giving her palm a gentle squeeze. The soft look in his eyes was warm and calming, exactly as it had been in the mirror. He slowly brought their hands up to his mouth, softly brushed his lips over their tangled fingers, skimming her knuckles. Ready?

Nika answered with a small nod of her head, her eyes still trained on the spot where Chris's lips had touched her skin. His affection wasn't new to her, except the way in which it was being delivered. She communicated with her hands, and to have him now showing deeper levels of care to her with his own… Chris's touch was everything.

The passenger door opened to reveal Chris standing at her side, waiting to escort her into the station. His bright blue eyes found her smooth honey gaze, and a sense of ease washed over them both.

She took his hand when offered, smiling as she hopped out of the truck. Who is here tonight?

That you know? Scarlett, Lizzie, Scott, and myself.

Do they know about the fire?

Scott knows, he was with me when Seb called. Everyone else will know only if you want them to. Chris smiled reassuringly. He knew seeing everyone under the current circumstances would be a lot for her, but he hoped having at least him and his brother there would take some of the pressure off. The Evans brothers were good for interpreting, Elizabeth and Scarlett knew enough conversational signs, and Nika could get by fairly well on her own otherwise.

The warmth of the summer evening relaxed both Chris and Nika's nerves. He hummed softly as she leaned into the protective barrier his body offered, shielding her right side from further damage. He hadn't been there to protect her from the fire that had caused the initial injury, but he'd make sure no more harm came to her during her stay in Boston.

She tugged on his arm as they approached the firehouse and nodded toward the opened shutter doors of the apparatus bay where Scott was waiting for them.

Hey, Scotty. Long time, no see. Nika greeted the younger Evans brother, stepping away from Chris's side and giving Scott a hug.

Hey, Trouble. Glad to see you're up and moving. How's the arm?

Can't wait to get this cast off. I'm already tired of it and it's only been a week.

Scott chuckled, greeted his brother with a nod and quick hug of his own. "Chris, you two doing alright? Need anything?"

"No, Scott. We're good. Thanks," the older Evans answered. He adjusted Nika's backpack over his shoulder and watched her slip into a comfortable conversation with Scott. The brothers had been friends with Sebastian and Nika since the four of them were in grade school; when the Evans' family moved back to Boston when the boys were in middle school, every so often Chris and Scott or Nika and Sebastian would spend a weekend with their respective second family. Nothing could tear the bond they had apart.

As they got older, Chris grew closer with both of the Stan siblings while Scott branched out and made friends of his own. He still kept in touch, not as closely as his big brother had but enough to keep the bond with them alive.

Chris's brief trip down memory lane ended abruptly, when a surprised yet happy squeal from Nika met his ears. He turned to find her sprinting through the apparatus bay toward the back of the rigs, Elizabeth's brunette hair fanning out behind her as the two spun around in a reunited embrace. He caught up to them in time to see the sling slip from Nika's arm in all of the excitement.

He tapped her left shoulder and gestured to her right arm. Hey, careful! You're not 100% yet, Nik.

Whoops. Nice catch. Thanks, Cap. she blushed, biting at her lower lip as Chris helped her slip the sling back into place. She did her best to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks at the soft kiss he pressed into the side of her hair.

How long are you here? Elizabeth asked, drawing Nika's attention away from the Squad Captain.

Off duty until my wrist and burns heal, so I guess we'll see. Definitely long enough for girls night!

That's what I like to hear!

The girls erupted into a fit of giggles. Nika hadn't been back in Boston since her breakup three years prior; a nasty one that only Chris and Elizabeth knew the explicit details of. Girls nights had been out in hold in favor of the time and space she needed to work through what happened.

Chris carefully guided a happy and preoccupied Nika to the locker room, followed by Elizabeth, as the two desperately made plans for a much needed wine and gossip night. He knew better than to interrupt.

After depositing his and Nika's things into his locker, Chris finally decided he'd take a chance pulling her away from the party planning for a bit. He found the two friends huddled in a corner of the common area, chatting animatedly over two mugs of fresh coffee. Elizabeth alerted Nika to Chris approaching her from behind and she turned around with a warm smile.

Hey, what's up?

Not much. How's your arm?

Ok, a little sore. Lizzie and I are planning Girls Night.

Chris chuckled. He loved the way Nika's eyes lit up whenever she mentioned plans with their other friends, especially Elizabeth. The two of them were almost as inseparable as Chris and Elizabeth were, and he knew that whenever he couldn't be around for her, Elizabeth would be. He nodded at the brunette and gestured toward the offices.

Mind if I borrow Nik for a moment? There's someone I want you to meet.

Not at all, I need to find Scarlett anyway. I'll see you later. Elizabeth waved them off and went in search of the other paramedic.

So, who am I meeting? Nika asked, following Chris to his office. It'd been three years since she'd stepped foot in that small room, three years since she's been in Boston at all but it still looked exactly as she remembered.

Latest Squad transfer. I think you'll like her, he answered simply. He set her purse on his desk and led her back out to the apparatus bay.

As they rounded the corner, Nika noticed the woman across the bay next to the Squad rig who hadn't been there when they'd arrived. She had wavy chestnut brown hair about as long as Nika's and stood a couple inches shorter than Sebastian. From the back, she could be his twin—a thought that thoroughly disturbed the younger Stan sibling. As the woman turned, Nika noticed the glint of the lights off of something in her hair and squinted, trying to make out what it was.

What was that flash of light in her hair? she asked, pulling Chris to a stop before they approached.

Just go meet her. Please? For me? he said. He reached forward and gently touched her left shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly and tugging her forward with him. "Hey, Daniels. You got a moment?"

The woman paused her inspection of the Squad apparatus, and turned in the direction of Chris's voice. The light caught the strange piece in her hair and now that they'd moved closer, Nika recognized it as a cochlear implant.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" The woman's eyes shifted from her superior over to the younger woman standing next to him. She gave her a polite smile, but kept her professional composer as best she could in the presence of company.

Chris easily slipped back into ASL now that he had her attention, not wanting to leave Nika out of the conversation. He quickly made the proper introductions. Nik, this is Arden Daniels, the new transfer I was telling you about. Arden, this is my best friend in the entire universe and the most badass firefighter I have ever seen, Nika Stan. She's staying with me for a few days during recovery.

Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. Arden relaxed, shook Nika's hand, and offered the man a small chuckle of her own. So, this is the girl you learned to sign for?

Nika didn't miss the way Chris's cheeks grew a light shade of pink at Arden's accusation, though all she could do herself was stare at her best friend and wait for his answer. She'd always wondered why he'd learned ASL but never thought to ask, assuming that like everyone else, that's just how things went.

I didn't learn for her. He shook his head with a soft smile. He glanced over at Nika whose warm amber eyes were trained on his face, and he couldn't look away. I learned because of her.

Isn't that the same thing? Arden continued once she'd had Chris's attention again.

No.

Arden, now interested in what Chris had to say, sat down on the bumper of the truck behind her. It'd become increasingly clear to Nika throughout this small interaction, that like herself, Arden's experience with hearing people wasn't always positive. Truth be told, she'd never really thought of Chris as "just another hearing person" because he'd never treated her as "just another hearing impaired" girl. But then again, their relationship was different entirely.

How is that not the same thing?

Because I could always learn to sign, but Nik could never learn to hear again. I learned ASL so that I could talk to my favorite person in the world without barriers.

He'd never admitted it before, at least not out loud. No one had ever asked except Sebastian once, and when Chris didn't immediately offer an answer, he didn't press the issue. After that, he never really thought about it. For Chris, it was self-explanatory. Why would you ask a Deaf person to accommodate you in a world that's made for you?

Well, now that that particular cat was out of the bag, Chris wondered how long it would be until Nika knew the truth of how he felt about her. He'd move heaven and hell to see her smile again, but he knew it wouldn't return until she was healed up and back on the job. He couldn't just let her go home after this, not when things were finally taking a step in the right direction.

The world needs more people like you, Captain. Hearing people who don't see us Deaf as something broken to be fixed. Arden said, grabbing Chris's attention once more.

If you think I'm great, you should meet Nik's brother. He taught me everything I know about being a good advocate for the Deaf Community.

Nika rolled her eyes at the mention of Sebastian. She loved her brother, but she was loving her time away from his overprotectiveness even more. Who do you think taught him what he knows? she joked, giving Chris a playful shove.

Arden couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watched the two of them interact. Chris was a goner...it showed in the brightness of his smile and the melody of his laughter.

I'm going to get back to it. But Nika it was nice meeting you. And if you're still around after shift, I'd love to get your number before you go.

It was nice meeting you too. I'm sure I'll see you again before the night's over. Don't let Evans run you into the ground.

Chris put his hand to his chest in mock offense. Hey! I resent that. I am a fantastic Squad Captain.

Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, C.

The air between Chris and Nika was playful and electric. He led her back to his office in a comfortable silence, her left hand securely tucked into his right one. Both of them were coming down off of the excitement they shared with Arden, and the weight of his near-confession still hung just out of reach.

He shut the door behind her to give them some privacy.

So, what'd you think of Daniels?

Nika shook her head with a chuckle. Female Seb, but Deaf. It's weird.

I thought the same thing when I first met her. She's good at her job. he offered.

Hey, Chris?

Yeah, Nik? What's up?

Chris stopped in front of where Nika leaned carefully against his desk. She was staring down at her shoes, lost in thoughts she hadn't yet shared with him. He tucked his finger under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. What's wrong?

I was just wondering… what are you doing with your time? Her soft honey eyes found his mesmerizing blue ones.

There in the quiet of his office, Chris did the one thing he'd been waiting to do for seven years—before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned down and softly kissed Nika's lips.

It's yours if you want it.

To The End of All Things Taglist: @suitofvibraniumarmor @pinknerdpanda

#boston burning #sebastian stan fanfiction #chris evans fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #firefighter au

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yanderecandystore · 4 years

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can I req yandere headcanon teacher with a female student who is deaf but are not completely deaf she can use hearing aids though she cannot clearly understand individual words, but she can hear various pitches of tones in the voices of other people but one day bullies going too far by pulling out the reader's hearing aids, and permanently damaging reader ear. (is it okay say I teacher see them as son or daughter then lover?) I apologise for long req and any error. I love your writing

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Hi! Sorry for making you wait, I was having a hard time trying write something interesting. But since it's Mother's day, why not now?

I know this sounds really convenient and kinda "Deus Ex Machina", but I been wanting to redo my characters for a long time, specially the teachers. Something I would like to mention about this redo, is that I'm planning on making both of them understand sign language. Matthew has a really old mother that is a mute, and Madeline not only wanted to be a teacher growing up, but also a pediatric nurse, that wanted to tell stories to deaf children using sign language.

I'm sorry if it's too far fetch, I just felt it would be interesting idea to ad to them. Also, this headcanons doesn't really look like a headcanon... I feel like it's a small fanfiction?

" I see beauty in everything, don't you?" [Yandere Teacher x Deaf!Female!Reader - Small fanfic]:

Since you were a child, you haven't able to properly hear most sounds. The only thing that helped you be able to listen better, was the hearing aids that were really expensive.

You still can't properly understand some words that come out of people's mouth, but you learned to read their mouth movements and overall tone in their voices.

When you were introduced to the school faculty, your parents warned them of your condition, and it was easy to see that although being a really kind girl, they would have to be really patient with you.

Which, the academy isn't really well-known for. But there was still hope for you, maybe if they pair you up with the right teacher and class, you would be in good hands.

And they were right, at the beginning.

You were introduced to your homeroom teacher, and they were stunned by how kind you were, and how excited you looked to be in the academy.

You couldn't pick up on most of their words, and that's when you told them that you didn't listen fully well, even with the hearing aids.

They were surprised, but their face showed you a gentle, welcoming smile.

"- Maybe we can try, this…" They started making signs with their hands, and although you recognized it as sign language, you didn't really understand what the signs meant.

"- Oh, well, it's fine. Maybe I can teach you later."

Their voice is so full of joy to have a new student in their classroom, and they introduce you to the rest of the class with such genuine happiness.

And some people seemed understanding of your situation, but…

"- …. Freak."

But most of them, weren't so kind towards you. A couple of students would completely dismiss you, or even straight up avoid you.

But some of them liked to get really personal with you. You would be pushed around constantly, and although you couldn't hear them, their dirty looks were enough for you too feel terrible.

But their favorite game was to roughly pull your hearing aids. It would scare you everytime, and it would hurt the more they do.

One of them tried to do this on your homeroom teacher class, but-

"- Don't." Your teacher is looking eyes with the student behind you. You were too distracted to even notice their presence behind you.

"- What-" They try asking before being cut off.

"- Don't even think about doing that. If I see, or hear anything about you doing that again, we'll have a little talk. Move to the next sit." You were a little confused, but it didn't take long for you to connect the dots.

Your teacher asked you to meet them in their class after school. You couldn't deny that you felt a little scared, you have never seen them get so angry like that.

"- Sigh. Please, take a sit." Their whole demeanor tell you that, they're not exactly angry, at least not with you.

They feel awful, after that little incident, they started to think that what happened wasn't the first time. They can't keep let anyone do this to you but they also can't always be there to protect you.

They tried talking with you, and although they're really gentle and patient with you, there was a little bit of desperation in their voices, to know what is going on while you're not in their class.

You try telling them everything in the best way you can, feeling a lot more like you're being interrogated then being asked simple questions about your well-being. They easily notice how discomfortable you are, and you look like you're about to cry.

Telling them all the things that happen started to really mess with you. After they feel like they heard enough, they try to make you feel better.

"- Hey, how about this-" They want you to always come find them after school and tell them if anything is wrong. They want you to trust them, and let them protect you.

They want to see if they can make anything against your bullying. But they couldn't really do anything without proof.

And like a miracle from the heavens, they got their proof. But it cost so much for you. In the next day, while on a lunch time, a student thought it would be funny to make a little prank on last time.

You were distracted eating alone, as you didn't really mind being all by yourself, and many students didn't really want to talk with you. Your teacher was finishing picking their food and already planning to sit next to you, when a scream was heard.

The student came behind you and snatched the hearing aids so roughly that it gave you a headache and your ears started to bleeding, you were trying to cover your ears because of the pain that you didn't realize that you couldn't hear anything.

Your teacher came to make sure if you were okay, but you didn't seem to understand what they were saying. They noticed the bleeding and started to yell at the student, thankfully, you couldn't hear it.

All students and teachers in the cafeteria were a little shocked about what just happened, but soon enough they called an ambulance in a panic.

You been hospitalized for three days, and your parents were told that you wouldn't be able to hear anymore. Whatever hope there was for your hearing to get better with time and treatment was gone now.

You felt terribly sad because of you lost your hearing completely, but felt so angry, you just wanted to punch that kid so hard!

You been angry, sad, confused, and really afraid throughout the three days, but thankfully, your teacher came to the hospital to see how you were doing. They looked so sad. So guilty.

They told you to trust them that they would protect you, but they didn't. They hated seeing you so depressed. But they could still help you right?

They asked your parents if it was okay if they can personally taught you sign language. Since they already have enough experience with this, and your parents don't seem to be on a easy position to pay for a personal teacher or any guide to help you, they accept it.

Your next days at school were, odd, to say the least. You were being taught by your teacher how to communicate in sign language, and it has helped you feel a little better. Their company is really comforting, so you don't really mind spending time with them.

But, what you really think is weird is that your teacher insist on taking you to school and taking you back home. Maybe is because you have never experienced this? Maybe you were just not accustomed to this new routine yet.

You found it really weird that other students would be so caring towards you after the incident, asking how you were after the incident and all, while asking the teacher if they could translate to you what they were saying. Some seemed fake, some seemed genuine. Another thing you found weird, was that your classmates seemed scared to talk with you while the teacher was near.

Yet, nobody was being mean to you, and some even wanted to learn how they could communicate with you better. With your teacher's help, and your classmates kindness, you felt eager to start socializing with everyone around you.

You haven't seen any of the students that used to torment you though. Maybe they just were expelled, but something didn't seemed right to you.

Whenever you ask your teacher about it, they would either ignore the question or tell you to not worry yourself, and hug you with all their strength until you giggled.

Your teacher started to be much more present in your life and being so kind and generous towards you, that you honestly don't mind it anymore! Sometimes they ask you to come to their home so you can have study sessions in there, and your parents don't see anything wrong as long as you return in the right time.

Your parents are so kind, but also so naive and distant at times, it seems like they don't even care about your safety. Maybe you would be better off if you have someone else taking care of you.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Also, thank you for liking my writing :3

#yandere oc #special delivery headcanons #yandere teacher #yandere teacher x reader #deaf!reader #yandere teacher x deaf!reader #special delivery small fanfic #yandere #yandere x reader #parent love!yandere #??#idk how to tag this #a sweetheart asked:

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doof-doofblog · 4 years

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"Sweet Dreams!"

Tuesday 31st March 2020

Good Evening everyone! Hope you've all enjoyed your Tuesday, are you all reeling from last night's episode? It ended on a pretty big cliffhanger, right? What's going to happen now Phil is back? Who's excited for tonight's episode? Before we start focusing on tonight's episode, I have a big #SPOILER for you! New pictures have been released of Phil in, what appears to be, a prison a cell! Does he hand himself in to the police after being overwhelmed with guilt? He returned last night after vanishing after the boat crash. After seeing how dismayed and heartbroken Sharon is, does he make the life-changing decision and hand himself in? It is still to come to light that Ian locked Dennis in a room below deck during the boat crash, however Phil still did play a huge part by causing the boat to crash while fighting with Keanu. Is Phil going to end up being put behind bars for years, or can his reliable lawyer, fans will know as Ritchie, be able to prevent Phil from being locked up?!

I'm hoping Phil wont be put into prison for long, he's, personally, one of my favourite characters in the soap and he has such a legendary mark on the soap. What do you guys hope for Phil? Anyway, lets focus on tonight ... there was a hell of a lot going on, but of course the main focus tonight was Sharon and Phil, I'll come to them at the end, shall we start with Dotty?! She's getting herself in a bit of a mess I think and getting drunk, is it a coping mechanism of knowing what Ian did? Saying liars should pay and getting a group of random lads to buy her a drink. Of course Bobby and Peter come to aid, you know, i'm actually looking forward to their love triangle story-line, i'm interested to see how it starts and how it all comes together, will both Beale brothers know each one of them are pining for her? Or will Dotty play them both against each other, it can go so many ways, plus mainly, will it lead to Dotty forcing Ian to come clean? This is one story-line i'm really looking forward too! Also what were the keys he was fishing out of her bag while she slept? Obviously one set of keys was for restaurant, but what was the other set? The Arches possibly?

Another main focus during tonight's episode was Linda and Mick. So Shirley was the one who put a mark on the vodka bottle, Mick looked so disappointed with her. I did kinda feel for both of them during that moment, after everything she has been through, Linda felt she could just have "The one drink!" just to get her through, but you could see the look in Mick's face! That's not the way it goes, with her being a recovering alcoholic, it's the last thing she should be doing, it's just more temptation isn't it? It's kinda like torturing herself I guess, there will always be that craving of just having another, and just having one more after that until it gets out of control. Those words Mick spoke to her ""I choose our marriage" you said, "I choose you!"", it was a feeling of disappointment. Later on, during the scene in the bedroom, it was amazing to hear Linda open up about her life with drink, growing up in a Vic and her father giving her the odd sip of his pint, she has been living around alcohol her entire life, I was really engrossed in that section of dialogue. I thought the script-writers were brilliant tonight can I just add! Also can I just say how such a cute child Ollie is? He has a gorgeous little face! When they were lying in bed and talking to him about moving house, it was incredibly cute, using it phrases the little lad would understand. I think they have both made a good decision though, it is time for them to move out of the Vic, the amount of history that is there for them, they need a clean slate. It's where Linda was raped, where Stuart was shot and Mick was framed, where Mick and Whitney's affair started ... only questions are, who will they sell the Vic too and who will be the new owners of The Queen Vic?! Where will Mick and Linda go?

Now, I cannot not mention Ballum tonight! How incredibly cute were they?! Callum walking in on Ben while he was wrapping his birthday present! Can I just saw how bloody adorable Ben was the way he was staring at Callum when he was sat, with his eyes closed, in his underpants, telling him how he'd always be there for him, saying that it didn't matter to him whether he was deaf or not, if Phil wouldn't be there for him, then he would! Did anyone see Ben tearing up as he was being told these words?! It was the most perfect moment for Ben to say "I love you!" ... and what a beautiful moment it was, i'm sure a lot of Ballum fans were rejoicing, I know I was! I can't have imagined it to have happened at a better moment, even when they were lying in bed together, it was just incredibly sweet as they were swapping presents. I'm hoping there will be a lot of happiness for Ballum in the future, do I dare say a wedding possibly in the future? I don't think there's been a gay wedding in EastEnders has there? Someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but I would love to see Ben and Callum get married eventually, of course it's not going to be a smooth road for them, there will be obstacles along the way, but they make a perfect couple and I think EastEnders will miss a great opportunity if they don't make these two characters wed?! What do you guys think?! Let's start a petition ... "WE WANT A BALLUM WEDDING!"

Okay, now the main event. Everyone, please lets have a round of applause for Letitia Dean and Steve McFadden! What an amazing chemistry these two share on screen! I was gripped by their performance tonight! As soon as it started and Sharon went off the scale yelling at him to leave, you could see how devastated Phil was to be told to leave. When Phil followed Sharon back to the house and she was telling him how he killed his biological father, Dennis Rickman to then (accidentally) kill Dennis Rickman Jr, I think it hit a moment of truth for Phil that he, in the end, was responsible for the death of the two people Sharon loved the most. Even when they were at the Mitchell household, talking in the kitchen, it was clearly both of them are grieving for someone they loved dearly. Phil loved Denny like he was his own, he pretty much brought him up and always looked out for him, he is riddled with guilt, mainly for not knowing that Dennis was on the boat at the time of the crash. I found it very emotional and even I got a tear in my eye when they both started getting teary. I never expected Sharon to apologise to Phil thought for having her affair with Keanu, that was a surprise. Part of me was thinking was she faking it or did she genuinely mean it? She'd said many times that Keanu made her feel in a way that Phil couldn't. But then again, she was right, if she hadn't of had her affair with Keanu, Phil wouldn't have been on the boat after Keanu, Denny wouldn't have been on the boat either and everything would've been okay. The two most powerful characters in the soap and they are both battling with grief and guilt, for them to clash right at the beginning to then being able to talk and understand one another near the end, it shows what kind of history they have both shared. I found very fascinating and I can't applaud the script-writers and the stars of tonight's episode Letitia Dean and Steve McFadden loud enough!

I'm kinda sad that Phil has felt his need to turn himself into the police there at the end. I mean, Ben doesn't even know he's back and Phil doesn't even know about Ben losing his hearing. Somehow it's going to be brought to light to both of them surely? Maybe it'll be Kathy to be the one who breaks the news to them both?! What did you make of tonight's episode? What do you think is going to happen to Phil? But also, what is Sharon going to do now, she's buried her son and she's living on the square alone, not really being able to call anywhere home, what's going to be her next focus? Let me know what you guys think, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on what's currently happening in the soap, I'd love to hear your theories. Anyway folks, sadly, that's all we have for this week, EastEnders will be back on our screens next Monday! I hope you're all keeping well and getting through this the best you can!

Keep safe and I'll back again with another blog very soon! Thanks again everyone! xXx

#eastenders #philmitchel #sharonmitchell #lindacarter #ballum #benmitchell #callumhighway #dottycotton #ianbeale

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sinemoras09 · 5 years

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some souya speculation

Souya’s one of my favorite characters and he’s barely in the manga.

Re: Souya. I’m convinced we’re not going to get a POV chapter from him until the series is ready to wrap, maybe when Rei finally levels up enough to play in a title match against him. That could take years. But even though the character is a bit of a cipher, I think Chica Umino left a lot of clues:

(1) Shimada says that the pre-match ceremonies are tiring, overtaxing, and pretty much awful for anyone who doesn’t like being the center of attention. Rei pretty much confirms this during the White Storm Arc, saying how disconcerting it was having to talk to all those people, and how he was bowing so much, he felt dizzy. I imagine this has to be the case for Souya, too - Shimada even says that Souya is uncomfortable being the center of attention, and the Chairman affirms this, (”I know that about him.”). So I think this is a huge clue.

(2) We are given hints of how Souya is always isolated - he never talks to anyone, in all of Rei’s memories he’s always alone - so it makes me wonder how he feels about this. Is he lonely? Does he want to reach out to people, but he can’t? There are huge parallels between him and Rei, and it makes me think Rei’s loneliness in his social isolation will probably be reflected in Souya’s as well.

(3) He seems like a nice guy, IMO. He went up to Shimada and told him to “leave it to me,” after noticing he wasn’t feeling well. He paid for Rei’s room before he left. He even had a hint of a smile after Rei made a good move during the White Storm Arc. It almost looked like he was proud.

And let’s not forget when he sent Nikaidou the altered game records - unlike Shimada and the others, who thought it seemed petty, it seemed like Souya was probably just geeking out over how good a game they were having, and wanted to show Nikaidou this super sweet move.

Souya getting excited and geeking out over shogi cracks me up - it’s something we’ve seen with him and Dobashi, too. (He’s a dork! A shogi dork! And it probably makes him happy when someone legit goes up to challenge him, instead of playing him and expecting to lose).

(4) Shimada says he reminds him of a bird - quiet, white, and gentle. It makes me think Souya is probably soft-spoken and introverted, and maybe a little hesitant reaching out to people. He probably doesn’t have many friends, either, which Raidou lampshades below.

The one big thing about Souya is that he’s put on a pedestal by the other shogi players, thought of as a god or demon, someone untouchable and unbeatable. But Souya even says to Shimada, “You put too much faith in me,” after Shimada fails to see a winning move. Souya is fallible. He used to have all seven titles, but now he doesn’t - he’s lost before. He’s only human.

Rei has a lot of misgivings about all the pressures put on him for being the 5th junior high professional - what of the pressures of being Meijin for 11 years in a row? Or of having to live up to this legend that’s basically swallowed your humanity? If Rei has pressures, Souya has even more. And while he’s probably used to the Chairman’s antics to some extent, it probably still isn’t easy for him.

(5) I’m convinced his grandmother is deaf. The Chairman straight up told Rei that if he called, “no one would pick up,” and vaguely said that his grandma was hard of hearing. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it’s revealed that the grandmother was born deaf, unlike Souya who lost his hearing later in life. I headcanon that Souya is afraid of surgery, which is why he never got a cochlear implant, and his type of deafness is probably one in which hearing aids wouldn’t help him.

#sangatsu no lion #souya touji #my thoughts

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ukulelecal · 6 years

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marvel!sos - characters and relationships

hey pumpkins, so i made a big post with all the information about the characters in the marvel au that i have so far. obviously there’s more to be explored, but this is what i’ve got rn.

i wanna give a big thanks to @fullblownidentitycrisis for helping me develop this so much, and to everyone who sent ideas and suggestions!! you guys are awesome, i’m so excited, lets go (also sorry the bullet points are so long, i maxed out on the text block limit so i had to combine them):

Calum Hood as Spider-Man

-Your classic geeky science nerd. Follows pretty much the same story as Spider-Man; lost his parents, and then his uncle, and lived with his aunt, gets bitten by a radioactive spider and now has superpowers. Just in this case, he went to college in New York and lived in a dorm, probably lived with his aunt during summers. Went to college for chemical engineering on a scholarship, and is now graduated

-Moved into a cheap little apartment in Harlem after college with three other guys until he finds his dream science job, which he’s struggling with. He kind of hates the guys he lives with because they’re obnoxious but he doesn’t really have a choice. Works at a greasy spoon restaurant as a busboy for minimum wage

-He gets very overwhelmed about his powers, being afraid of them, afraid of possibly hurting someone, and feeling inhuman. It’s just very stressful for him. He has tattoos for his family, and when he gets too anxious about life, his future, his powers, he traces over the tattoos with his finger to remind him that he’s got his family watching over him

Eleanor, Calum’s girlfriend

-Born and raised in Chicago. Moved to New York after high school for college, also on a scholarship. She studies biomedical engineering. So even though she’s a science nerd like Cal, she isn’t awkward like he is. She’s very cool and witty, has a lot of spunk and is very sharp. Also super intelligent and quick-thinking

-She used to want to be a writer when she was younger, specifically a poet, but as she got older she started thinking she wasn’t good enough to do it for a living so she pursued science instead, but she still writes in her free time

-Works as a waitress at the same restaurant as Calum. Lived in an apartment by herself after college, but at some point her landlord raised her rent a lot, and getting paid minimum wage she knew she wasn’t going to be able to pay it, and ended up getting evicted

Calum and El’s relationship

-They had some classes together in college. Cal always thought she was gorgeous but never had the courage to talk to her. He never expected to see her again after college but lord behold, they work at the same restaurant now

-They started talking and hanging out a lot, and being best friends eventually grew into dating. Cal and El are the broke New York kids, living off cheap food in Harlem and leftover fries from the restaurant, always complaining about being broke but they aren’t unhappy, because they have each other. When El gets evicted, she stays with Cal in his shared apartment for a bit, but his roommates aren’t thrilled with the idea of someone else living in their already cramped apartment so they both take extra shifts at the restaurant and save up so they can get their own place. They’re like the groups little siblings (even though they’re not much younger), everyone looks after them

-El doesn’t know about Cal’s powers at first, and she finds out by walking in on him messing around in the suit. She’s hurt at first, about him keeping secrets, and Cal is panicking for three days thinking she’s going to leave him, but once she comes around she shows all of her support and helps him a lot when he’s having a hard time. She also becomes important to the team after that, using her logic to make plans and her medical background to heal everyone

-Cal calls her Ellie-bear, which she pretends to hate but secretly loves

Luke Hemmings as Thor Odinson

-God of thunder, heir to the throne of Asgard. Can be a bit cocky and hot headed, but he’s mostly a ray of sunshine

-Gets banished to Earth by Odin, but not for the same reason as in the movies. He gets banished because he’s in love with a warrior named Freja. The problem is, Thor has been arranged to marry another woman since he was born. And that woman is not Freja. Odin banishes him in hopes that being apart from each other will cause their love to die, and Thor will marry the other woman without resistance when he is allowed back. Obviously, Odin was wrong. While on Earth, Thor developed the name Luke Hemmings for himself. He met a group of heroes and worked with them

Freja on Asgard and Harper on Earth, Luke’s girlfriend

-An incredible warrior. Highly respected on Asgard

-She absolutely radiates grace and is very debonair. Even in battle, she is just the embodiment of elegance. She has a very calming voice, and it easily soothes anyone she speaks to without even trying. She always seems to be calm which makes her a very easy presence to be around. Her best weapon is a sword, but she dabbles a bit in everything

-Never really knew her parents; they were killed at an age when she couldn’t remember them. Raised by an Asgardian warrior leader, thus her becoming a warrior herself

Luke and Harper’s Relationship

-They were playmates growing up. It wasn’t until they were older that they started to have feelings for each other. They both knew that Luke was in an arranged marriage, but they didn’t care. They loved each other

-When Luke got banished, it was so rough for both of them. They had no way of communicating, and they had to go nearly a year without seeing or even talking to each other. Odin’s plan of getting them to fall out of love totally backfired. The first thing Luke did the second he could return to Asgard was look for Freja. He asked her to come back to Earth with him so they could be together because if they stayed Luke would be forced to marry the other woman. She quickly agreed and ran away with him, gave herself the name Harper. They completely put Asgard behind them. And they are so lovey dovey on Earth, making up for lost time. They’re the star-crossed lovers in the typical forbidden love situation. Luke shows her all the weird Earth things he discovered and they continue to discover more together

Ashton Irwin as Captain America

-Kid from Brooklyn. Used to be very sickly and weak. Received a special serum back in 1941, and became a super soldier. Incredible strength and speed. Was frozen for years and woke up in modern times

-Now he’s very brave and determined, and once he’s passionate about or invested in something he can’t back down. And when he sees wrongdoing he can’t ignore it. He’s like the dad of the group and is very protective of everyone. He’s especially protective of his girl, and also Cal and El

-He’s super good at drawing and he used to love it, but doesn’t do it as much anymore

Mila, Ashton’s girlfriend

-A SHIELD agent. People would expect her to be super serious and stoic but she’s the opposite. She’s literally the softest bean ever. She’s soft and cute, full of giggles and big smiles. She’s also very stable and organized, which is good for Ash because he’s always stressed. Super smart, good problem solver

-Also a major badass when in action which leaves everyone shocked. She can do acrobatics well and is strong, and she can handle a gun pretty good. She gets super tough when she’s fighting

Ashton and Mila’s relationship

-They met at some sort of SHIELD meeting that Ash had to attend. He thought she seemed sweet so he chatted her up a bit after the meeting, and they started going out. So she probably knows he’s Captain America from the start

-They keep their relationship pretty private. They aren’t super affectionate in public or anything but when they’re alone? Total opposite. They’re so soft and sweet with each other, and Ash totally babies her. They’re each other’s “person” that they can always trust and go to for anything

-At some point SHIELD forces Mila to relocate overseas, and Ash can’t go with her because they need him in the states. They try to make it work long distance but they just can’t do it, and they break it off. But Ash isn’t himself after that. He suffers in silence, refusing to talk about it, but the others can see that there’s something very wrong. It’s affecting his fighting for sure. The guys help Mila convince SHIELD to let her move back to the states, and once she does they’re both back to their lively selves because they just needed each other. They’ve got such a sweet happy relationship

Michael Clifford as Hawkeye

-Sarcastic and witty. Pretty confident

-Amazing with a bow and arrow. Master marksman

-He became deaf after an accident, and now he uses a hearing aid. A little insecure about it sometimes but he’s got great friends and a girlfriend to cheer him up

-Super affectionate with the girl he loves, even though he doesn’t seem like he’d be that way

Charlotte, Michael’s girlfriend

-She’s a villain; a mutant, like Wolverine but not the same powers as him

-She was experimented on a lot as a child and treated like nothing but a lab rat, which kind of stems her being a villain. She thought the bad guys were her only family at that time and that she had to trust them (I’m going to think more into the villain organization and her powers as a mutant). She always questioned their motives and why she stayed with them but she always felt she couldn’t get away. They took her in, after all, how could she? And she’s internally battling herself a lot

-In her regular life, she can be very intimidating and snarky, but she’s pretty nice once you get to know her. She’s a tattoo artist and has quite a few herself

Michael and Charlie’s relationship

-Their relationship is angsty. It’s fine before Mikey finds out Charlie is a villain and before Charlie finds out Mikey is a hero, but it’s messy after that

-Mikey finds out in a battle, where he knocks her unconscious and her mask falls off, and then he sees her. At first he can’t even move, he’s just so shocked, and then all he can think about is all the times in the past that he shot at her and hurt her, and he just breaks down. But later, he feels so betrayed and hurt. It would take him a while to stop being angry and forgive her. Like once he finds out about her rough past, he tries so hard to understand and see her side. He realizes she needs someone to bring out the good in her. And then he has to assure her that he still loves her and thinks she’s a good person

-But aside from all their drama, they’re such a goofy couple, always messing around and being dumb together

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bts-haikyu-imagines · 6 years

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Silent Scenery 🍃(Jungkook imagine)

‼️In this imagine Y/N is deaf, if you for some reason don’t like this I guess don’t read? ‼️

(I’ll maybe make a series of imagines of the boys with the character being impaired or having a mental illness let me know if you like the idea.)

You have never succeeded in love , it wasn’t your looks cause you are really pretty, it wasn’t your personality as well cause for everyone that knows you easily describes you as one of the nicest person ever. The thing is you are deaf , this didn’t really affect you cause you have been like this for so long that you have learned to live this way. You sometimes use sign language but you are great at reading lips and when you talk you may sound a bit weird but people understand.

You enjoyed watching nature so you went to Haeundae Beach in your hometown Busan , the scenery was amazing you couldn’t stop walking around the beach until the sunset was setting.

Jungkook was visiting the beach with his camera talking pictures , he found the perfect place to sit and enjoy the view waiting till the sun set so he could take a picture , the perfect moment was occurring so he got his camera ready and was about to take a picture until a girl stood in the middle of it.

“ Hey!” He yelled “please move I’m trying to take a picture!”

The girl didn’t really move so Jungkook tried his best to take the picture without capturing her , as he finished the pictures he stood up and went to the girl tapping her shoulder.

Y/N felt someone tap her which made her jump and look at the persons face , the moment the two of them looked at each-others eyes they could look away a blush appeared on the boys face as he started to talk making Y/N look at his lips.

“ I’m sorry to scare you but I yelled at you cause I tried to take a picture but you were in the way and you ignored me , why are you looking at my lips like that?”

She suddenly looks up fluttered and stumbles on her words.

“ I-I’m so sorry I’m deaf and i left my hearing aid at home , I read lips .”

Jungkook smiles and nods.

“ I thought you were a rude person , I’m relieved you aren’t cause you seem to cute to be rude.” He stops talking and covers his mouth as you giggle.

“Thank you , you like taking pictures of sceneries?” She asks excited.

“Yes actually !” He replies with a smile and she smiles back making a thought appear in his head.

“Do you by any chance want to go for a coffee and I could show you my pictures as we drink ?”

Y/N had never met someone who didn’t say sorry cause she was deaf or that didn’t start yelling , never the less someone that was interested in spending time with her after knowing she is deaf.

She smiled “of course.”

Ever since that day they both started to go out then eventually dating , they made a ritual out of visiting places and enjoying the view.

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written-in-sunshine · 6 years

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The Party’s Crashing Us 01/02 - Clint Barton/Pietro Maximoff - SFW

Title: The Party’s Crashing Us Author: Donnie Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Setting: Stark Tower (Another new one) Pairing: Clint Barton/Pietro Maximoff, Implied Natasha Romanov/Wanda Maximoff Characters: Clint Barton, Pietro Maximoff, Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff, Thor Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance Rating: M Chapters: 1/2 Word Count: 2018 Type of Work: Two-Shot Status: Incomplete Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, AU - Canon Divergent, Fix-It Fic, Post-Age Of Ultron, Pietro’s Alive, Angst, Emotions, Sex in second chapter, Past Abuse, Past Trauma, Canon Disabled Character, Canon Deaf Character, More To Come Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Summary: Clint had been living in a fog since that day in Sokovia. Natasha (and Tony) had just what he needed to clear up his mind. AN: So… I keep writing these two. Between angst and smut I just really need both, evidently, because it’s going to be sad, and then happy, and then maybe sad again. Who knows. xD At any rate, I’ll be working on this between chapters of Predating Predators, which is sort of how it started. I was going to focus on this fic, and then the idea kind of hit for the other fic and it ended up happening before this one was even finished. So, evidently, I just need to keep working on both of them. I'm going to get onto Predating Predators part two next, so don't worry. I hope you guys are as excited for these as I am! Chapter two will be purely NSFW, but this one is fine. Angsty, mostly, but not NSFW. Here we go!

MCU Fic Masterlist Chapter One: Pleasant Surprises ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Clint Barton had always been a fan of Tony Stark.

Sure, they argued fairly often, and they really didn’t get along unless everyone else was present and there were booze and food and music playing quietly in the background… Okay, so Clint Barton had always been a fan of Tony Stark’s parties, and that couldn’t have been closer to the truth when Natasha strong-armed him out of bed for that evening’s celebrating. Whatever Tony was reveling, Clint had had no desire to have a part in it, but his old friend knew him well enough. She knew what he needed and assured him that this would be better than moping in his room sober before going home to Laura. He hadn’t been the same, not since they returned from Sokovia, and she seemed to be the only one with a full grasp of why. Steve chalked it up to losing someone he wanted to mentor, someone he had only just started to see as a friend. Tony stated that Clint had always been quiet unless he was getting drunk, so it was obvious that he just needed some booze in him. Thor and Wanda had kept their ideas mostly quiet, even if it seemed Thor could still chat off someone’s ear about it. His biggest priority was that neither Clint nor Wanda heard it. Speaking of, he hadn’t heard much about Wanda, not in a week or so. He figured he was the last person she wanted to see; hell, he was the last person he wanted to see, which was why he’d gotten awfully scruffy since their return. The party warranted a shave, apparently, if Natasha’s cherry lips curved in a smirk around the words, ‘I think you’ll want to look your best tonight.’ told him anything. At least he was present enough in some part of his mind that he didn’t have to walk out with bath tissue stuck to his face to cover anywhere that he’d messed up. A simple, black V-neck t-shirt clung to his torso, something Nat had left out for him on his bed, and a pair of jeans that were baggy in the places that mattered and tight in the ones that mattered more polished off his look. Silent as ever, he entered the party not long after Natasha graced everyone with her presence. She kissed cheeks and hands alike, and Clint took a vague note that it seemed she was awfully close to Wanda. It seemed only natural; birds of a feather flocked together, after all. Of course, Natasha and Wanda would be friends. Before he found himself questioning anything further, he turned his entire body away and headed for the bar. Tonight was already going to push him into a bottle, apparently, because the second he got his hands on a beer, he was whisked away by Thor. “--I said ‘No, I don’t. I think--” “Thor--” Clint couldn’t have gotten his attention if he wanted to, not at this rate. He was going on and on so fast that he hardly wanted to pay attention. Fast wasn’t what he needed right now. When the barrage of words didn’t seem to stop, he simply plucked his hearing aids from his ears. The action went unnoticed, and he was thankful for that, simply nodding along whenever Thor looked to him. He offered a soft snort of a laugh every so often when it looked like the blond was incredibly excited, hoping that it was right but not exactly caring. Thor was good-natured enough, he wouldn’t be too hurt if he knew why Clint had wanted to spend his night alone. Footsteps vibrated behind him and he felt a familiar, delicate hand on his shoulder. It took just a second before she slid in front of him, tapping her ear for a second. Turning slightly away from Thor, who had already found someone else to jabber at, he pushed the aids back in and closed his eyes, mouth turning up at one corner and then the other as he readjusted to the sounds around him. Waiting patiently, Nat watched the grumpy look return to his face before he swallowed down the rest of the beer he’d apparently been chugging. “Yeah?” He finally asked, when her waiting was starting to toy with his buzz. Usually, if she had something to say, she’d say it. Tonight, apparently, he was going to have to guess. “Got a surprise for you, Barton.” She teasingly punched his shoulder and he rose a brow at her instead. “You need to come see, though. I know Steve’s going to want to see you, uh… With your gift.” Confusion was written in the draw of his brow as he stepped forward, following her along like a mindless man with nothing better to do. Maybe that’s what he'd been for the last two weeks. “You haven’t been yourself for over a month.” She informed, turning to look at him over her shoulder while they walked. Shock fluttered his eyelids and he glanced around to attempt to find the date. It didn’t quite work, but he didn’t exactly have it in him to ask JARVIS right now. In fact, he kind of wished he had another beer. They rounded a corner and Wanda passed them, holding out a spare beer, the kind Clint liked. He took it with another crease in his brow and a soft grunt of acknowledgment, and she gave him a private, knowing smile. Coming from someone who had once been intent on getting in his head, he had to wonder just what she knew. If she knew anything at all. And if she did… Why was she smiling? Was it some sick enjoyment out of watching his own misery at the same loss she suffered? “Clint.” Natasha whistled and his head jerked to her, a soft, almost apologetic smile on her face, “Almost. Come on. I’m sure you aren’t the only one confused.” This was a setup. He’d been the reason another teammate died and Nick Fury was trying to punish him if the Widow was giving him that look. Another corner, a set of stairs up to the terrace, and Clint was positive he was going to die. It only perpetuated the thought when the reason he’d climbed the stairs turned to look at him and it felt like a physical blow to the chest. In that same accent, maybe more tired than cocky, Pietro let a lazy smile work over his lips as he spoke. “What? Didn’t see this coming?” As it turned out, it was Pietro who didn’t see something coming. And, maybe, everyone else in the room. Clint stalked across the floor and lifted the white-haired male from the couch. For a second, Wanda’s hands shimmered red but Natasha held up a hand to get her to wait. Wanda didn’t dare touch his mind, but Pietro’s faltering smile had her ready to chance it. When Clint all but yanked him into a tight embrace and made a choked sound, she lost her breath almost the same time that her brother did. Pietro let out a shaky breath when he realized that, while he wasn’t entirely immobile, he was being clutched in a good way, and wrapped his arms around the other’s back, just under his armpits. With flat palms pressed to Clint’s shoulder blades, he gasped a little as the elder pressed his nose to his neck and inhaled deeply. All that it took was two words to topple Clint into a shaking, sobbing mess. “You’re alive.” At least his dear friend had the foresight to shoo everyone from the room and keep an eye on Tony in order to give them some semblance of privacy. “I… I am.” When was the last time someone other than his sister had hugged him? He couldn’t remember a touch that didn’t leave him aching that was from someone else. Clint certainly had him reeling as he staggered a little closer to finish squeezing all the air out from between them. “You’re alive.” Clint repeated, unashamed of the level of brokenness in his voice. His lips grazed the younger male’s forehead and the crown of his hair, and Pietro stilled entirely for a moment, holding his breath. He waited for a hundred things to happen and nothing really did, instead, he was oddly safe, oddly warm and his cheeks burned something awful. Above him, muttered words sounded almost like a prayer, and he didn’t bother asking what they meant. For the first time in a long time, someone other than Wanda was touching him, holding him, and he felt exhilarated. Pietro Maximoff had never believed in soul mates, never once thought he would find anything that made him feel like he was the only person in the world for someone, but here he was, resting his head against Clint’s shoulder. He hummed absently to the beat of the song playing softly downstairs, and neither of them really knew who began it, but they began to rock together, slowly. It didn’t take long at all before Pietro’s eyes had drooped so low he figured it was better just to close them. Another beat passed and Clint’s lips parted, words dancing from his lips that made the speedster’s pulse jump in his chest. You keep your distance with a system of touch And gentle persuasion I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much? Pietro could tell his cheeks were warm, and he nestled his face into the joint of Clint’s neck and shoulder. It felt too good to be held, to have those soft words sang so gently into his hair, and it was drawing him into a safe headspace. Without thinking, he leaned up suddenly and took in the other’s steely eyes with those shockingly blue ones. Smiling sweetly, disarmingly, he leaned in to press his lips to the elder’s, working the softest, glossiest mouth against Clint’s rough lips. At first, the elder man was still and stiff, staring down at the other before finally letting his eyes slide closed. Hands slipping down to Pietro’s hips, following an unconscious suggestion from those too-quick hands, he leaned into him, bringing the other in close. Breath mingling as their foreheads pressed together, Pietro’s eyelids fluttered as he looked into Clint’s eyes. For a moment he held his breath, as if afraid that this would disappear if he let loose a harsh breath. It didn’t stop Clint from the ragged panting, his dark eyes searching the other’s emotionless face. Pietro was good at hiding himself if he truly needed to, and he must have felt an odd need. Biting his lip, Clint opened his mouth a second later to try and apologize, but he was silenced by another kiss. “Do not speak.” Pietro whispered into his mouth, letting his words be swallowed down, “We may not be permitted, but just for tonight.” As much as he wanted to agree that it would be a one-time thing, Clint knew he wouldn’t be able to get the silver-haired speed demon out of his head. The almost crushing grip he had on the other’s thin hips was enough to tell him that. “What makes you think I wouldn’t--” But he had to stop that thought before it ran away from him, “Should we find a spare room?” Even if Pietro ended up backing out, at the very least he could hold him and remind himself that the kid wasn’t dead. “Da.” Pietro informed softly, his mind focused a little more on preparing for what was inevitable. The best he’d done in the past probably would remain in the top spot, as he’d found most men couldn’t exactly bring themselves to make it good for the pair of them. The tenseness in his back only had Clint’s hands smoothing down his back until he relaxed. Without warning, he lifted the speedster and held him like a princess against his chest, starting them for the highest point the Tower offered. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN: Alright, there we have it! Chapter one is DONE! ; u; Chapter two will be pure smut so like, prepare yourselves. Probably some angst, too, to be honest, but we’ll have fun.

#MCU Fanfic #MCU Fanfiction #Hawksilver #Hawkeye #Quicksilver #Clint Barton x Pietro Maximoff

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aj-the-satyr · 5 years

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Puzzles and Crayons

Dick frowned as he once again looked around his fancy all mod cons overpriced modern apartment and there were indeed two young girls in it. One had sprawled out in front of his very fancy flat screen television, moved the coffee table and was now laying on the floor coloring away seemingly grabbing crayons at random leading to some very interesting color choices. The other girl sat opposite him at what he considered his dining table seemingly completely focused on the 3D puzzle of the Eiffel Tower that lay mostly in pieces before her. She wasn’t even referring to the box for help, just methodically piecing it together a second puzzle lay unopened at her feet for when she was done with the first. Yep. This was happening. He glanced around the place eyes resting on one of several hiding places where he could lay a hand on a weapon should the need arise. This wasn’t a safe place was it? He looked to the hallway that led to the front door trying to focus on just what Carlos had said to end up here. He remembered going into the house with Fig talking about the file he had on The Clockmaker when he’d almost bumped into Carlos. After that was almost a blut or talking and him driving them to a toy store to help Uncle Carlos get the two girls some things that would help smooth over the transition from their old home to a new safe house. One of the girls had seemed excited by that phrase, the other looked like people would need one to survive her wrath. He looked at the girl doing puzzles again, Scarlett as Carlos had introduced her. She was focused, almost fixated on the puzzle. This wasn’t play, this was a task. He shook his head as that thought knocked something else loose. He Took his ear piece, or at least the silicon plug part, out of the cleaning solution and checked the main part of the device that was on the charger. Still a little orange light. Oh well, it had been a while since he’d charged it. It was nice of Fig to give him it in the first place that asking for another, although useful, would have felt like too much. A poke brought him back to this world. The other girl, Violet, waived at him and was talking. He offered her a smile and pointed to his ear then the charging device. A frown creased her features and she and her sister exchanged words. Dick let out a short huffed breath as he thought of the many TV shows and Movies where their characters could lipread perfectly and at seemingly impossible angles. He’d tried to learn it, but it had been frustrating and ultimately not as useful as either his hearing aid or sign language or even miming. He watched as Violet turned back to him and mimed taking a drink. He smiled. There. That he understood. He gave her a thumbs up and walked over to the fridge where he kept several varieties of flavored fizzy water along with chocolate milk, a childhood favourite that he just couldn’t kick the habit of. naturally the young girl went straight for the chocolate milk causing him to shake his head a little, but they were his guests now. He waived at Scarlett but failed to catch her attention. A muted sound made him look down, it seemed that Violet was being loud. He shook his head again and made eye contact with Scarlett. He mimed drinking and she shook her head. Ok. These two girls couldn’t be any more different. He closed the fridge and caught the tail end of Scarlett signing something. He blinked as she signed again.

“Your device is charged.”

“Thank you.” He signed back.

She just nodded and continued working on the puzzle.

He sat back down, reassembled the earpiece and put it back in.

“How long have you been deaf?” The question came almost as soon as he was able to hear.

“About 12 years. How long have you been so cold and blunt?”

Scarlett looked him dead in the eye. “About 12 years”

Whoa. He reminded himself to not piss her off.

“Does being Deaf hurt?” Came a voice from across the room.

He chuckled. How he hated such questions when they came from adults who should know better. “No. It does not.”

“Ok.” She went right back to coloring. Conversation over there.

He looked at Scarlett again. “So you’ve seen this before?” He pointed at the pile of pieces.

“No. I have not seen the Eiffel tower broken down into individual interlocking pieces before. Is that how they built it?”

He blinked. Not quite what he meant. “I guess. Just the pieces weren’t designed like this.”

“Obviously.”

Was she toying with him? He was starting to regret being talking into this whole thing, even if Carlos was cute.

And as if on cue Carlos opened the door with the key Dick had given him. “Who Wants Pizza?!”

(Ok. Time to hop back on the Malentendu train eh? Guess I gotta do one of them taglist things again.....

@yuutfa @anntarinsanitymaterialized @sleepy-and-anxious @wordsaremylife

There.... Been a while but I let things get to me too much. I’m back now and you’re stuck with me.)

#Malentendu #Writeblr #MyWriting #Urban Fantasy #The Twins

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anicolesreadingnook · 5 years

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Author: Cece Bell Illustrator: David Lasky Publisher: Amulet Books 2014 Grade Level: 4th to 8th grade Summary: One day this young four-year-old girl was healthy, wearing her mother’s makeup and playing with her older brother and sister. Her name was Cece. Then suddenly, Cece doesn’t feel good one day and ends up having to go to the hospital. She just woke up one morning not being able to hear and realized she had gone deaf due to Meningitis. Cece realized her life was going to change and she would have to adapt to being deaf. She had to move to a new school and get used to hearing aids. Whenever Cece feels defeated or stuck in a situation, she starts to imagine a superhero named El Deafo. This superhero is her and helps her understand that she can do anything she sets her mind to El Deafo is a graphic novel that is written about the author to create an understanding the hardships that deaf people go through, especially in learning to read lips, sign language, and feeling discouraged at times. Finally, Cece comes to terms with her new life with being deaf and wants people to know that she is just like everyone else. She is proud of who she has become. Thoughts: The idea of having a graphic novel for students to read is different but unique in some ways. Cece Bell wrote this novel based on her experiences and it gives children a real-life depiction of a student who might be deaf. The reasoning behind El Deafo is motivating and captivating many young minds. Students can use their creativity based on seeing Cece Bell’s with creating a graphic novel. She took the concept of this imaginary individual with superpowers to explain how she felt about her disability. Students will be able to grasp an understanding on being deaf can affect your life in some ways, but you just adapt to the world and classroom. Students can learn more about deafness and American Sign Language to be able to interact with other students who might be deaf or hard of hearing. The graphic novel is exciting and intriguing for students with images all over and mostly dialogue with seeing her though process. This book gives students a different way to look at a novel and a wonderful story behind the images. Classroom Activity: Throughout the story, Cece struggles to figure out what friendship and best friends means, especially now that she struggles with other children. This novel can help a class learn about friendship in a different way and learn about how students might have a disability, but you can still be friends with them. As for an activity for the novel, I would encourage teachers to have students create their own mini graphic novel based on a friendship they have or create a friendship with a student they might not normally talk to. This will have students use their creativity and use a different style of writing. When creating their own graphic novel, students need to have in mind challenges that may arise during friendships and how they can resolve them. Also, I would have students implement a form of their own superhero as the main character to follow the style of the novel. When completed, students can share their stories with the class and even have a spot where students can read them independently.

#deaf #disability #special education

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ericasbookblog-blog · 5 years

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Newbery Medal

Bell, C. (2014) El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Introduction

In El Deafo by Cece Bell, the reader is able to learn about a young child named Cece and her journey in learning to accept who she is. In addition, the reader is able to learn more about what it really means for someone to be deaf and ways to be more respectful. With vivid illustrations and an engaging story, the reader is able to appreciate Cece’s story.

Evaluation of Book

One of the primary traits within the illustration is the ability for it to define and develop characters. Right at the beginning the illustrations are able to demonstrate what kind of character Cece is. She is a young girl who is just living her life when she has an accident that ends her up in the hospital. The situation is then determined to be fluid from her spine which can cause a whole other world of things. Being able to see everything about Cece in the illustrations, from the very beginning to the end of the story helps really see how much she grows as a character as well as her journey throughout.

Another trait within the illustrations that is evident is the depiction of action. Perhaps one of the most evident scenes of this is when Cece is trying to get used to using her hearing aid. The reader is able to see all the different actions that are occuring, in addition to the actions Cece is having to observe herself such as lip reading. Being able to see the actions that Cece is having to go through helps the story become more realistic. Since there is so much that Cece goes through in the story, being able to see the actual actions depicted in the illustrations helps to be able to follow the story.

A trait within the text in the story is dialogue. Since this is a graphic novel, most of the graphic novel is done with conversations happening between different characters. What is particularly interesting about this specific story is that most of the talking that Cece does is to narrate the story, as she is learning to speak again herself. However, it is pretty neat to be able to follow Cece from not saying much to having full blown conversations. It is a tough ride there but she slowly begins to speak again to the point where narrating is not all she does.

Response

This book was one of the most interesting books I read this time around. I really liked the different it story it told in comparison to other stories we have read. I think a message that children can take from this story is that it is okay to be different. At first Cece is having a hard time getting used to her hearing aid and she hides it in her shirt. It is not until the end of the story that she has the courage to have a friend who accepts her for who she is. Being different does not mean that you have to be put on the spot and reminded of differences, instead it can mean that it is more reasons to thrive and shine. Of course a change like this would not be easy on no one, so this book can also serve as a reminder to parents that children do really need the most support especially when changes like these occur.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the subjects that it touched upon were done in a manner that was easy to follow especially for kids. Also as an aside, my favorite part of the book were the illustrations. I really enjoyed following the different illustrations and colors that were in the pictures. Even though this situation was not easy, the colors in the entire graphic novel still hold some type of optimism as they are bright and bubbly.

Summary

I definitely enjoyed El Deafo by Cece Bell. The content along with the illustrations made the book a wonderful read. Also, I thought that the topics it touched upon were done in a way that is appropriate for kids to read. I would give this book five out of five stars.

Citation

Bell, C. (2014) El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Jamieson, V. (2015). Roller Girl. New York, NY: Penguin Random House Company

Introduction

In the graphic novel Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, the reader is introduced to Astrid, a spunky character that is fascinated by the sport of roller derby. Through determination and practice, Astrid reminds all of us that you can accomplish what you want, and sometimes the best thing to do is just be a good friend.

Evaluation of Book

One of the traits that is visible within the illustrations is the illustration’s ability to define and develop characters. Through the illustrations, the reader is able to learn more about Astrid, and who she is. Astrid is not your typical girl, the only way I can describe her is spunky. In addition, the reader is able to learn more about other characters, such as her best friend Nicole. Something important to note about Nicole is that the illustration is able to show her very hesitant personality. When she’s talking to Astrid, she almost seems torn between her friendship and the friendship she has with Rachel. In addition, the illustrations are able to demonstrate the change in personality that happens between Astrid in the beginning, and at the end when she becomes Asteroid.

Another trait that is seen in the illustration is the text being reinforced. Through the majority of the book, the reader is able to see that Astrid and Rachel do not get along. The illustrations are able to depict this perfectly. An example of this is when Astrid explodes on both Rachel and Nicole and she spills soda on them. It is at that moment that the reader is really able to learn just how much Astrid does not like Rachel based on the illustrations. Also, I think the illustrations are able to remind the reader that Astrid is just a kid. She is trying really hard to be this tough derby girl, but she is about to start junior high and she has a lot going on, and it is not until the end when she opens up to her mom that she is able to be more at peace.

One of my favorite traits within the writing is the dialogue that is present. The entire book is told from Astrid’s point of view, and the reader is able to see what is really going on in her head when she is having internal quarrels. A perfect example of this is when she is upset that Zoey gets to be jammer, and she does not. You can see how torn Astrid really is about the whole situation because she wants to be able to support a good friend and be happy for her, however, the role that she obtains is one that she had been working to get for a long time. In addition, it is fun to see the dialogue that her and her mom have. Her mom still thinks of her as a kid and Astrid is just a kid about to become a teen so she is having a lot of conflicting emotions.

Response

Personally, I was able to connect with Roller Girl and just how different she was from the rest of the kids. While her best friend is going off and learning ballet, she is over here trying to learn how to fall safely and not break anything. I can say that growing up I was not like my older sisters who were into dancing, rather, I wanted to play soccer or join a sport of some kind. One of the ways I was able to relate to the book is when Astrid dyes her hair blue because she wants to fit in with the derby girls. This reminded me of the first time I dyed my hair, and my mom had the exact same reaction! I was not smart enough to do other things to lessen the shock like Astrid did, however her mom’s reaction really reminded me of my own mom’s when she noticed my hair!

I think it is important for children’s literature to be able to portray how hard it is to be a kid transitioning from that elementary to middle school transition. One of the things the text really teaches is how difficult it was for Astrid to be able to accept her best friend’s new friend. As we get older, we tend to react differently to things, however as a kid, this can feel as betrayal and other emotions. This is exactly what Astrid felt. Perhaps my favorite part of the text, however, is that the reader is able to see just how much Astrid grows, especially towards the end. Being able to set all things aside and wish the best for your teammate really shows just how much she has grown.

As a whole, I think this was a wonderful read. It had a lot of content, enough to explain what roller derby was and how it worked, enough to get me pumped about learning more, and enough for me to be excited for Astrid and her halftime bout. This story has a lot going on with the characters and it does make me sympathize to my younger self. Growing up around that time can be rough and seeing Astrid’s story really puts into perspective how confusing that time can be. Overall, this book really shows the power of friendship and just the power of believing in yourself.

Conclusion

I enjoyed reading Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. With all of the events occuring, and the friendships, I was able to connect with the text, and see a little bit of myself in Astrid. Also, I really enjoyed learning more about roller derby. I would give this book four out of five stars.

Citation

Jamieson, V. (2015). Roller Girl. New York, NY: Penguin Random House Company

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