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jetsetlife138 · 5 years

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Imaginary - Chapter 6

Rating: Mature for this chapter, but Explicit in future chapters

Pairing: Alastor x Fem!Reader

Summary: A mysterious device throws you into the animated world of Hazbin Hotel. Once an average human living in a three-dimensional world, you’re now transformed into a two-dimensional human that has been cast into Hell. Pentagram City’s residents are curious and most harbor ill-will towards you. Charlie and the staff of the Happy Hotel take you in and offer you protection while they try and figure out how to return you to your world. That is… until you come across a certain Radio Demon with different intentions. Warnings: Manipulation, Language, Awkward Situations

Previous Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Tags: @beetlewise-and-pennyjuice @edgy-drama-queen @chasingfireflies1999 @galaxy-meteor @cecidit-31 @shadowclawstudio88 @utterly-disappointing @opheliuva @trinswhimsys @skylarhedges @whogavebrynjolfpermissiontobehot @sailor-earth-1

After your tiff with Alastor, you stomped off to seek the solitude of your own room. Dealing with him was infuriating and confusing. He had a way about him where even though you couldn’t stand him, you sometimes found yourself craving his company.

Maybe you were a masochist. That would make the most sense for why you were so fucked up and had weird, conflicting feelings about the arrogant demon.

The next day when you returned to the library, you were not at all surprised to see Alastor there waiting for you. Before you could even negatively comment on his presence, he held his hands up in surrender. “My dear, I owe you the sincerest of apologies. My behavior has been abysmal, and I am quite ashamed.”

You narrowed your eyes, suspicious of his sudden change of heart. His grin widened at your hesitance. “I’ll admit, I’ve gotten carried away during our prior interactions. Let me assure you, I only have the best of intentions. I would like us to be comrades. After all, as previously established, we can help each other. I am still dedicated to helping you return to your world.”

“Whatever, Alastor,” you brushed him off, pinching the bridge of your nose, your patience lacking. “I really don’t have the mental capacity for this right now. Just… keep your pervy hands and weird opinions to yourself. That’s all I ask.”

His lips peeled back further to make his already creepy grin look even more sinister. “Of course, my dear. As you wish.”

You weren’t stupid. You’d be a fool to think that he was being genuine, but at the same time, he was one of the most powerful beings in Hell. As you had already concluded, it couldn’t hurt to let someone like that help you, even if he had selfish intentions. It was just a matter of not falling victim to his advances.

Yet again, the two of you hit the books, making yourselves comfortable on the couch. Much to your relief, he stayed on the opposite end rather than crowd you with his overbearing presence. Instead, he kept to himself, humming softly as he skimmed through the pages of the books, seemingly content with the tedious task of research.

After intricately combing through five different books on magical travel, your eyelids started to get heavier, no longer able to concentrate. Not long after, you found yourself dozing off, your limbs going slack as you unintentionally slid down on the couch until you were met with a cushioned surface, enabling you to soundly fall asleep.

It wasn’t clear how much time had passed. It could have been merely a few minutes, or several hours. Either way, you were extremely comfortable and didn’t feel like moving.

Unfortunately, a voice nearby caused you to stir, interrupting your glorious nap. “Al, you soft son of a bitch.”

“Good evening, Husker. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Alastor’s voice sounded odd. Deeper and strangely close by, whereas Husk was clearly speaking from another part of the room. Still, even knowing that others were present, you couldn’t bring yourself to open your eyes, the allure of sleep keeping you content.

“How long you been sitting here like this?” the cat demon snickered.

“Oh, it’s difficult to say,” Alastor sighed candidly. “To be frank, my friend, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation.”

Husk’s deep laughter echoed softly throughout the library. “So your aggressive approach didn’t pan out, huh? What a surprise. Always knew your bark was worse than your bite. Now you’re just a teddy bear.”

“Is there a reason for your visit? If so, I do wish that you’d just get on with it. I do not enjoy being mocked.”

“Settle down,” Husk prompted. “I’m not here to ruffle your feathers. I was coming to relieve you and help out the girl with research, but seeing as you’re so comfortable, I guess I’ll just be on my way.”

“Do not leave me here,” the Radio Demon warned, the static in his voice thickening with subtle rage. “Do something. Now.”

“You’ve slayed Overlords. You can’t manage to push a weak human off of your shoulder?”

“Husker.”

“Alright, alright,” he relented, sensing Alastor’s tone. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

A firm pressure on your shoulder followed by an abrupt shake quickly alerted you to the situation that you were in. Eyes fluttering open, you tilted your head back to see that you had been pressed up against Alastor, using his body as a pillow.

You immediately shot up, giving yourself a head-rush as you did so. “Oh… Uh, Alastor, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”

At a loss for words, you felt your cheeks reddening with embarrassment as you glanced at Husk who had an amused expression on his face.

Quickly rising from the couch and stretching his limbs, Alastor brushed off your apology. “Think nothing of it, my dear. I am glad to be of assistance, and I hope that you are now fully rested.”

Okay, what the hell? Who was this new Alastor? He went from being perverted and possessive to kind and charming? No, something was off. There was no way that his personality could have changed so dramatically overnight, but now was not the time to interrogate him about it.

“Yeah, uh, much better. Thanks. I’m… going to go take a shower,” you muttered, trying to find any reason to leave the library immediately.

Before either Alastor or Husk had a chance to respond, you practically sprinted out the door and ran for your room where you plopped face-down on the bed and released a muffled groan. You were slightly convinced that you were dying of embarrassment and that was the real reason you were trapped in Hell.

Sighing heavily, you eventually got up and took a cold shower, washing away the essence of Alastor that might have clung to you when you laid on him. Shortly after, you dried off and walked back to your room, shocked to find Charlie and Vaggie waiting for you with concerned expressions.

“Um, hey?” you greeted nervously. “What’s up?”

Vaggie narrowed her eyes and scoffed while Charlie took a more delicate approach. “So, listen… we’re so glad to hear that you’re becoming more and more comfortable here, but…” she trailed off, not sure how to proceed and turning to her girlfriend for help.

Crossing her arms, Vaggie stated bluntly, “Don’t hook up with Alastor.”

Mouth agape, you struggled to find the words to convey your bewilderment. “Um, I’m sorry, what ? Why the hell would you say that? I have no intention of spending more time with him than necessary, let alone that .”

Rolling her eyes, Vaggie countered, “Look, it’s no secret that he’s taken a liking to you. He’s a determined little shit and he will try to charm his way into your good graces. His whole persona is based on his ability to manipulate. It’s just better to not get involved with him. If I had it my way, he wouldn’t even be allowed in the hotel, but what’s done is done.”

“Okay? What exactly does that have to do with me hooking up with him? You don’t think I have more restraint than that?” you questioned, still unsure as to why they were upset.

Charlie interjected again, easing the tension. “We’ve seen you with him and things seem to be getting very… friendly. Husk told us you slept with him…” Ugh, it was like Angel’s prior accusations all over again.

“ On him,” you clarified defensively. “We were doing more research and I passed out on his shoulder! That’s it! Listen, I don’t trust him any more than you do. You don’t need to lecture me about staying on guard. That’s all I’ve been doing since I arrived here.”

Charlie bit her lip and gave you an apologetic look while Vaggie’s expression softened a little. “We didn’t mean to ambush you,” Charlie added. “We just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that he wasn’t forcing you into anything. We’re still getting to know him ourselves.”

“No, it’s fine,” you replied, waving your hand dismissively. “I get it, and I appreciate it. I didn’t mean to come off as bitchy, I’m just… stressed, I guess.”

“Understandable,” Vaggie chimed in, no longer appearing as hostile as she did a minute ago. “We’re still looking for answers on how to get you back to your world, and I can only imagine how terrifying and crazy this has been for you, but we want to make sure that your head is in the right place. Stay away from Alastor.”

“You called, little moth?”

Turning towards the entryway, Alastor stood proudly, twirling his staff nonchalantly in his hands.

Growling, Vaggie snarled, “Do you really have to be here all the time? Don’t you have somewhere else to be? A seedy back alley, perhaps? Busying yourself with souls to torment?”

“Ha!” he exclaimed, amused by Vaggie’s unwavering disdain for him. “Darling girl, this is where my priorities lie for the time being. Fear not, I have no intention of interjecting into what I’m sure is a very fascinating conversation.”

“Then why are you here?” she snapped, flexing her fingers angrily like she was trying to hold back from choking him.

Widening his permanent grin, he turned his attention to Charlie before replying cooly, “It appears you have a visitor.”

“Me?” Charlie asked, perplexed.

“Yes, my dear,” he confirmed, resting on his staff that he had stopped fiddling with. “Your guest is waiting for you in the parlor.”

The three of you began to head towards the door to see who had arrived, but Alastor whipped his staff out in front of you, preventing you from going any further.

“No, no, no, darling. Not you.” Charlie and Vaggie didn’t seem to notice as they continued out of the room, leaving you alone with the Radio Demon.

Eyeing him skeptically, you asked, “Why not?”

He almost looked… nervous? You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but it was an uncharacteristic look for him. Though his smile remained, his demeanor wasn’t his usual arrogant and unbothered self. “Believe me when I say that it is in your best interest to remain here.”

Worrying your lip, you replied, “Alastor, I really don’t think that it’s a good idea for you and I to be alone together anymore.”

Tiling his head to convey his confusion, he asked, “Oh? And why is that?”

Swallowing thickly, you muttered, “I-I just… um… people are starting to think--”

Before you could finish your thought, an unfamiliar voice was drawing nearer, distracting you.

“...permission to enter my own hotel? Foolish daughter. You may work here, but this hotel is mine, as is everything else in Pride Ring. Now, where is our exotic guest?”

Though he was playing it off well, you noticed how Alastor went rigid as the voice got closer. Listening more intently, you could hear multiple sets of footsteps along with Charlie begging, “No! Dad, please just listen to me! Don’t--”

Not a moment later, a strange, yellow-eyed demon burst through the door, beaming right at you, followed by a very nervous Charlie. Vaggie was nowhere to be seen.

The excited demon was taller than you, though not as tall as Alastor. He was as pale as Charlie with similar rosey cheeks and blonde hair. He was adorned with a white and red tuxedo with dress pants and a cane with an apple on the end. His toothy smile was just as wicked as Alastor’s, and left you with a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Ah, there you are. Look at you!” he proclaimed before surging forward and taking your hands in his, pulling you harshly towards him.

You stumbled forward, tripping on your own feet but managing to find your balance before he danced around you, inspecting you closely. Quirking a brow at him, you weren’t keen on the idea of someone looking you over so intimately.

Catching you off-guard, he suddenly reached forward and cupped your face with his hands as he ran his thumbs across your cheeks. Instinctually, you smacked his hands away, just as you had done previously with Alastor. “Seriously? What is it with you demons and lack of personal space?” you snapped, now seething with irritation.

He stood back, clearly surprised by your tenaciousness. “Feisty, aren’t we?” he chuckled, fiddling with his bow tie before straightening his posture. “Oh, we’re going to get along just fine. I can see that.”

“I’m sorry,” you replied with exasperation. “Who are you?”

Smiling wider, he answered, “I’m Lucifer, the King of Hell, my delectable little human. And you’re coming with me.”

#hazbn hotel #alastor #radio demon #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #fanfiction #hazbin hotel fanfiction #charlie magne #vaggie #husk #hazbin husk #the radio demon #imaginary fanfiction

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lovabletomholland · 5 years

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Fly on the Wall (Tom Holland One Shot)

Part Two of Trapped Banter

Tom Holland Imagine (Tom Holland x Reader)

Word Count: 2,036

Warnings: Language, Fluff

Summary: After meeting Tom while trapped in an elevator, you’ve somehow managed to become friends. As you grow closer, keeping your identity a secret from the media becomes harder. Also hiding your true feelings for him become more difficult especially when he has other plans in mind.

A/N: So here it is, Part 2 of Trapped Banter! If you haven’t read Trapped Banter you do not have to read it, this can be read alone. However, to get the full story I do recommend reading it. I hope you all enjoy this!

If you haven’t already and want to read it, here is Trapped Banter.

Tom walks through the airport trying to ignore the flashes that keep blinding him. He smiles as a few fans come up to ask for pictures. A girl who is probably fourteen steps up first. "Get out of the way little girl," a paparazzi yells at her and she backs away looking shy. "Don't you dare talk to my fans like that. They're the reason I'm here. You get out of the way," Tom spits out angrily at the man. "It's okay darling, you can have a picture," he smiles at the girl and she comes back over and he takes a picture with her along with a few other fans and signs some autographs chatting with all of them happily. "Tom, who is the mystery girl you were with a couple weeks ago?" A paparazzi asks once all the fans have disappeared and Tom is getting into the car. "Are the two of you dating?" "She's a friend," Tom smiles before closing the car door. You were more than that or well at least he was hoping you'd be more than that soon. He remembers when he met you, stuck in that elevator, and you called him Peter up until he introduced himself and you learned his real name. You were so sassy, he loved that. You were also so down to earth and you treated him like he was just a normal person. That was harder to come by these days, since he started portraying Spider-Man. The look on your face when he called you MJ was priceless, he will never forget it and he just knew he had to see you again. So he direct messaged you on Instagram the next day and every day for a week, which was finally when you direct messaged him back. He didn't think you were ever going to, so he was so happy when he got on and saw that message from you. You two got together after that and hung out. That had led to getting together several more times, he got along with you so well. You still teased him a lot though, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Unfortunately, the last time he could get together with you before he had to leave New York for a few weeks some paparazzi spotted him with you and completely ruined the day. It took forever to lose them. The next day the headline 'Tom Holland seen on a date with Mystery Girl' was everywhere. All of them basically saying the same thing. Who is this girl? All of them wondering about your career because you aren't an actor or singer, many thought you were a model. You aren't but he thinks you could be one, not that you'd want that. He's finally going to see you again after three weeks. He pulls out his phone and sends you a quick text, 'On my way, see you in a few.' You ended up deleting your Instagram, you didn't want people to find out who you were and that would have happened with him following you. He was happy to give you his phone number though, he trusted you. 'See you soon,' you replied to him with a smiley face. So far you've been adamant on just being friends with him. He's not sure why, he knows you like him as he likes you or at least he's pretty sure you like him as more than a friend. He really could be wrong, he's just hoping he isn't. Either way he was wanting to get out of the friend zone tonight. *** You get up when you hear a knock on your apartment door, "Who is it?" You call out even though you already know who it is. "It's Tom," you hear him yell through the door. You lean against the door, "Tom?" You ask. "I don't know a Tom, I'm afraid you have the wrong apartment." You grin to yourself. You hear him groan, "It's Peter Parker." "Oh Peter! Why didn't you say so?" You giggle as you open the door. "Couldn't help yourself, could you?" He glares at you as he enters the apartment and you shut the door behind him. "No, I really couldn't." You follow him into the sitting area, "Hey, where is my hug? I haven’t seen you in three weeks," you pout. Tom turns around to face you, "A hug? Do you really think you deserve one after that?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "Yes," you continue to pout and open up your arms waiting for him to give in. He stands there with his arms crossed a few more seconds before he sighs and wraps his arms around you, lifting you off your feet. You giggle as he spins around once before putting you down. You give him a squeeze before letting him go. Who knew Tom Holland would become one of your closest friends? You sure didn't think that when you met him in that elevator. Sometimes you still find it hard to believe. "Sorry it took longer for me to get here, I had a car following me so I had to lose them before coming here." Tom says as he sits on the couch. You roll your eyes and sit down next to him, "I bet so many people wish they could be a fly on the wall wherever you're at." You grab the remote and turn on the TV, its movie night for the two of you and it's Tom's turn to pick. You hand the remote over to him with a smile. "Yes, especially if they knew I was with you." He starts looking through the movies. "They'd just be bored then," you laugh, "nothing interesting to see or hear. We're friends which is exactly what you told everyone. I'm sorry people are still bugging you about it." He smiles at you, "Nothing for you to be sorry for. Every girl I'm seen with is automatically my girlfriend, didn't you know that? Every time I'm seen with Zendaya, we're dating. It doesn't matter how many times we say we are just friends and costars, it goes in one ear and out the other." He puts his arm around you and pulls you against his side. You can't help how your heart rate speeds up or how your stomach twists every time he touches you like this. Lord knows you have tried so hard not to like him like that. You just wish your heart would listen to your brain and be done with it. He finally picks a movie and even though you know you shouldn't, you snuggle into him. As you watch the movie you notice him look at you a few times and you can't help the warmth that comes to your cheeks from your blush, "What?" You finally ask, feeling self-conscious. "Nothing. Am I not allowed to look at you?" He smiles. You feel your cheeks heat up even more from that comment, "No. I mean yes- I mean w-why would you?" You stammer. "Why would I?" He asks with a frown. "Because you're beautiful." You hide your face in his shoulder, "Stop," you mumble. You feel him start to pull away but you latch onto him to keep your face hidden. He starts to laugh, "Seriously, Y/N. Look at me." You shake your head and that's when you feel his hands go to your sides and the tickling begins. You giggle and pull back to fight his hands off. You don't have to fight too hard, he stops a couple seconds after you pull away from him and he smiles, "That's better." He says pushing your hair behind your ear. You turn away and look at the floor, you know your whole face must be beet red. You can tell by how hot your cheeks are. Why must he always do things like this with you? It makes trying not to like him so much harder. "Tickle me again and I'll find a spider to throw on you," you grin as you finally look back up at him. This is how you deal with your feelings, you tease the hell out of him. He fake gasps, "You wouldn't dare." Then he adds more seriously, "Honestly though if you did that, there is a strong possibility that something in your house will get broken by me trying to get it off." He admits. You giggle and cuddle against his side again, "Then you better be good, you're making us miss the movie." You tell him and feel his arm go back around your shoulders so you relax into his side. When the movie finishes you get up and stretch. As the end credit song starts to play you start dancing, feeling content. "This song has a nice little beat," you say shaking your hips with a laugh. Tom grins before getting up and dancing with you. He takes your hand and spins you around before bringing you against him, "It does have a nice beat." You're laughing as you look up at him but you freeze when you make eye contact, his lips are just inches away from yours and he's stopped dancing too. You watch his eyes move to your lips before he leans in and your eyes close as his lips touch yours. Your arms snake around his shoulders and your fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck. His arms wrap around your waist and he brings your body flush against his making you let out a gasp. You pull away quickly pushing on his chest to get him to loosen his grip on you. You can't believe you let that happen just now. "Sorry." You mumble and try to get free but his arms tighten around you once again. Damn, why does he have to be so strong? "For what?" He asks, you can hear the frown in his voice but you keep your eyes on his chest. You sigh, "For what just happened." "Mm, I'm not. Plus I kissed you, darling." He places his finger under your chin to get you to look at him. "We can't do this, Tom. It'll never work out." You turn your head away again and finally manage to wiggle free from him. "And why is that?" He asks. "Because I'm me and you're you." You walk over to the couch and sit. "We come from different worlds," you cross your arms over your chest as he sits next to you. "No we don't, we come from the same world. We just have different careers, love." He smiles, "So I don't see the problem if I like you and you like me. That is what matters, right?" "That's usually what matters, but people expect you to date a really beautiful actress, singer, or model. Not someone like me." You sigh, feeling frustrated. "Well screw them, then. I can be with whoever I want and I pick the best of all." He smiles and wraps his arms around your waist, "You, and you're gorgeous." Now why does he have to go and say stuff like that to you? It makes you believe this is possible, no matter how much your brain tells you otherwise, your heart wants to believe his words are true. 'What the hell?' you think. You'll never know if it'll work if you don't give it a shot. You really like him and find it harder to just be his friend the more you hang out with him anyway. Who's to say it'll go to shit simply because you aren't a celebrity? Maybe it will work out perfectly, maybe it won't but either way you're willing to give it a try because otherwise you might lose your chance with this amazing man you've grown to care for so much. "Okay Peter," you grin at Tom. "I'm willing to go for it if you are." "I've been willing to go for it MJ." He winks and pulls you in for another kiss. It’s quick but it makes your whole body tingle. You wrap your arms around him, feeling at ease as you snuggle into his side.

So I just thought I’d tag some people who might be interested:

@averyfosterthoughts, @artsyle, @photoshopart15, @peterisparker, @rebekkah4766, @jackiehollanderr, @myr5heart, @143amberrose, @mendes-fan, @peteparkersdarling, @jdroman5432, @stxfxniexreads, @nightxshadex201, @literalfsngirltrash, @livingforbarnes

If you want to be a part of my permanent tag list let me know, if you want to be removed just send me a message. Some have already asked to be on my permanent tag list but if your name has a line through it, it means I can’t tag you.

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland fanfic #peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker fanfiction #trapped banter #lovabletomholland #tom holland fluff

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deuce-duce · 4 years

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Am I...?? (Inwardly GASPS)!! Which Part...??

Today is March 2nd 2021 and I got my puter back and went to look at what I had last written on December 16th 2020. When I opened the file, it had been changed… dates had been obscured and certain things had been reworded… So… I have decided to go back through all of my previous posts to ensure the integrity of what I am writing stays that way! During this process I will be putting together a collection of my favorite quotes and post fragments. Which I will dub Rock and Roll’s Greatest Hits, if you live near me go buy airhorns Ill tell you why, When the greatest hits album comes out. What your about to read is primarily from Dec. 16th with a few changes or should I say… restorations?? Probably a little of both to be honest. Everything is still as it happened, I just add better descriptive words and fine tune the analogies so that they are easier to digest… My English teacher always told me that was what I was good at! Along with many others… who have said the same… not only do I understand it… I’m able to explain it in a way that others understand as well. ENJOY

On the seventh of December I woke up not too sure if something had occurred that night or not… as I have mentioned before they use a numbing agent that basically masks the pain until it wears off approximately 12 hours later… When I a woke on this day I was having moments of clarity and for some reason just couldn’t keep them to myself. talking to one of the staff members of the homeless shelter I expressed my destiny that I actually had one, that was going to bring me to greatness… then out of nowhere I just blurted out there is going to be a power shift!!!! And at that very moment I couldn’t believe what it was that had just come out of my mouth. I didn’t even believe it at first because the guy at the desk was like IDK… about… that… but when I went back into my room, the look on my roommate’s face said it all!! It seems as though those who pull strings and orchestrate a lot of this… put all of their eggs into one basket. I don’t know exactly what the terms of thee bet were but I’m assuming it had/has something to do with me not being able to control my compulsivity associated with my dissociation. Unfortunately for them I made a deal with God. It was while I was on quarantine and even though I was in a basement all by myself people kept F$%^&*!> with me. This is when I prayed stating that I would not falter, for my body his temple his craft and his glory. that I need to take care of myself and my destiny, for it is in his hands and I won’t let my selfishness or imperfections stop him from fulfilling his plan. Over and over again I have cried and cried about how fundamental and powerful this is all going to be. EFFIN CRAZY!! And now that I know without anyone telling me and it literally being given to me somehow is what is freaking everybody out. How do I know or how the hell did I figure it out!! I really couldn’t tell you and the only thing that is possible is that our Creator endowed me with such responsibility. Crazy!! (this was before I considered the probability of God being a woman, A mother, A Lover)

Low and behold one of my favorite artists Mr. Kid, Maniac, Rager, Wizard, Pursuer of Happiness Cudi dropped a new album entitled Man on the MOON Three. Ill have to say it’s a wonderfully made album! The album delves deep into who Scott is… I know the Fans are going to love it.

Rewind a little bit sorry for my hiatus just needed to stay focused and well as your aware have been led here not by accident and had some things that I needed to take care of before I started writing again. Not to mention I have been dealing with a lot only to know that I am who I am for a reason Rockstar Knights off MOTM3 has a lot to say concerning who I am and what I have realized as a result to my struggle. The Song is a collab with Trippie Redd and really encapsulates so much, that its hard to describe in words.

I had a very interesting conversation with my mother the other day and came to a pretty profound thought. 1st I was telling her how I was being told that I am too….!!! Smart!! Like WTF!! REALLY!! Is that even a thing?? But I didn’t let it get to me too much as it probably is the reason I face so much adversity, No matter the community I enter into. This is how I have explained it to her and a couple other people in the community as well as the Rasta Man in the PNW. The best analogy I could present is if a plant with a fire burning so big and so hot on one side of the plant, a fire so big and hot that it probably would kill most other plants, but not this plant. This plant had sooooo much drive and will to live that instead of giving up it grew in the opposite direction of the blaze. While the roots could withstand the blazing inferno becoming one with the heat and pain Upon the journey away from the fire (society) the plant developed different characteristics colors and attributes that no other plant had. Essentially that journey completely changed that plants physiology Psychology and possible its genetic makeup altogether. Now that the plant has grown so far from the fire (Society) that its all alone. Now theres a different kind of fire where he once thought was safe. But as he grows back towards the fire to escape the new blaze (tyranny) he realizes he will never be able to be the same as the fire he grew so far away from. Now the only option the plant has with death being imminent is to grow as big and bright as quickly as possible before it is engulfed on all sides.

All this taken into account along with factoring in the two major belief structures in the world one Being Creation or Evolution (The Big BANG) this plant which has defied all odds still shines brightly displaying its colors and unique characteristics no matter how dark the room may be it still continues to bloom! Is this a Divine will and plan or are we experiencing the next step of Evolution??? My honest opinion is its both! For the mere ability to adapt and change and prevail in situations others couldn’t dream of or even have nightmares about is truly remarkable and in my eyes is an act of GOD! Just as any evolutionary step would be. The crazier part is… he has no handle!! Nothing to grab on to leaving no way for anyone to grab hold and control! AYE….

I thought this all might just be me being stubborn or simply an idiot until for some reason I opened up my meme App. Something I never open or even look at and the first thing that popped up was a picture and quote saying that many told Marilyn Monroe that she was only beautiful because of the clothes and dresses she wore. It then concluded Marilyn Monroe did a photoshoot in nothing but a burlap potato sack. The photos and the message she sent were completely opposite of that which was being said by spectators. Now!! As scrolled to the second meme I was expecting something funny!! That wasn’t the case what I saw next was the upcoming alignment of the two largest planets in the solar system Jupiter and Saturn. Not only does their alignment happen only every 20 years but the proximity of this occurrence to the earth as well as the proximity to each other hasn’t been the same for close to 800 years… What does it all mean… IDK but The Christmas Star is what their calling the alignment and if your familiar with the bible is the star that the kings, from other lands followed to bring gifts to baby JESUS! Who knows what this alignment could usher in.?

So profound thought comes to me on a daily basis now it’s so strange the way that it comes it will just be momentary thoughts that will pass through my conscience and as they go by I latch on to it delve a little deeper and experience an overwhelming amount of… IDK what to call it but it feels very powerful so much so that it brings me to tears… I don’t know exactly what the future holds but I think that is what makes this so great! I just keep my mind open Like apple IOS Systems letting everything come and go as it pleases when something goes by that strikes me, I latch on and don’t let go. Its weird how it all happens.

Steve Jobs once said that if he had never had an acid trip that he would have never of come up with the operating system for Apple and after explaining to you what I do as a spiritual and destiny seeking process I believe was his thought process as well. This in of itself is what I think they mean when they say to keep an open mind. Just so you know I didn’t come up with that little bit about the late Mr. Jobs by plan it just came to me when thinking about how to have, use and keep an open mind.

The reason I explained this to you was because this is how I Pray! After I pray I sit still with an open mind allowing multiple ideas thoughts and perspectives to pass through my brain… until like an IOS operating system, something speaks to me… when I latch on to it, focus on what it means and what it will mean… “I Get Those Goosebumps Everytime” (Goosebumps, Travis Scott, feat. Kendrick Lamar, Birds in the Trap Sing Mcknight, 2016). This is how you know! A little extra for ya, when I went to look up the info for my first Hip Hop citation it was 11:11 lol there they go again… its really a cool feeling!

Can someone tell me if that APA or MLA…?? Ya know what!! Eff IT!! None of my writing is orthodox, besides I kinda like the way I did it haha

Kid Cudi’s new video just dropped and I couldn’t be more amazed with all of the hidden messages that are in there. He is officially the man on the moon. Passion pain and demon slaying like a maniac on the pursuit of happiness. Love that DUDE!!

That’s all I got for 12-16-2020 Five More Days…

LOVE & PEACE

Songs

Heaven On Earth – Kid Cudi

Goosebumps – Travis Scott, feat. Kendrick Lamar

Dirty Heads – Sound Of Change

Just so you know the only thing I added this time other the cleaning up what I had already written was the praying part. Although I originally remember that being the purpose as to why I wrote what I did looking at it today March 2nd 2021 it wasn’t there… have a great day everyone. Ill post this on 3/3/2021

I've added parts to the story on my business cards and will leave then random places, what you do with them is up to you but I think It would be cool for those who want to stop me to have to work extra hard just like they make me!!

LOVE

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freedom-of-writing · 4 years

Text

You’re all I want, all I need

Chapter 1 - I’m ready now

Chapter 2 - The 13th clan

Chapter 3 - Soulmates

Chapter 4 - Your enemy is our enemy

Chapter 5 - Costia

Chapter 6 - The calm before a storm

Chapter 7 - Hurts like hell

Chapter 8 - Shouldn’t be a good in goodbye

Chapter 9 - The Conclave

Chapter 10: The City of Light

Chapter 11: Swim Away From Reality

Chapter 12: Not Good Enough

Chapter 13: The Ascension Ceremony

Chapter 14: Clarke vs. Pike

Every night, for a week, Clarke goes back to the City of Light. She keeps her promise and never lets Lexa have to star gaze all alone on that roof again. Well, at least not for seven days, because on the eighth one Clarke is too busy packing her staff to even bother getting some sleep at all. It’s been decided that, after the week of celebrations in honor of the new Heda, Abby, Clarke and Marcus should go back to Arkadia just like any other clan leader is going back to their lands. Why does Clarke have to go as well, you might be wondering? It’s not that she has to actually. To be honest she would much rather stay in Polis by Aden’s side, but both him and Lexa have convinced her to take the opportunity to go visit her people and her friends for a while. So, here she is now, packing her things to go back “home” for a few days. The truth is, she feels more like she’s getting ready to leave for hell rather than to go to the place where she used to belong. On the bright side, though, this trip could be the perfect chance to ask Jaha for more chips to give to the Natblida so they can see Lexa as well. She’ll never forget the way Aden’s face lit up when she shared the idea with him. That was the moment Clarke promised herself not to come back home empty-handed, because she could never stand disappointing his expectations.

“Honey, you ready?” Abby says as she enters Clarke’s room without knocking.

“Yeah, let me just... I just need...” Clarke utters as she looks around the room desperately searching for something she might’ve forgotten to pack.

It is clearly just an excuse, and Abby knows it. “Clarke, you know that you don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to. Marcus and I understand if you want to stay here with the kids.”

“No. No, I... I have to do this now. Otherwise I’ll never be able to leave this place again. Just give me a moment. There’s just one last thing that I’m missing and then I’m ready. I promise.” Clarke concludes when she realizes there’s actually something she’s missing.

“Ok. We’ll be by the entrance, then.” Abby waits for Clarke’s nod before turning and leaving the room.

As soon as Abby’s out, Clarke takes her two bags and exits her room as well. What she needs is in Lexa’s- No, not Lexa’s anymore... What she needs is in Aden’s room, so that’s where she’s headed. The whole week, she’s been trying to avoid that room as much as possible, because every time she stands in front of its door, all of her memories of Lexa come back to haunt her, and she feels like she can’t breathe. Gathering all her strength, Clarke comes to a stop in front of said door. With a deep breath, she steps forward to knock on the door. She doeasn’t want to go in without Aden’s permission, but she gets no response from the boy. Aden must be in the throne room or outside training, Clarke imagines, so she just let’s herself not bothering the hard stare that the two guards standing outside are giving her. Clarke knows what she needs and she even knows where to find it, but the moment the door closes behind her back, she’s petrified. She can’t move, she can’t breathe, and she’s not even sure whether her heart is still beating.

“I guess you’re here to take this, right?” Clarke jumps, startled by the sudden voice coming from behind her. As she turns to face whoever is standing by the door, she instinctively takes out her gun.

“Woah, hey, it’s just me.” Aden says as he quickly puts down Lexa’s armor to raise his hands. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“When... how...?” Clarke stutters as she lowers the gun.

“I entered the room right after you. I saw you from the corridor, and I imagined you came looking for this.” Aden begins to explain as he takes hold of Lexa’s armor again. “I thought I might come in and check if you needed any help with it.” When he’s done explaining, Aden offers the armor to Clarke, but the woman doesn’t move.

That’s when he notices there are tears running down Clarke’s cheeks. Aden doesn’t need her to explain what’s wrong, he knows the answer all too well. He feels the same way every time he enters his new room. He’s lost count of how many tears he swallowed back in the past week. Slowly, he moves to go lay the armor on his bed, and then he walks back to Clarke. When he’s standing beside her, he reaches down to grab Clarke’s hand. After giving it a gentle squeeze, he turns his face to stare into the space around them, imitating Clarke.

“This place doesn’t feel the same without her.” He states with a sigh.

“Yeah... many things don’t feel the same without her.” Clarke whispers as she leans her head to rest on the boy’s shoulder.

They stay like that for a minute, until Clarke remembers her mom and Kane are waiting for her. Then she moves away from Aden to go and put on Lexa’s armor. When she’s done lacing it, she takes a moment to stare at her image into the mirror. Behind her shoulders, she can Aden’s smiling face, and she can’t help but smile herself.

“Try and behave while I’m gone, Heda.” Clarke jokes as she gives Aden a quick peck on the cheek.

“I’m not the one who’s known for misbehaving, Wanheda.” He jokes right back as Clarke walks to the door. “Try not to get yourself into many troubles, will you?” he mocks again, gaining a fake laughter from Clarke.

“Ah, ah. Very funny, young man.”

“Clarke...” his voice stops her before she can fully exit the room.

Clarke hums in question, and so, he continues. “I mean it. Don’t do anything stupid. Please. I couldn’t stand it if I lost someone else.”

Clarke smiles at him lovingly before promising to be careful. “I won’t. I promise.” And with that she leaves the room to go meet her mom and Kane.

---------------------------------------------------------------

After hours of riding, Clarke is pretty tired, but she’s also really eager to see her friends. For most of the journey, she couldn’t help but thinking of Aden and the other kids, but as they are getting closer to Arkadia her thoughts are shifting more and more on her friends. The last time she was with them, Lexa had just died, and she was completely out of it. But now she’s doing much better. And she’s pretty sure a break from being a leader wouldn’t be so bad. She’s still just a girl after all, and she needs to have some fun with her friends every once in a while. Unfortunately, though, her plan of partying and having a good time with her friends is put aside as soon as they reach Arkadia. A Council meeting is called upon their arrival, and once again duty calls.

Apparently, the representatives of the various stations couldn’t wait for the next day to be informed on the new Commander in charge of the Coalition. So, here they are, gathered around a long table, waiting for Kane’s accurate account of everything that has happened in Polis ever since the Conclave.

"Members of the Council, I am happy to announce that the new Commander is well-disposed, and just like Lexa, he wants his legacy to be nothing but peace." Kane barely has time to conclude his statement that Pike is already shouting his objections.

"Please, Lexa's legacy was never peace! That's what she wanted us to believe! But we all know the truth: the grounders are savages, and the only way we can survive on this Earth is by taking control!" some members of the Council start cheering in agreement, but their exultation is soon interrupted by the sound of another loud voice.

"Oh yeah, cuz we’d be so much better at controlling the whole territory! Peace has always been our specialty, hasn’t it?!" Clarke shouts in a sarcastic tone while her mother tries worthlessly to stop her.

"Clarke..."

"No, mom!" Clarke stops her, not giving Abby the time to ask her to calm down.

There's no way she's staying quiet as Pike talks shit about Lexa and Aden! Plus, what the man is saying is completely insane, and she has to try and talk some sense into him and his followers.

“Can we at least try and be civil about this? Please.” Abby asks both her daughter and the rest of the representatives.

Clarke is still fuming, but she knows her mother’s right. Shouting and arguing won’t get them anywhere. If she wants to defend Lexa’s legacy of peace, she needs to be willing to have a peaceful discussion with her people. With a deep breath she calms herself down, before speaking again. This time in a calm and controlled manner. “Look, what I’m saying is that you need to think this through. You really wanna throw yourselves into a fight you cannot win? The grounders know these lands like the back of their hands, this is their home. But what about us? We’re outnumbered, and we don’t know the lands. There could be traps anywhere, and we wouldn’t even see them coming. There's no way we’d make it out of that war alive."

"So, what do you suggest, kiddo?" Pike spits out. If his intentions are to upset Clarke, it’s definitively working. "We just do as they say like good allies? What assurance do we have that this new Commander won't betray us like the last one?"

“Lexa’s already made up for what happened at Mount Weather. Or did you forget what happened during the war against the Ice Nation? Wasn’t that enough proof of her loyalty?” Clarke asks trying her best not to lose her temper.

"Proof of her loyalty?" Pike accompanies these words with an amused laughter. "She betrayed one of her clans to protect another.”

“Ok, first of all, it was Azgeda who betrayed her, and all of the Coalition, by attacking us. Lexa’s never betrayed anyone; she just did what every other Commander would’ve done: protect the majority of her people.”

“You see, Clarke, at the end of the day, the Ice Nation... Lexa... the new Commander… They're all grounders.” Pike looks directly at the representatives who are on his side before concluding. “They're all the same. Savages who don't care about anything other than their own survival!" He shouts the last part gaining murmurs of approval from the others.

It’s clear he’s trying to get some kind of reaction from Clarke. He’s provoking her on purpose, but she knows better than to give him the satisfaction of seeing her losing control again.

"And do you think Skaikru is any different?" Clarke asks calmly, making sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room, because she wants them all to see the truth. "You just said you want to take control, because you think that’s our only chance at surviving." She finishes staring straight into Pike's eyes.

"On the Ark, we did unspeakable things to survive. Think about how many people were floated, how many kids were arrested, or how many families were destroyed. And ever since landing on Earth, we’ve gotten even worse. Hundreds of Grounders died at our hands, and you know that. We are just as savage as they are when it comes to ensuring our survival.” Clarke is both glad and surprised to hear these words coming from Kane. A little support is exactly what she needs.

"And without those savages, as you like to call them, we wouldn't have made it in the fight against Nia's army. If it weren’t for Lexa and her army, there’d be no Sky People left." Abby jumps in as well to show her support against Pike and his friends.

Clarke can’t help but smile widely at her mother for trying and defending Lexa’s honor. She’s glad not only has Abby finally accepted her love for Lexa, but she’s also loving her herself, in her own kind of way.

The room grows quiet, but it’s only a moment before Pike speaks again. "Almost all of my people were killed by the grounders inside Mount Weather, I won't-"

"Ok, let me stop you right there!” Clarke stops him before he can finish. “Again, it was the Ice Nation, and not the whole Coalition. You can't punish all the grounders for the actions of one clan only. If anyone is to blame for those deaths, it’s Queen Nia. And in that case, justice has already been made. She's dead. It's over." Clarke does her best to remain calm, but his attitude is really getting on her nerves.

"Oh, I have just begun to make justice for my people. But don't worry, little girl…" Pike mocks her once again, making her want to wipe away that smile from his face with one fierce slap. But at Kane and Abby’s silent request, she lets him finish. "I have no intention of hurting innocent people. I'll just kill this Commander. And the next. And the one after that. Just like I did with Lexa."

If Clarke wasn’t too shocked to react, he would’ve definitely gotten a knife straight through his heart. She can tell everyone in the room is now staring at her, but she’s paralyzed. To be honest, she’s not even sure whether her heart is beating or not. Although the worried look on her mother’s face let’s her know that she must’ve gone pretty white.

Seeing as Clarke doesn’t show any sign of reaction, Pike uses the opportunity to conclude. "Without a leader keeping them together, the clans will destroy themselves, and I won't have to do a thing to take control of all of those people."

He can barely finish the sentence that Clarke throws herself at him. She’s holding Lexa’s knife fiercely in her hand, and if it weren’t for her mother and Kane’s hold on her, she would’ve stabbed him already.

"You son of a bitch! How could you?! She was here fighting for our people! She was protecting us!" Clarke yells as she struggles to free herself. "Let go of me! Let me go! He deserves to die!” She keeps shouting.

"Clarke..." Abby tries to calm her down pointlessly.

"Guards! Arrest this traitor!" Kane orders as Clarke keeps screaming, and shouting, and kicking furiously. "Abby, please, get her out of here." Marcus asks. “Joseph, help her, please.” He demands to another guard when he sees how much Abby is struggling to keep a hold on her daughter.

"No! Let go of me! I'm not going anywhere!" Clarke tries to fight against those two strong arms forcing her out of the room, but the man is way stronger than she is, and all she can do is yell at Pike one last promise as they are both taken away. "This isn’t over! I will come for you, and I will kill you! Blood must have blood!"

With that the meeting is called to an end, and everyone leaves the room. Kane goes to make sure Pike is put in an isolation cell, while Abby follows her daughter to her old room. By the time they get there, Clarke is no longer screaming nor kicking, but her mother can tell she’s still fuming with rage. That’s why she offers

“I think it’s best if I stay with you for tonight…” Abby knows all too well that Clarke is actually capable of killing Pike, especially now that she’s so angry. That’s why she wants to stay with her, to make sure she doesn’t do anything she’s going to regret later.

But Clarke isn’t having it, and she practically kicks her out of the room. "Leave me alone! Get out!"

“Clarke…”

“I said get out!”

Clarke needs some time and space, Abby understands that. It’s just that she’s worried about what her daughter is going to do with that time and space. But she also doesn’t want to upset her any more, so with a defeated sigh she leaves the room.

As soon as Abby’s gone, Clarke lets go of any control she had left. Anything within her reach becomes the object of her outburst. She literally pours out her anger all over the room, throwing and smashing everything around her. When, at last, she runs out of object to destroy, she stops at the center of the room to take a look around. The mess around her matches the mess that she is right now. She’s breathing heavily, and she can feel the tears forming in her eyes.

I'll just kill this Commander. And the next. And the one after that. Just like I did with Lexa.

Pike’s words resonate in her head, as she falls down on her knees and starts sobbing. The scene is so heart-wrenching even a heart of stone would break at that sight. But unlike when she was sobbing over Lexa’s dead body, this time it’s angry tears that are falling down her cheeks. She's angry because Lexa was there to protect her people, and one of them killed her. She's angry because it was all her fault: if it wasn’t for her, Lexa’s would’ve never chosen to protect Skaikru. She's angry because, had she paid more attention, maybe she could've seen it coming, and she could've stopped Pike before he could do anything. She's angry because how is that fair that he gets to live and Lexa doesn't? She's just… so angry. With everything and everyone.

----------------------------------------------------------------

No one comes to disturb her until the next morning. Clarke is still curled up in her bed when she hears someone unlocking the door. Of course, they’ve locked her in. She was so upset last night she didn't even notice the door was locked as soon as her mother left the room. When the door finally opens, she doesn’t move. She’s facing away, but she stills recognizes her mother by the sound of her footsteps.

“I got you something for breakfast…” Abby says as she sits on the bed next to Clarke.

“I’m not hungry.” Clarke states as she finally sits up to look at her mother. She can tell Abby is trying to decide whether or not she should insist, and she’s glad when her mother puts the tray aside and gets up.

Clarke looks at her silently as her mother starts cleaning up the mess in the room. She’s glad Abby doesn’t ask her what happened, although she guesses it’s because her mom already knows. It’s the thing about mothers, right? They can always read through their kids. Or so they say. In reality, there are so many things they don’t understand. But this time Abby understands all too well. It’s no news that Clarke was angry and upset the night before.

After 10 minutes of work, everything is back into place, and all the fragments of the smashed objects have been put into a bin by the door. When she’s done tidying up, Abby takes a look around the room with a satisfied expression, and then she goes to sit in a chair beside Clarke's bed.

"There was supposed to be a Council meeting this morning to decide Pike's fate. But Marcus and I suggested it should be you to choose what to do with him." Abby doesn’t sound very convinced then she utters the last part, and Clarke guesses it’s because she already knows what her choice will be.

"I said I would kill him, mom. And I meant it. He killed Lexa." Her voice cracks when she says this last part.

"There are many ways for him to pay for what he did, Clarke."

"Blood must have blood."

"That's one of the options.” Abby moves to sit on the bed and she gently takes hold of Clarke's hand before continuing. “But... Is it really the one you wanna go for? Clarke, if you kill him, you’ll be just as bad as he is. And it won't make the pain go away."

"Well, maybe I don't wanna be better than he is." Clarke says as her eyes fill up with tears.

"Clarke..."

"I've tried to be the good guy, mom. Ever since we got here, it’s all I’ve been doing. I've always considered death and murder to be the last option, and look where it got me. Every single time, I ended up paying the price for my benevolence. So, what's the point of being good and merciful if it only brings you pain and loss?" She's not even sure whether the question is for her mother or for herself.

"And what's the point of vengeance then? Doesn’t it only bring around pain and loss as well? It won't bring you peace, that's for sure." Abby pauses a moment waiting for Clarke to meet her eyes again before continuing. "Killing Pike won't give you Lexa back. And you'd only be adding one more person to the list of people who've died because of you."

"But at least he deserves it!” Clarke cries out as a tear falls down her cheek. “Lexa's dead, mom! She's dead because of him! How is it fair that he gets to live and she doesn't?!"

"But that's the problem with life, honey. It doesn't give a shit about fair. Things happen… people die... and the good and innocent ones happen to die more often than the bad ones actually.” She stops a moment to wipe away a tear from Clarke’s face. “Clarke… life isn’t fair. But it also gives us a choice when something bad happens to us. We can choose to remain good, or we can become just as bad as the ones who've wronged us."

Abby can tell her daughter is still not fully convinced, so she tries with the one thing she knows will get to her for sure. "Look, why don't you ask Lexa?" As she was hoping, Lexa's name seems to do the trick, and she can see Clarke is now giving her her full attention. "You can still go to the City of Light, right? Then why don't you ask Lexa what we should do with Pike? If anyone deserves to make that choice, it’s her. She's the one Pike killed. You wanted a fair payback? Well, I think it's more than fair to let her be the one to choose how he's supposed to pay for his crime. Don’t you agree?"

Clarke hesitates for a moment, but Abby can tell she's actually considering this last option. And she reads the decision in her eyes before Clarke can even voice it out loud.

"Okay. I'll talk to her."

#clexa #the 100 #clarke griffin #lexa kom trikru #fan fiction #fanfic

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morphituu · 5 years

Text

Milagro

Chapter 15: Omens

Ch: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14

Callie’s brows furrowed in bewilderment when Nick’s hand cupped beneath her fist to catch the muffin wrapper, quickly tossing it away before speeding back to help pull her sweater up her arms.

“Why?” she only asked, blinking up at him in confusion while he went so far as to help pull her beanie down her cheeks.

“You heard the doctor,” he snipped, not even bothering to shield his own scalp from the rain as he kept the umbrella clear over her and only half over his lumbering frame.

“Rain isn’t pitocin,” she sassed, taking control of the handle to make sure he wasn’t pelted by the persistent rain.

“I’m not taking any chances,”

“You do realize that sex is what’ll make everything start moving, right?” she teased with a lopsided grin. Nick’s pointed ears twitched when the displeasure of such a realization rooted into his mind.

“I guess we’ll have to cut back,”

“Oh shut up, like we could,” she smirked up at him. “You really wanna stop fucking like we did last night?”

Nick flushed at the recollection of the evening; the way they were both left breathless, shouting each others names into the early AM hours. How she unwound the tight coil at his center, her loving gaze keeping him in suspension as she witnessed him unfold, smiling against his open mouth that howled her name.

“Okay come back down to Earth,” she patted the back of his hand clutched in her hold a few times, giggling when he nodded languidly but clearly was still wandering through his thoughts as he sauntered on.

“We should try that position again,” he said below his breath after opening the passenger side door of the truck and helping her climb in. She snorted as she clicked her Chucks together to shake off the water and gravel.

“That’s the only position I can do anymore,” she scoffed, wiggling around until she found her spot with the seat reclined a little farther.

Nick shrugged; I don’t have a problem with that.

When he’d rounded the truck and stuffed the umbrella in the side compartment, Callie was already setting her shoes in the back and grabbing for her heels and stockings with the heater on blast, the final touches of her outfit coming together before she went in for work.

“You’re gonna snap an ankle on those things,” he mumbled, his repulsion towards the tortuous footwear evident in his tone.

“Maybe, but damn if they don’t make my fat legs look better,” she struggled to lift a heel onto the dash and show the definition of her calf.

Nick neither agreed or disagreed; he knew better than to fall into that trap again.

Her phone vibrated loudly in the center console, and she hissed a low curse trying to finish inching her stockings up her thigh and under her tight pencil skirt in time to grab the phone.

“Hey Rose,” she exhaled, pinning the phone between her shoulder and cheek while she worked on the next leg. “Yeah we just left,”

Nick listened quietly, twisting through the wet streets leading away from the clinic nestled behind luxurious townhomes and sprawling businesses with equally extravagant day goers cluttering the slick sidewalks. The glossy streets reminded him of the tune-up the truck needed, more urgently the changing of the tires it was due for. Preferably before Leo joins us. He glanced through the rearview mirror at the carseat still perched neatly behind them; he gripped the steering wheel tighter, containing a wide smile.

“Three centimeters already,” Callie smiled, but it quickly vanished. “No- centimeters, not meters,”

Nick snorted.

“No they still say the 21st,” she grunted, finally finished and pulling her skirt down her thighs. With a hard exhale, she let her head bounce back against the seat and her legs spread and stretch to relieve the pressure on her lower stomach. Now Nick could finally snake his hand under her arm and caress her stomach, drumming where Leo kicked in protest of his mother squishing him. “I doubt it, he’s still head down. Yeah. Uh-huh. Today?” she looked at Nick, holding the phone against her chest. “Are we doing anything today?”

Nick shook his head, only half sure; are we?

“Yeah I can but I need to go home first cuz there’s no way in hell I’m walking around in these heels,” Callie returned to her call, pulling her lipstick from her purse and pulling down the visor. “Yeah just pick me up from the house when you’re ready,”

“I need more lotion!” Nick whispered, snapping his jaws when she shooed him away.

“Okay pues I’ll see you then. Ah-huh, bye gurl bye.” Callie dropped the phone into her lap, finishing with the lip stain. “Rosie’s gonna take me to do the gift registry for the shower,”

“Oh get everything I wishlisted on Amazon, especially that bottle set,” Nick piped, glancing at her excitedly.

“No one’s gonna buy us that, baby, it’s expensive,” she again reminded, and pouted compassionately when his spirits dropped a little bit. “He’s gonna be attached to my boob anyways,”

Nick grumbled a little bit. “Add the sling then?”

“Of course,” she smiled, patting his molted hand. “That’s more doable than a fifty dollar bottle set,”

He grumbled again. “You never know...”

“Uh-huh,” she teased, giggling when he dug his fingers into her belly. Once she’d finished the last touch-ups of her makeup and fluffing her hair around her shoulders, she could recline into the seat and relax the remainder of the drive across town through the winding hills, and listen to the rain pattering against the roof of the car with the radio drifting softly around them.

Her eyes drifted down when Leo tapped insistently under her own palm, cracking the smallest of smiles when she followed the gentle nudges.

“I can’t believe there’s only a month left,” she cooed, her thumb stroking the rough skin of his hand.

“Mom told me the last month takes the longest to go by,”

“Yeah my mom told me that too,” she agreed, watching Nick’s fingers roll when Leo spun. “God I’m only gonna get bigger,”

“He’s gonna get bigger,”

“And I am gonna get chubbier,”

“More ass to bite into,” Nick smiled, clicking his sharp teeth together a few times when Callie glared at him.

“Lookin’ for a new spot, huh?”

“Always, but I’ll wait ‘til after we’re married. Bite into the spot,” he explained smugly, his vague detailing making her eyes narrow.

“Don’t know if I wanna marry knowing I’m literally gonna be bitten on the ass for it,”

“No way out of it now- Orcs mate for life. This finger is mine,” he sang, her ring finger in his hold and wiggling her hand. “Gonna have my baby and my last name,” he boasted, shoulders shimmying in the seat as he turned into the parking lot before the bank.

“Fine, you can have all that as long as I get to swim in that police pension,” she countered cheekily, shoving her makeup pouches back into her purse.

“Ha, have fun waiting another twenty years,”

She smirked, her lips pursing as he grinned. “Deal. I’m off at 2,” she caved, leaning over the center console to meet his lips for a series of loving kisses. The crook of her hand held under his jaw, igniting a small chuff; getting him going before work was one of her favorite past times.

“No heavy lifting,” he got in between. “Boss people around,”

“Like I need to be told that,” a final kiss was placed on his cheek, his hand rounding her stomach before she pushed the door open and slid down the seat.

“I love you- don’t do anything strenuous!” He called, sticking his head out the window.

“I love you too!” She smiled, waddling towards the entrance and thanking the security guard who opened the door for her.

Nick shook his head, shifting the truck into reverse. “Stubborn brat.”

He only felt a tad bit guilty stopping at a Taco Bell; it wasn’t only for him, but for Sergey too. It was his first day back after a bumpy recovery that had extended twice when the ‘burns’ across his chest didn’t heal as expected, but that itself was expected after being bludgeoned by a spell. Nothing heals right when magic is involved.

Nick pulled up to the first window, digging through his wallet for cash when the worker at the window exclaimed.

“Where’s your wife?” asked the stout older woman he’d met at the window nearly all of the times visiting this particular chain with Callie beside him.

Her aged smile was kind, but the interaction still made Nick edgy.

“At home waiting for the food,” he lied through a stiff smile. He’d once made the mistake of telling someone at work that Callie still worked so late into her unpredictable pregnancy, and he’d been dealt a harsh reprimand from an officer he barely knew, at that, scolding Nick about letting his lover work when he should’ve been bringing in enough money to support them both.

Nick avoided that officer from then on; no longer would he acknowledge his presence when they were near.

Don’t tell me how to handle my life, he recalled wanting to shout. Besides, Callie would fucking castrate me if I tried forcing her to stay home.

“Ah, such a good man going for his lady,” she admired, quickly finishing his purchase. “See you later than, ah?”

“Yeah- thank you!” Nick replied awkwardly, quickly collecting his card and rolling to the next window. He exhaled, hopeful the other worker at the next window didn’t recognize him.

With the food collected and another awkward encounter avoided, he quickly exited the plaza to start his small trek across town, caving into his hunger and chowing down on a burrito before he made it halfway to Sergey’s. It was unfortunate that he’d be returning on such a gloomy day, but Nick was determined to make his transition back into their high-stress- and high harassment- job as smooth as possible, and starting the day with one of his favorite meals seemed to be a good start.

Entering the Orc predominant neighborhood Sergey resided in didn’t bring Nick as much heat as it once did; he could shoulder a few glares if the majority of his interactions were kind. Munguz carried a lighter air to it now, and he was thankful. Nick wanted his presence amongst the Orkish community to be neutral at best before Leo made his debut, and knowing the hardships halflings grew up with meant Orcs were his best bet at fitting in.

Nick sighed, bridling the troubling thoughts. Worry about that when it comes.

By the time he parked neatly along the narrow street, he spotted Sergey standing in the doorway of his small cottage, his frown as telling as his slumped shoulders and holding a mug that steam danced from in the chilled afternoon. Before he exited the truck, he reached over to pop open his glove box and retrieve one of the invites Rosie had made for Callie’s shower Nick had been handing out very meticulously.

Sergey watched Nick make his way across the street, his spirits admittedly lifting a little when he spotted the paper bag in hand.

“Did you just wake up?” Nick grinned, and Sergey nodded.

“Couldn’t sleep much last night,” he confessed, tilting the mug to watch the creamy tea swirl.

Nick felt unsure of himself once he stood before his young partner. “You’re not ready to go back, are you?”

Sergey shrugged, looking back out across his yard. “S’not that. Just nervous,”

“I know the feeling,” Nick affirmed, handing off the food.

“Aw, you remembered my order?” Sergey keened, and Nick’s eyes rolled, following him inside.

It was a welcome relief to step into the warm home, the scent of the Orchid tea drifting through the home that was dimly lit and tidy. Dura decision to pursue homemaking had really tapped into her creative side, and upon observing how much he liked the colored walls and small decorative pieces, he considered asking her to help him with the make-over his home desperately needed. Neither him or Callie were very good at mixing and matching.

“Ah, Nick! It’s good to see you!” Dura exclaimed, popping out from the kitchen and pattering over to him for a hug.

As he leaned down to get his arms around her, he had to remind himself that even though Callie was growing fast, Orcs grew even faster during pregnancy. The poor girl was already waddling, her stomach popping out much farther than a human would expect at 11 weeks along.

“How’re you feeling?” Nick pressed, holding her hands when she’d straightened back out.

“I’m doing good, just trying to keep up with this little girl,” she smiled, holding her round stomach.

Nick’s ears twitched. “You guys are having a girl?” he turned to Sergey, meeting his smug grin. Nick had brandished that same smile countless times before while going on and on about Leo, so he let him live it up. It was definitely something to be proud of.

“Speaking of babies,” Nick remembered, pulling the invite from his back pocket and handing it to Dura.

“Oh this is so cute!” Dura whined, her fingers tracing gently over the designs and raised stickers of the invite. “Callie wasn’t upset you chose an Orkish design?”

Nick shook his head. “She doesn’t like the whole ‘Leo lion’ thing,”

“Yeah it’s kinda mayonnaise,” she teased, carefully pinning it up on the bulletin board above the corner that housed her working computer. “How’s she been doing?”

“Good, good- today is her last day at work,”

Dura scoffed. “Just now going on leave, ah?”

“She gets restless easily,” Nick shrugged.

“I’m surprised her little legs keep up carrying that belly around,” Sergey voiced, and Nick nodded in agreement. “How about you, old man? Ready to be a dad?”

“Just counting down the days at this point,” he responded calmly with his palms rubbing together, but beneath the surface he was containing an excitement that made him feel like he could run the diameter of the world twice.

“When he’s screaming all night you’re gonna wanna go back and rethink those words,” Dura countered playfully.

“I guess we’ll see then,” he bumped Sergey’s arm as he’d began to chow down on a taco. “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he mumbled through a mouthful, his slides already on and moving past Nick towards Dura.

She keened over Sergey adoringly, his thin face held in her hands and nodding at her persistent questioning while he rubbed the side of her stomach, eventually leaning in for a tight hug. Dura looked to be more reluctant about his departure than Sergey himself did, but that was expected. Callie had been the same way his first day back after his attack.

“Nauk-avurn votar avo avhiuk liavavle ni, ah?” she ordered gently, smoothing her hands across his head once more before exchanging a few kisses.

“Jiak'll alwayuk nauk-avurn avo mausan girluk,” Sergey grinned, bringing forth a dazzling smile from Dura.

Once more she hugged him, her arms tight around his neck and committing the moment to memory, more fearful than before that her husband wouldn’t return.

“Keep an eye on him,” she told Nick once separating from Sergey and walking them to the door.

“Won’t let him out of my sight.” He winked, patting her arm before following his partner back into the chilled afternoon.

The officers hunched through the small onslaught of rain, already wishing they were in their own homes and avoiding the miserable weather when they climbed into the cold truck.

“What if the rain is a bad omen?” Sergey mumbled, pulling out his next taco.

“If rain was a bad omen I wouldn’t even be with Callie,” Nick argued, and although Sergey’s mouth opened many times to argue, he ultimately kept silent, thinking over his words critically. Surely he didn’t know the true meaning behind that, but if it distracted him from the dread he was surely feeling, Nick would keep quiet and let him work it out.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Ehh, I still get sore sometimes, muscle spasms. I hope we’re not expecting to chase anyone down today,”

“I’ll do the chasing, your aim is better anyways,” Nick cracked.

“I’ll take the next chase,” he sighed.

Nick glanced at him as he navigated the narrow road and rain. “What’s up?”

Sergey shook his head. “We can’t talk about it,”

Ahh. “Still have questions?”

“About a million,”

“You know, you can always go and request a meeting with Kandomere. We can’t openly talk about it but you can-”

“I have. Four times,” he exhaled. “I keep getting rescheduled,”

“Keep at it. MTF is worse than the IRS,”

“I don’t know if they’ll even give me the answers I want. If they’re not even willing to talk then what’s the point,” he grumbled, nearly popping a sauce packet all over Nick’s truck as he angrily tore it with his sharp teeth.

Nick ran his tongue over his clipped tusks as he pondered. This could end badly. “What do you wanna know?”

Sergey looked at him as he chewed, his hairless brows furrowing. “Huh?”

Nick nodded encouragingly, silently bolstering him.

Sergey tucked his food away, turning his shoulders to better face Nick.

“Why was she there?” he asked first, and Nick glanced at his rearview mirror, counting down the seconds until the sirens came up behind them.

“She needed another Bright’s help to take down the one following her,”

“You’re a Bright!?” he yelled, but Nick hushed him despite knowing no pedestrians or drivers could possibly hear them.

So he shook his head, and when Sergey mouthed ‘Ward’ in question, his brilliant eyes widened. “He is!?” he hissed.

“She couldn’t find him so she found me,”

“How did she know you two?” he pressed, and Nick sighed, glancing at his mirrors again, but there was no flashes of red and blue trailing them.

“Years ago there was a similar incident she was involved in, that’s all I can tell you about that, but, just like this time she dragged us into some shit,” Nick detailed sparsely, but Sergey didn’t seem to be too up in arms over the vagueness.

“So me being there was completely coincidental?” Sergey mumbled sullenly, and Nick nodded.

“No one was ever meant to know, not even Callie,”

The younger Orc nodded, shifting back to face forward. They were approaching the precinct when Sergey huffed angrily, pulling Nick’s attention from the officer he gestured to at the front entrance.

“Here I thought I was chosen to be a part of something cool and all it was was coincidence- fuck that,” he rattled off hotly, gathering his food before he zipped up his hoodie and pulled his hood over his head. “That’s bullshit,”

Nick snorted softly. “You saved people from an explosion, remember? That’s pretty cool,”

“Oh yeah I’m a badass now,” he chuffed, opening the door a little viciously. Nick stifled most of his chuckle as they made their way through the parking lot and into the building, and it was Nick’s first relief when most of the officers who passed Sergey welcomed him warmly. There was always the few who either turned cheek or made a remark under their breath, but it was easy to block those unwarranted comments and steer him towards the locker rooms.

“That wasn’t what I was expecting,” Sergey admitted below his breath as they at last made it into the locker rooms.

Nick still gave Daryl’s former locker a glance every time he passed it, but the heartache that was significant the first day he’d not been to work after his early retirement was gone, and he could now recall the good days they had together on shared routes.

Nick opened his own, always fixing the photobooth strip that was surrounded by numerous photos of him and Callie, a few of Pucca and his parents, and a whole corner filled with only ultrasounds of Leo that he taped in order, from the very first wiggling blob of a heartbeat to the perfect cinnamon roll he already was.

Now Sergey could tape up his own of… wait a minute.

“Do you two have a name picked out?” Nick asked, bumping his arm.

“Mariak,” Sergey grinned. “It means ‘my beloved’,”

Being that Sergey was normally such a goofy person even when he had Dura around, it bewildered Nick to some extent to see him so smitten over his little girl, but Nick was also sure that if anyone from work witnessed how he himself acted around Callie and often had full conversations with her stomach, they’d be shocked to see his usual stoic demeanor so… mushy.

“It already sounds like it suits her,” Nick clapped him on the back, grinning when Sergey beamed proudly.

Small conversation passed between the Orcs as they changed, and just as Nick’s kevlar vest had been loose upon returning from his recovery, so was Sergey’s, but the men’s attention was pulled from his fittings when a fellow officer walked behind them, snorting in the direction of their open lockers.

“Is it part of clan law to have kids at the same time?” The heavier set officer mocked, walking by with his utility belt thrown over his shoulder.

Nick was ready to ignore the remark like so many others he’d brushed off, but out of the corner of his eye he spotted Sergey spinning quickly, and Nick immediately recognized the same protective fury he’d been forced to learn how to harness early on.

“Fuck you Andrews,” Sergey spat, Nick’s hand coming to his chest to bring him back a few steps.

“Oh calm the fuck down you grunter, it was a fuckin’ joke,” Andrews laughed, as if the slur meant nothing on top of his first jab.

Sergey pushed again, but Nick pushed harder.

“Keep your head on your shoulders, Malinka,” he ordered below his breath.

“They get to-”

“But they can use more against us than we can against them,” Nick said through a clenched jaw.

Nick got it- he really did. Letting go of any kind of insult in his childs direction was like chewing glass, but even if this one time was taken care of, it wouldn’t stop the others increased efforts to bring them down if the Orcs were known to snitch.

Sergey huffed unwillingly, pushing Nick’s hand away harshly to turn back to his locker.

Nick glanced at Andrews, the men exchanging differing expressions that said all the words they needed, but just as Nick’s silent snarl was rebuked, so was Andrew’s priggish smirk.

It was just another day Nick secretly wished Ward was still working. Even if they rarely worked side by side, having a human back-up meant he was able to snap back without fear of a full repercussion from the Chief. Now, he was Sergey’s safeguard; he couldn’t go jeopardizing either of them.

They finished tacking on the last of their gear, but Sergey still slammed his locker heatedly once he’d grabbed his phone.

“C’mon, we’re probably working Grand today,” Nick nudged his arm, and caught his brows perking up. “Putting assholes in cuffs always feels good.”

↠

A hard exhale puffed from her pursed lips, her elbow draped over her eyes and rocking in her office chair, but even being reclined and keeping movement constant didn’t completely appease the little one favoring one side of her hips to lean on.

No matter how she pushed back or resorted to kicking her heels off under her desk to walk circles in her office, Leo did his best to stand straight and break free of his ever shrinking home no matter how he tossed his mother about.

A particular hard jab against her bladder stirred a grunt, her knees pinching and jerking upwards.

“C’mon Leo, harass me at home but not here,” she lamented, smirking when he tapped gently under her rubbing hand.

“Is he using your insides as a trampoline?” came Tam’s voice, and she unveiled her eyes to find her peeking over her cubby.

“He’s bungee jumping with his umbilical cord,” Callie smiled weakly, her head dropping back as Tam laughed.

“You up for lunch? I brought wings for everyone,” her boss smiled coyly, but the immediate growl in Callie’s stomach banished the curiosity as to why she’d gone out of her way to buy such a luxurious lunch for everyone.

“I’m always in the mood for wings, c’mon now,” Callie sassed, graciously accepting Tam’s hands when she aided in getting Callie standing.

“Maybe it’ll get that little boy settled down,”

“He only stops when he’s tired,” Callie groaned, again accepting Tam’s elbow as they walked across the polished marble floors to the break room. A small trip through the branch couldn’t go without someone commenting on her size, always asking how close she was to popping. At first watching their faces shift between surprise then either disgust or amazement when it was revealed she wasn’t as far along as people assumed was funny, but now it just annoyed her. People became bolder the bigger she got, it seemed.

Maybe they assumed she wouldn’t try swinging in her condition if they kept egging her on…

“My branch isn’t gonna run as smoothly without you here,” Tam grieved, the girls taking a turn down the hall to the break room.

“I bet you’ll like the replacement more than me, but if any of you ruin how streamlined I have those orders now I swear I’ll hunt you,” Callie threatened.

She thought it odd when Tam stepped before her to grab for the doorknob, and eyed her suspiciously once stepping in, but the loud shouting from the many co-workers stood behind a table with assorted foods and a small cake brought her hands to her cheeks, stifling her wide smile as they cheered and clapped for her.

The glimmering banner that read ‘baby boy’ stretched across the narrow room said all she needed to know before spotting the gifts stacked atop another table, and Tam walked her in, everyone giving Callie a hug and wishing her best during her last day of work before maternity leave. The silver and gold decorations brought the usually drab breakroom to life, as well as the clammer that went on inside as she made her rounds, thanking every person who found the time to help with the surprise.

Curious hands found their way to her stomach, most of them knowing how active of a kicker Leo was. Plenty had seen her wince through presentations or conversations when he’d act particularly vivacious, and plenty had also helped her waddle across the building when Leo was ruthless.

Now, they had a chance to feel the calmer kicks and somersaults, most of the women stacking their hands and blubbering when they witnessed first hand how reactive he was to small taps and pokes.

But the more the hands piled on, the more Callie wanted to push them away; she could handle a few, but the insistent questions from every direction and clamor all around was making her fatigued, and sweat start to collect at her hairline.

“You look like you’re ready to pop right now!” Lupe, one of the new girls Callie was still warming up to exclaimed as she came up to hold her stomach a little aggressively. Her unusually long, square tipped nails always bothered her in addition to the tacky blue eyeshadow she caked on, but even if the girl was awkward and didn’t know boundaries, she was sweet and a good worker.

Callie laughed flatly. “Still have a month left,”

“Oh I’m sure you’ll go before then, are we doing bets? Who’s holding bets?” she turned to announce, running off to harass someone about it.

Callie shook her head, moving to a chair she could easily recline into.

“You okay hun?” Ellie came up next. They’d both been hired the same day those years ago and had excelled in different positions, but through all the competition, they’d had remained close. Ellie was also one of the few at the branch who had a good head on her shoulders and kept her nose out of other people's business, something that was hard to do in a building full of young adults that gossiped like mad.

“It’s just a lot,” Callie said lowly, fanning her warm cheeks.

“Do you want me to make everyone leave?”

“Nah, I’m hidden in the corner back here. I just need a minute,” Callie grinned, grabbing a cold water from the bucket beside her.

“Hopefully they give you a few minutes before the next wave comes.”

Callie scoffed, downing the cold water before fixing her camisole under her thick sweater. Another long breath, and she situated deeper into the stiff chair, holding her stomach protectively when someone moved to closely and she thought they were going to lean in for a touch.

Now that Leo was settling down, it made her reluctant to get up and interact with the people who had spent time and money on throwing this, but finally having a moment of peace in her own body made her aware to how tired she was. On top of restlessness, her son was just as restless, often keeping her up at night coupled with the heartburn and braxton hicks. When she figured no one was looking, she let her head rest back against the wall, her hand tracing across her belly where she felt one final swirl before probably falling into a nap.

“Cal!? Callie!?” she’d heard him yell, and tensed with a hidden, beaming smile when he came charging back into the room, his footing nearly lost as he jumped onto their bed.

“You’re pregnant? Is this yours? This is yours?” he exclaimed, pulling the blanket away.

“It’s been sitting there since we got home!” she laughed, squealing when he shouted and jumped, quickly pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

“Oh baby,” he wept, holding her face to kiss her repeatedly. “I’m so proud of you-” another kiss, “Oh my god,” he went on, burying his face against her neck when he wrapped his brawny arms around her waist, keeping her tight against his chest. “Oh I can smell it!” he sobbed, taking deep inhales past the stuffiness of his nose.

She wiped her teary eyes behind him, smiling against his mouth when he chanted thanks in Orkish, holding her face between his big hands.

“When did you take it?” he asked, sitting back so he could lean farther down to press his face to her flat stomach.

“At work,” she sniffled, holding his shoulders when he pulled her into his lap. She kissed the top of his head, embracing around his neck. With his cheek against her chest, he breathed deeply again and again, noticing the small differences of her scent this time around.

He continued to squeeze her in tight hugs and kisses, telling her how amazing she was, how proud he was; that this one was going to be their miracle.

“What if it happens again?” she asked quietly, as if saying it too loudly would determine this baby’s fate.

“It won’t. This one is yours,” he told her firmly, holding her head. “You’re gonna hold this one and watch it grow. I can see it in you already, baby. I think your body knows that this is it,” Nick told her sincerely, his thumbs wiping away the tears that slipped down her cheek.

She placed her hands over his, nodding with her eyes closed and their foreheads touching. “I’m really excited,” she confessed silently, smiling when Nick’s own gleamed up at her.

“Good, stay excited,” he pressed, kissing her again.

“What if-”

“No what if’s this time. We go with hope this time, okay? No more being cautious. It’s not good for you,” he pleaded, letting his breath go when she nodded hesitantly.

“I’ll try,”

The kiss he gave her was tender, and careful. It was a lot to ask her to be optimistic when she’d only been dealt unfair hands thus far, and he wanted to remind her that with every step or bump, he’d be there, shouldering the same struggles as best as he could. But even though he could feel the slight tension in her frame, he could also feel how much she bared to him, and in turn how much she trusted his words.

“We’re gonna have a baby,” she said softly, her dazzling smile filling him with warmth.

“We’re gonna have a baby!” He shouted, tackling her back onto the mattress and smothering her until she laughed.

The moment often came to her when she’d stare down at her size, always amazed at how much time had flown by and how little she worried for Leo’s passing now, but the memory had a way of bringing her back to herself. In moments where she felt unsure, or anxious- often when she wondered if she was ready for this new step in life, it reminded her that no matter the crowds or opinions around them, it was her and Nick. They’d jumped into parenthood hand in hand, and sometimes they looked at one another without a clue of what came next, but she was thankful he was there to be scared with.

No one else fought like they had to the point they were now or knew their unborn son like they did. Nick could tell if Leo was close to napping by the temper of his kicks, and if he talked long enough, he could seemingly hypnotize him into peace.

This one is yours.

Callie grinned against the palm of her hand.

He’s mine.

“Callie!”

Her head shot up, finding Tam motioning in her direction. “C’mon, we have games!”

The self indulgent moment was comfortably tucked away, and she stood to join her co-workers at the tables just as they’d started pulling out rolls of toilet paper.

↠

“Boy, seven arrests in one day!” Nick exclaimed, slapping Sergey’s palm forcefully after they’d stepped from the cruiser.

“Ah it’s just luck,” he brushed off, grabbing the latest arrest from the back seat. The middle aged woman tugged against his strong hold, but otherwise kept her blonde head bowed down in shame.

“Luck is finding dope in the trunk. All of this,” Nick shook the impressive pile of paperwork. “Is pure instinct. This is impressive for your first day back,”

“I didn’t think I’d jump at chasing someone,”

“And some tackling too, apparently,” Nick mumbled in Orkish, motioning towards the disheveled nature of the girl, more notably the deep scratches covering her arms after she’d been chased into some thicket.

“I have energy I can’t take out on Dura anymore,” he intoned, and Nick scoffed.

“I hear that,” he sighed in return, the pair entering the precinct. They were about to take a hard left to intakes when a flash of blue caught Nick’s eye, and he stopped Sergey.

Pointing down the hall, they both spotted Kandomere speaking to one of the detectives that had been called in from another state to help deal with a recent increase in dragon slayings that were out of season. As usual, the elf was calm and collected, and as usual, didn’t acknowledge the Orcs existence despite meeting their curious gazes.

“Now’s your chance,” Nick murmured.

“I have this,” Sergey muttered, but Nick quickly took hold of her cuffs, jerking his chin in Kandomere’s direction.

“The worst that can happen is you leave with the same answers you had before,”

Sergey exhaled, his hands flat against his chest. “He makes me nervous,”

“If you give him back the attitude it makes it easier to deal with,” Nick advised, shrugging when he eyed him dubiously. Sergey stared a moment longer before squaring his shoulders and puffing his chest.

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Go for it.”

It was slow, but Sergey still headed down the hall with confidence in his frame, waiting patiently until Kandomere had finished his conversation before grabbing his attention. Nick couldn’t help but linger even as the woman in his hands commented on their stalling, waiting until Sergey was following the elf down the hall and turning to give him a thumbs up.

Nick released his breath, finally directing the woman to the back of the precinct to be processed, but as he walked, he came to a stunning realization.

Watching Sergey walk up to Kandomere had filled him with such anxiety that he was certain if the young Orc had been berated before the men and women surrounding them, he would’ve stepped in and shielded him from the lashing. Somewhere along the line, Nick had become fiercely protective of his partner, even willing to go as far as saying he was the younger sibling he’d secretly always wanted.

He already found himself wanting to smack him upside the head when he made bold strokes that would land them in hot water, and the two would often fall into near wrestling matches when either of their tempers flared, but it was also nice talking to someone who was on his side of the daily battles.

Someone who could identify with his struggles on a more relatable level. Venting to Callie or Ward always lessened the heartache, but knowing Sergey went home sometimes feeling the same weight on his shoulders didn’t make him feel better, but brought him to feeling content in his decision to become a cop. After years of battling hate and doubt, it was good to know someone else was as dumb as him to pursue such a dream.

Nick chuffed, startling the woman before him.

It could be his paternal instincts kicking in and asserting themselves over the people he cared for.

Either way. It seemed that Nick had taken Sergey under his wing in every sense, yet it made him prideful. He liked being able to share his knowledge and wisdom in hopes it would improve his experience.

Assuming I could keep him from being blown away by a Bright.

A rogue hand dipped into his pile of potato chips smothered in Tapatío, but before Nick could swing, Sergey plopped down before him with the chips crunching in his mouth.

“I keep forgetting to tell Dura to get me this,” Sergey groaned, snatching another chip despite Nick flicking his hand.

“How’d it go?” he inquired, bringing his late lunch closer to himself.

He could see the words processing in his eyes as Sergey opened his own, shrugging or scowling, eventually saying, “He really does have an attitude,’

Nick chuckled. “Told you,”

“I got my answers though. Now I can sleep knowing she won’t show up randomly,”

Nick’s brows furrowed. “He told you where she is?”

He nodded, opening his hearty chicken soup. “He didn’t tell you?”

“I never asked, actually,” Nick mumbled, leaning back in the small cafeteria chair. “Where is she?”

“Kamishak Bay,” he said before biting into his dipped crackers.

Nick blinked away the disbelief before sitting forward, his voice dropping a few octaves when he asked, “Kamishak actually exists?”

“Apparently,”

“They have like, Minotaurs there!” Nick hissed, his eyes wide with wonder, but Sergey snorted.

“Minotaurs don’t exist, dumbass,”

“Neither did Kamishak until fifteen seconds ago,”

Sergey opened his mouth to protest, but the more he thought it over, the more likely that all the creatures rumored to not exist suddenly held great possibility of roaming the Earth, and he matched Nick’s stance in leaning over their food before whispering, “I’ve always sworn I saw a Griffin once,”

That was when Nick thought maybe it was a little far-fetched to think they were housing creatures.

“Either way,” he went back to arranging his food. “Why take her there, though? She was dismantled,”

“Where else would they take her?”

Nick poked his chicken and rice, eventually shrugging. “Well I hope they threw away the key after locking her in.”

↠

A jaw stretching yawn Callie didn’t bother to cover went largely unnoticed by the account holders in line, but there was always that one that eyed her upon seeing someone yawn like a horse. She could really give two shits; after an extended lunch and keeping up with games and people, she wanted to nap for a full day, and the last hour of work had dragged on and on.

So had Leo’s insistent kicking, right against her bladder.

She didn’t make it five minutes into the final hour before texting Nick to come take her home early, and once she spotted the cruiser pulling up outside, she eagerly placed the ‘closed’ placard on her counter, catching the displeased sigh from an older woman who’d admittedly been waiting in line longer than anyone should, but once spotting Callie’s obvious condition after she slid down her chair and waddled into view, sympathy flickered across the woman’s hardened brows before she looked away stubbornly.

“You need help taking the bags out?” Tam asked over her office wall once Callie had started gathering the few filled to the brim with leftovers and various gifts.

“Nah it’s okay,” she grunted while standing upright with the bags in hand and purse over her shoulder. “Nick’ll be in here in a sec,”

“Wait wait-” Tam rushed around the wall, outstretching her short arms.

Callie frowned, placing the bags down to reach over her belly and embrace her boss tightly.

“My branch is gonna crumble without you here,” Tam greived, but Callie giggled. “Promise you’ll bring Leo in when he’s born?”

“I promise,” Callie smiled, giving her a final squeeze. They parted in time for a few more co-workers that had seen Nick come in to bid Callie a temporary goodbye. She could excuse the gentle belly pats this time as they in turn wished Leo best wishes, and in addition asked to see the little one once he made his debut.

Many goodbyes and promises later, Callie had her bags in hand and was waddling back to the cubby she had been set behind to grab her sweater when some rather peculiar conversation floated her way, and looked over to the two new girls stood by the fax machine behind the counter, staring out into the lobby with hungry eyes.

“No girl, I’ve seen him here before!”

“Have you talked to him?”

“He’s always working, I don’t wanna bother him,” the curly haired brunette whined, peaking over her shoulder. Callie followed her eyes, and nearly choked when it lead to Nick handing out stickers to a small mob of children.

Her brows pinched, thinking they must have been talking about someone else.

“You freak, you like Orcs?”

Callie scoffed under her breath. Nevermind.

“He’s mad cute bitch, don’t deny it!” She looked over her shoulder again, as if trying to catch Nick’s attention by staring long enough.

Callie’s eyes narrowed in thought as she pulled her sweater on; had she really gone without making it known that that cute cop was her cute cop? The very one that had planted this little boy in her belly? During the entire two weeks they’d started working there!?

“I’m gonna talk to him,” the brunette decided with unsteady confidence, tugging on the shoulders of her cardigan. “I don’t see a ring on his finger, either,” she winked, squealing when the other girl did.

Okay, that’s enough.

Although it would’ve been entertaining to see her waltz up to Nick on her cheap heels and try to woo him with her caked lashes, the territorial side of Callie was irked, and had she not been so exhausted, she might’ve had the energy to chew her out. This matter at hand was rearing its ugly face far too often to keep letting it slide.

“Go go, he’s free!” her co-worker encouraged, pushing the brunette towards the end of the counter.

“I can talk to him for you,” Callie smiled without even apologizing for eavesdropping, but the girls sparkling eyes only spelled excitement.

“Really!? You know him?” she beamed, shimmying her shoulders to spread her camisole a little farther.

Callie had to withhold rolling her eyes. “Yeah! He’s my baby daddy,”

The smile weakened, and the confusion across their faces almost stirred a hard snort, but before either could ask if she was serious, she was gathering her bags to click across the marble lobby.

She knew their eyes were following her, and upon walking up to Nick and seeing that his eyes although covered by his Clubmasters were only on her, and those lips curling into a toothy grin were about to meet hers really tempted her to pull him down for a searing liplock, but Callie reminded herself that the quick yet loving peck he left on her mouth coupled with his hand holding her face spoke louder than causing a commotion.

“What’s all this?” he asked, visibly scenting the air when the aroma of wings wafted upwards.

“Mini baby shower, and,” Callie stepped closer, pretending to struggle in handing over another bag. “The brunette behind the counter wants to get at you,”

Nick looked behind her, witnessing the girl fumbling to look occupied with anything else, and his brows flattened in mild disgust. “Good thing I only like strippers,”

Callie punched his chest, her knuckles cracking against his vest before they made their way towards the doors. She didn’t bother looking back, but didn’t care if they were still watching, even with Nick’s hand placed on her lower back and opening the heavy glass door for her. Maybe they’d ask around, and maybe she’d gain another enemy, but something she’d come to learn dating and now bearing the child of an Orc, is learning how to stand her ground like them.

“You’re coming in?” she asked when he too exited the cruiser with the gifts in hand.

“For a quick bite of these wings,” he grinned, jogging to the other side of the car to offer an elbow. When she grabbed ahold, she couldn’t resist squeezing his rock hard biceps that the uniform was becoming increasingly snug over. She grinned knowing her co-workers had admired him from afar, and knowing she could run her hands across his chiseled body at any moment had her blood racing.

“Tryin’ to get a feel of these guns?” Nick teased, tensing his arm so she’d titter.

“Si, do it again papi,” she whined in exaggeration, laughing louder when he tried to pull away from the awful pet name.

“Get your cute ass inside,” he ordered playfully.

“Okay ready?”

“Ready,” he said around a wing, holding his phone up with the camera open.

Callie turned with a yellow onesie striped with dark blue lines laying over her stomach, a blue beanie to match rested under her bust. “This is my favorite,”

“That’s the one,” Nick smiled, clicking a few pictures worth as she spun in various poses.

“Right!? I saw it and thought the same thing,” she whined lovingly, her hands over the onesie and swaying.

Nick grinned as he chewed, watching her look down at her stomach and rub her hands over the outfit, eventually sliding it up over her chest. “I can’t believe I get to hold him one day,” she smiled.

“Soon, not one day,” he corrected, grabbing for another wing as she held the clothing up one last time to gaze at it. Carefully she folded it away into a separate bag from the other gifts littered about the kitchen counter.

Turning his wrist to glance at his watch, he sighed. “I gotta get back,” he groaned.

“Yeah?” she glanced over her shoulder. “Rosie is gonna be here soon,”

“At least you can knock some stuff off the registry,”

She chuckled. “Yeah that’s true,”

His classic pout made her giggle once she finished organizing the bags, lifting her arms until he stepped into her hug. Even with the heavy vest and belt across his body she snuggled tight against him, tilting her face up.

“I want you to come with,” she groaned, her jaw held in his hand as he peppered her with sweet kisses.

“Me too,” another smooch, “but I gotta go make more ladies swoon,”

A brow kicked up as she gazed up at him. “Getting a big head now?”

“It was a joke,” he grumbled, reluctant to unwrap from her warm embrace.

“You know it happens a lot more than you think,”

Nick scoffed. “Quit fibbin’,”

“I’m not! Do you know how often I hear girls talking about you? Looking at all this muscle?” her hands added point by slapping his ass, but he only snorted. “I can’t stand the way they look at you,”

Now Nick’s brow kicked up, the beginnings of a smirk creeping across his mouth.

“It’s not funny!” she exclaimed, leaning back enough to slap her hand against his chest.

“Do you get jealous?” he dared asking, smiling when her big eyes narrowed.

“I do,” she admitted lowly.

“You know I don’t look at anyone else,” he devoted softly against her lips before placing another kiss there. “I don’t even notice it,”

“I do. They can fuck off and get their own cop,” she blistered, the temper of her eyes rising as she tugged on his hips possessively. His mouth sealed over hers, a low moan hatching in her throat as his wide palms smoothed up her curved spine, his fingertips finding her hot skin as he made it up across her shoulder blades.

“Too bad humans can’t smell who you’ve fucked,” he whispered against her jaw, pressing his face flat against her neck when he caught the first hint of her arousal soaking through her panties.

“Too bad I can’t fuck you in the middle of a crowd when I see someone staring,”

Nick laughed. “Welcome to my world,”

“You can fuck me right now?” she breathed, arching back to find his face. “Fuck me so they know who I belong to,”

His eyes fluttered, a searing flush firing up his body. She was so unbelievably sexy and didn’t even know it.

A short gasp tumbled from her lips when he lifted her onto the countertop, reaching for the velcro on his sides but stopping when she grabbed for his hands.

“Keep it on,” she smiled, bringing his lips to hers. “Lemmee fuck my man in uniform,”

Nick whined, relieved he didn’t have to waste any time in stripping off the gear across his body, and quickly worked on his belt and pants as she wiggled side to side to pull her tight skirt up, all the while continuing to kiss him hurriedly.

His open mouth found her slender neck when his heavy dick fell into her grasp, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter and poking blindly until his thick head pushed between her slick lips.

The sweet burning of his girth always made her head roll back, a long sigh billowing out as he buried himself deep in her pussy. Her fingers hooked over the collar of his vest, clinging to him desperately as he made long, slow passes in and out, his forehead against her shoulder so he could see her juices shimmering across his cock.

“Is’so good,” he slurred, the heavy hands that had been on her hips moving roughly up to the crook of her spine when she bowed backwards, her heels hooking the cabinets below them and knees spreading farther.

Callie sang before him, jaw hung and gripping the hand that had grasped the collar of her camisole for better leverage when his hips started rutting harshly against her.

She smiled when noticing how concentrated he was on where they came together, the gear across his body doing nothing to hinder his rocking hips or fervent hands wandering across her form.

All that mattered was the slick heat engulfing him, and the way she whimpered his name and reached down to gently touch where he entered.

“Harder, Jakoby,” she gasped, and his dilated eyes shot to hers.

“What?” he breathed.

“I said fuck me harder, Officer Jakoby,” she ground out, using her heels to pull him closer.

She saw the feral shift in his eyes before she was suddenly being dragged off the counter and spun, his big hands pulling the skirt farther up her hips.

It took only moments to find her center again and squeeze in, his groin pressed tight against her ass. Callie moaned, pressing her ass tighter against him. She wanted him deep; she wanted to cry out every time he slammed in.

And she did. He fired into her with an iron grip at her hips, the head of his dick shooting delicious shocks high into her gut and making her eyes roll back.

A choked cry forced it’s way past her clenched jaw, her elbows landing on the countertop. The dizzying pleasure made her knees weak, but she was sure even if she went limp that Nick would hold her in a dangle and still finish.

She wouldn’t mind, of course.

A burning slap to her ass cheek made her bow, her eyes pinching shut. A thick handful of her hair craned her neck, a louder cry ringing off the walls.

“Say it again,” Nick groused into her ear, his voice shaking with his hard thrusts.

“Fuck me harder, Officer-” she strangled, crying out when his foot pushed at her inner ankle and spread her thighs farther.

She could hear the keys to his belt jingling, the gear clicking and shifting; she considered reaching back to touch his gun, but when a brilliant fire started to grow in her groin, her breaths started to come in pants.

“Nick- I’m gonna cum-” she gasped, reaching back blindly, but her wrist was snatched and held against her lower back, a loud growl following from Nick as he savored the way his impacts shot up her body, relishing in how her moans came forth in cries and whimpers.

His girl had kept a dirty secret from him after all this time, and her body was alive under his touch. Heaving, begging, writhing- he drank it all in, and when her pussy started to tighten around his cock, he leaned his head back, slowing to long strokes.

Her muffled words confirming her climax barely floated to his ears as he basked in the pulses, massaging every inch he hid inside and now gripping her sides hard enough to make her cry out when it was enough to send him over the edge. He still carried on with the slow strokes, milking himself into her tight center, their juices mingling and dripping from her flushed cunt onto the tile floors.

He sang her name repeatedly, his stomach stiff from clenching and thighs shaking the longer he forced himself to stay buried inside her.

Nick’s eyes peeled open to look down at the way he slipped from her slowly, his wet dick falling heavy from her filled hole.

He leaned over to kiss her shoulder, leaning onto the counter when she turned her head lazily to kiss him, her dark tresses tangled before her face. The two panted as he rested over her, his face pressed against the back of her neck and his dick pressed against her folds as they both came floating back down to earth.

“There’s so much,” she whimpered, looking down at the mess between their feet.

“I’m sorry,” he slurred, pushing off the counter and stiffly standing upright.

She was pushing her skirt down her hips by the time he sauntered from the kitchen and towards the bathroom, the gear across his body heavier than before.

Callie held her stomach as she went about cleaning the mess they’d made, but never before had she wanted more than to just flop onto her bed and sleep, even with Nick’s load still inside her. Doggy always took it out of her; in that position, he found the deepest her pussy stretched and filled it completely, sometimes finding it’s end if she were positioned just right.

She slapped the used wipe into the trash and leaned against the counter, her stomach knotting uncomfortably.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked with concern, holding her sides when he came back up behind her.

“I think you pressed my labor button,”

“WHAT!?” Nick shouted, his hands retracting and spinning her by the shoulders.

Callie giggled. “I’m joking,” she grinned, watching the color return to his face. “That was just a hard session,”

“I did what you asked,” he said bashfully, still a little lightheaded from that sudden rush of panic.

“I know baby, but he-” she jabbed her finger in Leo’s direction. “Is mad he got thrown around,”

Nick snorted, imagining how jostled Leo really might’ve been during that. “Are you gonna be okay going out?”

“Oh yeah. If I have to I’ll use one of those scooters,” she smiled with an eye closed as their son kicked angrily into her ribs.

“Just be careful. I gotta bounce,” he leaned down to bless her lips with a few soft kisses, his hand cupping under her jaw.

“Be safe,” she frowned, looping her arms around his waist one more time for a tight hug.

“Always am.” He said into her hair, bending over to kiss her stomach and mumble to Leo before grabbing his sunglasses and phone to leave. They said their I love you’s softly to one another at the door, a final kiss passing before he skipped down the porch and to the cruiser parked in the driveway.

She lingered at the door until he was on the street, smiling when he chirped the sirens and flashed the lights before driving away.

“Oh God oh God oh God.” Callie spun to race down the hall towards the bathroom, her bladder near exploding.

Callie let out an animalistic noise as she struggled out of Rosie’s sedan, her back stiff and hips sore.

“Add a belly band to the list,” Rosie had jogged around her car to help straighten Callie up.

“It’s going at the top,” she winced.

The two were slow going across the wet parking lot, but walking was easier than standing for extended periods which Callie quickly found herself in when the woman behind the counter proved she shouldn’t even be able to breathe and blink at the same time let alone work at Target. A sour beginning to a night they’d both been looking forward to, but after two more associates chased off the dense worker, Callie had a scanner in hand and a growing grin as she made her way deeper into the store.

“Thank you, next,” she sang after scanning a few nursing bras with Rosie beside and sharing sage advice she’d accumulated over the years.

It amazed Callie just how much went into pregnancy aftercare; spandex bands that squeezed muscles back into shape, the Dermaplast that would help ease the burning after pushing Leo out- even panty liners!

“You’ll never sneeze without peeing a little ever again,” Rosie explained, taking the upper hand in scanning the packs multiple times. “Always cross your legs,”

She followed her older sister a little dispondantly after that. Maybe a c-section wouldn’t be the worst…

Rosie glanced back when her fawning over a baby blanket set went unanswered, finding Callie looking down at her stomach.

“No, a c-section wouldn’t be better,” she guessed, and Callie looked at her skeptically.

“How-”

“Cuz I thought the same thing, now c’mere, look,” she jerked her head in the direction of the blankets, pleased when quite the handful were scanned.

“I’m not a fan of the blue,” Callie mumbled as she skimmed through what they’d selected so far.

“It’s impossible to avoid though,”

“Yeah I guess,”

Rosie was running her hand over a luxurious velvet sweater when a particularly sour topic came forth, chewing her lip in hesitation before deciding to speak on it. “Trish wants to help with the baby shower,”

She’d expected Callie to brush that off rather quickly, but not the genuine holler of laughter she let out, a hand on her chest as she leaned back into the whooping.

“That amusing, huh?”

“C’mon, you know she’s just doing it to stick her nose in my business so she has more shit to talk,” Callie rolled her eyes, scanning the small sweater.

“Hasn’t done much of that lately, actually,”

“But when I asked to see Yare she had to call dad and cry that I was the one out of line, right?” she looked back, her lips in a flat line and eyes wide in wait.

Rosie tried to fight the facts, but in the end, she settled with, “Yeahhh,”

“I fought years to get to this point and I’m not gonna let her ruin it, Rose- I don’t care how upset it makes everyone,” Callie scanned clothes angrily, her arm snapping with every barcode inputted.

“I get that but-”

“No buts! Everytime I miscarried she found some way to pin the blame on me just when I’d start to convince myself there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening,” Callie snapped, the old, bitter emotions crawling out from the closet she’d stuffed them into with her skeletons. “I would never blame what happened with Michael on her but if you show any sign of weakness around her, she attacks. Fuck that noise,”

Rosie nodded, following silently behind as Callie clicked the scanner vehemently over random objects whose purpose in raising a baby was unknown, but she could barely see past the fresh, stinging tears brimming in her eyes.

“For three years I tried to have what you two could do in your sleep and when it happened, all she said was ‘was that so hard’?” Callie looked back at Rosie whose brows were furrowed in horror.

“She said that?” she hissed, grabbing Callie’s arm when she tried to turn away. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“What’s another knife in the back?” she murmured, wiping her eyes quickly.

“Ay chaparrita,” Rosie keened, pulling Callie to her side and resting her cheek against her head as she composed herself, the tears wiped away on Nick’s thermal she’d borrowed. A few sniffles later and she was stepping away, running her fingers through her hair and letting a deep breath go. “I’ll tell her to stay back. I wish you would’ve told me sooner though,”

“It’s one of those things that are harder to repeat than first hearing it,”

“I hear that. Look,” Rosie reached for a set of swaddlers. The chubby lion was at the center of the sunflower yellow wrap, it’s big eyes and blocky mane striking a chord in Callie.

She scoffed and sniffled again. “I don’t like the Leo lion thing,” she mumbled.

“But this? This is fucking cute. I wish they would’ve had this kind of stuff when I had Joaquin,”

“Mm… Nick would like it,” she noted, scanning the set and handing it back. “It is kinda cute,”

When a few more were handed down from Rosie, she scanned them, less enthusiastic as before.

Rosie felt for her. She knew just as well how vicious their older sister could be, how willing she was to fire at people when they were at their lowest.

In a heated argument once before, she’d asked Rosie how she could’ve made the mistake of leaving her children unattended long enough to find their way into death's arms, and it had been the cause of her second relapse back into Ambien, desperate to sleep away the words that were left branded into her skin. Sometimes, she had to remind herself that just because she’d patched the crack between them crudely didn’t mean others were ready to do the same.

“No more talk about Trish, yeah? I’m sorry I brought it up, she’s just been at my neck about it,” Rosie sighed.

“If she’s so adamant she should just come to me, but that’s like a nun touching a dick,”

Rosie’s face soured. “Nick’s given you a foul mouth,”

“It’s cuz of where my mouth has been-”

“Okay enough,” Rosie wiggled her hands before Callie’s face. “Your son is listening!”

“Poor thing was forced to listen to the fucking Nick laid on me today,” Callie panted playfully, fanning her cheeks.

“You probably poked one of his eyes out,” Rosie said through the corner of her mouth, earning a hard smack to her arm. “Is that why you’ve been walking weird?”

“Mind your own business.” Callie smarted, scanning three different brands of the baby slings Nick had told her of numerous times.

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we're definitely shifting into a little slice of life kinda writing, but DON'T YOU ALL WORRY CUZ YOU KNOW I ALWAYS HAVE SOME SHIT JUST AROUND THE CORNER FOR THESE TWO <3 if anyone caught when callie said there was only a month left until Leo's predicted birth, it might give you a little insight as to when we might expect him! ;D i apologize the updates have been staggered! i hit a rather nasty bout of writers block and THEN artists block AND THEN DEVELOPED A SINUS INFECTION so i've been clogged in every aspect hahaha

anyways, i hope you enjoyed the chapter! feedback is always appreciated! 💛

Translations: -Nauk-avurn votar avo avhiuk liavavle ni, ah? - come home to this little one, ah? -Jiak'll alwayuk nauk-avurn avo mausan girluk - i'll always return to my girls

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undyingjustice · 4 years

Text

- dust is kind of the same thing as dirt except one of them is useless in a garden -

[drabble. security breach part 2. NOT for word count; just to show a thing that happened!]

So many of the bits and pieces mashed together on the upper island are completely new. Undyne spent most of her life becoming increasingly familiar with the Underground’s puzzle-ridden twists and turns, and in the past months she’s had the city to explore. But never anything like this. Unfortunately, there’s also no time to admire any of it. This place needs her help!

Then she sees the flowers. Small things, always five or six petals. The way the sunlight glints off them makes them look golden.

The can’t help but follow the gentle smattering of blossoms, cautiously, into a small cavern. It gets darker, and darker, and then… there’s sunlight, in beams too soft for the chaos outside. A tall window casts it over the dense field of flowers, in the shape of the Delta Rune. From outside, there’s only the chirping of birds, just outside everyone’s reach.

It’s the King’s garden. And standing there, silhouetted unmistakably next to his throne…

“ASGORE!” She runs to him without hesitation. It’d be just like him to find a place like home and reminisce there a little too long, wouldn’t it? The surreality hasn’t settled in yet.

“Undyne,” he says, his voice oddly impassive. His arm shifts. Just barely within her peripheral, she catches the spark of red magic forming in his hand.

She jumps back, a split second before a red trident forms right through the spot where she was just standing.

“What the hell!? This isn’t the time for a spar! People need our help--!”

“Undyne,” he repeats. If she’s ever heard anger in his voice before, it was so tired, an old echo of something he was impassioned about centuries ago. This isn’t like that.

Her blood runs cold. “King ASGORE…?”

“After everything our people have been through.” There is something dark in his voice. It burns with a fury he has lacked longer than she has lived. “You would fight for humanity. The very creatures who trapped us underground.”

“What!? We made peace!” She isn’t making the first move (or perhaps the second, at this point). But the way he’s holding his weapon… “You were so glad! We all were! Frisk opened the--”

“Another human!” With a swing of his trident, a wave of fire comes at her.

A wall of spears springs up from the ground, just barely in time to shatter in her place. “What the hell is wrong with you!?”

He hurls a fireball at her, wordlessly. It’s too quick for her to dodge, and it hits too hard.

Intention dictates the power a monster hits with. Asgore Dreemurr is the strongest monster in the Underground, and for the first time in her life, she feels that full force.

Then he rushes at her, trident poised to attack. There’s no telegraphing, no slow buildup. The magic weapon passes through her, orange, blue, white, quick and painful. She can barely block half of them. Spears rain down from above, and not a single one hits him. She’s continually forced to back up.

“I will NEVER betray anyone in need of my help! And if that means humans too, SO BE IT!!”

Undyne’s backed against the wall. She tanks his next hit, so she can get a clean swing with her spear. His soul turns green, and she leaps to the side, out of his range.

“WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE!?” She sends spears flying at him from all sides, and he blocks each one with magic. And he’s still sending a flurry of fireballs outwards, forcing her to keep moving. “The people they’ve brought here are villains! Enemies! I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY!!”

Fire hits her. She loses hold on his soul. Spears jab upwards from the earth, between golden petals. “DID YOU FORGET FRISK ENTIRELY!?”

Asgore jumps up onto the splintered shambles of his throne. A column of fire roars up around him, destroying her spears, scorching the earth around him. A circle of flowers is blackened to ash.

“They are no different. They would have killed me if it meant their escape.” He throws the trident.

“YOU would have killed THEM!!” It hits her square in the chest, knocking out the rest of the breath she drew to speak. It’s so powerful. So hateful. So detached. She hates that she knows she isn’t doing the most damage she could be, in return.

“They are human.”

“They’re my FRIEND!!��

Undyne stomps, and the ground shakes. In the instant that Asgore is unbalanced, her thrown spear hits.

But he’s back in an instant, trident summoned again, swinging through her in orange and blue with no warning. She’s too worked up to stay still. Her own soul flicks to green. It’d make her nauseous, changing her own soul’s color on and off like this, but she’s too adrenaline-ridden to feel it.

It’s also a mistake. He draws her into a pattern, and before she can realize, he breaks it. Orange through green. It rends her so abruptly, so thoroughly that she can’t get her bearings through the next several strikes.

It doesn’t take long, overall. She screams her values with every other strike, and he gives little in response. The king is as powerful and angry as he’s never been. His knight cannot surpass him.

When she dies, she knows the sensation better than she should.

Still, she stands, shaking and coming apart. Still, she sends spears flying at him, though her vision wavers and her bullets slow and the room feels loud and quiet all at once.

He stands and blocks them. Looks her in the eyes until her end, cold and unfeeling. He doesn’t even attack. It’s infuriating.

There’s nothing she can do. She’s fallen apart so much that she can’t feel the spear in her own hand, can’t feel herself breathe. He isn’t bothered. Asgore--no, whoever this is--he’s going to hurt so many more people. She can’t let him.

And that’s her last thought.

#drabble #isola drabble #(( im hoping this is fine bc its not for wc #but i can move it off my blog if it's a problem just lemme know!

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morris-magus-merry-miller · 4 years

Text

Chapter 3: The Kobold in the Cavern

Our band of adventurers tumbled down, down, down, into the darkness below. When he hit the hard stone ground of the deepest depths of the dank dark dungeon, a voice echoed through the cavern.

“The trap out front had been activated. Be on the lookout for INTRUDERS!” The sophisticated yet rather high pitched voice rang out.

This was quite the pickle we’d found ourselves in. In the middle of enemy territory, our presence already known by this rather loud disembodied voice—it was not the ideal situation.

Despite this, we kept our chins up. A good adventurer never lets a little set back slow them down! And so we didn’t. I sent forward a chain of dancing lights to lead the way—after all human and halfling eyes aren’t quite as adept at seeing in caverns as those of our half-orc and goblin fellows’. Vigo, proclaiming that a goblin emperor must lead from the front, took point—despite his decided lack of armor. Truly he is the bravest of us all.

When we came to an intersection, Issac stopped us, and took a moment to listen into the nearby doors on our left and right. He warned that he heard voices, it sounded like two people were having a heated conversation within. Candy offered to take care of them.

I admit, I wasn’t certain if she could ‘take care of them’ quickly and quietly enough. Oh ye of little faith! Our dear girl Candy burst into that room, taking the two Duergar within by surprise. With a flurry of kicks faster than my eyes could follow in the darkness she sent both flying back, knocked unconscious by the swift and unexpected attack.

Within the room were two metal doors, which on inspection I surmised were for a lift, although there was no button to call the lift from this landing. We also found a key on the Duergars, which allowed us access to the door across the way. We found a tidy sum of treasure, likely pilfered from the Duergars’ past victims. With that tucked away and the threat of an attack from behind nullified, we set onward, continuing our search for the disembodied voice and Cleric Ringwald.

Our mighty band ventured ever deeper into the bowls of the earth, down a ladder and through a number of dark tunnels. I must say I am grateful for my small stature, as I believe if I had been Issac or even John’s height I would have been feeling rather claustrophobic at this point.

I didn’t have much time to think about this, as the others found another door. Vigo and I inspected the room beyond for magic, and found that there was something behind the bookcase. We requested that Candy move it aside to investigate, which she did with ease and grace. Behind the shelf (with held such fine works as The Starless Knight by yours truly) a large tome was hidden. Detect magic revealed a faint magical aura, and I later learned the words on the front were the draconic words for ‘spellbook’. Vigo rushed forward to snatch it up from its small platform. He flipped it open…and it exploded in his hands as Vigo set off an explosive rune set within, which also caught poor Candy in the blast. Vigo was in a surprisingly chipper mood after getting thrown against a wall by a fake spellbook—he was pleased to know that after we did away with the caster, he would be able to get the real spellbook and learn the spell we’d just had an unfortunate preview of.

After John kindly patched up our injured friends, we continued down the tunnel. Up ahead it opened up into a larger area. There was a large set of double doors ahead, but Candy also found some loose stones which proved to hide a secret tunnel off to the side. After investigating, we found that the hidden passage had a small window out into the next room, where four Duergars were arguing in their native tongue in front of four hostages. The bound men were all wearing Port Town guard armor—clearly the members of Captain Gladshire’s guard who had disappeared recently.

They still didn’t know we were here, and the small window provided us…well, a window of opportunity, so to speak. I offered to use some of my bardic talents, with the intent to fascinate three of the four baddies. Unfortunately that would leave one unattended. John spoke up, he had a trick that could keep the final one occupied. We agreed to share the window, and once the others were in position to rush in, I called through the window to gain the attention of the beings within.

“Excuse me, may I have your attention please? Hello. Please, allow me to read an excerpt from my manuscript for your enjoyment!”

All four Duergars turned their attention to me. Two seemed to slip into a daze as I laced magic into my dramatic reading. One of the targets, however, proved more strong-willed than expected.

“What the hell, there’s a guy in the wall!” he shouted.

Before he could do anything else, John let loose his spell on him. It was a…unique spell, not the sort I expected of a holy man, but I am certainly not one to judge a man on how his god gives him magic.

I later learned this spell was called ‘murderous command’. It is, well, exactly what it says on the tin. The affected Duergar quit shouting, and instead turned upon his only non-fascinated companion, using some form of mental magic to go on the offensive in attempt to brutally murder his former friend.

Fortunately the other two didn’t register the potential danger, and remained fixated on my reading.

Vigo dashed into the room, much faster than I would have expected for a man with shorter legs than my own.

Vigo dashed into the room, like a little green comet, and got himself into just the right angle to keep the fascinated individuals from seeing him as he let off a quick flash of lightning at the Duergar who was currently being assaulted by his murderous companion. I took the moment to make sure the Duergars remained distracted, and tried to request one of them untie the hostages ‘so they may better enjoy the show’. Unfortunately, the magic didn’t stick, and he refused. A moment later he snapped from his trance as he realized his companions were fighting each other.

Candy and Issac leapt into the fray, as it was now clear we weren’t getting through without a fight. Candy got hit by whatever terrible mental powers these beings had, but still managed to harry the angry little Duergars with knees and kicks each time they went to cast.

From our place behind the window, I knew I needed to help in any way I could. I intended to disable the one who was doing the most to Candy, to give her an opening to finish him.

“And then the dwarf-guy fell into uproarious laughter as the mighty adventurer told a most hilarious joke. I don’t *actually* have a joke to tell, but you’re going to laugh because it’s the spell.”

Note to self: Less honest—think of an actual joke. Something hilarious the audience will judge the Duergar for not laughing at. Actually, scratch that, maybe just don’t mention this spell since it was a total bust anyways.

It was an uphill battle, with psychic magic, kicks, and less-psychic-more-fire magic flying through the room. But finally the last Duergar fell, and we were free to rescue the prisoners.

The guards thanked us, and told us that the disembodied voice we’d heard was an unpleasant little fellow by the name of Grumblesnout. They hadn’t gotten a good look at him, and only knew that he was about Vigo’s height, and wore a very tall pointy blue hat. A shame, both his fashion sense and his taste in literature sounded rather impeccable although he was a rather nasty little fellow.

The guards also warned us not to go into the small room nearby as it was a ‘kitchen’…a room where they’d been butchering captives to eat…

Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. I have a hardy constitution for many a thing, but turning people into food just isn’t one of them. I mean besides the obvious moral implications, it surely must taste just awful.

We did as the directed and did not go into the…kitchen…despite Vigo’s protests. Candy declared that if Vigo wanted to eat people, he wouldn’t get any more homemade bearclaws from her. A dire threat, her bearclaws are superb. When I return to my bakery I will have to get some tips from her.

Note to self: No more mentions of the bakery. They think you’re Mattie. She’s an adventurer. Not a cook/adventurer like Candy. An author/adventurer. No bakery.

Note to self 2: I miss my bakery…

We sent the guards back the way we came, promising that once we did away with the ‘Grimblesnout’ fellow we would find a way to send the lift up to them. Then we continued forward, which lead us down another ladder, and into yet another tunnel.

The monotony of tunnel walking was broken up partway through as the floor caved in beneath Candy’s feet—who was now leading the way, rather fortunately for us as she has quick feet and was able to easily jump free as a pitfall opened beneath her. The rest of us jumped over the deep but narrow pit with ease.

Not far from the pit a voice echoed through the tunnel. Not the snooty high pitched tones of Grumblesnout, but a deep booming voice. It beckoned us to enter its domain.

“Maybe it’s friendly,” Candy offered.

“Silent Terror is not friendly,” the voice warned ominously. It was, if I may be so bold, an excellent line, and I told the voice as much. He seemed rather pleased to hear it.

We entered the room ahead, in which a cyclops known as Silent Terror stood before another pair of lift doors. These ones were open.

“You must get past me to proceed,” Silent Terror warned, his voice so powerful it positively shook the room with his very presence. (That is so say, he had a very nice theatre voice, he was very good at projecting)

“Can you let us past?” Candy asked.

“If you would be so kind,” I added. Politeness is always key, you see.

“Your boss seems like a jerk,” John added, less politely but very honestly.

Silent Terror stared down at us, his enormous form looming above even the tallest of us. Then he shrugged. “Yeah, sure. The boss is a jerk. I mean, he makes me call myself the ‘Silent Terror’…I actually really like talking, it sucks,” he said. “And they make me stand in this room with all these corpses and skeletons. ‘Haha throw them in here’ they say ‘the cyclops will love it’ they say. Well I don’t. I hate it. All I want is to leave.”

(Note to self: …Maybe I should add a fight in there to make it seem like a bigger more epic struggle. I hate to besmirch our cyclops friend after he was so nice though. I’ll think on it.)

We offered to send the lift back down so he could leave once we’d dealt with his boss, which he was happy to agree to. He warned us of how Grumblesnout had the next area of the cavern set up, and also mentioned that we’d set off an alarm. Candy pipped up at this, and said that we didn’t set it off—an invisible person did—she’d seen the trip wire go off on its own back in the last tunnel.

Vigo swept the room with detect magic, but didn’t see any signs of an invisible person.

(Note to self: learn glitterdust)

Satisfied that we’d done all we could, we entered the lift and began the descent into the bowls of the earth. As we waited, my companions began their magical prep. Vigo turned himself tiny and cast fly on himself and haste on all of us—so he was a lightning fast squirrel sized flying goblin by the end of it. Issac went the opposite direction and turned himself into a huge dire bear—like Peanut times four. John also insisted that we donate some blood to a contingency spell of his, which could potentially keep one of us from death’s doorstep. It seemed an odd component for divine magic, but I don’t really know anything about divine magic so who am I to judge? He’s a follower of Pharasma, the goddess of death, so I suppose blood and death tend to go hand in hand. I didn’t have much in the way of that kind of magic to assist with strengthening the others myself, so instead I started up a reading to help steel my companions’ nerves for what was to come.

Oh, but dear reader, we couldn’t have possibly been prepared for what was to come…

We burst into the large cavernous…cavern. Inside a number of duergars with crossbows and explosives awaited us, along with their leader: Grumblesnout. A very loud, very angry little yellow kobold wearing a rather impressive wizard hat.

Grumble and the duergar general were arguing at the back of the cavern…or as close to the back as they could safely get, as there was a rather large lake of lava disappearing back to the actual back of the cave far beyond what eyes could see. Between us and them was a large…well, at first glance it appeared to be a diamond, but closer inspection quickly revealed it to merely be a very large crystalized salt deposit.

…Oh bother, I never told Candy about that, we might have been able to take some for cooking…

Sorry, off topic a tad. More importantly, with them was one Cleric Ringwald, who was bound and gagged and looking worse for the wear. When the little kobold spotted us, he pushed Ringwald into a cage, which zipped her off into the darkness above the lake of lava.

Our band of heroic adventurers charged forward, prepared to face destiny and finally free Ringwald from the clutches of the underground band of villains. Candy and Issac went on the offensive, charging forward in a flurry of kicks and claws. I snuck around the other way, intent to disable the kobold, who had began flying high above the battlefield via the same arcane means Vigo had used.

Speaking of Vigo, I had expected him to go for the Kobold as well, but his fast tiny form disappeared into the darkness in the direction of Ringwald’s cage. I found out later that he’d intended to set her free to assist us with whatever potent magic she had at her disposal, but she told him she presently had no magic to cast, so it ended up being an unfortunately wasted venture.

My attempt to disable the kobold with a hilarious joke for the Hideous Laughter spell unfortunately fell upon deaf ears—for he must have been deaf to not have been sent to the ground in fits of laughter. He rather rudely ignored me, and turned his attention instead upon Candy, who was fighting the duergar general just below. With a familiar burst of fiery arcane might, much as we’ve seen our goblin friend do on many an occasion, Grumblesnout let loose a barrage of fire blasts, which sent Candy to the ground. John’s contingency activated, and I felt a small prick of pain as some of each of our lifeforces, bound by blood and John’s divine magic, were transferred to Candy. She remained motionless on the ground, and for a moment I feared it had not been enough. John was too far from the front lines to heal her further, and the duergar general was looming over her, ready to make sure her life was snuffed out.

Then a certain dire bear druid charged in and crunched the duergar’s skull in his very large bear jaws. It was a gruesome display, but it was exactly the opening I needed to get to Candy’s side and begin healing her injuries.

“Not today, my friend. Not today!” I proclaimed, as I cast the strongest healing magic I knew into her charred form. The worst of the burns healed, and Candy’s eyes flickered open—the shadow of death receded for today.

Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say Death turned his eyes upon someone else in that moment…

As I focused my efforts on Candy, Vigo had flown back across the lava lake and had called out Grumblesnout in the most heroic way possible—by counterspelling a fireball that the Kobold had been about to aim at myself, Candy, and Issac below him. I must say, I have never even seen a successful counterspell before in my life. It was quite quite exhilarating. The kobold didn’t take kindly to his magic being interfered with, and he and Vigo began a battle of will, wits, and lots of fire in the air above us.

It didn’t last long, as Vigo did a little trick we’ll call the ‘reverse dragonbreath’. That is to say, he shot a fireball directly into Grumblesnout’s mouth and let him detonate from within. “What’s yellow and blue and dead all over?” Vigo asked, just before the flames engulfed the flying wizard lizard, leaving nothing but ash and his magical items behind.

The rest of the riffraff that had worked for him and refused to simply lay down their explosives and leave were easy enough to clear out with the wizard no longer raining fire from above. Then we flipped the switch to call Ringwald’s cage back to us.

When it arrived Ringwald’s body fell out of the cage before us.

Dead.

Another figure leapt down from atop the cage. A drow woman, holding an open music box from which a haunting melody played. She tossed the music box aside, and admitted with no hesitation that she’d killed Ringwald. She spoke of doing a favor for an old friend—clearly speaking of Ulong. I attempted to hold her in place with a spell, but the magic failed before it had hardly left my lips as she locked eyes with me. The eyes of a remorseless killer, someone who would so casually take a life and allow the one hope for a frozen town to be torn away from us. Even after hearing that John’s daughter was in the town, she told us that it would be in our best interests to forget everything and just go home.

Candy wouldn’t accept that—surely couldn’t accept that. She leapt forward and managed to land a kick to the woman’s chest. The assassin didn’t even flinch. She just repeated her threat that we should go home and drop our quest, while threatening pulling out a number of shuriken. Instead of attacking, she suddenly vanished, and not a moment later we saw the lift activate, going up to the surface. Out of our reach.

We gathered at the edge of the lava lake, standing around Ringwald’s body which had been very much alive mere minutes prior. John cast a spell upon her: gentle repose. He informed us that if we could find a more powerful cleric in town, perhaps they could revive her. At the very least, the spell he’d cast would give us some time before the body got to a point where resurrection was no longer viable.

We made the grim decision to put her body in a bag of holding we’d found on Grumblesnout’s person so we could bring her to town inconspicuously. As we did so, we found a note on her person. It said to “Find the Wizard of the ★. Ask him for help. He can help.” We figured out that this was referring to the Wizard of the Stars, who was known to live near Port Town. His divination magic was so astoundingly powerful and well known that his name had been lost and everyone knew him simply by his title. It seemed that if we couldn’t find a means to bring back Ringwald, we at least had a new lead.

After a few more minutes commiserating and trying to think of a plan of action, the lift returned. It would seem though the assassin was a coldblooded murderer and a cad, she at least had the decency to not trap us miles below the earth, helpless as we slowly waste away, unable to interfere with her ‘old friend’ and his machinations…

The very thought makes me ill, so I think I will leave this chapter at that.

#entry #pathfinder #pathfinder campaign #dungeons and dragons #d&d campaign #Morris 3M

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shirtlesssammy · 5 years

Text

8x22: Clip Show

Then:

Cas almost gets hit on by Dean

Now:

Lost Creek, Colorado

A couple are at a cabin in the woods, and the woman is so happy that her boyfriend finally joined her. He acts like it’s no big deal but we flash back to a memory —specifically of Supernatural season 1, episode 2: Wendigo. He’s Tommy and has some serious PTSD from the terror he experienced that night in the woods.

He thinks he hears a growl and pulls his girlfriend away from the window. He knows that a Wendigo is outside and pulls out a flare to take the unseen monster out. He crumples to the floor and then just explodes right in front of his girlfriend. Eeerp.

At the bunker, the brothers continue to find records that the Men of Letters have kept over the years. Sam’s not doing so well due to all the Trials. He’ll feel better once they finish them.

Cas shows up in the war room, and it appears that Dean and Cas didn’t follow the golden rule of not going to bed angry. Dean doesn’t even acknowledge the angel. Cas is still convalescing. He sits down to talk with Sam a bit about the trials. Dean comes back with food for Sam—well, jerky, beer, and peanut butter cups.

Cas offers to go with Dean for more food, but still gets the cold shoulder. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For everything.” Classic DeanCas, lol. (Brb, off to throw myself off a cliff.) Oh wait there’s more, Dean calls out Cas with the whole bolting with the angel tablet and adds, “You didn’t trust me?”

THESE BOYS ARE NOT IN LOVE:

Cas is contrite but Dean is not accepting his apology. Sam stays out of it all for a bit but interrupts eventually to pull Dean aside to make it clear that Cas is one of the good guys. What’s that saying? Dean’s harder on Cas because he loves him the most? Well, meh, I do like their later seasons of grumpy banter more than the divisiveness of right now.

In any event, the brothers head to a storage room.

Sam wants to find a case that their records mentioned. He finds the box, and Dean finds a dungeon! Sam’s box contained a movie film.

They set up the movie (They even made popcorn, guys!)

It’s an old black and white film of the Men of Letters. Josie, the woman that Abaddon possessed, is filming the experiment. They have a demon captured in the very dungeon the Winchesters just discovered. They throw holy water on the demon, recite an incantation at it, and then one priest cuts his hand and presses it on the demon. It flares out, apparently gone. The film stops. It was weird (!!!) One of the priests is still alive and Sam thinks it’s a good idea to get the lowdown on what they just watched on the film. Cas wants to go too but Dean won’t hear of it. (Brb, flinging myself off another cliff. DO NOT LIKE.)

Cut to the brothers meeting with the priest. He tells them that the other priest believed that demons could be saved. He thought that they could cure the demon and they could be a normal human soul again. There were other experiments after that one attempt, and then the priest ended up dead a couple months later. Something had torn him apart. Sam tries asking about records but goes into a coughing fit, complete with blood. He heads to the bathroom while Dean continues to talk with the priest. The priest agrees to give them the other priest’s papers.

Meanwhile, Cas is on a mission to make up with Dean. He’s at a Gas ’n Sip and pulling all the essentials to make Dean like him again.

Ways to woo Dean Winchester:

Beef Jerky

Porn

Beer

Protein

AND Smiting the sap who can’t provide the pie

Cas almost smites the poor attendant. Metatron interrupts. They need to talk.

He wants to talk about Heaven. It’s apparently a mess up there without the archangels. Naomi isn’t in charge as much as she’s led Cas believe. Cas blames himself for everything that’s happened in heaven. (URGH, no! —I mean, yeah, but NO). Metatron thinks they can buddy up and save the day! They can sort everything out. First, they need to shut down Heaven. Then he mentioned crepes and flies away.

At the bunker, Sam can’t find Cas. Dean doesn’t care (URGH, no!) They decide to watch the last audio recording before the priest died.

Once again, there’s a demon in chains. This time, the priest injects the demon with purified blood. He continues to do this 8 times. And the demon seems to be cured.

They decide to try the experiment out on their own decapitated Abaddon.

Meanwhile, Cas flaps over to Metatron’s brunch location, a cute restaurant with an outdoor patio overlooking the water. It’s a perfect place to relax!

Iconic dialogue alert:

Waitress: Cool coat.

Cas: No, it's actually quite warm.

Waitress: Cute and funny. Okay…

Metatron: I should have picked a better looking vessel.

You’re not here to accidentally flirt with the waitstaff, Castiel! Cas asks for clarification on Metatron’s quest to close the gates of Heaven. Metatron waves it away as just another godly safety switch - you’ve got one for leviathans, demons, and Heaven, of course. Metatron tells Cas that it’s time for a heavenly lock-in to work out all their feelings. And he needs Cas, the warrior, to do it. Cas owns to feeling responsibility for the current state of Heaven but recoils when he hears the first trial. He’ll need to cut out the heart of the cute waitress, the sole nephilim on earth. (Pronounced in this episode as neph-IL-im.) “What’s more important?” Metatron asks. “Her life? Or your family?”

With season 9 under my belt, I watch Dean and Sam sewing Abaddon’s head on with particular horror. Like, you took on the Mark of Cain to defeat her, Dean Bean. Which led to a whole bucket of depression and sad men. Nobody likes buckets of sad men. (JK obviously I love it or what am I even doing here?) What a spectacularly bad idea! Still, it wouldn’t be my beloved show if characters were making smart choices. Abaddon wakes up, cracks her stitched neck, and greets them with “Morning, sunshines.”

“I can’t wait to tear out those pretty green eyes,” she says, lovingly. The Winchesters smirk, drawing her attention to her handless state. (They chopped off her hands - or maybe just left them detached.) “I’ll stump you to death,” she says and...that’s the spirit, Abaddon! She knows about the priest and his work curing demons. In fact, she was a special dispatch straight from Hell to make an example of him. The priest led her to Josie and possessing Josie helped her dismantle the entire Men of Letters network. Yeesh.

The phone rings. It’s Crowley! Abaddon is appalled to learn that Crowley is the King of Hell. Dean and Sam leave the room to talk to Crowley and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BOYS they leave Abaddon alone.

Outside, the Winchesters chat with Crowley. He directs them to some news stories, “sexts” them an address, and bids them farewell. They discover that Crowley’s been putting out hits on people the Winchesters have saved.

While Crowley’s giving them the news, Abaddon makes like Thing from the Addams family and puppets her hands out of the loosely closed box on the table.

Her hand crawls into her mouth and pries out the demon trap bullet. It’s freedom time, mofos.

The Winchesters return to find Abaddon gone. You FOOLS! Sam keeps his eyes on the prize, though. Crowley’s latest address is from their “witches and baked goods” case and is clearly a trap. Time to make a play to catch themselves a different demon.

Prosperity, Indiana

The power’s out in the target’s apartment (and so are the cupcakes! yum!) Unfortunately, Jennie’s body is also out - sticking out of the oven, that is. “You were a great gal, Jennie Klein,” Dean says and...okay? Great mourning, everyone.

Crowley calls them up again. He’s killing off everyone they’ve saved (and using the books as a reference guide) until they deliver the demon tablet to him.

Metatron and Castiel stalk the waitress outside her place of work, Metatron goading Cas to make a choice. Urg. It’s just the bad decisions gang all around. She whirls around to confront them and saves them the trouble of introductions. “I could see your halos.” (I start to hum Beyoncé to avoid thinking about this next part.) Metatron calls her an abomination and she begs to be allowed to just live her life. (She apparently works twelve hours shifts as a waitress, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like she’s exploiting her power.) Cas looks disturbed, apologizing even as he advances on her. She throws him across the grounds like he’s nothing and then advances on Metatron. Castiel kills her from behind. Oof.

The Winchesters race to the next location, only to discover Sarah - the art dealer Sam flirted heavily with several seasons ago. She’s staying in a seriously adorable hotel room, with actual art on display. Dean greets her like he’s just dropped by for a casual visit. OMG Dean. Sam briefs her on the plan. Devil’s traps at all the exits, shotguns, and an exorcism ready to play on loop. We learn that Sarah’s married with a kid. (Sam gets a peek at what-could-have-been.) Sarah tells him that he’s changed - he’s more confident and grown up. She misses the old haircut. Awww…

Crowley calls and starts counting down and when he reaches zero, Sarah starts to choke. She collapses. “You son of a bitch!” Dean shouts. “Son of a witch,” Crowley clarifies - his mother taught him a few useful spells. The Winchesters start tearing apart the room to try and find a hex bag. Crowley continues his villain monologue: he’s keeping all things hell-related far away from the Winchesters - no more demons getting close enough for them to kill.

“I think the people you save, they're how you justify your pathetic little lives. The alcoholism, the collateral damage, the pain you've caused – the ONE thing that allows you to sleep at night, the one thing is knowing that these folks are out there, still out there happy and healthy because of you, you great, big, bloody heroes!”

I mean, when Crowley’s right, he’s right.

Sarah dies. Ugh. UGH. Crowley gives an ultimatum: they stop their quest to close Hell or people keep dying. In rage, Dean hurls the phone across the room. When it breaks, they finally find the hex bag. (Me: But okay she only stopped breathing a minute ago? Start CCR and call 911!)

Back at the bunker, Sam is Not Okay™ and does not respond well to Dean’s attempts to cheer him up. Sam, who continues to look awful and exhausted, suggests giving in to Crowley. “We’ll kick it in the ass like we always do,” Dean insists. Rousing speech, babe.

We fade to black, with everyone we love on dark paths of one kind or another.

______________________________

I NEED Quotes:

Well, that was weird with three exclamation points.

I NEED pie.

I can't wait to tear out those pretty green eyes.

First things first – what are you wearing?

You’d better find him toot-bloody-sweet.

I know this is insane, but insane is kind of what we do.

______________________________

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

#spn recap #spn rewatch #spn 8x22 #clip show #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #cas #metatron #crowley #sarah blake #abaddon #supernatural season 8

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isagrimorie · 5 years

Text

The Doctor Who showrunner wars is still in full swing despite the three Doctor Who showrunners being friends IRL, and some things they’ve done and implemented can all boil down to preference.

I wanted to weigh in with my thoughts on this.

I like some things RTD did in his time in Doctor Who, I am very grateful to him for bringing the show back from the war but I also remember slowly getting disgruntled with his writing.

He is a drama writer, and one of the best; RTD has a way of turning a phrase that just fires up the imagination like:“Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-Have-Been-King with his army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres.”

He has also written and help re-write my favorite two-parter of Revival!Who Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, Midnight, Turn Left, and Children of Earth. The problem is as much as he loves both camp (sometimes the results can work, sometimes it doesn’t), RTD’s cynicism does leak through.

He tried to fight against those instincts in Doctor Who but you can see the strain show as he struggled to keep that cynicism away from the show.

There’s also the part where his frequent joke targets are middle aged women. And TBH, I was tired of Ten’s God Complex (“I am the final authority!”) and how the narrative rarely call him out on it. Unlike Nine, he started to believe his own press and the press of other people

I wasn’t keen on the way he joked about appearances of women above thirty, and tbh, I was tired of Ten’s God Complex (“I am the final authority.”) and how the narrative refused to call him out on it.

Ten believing his own press could have been interesting if the narrative didn’t think he was right. For example, The Water of Marscould have been interesting but I thought WoM resolved Ten’s Time Lord Victorious moment far too soon and easily.

I thought they could have explored more about the ‘Time Lord Victorious’ moment for at least another episode, or have The End of Time comment on it.

Apart from series 1, all of RTD’s series finales were heart-wrenching; each finale I ended up feeling like I was going twenty rounds against a meat grinder.

It was why I loved and will continue to love series 5 and how refreshingly happy the ending was.

No one was trapped in another dimension! No one had to single-handedly stop an apocalypse and have their family enslaved, or mind-wiped.

In the scheme of things, I think in certain aspects, Moffat’s storytelling style is more on line with my tastes. The fairytale seasons. Even Twelve becomes a fairytale Doctor, and I wager that his arc in series 8 is remembering the joy and becoming the fairytale Doctor again.

Another reason why I love series 5, coming directly from Ten’s Lonely God thing, was that a lot of people called out the Doctor on their God Complex and made their self-loathing a lot more text. I also loved the fairy tale aspect of his seasons.

But like with RTD not everything Moffat’s done is my favorite, there were some stories that had missteps, and one of those missteps was Moffat trying to out clever himself. Credit to him for swinging for the fences but he also started to spread himself too thin working on two shows, and the seams showed.

One of the criticisms about Moffat’s writing is character work, and he had no interest in the Companions’ families.

I’m in the middle. I have issues but also (especially after rewatching) I was more forgiving, as an example, in the end I didn’t care as much about the state of Amy’s parents.

No, that’s wrong, I did care.

I cared the first time I watched Angels Take Manhattan, I cared so much that when Amy and Rory disappeared I was so angry because all I could think about was Amy’s parents and Brian (Rory’s dad). I cared to the point that it was one of the reasons why I stopped watching.

On subsequent rewatches, I’ve reconciled with the idea that Companion families and family dynamics (the Companion’s parents) isn’t something Moffat was interested in. It took Chibnall to give Rory a dad (interesting that parent-child dynamic is really something Chibnall is drawn to).

Honestly, if family dynamics isn’t something he is interested in, that’s fair. Also, Amy’s parent’s weren’t a factor since series 6 and Amy’s parents might have well fallen back into the Crack for all we know.

Rewatching also helped me come to terms with some narrative choices I wasn’t fond of. Binge (re)watch tended to sand down any rough parts and I find rewatching can help me hold the shape of a story more.

Still, it took a while to realize Eleven acting big and bombastic was deliberate. Moffat needed Eleven to be big and loud, and full of himself so he can also go crashing down. It falls in line with what River describes the Doctor she knew: “Now my Doctor, I’ve seen whole armies turn and run away. And he’d just swagger off back to his Tardis and open the doors with a snap of his fingers.”

One of the things I wasn’t satisfied with Moffat’s writing (and there were plenty) was how series 6 dealt with child loss. Or, how s6 initially didn’t deal with child loss. The writing would eventually address it, and most prominently in The Wedding of River Song in a fantastically chilling scene between Amy and Kovarian.

But even then I felt it wasn’t enough. Emotional continuity during this time was very low.

This brings me to River. I loved her the moment she stepped on screen in Silence in the Library but my love for her character cooled because of series 6. My theory is Moffat wrote himself into a corner trying to out grand series 5.

For those taking notes at home, I watched Doctor Who sporadically during series 7 and then stopped watching at Angels Take Manhattan. I stopped watching until Day of the Doctor happened.

**DotD* reignited my love for Doctor Who! So much so that I went back and binged series 7.

I liked s7 well enough except for how Amy and Rory left, that still sticks in my craw. I would have been okay if the Ponds left at the end of the Power of Three. Unfortunately, for Revival!Who, there’s an expectation now that Leaving Stories should be hard and tragic, and breaks your heart. I don’t always need grand leaving stories.

TBH, with the exception of The Day of the Doctor, Series 7B is one of my least favorite Moffat seasons.

One of the many factors was the way the writers kept giving Matt Smith big speeches. The writers know he can do big speeches so they kept writing big speeches for him. It was their default.

Also, as one podcast speculated series 7B could have been where the writers realized (belatedly) that Smith was actually quite hunky. This and Moffat being too busy to manage the next half of the season because of The Day of the Doctor can explain the disaster that was the Time of the Doctor.

TotD remains as one of my least favorite Doctor Who episodes ever. (Well, not ever, there are some series 2 and 3 episodes that stand above it).

And then the Capaldi era.

This was the turn around where I started loving Moffat’s work again. It wasn’t easy to get to that point though, and like the previous series, there was a time I fell off the Doctor Who wagon because the first half of Capaldi’s season didn’t click with me.

I found him far too mean and unlikable which broke my heart since I loved Capaldi.

But a binge, again, sanded down all sins (well, notall) and now the difficult and prickly series 8 is something I really enjoy because knowing where Twelve ended up in his character journey helped.

This is why, I don’t mind getting spoiled about a show, as long I only get the broad strokes but not the details. I love finding out what his journey was and I don’t think I would have come back if I didn’t know where he ended up.

I think I saw snippets of Zygon Inversion speech on YouTube, and then I decided to give Husbands of River Song convinced me to finally watch all of Twelve’s run.

And now Twelve is my favorite Doctor.

Moffat’s writing didn’t magically become perfect (to me) but I loved the themes he chose to tackle for Twelve. Twelve is another PTSD!Doctor but unlike Nine, he had an opportunity to grow from that trauma. (And get fresh ones — thanks Time Lords!).

I love that Moffat used Twelve’s stories as a way to interrogate Ten’s stories culminating in Heaven Sent/Hell Bent.

IMO, Twelve’s relationship with Clara is similar to Rose and Donna. Twelve and Clara developed quite a co-dependent relationship by the time series 9 rolled around. They never quite achieved the height of smugness that was the first minutes of Impossible Planet nor have they ever been as obnoxious as Ten and Rose were in Tooth and Claw. Possibly because the Doctor’s older at this point and knows the perils, and similar to Donna because of how Donna kept Ten grounded. And, of course, because of the mindwipe argument that was definitely Moffat’s answer to the mindwiping of Donna, and as Moffat said in the War Games commentary, to the mindwipe of Zoe and Jamie.

And then we have Bill with Twelve, showing the very final form of the Twelfth Doctor. Twelve as a grown-up, feeling settled with himself, finally. He learned a lot of lessons and committed himself to stay in one place.

I love the relationship he built with Bill and while I do love, love, love Jodie Whittaker, I was sad to have only one season of Bill and Twelve. Especially since after Lie of the Land Missy’s story began to have more prominence over Bill’s.

(And there’s the whole Missy thing which tbh would make this a longer post than it already is!).

TLDR. Both showrunners aren’t perfect, sometimes their views don’t align with mine. I loved series 1 because it was my entry point into Doctor Who but there are also things about RTD’s run I wasn’t happy with. Same with Moffat there were things I adored and things that really didn’t sit well with me.

There were points during both showrunner’s time on the show I had to take time off.

Now with Chibnall, the same thread runs through: I like most of his stories in series 11 but it also isn’t perfect and has a lot of room for improvement.

/EDITED

#thinky thoughts #doctor who #moffat era #rtd era

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neverwatchedonepiece · 6 years

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643-644: "Shaking Heaven and Earth! Admiral Fujitora's Power!" and "A Blow of Anger! A Giant vs Lucy!"

Brutal.... :(

Were I to sum up 643 and 644, it would be: unexpected feels and reveals.

The feels came from poor Brutal. It was all going so well! Luffy found a new pal and then, BAM.

The reveals? Well, we have the “return” of Norland from Skypeia, for one thing. Flower Field also seems to be the location for the next Big Showdown.

The Donquixote Family have also made some moves. Diamante has put Bellamy in an uncomfortable position and an... artistic new character has been introduced. As for Doflamingo himself, he revealed a past working relationship with Trafalgar Law (I knew it! I knew there was something there!)

Oh, and we have yet another ridiculously powerful Admiral. :D

Fujitora is My New Favourite Admiral

This entire scene escalated quickly. It went from Dodgy Dealings to Dragon Ball in the blink of an eye. Not exactly an exemplary lesson in conflict resolution, but I am not complaining.

Because it was awesome.

Law was understandably pissed off at being duped by Doflamingo. It wasn’t really Law’s fault. He’d planned the best he could with the information he had to hand. Unfortunately, it was just as Vergo had foretold: not knowing about Doflamingo’s past would be Law’s undoing.

Law refused to hand over Caesar. Doflamigo had reneged on his side of the bargain. “The deal’s off!”

Then Doflamingo said something interesting. “Is that how you talk to your boss after ten years of silence?”

Boss? Really?

I freaking knew it. I knew there was something between Doflamingo, Law and Vergo. It was the way Vergo spoke to Law back in Punk Hazard, calling him a brat, acting as if he knew everything about Law, about how he had improved but not enough. Doflamingo treats him in a similar way. Law is from North Blue, a territory in the New World. Dressrosa is in the New World. Was Law born in a territory claimed by Doflamingo?

I wonder what caused Law to go radio silence and desert Doflamingo? It must have been something horrendous. Maybe Law knows Doflamingo a bit better than he lets on.

Whatever the case, Doflamingo was adamant in retrieving Caesar. (Caesar’s starry-eyed moment was hilarious. I’d say he’s totally in love with Doflamingo, but the only thing I’d ship Caesar with is research funding).

There was a quick, “Yeah, I’ve heard all about you” exposition moment. Just to bring any viewers up to speed on Fujitora in case they missed that awesome episode when he sent an unfortunate bunch of fodders to a hole in the ground hell. “You were appointed as Marine Admiral through the World Military Draft,” Doflamingo said. “I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re a monster who wields unquestionable power as well as Ryokugyu.”

First thing: World Military Draft? That’s a new one to me. Was Fujitora plucked from obscurity to become an Admiral through a military draft? Or was he retired in some capacity and they brought him back? Whatever Fujitora’s deal is, I’d be interested in finding out.

Second thing: what the hell is a Ryokugu?

Caesar’s presence at the Green Bit beach was of great interest to Fujitora and his Marines. Fujitora knew who Caesar was, which implies he has been briefed on all the Big Criminals or he does have prior experience working with the Marines. He is also familiar The Way Things Are, as he admitted they couldn’t arrest Caesar if he was working for Doflamingo (the perks of being a Shichibukai). He knows Doflamingo is a nasty bit of work but, as Doflamingo said, he has to be able to prove it. (I wonder if Fujitora is trying to do just that?)

Interestingly, it seemed like Fujitora also tried to throw Law a similar lifeline. Law is still officially a Shichibukai. His movements are crucial to the success of the Marine’s mission. If the Strawhats were working under Law, Fujitora was prepared to ignore the alliance. However, were it an alliance of equals, it would go against the Marines’ interests and Fujitora would be forced to arrest Law.

Law made some quick calculations. His original plan had failed. Even if he selected Fujitora’s Option #1, he would have to take the matter to Dressrosa and that would only make matters worse.

He chose Option #2 and fessed up to the alliance with the Strawhats.

“Welp, guess I’ll have to arrest you!” Fujitora said.

And a beautiful, big kaboom moment happened. Not only can Fujitora fire folk into holes in the ground, he can also crush them from above. A mighty meteorite came screaming down onto Green Bit. Caesar and the Fodders scarpered. Even Doflamingo was like, “FFS, is that not excessive?”

When the smoke cleared, only the three main fighters stood on conveniently preserved pillars of ground (hilarious, classic shounen trope. Love it).

Doflamingo was not pleased. “How did the Fleet Admiral train you, you damned stray dog!”

Fujitora remained supremely unfazed. “Thank you. I just wanted to test your skills. Now I’m going to arrest you, Is that okay, Law-san?”

He’s such a polite guy. I like him.

But there’s just one thing. Doflamingo wants Law too. I don’t think he’ll let Fujitora get his hands on Law. If that happens, Law might spill the beans (I doubt he would but it’s possible). Then all Doflamingo’s secrets will be out.

The plot chickenz.

Flower Field Rendezvous Crew

Well, I think I know where the Strawhats will reconvene once all the subplots have run their course.

Flower Field is the place to be, folks!

I’m kind of relieved Sanji is back on track again. Once he realised Law was in trouble, he called Franky to update him. I love how Franky was like, “Yo, Sanji. What’s up?” and Sanji was like, “Well, I’m in love,” and Franky just said, “That’s nice. Btw, I think I can find the factory but we can’t just destroy it and get away. It’s a much bigger task than we thought! Oh yeah, and I read the newspaper. Doflamingo sure fooled us!”

Even Franky was trying to steer Sanji back to the plot, lmao.

Then Franky mentioned he was heading to Flower Field with Sol and that Sanji should meet him there to catch up.

Sanji finally caught up with Plot and mentioned the ominous fact that he couldn’t reach Nami or any of the others on Sunny. Franky replied, “You still think she’s weak? Anyway, Brook and Monster Chopper are with her. She’ll be fine!”

I kind of think Sanji had a point here. It’s not about thinking Nami’s weak. It’s the fact she’s not answering the DDM. If I were Franky, I’d be like, “Yeah, something’s not right. Let me try and see if I can get her to answer.”

Violet then exited the plot stage left. Before she ran off, she handed Sanji a very useful piece of intel: a map to the Smile Factory (it’s disguised as a Toy House). Sanji told her to take care of herself and also where the Strawhats’ final rendezvous point is (Western Harbour). I’m still a teeny bit suspicious of her because there is still time for her to be caught by Doflamingo and sell out the Strawhats.

Then Foxfire interrupted (lmao) and announced Sanji had to accompany him to a place called Toy House right away. Turns out that’s where Kanjuuro is also being held.

Am I right to be suspicious about how easily this is all working out for the Strawhats at the moment? I feel like Doflamingo knows what they’re up to and is leading them into a trap.

Norland’s Back!

Oh, how I missed your resplendent, chestnut barnet! That’s two sneaky Skypiea callbacks now (more on that later).

And why has Norland cropped up again?

Turns out he visited the Tontatta Kingdom four-hundred years ago, as a botanist. A crew of Evil Big Humans were destroying the Tontatta Kingdom and Norland, being an Absolute Lad, fought alongside them and helped them defeat the evil Big Humans.

Usopp, being a smart guy, noticed the statue of Norland and totally took advantage. He had a chestnut-shaped helmet on and claimed to be Usoland, a descendant of Norland himself. The Tontatta people totally believed him and now they’re waiting on him hand and foot.

Robin was like, “Usopp, you are a terrible person,” and Usopp shot back with, “Well, it saved you too!” Fair point, Usopp!

It sort of backfired on him, though, because the chief arrived and announced Usopp’s presence on this most auspicious day must be fate. Why was that? Well, today was the day the Tontatta people vowed to fight the Donquixote Family! At Dressrosa, they will fight. The commander and fellow soldiers of the King Riku Army are expecting them at Flower Field. They begged Usopp to stand at the forefront of the charge and lead them. With Usoland, the Tontatta would be unbreakable!

I wish I could have seen Robin’s face at that moment.

But Flower Field, eh? I wonder if Sol the Toy and the Resistance movement have been working with the Tontatta People to muster up this rebellion? Signs point to yes, since Wicka was super keen for Zoro to take her to Flower Field.

At any rate, that’s Franky, Zoro, Usopp and Robin all headed for Flower Field. I bet they end up caught in the crossfire. So much for remaining undercover, eh?

Not the Worst Installation I’ve Ever Seen

So... Giolla’s a bit of a character, isn’t she?

It’s like meeting Miss Goldenweek’s eccentric art teacher.

To be honest, I think Nami, Brook and Chopper got the raw end of the deal being left behind on Sunny. They’re the first ones to face off against a Donquixote Family member. And one with a pretty bizarre but cool power too.

Giolla’s introduction was pretty cool. Screechy violin harmonics hinted something sinister was afoot. Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momo peered into the dorm and were like, “wtf is this lsd nonsense?”

Then came footsteps; shoes oddly similar to the ones Doflamingo wears (there must be a Donquixote Family dresscode). A cloud of colourful smoke turned the place into coloring book land.

The Strawhats reeled back, horrified. Chopper wondered if it was the work of a Devil Fruit user.

“Bad Taste Fruit?” Brook suggested. (Lmao, Brook!)

The door creaked open and Giolla appeared in all her art-teacher glory.

Nami was like, “Who the hell are you and what have you done to Sunny?”

Giolla shrieked at her to shut up. The goons she brought with her answered Nami’s question. “This is Giolla-sama of the Donquixote Family!”

Uh oh, I thought. This could be a problem.

“I don’t like people with no artistic taste!” Giolla declared. “My soul is swinging. I see an image. My mind is about to erupt! It’s going to explode! An image of liberty and beauty.”

Then she transformed Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momo into 2D versions of themselves. Nami demanded Giolla turn them back, but, interestingly, Giolla countered she would only do that if they handed over Momonosuke without a fight. What is that all about? Hmm... I’m starting to think there is something going on with Momonosuke. Why would Doflamingo want Momo? I guess he was caught up in all the Punk Hazard stuff. Maybe it’s a “no witnesses” situation. Or maybe Momo ate a really good fruit meant for Kaidou and Doflamingo wants to sell Momo to Kaidou to make up for the cool Dragon fruit disappearing?

Whatever the real reason, the Strawhats obviously refused. Negotiations broke down. Giolla attacked again. The Strawhats hatched a plan to lure her away from Sunny but for all Giolla acts like an eccentric art teacher, she is no fool when it comes to battle.

Poor Sunny looks pretty... different at the moment.

Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momo are also surrounded by Giolla and her goons. Have no idea how they’ll escape but I love how Brook is most concerned about how mad Franky will be when he gets back.

Press F to Pay Your Respects for Brutal

Oh, the unexpected feels.

It was all going so well in the Colosseum. Luffy made friends with Brutal Bull when it challenged him in the ring. They had fun for a bit but once Luffy decided it was haki time, the fight was over. To my ABSOLUTE DELIGHT, Luffy did not punch out Brutal or finish him off.

No.

They teamed up! Luffy made a new bull friend! It was so adorable watching them mercilessly mow down the other fodders. They were having such a great time.

Until Hajrudin, the Giant Fun Sponge from Elbaf totally ruined it all.

Brutal accidentally got his horns stuck in Hajrudin’s boot. Hajrudin’s big hammer came down. I gasped. No! Luffy was fine but Brutal had been crushed.

“His little bull back legs. He needs them!” I wailed.

Luffy knelt down beside Brutal and touched him gently on the shoulder. Without saying a word, I knew revenge was imminent and inevitable.You know when Luffy’s eyes shift from one to two circles that shit is about to go down.

Cape blowing in the wind, he stood up, sized up Hajrudin, and executed a haki-filled beatdown worthy of Brutal’s name.

I can’t help but wonder if this scene with Brutal was a sneaky anti-bloodsports commentary from Oda? Maybe if you squint? I mean, instead of torturing an innocent bull for fun, what Luffy did was be friends with the bull; fight *with* the bull. The one who did harm the bull received a Gear 2nd Armored Haki punch right to the face.

I kind of hope Brutal is okay. I have visions of him recovering from his injuries and spending his days trampling people in Flower Field for years to come.

Things aren’t looking quite as simple for Luffy, though.

It seems everyone on Dressrosa is trying to kill him! Diamante slipped Bellamy a note in the Donquixote Family private backstage room. Said note contained orders from Doflamingo: Bellamy is to assassinate Luffy. One last chance at promotion. Obviously, Bellamy is now conflicted about this, as Luffy cheered him on in the ring and inspired him to travel to Skypiea. (I’m leaning towards Bellamy attempting, then regretting and betraying Doflamingo.)

Cavendish Banana is also on the warpath (him fending off Bartolomeo’s food-thieving hands with a fork was hilarious. “MINE. MY FOOD. NO.”) Obviously, Cavendish’s reason for wanting to kill Luffy is profoundly shallow. “Luffy stole muh limelight, wah!”

Bartolomeo said, “Well, my connection with Strawhat Luffy is much deeper.”

I gasped.

Yes, I thought. This is the moment.

What is the history here? Because I have watched this show since episode one. I have a goldfish memory but I’d like to think Bartolomeo would have stood out.

But do you know what?

BARTOLOMEO LEFT IT THERE. WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD.

BLUE-BALLED.

FREAKING CLIFFHANGER.

Shaking my head, man. Bartolomeo, you are so rude. Such a meta character.

And by the way, there is also something up with Ricky and Rebecca. Don’t think I missed that little scene. I bet it’s something to do with Kyros. That whole thing about everyone forgetting why the statue is there is so suspicious.

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steve0discusses · 5 years

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Yugioh S3 Ep 18: Noah’s Dad Decides he Doesn’t Love His Son Anymore When Noah Gets Way Too Into Petz Hexing

I was hanging out with Bro and he made me look at a lot of bad Yugi wigs that were 600 dollars each, and because only like...4 good Yugi wigs exist in the world, I decided to help him get out that Yugi itch in a healthier way, by copy editing these posts and fixing the way I spell Gozaburo wrong about 400 more times before this arc ends.

So last we left off, Noah decided to reference that one part of the Bible he knows.

He’s gonna change the playing field to kind of run through the history of the Earth, showing us that in every period of history his outfit was never acceptable.

Also he got the history a...little bit wrong. You had to have people before Noah’s ark but...whatever. I took astrology, there’s a lot about planet formation we’re still kind of guessing on, so do whatever you feel like, Yugioh. It’s not like any kids watching this got real pissy about how Noah was totally botching the Archean period.

He also decides to dump on us how he got so smart. See, Kaiba got smart by studying a lot, surrounding himself with people way dumber than him, and then just bossing everyone around him until they agreed with him that he was very smart. In Noah’s case, it’s because he’s literally a computer.

I’m really glad I get to find another anime that’s all ham about this tree. In this case just slapping it on there for a few seconds, long enough for me to say “WHAT THE HELL, KIDS SHOW?” before it vanishes again.

Good on you, Noah. You just...casually slipped that in there.

Ah, but unfortunately, the AI who is like...not even human and is *pretty sure* He’s Noah Kaiba is still kind of attached to his Dad. Maybe it was a part of his core code that he couldn’t reject his Father? I dunno, just seems weird that he achieved enlightenment and was like “So uh...I guess I’ll play cards and take over a mindless corporation. Good use of my time.”

(read more under the cut)

Kaiba’s reaction to hearing that his brother stores all of human knowledge was “well, it can’t possibly be that difficult. I’ve done way more than that. I have a homeschool degree and half a high school diploma so go to Hell, bro.”

Yo how many people would sit down, turn to their computer, and just start shouting at their core processor about how they’re waaaay smarter than it? Remember that during this entire conversation, Kaiba is shouting at a literal computer.

So anyway, we finally get to see why they bothered showing us spider room a few episodes back. Youknow, that room with the baby in it? Turns out...there was never a baby in this room, since Noah was a kid when he first woke up here.

Before it was covered in spiders, it was covered in blue and off white. This is a very boring Martha Stewart room in different shades of robin eggshell. You can tell this kid is a Kaiba because oh boy that is a...really boring 50 yo housewife look, ain’t it?

I’m sure it’s symbolic for the fact he is hella dead and innocent at this point but like...every time we see Kaiba interior design it’s just the last type of design you expect from this high octane family.

Anyway, Noah’s kind of surprised to be awake because, last he remembers, he was very much hit by a car.

Ya, I mean, if you have to tell your son you Frankenstiened him into a horrible crime against humanity, might as well tell him as quickly and bluntly as possible, I guess.

Anyway, because Noah existing breaks the most basic moral human laws in every country on Earth, they kinda can’t let him go anywhere, which means that to prevent the loneliness, Kaiba gives him...a pet?

So Noah and the dogcat decide to travel through Domino and realized very quickly that there were only like...five NPC’s. There’s like an ice cream girl, and like a couple walking people, and that’s about it.

Noah’s words were something like “man this place is full of glitches!” because his dogcat wouldn’t stop barking and he threw a rock at it and it didn’t care. Glitches.

I guess it’s one way to look at it?

It feels like Noah got somewhat cursed like Pharaoh did, just a little bit. Like not completely it’s just that I can’t help but notice both are trapped in some sort of basic geometry shape--Pharaoh’s is a pyramid and Noah’s is an orb, and both have untold superpowers matched with some heavy depression that goes with having said superpowers. Not to mention, both have a host body all set up for possession, it’s just Kaiba is a little bit youknow...unwilling to participate. They’re very different obviously it’s just...way to trap your characters in shapes.

Anyway, last episode I felt like maybe Noah liked being an orb, this episode he’s made it a little more clear that it is kind of not great being an orb...but only because he can’t throw any rocks at dogs or have real conversations with anyone but his own Dad.

Anyway, Noah got a little bored. So his Dad sent him to virtual Mars.

And now Noah only finds joy in hacking his digital pet. Relatable.

Now I know a good chunk of you are my age--that good Jenna Marbles age--and will know exactly what I am referring to, as for the rest of you, turning your digital pet into a hell creation was just a thing we all did in year 2000ish. All of us did this.

And I was like “I bet you, that someone out there has made a robot Hex, I guarantee” because I spent...I want to say 2 years of my life downloading modded breedz of Catz 4? I even tried to do it myself but I wasn’t any good at it because I was super young and bad at computers, I never actually got Robbie William’s Millennium as a Catz meow (though trust me, I did try. It was my life’s dream when I was small.)

But the closest I found to a Robot Petz was this?

Dang. Look at that thing. This one is actually pretty good because it does resemble an animal. I admire it a lot. Trust me, I spent like days moving my bunniez feet around trying to make a dragon and just ended up downloading someone else's dragon.

And then, from the same page I saw this gem right above it.

HELL YES........

....I freakin love this period of the internet so freakin much. I was only ever really a part of a couple of fandoms as a child and the Petz fandom will forever hold a little part of my heart. I mean, look at this. What’s not to love?

Like, Catz is probably number 3 on my list of best games ever made. Not so much because the game was any good, but because none of the files were protected in any way so even kids like me could hack in there and make the weirdest abominations and post them all to their Angelfire pages.

Well, other kids could, I was so baby that I was still using my Mom’s email address and did not know how to put a damn thing on my webpage. Which I did have. But it had like...only frames. It had like 3 words and just me splitting the page into 50 frames because I did not know what I was doing.

I apologize to all the kids in the room who have never seen a web page covered in ugly ass frames. You lucky bastards.

....but Petz...Noah was into PETZ. I can respect him for that.

I still think he’s a little creep-o, but knowing that he hacked his pet has given me a lot of appreciation for his work.

Anyway, it was after Noah changed the boring ass simpleton dog into a much better dog that Gozoboro decided “I have made a monster, I am abandoning my boy.” Which uh...this was the thing?

This?

I mean as far as body horror goes, Litterbox up there is way worse. As far as body horror goes, we also have, Jinzo over here, but the digital dog with a cute robot head was the thing that made Gozoboro say “What have I done!?” The dog is digital, it’s not even alive.

Especially since I feel like the follow up question Noah made was like way more frightening than the dog thing?

Kaiba glazes right over this entire conversation. Like full stop, he didn’t even seem to blink. No part of this story even slightly surprised him, although I will admit, at least Seto has decided that Noah...exists and might in fact be a robot his Father made once. This in itself is a big deal for Kaiba, who has a goldfish memory and denial wider than the sea he’s trapped under.

First of all, congrats to the storyboarder/animator for drawing a hand in that angle, mad respect.

Second of all, this is pretty close to the actual line from the show, Kaiba legit thinks that his Dad wanted Kaiba to be the president, after he knows full well that his Dad was like “Don’t Take Over My Company, You Little Twerp” and then like tried to even send Seto back to the orphanage whence he came. Kaiba’s pretty sure that his Dad wanted that whole thing to happen exactly the way it happened. No regrets. Just family being family.

And Moki’s still chilling on the Moki couch, just kinda taking this all in before he’s summoned unto the field like a playing card.

Ah, yet another person who is like “KILL MEEE” on this show. It’s been kind of a while. Like, who’s left that hasn’t stood in front of a loaded card-gun like this? Duke? Is Duke the only one who hasn’t sacrificed his body for the greater card-good at this point? Is this why Duke is our amoral Chaotic Neutral? Is this why Duke is still the only one who hasn’t died yet (and I’m crossing my fingers still that he’s gonna be our death 169, it can happen, I can believe)?

I feel like this is the season of weird hugs. Like everyone on this show that has hugged has gotten a little weird. The only not-weird hug was when Yugi attempted to hug Joey once and then Joey dodged the hug and wrestled him into an arm-distanced noogie instead--which is technically still not a hug, but the closest we’ve gotten to something a human would do. It is so lucky for our art team that all the huggers are supposed to be hella weird anyway.

Anyway, next episode we get to find out if Noah also had an AIM username or got really into Jelly pens. I can see him getting suuuper into Jelly pens, with hair like that.

Anyway, here’s a link to Season 1 Ep 1 to read in Chrono order, in case you just got here and you’re looking for that.

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multisfabulis · 5 years

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The Road to Forgiveness Be Damned

Ripples of the Past (Chapter 2/7)

Word Count: 3793

As per a poll I ran on Twitter to see if anyone wanted chapter 2 sooner or later, I’m posting this now rather than after finishing chapter 3!

Not gonna lie, this will probably be the most lighthearted chapter of this story and, to me, that’s saying something. This won’t have the dark stuff I mentioned last chapter nor is it going to be an emotional rollercoaster like the next couple chapters will be. Enjoy it while you can.

As always, I hope you enjoy reading this and I look forward to any and all criticism you have!

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Dim morning light peeked through the vines as Ferreth waited up for Ven. Were it not for the noise outside, he’d have no idea how early it was. He needed to get better at waking up earlier. If they wanted to accomplish their task within the four day time limit, he couldn’t be sleeping in like this. It’d help if he knew how far they’d have to go to the swamp but nothing in life was that easy.

He found it weird how Filaurel didn’t tell them of anything to look out for. Nothing of its appearance, its behavior. If he didn’t know better, it was almost as if she was setting them up for failure. By not telling them jack, they’d waste away the four days wondering what they were hunting for till they eventually gave in. It’d be par for the course for that sadistic bitch.

The way she treated Ven yesterday infuriated him. Barely letting her get a word in, twisting her words around to seem as if she were at fault… She probably would’ve done way worse had he not stepped in. He already resented her for being the core of Ven’s issues but her actions yesterday cemented his hate for her. If only he could make Ven realize she wasn’t to be trusted at her word…

Ven came out at that moment, struggling to tie her hair up. She seemed to be the same as ever, though that didn’t mean much to him today. With her tendency to hide how she really felt at times, she may be feeling worse than she let on. She proved herself to be a better actress than he gave her credit for sometimes.

Despite his concern, he mustered up a smile and asked, “Hey, how’d you sleep last night?”

“The usual,” she replied, becoming increasingly frustrated over tying her hair up without the help of a mirror.

“Any nightmares?”

“No more than usual. Hey, can you help me with this? I can’t seem to get it right…” She held out a brush and hair tie to him.

Although she said that nonchalantly, he was worried. She may be used to the nightmares but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to. Seeing how she acted when they arrived, he hoped being here wouldn’t exacerbate those bad dreams at some point. The only thing he could do was lend an ear, though he wished it wasn’t so.

Brushing through her hair, he asked, “Ven, you’d tell me if the nightmares got worse, right?”

“Would that be okay with you?” she asked, the tone of uncertainty he’s heard times before present in her voice. “I don’t want to be more of a burden to you than I already am…”

“Yeah!” He gathered all of her hair and tied it up into a ponytail. “I know I can’t do more for you than just listen but… I’ll always be there for you, you know?”

She barely responded to his words. He couldn’t tell if she believed him or wanted to, in any case. His mind flashed back to the time they had to wait out rain in a cave nearby during one of their missions. He promised her she could rely on him in times like this and no way in hell would he back out on that now. Not when she might need him to help her through this.

Putting an arm around her shoulders, he bumped his forehead against hers and said, “Remember, you can lean on me whenever you want to. I can’t offer much but I’ll be there for you. I promised you that and I’m sticking by it.”

The smallest glimpses of a smile rose up on her face. Smiles were rare to see from her, making this moment mean more than it usually did. He loved her smiles just as much as he loved her and wanted to make her as happy as she deserved to be. No matter how long it may take him, he was determined to see her smile without anything holding her down.

Upon leaving, they made their way over to the outskirts. It was considerably busier today, with carts going in and out at the gate and several guards checking the insides of each one. If they were worried about someone bringing in contraband, that person would be pretty stupid to do it in plain sight.

He felt hands grab onto his arm, knowing them to be Ven’s. This was something she did whenever she felt there were too many people around and needed to ease her anxiety. She was like Eric in that they absolutely hated being in or around crowds because it’d overwhelm them to the point of panic attacks. Unlike him, she still hadn’t gotten a handle on it yet. Being in this place probably didn’t help.

He also felt as if there were eyes on them. Someone watching them from a place he couldn’t see, no matter how many times he looked. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was Filaurel making good on her threat through one of her lackeys. Nice to know the bitch didn’t trust them to carry out her “assignment” without any supervision.

Getting through the gates was surprisingly easy. He thought, for sure, they would be stopped and he’d have to waste time convincing the guards to let them go. Instead, they just saw them off without a word. Whatever the reason was, he wasn’t complaining and went on his way. Once they were far enough away from the village, she let go of his arm and walked alongside him.

Making their way westward, he hoped to find a high place to scout from. It wasn’t necessarily a requirement but it’d be nice to have one all the same. At least it’d prevent him from going into his Dradnach form and waiting a while to turn back once he was done. If he were an Air Dradnach, none of this would matter and he’d just be able to fly up. Just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of “why being an Earth Dradnach sucks”.

“Ferret, could you… not help me so much with this?” she asked out of the blue as they trekked up a steep hill.

Taken aback by her question, he stopped walking and replied, “W-what do you mean? I can’t just not help you.”

“I know, it’s just that…” She stopped at the peak. “I feel like if I depend on you for anything I could do on my own, it won’t feel as if I’ve truly earned my forgiveness. It’s hard for me to explain and I know it doesn’t make any sense but… I’m only asking that you not help me a lot with this task. Not until I feel as if I’ve put in the work. Can you do that for me, please?”

How could he just not help her with this? It wasn’t that he doubted she could carry this out on her own or saw her as a damsel in need. He knew better than anyone how strong she was and how extraordinary her abilities were. It seemed like she was only asking this because she believed it’d get her into Filaurel’s good graces. Knowing her, it still wouldn’t be enough.

Even so, he begrudgingly gave in and said, “All right but I’m not promising anything.”

“It wouldn’t be right of me to ask you to promise something like that.”

They continued on till they reached a field. A couple dead trees were over to their left while their right had nothing but tall grass blowing in the breeze. Despite the sun bearing down on them, it was a nice day today. The perfect day to do some reconnaissance, he thought.

Unfortunately, this would be where they’d stop. He didn’t know how much further the swamp was and they needed a good view of it to proceed onwards. No way could they risk stumbling in there blind only to get ambushed. Too bad it meant turning into his Dradnach form but it couldn’t be helped.

“Hey, Ven,” he called out to her, “I think I know how we can do recon.”

Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, “We’re not moving ahead?”

“Nah. We don’t know how close or far we are from the swamp and I’d rather play it safe than risk falling into a trap.”

“Okay, so what’s your plan?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Well, since I’m about 20 and a half feet tall as a Dradnach, I could just turn, have you on my head as lookout, and turn back in the span of… 10, 15 minutes.”

“We’re really desperate, aren’t we?”

“It’s better than nothing. Besides, I know you’ve gotta be dying to see what I really look like. It is a pretty rare occasion, you know.”

A snort and roll of her eyes gave way to a small smile. He liked making her smile, whether it be through cracking jokes or playful teasing. Her laughs were even rarer than her smiles and he managed to do that twice this trip. Even if their mission came out as a bust, today wouldn’t all be in vain.

“All right, I’m gonna go change,” he said, heading into the field on his right side, “Don’t freak out if you see a big, fat, brown lizard in a few minutes!”

The grass was about chest-high as he pushed past the golden blades. He needed to be a good distance away for this. His transformations always took quite a bit of space and there was no telling how much room he had in this field. He wandered down a straight line for some time before stopping.

This spot was as good as any. He did some warm-up exercises, such as stretching his arms and legs out and cracking his bones, to prepare himself. The last time he did this was in Thornewind several months ago, back before he met Eric. At least the reason for it was different this time around. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind of any and all distractions, and underwent the transformation process.

He grew to thrice his size, flattening the grass around him. His skin hardened, causing scales that felt rough and rigid to grow over. Steely claws made to dig through the toughest of rock replaced his thin fingers. A stubby tail sprouted out from his backside, resembling that of a docked animal. Despite his grand stature, he was smaller than others of his kin, due to not being a pure-blooded Earth Dradnach. His brother loved to lord that over him when he could.

Bringing his head down for Ven, he asked, “So what do you think? Pretty cool, right?”

“If I can be honest, you seem more like a dog than a dragon.” She placed a hand on his snout. “A very scaly dog.”

“How do I look in any way like a dog?”

“Well, aside from the both of you being cute, kind, funny, lovable, and protective, you’re very huggable in this form, like a dog. If you just had fur, you’d be even cuter!”

She let out a laugh as he nuzzled her. Only she could get away with comparing him to a dog and making it sound good. He wished this kind of thing happened more often, though without the “being compared to a dog” part.

“I’m still cool, though, right?”

“Very.”

She climbed up and sat atop his head, waiting. He slowly stood up on his hind legs, carefully raising his head so as to not let her fall. Without any horns or spikes for her to grab on to in case she did, this was especially important. Once he was in an upright position, he could breathe out a sigh of relief. She was still perched on his head, meaning the hardest part of the job was done.

With that out of the way, they saw what laid beyond the field. A dark forest still miles away from their current location sat before a marshy region. Tall willow trees were scattered across black water, decorated with green lilypads and algae. He hoped to see their quarry roaming about but luck wasn’t on his side. Well, they had the lay of the land now, which was all that mattered.

Despite knowing all this, he let her relay the information back to him. He stayed silent, remembering what she asked of him earlier. Things of this nature, such as giving her a boost without taking away her instrumentality, had to be fine by her. Although he couldn’t show it, he was beaming with pride.

Half a day’s travel was his best estimate for the swamp. If he were right, it’d mean they could be out by noon, finish the mission, and be back before dusk. They wouldn’t even need the fourth day if everything went to plan. The deed would be done, they’d report it to Filaurel, and head home the next day.

Soon as he put her down, he turned back to being human. His body shrunk and became more compact, a far cry from his Dradnach form. The scales that grew over him receded, his skin once more smooth to the touch. His claws straightened, thinning out to human fingers again. The stubby tail he had only in this form vanished, as if it never existed in the first place. Now he was back to regular, human-like Ferreth, with the exception of one last thing---

Excruciating pain erupted from his arms, as if someone was jamming several knives into them all at once. He muttered an expletive through gritted teeth under his breath as the pain ebbed. That was the one thing he hated about shifting in-between the two forms. Every time he turned from one to the other, he had to endure the pain that occurred in his arms. No matter how much time had passed from his accident, it still hurt like it happened yesterday.

A hand on his shoulder, Ven was crouched down next to him and asking, “Are you okay? Do you need to rest?”

“I’m all right, I just need a minute and we’ll go, okay?” he replied, giving her an assuring smile.

He looked down to see if blood was beginning to seep into his wrappings. While his arms dully ached, the cloth was still a pristine white. Thank god for that, because he’d have a hard time trying to explain why he was suddenly bleeding. She didn’t need to know the reason why he kept his arms bandaged up. It was an unrelated matter, nothing she needed to be worried about.

Once his small break was done, they began walking back. Cool wind blew in from behind them, ruffling their hair and clothes. It was somewhat reminiscent of Thesriden, a place he didn’t think too fondly of. The times of him being tormented by his brother far outweighed any of the good memories he had of that place. He doubted he’d ever go back there, now that he had an actual home.

“Has anyone else seen you as a Dradnach yet back home?” she asked.

“Nope. I prefer staying in this form--” he gestured to himself-- “since it’s just easier doing stuff than it’d be if I stayed as a dragon.”

“I must be pretty special, then,” she said almost jokingly.

“I’d say being the girl I’m in love with counts as being pretty special.”

A roll of her eyes and a warm smile were all she gave in response. This wasn’t the first time he professed his love to her and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. He didn’t need her to reciprocate his feelings because he just liked being her friend. Not like she’d want to be with someone like him, anyway…

“Oh, I just realized, would your powers be able to work in swamps?” she asked.

“Maybe?” While he did work best in the kind of environment they were in now, swamps were like gray areas. “I mean, if there’s earth around, I can work with it. With swamps, though, everything’s practically mud so it may be tricky…”

“You never tried?”

“My mother died before she could teach me. Trust me, if she were still alive, she’d conquer that swamp for sure.”

Memories of his mother flashed through his mind. He remembered how strong and confident she was, the way she used the water and earth around her so effortlessly as if they were tools for her to create with. She was a woman he was proud of being a son to and he loved her so, so much. Then she died, leaving him alone with his father and brother to deal with. Years have passed since her death yet the scar it left on him still festered to this day.

“I wonder if she would’ve been like her…” He heard her mutter under her breath. It was easy to forget she didn’t have such a thing growing up. She had it so much worse than him and he needed to keep remembering that.

The sun was beginning to set when they made it back. People were either closing up shop or returning home, a scene carried over from yesterday. Quick glances at Ven revealed a face full of melancholic nostalgia. He’ll never understand why she’d want to remember every bad thing that happened in the past when he’d rather just forget it all. Maybe it was just a difference of opinion on how they wanted to cope with the effects of what their crappy childhoods burdened them with.

Having to stay in her childhood home for the duration of their time here made him apprehensive. Despite her assurances of its security, he felt inclined to say otherwise. How the hell was this rickety old house in any way safe, he wondered. Still, he kept his mouth shut so as to not upset her. This was once her home, even if he didn’t have a good thing to say about it.

“Oh yeah,” he said suddenly, remembering what he discovered last night, “did you know anyone named Thessalia?"

Her eyes widened in shock and she replied with, “…That was my mother’s name.”

“I’m only asking because, after you went to bed last night, I got bored and decided to explore a bit. I found this old journal in a drawer and when I opened it, the first page had the name Thessalia on it.”

“Could I see it, please?”

He went over to a dusty cabinet and pulled out the drawer. An old leather book full of yellowed pages sat inside. If this really was her mother’s journal, then it’s been laying in that drawer for about twenty years. The fact she hadn’t known of its existence meant this would be the first time she’d see this.

As he handed the book over to her, she said, “I’ve wanted to know about my mother and who she was for so long and the answers were here the whole time.”

Several different emotions flickered across her face as she held the book in her hands. She took off a glove to feel the crinkled leather from underneath her bare fingers. Then she opened the cover to touch the first page, only to quickly flip through the rest of the musty pages. This was easily the most excited he’s ever seen her and, considering how she was normally, it’s become a big highlight of the trip so far.

Still holding the journal, she hugged him and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

The sudden hug rendered him speechless. Not noticing his lack of a response, she bid him a good night and walked to her room with a bounce in her step. He patted his cheeks to get rid of the blush, flabbergasted at what just happened.

Despite how dazed he was, seeing just how happy she was right now put him in such high spirits. That journal was a goldmine of answers for her, who had been wondering just hours ago what her mother was like back then. No doubt she’d be reading through that book all night tonight.

Even if it ran the risk of her being tired for tomorrow, she deserved this. Hopefully, they didn’t die tomorrow and she could be forgiven for her crime. So long as they kept their wits about them and protected each other, it’ll be smooth sailing. Then, when the four day time limit was up, they could go back home.

#airi's writing #ship tag; Lean on Me

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