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erin-bo-berin · 4 years

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Birthday Surprise

MASTERLIST

So I actually got this idea from a adult romance book I read last year and it was so humorous, I knew I wanted to write a scenario like it with Spencer and the team. Besides, Spencer can be funny at times too. Hope you enjoy!

Spencer Reid/Reader

Rating: M (smut)

Word Count: 2,529

You can’t believe you let your best friend talk you into this.

“It will be a great birthday present!” Bree exclaimed, beaming.

You grumble to yourself. This was a better idea in theory than reality.

Your boyfriend, Spencer Reid, had a birthday coming up. It was the last year of his 30’s and you really wanted to do something special for him, but with every gift you thought of, it just didn’t seem to be enough.

That was when Bree, the grand schemer of all schemes, came up with what she thought was a brilliant idea.

She worked at a nice, upscale restaurant as a waitress. Also, she had one of the nicest sections. You were to make reservations for you two and you would hide under the table for when he arrived and you could give him a secretive, surprise blow job. It would be hot and memorable, she said.

You arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes early. Bree had managed to snag you a table that was off in a corner, with more privacy and helped you under the table. Which is where you currently were.

It all sounded great when she had hatched the idea, now you just felt silly, your knees were numb and your feet were falling asleep. You were about ready to give up and come out from under the table with your tail between your legs when you heard voices approaching your table.

“Here’s your table, sir, I’ll be right back with your menu,” Bree said, probably louder than she should have.

With one rap against the table, you knew that she was giving you the signal that you two were alone now.

You watch as he sat down and you see his familiar black converse suddenly appear inches from your legs, his black suit pants accompanying the shoes. He’d probably just come from work.

You hesitate, not sure if you should go through this, but decide you’ll never get another chance like this. You’re reaching out for his belt buckle when you hear Bree’s voice, loud and close again.

“Can I help you?”

There was a pause and then a mixture of voices you didn’t recognize.

“Let me see if I have a bigger table available in my area! I’ll be just one second!”

Bree’s voice is suddenly high pitched, sounding frantic. You know her voice only sounds like that during super busy shifts, when she’s panicked and freaking out. Something is wrong and you have no idea what’s going on.

Your phone buzzes in your purse. You twist around, not easily, to retrieve it from your bag. It’s a text from Bree.

ABORT MISSION. More dinner guests.

Your brows furrow. You have no earthly idea what she’s talking about. You send back a few question marks.

A huge group of people just showed up to your and Spencer’s table.

Your phone vibrates repeatedly with multiple texts from your friend.

Tall assassin looking black woman.

Hispanic looking guy with nice hair.

Buff Asian hottie with tattoo.

Italian grandpa.

Brunette boss lady with bangs.

Pretty blonde with killer legs.

Another blonde wearing every color in the rainbow and cute shoes.

You stop breathing for a second. They all sound like Spencer’s coworkers.

As in coworkers from the team in the unit of the FBI, where he works. This was not how you planned to meet them for the first time.

You have no idea why they’re here though, so you’re just as bewildered as Bree. But you’ve started to panic, trying to figure out how you’re gonna escape with no one seeing you. It would be humiliating to meet Spencer’s work family like this.

How the hell am I gonna get out from under the table without them knowing?

Don’t worry, I got this.

You hear the clicking of heels approaching and hear Bree talking to the team.

“We’re working on that table, why don’t I escort you all to the bar so you can see our drink menu.”

“I’ll wait here with you, Spence,” a male voice said.

“Damnit,” you mumble.

Now your escape was going to be even harder.

The majority of the voices fade away with Bree’s and you sighed, resigned to the fact that you’re going to be stuck under this table for a while.

You make a mental note not to listen to another one of Bree’s ideas.

“So, kid, did you tell Y/N that you were inviting us to your birthday dinner? We’re all so excited to meet her.”

“No,” Spencer answered the deep, older sounding voice, “I wanted to surprise her because I was afraid if I told her beforehand she’d stress out about meeting all of you.”

Well that explained that.

You were surprised alright.

“How long have you been together now? Over a year? And we haven’t even met her yet? Are you sure you haven’t made her up?”

You bite your thumbnail trying your hardest not to laugh out loud.

“No, Rossi, I haven’t made her up. She’s real. Besides you know every time we tried to make plans something has come up.”

“Quite conveniently too, I might add.”

You already like this guy.

“She should be here soon,” Spencer said.

You catch a glimpse of him pulling his phone out of his pants pocket, positive he’s checking if there’s any missed texts or phone calls from you.

You guess now is the best time of any to make him aware of your presence.

Your hand slides up his thigh and you choke back your cackle when he practically jumps ten feet in the air.

“Something wrong?”

“Uh I dropped my phone under the table, let me just get it.”

His chair scoots back and he bends down under the table, pretending to retrieve his phantom fallen cell phone. His eyes widen when he sees you under the table. You give a meek smile and wave in return.

You point to your phone, miming texting to tell him that’s the only way you can talk without being found out.

“Oh found it. It fell against the wall.”

Spencer sits back up again, pulling his chair in as he settles.

“I think I’m gonna text Y/N, just so I can get her ETA,” Spencer says calmly.

He’s way too good at staying calm in situations, so you’re not too surprised that he sounds completely normal even though he just discovered his girlfriend curled up in an uncomfortable position, under a table in a restaurant.

I’m afraid to ask why you’re under the table.

That was one good thing about Spencer; he didn’t have a mean bone in his body. So instead of mocking you, embarrassing you or even being angry, he approached most things calmly. Although you’re sure he’s secretly dying of amusement over this. You’re positive this isn’t going to be the last time you hear about this.

Well, I was kinda hoping to surprise you for your birthday with a hot, secret blowjob...but it kinda blew up in my face instead of how you were supposed to.

You hear him snort above you which he quickly covers with a cough.

“Y/N should be here soon. She’s probably closer than she thinks.”

You hit his leg. What a smart ass he is, although technically he is a smart ass but that’s another story.

Help me get out of here. I don’t want to exactly pop out to meet your teammates like “hi I was just hiding out for a nice birthday sexcapade nice to meet you”.

Technically doesn’t that mean an illicit affair?

Spencer, we really need to introduce you to Urban Dictionary.

A chorus of voices approach the table.

“Any update on that table?” came a female voice.

“Nothing yet. But, uh, have you seen their amazing aquarium? Come on, I’ll show it to you!”

“I gotta head to the ladies room, I’ll find you at our new table.”

This voice was a different female voice from the first one.

You wait until the numerous voices get far enough from the table when you decide to peek from underneath the tablecloth. You curse, seeing a woman that looks a lot like what Bree described as the brunette boss lady walking in your direction. That was most definitely Spencer’s boss.

You drop the tablecloth like it’s on fire, concealing yourself once again. You watch as the feet pass by the table and brave another look. Thankfully, it’s all clear.

You dash as fast as you towards the kitchen. If Bree is in there, your hands might find their way around her neck.

•

“Bree, that could’ve been disastrous!” you shriek, causing a few of the kitchen staff to peer over at you.

Sorry, you mouth, wincing.

“Well it’s not like Spencer is mad is it?” she asked, loading plates onto her tray.

“No, but he’s not going to let me live it down.”

“Hey, think of it this way. He’s gonna be thinking of that BJ the entire dinner,” she smirked.

“I’m never listening to another one of your hair brained ideas,” you grumbled.

“Hey, you’ll thank me later,” she sing-songed lifting the tray of food to her shoulder, “Now just go out the back kitchen door, walk around to the front of the restaurant and it will be like nothing ever happened.”

She was gone through the swinging doors in a jiff and you sighed, heading towards the back door.

•

It takes a whole ten minutes for you to circle the entire building before you finally reach the front doors. You attempted to compose yourself and straighten your red mini dress before entering and going to find the new table. You spot them a few minutes later and walk up nervously.

“There she is!”

Spencer’s face lights up when he sees you and suddenly you don’t feel as nervous as you did seconds before. He loved this group of people and that meant a lot to have a Spencer seal of approval. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Did you take the subway here?” Emily asked.

“Um, yes. That’s why I’m late, I’m so sorry.”

“I sure hope it wasn’t too crowded down there—I mean in there,” Spencer smirks.

You shoot him an exasperated look and are met with one of his thousand kilowatt smiles.

Turns out, dinner wasn’t so bad after all.

•

“You were right; they were all incredibly nice,” you say as you and Spencer walk in the door of your apartment, “I love them.”

“I knew you would,” he smiled.

“So, have you had a great birthday?”

“Well I’ve had quite the unusual one, that’s for sure.”

You stifle a groan as you kick off your heels in the hallway.

“I still can’t believe you actually hid under a table to surprise me.”

He’s already laughing again.

“I’m still gonna kill Bree.”

“Hey,” he grabs you by the arm, turning you towards him, “I’m incredibly flattered that you went to such lengths for me.”

“Really?” you asked timidly.

“Of course,” he smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, “Not every girlfriend would plan to blow their boyfriend in front of his coworkers.”

“Spencer!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he chuckled, leaning against the hallway wall, pulling you towards him and kissing you.

“Mm, well it is still your birthday, you know,” you say devilishly, biting his bottom lip gently then kissing him again.

You pull away, taking a hold of his tie before leading him to the bedroom. It takes a few minutes for you both to make it there as he stops you frequently to steal a kiss or two.

Finally at your destination, you push him against the closed bedroom door, fingers pulling off his tie. Your lips trail his jaw then neck, fingers fumbling over his button down.

He chuckles amused, aiding you. Your mouth travels down his neck and over his chest, making slow work of your descent. He watches you closely as you fall to your knees, a kiss placed just above the waistline of his pants. Your hand comes up to press against the forming bulge in his pants and he groans lowly.

“I may not have been able to do this earlier, but we’ve got all the time in the world now,” you bite your lip and peer up at him innocently.

Popping the button and pulling his zipper down, you push his pants down over his hips. The edges of your fingers dip into the waistband of his underwear and you hear the sharp intake of his breath; you can tell how much he’s anticipating this.

Apparently Bree was right and he had been thinking about it all dinner long, especially if his small stolen touches under the table were any indicator. There would be a gentle touch on your thigh, slowly sliding just a bit too close towards your inner thigh; an arm wrapped around your back, his fingers just casually brushing the bottom swell of your breast. He had been ready for this hours ago and you were ready to give it to him.

Your eyes don’t leave his as the clothing is pulled downwards and you wrap a hand around him, squeezing just hard enough to cause his head to fall back with a dull thud against the door, a groan coming from deep in his throat.

You lean down, tongue swirling around the tip, agonizing slow, your fingertips ever so slightly tracing down his length.

“Oh god,” he groaned, “Don’t tease me, Y/N.”

“Not so fun when you're not the one dishing it out, now is it?”

He could be the ultimate tease in the bedroom, so this taste of his own medicine was long overdue.

Your tongue swirls around him before taking him in your mouth, his moan of relief and pleasure filling your ears.

With hollowed cheeks, you alternate your speed and pressure, keeping him on his toes, making your next move unpredictable to him.

“Baby, please.”

His moans are louder and more frequent as his hand moves into your hair. You look up through your lashes as you work him, keeping your gaze locked on him. You think you actually hear him whimper.

Your hand pumps the rest of him, your wrist turning as your mouth moves on him, your tongue whirling as if you’re enjoying a favorite ice cream cone.

His hand tightens in your hair and you can tell he’s close to losing all control.

“Y/N, Y/N, fuck, fuuuuck,” he groans finally letting go and succumbing to his ecstasy.

You take all he has in stride, discreetly wiping your mouth when you pull back although you’re sure he’s too dazed to notice.

“Happy birthday to me,” Spencer mumbles, pulling you to your feet and kissing you.

You break the chaste kiss, backing up towards the bed.

“Well lucky for you, there’s still three and a half hours left of your birthday. How about we do a little more celebrating?”

It takes him all of two steps to cross the room and take you in his arms, causing you to giggle.

Yeah, this would be a birthday he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

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yodawgiherd · 3 years

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You Were Never Truly Gone ch.9

>>>Read on AO3<<<

This chapter was... difficult to write after the full ending, and I will put deeper reasoning in the end note. Anyway, I hope that you will like it, it's basically plot only ^^

“I’m not going to marry the Shogun because I will be one.”

Those words were supposed to mean something, but they just hopped around inside Kiyomi’s mind before flying out, leaving nothing behind. They just didn’t make sense, put together like this.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I will be Shogun.”

“No, you will marry the Shogun you…”

“No, I will be the Shogun.”

There was no spark in Mikasa’s eyes as she spoke, no hidden smile, but it was so absurd that Kiyomi burst out laughing anyway.

“That has to be the worst joke I have ever heard, lady Mikasa. Now…”, she tried standing up, the chair scraping the floor, “let us go before…”

“Sit.”, this time it was from Eren, and she found herself seated before Kiyomi even realized why, “Mikasa is not finished.”

“She is, obviously, she is simply making fun of me.”

Slowly and surely, the raven shook her head.

“I am not.”

“You are joking, you have to be,”, Kiyomi rambled, “all you ever wanted was a quiet and peaceful life, right? I can… I can give it to you, I can give you that solitude you want…”

She half-raised her hand, almost reaching over the table.

“You never asked to be special, you never wanted that burden on your shoulders. I understand and I will help – all you must do is follow the plan and you can have everything you ever asked for. Please, stop this nonsense.”

Mikasa’s eyes didn’t budge, meeting Kiyomi’s pleading ones without flinching. Her hand holding onto Eren’s tightened a bit, but other than that she remained still, as her lips formed the word the old woman feared.

“No.”

“B-But…”

“Listen, I know that you mean well for me, that all you want is for your country to be stable in this ruined world. You are right in almost everything you said, but realize that as the world changed during the war, so did I.”

Mikasa’s voice was not very loud but it carried a commanding tone, one filled with the inner strength Kiyomi admired.

“Do I want a quiet and peaceful life with those I love? Yes. But that is no longer an option.”

“It is if you…”

“Let me finish.”, again, even when interrupting her Mikasa didn’t raise her voice, “Please.”

Seeing that the old woman backed down, the raven continued.

“I have lived my whole childhood behind walls, believing that we are the only human society left. Then, as a teenager, I fought the titans who I believed to be the true enemy of humanity. As an adult, I was told that it was all wrong.”

Behind her, Eren shifted a bit but didn’t say anything, leaving Mikasa in charge.

“You can’t blame me that all I wanted was a safe and stable home, a place at peace. But the world is hellbent on preventing me from having it, in a different way than before but still a valid one. Even if I and Eren hid, even if we ran from it all, the best possible scenario is a delay in the destruction – with the course Paradis is on, it will end up destroyed. I don’t care if it’s a hundred years from now, I don’t care if it's two hundred, I don’t care if it’s a thousand years. In my life, in our life, I want to make it a place that is open and peaceful with the world, not an island marked for destruction. Because if we can’t make it safe for our children and grandchildren, then what did we fight for in the first place?”

Her fingers squeezed Eren’s between them.

“You are right that I would still prefer to have a quiet life somewhere, but I am prepared to sacrifice that solitude in order to have that dream. After all, I realized that home is not a place for me anymore.”, she tilted her head a bit to the side, a tiny smile mirroring that one on Eren’s lips, “It is something I can take with me, anywhere in the world.”

For whatever reason, Kiyomi had a feeling that Mikasa wasn’t talking about the goat.

“Look, that is a nice speech and all, but why would they ever accept you as a Shogun? It makes no sense.”

“Hizuru fell to ruin while it relied on itself – granted, it was mostly caused by the rumbling but your council did little to unite the country. I will bring an outsider perspective, a new and open book that represents Hizuru in its post-war world. Still, without anyone supporting me I would say that you are correct and I have no chance, but I will have a very strong ally on my side.”, once again, the grey gaze speared the old woman in place, “You.”

“No, you are crazy.”, Kiyomi was shaking her head, “I will not support you in this insanity.”

“You don’t really have a choice.”

“I... I don’t have a choice? Me?”, fed up with this, Kiyomi’s fist slammed the table, “You don’t realize that we are in my country now, and I control what happens with you. The Faceless outside? They are sworn to the Shogun but you are not one yet – if I order them to take you they will do so without a second of hesitation.”

She leaned over the table, fuming.

“I can have you locked up in a second, both of you. Sure, your will might be strong but I can take my sweet time breaking you and…”

“You could when I came here,”, Mikasa interrupted her, “But not anymore.”

“… What are you talking about?”

“The parade. All the people who saw me, both here and the harbor, happy and alive and going of my own free will. What do you think they will do if the hero you brought from beyond the sea, the Shogun’s descendant and the last link to his bloodline, will disappear?”

So this was why Mikasa wanted one… this was why she, being usually a very reserved person, insisted on being paraded through the city. This was why….

“You never told the public about your plans, did you?”, the raven went on, “The ruling council knows, but not the ordinary folk – you were preparing this bid for new Shogun and his foreign wife in secret. So, simply exchange it for my scenario – young and motivated ruler, coming from a horrible was she was a hero of. Scarred by her past but ready to be the one we need in these trying times.”

Mikasa was right too, Kiyomi realized to her horror, the situation in Hizuru was on the knife’s edge already, and if the one bargaining chip she brought suddenly went missing that would be enough to boil it over the point of no return. The peasants would storm the very gates of the palace, just to save the blood of the revered Shogun.

“They won’t accept it…”, Kiyomi muttered in her slump, “They will never let you be their ruler.”

“Maybe, but do you realize all the power you could keep? I don’t understand ruling, I am a simple soldier, I would need the council’s help. I would need your help too, Kiyomi.”

Mikasa saw it, saw the tiny flash of greed in the old woman’s eyes, and that’s when she knew that she got her hooked.

“My help?”

“But of course, all the pains and responsibilities… I would very much appreciate it if you were there to help me carry them.”

Power, so much power that could be squeezed out of this situation. A young, inexperienced woman thrust into a role she didn’t understand. She, an old and skilled schemer. Together, they could be unstoppable.

Was it such a risk to Kiyomi herself? If the council went fully against Mikasa she would bow out to save her face – sure, she would lose some credibility and reputation, but it wouldn’t be too bad. If she went carefully about this, she could express her support of Mikasa’s claim without sticking her neck out for her.

So, then…

“I am willing to give it a try.”, she let out slowly, weighing every single word, “However, if everyone turns on you I will not go down with your plan. You have to understand that the chance of the council going with your proposal is minuscule at best, and if they decide that you will marry instead then I won’t be able to stop them.”

A tiny light of hope flashed in Mikasa’s chest.

“That’s all I ask for,”, the replied curtly, “I believe that I can convince them.”

“Remains to be seen.”, standing up for like the third time today, Kiyomi stretched her back with a pop, “Shall we go then?”

“One more thing.”, jerking her thumb towards Eren, Mikasa gave her an apologetic smile, “Do you have a spare Faceless uniform around?”

“……..”

“Well?”

“You want to bring him to the meeting?”

“The Faceless never remove their masks, you said it yourself.”

“Sure, but…”

“I know that you dislike Eren, but he and I are a package deal, I thought that I made that clear.”

“How do you think that the rest of the Faceless guard will react if you just jam your lover between them?”

“I figured that they won’t question it if the order comes from someone as high ranked as you.”, Mikasa had the audacity to blink at her, “Was I wrong?”

Where did this woman come from? Last Kiyomi remembered Mikasa Ackerman was a quiet and timid woman so shocked by her revelation that she couldn’t even speak correctly. This sudden change…

No, it wasn’t sudden at all. Kiyomi remembered this Mikasa too, she showed during the battles and fights, when the goal wasn’t to speak but to fly around and knock skulls together. This goddess in a human form found a way to project her sureness from the battlefield to her everyday life and looking at the man behind her Kiyomi could guess why.

It took her years and an apocalypse nipping at her heels, but Mikasa was a way more adult version of herself now. In a way it made Kiyomi happy because seeing her reach the full potential was amazing, on the other hand it complicated her own schemes. This Mikasa wouldn’t let herself be led around.

“No, I think that I can arrange it.”, pushing herself away from the table, Kiyomi made her way out of the room but not before shooting a last look at the pair.

Impressive.

It was also smart because no one would question a Faceless accompanying the future shogun’s wife -if anything they would congratulate her on integrating into their society so quickly.

The Faceless guard was trained in a lot of ways – fighting, protecting, dying for their master, and most of all not questioning orders. Normally they only took those from a Shogun, but because there was none Kiyomi, as a member of the ruling council, effectively commanded them. Finding a uniform for Eren “Aaron” wasn’t difficult, and soon Kiyomi was waiting outside of the room while Mikasa helped him change.

“There,”, she pulled the last strap tight, “That should be good.”

“Hmm, I hope that it will be enough.”, Eren’s fingers brushed over the mask, “Me getting recognized…”

“… is not going to happen.”, Mikasa finished for him, “Now stop worrying and give me a good luck kiss so we can go, I’m sure that Kiyomi is tearing her hair out by now.”

It was supposed to be just a peck but she wasn’t satisfied with that. Her hands circled Eren’s shoulders while one found its way to the thick of his hair, pushing his face down to meet her height. And then it was teeth, tongue, and everything until she pulled back, a blush dusting her cheeks now.

“There, now I think that I’m ready.”

Grinning, Eren fastened the mask in place, making sure that all his features were hidden from view.

“Shall we?”

Kiyomi’s scowl grew from anxious to disgusted when she saw Mikasa’s red face, very quickly connecting the dots and realizing what took them so long. For once she didn’t comment on it, only motioning for them to follow and taking the lead.

The chambers they were looking for were in the palace, but with the sheer magnitude of the building it was quite a journey. One that got interrupted, by a man that walked up to them with wide eyes and a surprised expression all over his youthful face.

“Mikasa? Lady Ackerman? Is that you?”

“Do I know you?”

“Not yet, but I hope that we will get to know each other soon.”, a cocksure laugh, “Lady Azumabito, would you do the honors?”

There was a badly concealed pained expression on Kiyomi’s face as she gestured towards the man.

“This is Daigo Sawamura, heir to the Sawamura clan and one of the most influential men in Hizuru.”, a short nod towards Mikasa, “Your future husband.”

He was…. young, about Mikasa’s age, with a pleasant face and trained manners. Someone who was born to wealth and raised in it, would probably die in it too. This man never had to fight for his life, never had to starve or scavenge on the streets for the smallest scraps of food. He might be nice, as Kiyomi claimed back on the ship, but almost instantly from meeting him Mikasa could say that life with him would be unbearable to her. Their worlds were miles and miles apart, and she had a feeling that no amount of time spent together would bridge that gap.

Now then, there was no need to be rude.

“O-Oh.”, Mikasa’s eyes ticked from left to right, “I.. Uhm.. nice to meet you?”

Behind her, Eren let out a long breath from behind the Faceless mask. Jealousy was not a new emotion for him, and having it from someone who was introduced as the “future husband” of his lover was understandable. Then again, he couldn’t act on it, since he was… well…

Dead. Or at least supposed to be.

Unphased by her embarrassment and ignorant of Eren’s internal struggle, Daigo took a step forward.

“I’ll admit, I was doubtful when lady Azumabito described your beauty to me, especially considering that you were a soldier your whole life, but now I see how wrong and stupid I was. She didn’t overplay your beauty, she didn’t give it justice instead”, with a practiced and elegant movement, he kissed Mikasa’s hand before straightening with a tight and easy smile on his lips, “Consider me smitten by your uttermost perfection.”

In a way Kiyomi enjoyed the way Eren’s hand tightened, shaking dangerously close to where his sword was. But having Daigo cut down by a “Faceless” would do nothing but throw whatever plans she or Mikasa had out of the window. So, Kiyomi did the smart thing and stepped in.

“I am very sorry, but we are expected by the council.”

“Of course, don’t let me keep you.”, he winked at them, “I was told to meet you there, but I simply couldn’t wait to see you for myself. I heard so much about you, lady Mikasa, all about the barbaric society that you were raised in, all about the heroic deeds you’ve done in the war - I must say that I admire you, you are a hero.”

“T-Thank you.”

“And seeing you now, I do hope that you won’t be offended when I say that our children will be perfect, beautiful, and will indeed save Hizuru. Me and you, our dynasty will lead this country to a glorious future, and it will start by our marriage that I’m already looking forward to.”, he leaned even closer, whispering but they all heard the words anyway, ”Especially the wedding night, my dear fiancé.”

God damn it Daigo.

“That is very kind, but we have to go now.”, pushing herself physically between the smitten noble and Mikasa who was one bad touch from showing him what personal space meant, Kiyomi forcefully separated them, “Excuse us.”

Pulling the girl behind herself and hearing the footsteps of Eren, who luckily didn’t stay behind to gut Daigo, Kiyomi retreated to a safe distance before letting go of Mikasa’s hand. She turned to the girl, fists on her hips.

“How close were you to punching him?”, she asked.

“Very.”

A chuckle from Eren, followed by a muffled “Nice.”

No matter how old he got, Eren Yeager would apparently remain a suicidal blockhead. Attacking a noble in the palace was nothing but trouble.

“I can assure you that decking him would have done a disservice to whatever you are planning.”, Kiyomi deadpanned.

“Then I’m glad you were there with me.”, Mikasa latched on, “See? You are already guiding me, it will only get better once you can instruct me when I’m Shogun.”

Stroking her ego, huh? Well played.

“We should get going, the council is not known for its patience.”

Crossing one corridor and the next, Kiyomi slowly but surely led them towards the ruling chambers. Each and everyone was holding their breath – Kiyomi in her nervousness, Mikasa while she was reciting what to say in her mind, and Eren because his eyes kept going left and right and searching for a possible escape route if the plan went haywire.

With last few steps they were at their destination, a large door guarded by two men in ceremonial armor. Upon seeing Kiyomi they both saluted and were ready to open the entrance on her command.

“You ready?”, the old woman asked Mikasa, getting a shaky nod in return.

Eren wanted to hug her back then, stroke her hair and tell her that everything will be fine, but such an act would break whatever illusion he was hiding behind. Steeling himself against the mushy feelings in his chest, he remained still with back straight, the perfect image of a well-trained guardsman.

After a few more deep breaths Mikasa’s next nod became firm again, and Kiyomi deemed her ready to face the council. With a mumbled order to the men, the door creaked open and the trio stepped in, ready to lay their cards on the table.

#eremika #snk #fanfic

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charliesradiodemon · 5 years

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Arranged Marriage (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 3

(Ping reminders for @ariloucii and @wargraymon0709 <3 if you need a tag reminder, please dm me!

Thank you all for your support and comments! I read every tag, reply and comment yall write and I cry every time <3)

Part 4

Even when Alastor and Charlie sat back down, the studio remained silent. It wasn't until Lucifer cleared his voice did everyone break out of their daze. The show continued on with flustered interview questions and void of any problems. Katie and Tom asked only three questions before their time was up so no juicy details were disclosed. Nothing else stopped the show after the announcement and they even managed to announce the date of the wedding: two weeks from that day. It was going to be a massive spectacle as this sort of thing never occurs in Hell. No one had to guess that every important being in Hell would attend.

As soon as they exited the studio, they were bombarded with paparazzi, demanding answers to their mundane questions. With Charlie on his arm, Alastor led the way past the rowdy crowd. He felt Charlie’s grip tighten, so he walked quickly to get away from the noise. Alastor amusingly noted how they were smart enough to at least realize that pressing them too hard would be a death wish. The crowd cleared the way, knowing not to cross Lucifer, his daughter or his newly appointed son-in-law. They kept their respectful distance as they yelled their questions at the group. Charlie let out a breath of relief as soon as they reached their getaway vehicle and loosened her grip on Alastor to get into the limousine first. Next was Alastor and lastly Lucifer.

Despite the large vehicle and plenty of sitting space, Alastor sat himself right next to Charlie while her father sat across from them. Once the limo was in motion, the devil himself smiled wide and let out a hearty laugh.

For the first time in a long time, Lucifer shot a wide toothy grin toward his daughter. “What a fantastic show! You two really sold the engagement! And that horrid Killjoy oh- the look on her face,” His smile was genuine and Charlie finally felt a little more than a failure for once. It was just too bad that he wasn’t proud of her because of anything she’d accomplished herself. The fact left a painful twinge in her heart.

The whole car ride back to the hotel was full of Lucifer’s compliments and praises toward the pair. He sang his praises for so long, neither Alastor nor Charlie could speak. She wouldn’t know what to say anyway. She just gladly took what approval from her father came her way, but still the praises felt empty. She kept on a polite smile to keep her father happy, but she couldn’t help but stare out the red tinted window of the limousine and blank out for the rest of the ride.

Alastor and Charlie were dropped off at the hotel, where paparazzi had already formed a mob outside the hotel’s doors. As soon as Alastor helped Charlie out of the limousine, the crowd came closer, but not too close. Alastor thought it was a shame that no one tried anything. He would have enjoyed seeing some unfortunate reporters fly. Instead the group herded themselves to only nearly encapsulate them. With a challenging grin toward the crowd, Alastor grabbed Charlie by the hand to lead her through the flashes of cameras and obnoxiously loud reporters. It was a short distance to the door and those in the way made sure to move as quickly as possible.

They strolled through without a hitch and only minor blinding from the lights. There were bangs on the door, but they were left ignored.

Finally, Charlie spoke up. “So that’s what you meant by beneficial,” Charlie huffed an empty chuckle.

Alastor’s hearty chuckle sounded through the hallway. “Yes! My dear you really sold that performance like a professional! Boy your father is quite the schemer, announcing the engagement in front of so many fearful eyes! Hahaha! I bet you’ve already built quite the reputation for yourself! Oh I bet my stars you’re-“

However once he heard the sound of sniffling, he immediately used his shadow to teleport in front of her. He loomed over her as she hid her face in her hands. She was crying again. And the awful tickle crept back into his chest. “I don’t understand, what’s wrong this time?” His brow scrunched in confused curiosity as he attempted to assess the situation. His grin did not falter, but looked out of place with the upper half of his face.

Charlie sniffled and breathed a chuckle without looking at him. “Sorry this is the second time I’ve cried today it’s just been… a lot. First Vaggie and now my dad was finally proud of me. But… it doesn’t feel right. It’s… complicated.”

Something in Alastor’s gut hurt at the sight of Charlie looking so hopeless. He wasn’t sure exactly what he should do to help, but he wanted to try. He reached out and placed a gloved hand on top of her head as it proved to somehow calm her down a little. “Please, explain away my dear.”

So she told him. Everything from her complicated family issues to how she felt about today was out there in the open and Alastor sat with her and listened to her patiently and quietly. It shocked and flattered him that the princess trusted him enough to pour his heart out. Alastor felt as though her words were falling on deaf ears though.

This type of pain was unfamiliar to him. He knew about physical physical and psychological pain, but emotional was not his forte. Hearing about it from her was interesting, but it also sparked new sensations he didn’t fully recognize. His chest was tight and he felt some other form of agitation within. Rage was familiar to him, but this- it was nothing he was familiar with. Sadness? Whatever empathy is? Alastor couldn’t tell, nor did he know how to act on the feeling. For the first time he felt useless and he didn’t know what to do with that.

Charlie eventually passed out on the couch they shared. She lasted a lot longer than Alastor expected. She seemed exhausted the moment they walked back into the hotel so it was a surprise that she still had the energy to cry her heart out again. There were too many tears and not enough smiles from his partner. He didn’t like it and the feeling in his chest only seemed to confirm this fact. But again, he felt useless. He didn’t know how to comfort others. The only things he knew were causing anguish and smiling. The only things he ever craved were the despair of others and the entertainment that came with it.

Alastor leaned over her curled up form and thought about how vulnerable she was. She was completely unaware and a painfully easy target. He could end her here and now without even trying. But no, that thought didn’t sit right with him. It was odd how she didn’t awake his bloodlust and it amazed him how he could show so much restraint toward an oddly meek individual such as herself.

He stood and gently picked her up, careful not to rouse her. To Alastor’s surprise, she felt light and fragile like a dove in his arms. For as tall as she was, she was much lighter than she looked.

As she settled in his arms, she snuggled into his chest. This alone sent shivers up Alastor’s spine, but it also left an unfamiliar warmth in his core. The feeling was unpleasant yet… not either. It was a strange feeling, but he couldn’t say that he hated it. A part of him even wanted to somehow hold her closer. He wanted to feel more warmth that erupted whenever she was around. Charlie Magne was a bundle of surprises that never ceased to amaze him even after six months. He would have thought the open and naive princess would have bored him quickly after starting this partnership. Yet here he was, always excited to see what she did next.

He walked her over to her bed and laid her down gently. When he snapped his fingers her dress changed into a simple nightgown with the other dress neatly settled in his hands. He set it down on the chair next to her bed and turned back to face the sleeping demoness. No, she didn’t look anything like a demon. She looked more akin to an angel than any grotesque demon here in Hell. From her optimistic personality to her long golden hair, she looked and acted as what Alastor would imagine an angel to be like.

His gaze trailed up to said hair and found it still up in a complex braided hairdo. The demon’s clawed hand hovered over her head for a moment as he pondered on a sudden thought that popped in her head. He quickly drew back as he dismissed the thought. What was he doing? He needed to leave, he’d overstayed his welcome.

But then he looked back down at her. ‘Just do it. She’ll be uncomfortable if you don’t.’ He reasoned- though it felt more like an excuse. It took him a moment of hesitation but he ultimately decided to reach over and undo her hair to set it free from its braided updo. The softness he felt through his gloves as he ran his fingers through her golden locks gave him a sense of contentedness. It was amazing how her hair ran freely and easily through his fingers. It was easily the softest thing he’d felt since his mortal life.

When Charlie shifted under his touch, he quickly withdrew his hand and paused. How long had he been at it? When she didn’t stir he gently pulled the covers over her body. He looked back up and found a content expression that graced her puffy yet peaceful face.

There was a skip in Alastor’s heart, which he clutched at as soon as he felt it. Under his hand, his heartbeat had returned to normal, but the feeling of the skip lingered. This particular sensation triggered by her wasn’t new. He’d felt it on several other occasions over the half year he had known her, but it only ever happened with her around. It was curious, but he’d always ignore it. But now that they were spending much more time together though, it may prove impossible to ignore. Truthfully he was excited to learn what this feeling was. Maybe later on he could ask Charlie about it.

Alastor chuckled quietly and glanced back down at his fiancee’s sleeping face in curiosity. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me dear, but I cannot deny you’ve certainly caught my interest,” He whispered to her. He gazed down at her and watched her breathe for a moment before bending down slightly. “I wonder...” With care, Alastor gently shifted the hair that threatened to obscure Charlie’s sleeping face from view. “What did you do to incite this feeling? What have you awoken?” He paused as if he waited for her to respond. But in reality he just dozed off for a moment, lost in her sleeping face. Without receiving his answer, he straightened his back and took one last look at his fiancee before leaving for the night.

Alastor began his own trek home and reflected on the day’s events. His grin clearly reflected his eagerness for more, to know more about the things he felt and why they only happened around the strange princess of Hell. He was eager, but he knew he needed to pace himself, to savor this conundrum. But one thing was clear: Charlie Magne was a mystery that he could not wait to fully unravel.

PART 5 HERE

#charlastor #charlastor fic #charlie x alastor #alastor x charlie

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astarlightmonbebe · 4 years

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It’s time to think about him...Nie Huaisang.

Alright, but really! Huaisang is arguably one of the best characters in mdzs (well, actually, you could argue that any one of the characters are the best, but that is besides the point) and one of the most complex. Think about it, for a long minute.

When we first meet him, we’re introduced to the flighty second son of the Nie Sect, who is a disappointment to his brother and refuses to cultivate or actively learn, instead doing ‘trivial’ things, such as painting on his fans, etc. He’s a troublemaker who has a head full of frivolity. Nobody considers him smart or takes him seriously, and he is perfectly happy to be just what they think of him.

We don’t see much of Huaisang during the whole Sunshot Campaign arc. His brother is out on the battlefield, but he’s been sent far away, out of danger. He loses touch with Wei Wuxian and still refuses to cultivate. His relationship with his brother is increasingly rocky as they continue to argue before and after the war about what Huaisang chooses to do with his skills—which is not what Mingjue wants, i.e. cultivation.

And then his brother dies.

This is the catalyst. (And if you’ve watched Fatal Journey, the end perfectly depicts this moment.) The moment Huaisang realizes Jin Guangyao is, in fact, behind his brother’s death.

This is where everything changes. Before, Huaisang was perfectly content to sit back and let things play out. He was fine with how people perceived him, because life was easier that way. Nothing was really required of him, since everyone considered him somewhat idiotic (consider, for a moment, that Huaisang was really clever enough to actively act not clever, not even slipping up in the slightest, which actually shows how clever he is). However, now, Huaisang must continue to put up a front while scheming on the sidelines and plotting behind backs.

And so here we have Nie Huaisang, unexpectedly thrust into the position as Sect Leader, called Head Shaker because of how many things he doesn’t know, planning Jin Guangyao’s demise. You have to understand how long Huaisang’s plan took. How intricate his takedown of Guangyao really is. The amount of variables he had to align. And this is really where Huaisang’s true colors come out. Because, if Huaisang had been raised in a sect that wasn’t Qinghe Nie, it is likely that he would have been recognized. He is a schemer, a planner, a spy. His mind is practically made to be an advisor, a tactician. However, what Qinghe Nie values is not the mind, but the body (and I mean, they really don’t value their mind—they all Qi deviate in the end); therefore, Huaisang grows up feeling useless because he’s not skilled at sabre work and, honestly, not motivated to try his hand at such an art either.

So now Nie Huaisang sets his plan in motion, and it is a plan that requires a strong mind and a strong determination. For a man driven with revenge for his brother (I could ramble about the Nie brother’s relationship, but you all should already know how deep that one goes), the only family he had left in the world. He purposefully approaches Mo Xuanyu and manipulates him into performing the Soul Summoning Curse (not that Xuanyu wasn’t already at the edge). He, somehow, terrorized the young disciples in order to herd them to Yi City. However, all these are carefully calculated risks. Huaisang releases his brother’s arm on Mo Village riding on the fact that Wei Wuxian will be there and that Hanguang-Jun would come to support the juniors.

Despite setbacks, Huaisang’s plan does succeed. His brother’s body is recovered, Jin Guangyao is destroyed in both a literal and figurative sense, and things are back to a strange sort of normal. Yes, there are repercussions, Lan Xichen for one, but no one of importance has died and Huaisang’s brother can finally rest in peace. He should, by all right, be fulfilled and happy. At the end of episode fifty of The Untamed, he touches Meng Yao’s hat, and gets his blood on his fingers. His facial expression looks sad, as if he regrets. However, we don’t actually know how satisfied Huaisang really is, partially because the best part (depending on how you look at it) is that he never gets caught.

At least not outrightly. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji suspect, and it seems Lan Xichen doubts Huaisang’s motives, but none of them have solid evidence that could prove Nie Huaisang was behind the whole thing.

What I can’t get over is the fact that Nie Huaisang wasn’t just a brilliant minded person acting lazy. He was, in fact, a very clever person pretending to be the least clever person there was, and he was so good at hiding all that potential that it never even crossed anyone’s minds that he could possibly have brains. He’s calculating and intelligent and cautious and loyal, loyal to his brother and loyal to Wei Wuxian (despite the fact that the rest of the world turned their back on him, Nie Huaisang never actively renounced his friendship with Wei Wuxian, and one can assume that he did still like Wei Wuxian and stand up for him, especially since he brought him back and inadvertently gave him a second chance at life). He’s such a morally gray character—he has a big heart, but he’s shown himself to also be ruthless in certain circumstances, which stem from his values. While Huaisang does think of the larger world, he first and foremostly does act in his own interests and for his own plan, which is why he’s able to make sacrifices he considers necessary, such as Mo Xuanyu.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Nie Huaisang. Love and adore him.

#the untamed #chen qing ling #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #wei wuxian #anyways i just think he’s important #and i didn’t say all i wanted to but it is two am give me a break ok #like about how he’s very morally gray #and how he and jgy foil each other #but then this would turn into a jgy/nhs post and..too long #my thoughts

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kisant · 3 years

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Now that I have finished Crimson Flower, Azure Moon, and Ashen Wolves, it’s time for Verdant Wind.

I played Crimson Flower in normal mode, Azure Moon in hard mode but with the NG+ rewards and Ashen Wolves DLC. Hard mode AM was pretty well balanced with the rewards of NG+ and the DLC, so I’m considering playing VW and an eventual CF replay on Maddening.

I also tried to recruit everyone I could in both CF and AM. I didn’t manage to do that in CF, but I only left Raphael unrecruited in AM, and, ultimately, it was an excessive number of characters. So, in this new route, I think I’m going to leave all the Black Eagles unrecruited in order to see what changes if Edelgard has all of her Eagles with her during the playthrough instead of being just her and Hubert against the world. I’m going to miss my Black Eagle babies, but it’s going to hurt so good to go against them in the war.

I’m still going to recruit the faculty and the Ashen Wolves for VW but I have some doubts regarding the Blue Lions. On one hand, I kind of want to see how the story goes if they stay with Dimitri. On the other hand, I can kind of guess that Dimitri is probably going to charge straight into the Empire’s main army and get everyone killed if he is left unsupervised, and that makes me feel bad for the lions. I will probably break and recruit some of them. Making Felix die because Dimitri can’t make a functioning battleplan to save his life doesn’t sit well with me. And I think Ashe has a similar role in the story as Lysithea in CF and Lorenz in AM? So I may recruit Ashe too. The true temptation is whether to recruit Ingrid, Mercedes and Sylvain or leave them be.

Oh, and regarding romatic options for F!Byleth, Edelgard was my S support in CF, while I went for Felix in AM. I chose Edelgard because I loved everything about her and Felix because I was very frustrated with Dimitri’s poor life choices and Felix was wonderful because he also considered Dimitri’s life choices to be very poor indeed and that was very cathartic. It was also very fun to see Byleth and Felix tear the battleground apart by being scary powerful magical swordfighters.

Dimitri was just fine with Marianne, so it’s not like I intentionally fucked up his life. He almost managed to do that by himself by trying to get a paired ending with Catherine, even after Catherine repeteadly rejected him for like 3 support conversations in a row. Get a hint, Dimitri, she prefers them brunette, stoic and proficient in archery.

So, for VW, I am initially considering Claude, Lorenz, Yuri or Seteth for potential S supports. I am planning to S support Jeritza in my next CF run (unless I give in and just marry Byleth to Edelgard again, just like I do with Chrom and Robin in every Awakening playthrough), and either Seteth or Yuri could be good choices for a potential Silver Snow run.

So, I guess I’ll see whether Claude convinces me, or if I’ll consider other options for my Byleth just like I eventually did in AM. Can you believe that my first choice when I started AM was Dimitri? Me neither, because I ended up roasting him for an entire year.

I have high hopes for you Claude. I really hope that the game lets Claude be an actual schemer and tactician. I want a politically aware character that has goals for the future that make sense, and who knows what steps he has to take to reach those goals. I want an actual tactician who knows other battle tactics than running straight at the enemy forces while screaming, and who doesn’t try to take enemy fortresses by going through the main gates with his whole army.

I am begging you, game, please let Claude be just as smart, cunning and shifty as he is made out to be, because otherwise I am going speedrun my way back to Edelgard’s arms.

#fire emblem three houses #kisant liveblogs three houses #verdant wind playthrough #feels good to finally start using that tag haha

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nobody-wants-ice-cream · 4 years

Text

Everything Wrong With The Umbrella Academy. Episode 5, Number Five.

We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals

Run Boy Run

Extra Ordinary

Man on the Moon

Disclaimer: This is all in good fun! I wanted to do a really nitpicky re-watch of the series and found some really cool and interesting things I didn’t notice before. This is meant to have a Cinema Sins-esque tone. However, I did take off a lot more sins than Cinema Sins would have because I do genuinely like the series and the people that made it possible. So all of the good things got one sin off and all the bad things got one sin added. This is a really long post, so grab some popcorn. If there’s anything that I missed, feel free to add it!

I would also like to add that normally you wouldn’t watch a show this way. I am purposefully looking for mistakes, easter eggs, and other things that we’re not supposed to notice. I am watching not with the goal of entertainment, but for analysis. So most of the things that I sin, I am seeing for the first time.

Number Five

The apocalypse looks incredible. Well done special effects team! I know I already shouted them out, but they deserve another one. Or two. -2

Five shades Dolores with an umbrella. What a considerate dude. -1

Heat of the Moment is an awesome song. -1

Five’s survival gear. Well done costume department. -2

Also, the progression of skill and age is really well done. -1

Dolores’s little santa hat. -1

And her sunglasses. -1

“Do you remember that little mansion just outside city limits where we-- yeah” Noodle incident. However, the way Five says this implies that I really, really don’t wanna know. +1

Argyle Public Library. Suddenly the reason why Five went there makes sense. -1

How did Five get all the way up there on the library walls? Did he use a ladder? If so, that was begging for him to fall and break his name. +1

Sean Sullivan (who plays Old Man Five) does an excellent job imitating Aidan Gallagher’s vocal patterns and movements. -1

The Handler is the first person Five sees after 45 years of isolation. +1

Title screen lunch box! -1

Also, Five kept a lunch box to remind him of his family. He had Vanya’s book but nothing else with their images on it. I’m sad now, but glad that Five at least had something. -1

Five is so hungover. +1

Luther looks like he’s about to cry when Five tells him about finding their dead bodies. My boy! +1

Tom Hopper is an excellent actor. -1

Five also looks like he’s about to cry. +1

Aidan Gallagher is an excellent actor. -1

Luther lifts up Diego and holds him like Diego is an angry toddler. This amuses me. -1

See! I told you. Diego figured out that Five was involved with the shootings at Griddys and Gimbel Brothers on Patch’s doorstep! -1

“They work for my former employer. A woman called The Handler.” No one in this show is allowed to have a reasonable name. +1

Underneath how callous Five is about Patch’s death, he shows genuine concern for Diego. -1

Diego has not slept at all. And he is planning to go after Hazel and Cha Cha. Good luck with that, buddy. +1

Luther finally gets tired of Five vagueing everybody. Good job, I’m curious too. Er, I was when this was my first time watching it. -1

The Handler decides to wear three inch red pumps to the apocalypse. +1

The Handler is as vague as a Multi Level Marketing schemer would be.+1

The Commission decides to wait 45 years to recruit Five instead of a more reasonable number. Like zero years. Honestly, if I was the Handler, I would have picked up Five as a young, impressionable thirteen year old. Then he would feel indebted to the Commission and wouldn’t have had time to come up with the equations to escape. The Commission has no logical reasoning skill. +1

“You’re saying that I could actually leave here? Go...go back?” Heartbreaking. Sean Sullivan gets another sin off. -1

“All of this, was supposed to happen”. Kate Walsh is a kick ass actress. -1

The Commission is composed of dicks. +1

Five asks Dolores for permission before running off to join The Commission. -1

Five’s mustache. +1

I would watch a spin off of Five’s time in the Commission. Hopefully season 2 explores this more. Dallas plot, here we come? Sin until we get some answers. +1

You can see Five’s epiphany in his eyes. His expression says “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” -1

The words on Vanya’s book look real. The props department did not have to go that hard. -2

However, whatever notes Five wrote are indecipherable. And for good reason if he was attempting to fool an entire time commission. -1

The fire extinguisher Klaus throws confirms for Five that the portal works. -1

Also, Five is clutching Vanya’s book. It’s like he’s nervous to see them again after so much time. -1

The fall from the portal to the ground doesn’t break, scratch, or hurt Five at all. +1

Also, Dallas plot foreshadowing? Remains a sin until we have answers. +1

I hope that they show Five picking up his hat, radio, gun, and possibly the fire extinguisher and that is why we never found any of those in a grassy knoll. Season 2 better resolve this. +1

“But that’s murder”. Luther, you threw people out of buildings when you were twelve years old. That is also murder. +1

Aidan Gallagher kills the delivery in this scene. Well done. -1

Klaus still has Dave’s blood on his hands. Also, putting Klaus through even more trauma. +1

Robert Sheehan and the heartbroken thousand yard stare. -1

The music choice really works. -1

That emotional, awful scream. -1

The briefcase exploding may foreshadow Klaus’s comic powers. Sin until we get answers. +1

Hazel and Cha Cha casually murdered Claudia. +1

“Unauthorized round trip travel to 1968”. This is how we found out where Klaus went. It requires a bit more brain power to figure out the Vietnam war from here, however, I think that this was a clever way to do it. It brings us back to the reason Klaus ended up there. -1

Honestly, Hazel was right to not carry the briefcase on him. If Five had seen it at Gimbel Brothers then he would have taken it because he knows what it is. It would be an insurance policy or could be used as leverage. Either way, Hazel and Cha Cha were going to lose their briefcase. +1

Allison, you were there when Vanya made breakfast plans with Leonard. Is the coffee and bombolini your way of trying to distract Vanya? Because based on the makeup and the nice scarf, it isn’t likely that you will be successful. +1

Vanya has a framed piece of sheet music. Either that’s some really valuable manuscript or its something kitschy. Either way, it’s a sin. +1

“What are you concerned about?” Vanya, the red flags are everywhere. +1

“Like a woman who’s based her whole life on rumors.” Ouch. Allison is trying to give you genuine advice, Vanya. This was uncalled for. +1

Leonard is getting progressively creepier. +1

“Can you imagine sharing your birthday with six world-famous assholes who all know they’re better than you?” Choke on that irony. +1

Leonard doesn’t stop her by saying, “Wait, that’s salt!” he waits until she already put salt in it. Dick. +1

“What happened to the other girl?” Harold, you know damn well. +1

Good use of Beethoven. -1

Klaus is back in the bath. Bookends to his tourture. +1

Klaus is haunted by memories of Vietnam this time instead of just ghosts in general. Trauma. +1

I made eye contact with Aidan Gallagher again. +1

Klaus doesn’t want to talk about Vietnam with Five because the last time he tried to connect, Five jumped away. +1

Five looks really excited to connect about time travel with somebody in his family. -1

Five doesn’t care that Klaus was tortured by Hazel and Cha Cha. +1

Five, Klaus has been tortured and then was in some war (Five wouldn’t know yet) for almost a year. This proves that Five’s decision making is impared. Presumably by his hangover. +1

Diego takes out his dagger from episode 1’s bank robbery. This is significant because of something Patch said. That Diego runs around as a vigilante to prove that what he did with the Umbrella Academy had meaning. Now that that has gotten Patch killed indirectly, he feels upset and confused. The dagger that he used as a child is now a symbol of what he did to Patch. -1

The fridging of Detective Patch. Yes, I’m still pissed about it and will continue to be pissed about it. +2

At this point, Klaus doesn’t know about Mom’s “death”. And I don’t think Five does either. The Umbrella Academy of Not Talking To Each Other should be the school’s full name. +1

Allison and Cha Cha don’t see each other when getting into or out of the chairs right across from one another. +1

Allison is doing the equivalent of social media stalking her sister’s boyfriend. Smart. -1

Extra Ordinary bites everyone in the ass. Thanks, Vanya. +1

Five and Allison have the same slow, blocky handwriting. Did Reggie teach them to write as slowly and as large as possible? +1

Hazel and Agnes’s flirting. It’s cute? -1

Klaus ran down the stairs wearing Grace’s heels and broke his jaw when they were twelve. Trauma. +1

Diego can’t park for shit either. Diego and Five need to learn how to park vehicles. +1

Klaus’s little “Hey, Dave” when he sees Dave’s picture. -1

The show fakes out the vet confronting Klaus. Clever. -1

Diego is genuinely concerned for Klaus. -1

The vet is itching for a fight. Asking a drunk person to apologize? Dumbass. +1

“I’d like to apologize...that you are depriving some village of their IDIOT!” -1

Klaus and Diego get into a bar fight in less than five minutes. Checks out. -1

Agnes sees the birds the way Hazel sees normal people. I like the analogy. -1

Agnes does not own Griddys. Who does? Is she the manager or something? +1

Hazel and Agnes theme. -1

Diego’s face when Klaus says he lost the only person he ever loved more than himself. He’s thinking, “Klaus lost his Eudora”. -1

No way in hell Five would have been able to get up as high as the chalk goes. +1

Five is still using Vanya’s book as a notebook. Checks out. -1

The rifle Five pulls out looks a lot like the one he points at the Handler. It doesn’t look like the one he pointed at Kennedy. Why would Five lie about this? +1

Luther, you murdered people when you were twelve. +1

Luther dangles Dolores out the window by her neck. Logical, yeah. Fucked, also yeah. +1

The level of concern Five has for Dolores. -1

Also, well done creating tension, show. My heart was beating like crazy. -1

The Gigue from Partita No. 2 in D Minor by Bach is one of my favorite pieces. -1

No one stops playing like that. +1

Allison takes her not-stalking info to Vanya and presents it really accusingly. At this point, Vanya is sick of your shit, Allison. +1

“You’re trying to dig up dirt on a guy that I like, who does that?” Everyone with an internet connection does this for the people they care about. What Allison did was hella extra though. +1

Vanya is getting more assertive. -1

Vanya is a dick to Allison. +1

“They’re a real frickin’ mess”. Understatement of the century. +1

Cha Cha wouldn’t know about the moon mission because Vanya’s book came out before it. Also, Vanya wouldn’t know that Five could time travel. +1

Diego you haven’t slept at all, as soon as you drop you’re gonna sleep like a baby. +1

The motel clerk doesn’t notice Cha Cha’s pistol, which was directly in his line of sight. +1

Diego doesn’t notice Klaus’s footsteps. +1

“Yeah but you also told me that licking a nine-volt battery would give me pubes” “We were eight”. Sibling culture. -1

Klaus saves Diego from gunfire the best he can. Even though Diego still gets shot, sin off for Klaus’s heroics. -1

“Was this all part of your master plan” “Shut up”. Sibling culture. -1

Audition panels are always dicks. +1

If you start an audition the way Vanya just did with the shaky bow contact, you’re fucked. +1

Imogen is a great violinist. Ellen Page is not. It’s really easy to see when they switch out. +1

Allison goes to Leonard’s place with no backup. Come on, even Diego has backup! +1

Allison doesn’t tell Five and Diego about how she got into Leonard’s house when they were breaking in again later. The window would have been much better than breaking the door. +1

Vanya’s powers are distorting her music. It sounds like her intonation is gone. Yet the conductor looks impressed. +1

Allison almost finds Helen Cho’s body. +1

The camera cuts to the attic entrance to show that it will be significant later on. -1

The Hargreeves car has HERMES on its licence plate. A.) nice comics reference. B.) Hermes is the God of Travelers. C.) Of course Reggie has a vanity licence plate. -3

Five and Luther connecting over their forced isolation. -1

Also, Aidan Gallagher and Tom Hopper play off each other really well. -1

“I’ve lived a long life, but you’re still a young man. You got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t waste it.” Luther’s face amuses me. -1

Five threatening while Hazel and Cha Cha doesn’t look ridiculous. I genuinely belive it. Props to Aidan Gallagher. -1

Five and Luther look so confused by Klaus and Diego arriving in an ice cream truck. This is such an underrated scene. -3

Ride of the Valkyries -1

Klaus’s little wave. -1

“Whee” I love Ben. -2

I want to know how they shot this. The behind the scenes after the Handler showed up and stopped time must have been strange to look at. -1

Luther protects Five with his whole body without question. -1

Five puts his hands in his pockets but then they’re behind his back in the next shot with no motion to explain it. +1

The Handler is a creep. She’s into Five. +5

Where and When did Five get that pistol? +1

So many memes come from this scene. -2

Five doesn’t have his finger anywhere near the trigger in some shots, but in others it’s two seconds from shooting the Handler. What’s up with that? +1

The Handler is so, so creepy. The hand caressing Five’s cheek? Eww. That all but confirms that she wants to be his Mrs. Robinson. +5

Kate Walsh plays an excellent villain. -1

Five made a deal with the devil because it was his only option. -1

[Gerard Way and Ray Toro’s “Happy Together” playing.] -1

Cha Cha was planning to abandon Hazel. Otherwise why else would she open the briefcase? +1

Ben gets shotgun. -1

Klaus finally gets to flip off Hazel and Cha Cha. -3

“SHIIT” Cha Cha, you got played. I love my smart boys. -5

Vanya did well at her audition! I’m proud of her! -1

Leonard knows the exact words Reggie would have used to describe Vanya’s powers. And he uses them here. +1

“I got first chair!” Congratulations, Vanya! -2

“No one’s ever believed in me like this.” Fuck you, Reggie. +1

Having sex with Leonard/Harold desereves a couple sins. +2

Helen Cho and Reggie’s book reveal. Leonard is a creep confirmed. +2

Dr. Pogo? More like Dr. Complicit in Reggie’s Bullshit. +1

Overall Review:

In case you couldn’t tell, this is one of my favorite episodes. Finally, all of our characters are invested in the apocalypse plot, even indirectly. Vanya’s powers emerge, the Handler and the Commission enter the chat, and Leonard is revealed to be a murderer and to have Reggie’s diary. Things are really heating up in this episode.

I had a really hard time finding anything wrong that wasn’t character flaw is character flaw and villain character is a villain. This is a fun episode. If I wanted to show someone an episode of The Umbrella Academy to get them hooked onto the show, I would show them this episode. It moves at a perfect pace and has enough mystery to keep everyone on their toes. When I first watched this episode, I decided to stay up all night and binge the rest of them. Before I was watching one every couple of days. Episode five is what really hooked me. Props to everyone that worked on it!

I want to give a special shout out to Sean Sullivan. He did really well playing Five! I hope we see him in season 2 for that one scene. If you’ve read the comics then you know the one.

Sins: 4

Sentence: Watching Klaus’s breakdown after Vietnam was more than punishment enough.

#The Umbrella Academy #all in good fun #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #Allison Hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #leonard peabody #hazel and cha cha #the handler

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idealmade · 4 years

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&&. announcing his grace, ( jonghyun min ), the ( thirty-one ) year old ( duke ) of ( gyeonggi ). he is often confused with ( kim woobin ). some say that he is ( formal and tense ), but he is actually ( reliable and driven ).

hi, i’m so! may i introduce you all to my son, min jonghyun? :) if you want some stats, please click here! i’m working on adding a full bio to that page too!

the sparknotes!

jonghyun is the eldest son of the min family!! but the third child, his older sisters are twins.

the min family is frighteningly wealthy, like. disgustingly. they need to die so we can redistribute that shit. BUT with that wealth comes a certain sort of status on top of being a duke? they do a lot of charitable work and have a good reputation among blue bloods & normal people alike. jonghyun has carried on that image by pouring money into public projects.

a very traditionalist & patriarchal family, his father was determined to pass on his title of duke of gyeonggi, and was convinced he could only do it through a male line.

his mother & father were not intimate or relaxed parents, especially not to him. they had their expectations and the ends always justifies the means when it came to making him abide by them. he bears the scars, physical and emotional, of this mentality.

his peers would probably? call him arrogant. or indifferent. in truth he was just not allowed to relax and be a child, or to make mistakes, and as such he could barely socialise with ppl his age beyond his family. the only time he got to relax was when he enlisted for service and his parents nor the press could breathe down his neck

the lack of control or choice he had in his early life has lead him to be very? obsessed with control as an adult, and fearful of powerlessness. he has to maintain a perfect image, he has to be steps ahead of other people, being caught off guard is not an option for him. it’s very? very unhealthy. basically he took over his parents role and began self-regulating without affording himself any slack.

he is very smart, and cunning. it’s easy to dismiss him as sheltered, and therefore not a threat? how could someone who never grew out of their vanilla image be dangerous? but he uses that to his advantage? he’s backhanded like that

the sparknotes of the sparknotes!

tall man is assigned personality at birth has the emotional intelligence of a discarded sock as a result.

connections?

i am so so down for anything and everything, this is just a few ideas?

fellow schemer. someone who also loves to be 10 steps ahead of other people. it would be really interesting if they were also on the opposite side of the war so they could basically… try and walk circles around each other?

someone who sees right through him. he’s a pretzel of misery underneath that cool facade. call him out on it. make him fear for his life.

ok. consider. someone more emotionally intelligent than him who can help him express at least one (1) feeling without being ashamed of it.

AND ALSO CONSIDER ! his one friend from childhood, someone of low status who he repaid with loyalty for being his friend with. massive gainz. a good job & a free pass to the high life. they could be a political advisor for another kingdom now? or have some political power.

#hshqintro #ˊ * ° ◟ our last greeting under moonlight. ; (about)#ok i tried hard #i'm bad at intros #im bad at everything known to man #but?#here u go

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countingwithturkeys · 4 years

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Blurb: Peacemaker

A long time ago I wrote a blurb about Marceline finally passing and joining Bonnie in dead world. Consider this the prequel to that. Though my blurbs typically don’t come with content warnings, this one has two: Death and feels. I promise the next blurb will be fluffy.

Mom was never the same after mama died.

When I was young I was fascinated by mama’s ability to catch mom in a lie. Mom was a fantastic liar, something she said always served her well at work. She could lie to her demons and she could lie to fellow cosmic entities. She could deceive her father, Death, even herself. She even saw fit to teach me everything she knew, believing that the ability to fool someone was an essential survival skill. She was a master at it, a true artist. But she could never fool mama. She would try, of course, usually with a lop-sided grin that hid her actions but not her intent, but mama saw through her every single time. “It’s her eyes,” mama told me one day. “Your mother can change any part of her she wishes, but her eyes will give her away every time.”

I had laughed when she told me this with a self-satisfied smirk, and it really was funny to think about. The ruler of the Nightosphere, evil incarnate itself, no match for a queen made of gum? Mama had tried to teach me what she knew, because just as mom believed lying was a vital skill mama believed detecting deception was just as important. “For when you become queen one day,” she had said, and I would just roll my eyes because both of my parents are immortal and had lived for well over a century. Still, there was wisdom in mama’s coaching, and I had tried my hardest to see through mom’s tricks and schemes. I never succeeded.

Not until mama died.

“I’m fine, Penny. No worries.”

That had been the first time I had caught mom in a lie, and it made my blood run cold. She had given me the same reassuring smile she had always given me when I asked how she was doing at mama’s funeral, but I could see the pain in her eyes. Something, some light I didn’t even know was supposed to be there was missing. Instead something new had taken its place, something that made me grossly uncomfortable, that made me clench Raak’s hand even as mom fixed them with a level stare, begrudgingly accepting them as my mate out of respect for our soulbond and the desire to see me happy, and nothing more. Even then her heart hadn’t been in it, I could tell. There was no fire. Literally or metaphorically.

“Head back, okay? I’ll catch up.”

Except mom never set foot in the castle again after that day. Jan had tried to joke that mom was finally obeying stereotypical vampire rules, that maybe I should try explicitly inviting her back into the palace that had been her home for hundreds of years. Instead she had decapitated him with her axe. Her heart wasn’t in that either. Raak thought it was funny, but they were too smart to say so.

Instead she threw herself into her work, leaving the Nightosphere only when the situation - either literally or socially - called for it. Of course, she was always there when I wanted or needed her. She was right there for my wedding, because despite mama’s best attempts Ooo never did recognize a soulbond as a legal establishment and more’s the pity, even if Raak was clearly and adorably taken with the whole event. She was there for the births of both of my children, lending no small effort to helping to raise them and teach them what it meant to be part demon, what it meant to live as such on the surface world. She still kept a watchful eye on the descendants of her friends long passed.

But there was no more music after mama died. When she decapitated Jan it didn’t escape my notice that her axe lacked all of the necessary accouterments for it to play music. The concert hall, that extension of the Citadel she had painstakingly built from materials imported from Ooo itself was sealed shut, with no demon daring to mention its existence even in hushed whispers. It was only be executive order - my executive order to be precise - that her records and albums were preserved as Candy Kingdom national treasures. It was the only way I could be sure that my children would know their grandmother had the most hauntingly beautiful voice.

Mom was there, but she wasn’t. She supported me, loved me, guided me. She was every much the same mom she had always been, so long as you didn’t look too closely. Unfortunately for her, I took after mama just a little too much; I appreciated the effort mom put in to make sure I understood and could make music, but I was a scientist at heart. Of course, I studied the science of sound, but musicology was an important field of study with any number of practical applications.

“Your mama would be proud,” mom had said with a beaming, watery smile.

She denied it vehemently, but I knew how much of her she saw in me. I knew how much it hurt her. So I never faulted her reticence, or the way she retreated into herself. She was just as loving and somehow even more frustratingly protective as she had always been when I was a child, but the wisdom only age can grant allowed me to see her as the person she was, flawed and in pain. I pretended not to notice the steel locket she wore tucked under the shield of her suit. I forbade my gardeners from touching mama’s rose garden, leaving it under mom’s devoted care. I told my children stories of my parents so that mom’s voice wouldn’t crack when she tried to tell them instead. Above all, I pretended not to see the pain in her eyes when she looked at me, hidden beneath her love and pride.

I couldn’t imagine the agony of feeling a soulbond severed. My mothers had in essence grown up together in the way only immortals could. Their relationship spanned almost seven hundred years before I was conceived, had lasted over a century by the time that bond had been broken. I took comfort in knowing that at least mama wasn’t suffering; although mom was arrogant - they both were, really, at least that wasn’t a trait I inherited - she was every bit a schemer as mama, just in her own weird way. Before I was even born she had somehow persuaded Death to let mama into Dead World at the highest tier should she ever die, though she was reluctant to share how she had pulled that one off. Not even mama knew, and somehow her frown at being robbed of the knowledge had only ever made mom laugh harder.

I missed the sound of mom’s laughter. That died, too, along with her music.

The best we would ever get were soft chortles, though she did give me a sincere smile the first time my daughter produced fire. She took after my mom in a way I never did and found the Nightosphere fascinating. Somehow she had managed to wear down mom’s resistance and was even allowed to shadow her at work, though it only made her love the job even more. Not that it would ever be her’s, mom would emphasize. Repeatedly. Usually while tapping her amulet with her claw to remind everyone that she was, regrettably, Deathless.

As cliche as it was it had hit me in the middle of the night - poor Raak, I almost gave them a heart attack - that mom would never see mama again. Being exempted from Death’s scythe meant that their souls would never be reunited, and suddenly mom’s morose attitude made perfect sense. She would live eternity in agony, because that amulet she was so proud of was a curse that could only be passed through blood. I was already queen of the Candy Kingdom, and though I knew my daughter would leap at the opportunity to take her grandmother’s place, mom was always adamant that this duty ended with her. And she was endless.

But I was nothing if not my mama’s daughter, and while mom was willing to be resigned to her fate mama had taught me that all problems have solutions, so long as you knew what question to ask. Trusting Raak to distract mom long enough to not notice her precious pickle jar being pilfered from her room, and with a silent promise to both them and Jan that I would make their grievous injuries up to them, I had met with the one being I thought could persuade Death to change his mind.

“Please,” I had implored Life. “I know mom has a contract with Death, but there has to be a different way. I love my mother, and mama died saving me.” Whereas her husband was cold and heartless Life had always been warm and compassionate, and though she could give me no details she assured me that mom herself was what prevented their reunion, that another contract superseded the agreement she and Death had with one another. Life had never lied to me before. This was where mama and I differed as rulers, I had realized: she had trusted no one, save for her mate. I would not make that mistake.

After returning home I bided my time. Nothing important had ever been done in haste. Mama had taught me that. I summoned my daughter and son to me for a secret, yet essential, conversation. He had cried, as I knew he would, but she had understood. Actually, she had grinned that same grin mom had when she finally wore mama’s resistance down. But that would be a headache for a different evening. Although mom liked to only return to Ooo when specifically requested, or to tend to mama’s garden in secret, there was one night I could always count on her making an appearance.

Just as it had ended, it began with a meteor shower.

It was surreal, seeing mom at mama’s grave. I knew she went there every year, leaving the most beautiful of roses for her and apprising her of the previous year’s events. That meteor shower was important to her, important to them both. Their first date was under that shower, they had been married under that shower. Cruelly, mama had been killed the night of that shower, and one year later exactly she had been buried under its glistening light, as was tradition.

Although I normally wouldn’t attempt to hide the sounds of my approach - mom’s hearing was too precise for that to ever work, I had learned that the hard way as a child - I attempted anyway, out of respect for her privacy. It was odd, seeing her out of her suit, in torn jeans and some t-shirt. I could hear the spectre of my mama’s voice calling her outfit distasteful. It made me smile, even if it didn’t make me deaf to the one-sided conversation.

“-so proud of her, Bon. Penny’s got this whole queen thing down. Made some pretty righteous changes you probs wouldn’t approve of, but you know? She actually made a legit treaty with the Fire Kingdom. Like, without using the Nightosphere as a liaison. It was amaze-balls. The Kingdom’s in mondo-awesome hands.” Even as her chuckle was forced I couldn’t help my blush of pride at my mom’s words. She wasn’t one to pay false compliments or criticisms; she said and did exactly as she meant and wanted to. Refreshing, really, given the pressures of ruling.

“I miss you, Bon.” Her voice cracked, and my smile dropped. “It’s…” I heard her sigh and dared to peek from my hiding place behind the gateway that marked the grounds. Whereas before she had been floating she now sat - actually sat - with her arms wrapped around her knees. Something was clasped in her hand, something small and square, but in the dark I couldn’t see what. I never inherited her night vision. “I know Death held up his end of our deal, so you’re pretty up there in Dead World, huh? Gotta be with Finn and Jake and Phoebe and Simon everyone else, right? How are they doing?” Her voice began to shake and I looked away, knowing I was intruding on something deeply personal. “It’s just… so hard without you, Bon. I know you’re probs doing your science junk to your heart’s content… but we had science down here, you know?” And then I heard it. A sound I had never heard before in centuries of life, something that made my heart drop and my skin crawl.

Through a soft, almost imperceptible declaration of her love, my mother was crying.

It was hard to imagine my mother doing such a thing. I knew she was more emotional than my mama - and I had the stories from Uncle Finn and Uncle Jake in my youth to prove it - I had always thought those emotions to be limited to the spectrum of rage. It was hard to see Lady Evil as someone who could or would express such sorrow, and harder still to think of the woman who gave me life, who raised me, protected me, nurtured me, and protected me as having those kinds of feelings, but there they were. And it solidified my decision.

Though it was telling that mom hadn’t heard my approach already I made just enough noise to reveal my position, giving her the chance to conceal her despair. It was the respectful thing to do. It was the kind thing to do.

I heard her snarl, but once she saw who was encroaching on her personal time with my mother’s headstone her demeanor changed. She was floating again, the square object clutched in her hand. The smile she greeted me with was arrogant and knowing, though it was obvious to me that she was counting on the cover of night to hide the signs that this was a bluff. “What are you doing out so late, mein Schatzi?”

I may have not been able to decipher my mom’s expression, but I knew she could see me as clearly as ever. There was no sense stopping my eyeroll. “I thought I would find you out here, mom.” I thought I heard a forced snicker before she seemed to turn back to the grave. I lowered my voice respectfully, both for my mama’s resting place and for the heavy atmosphere. “I wanted to see how you were.”

“Just catching your mama up.” There was a tightness in her voice. And then it was gone. “So what, you got bored? Or is this your way of admitting I was right and that-”

A sigh of irritation escaped me. I didn’t try too hard to stop it. “Mom, for the last time. I’m very happy with Raak. We have two beautiful children, a soulbond, and they never stop striving to make me happy.”

“Now, Penelope-”

“Grandfather wasn’t thrilled with your soul’s choice in a mate, and now you aren’t thrilled with mine. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

She was quiet, and for a moment I believed she might actually reflect on her behavior. My mistake. The same one, coincidentally, I knew mama made just as often. “Seems like it’s a family tradition at this point! Can’t mess with that!”

I closed my eyes, rubbing my left temple. The headache would have to wait until after this conversation. “Mom, I didn’t come out here to talk about Raak or the children. I came out here to talk about mama.”

I didn’t need night vision to see her wince. Even if she hid her tears she always wore her heart on her sleeve. “What did you want to talk about?,” she asked, more tension than I’m sure she meant sneaking into her voice.

It was now or never, quite literally. “Mom… I know you miss her.”

I expected her to deny it, or to at least discourage my inquiry. I didn’t expect the sigh of resignation, or the small white flame to ignite in her palm. “Come here, Penny. There’s something I want to show you.” With a skeptical, raised eyebrow I did as requested, joining my mom and politely pretending that the fire didn’t illuminate the fact she had recently been crying. Mama had taught me the importance of tact. Instead I focused on the rectangular object in her hand.

It was a picture frame of all things. Though the picture it held was old and a bit grainy it was in remarkably good condition, probably from having been kept in the Nightosphere and thus shielded from the effects of time. “Mom… is that…?”

It was my mothers, impossibly younger, laughing and cuddling together against a meteor shower backdrop. Mama was squirming a bit, making her left arm a bit blurry, and mom was off-center, clearly trying to level the camera with her telekinesis. As she followed my gaze mom’s smile was fond. Sad. She watched me, not her picture. “That was the first picture we took together, on our first date.”

“The one you two didn’t even know was a date?”

Her laugh was refreshingly free of grief. “Yeah. Your mama was the one who dragged me out there. I wanted to work on my jams, she wanted to prove to me science isn’t lame.”

“Science isn’t lame, mom.”

Her groan was, of all things, affectionate. “You sound just like your mama.”

“One of us has to,” I grumbled.

“Probably, yeah.” She kissed the top of my head. “I’ve kept this picture safe ever since that day. I know we have tons more, and some fancy portraits I still keep finding, but… this one’s special.”

I gazed intently into that picture, at the images of my mothers from before my time, from before there was even a Candy Kingdom. Back when they shared a little cabin by Butterscotch Lake and were still new to trusting anyone, including themselves. I knew how their story began. And I knew how it was going to end, even if mom didn’t yet. “...I miss her,” I whispered.

“I miss her too, Penny. Every day.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, a nervous gesture I knew I inherited from mom. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Even in the dim light of her fire I saw my mother’s suspicious eyebrow. “What did you do and whose soul do I get to suck out?”

“No. No, mom. No soul sucking.”

“Spoilsport.”

“I think you should be with mama.”

Mom could hide a lot of things, but not her grimace. “Penny, we’ve been over this. My place is here. Well, technically it’s in the Nightosphere, but my lair my rules, and right now-”

“Mom,” I interrupted. Rude, I know, but necessary. “I know. You’re the force that stabilizes the Nightosphere, but we both know how enamored Judith is with your job. She would take it over in a heartbeat if allowed.”

“Yeah, and I’m not allowing it.”

“But mom-”

“No, Penelope Abadeer.” she growled out. I wasn’t used to her voice being this firm. Traditionally mama was the firm one, but the topic of the Nightosphere and her role in its existence was a sore one, so I didn’t blame her. “This is a curse. Not one I would inflict on my daughter or my grand daughter. I made my decision-”

“You made your decision back when you thought mama was gonna be with you forever.” Even in the dim light I could see her eyes narrow. “I’m sorry, mom, but we both know it’s true. You never would have agreed if you ever really thought-”

“That was my mistake. End of discussion.” She turned to leave, the flame still ignited in a subtle cue that I was meant to leave with her.

“I talked to Life.” That stopped her, though she didn’t turn back. “And Prismo. In the Time Room.”

Now she turned back. “Are you nuts?! I know my parenting style was always a little lax, but I’m pretty sure your mama would wig out if she heard that!”

I gave her a poignant smile. “No, mom, you’re wigging out. Mama did whatever she had to to solve a problem.” And I’m not my mama, but this would have been a bad time to start poking old wounds. “I know you love me, mom, and I know you love Judith and Uther. You’ve spent your entire life protecting us and Ooo and the memories of everyone you’ve lost, but… they’re just that. Memories. You don’t have to keep doing it.”

“This is my place.” It wasn’t exactly cold, but it was a warning.

“Mom, I love you. You’ve always been there for me. You’re the best mom I could ask for. But I know you miss mama. I have a soulbond too, mom, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose Raak. I only know it would be agony beyond compare.”

“I am contractually obligated-”

“Mom, please. I know you take your legal biz and junk really seriously, but I talked to Life. She said there’s another contract that takes precedence over the one you have with Death. I know you don’t trust him, but Life has only ever been kind. She made sure mama’s soul got to Dead World safely, remember?”

Of course mom would remember. Life almost had to pry her soul out of mom’s claws, could hear the silent screams of a shattered soulbond the rest of the universe was deaf to. But she had escorted mama to the highest tier of Dead World herself, granting her safe and smooth passage. Death may have been bitter that mom was proficient in tricking him out of what was rightfully his, but Life held nothing in her heart but love.

I expected mom to ask about the secondary contract, to press me for details I would have loved to give but didn’t know myself. Perhaps she sensed a non-disclosure agreement, or perhaps, deep down, she really just wanted an excuse to try. Regardless- “...One year.”

“Mom?”

She sighed, the warm tone returning to her voice. It never could stay away for long. Not when it came to me. “Give me one year to think about it.”

I smiled and ran over, hugging her tightly. She returned the embrace. It was the best I was going to get out of her right now. Besides, what was a year to an immortal. “Thank you.”

As it would turn out, the decision would not take a full year. Perhaps mom had requested an audience with Life herself, or perhaps she was just willing to accept True Death after hundreds of years of endless Unlife. Regardless, to grand ceremony and press release she had turned over the chaos amulet to my daughter who, despite having been thoroughly exposed to the worst the Nightosphere - and the job itself - had to offer thrived in a way that would make my grandfather proud. Though she and her brother would mourn her loss they, too, were adults and understood that she had existed and done her job, had even saved Ooo itself more than a handful of times, and now the time had come to reap her reward and go home.

Letting go was always difficult for mom. For a woman who often professed that everything changed and that control was an illusion she tried awfully hard to hold on to the past. I was proud of her. Too proud to send her off alone. It was for that reason I ignored her wishes to spend her last night on Ooo alone at mama’s grave. Instead we sat together under the meteor shower, just the three of us, though one of us was silent while she and I exchanged our farewells and promises to be together again one day, when Death’s scythe would inevitably come for me. Though I had inherited mama’s effective immortality I never shared her wish to use it. She never understood that. Mom did.

Speaking of which.

“Mom?”

“Yes, mein Schatzi?”

I hummed, looking up at the night sky. I had grown accustomed to seeing mom without a suit, had gotten used to carrying the weight of her axe strapped to my back. But there was one thing I hadn’t gotten used to, and never would. “Before you go home to mama… will you sing for me? Like when I was a little girl?”

Mom smiled, a real one this time. “Come here, Penny.”

Perhaps it was silly. I was hundreds of years old myself and queen of the most powerful kingdom in the world besides, but I would never say no to a lullaby from my mom. Just as I did when I was a little girl I slid into her arms, letting my head rest against her shoulder as my eyes closed. As she stroked my hair she sang, soft and gentle, filling my mind with idyllic scenery and finding that which was once lost. She sang of gardens and home, of the promise that everything stayed even if it changed. Though I didn’t mean to, I cried into her shoulder, not hard but softly and effortlessly.

I pulled away when her song was finished, kissing her cheek. I was ready. “Thanks, mom.” Her smile was knowing, more like the one I knew than the strained one that had taken its place since mama’s death. It said what we were both thinking: We both needed that. “Take care of mama until I join you both, okay?”

“There’s still time to ask me not to, you know.”

I nodded. “I do know. Please do it anyway. I know how much you love me and the children, but I think if you leave mama alone for too long up there she’ll disassemble Dead World, and then we’ll have something worse than the Night released on Ooo.”

She snickered. “Natch. Your mama’s nuts. You should watch out for that, pretty sure it’s hereditary.”

“You’re both nuts. Fortunately, the two cancel one another out.” With one last hug I stood, leaving her beside mama’s resting place. “Safe journeys, mom. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

I felt the telekinetic force of her hug. “I love you too, Penny. If you need me I’m pretty sure you can convince Life to let me visit.”

“I’m sure I could. With that said, you and mama prepared me adequately. We’ll be fine. Go home, mom. Sheesh.”

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes at me. “Fine, fine. Get out of here. I promised your mama I’d never stake myself, but the sun’ll be up soon.”

There was nothing more to be said, and I wouldn’t want her final moments to be worrying about mentally scarring me with her True Death. “Alright, mom. Just one more thing.”

Before she died mama had taught me the secret of how she was able to get a picture with mom if vampires couldn’t be reflected in mirrors, and when I produced her small mirrorless camera she knew exactly what I wanted. Just as she always did, she obliged me.

When mom passed she did so at mama’s side, and at peace.

#bubbline #fan fic #adventure time

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