The spectrum of sports anime runs from Near Realism to Firmly Removed From Reality.

On one end of this spectrum we have Haikyuu!! which wins over every other sports anime in terms of actually being about the sport. Every part of Haikyuu!! is either playing a match or preparing for a match and almost all of their abilities and plays are firmly rooted in reality. Is it perhaps slightly unrealistic that this one short guy can jump That High??? Maybe, but he IS a shounen battle protagonist (haikyuu follows the shounen battle format perfectly Do Not At Me about this I am Right. The battles are matches. Obviously.) and therefore Hinata being Just That Good and Kageyama being Just That Good is necessary for genre reasons.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something like Birdie Wing, the lesbian golf mafia anime, which I have not seen yet (yet!!! It is on the docket!) but I did watch this video essay about it and I think Geoff Mother’s Basement Thew would agree with my assessment. Which is to say that it’s absolutely batshit off the wall wild and has very little in common with the actual sport of golf. Which is great for me personally, because fuck golf.

Somewhere in between these two extremes lies Sk8 the Infinity which at first seems to maybe have some solid grounding in actual skateboarding and snowboarding technique and jumps even if it is unrealistic that they manage to be mostly fine after high speed crashes with no protective gear, and then fucking Adam shows up and drags the genre towards absurdity until it culminates in a psychic skateboarding battle to the death.

In our universe entering a flow state is something that anyone who is really comfortable with an activity can do, where you are basically embodying the mindfulness principle of One Mind, perfectly aware of everything related to your task and able to act without thinking about it first, in what’s basically a moving meditative state.

In the sk8 universe entering a flow state means getting mentally sucked through a prismatic vortex into a hypnotic paralysis which can be induced by one crazed matador roleplayer pulling you into basically a vampire thrall and can only be broken with the power of love friendship.

Ode to 2020

The year 2020 was a complete shitshow for the entire world. We had a global pandemic that almost destroyed the world. Everyone was stuck inside. Mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, fathers, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. . . everyone was dying. So many people lost their lives due to the virus.

What were you doing during lockdown? Were you learning to bake bread, or maybe learning how to paint? Were you binge watching Netflix, or Hulu, or maybe Disney+? Were you video chatting your parents every day, making sure they were still alive? Or, perhaps, you were on of the ones on the frontlines who was risking your life to make sure everyone else was safe and healthy.

I feel like my 2020 was a bit different. See, that January, I had gone through a pretty rough breakup, lost every single one of my friends, got diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and had started medication. I met someone that February, and traveled halfway across the country to meet him in person. This was all pre-pandemic.

While I was in Nebraska, we got hit with lockdown. I was stuck 1500 miles away from my family, because I felt unsafe to travel back home to Tennessee via public transportation. His family was nice enough to let me stay with them until lockdown ended.

While so many peoples' lives were being destroyed by the virus, I had new love blooming within a heart that I thought was broken for good. The relationship that I had gotten out of previously was toxic and borderline abusive, just like the one before that, and the one before that. This relationship was different though. It felt different.

During lockdown, we would lay in his bed and cuddle, or we would listen to music, or watch Harry Potter. With him, I didn't feel scared. I had finally found the person who understood everything about me and loved me for who I was, instead of trying to make me fit into a teeny tiny box.

I remember being in the basement bathroom, getting out of the shower, getting dressed, and he came down to check on me. I had been listening to music, and a song that we both liked came on. We spent the entire song, singing to each other and looking in each other's eyes.

I would call or video call my parents almost every single day, making sure they were safe, making sure my niece was safe, etc. I missed them so much, but I still didn't want to risk travelling. At this point, most public transportation was shut down due to safety concerns.

We would hang out with his family in the garage, all just having a good time. His family accepted me for who I was. They had absolutely no issue with the fact that I'm nonbinary, like most of the people I had encountered before. This was new, refreshing, and eye opening.

When it became safe to travel again, he and I both went back to my home state, and moved in together. We stayed at my parents' house for about a week, until my house was safe to move into again. After the previous breakup, it took me a long time to be able to stay in my own house because of all the memories from that relationship. But with him by my side, I could do anything.

It's 2023 now, and we've been together for a little over three years. He's asked me to marry him, and we had a handfasting ceremony with our old coven last year on Samhain, in the full moon. It was the most magical night of my life, and although there are some things that I would change about that night, I definitely would not change the man I was with. We're planning on getting legally married sometime in the next couple of years, with no concrete date set yet.

Throughout those three years, he has never left me while I was in a low place. There have hardly been any bad times. He is the sweetest man I've ever been with, and I am so thankful for this relationship. For once in my life, I feel safe with a significant other. I feel like I can be myself and not be judged. I feel like I can unmask. I feel free.

So. . . Thank you 2020 for bring my future husband and me together. If not for the lockdown, I'm not sure how the relationship would have progressed, especially with us being long distance. I feel as if the lockdown helped us bond in a way that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Koty, if you read this, I love you so much and I'm really grateful that I have you in my life. You are the most amazing man that I have ever met. Thank you for being unapologetically you, and allowing me to be unapologetically me. Thank you for all of the stuff that you've introduced me to. Thank you for being there for me through the ups and downs, even though the downs can get really bad and really scary. Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.

Bad Timing (Levi x reader) Part 2

Summary: How do you explain to your friends that you’re falling for your big brother’s best friend? 

word count: 6.3K 

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You followed Levi down the stairs, keeping a bit of distance between you as to not invade his space and risk a sharp pinch or shove. Yeah no definitely not getting any closer, he'd demonstrated his distaste for your closeness early on in your relationship. Memories from when you were in 6th grade and Erwin and Levi were 8th graders flooded your mind. It had been the year that the pair became partners in crime, Erwin had Levi over frequently and you would often find yourself being chased around the house by the boys. One time in particular, your mother was out working and the boys were having a sleepover, not just the two of them but with two other friends of Erwin's as well,Nile and Mike were there as well. You remembered being in the kitchen when they emerged from the basement after a particularly long video game session, and asking them innocently if you could join. Erwin scoffed and told you to go back to your room or else. You responded with: "make me." and they did. Levi was closest and you recalled being dragged across the kitchen floor and up the stairs, giving you an awful carpet burn, and then being promptly tossed into your room. The boys laughed at the display as Mike slammed your door behind you and held the knob so you couldn't escape. You recalled the embarrassment burning on your cheeks as you inspected the rug burn on your side and back, and to your horror you realized that meant your shirt had ridden up and all those boys had seen your stomach. You shook your head at the memory, despite all the torment somehow you couldn't bring yourself to despise Levi, his presence was simultaneously unnerving and calming to a degree.

By the time you had pulled yourself out of your reverie you and Levi were already in the parking lot, you still remained a couple steps behind Levi who was focused on spinning his keys around his index finger.

"On a scale of one to ten how fucked up do you think shitty-glasses is going to get tonight?" Levi broke the silence, sparing you a glance over his shoulder. Slightly taken aback by his initiation of conversation you took a moment to collect your thoughts before responding.

"Hm, probably a solid six, she seemed pretty excited." you said thoughtfully as Levi unlocked his car and climbed into the front. A moment of hesitation passed over you before opening the back passenger side door, you had never ridden in a car alone with Levi before.

"What are you doing?" he asked, gripping the headrest of the passenger seat as he turned to look back at you.

"Oh, um I wasn't sure if you wanted me to.." you said awkwardly as you sat halfway in the car.

"Sit up front." he said, his grey eyes cold and unnerving as ever. You nodded quickly climbing into the front before he changed his mind. He turned his keys in the ignition and the car roared to life. You couldn't help but notice that his hand remained on the back of your headrest as he turned around to check behind the vehicle before backing out. You leaned back in the seat as you lifted your hips to get into your back pocket for your phone. Levi finally removed his hand to shift the gear into drive. You had to admit, he had nice hands, his fingernails were usually painted black, but sometimes he would switch up the color even if they would end up chipped in a couple days. He also always made sure to wear rings on at least one of his hands. You let your eyes wander up his right forearm which happened to have his one and only tattoo on it, a snake that wrapped around his forearm, head beginning at his wrist and ending at his elbow. 

Levi pretended not to notice the way your gaze lingered on his tattoo, he wondered if you liked tattoos, he knew you liked piercings, your ears were covered with them. He flexed his arm as he shifted his gear when he pulled out of the campus. His music as always was too loud to allow conversation so you just leaned back and closed your eyes. You were just starting to relax when your nose was assaulted by the strong odor of a fruity scent. Cracking an eye open you looked over to see the remains of Levi's smoke blow out his cracked window. Once again he held his juul out to you. You pursed your lips in thought, no you usually didn't vape, but this was one of the rare moments that Levi seemed to acknowledge your existence so you accepted. You inhaled the vapor with less of a struggle this time and managed to blow the smoke out of your own window. Levi didn't hold his hand out for his juul back so you awkwardly dangled the e cigarette over the cup holders with a loose grip.

"Just set it on my lap." Levi grunted as he focused on shifting gears again. You blinked, momentarily taken aback before you dropped the device onto his lap. He nodded his thanks, keeping his silver eyes on the road. Levi was driving a bit slower than he normally does, because of how dark the night had become, suddenly his phone rang without a second thought he answered the phone.

"Hello...Yeah, I can send you the location once I get there.... just bring the chasers.....yep." and with that he hung up, your curious (e/c) eyes watched him as he tightened his grip on the wheel. He hated how you stared,

"You've got a staring problem." he mumbled as he turned into your drive way. You huffed, crossing your arms across your chest as you leaned back, making a point to face the road.

"I do not...Who were you on the phone with?" you asked as he pulled into his usual space.

"Not that it's any of your business but...Petra." he said as he turned the keys, the car sputtered off, plunging your drive way into darkness.

"I think it becomes my business when you invite people over to my house." you replied cooly, gathering your purse and keys before climbing out into the dark. You walked briskly to the front door and quickly unlocked it, kicking off the vans and nudging them on the small rug that you'd had for years. Levi closed the door behind him before doing the same as you, pausing after he finished removing his shoes to watch you disappear around the corner into the kitchen. He frowned after you when he noticed your purse on the ground under neath the hooks where it usually hung. Sometimes you really were hopeless, he stooped down to rehang the bag. He heard you washing dishes and cupboards opening and closing. Finally you peeked your head around the corner to see if he was there.

"Well, are you going to come in?" you asked, eyebrows pinching as you watched him spare a quick glance over his shoulder.

"Sorry I was too busy cleaning up after you." he hissed as he padded into the kitchen and dropped onto a stool. You frowned at him as you wiped your hands on a hand towel, "I'm going to go change." you stated as you dropped the towel onto the counter carelessly. Levi wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sight of the dirty towel, he watched you stalk up the stairs, your phone in your face. Just as he sat down the door bell rang, with a small sigh he stood up and answered the door. Petra Ral stood on the other side, two grocery bags in her hands, being the gentleman he was Levi took one of the bags as she walked in.

"Oh thank you Levi!" she smiled up at him, being one of the few people shorter than he was. He grunted and led her into the kitchen where they began setting out the chasers. You tensed, pausing at the sound of Petra Ral and Levi exchanging pleasantries in your kitchen. It wasn't that you hated Petra, you just weren't in the same circle. She was nice enough, being only a year older than you, she was a junior this year, one of the most popular ones at that. The few interactions the both of you had shared were painfully awkward and clumsy to say the least. She often ended up at the same gatherings as you and often tried to talk to you. You finished pulling on the pair of fuzzy socks and gathered your courage. Walking slowly down the stairs you found Levi and Petra in the kitchen setting out solo cups and handles of liquor alongside the chasers. They hadn't seen you yet, too busy unpacking the goods to notice you at the bottom of the stairs. Just when you thought you'd escape unscathed, your phone rang as you stood at the top of the basement stairs. The feeling of two pairs of eyes burned a hole into your back as you answered.

"Erwin hey! Boy am I glad to hear from you! How was the game?" you asked, loud enough for the pair to hear as you turned around and made a beeline for the front door.

"Uhhhh, I can call back if you were waiting to hear from Erwin..." Jean said awkwardly.

"No no things are fine here!" you said loudly as you slammed the front door shut behind you.

"okay...." the poor boy said quietly.

"Hey sorry about that, Levi was in the kitchen and he's in a shitty mood, doesn't want me having people over or some bull shit." you said, popping a hip out to prop yourself against the side of the house.

"Uh, isn't the party at your house?" Jean asked.

"Yeah but Erwin is in charge and since Erwin isn't here my mom put Levi in charge so here we are." you sighed as you knocked your head back against the siding.

"Oh, you want to come around mine then? We could just drink some of my mom's wine and watch The Office or some shit." Jean purposed hopefully. You shook your head, even though he couldn't see it.

"Can't. I already told Mikasa, Armin, and Eren they could come over." you responded.

"Oh gottcha. Well what time should I come over then?" he asked eagerly.

"Now, please come over now before Levi and Petra start making out in my kitchen." you begged, a small chuckle escaping your lips. He laughed with you, a clear image of his smile in your mind at the sound of his hearty laugh.

"Okay I'll be there in 5." he said, and with that you hung up. You hurried back inside, the cold was beginning to seep into your bones. Levi and Petra remained in the kitchen, Petra was dumping a bag of chex mix into a large bowl as you entered the room. Levi was leaned against the counter, his hips facing Petra as they spoke about school.

"-Yeah I know! The SAT was a lot harder than I expected, I'm glad you helped me study for it!" she spoke in a sweet tone. Levi just grunted and turned to face you,

"Who was that?" he asked bluntly. You licked your lips and blinked rapidly.

"Wha-what do you mean? It was Erwin." you said, your brows pinching together as you squirmed under Levi's acidic gaze.

"Erwin my ass, he never calls you." he huffed, turning his attention back to Petra.

"He's my brother of course he calls me." you snapped, turning to get a cup out of the cupboard for some water.

"Yeah right." he said, unamused.

"Besides why do you want to know who's calling me?" you asked, a triumphant grin curling onto your lips. Petra raised a brow and looked between you and Levi. Honestly this was the first time she had seen you both interact and she was very confused what the dynamic was here.

"I don't." he huffed, his own face screwing up in annoyance as he watched a smug expression settle onto your features.

"Good, then keep your head out of my ass." you said as you walked back into the front of the house, just as Levi noticed a pair of headlights sweeping up the drive. His face fell further into a scowl at the sight of a second pair close behind the first. Before he could go ask you who was here the front door opened to reveal Jean. Peering around Jean, Levi could recognize the other trio of brats from earlier walking into the house. You welcomed them inside and after they had removed their shoes, ushered them through the front room, where they all stood in the kitchen as you scurried to collect the drinks and snacks they brought.

"So what movie?" you asked as Mikasa began working on opening the wine.

"I was thinking Halloween." Armin said, those bright baby blues sparkling even in the fluorescent lighting.

"Sounds good." you answered as you began pouring wine into red solo cups and handing them out. Levi watched with hard eyes as you finished off the bottle, handing the last cup to Jean.

"What are you drinking?" Jean asked as you tossed the bottle into the recycling.

"Oh I'm going to have a rum and coke." you said as you moved to open the handle of Captain Morgan . Jean nodded, pleased with your answer. As you busied yourself with mixing your drink you motioned for the bunch to retreat into the basement, to which they happily obliged. Once all the kids were out of ear shot Levi whirled on you.

"Too fucking many brat." he snarled, Petra winced and pretended to busy herself in the living room.

"My fucking house old man." you hissed back as you shoved past him with your drink. Levi's gaze burned holes into your back as you retreated to the basement and out of his sight. Once Petra was sure you were gone she returned to the kitchen.

"I mean as long as they stay in the basement I'm sure everything will be fine." she said soothingly, her hand daring to rest on his elbow. His gaze was fixed on the door to the stairs, the lights shut off and the sound of chatter floated up the stairs. He turned to face Petra now, having to slightly look down, not something he got to do often.

"You're right, let's finish getting ready." he said, trying his best to return the girl's soft gaze. Maybe if he played this right he could get laid. The thought crossed his mind as he watched Petra turn back to filling up snack bowls. Nah, not tonight, not when all those shits were in the house. He let his mind wander back to the crowd and remembered the sight of Mikasa, they didn't get along, not at all. In fact just the sight of her reminded him of what a solid uppercut she had. The memory of her fist connecting with his jaw as he tried to pull you away from those brats made his cheek pulse. He opened and closed his mouth subconsciously at the memory. Just as he was about to continue wiping down the counters, the front door opened and in came Nanaba and Hange. Longtime best friends, closely followed by Moblit, a junior who was starry-eyed for Hange despite her relationship with Erwin. Mike and Erwin would come together from the game, and hopefully that would be it. Just when Levi was about to warn Hange about all the brats in the basement, you came running up the stairs. Your phone was pressed to your ear as you made a dash for the front door. Levi barely heard your conversation but what he did hear was more than enough.

"-NO Erwin please God no, they're so mean, I swear to God if you bring those brutes here I'll..." you cut yourself off as you slammed the front door closed again.

"Woah, someone is on edge." Nanaba ribbed Hange as the pair came into the kitchen, again with Moblit close behind, just happy to be in Hange's presence. Hange was focused on the door with narrowed eyes, her glasses had been pushed back on top of her head. Petra was talking to Moblit, the pair being the same age seemed to get along quite well, Nanaba favored being by Hange, but unlike the redhead, her attention was fixed on the basement door. A loud thump from the basement made Levi's blood pressure spike.

"Who all is down there?" Nanaba asked, gesturing towards the basement as another yelp carried up the stairs closely followed by yet another thump.

"There's four people down there." Petra answered, a sweet smile glued onto her face.

"Not people, messy inconsiderate brats." Levi hissed as he moved to go give those idiots a stern talking to. Before he could make it very far Hange stuck an arm out and caught him, her head still turned to the front door where you stood with your back to the growing crowd, speaking in a hushed tone. He paused to take in the rigidness of your posture, your white knuckled grip on the phone was a bit concerning.

"I'll go see what's up." Hange said before dropping her arm and turning to approach you. The first attempt was futile, you waved her off and took a few steps away from her. But when Hange reached out and caught your shoulder, you turned and looked up at her with wide, almost angry eyes. He watched you hang up and then exchange a few hushed words with Hange. Your shoulder sagged and you nodded as Hange spoke. Probably yet another one of your tantrums, they had been happening more frequently in the past year or so. Erwin mentioned how you suddenly would lash out at him or other family members, although your mother seemed to be untouched as of the last time he had heard. Finally Levi watched you disappear down the stairs, Hange slid up alongside him as he allowed the chatter to fall into the back of his mind.

"Reiner is coming, along with Bertoldt." she spoke like the problem was obvious. But Levi had no clue why this was such a big issue. You had gotten along with the boys in the past, even having Reiner over a couple times. He would remember because he took it as an opportunity to embarrass you. He turned and furrowed his brows at the brunette. She sighed, rolling her eyes,

"Her ex boyfriend, and if Bertoldt is coming I'm almost certain Annie will be here too." Hange said, Levi blinked and held up his open palm to halt Hange's impeding rant.

"I'm sorry her what now?" he asked his eyes scanning Hange's face in search for any signs of bull shit.

"How did you not know?" she asked incredulously as she turned to face him full on. He mirrored her stance, their hips propped against the counter as they engaged in conversation. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, eyes dropping to the floor. Reiner Braun, a fucking air head football player, a meathead, a jock, an absolute asshole. Hange watched with raised brows as Levi stewed in this new information, she had known that deep down Levi cared about you in some degree. She also knew that you cared for Levi, even if all the boy did was torment you. The sound of the front door prevent Hange from speaking, the excitement of Erwin's arrival taking precedence. She peeked around the corner into the front room where the boys were kicking off shoes to add to the pile.

"You boys can put your stuff down stairs, to my understanding that's where all the other kids are." Erwin's voice sounded strained as he spoke to the younger boys. Eld, Gunther, Oluo, and Mike crowded into the kitchen, whooping and cheering. Erwin trailed in behind Bertoldt and Reiner who veered towards the basement, Levi's nose wrinkled when he watched Bertoldt duck his head as the pair descended into the basement. Moments later the noise levels skyrocketed in the basement. The kitchen quieted momentarily at the sound of yelling, finally after about two minutes of yelling Jean exploded out of the basement with his face completely red, you followed close on his heels. Both of you stopped dead in your tracks at the sight of all the older kids staring at you. Your own face flushed as you grabbed Jean's hand and tugged him towards the stairs that lead to the second floor, aka where your room was. Hange again discreetly grabbed Levi's wrist and sent him a pointed look.

"Don't, I'm sure Erwin will find time to fix this." Hange whispered, not doing much to calm Levi's fiery emotions. Erwin sighed loudly and dropped his plastic bag on the counter before quickly climbing the stairs. The chatter slowly resumed, especially once the kids from the basement emerged for more drinks. Reiner and Bertoldt were clearly being shunned, the only brat that was speaking to them was Armin, who still seemed hesitant. Finally Eld figured out the bluetooth speaker and connected to the device, filling the house with music and the din of friendly banter. But all Levi could think about was what was occurring upstairs. You had been up there with Erwin and Jean for about fifteen minutes. He would know, he'd been watching the green numbers on the microwave slowly change as Petra practically clung to his bicep. Finally Levi watched Jean creep down the stairs, his shoulders weren't nearly as taught as they had been when he went up stairs, Armin made a beeline to the boy and immediately the pair descended down stairs, Mikasa and Eren followed close behind, while Reiner and Bertoldt hung back dejectedly. As soon as the group was gone the front door opened, revealing a short blonde girl with cold blue eyes, a brunette with wide brown eyes and a lanky almost awkward stance, a large bag of food in her grasp. Behind the tall girl was a bald boy with a wide grin on his lips, his hazel eyes were busy taking in the scenery.

They blindly followed the blond in and began setting up the food. Levi narrowed his eyes at the kids as they made their way to Reiner and Bertoldt. The blond stayed with the pair while the other two quickly ducked into the basement. Way too fucking many kids were here right now. Definitely not one of the biggest parties that had been thrown here but definitely approaching Levi's comfort thresholds. He glanced at Hange to see her occupied with Oluo, who was making a stink about some science shit. Now was his chance, when Petra released her death grip on him he slid away, and ran up the stairs two at a time. He paused outside of your door, it was hard to hear what was going inside the room due to the loudness of the crowd downstairs. Finally he brought his fist up to the door and gently knocked. This was stupid, he should go back down stairs and let you sort yourself out.

"Come in." Erwin. Levi slowly opened the door, you were perched on your bed, eyes not leaving Erwin who couldn't look less bothered.

"Ah Levi thank God you're here, tell (Y/n) that she is being unreasonable." Erwin said, dropping his hand into his lap as he spun in your desk chair. Levi stood awkwardly, unsure of where to sit, the bed or that awful circle chair in the corner of your room? The appropriate choice would be the chair, but he chose the bed. He dropped onto the end of the bed without looking at you, he felt you shift as you turned to prop yourself up against the head board.

"No, Levi tell Erwin he's the unreasonable one." you hissed, your eyes still trained on your big brother. Levi sighed, a wave of relief crashed over him and he allowed his shoulders to sag a bit.

"Is that really what you two have been doing up here all this time?" he asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Erwin smiled at the way Levi relaxed, his arms sliding backwards to prop himself up as he stretched his torso out. You curled further in on yourself as you watched Levi take up most of the space on your bed.

"You're missing your party, in your house." Levi scoffed as he let his gaze flit between the two of you.

"So now it's my house?" you whispered, a small smile curving onto your lips as you glanced up at Levi. Erwin let out a booming laugh as he watched his best friend and his little sister finally get along. Erwin stood up and walked over to you, resting a hand heavily on your shoulder,

"Don't worry, I'm sure that since you and Jean are finally getting serious Reiner will respect your space. But if not...." he trailed off and squeezed your shoulder. Levi furrowed his brow at those words, 'since you and Jean are finally getting serious' very concerning.

"Hold up, Jean?" Levi sneered, his noes wrinkling in disgust. You mimicked his face, screwing your eyes shut and poking your tongue out.

"Yeah. And what about it?" you jeered playfully, honestly Levi was just relieved that you weren't a sobbing wreck. So he decided to let this one slide. He shook his head, dark locks falling in front of his smokey eyes. Erwin squeezed your shoulder again, "Let's just go back down stairs." he said, turning to leave. Levi slid off the bed, and followed Erwin out the door, pausing over the threshold to watch you slide off the bed. You brushed past him, careful not to touch him. Levi pulled your door closed and followed you down the stairs. When you emerged into the kitchen you were surprised to find it nearly empty. Hange was the only person that remained, a beer bottle hanging loosely from her fingers. Erwin pulled her into his side, his head tilting down to kiss the crown of her head. Hange leaned into his touch and your heart squeezed painfully in your chest. You could still feel Levi's presence behind you so you made a point of stepping away from the stairs in case you were in his way.

"Gross." Levi clicked his tongue before sliding past you. A nervous chuckle escaped your lips as Levi stalked into the living room where the upperclassmen were setting up Cards Against Humanity.

"Hey." you whirled around, the sight of Jean's chest filled your vision.

"Hey." you breathed back, a relieved sigh escaped your lips as you let Jean grip your shoulders and steer you towards the basement.

"I'm sorry things started off rocky. It was all Eren's fault anyway." Jean said, his arm thrown casually over your shoulder as you paused at the top of the stairs.

"It's okay. In a way I liked watching Eren go bonkers on them." You said leaning into his warmth. He squeezed your shoulder and scoffed.

"Yeah he's a real hothead." Jean said, his eyes wandered over to Hange and Erwin, who quickly averted their eyes when he glanced their way.

"How about another drink?" Jean said, slipping away from you and walking back towards the kitchen. You nodded and followed him back into the quiet kitchen, where your brother and Hange were cleaning up some spillage. Jean grabbed a Smirnoff ice from the cooler on the ground and popped the cap off before passing it to you. You smiled and accepted the cold drink, the sweet alcohol slid easily down your throat, a warm feeling settling into your gut. And suddenly Jean looked like one of those ancient greek gods or some shit. Yes sadly you were a light weight, and normally you preferred to not drink at these functions. You liked watching your peers do stupid things while they were drunk, not the other way around.

The great thing about your house was the open floor plan. Levi purposefully sat on the side of your couch that faced the kitchen, he was aware of Petra's thigh pressing against his. And the stiff arm of the couch digging into his ribs as he tried to hide his deck of cards. His eyes narrowed at the sight of you cracking open yet another Smirnoff. He shifted as he watched Hange grab your cheeks and you laughed loudly, leaning into her grasp. Jean and Erwin were watching you both with amused expressions as Hange finally released your face and switched to squeezing your sides.

"Your turn Levi." Petra giggled, those sweet hazel eyes watching him expectantly. He forced himself to turn his attention back onto the game at hand, throwing a random card into the pile. Satisfied, Petra picked up the pile of cards and shuffled them, Levi was only half listening as she began reading the cards, causing the group to break out in boisterous laughter. But Levi's eyes had wandered back into the kitchen, now you were sat on the counter, gross. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Jean standing right next to you, his hand resting on your thigh as he and Hange engaged in playful banter. Erwin seemed unbothered, his pupils relaxed as he flicked his eyes between Hange and Jean as their volume increased.

"Noooo you're wrong for that!" Hange yelled, the game paused in favor of listening to the heated conversation.

"What noooo, it's perfectly logical to put peanut butter on a hamburger!" Jean matched Hange's energy, his hand squeezing your thigh tighter as he and Hange continued to bicker.

"Jean" you pawed at his jean jacket in hopes of getting his attention. You frowned as he continued to debate with Hange, this would go on forever. You looked to Erwin, who only half heartedly pulled Hange back.

"Hange why don't we go sit with our friends and let them go to theirs." Erwin said, Hange sighed and shot Jean a look that said: I'm not finished with you yet, and then set off into the living room. You hopped off the counter and tugged Jean out of the kitchen and down the stairs. Levi winced when Hange plopped down on the arm of the couch. He clutched his cards close to his chest as Hange draped an arm across the back of the couch and leaned back. Erwin was settling on the floor beneath the both of them. Hange gripped his wrist and tugged, Levi snarled and pulled his cards closer, "What the fuck? Mind your businesses shitty glasses." he knew that it was near impossible to restrain Hange when she was tipsy, let alone drunk. She was unusually strong.

"I don't wanna see your cards I wanna talk to you! In private" she hissed the last part. The group was too busy playing the game to notice their trivial spat.

"What? No." he snapped, still resisting the brunette as she got onto her feet and attempted to pull him onto his feet.

"It's important please Levi." she whimpered, almost pathetically. He spared a glance to Erwin who remained unconcerned, not even looking back as the young woman hauled him onto his feet. Petra yelped at the unexpected loss of Levi's support, she caught herself and looked up a momentary flash of annoyance crossing her open face.

"Sorry I'll return him short-hiccup-ly" Hange apologized, as she pulled Levi through the kitchen and into the front room. Levi finally managed to free his wrist from her iron grip and glared at Hange.

"What?"

"Are you going to ask Petra out?" her question caught him off guard, his scowl dropping, his mouth opening to form a tiny 'o'.

"Again, what?" he hissed, Hange had a tendency to meddle with Levi's life. He should have known better, it had been too long between Hange's meddling.

"Are you-"

"No... I don't know." Levi threw his hands up in defeat. Hange's glasses caught the light, casting an eerie shadow across her face.

"I don't want to hear it." Levi sighed, holding a hand up to stop her rant before it began.

"Oh? Good because I wasn't going to tell you just yet." she giggled, slipping past him and skipping back into the living room and snatched his spot.

"Levi go make sure that their hands are above the blankets down there!" Erwin called, holding up his beer bottle. Levi grumbled to himself as he lumbered loudly down the stairs, and knocking loudly. A chorus of groans startled him and then the drone of the movie stopped abruptly.

"What?" your voice called into the silence. Levi pushed the door open and scowled at the sight. You had a nice basement, with a nice tv and a large L shaped leather couch. Said couch was crowded, starting on the end closest to him was innocent Armin, close by him was Eren, then Mikasa, (who were obviously holding hands). Followed by Reiner, Bertoldt, Annie, Connie, and Sasha, a bag of chips crunched loudly somewhere. Levi stalked so that he could stand in front of the tv and to his horror he saw you sliding off of Jean's lap and wedging yourself between him and Connie. As if he was stupid enough to miss this detail, "Keep it PG down here." he scolded, grey eyes locked on you as he spoke.

"Sorry dad." you slurred, holding your hands up as you leaned on Jean. Connie sniggered and ribbed you as he pushed you further onto Jean. Sasha giggled and chomped loudly on a potato chip. Levi glared at you as you held your hands up in mock innocence. He scoffed, casting one last glance at your legs, they were tangled with Jeans. As he turned to leave, out of the corner of his eye he saw Jean haul you onto his lap, your sweatshirt riding up. He turned around to see you leaning back into Jean and resting your head on his. The movie began to play again and the kids all settled back in to watch the movie. Levi's mood soured, his grey eyes narrowing as he stalked loudly back up the stairs. Fuck, for some reason seeing you all over horse face left a bad taste in his mouth. He hated the way his hands spread over the exposed skin of your stomach and how you basked in his doting. He dropped back onto the sofa with a huff, picking up his cards again, he grimaced when he realized that the cards were damp and sticky from sitting on the alcohol covered table top.

"Disgusting, who spilled?" he snapped, tossing the cards back onto the table. Gunther laughed and took a swig of his screwdriver.

"I think that one was Hange." he said, pointing a finger at Hange who was seated on Erwin's lap. Her brown eyes widened at the accusation.

"Was not! I think it was Eld!" she said nodding her head furiously. Eld said nothing in his defense, as he took a swig of his beer.

"No it was probably Nanaba with her butterfingers!" Mike said, ribbing Nanaba who was trying to take a sip of her drink, the sudden jarring motion sloshing the liquid all across her white shirt.

"Mike!" She yelped, standing up and pulling the wet fabric off her chest. Mike also stood up, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I didn't mean-"

"Ugh. Just help me clean it up please" she huffed, stalking out of the room and towards the bathroom. Mike paused for a moment, all the guys nodded and gestured wildly for him to follow.

"Now's your chance big man!" Hange whisper yelled across the room as she held up her cup in a cheers motion. Mike took big long strides after the young woman, his cheeks already blushing from the attention.

"Attaboy" Oluo jeered after him, all the other guys laughed and made comments on the odd pair.

"I hope they get together! Nanaba really liked Mike." Petra sighed as she shuffled her cards in her lap.

"Hm" Levi hummed in response as she settled back into his side.

"So, where those guys downstairs keeping it PG" she asked, mimicking Erwin's tone.

"No of course not, and I'm sure as hell they aren't now either." He sighed, leaning forward to grab his rum and coke. Petra nodded, Levi noticed how her face seemed a bit lax, her pupils dilated, and cheeks flushed. She was a bit tipsy, her hand landed on his thigh as she threw her head back when she laughed at something Gunther said. He tensed at her feather light touch, but didn't oppose the contact. Petra was nice, a good girl, she didn't party often and when she did she was usually the sober person present. Levi fished into his pocket and pulled out his vape, taking a hit and turning his head away from Petra's strawberry blond head, instead blowing the vapor into Hange's face. Her nostrils flared and her brown eyes grew so wide he thought they might pop out of her head.

"Now listen here short stack." Hange hiss as she turned to pull Levi into a choke hold. Predicable. Levi easily dodged her slow drunken attack, leaning both him and Petra out of Hange's grasp. Petra squealed when Levi threw his arm across her shoulders and ducked his head against her to avoid Hange. The brunette snorted when she saw Levi tighten his grip on the younger girl and lean further away from her, he was a crafty one, she'd give him that. Levi raised a thin brow in challenge and was satisfied when Hange opted to get up and stalk into the kitchen. Petra practically melted into his side as she sprawled out on the couch, swinging her legs up onto the sofa and leaning back into his side. He looked down at her upturned face and allowed his lips to curve up ever so slightly, a soft dopey grin on her face.Hm, this wasn't so bad he could get used to this.

Meant To Be: Part 4

Pairings: Machine Gun Kelly x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, drug use.

Word Count: 3,581

A/N: Y’all can thank @wings-of-a-raven for this one….

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I got him.” It was the simplest sentence in the entire world but it made your heart soar as Colson pulled his arm out from under yours and got out of bed to get Gage. A smile pulled at the corner of your lips and you squinted in the suddenly bright room light to watch the two loves of your life interact first thing in the morning.

“Hey, Gage. What are you cryin’ this early in the damn morning for, huh? Let me guess… you want the tits, don’t you?”

“What are you, like four? Change him.”

“And a half.” Colson countered as he laid his son down on the changing mat. “Yea, I think Mommy forgot my wicked sense of humor, son.”

“Don’t you mean perverted?”

“Same shit.” He chuckled as he leaned down and playfully ‘ate’ Gage’s hand to get him to smile. “What do you think, huh? Is Daddy a perv?”

“Yes.” You laughed as you rolled over enough to pull Colson’s shirt off so you didn’t have to fully sit up yet. “Just bring him here. It’s too damn early to function.”

“Heard that.” He said as he came over and laid his son down in front of you. You used the shirt in your hands just to prop his hips up on and kept your eyes open just long enough to make sure he latched before you closed them again.

“You gunna lay back down and keep me warm or are you just gunna stand there and watch?” You grumbled as you slowly brushed your thumb down Gage’s back as you held him in the right position to nurse. You felt the bed dip behind you before Colson settled right up against your back and put his hand on your hip. You could almost feel the tension leave his body as his other arm slid under your head so that he could lace his fingers with yours above Gage’s head.

“I love you, (Y/N).” He whispered against your shoulder before giving it a feather light kiss. “So fucking much.” You turned your head the slightest bit to look at him and he sat up a couple inches to see your face so neither of you disrupted your son.

“I’ve always loved you, Colson.” You breathed back as the smallest hint of tears welled in your eyes. “But I can’t be hurt by you again… I won’t make it…”

“I won’t baby girl.” He promised as he moved his hand from your hip to cup your jaw. “I swear, I will make this shit right again, no matter what I have to fucking do.” You nodded your head and he quickly shifted enough so that he could lean down to kiss you with every ounce of passion he had in his being. Tears started to fall and you forced yourself to pull back with a shake of your head.

“You can’t make me cry!” You sobbed as you awkwardly reached up to wipe your face. “When I cry, I lactate, and I’ll get milk on the baby…”

“Oh, shit… Honey, I’m sorry.” He laughed as he leaned over you to make sure his son hadn’t fallen victim to an unwanted milk bath. “Fuck, that’s fuckin’ funny.”

“Shut up, Kels.” You huffed with a smile as you wiped your tears away. He chuckled as he laid back down behind you, getting impossibly closer to you this time around. 

“So I think we should do something as a family today.” He said as he tangled his long legs with yours. “Like that waterfall you used to go to as a kid with the bomb ass name…”

“Hooker Falls?” You asked as you pulled his hand off your hip so he could hold Gage up for you. “Shit, I’m always down for a mini road trip. It’s gunna be fucking cold and people are gunna see you.”

“Good, let ‘em fuckin’ see. Our family is fucking awesome.”

——

“Oh, thank the Lord. Where have you been? Where’s Gage? Are you both OK? I’ve been worried sick.” Your mom asked rapidly before you had even gotten the front door to your house all the way open. You paused for a half second, blinked your eyes, and looked over at where she was standing in your kitchen.

“And yet you didn’t call me once to find out if I was OK.”

“Well I just… I didn’t wanna bother you if…” Her words fell off as she looked up at Colson, who gave her a tight lipped smile and a nod.

“Hey Marie.”

“Colson. How are you doing?” She asked as sweetly as she possibly could as she eyed Gage on his hip.

“I’m doing alright. Yourself?”

“Well much less worried now that my daughter is home where she belongs.”

“We’re not staying long.” You said as you gave your boyfriend a gentle push toward the stairs. “Just picking up a few things…”

“(Y/N), can I speak with you alone?” Marie asked before you could head down to the basement. You gave Kels a knowing look and turned your back on him as he headed down to the basement apartment you were renting until you figured out what you were doing next. “He’s not staying here.” 

“No, he’s not.” You sighed as you crossed your arms over your chest. “He’s staying in a hotel…”

“And what happened to ‘he’s an asshole’?”

“Oh, he’s still an asshole.” You huffed with a laugh. “But he’s also Gage’s father…”

“And you’re just gunna let him take my grandson?” She interrupted as she gestured toward the stairs. “Are you on the drugs again?”

“Whoa!” You shouted as you took a step back and held your hands up. “First of all, I am not on drugs because I have a son that is my reason for living sober these days. He gives me a reason to get out of bed and be a good mother for him every day. And being a good mother means giving my son a chance to know his father no matter how much he pisses me off. So to answer your other question, no. I am not going to let him take my son but I am absolutely going to let him be a father and spend as much time with our child as he wants until I know he can handle being a father since he hasn’t been there. But when that day comes, it will be my choice, OK? Now, I am going to go down stairs to pack some stuff up for a couple day sleep over with my baby daddy. And no, there will be no drugs involved, OK? Good talk.” Your mother looked a little shocked at your boldness since she was not used to you being so outspoken as you turned and headed down stairs. 

“Told you she hates me.” Colson said as he looked up from the floor where he was playing with Gage. “So he rolls over… kinda?”

“Yes, he rolls over.” You laughed as you closed the door at the stairs. “He rolls front to back easily but I’m guessing he flailed a lot trying to get from back to front.”

“I got a little concerned.” He huffed with a smile. “So I cheated and helped.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” You said as you crouched down in front of Gage. “What are you doing? Givin’ Daddy little heart attacks, huh?”

“Does this fear ever go away?”

“What fear?” You asked with a glance over at him as you started collecting Gage’s favorite toys. 

“Fear of fucking everything. That he’s gunna just stop breathing, or that I’m gunna fucking break him if I look at him the wrong way.”

“Yes and no.” You smirked at him as you got up to find a suitcase. “The fears just change over time. Like right now, I’m afraid he’s gunna put your nasty ass headphone in his mouth and choke on it.”

“Shit.” Colson muttered as he quickly reached out and pulled his headphones out of his son’s hand, which made him start to cry. “Shit… no, don’t cry…”

“It’s a never ending game!” You called out over your shoulder as you packed up Gage’s clothes and supplies in one bag. “Take one toy away and you better figure out real fast which one will replace it so he stops crying.”

“Still not gunna cut me some slack, are you?” He called out as he laid on his side and held up a stuffed dog that had crinkly limbs.

“Try making noises with it!” You called out over the crying as you stopped in the small kitchen to stock up for a couple days with Kels until you needed to go on a food run anyways. “Wait, let me find my phone first.” He huffed and started making some weird ass noises to try to get his son’s attention. You burst out laughing and abandoned what you were doing to head over to get a video a few seconds before he switched and started having a conversation between the dog and a caterpillar ball that had a bell in it that instantly caught Gage’s attention. You smiled and laid your phone down against the leg of a table to keep recording so that you could pack up some clothes for yourself.

“Fuck, I love you, baby.” You sighed as you stopped long enough to bend down to kiss the top of Colson’s head.

“Love you, too, baby girl.”

——

“So I was thinking.” Colson said as he only half paid attention to the way you were putting your Boba Wrap carrier on him. “We should go on an actual date.”

“You’re supposed to be watching.” You grumbled as you tied the black fabric at his hip.

“I’m watching. Date me, woman.”

“No.”

“No?!” He asked as you lifted Gage out of his carseat and gave his sweet little cheek a kiss. “What’d’a ya mean, no?”

“No means no. Will you hold him please, jeez-a.”

“Oh, you’re gunna date me, bitch.” He huffed as he held Gage to his chest so you could get him wrapped in the carrier properly. “I’m gunna fuckin’ wine and dine your ass.”

“I swear to God, Kels.” You laughed as you pulled the last band into place and made sure all the straps were where they needed to be. “Comfortable?”

“Is this gunna hold him?” Colson asked as he held on to Gage’s backside and back so he wouldn’t fall. You couldn’t stop yourself when you replied with a shrug.

“Hope so.”

“Fuck. I hate it when you do shit like that.”

“He’s fine!” You laughed as you grabbed your bag and the cooler from the back seat. “Do you really think I’d put my kid in a carrier I didn’t trust?”

“OK, fair point.” He said as you locked your car and headed toward the short hiking path. “So let’s talk about this date.”

“Why do you wanna go out on a date with me, babe?”

“Because for the last four… no wait, it’s more like five now, isn’t it? Anyways, I’ve treated you like shit. Like you were just some groupie pussy. But that ain’t who you are. You’re my girl. I’ve been spotted with other bitches leaving the bars and dinners and shit, why the fuck have I been so scared to do the same shit with the love of my life.” You surprised yourself when you couldn’t even find the words to say right away.

“Because being seen out in public with me means so much more than being seen with someone else.” You replied after a few minutes. “Because being seen with me moves us a step closer to a reality neither one of us ever dreamed would happen for either of us.”

“But we’re already there, aren’t we?” He asked as he looked down at his baby boy. “The three of us… we’re a family.”

“Yea.” You breathed with a nod as you reached under your sunglasses to wipe away a tear as subtly as possible. “Yea, we are.”

“Oh, don’t cry.” Colson said, knowing your little moves better than you thought he did. “Come here, baby girl. It’s a good thing, right?”

“It’s still a scary thought, babe. One way or another, it’s a scary thought.”

“I know.” He agreed as he laced his fingers with yours and gave them a little squeeze. “But we’re in it together, right? You, me, and our main man, Gage!” He cupped his mouth and mock cheered for a moment, which made your son squeal with laughter and look up at his dad like he was the greatest thing in the entire world.

“God, you are a dork.” You laughed as you leaned into his side for a moment as the end of the short path finally came into view. “Alright, welcome to Hooker Falls.” Instead of looking at the view you had already seen a hundred times, you looked up at your boyfriend’s surprised face.

“Holy shit.” He gasped as he picked his jaw up off the floor. “Damn this is fire!”

“Yep.” You agreed as you gently tugged his hand to grab a place in the shade up by the waterfall. “Welcome to my home.”

“Why the fuck did you ever leave? Shit, you can jump from up there?! Oh, I’m doing it.”

“Not with the baby on your chest you aren’t.” You giggled as you set your bags down on one of the only partially grass covered spots available. “Give me baby.”

“Mommy’s no fun, Gage.” Kels teased as he held his son to his chest so you could untangle him from the wrap. The second he was free and the wrap was off, he kicked off his shoes, ripped off his shirt, and handed you his bandana, phone, and wallet to jog toward the water.

“Wait for it.” You smirked as you hit record on your cell phone video a few moments before he hit the water. Colson swore loudly and froze in the 55 degree water. You could see the shiver race up his tattooed body as he tried to tell himself to go in deeper but his legs refused to move. “Cold, baby?” You called out as he took a hesitant step.

“Fuck off.” He grumbled, which only made you laugh harder.

“Daddy’s silly.” You cooed as you turned off the video to sit down so you could take a photo or two to post to your private Instagram, which was the only place online that had photos of you and Kels together and photos of your son because the only people that were following you on there were your family and a very select group of friends. You threw out a thicker beach towel on the ground and laid out Gage’s play mat for him so he had some extra padding, and got him comfortable and propped up on a small, half moon pillow before taking your cover up off to enjoy the warm weather.

“Oh, baby boy.” You groaned as you laid on your side beside the play mat and propped yourself up with your hand. “What is Mommy gunna do here, huh?” You looked over and found Colson, who was following a kid that looked no older than 10 up the slightly unclear path to the jump point off to the far side of the waterfall. “You know, your Daddy is a really good man.” You told him as you shamelessly checked Colson out. “He is, but he’s… shit, he’s such a drama queen sometimes. And I love the man to death, baby boy, I really do but that scares me so freaking bad.

Because Mommy’s caught him with other women before. And Mommy’s been forgotten after gigs she went to to see him. And Mommy and Daddy fight a lot over some of the stupidest shit… but I also know that your Daddy would move mountains for us. And I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, you were the push Daddy needed. And trust me, Gage, I hate that I don’t know if getting back together with your Dad now is a good choice after everything we’ve been through already. I just don’t fucking know. But I can promise you one thing.” You cooed as you looked over at him to watch him peacefully batting at a hanging mirror on the play mat above him like it was the most interesting thing in the universe. 

“I promise that no matter what, I’m gunna do right by you baby boy. Even if Daddy turns out to be a fuck head. Yes I will.” You cooed as you grabbed a toy from your bag to distract your son from the mirror for a bit and to get him to practice rolling over. You heard a young boy shout as he jumped in the water and you quickly picked up your phone to record Colson’s first jump. “Get it, baby!” You shouted as you hit play when your boyfriend peeked over the edge to make sure the coast was clear. He took a few steps back and hiked up his slightly baggy swim shorts before taking a running jump off the edge. He executed a nearly perfect back flip and landed feet first in the water. You cheered as he came up for air and shook his hair out of his face and you turned the camera toward Gage’s smiling face. “Did you see that, baby boy? Yea, Daddy did a flip! And his dumbass thought Mommy was gunna let him take you off that jump…”

“Be nice to me, bitch.” Colson said as he swam over to get out to warm up. “Shit that’s freezing.”

“So that’s what the big bad MGK has got to say? It’s freezing? Pussy.”

“OK, let’s see you get in then.” He laughed as he dried his hands on the edge of the towel and reached for your phone.

“Oh no!” You laughed as you used your foot to keep him back. “It’s way to fucking cold for all that shit.”

“You’re a real bitch.” You laughed as he snagged the phone out of your hands and stood up with it. “See ladies and gentlemen. This girl, the smoking hot smart ass that she is, didn’t even bother letting me know that shit was fucking cold just like her heart.”

“You’re a fucking tool!” You laugh as you kicked his shin. “That’s not live or nothin’, by the way.”

“Well then let’s make it fucking live and shit.”

“Wait, what?” You asked as you sat up but Colson held your phone above his head so even if you were to stand on your tiptoes, you still couldn’t reach it. He logged out of your Instagram account and logged into his account instead. “Colson… don’t…”

“Shut up, (Y/N), it’s happening.” He said as he broke the video down into two parts and started typing out a caption. “And when I’m done with this shit, I’m re-adding your account to mine so I can tag you so the whole world knows who my baby mama is.”

“Fucking Christ.” You groaned as you laid back on the blanket. “Well baby boy, looks like we just became Insta-famous. He’s in that video, just FYI.”

“Good, He’s fucking cute as fuck.” He said as he slowly lowered his arms and sat down on the blanket at your feet when he realized you weren’t putting up as much of a fight as he thought you were going to. “There. Check it… oh wait!” He fiddled a little more, adding himself to your account before handing you back your phone with a giant smile. “There. Out there for the whole fucking world to see, now.”

—Family- the most important shit in the whole fucking world. I’ve made the mistake this far of not acknowledging my ride or die the way she deserved but I’m changing that right fucking now, after five years of shit that I dragged her through. Nearly lost my girl for good because of my dumbass decisions but we are EST for life and I am eternally grateful that she saw it in her heart to forgive me for everything I’ve done.

Here’s the bad ass Baker family enjoying the fucking cold ass water at Hooker Falls, a spot where @(Y/I/N) and I should probably move to permanently because fuck knows we’re both hookers at heart… that is if it wasn’t for my awesome baby boy needing diapers and shit.

“Wow.” You breathed as you set your phone down and look up at him with a small smile. “Thank you.”

“Come ‘ere, kiss me.” Your smile grew as he got up and placed a fist on either side of your hips to hold himself up. He captured your lips with his and you cupped his jaw in your hands for a moment before he pulled back with a smirk. “But you better get your ass in that water or I’m just gunna chuck you in.”

“OK!” You laughed as you pushed him back away from you for a moment. “Just watch our kid. And he can’t go in the water, Colson. It’s too cold and he could catch hypothermia because he can’t regulate his temp the way adults can yet.”

“Yes Miss Bossy Pants.” He called out as he laid down next to his son and picked up the toy you had abandoned.

Part 5

I'm thinking about canon Felix again

Like, it could be interesting to see him in season four again, for the majority of it actually;

At the beginning of the season we could get some scenes of him in London, watching videos of akuma attacks again (because of course he did it before his episode, he knew akumas too well)

Except this time he notices similarities between Chat Noir and Adrien. He also knows about his cousin's love for anime and figures that of course that dork would act exactly like that when put in cat-themed leather suit. So, he has strong theory about Chat's identity

He also notices all the butterflies in Gabriel's designs (like Adrien in Collector) so he suspects him to be Hawk Moth (but isn't as sure as about Chat)

To investigate further, he convinces his mother to let him come back to Paris and stay there for a while - under cover of missing his lovely cousin so much and wishing to spend some time with him. Gabriel is not delighted to have a thief in his house (who knows what else he can steal?) but eventually agrees, partly because Amelie can be very convincing, partly because he kinda hopes to find out where the stolen ring is (i have no idea why is it so important for him but it apparently is)

So Felix is back in Paris, trying to be as close as he possibly can to Adrien to observe - so, a lot of time spending together, probably doing some modeling with him and going to same school and class - leading to Felinette??? Because once Felix realizes that Marinette and Adrien are not together, he might decide to "steal" from him another girl - now acting more delicate, especially because Mari is very wary of him (not so much once he turns out not believing a single word from Lila - after all it's nice to have someone at her side)

Anyway it's hard to hide your secret identity from someone who watches almost every your step and at some point Felix finally sees Adrien transforming and has his proof - even makes a video

Next step, steal the ring with his power of magic. When Adrien realizes what happened, it's too late - Felix already managed to help Ladybug with akuma, pretending to be Chat (about suit - since it's result of owner's wishes and kwami's addidions, it would look similar to one from PV - similar to Chat, as Felix wishes, but with differences Plagg uses to give a sign to Ladybug that something's off. But even if she does, Chat explains that he decided to change a little because he got bored of his old suit or something). Since Felix watched carefully avery single record of Chat Noir available on the internet, he can act as him, good enough to convince Ladybug (to some point, probably until situation requires from him to know something only Chat would know - but he is smart enough to avoid those)

As for Adrien, of course he realizes who stole ring and confronts Felix. But Felix refuses to give Miraculous back, threatening to tell everyone Chat's identity (and if Adrien would try it - Felix has video proving who really is hero). Adrien obviously can't let him do this, because of all the risk identity reveal would lead to. Besides, he is just a soft marshmallow believing that people deep inside are good so he hopes he can convince Felix eventually. He considers talking to Ladybug, but doesn't know how to prove that he was Chat Noir - and also doesn't want to put Felix into trouble (as i said, soft marshmallow)

So, we have helpless Adrien, Felix doing a hero work (and he obviously has a reason to do it, just don't ask me what it is okay) and suspecting Gabriel to be Hawk Moth (he has some troubles getting to lair and basement because the only way to get to them is elevator from Gabriel's atelier which is protected all the time) and Ladybug noticing that something's wrong with Chat but probably thinking that he has some problems with his civillian life (which he might admit to so she doesn't suspect the truth)

Where would it all go, i have no idea, i just wanted Felix Graham de Vanily to be involved in season four okay, leave me alone. He might not be my PV child but i decided to like him as separated character, partly because on his own he is not that bad (unless you know why he was created), partly out of spite (someone will not be telling me who am i supposed to like)

Live 2020 debate commentary from a salty, disabled, and VERY pissed gen Z

 Yall he just said he’s immune

My dad just left the room

Bitch are u saying Johnson and Johnson is going to make the vaccine?

sir that’s the diaper company…..smh

Biden just said its going to be a dark winter

#winter is coming

“virus.....that came from china” -trump 2020

“were learning to live with it”-trump 2020

apparently “Biden lives in his basement”-your president 2020

totally accurate.....obviously

ohhhh biden just said were learning to die with it

trump interrupted biden

Mam I thought you said you were muting them?

biden laugh count at 3

he all about the once percent till its the dead ones

trump interrupting at 3...nvm its now 4

this debate is making my dog sad

interrupting now at 5 for trump

trump saying his young sons illness just “went away”

bitch he’s may age and no it did not just “go away”

he was in quarantine for two weeks

apparently nyc is a ghost town 

its not a ghost town trump I live right next to it

loudest neighbors ever

trump don’t call him Anthony

his name is DOCTOR Fauci

treat him with the respect he deserves

Biden looks so sad

nvm he legit looks like the joker right now

HALFWAY MARKKK

why is this at 9?

sir its a school night

I need time to scroll through my feed for hours before collapsing

Biden don’t use the word sovereignty

trump doesn't know what it means

thats discrimination against trumps

ohhh hes attacking hunter (biden) again

so he has a wee drug problem?

at this point everyone got one!

your the one making lewd comments about your infant daughter on national tv

(look it up he talks about his 6 month old daughters legs but and breasts)

get him big b!!

h876689908776- my dog 2020

he wants to express his disappointment

the light boxs is stealing his mother attention

ohh hes being rude to the moderator again

u a strong independent Indian woman get him girll!

mute his mike

prty plz

I am dissapionted in you

he’s saying he’s not allowed to release his taxs

(that is a proven lie)

“i was put through a phony witch hunt”- you'll never guess 2020

hes going after his BROTHER now

how is this allowed?

who decided trumps strategy would be to accuse his opponent of his own crimes?

look at the insults guys its a crystal ball

stay ahead of the scandal's

WILL YOU LEAVE HIS SON ALONE PLEASE

THESE ARE HIS CHILDREN LEAVE THEM ALONE

“i was a business man doing business”-trump 2020

no sir you were another rich white guy taking advantage of tax brakes and cheap foreign labor in asia

#american jobs as long as i don’t have to pay minimum wage

#you know like a DECENT FUCKING PERSON

Trump interrupted again

I lost count a while ago

Biden is staring into my soul

oh Biden just played the middle class childhood card

I haven't heard a single mute so far?

trump just said his bromance with kim jung un saved america from nuclear war

dont through my boy Obama under the bus

and another interruption

my big bro just screamed “MUTE BUTTON MUTE BUTTON MUTE BUTTON”

honestly same

10 more min guys

hang in there

OHHH trump just got MUTEDDDDDD

Biden is now on legitimate policy 

ahhh hes proud of his plan

annd trump just interrupted

trump just kissed up to the moderator

trump just said biden’s more liberal than bernie

ohhh

biden just said trump dosent know who hes running against

hes like “this is joe biden”

like I know bro but slick burn anyway

ohhh they muted trump again!!!!

perfect opportunity to mute missed

trump just blamed healthcare issues on nancy peloski

biden says the the republicans wont pass it

(btw hes actualy right)

2 mins left

and trump is speaking through it

1 min left

omg what a waste of air

I really want him to test his “immunity”

preferably during a harsh winter

ITS TEN GUYSSS

there running over

they still haven't covered immigration

shit

I have just learned there is 30 min left

I think I would rather kill myself than watch the rest of this

I’m seriously have a sensory overload right now

I’m doing this for u

“children are brought here by coyotes”-presedentail cown 2020

what a wack ass sentence

hes like ohIi haven't been putting kids in cages

and then just went but I didn't build them they were built in 2014

(contradiction much)

“who built the cages”

“who built the cages”

“who built the cages”

yes it was Obama but guess what

THEY WERNT BUILT FOR KIDS

there ment to house animals, evidence, and adult prisoners in emergency situations

THEY WERNT MENT FOR 3 YEAR OLDS

Biden was just like “well no actually kids come with PARENTS”

(kids hardly ever come over with out parents)

and then he was like and also WHO LOST TRACK OF OVER 1,000 PARENTS

(thats 500+ new orphans at the least)

hes saying only the illegal immigrants with the lowest IQs come back after being deported

we said the same thing in december about you but ya’know

my mum was like “anyone eating chocolate” and I was like “im snaking on this ignorance” and she was like “dont do that you'll get indigestion”

“no one has done more for the black community then Donald trump except for maybe Abraham Lincoln”

oh yeah Biden just brought up how trump publicly campaigned for the execution of the central park 5

WHO WERE CHILDREN

AND OH YEAH THEY WERE COMPLETELY INNOCENT

trump just yelled at Biden, got muted, and just yelled louder

trump just said he cant see the audience but hes the least racist person in the room

“Abraham lincoln here is one of the most racist presidents in american history”- biden 2020

biden just went “oh god”

he just said that he used to not support the blm movement because they chanted rude things about police officers

I would like to reiterate that “pigs in a blanket” has never been chanted in a protest or been a prominent statement in the blm movement nor “fry em like bacon” so what trump is saying is factually incorrect

unless hes on some sort of far right conservative twitter feed were he came across a video of some drunk white college kids chanting it 

but you know what ever fits you narrative

plus I would be pretty pissed if I kept getting shot at for no reason so....

Biden making more logical decisions

trump was like why have you never done all this stuff when you were vice president

“we had a republican congress” -biden 2020

we have the cleanest air

we have the cleanest crystal clear water

sir, i know you've been to mexico

don’t lie

the waters gorges down there

and not owned by your smug ass

trump just called china filthy

so you know....

*whispers* racism

ok 5 min left

for real this time

trump just went “aoc plus 3: and then hes like she knows nothing about the climate

ummm.... you dont even believe in climate change

bidens like “are....is...is is”

good for you

correcting your grammar

trump just said “the wind kills all the birds” out of the godamn blue

(he means wind mills and its untrue)

“Whats the next question baba”

“the final question is leadership which he doesnt have”- baba 2020

I feel bad for anybody watching this on the toilet

bidens starring into your soul

he knows what your doing

there officially overtime

its 10 33

they haven't even done the last section yet

btw ITS A SCHOOL NIGHT

why do they host these so late

I should be pretending to be asleep right now

this is generational discrimination

plus trumps supporters are so old there asleep by now

ohhhh its over

1036 final time

okay so thoughts....I generally dont like the party system i think its ridiculous the system was not designed for it, and its now more about loyalty then the actual candidates. I also am really hesitant to put another strait white male in the oval office, especially one thats from “the lucky few” I.E. the smallest voting generation in the country and also the one that already holds the most positions. That being said, at this point its really anyone but trump and I think bidens got the experience to turn things around. 

I AM IN SCHOOL I CANNOT VOTE. I am relying on all my older friends, followers, neighbors, and community members. To make an educated decision that wont further degrade the once hopeful future my generation awaits. Please if you can vote VOTE the kids are relying on you!

P.S. sorry i wasn't able to edit this earlier i struggle alot with spelling and didnt have the time to edit this because I HAD TO GO TO BED AND THEN GO TO SCHOOL. Why am I more politically active then people twice my age you might ask? Well, thats because adults are lazy and need to get of their gd asses and VOTE. So kids dont have to do the legwork for them. 

I have said my peace now, have a wonderful day!

Alone — Izuku Midoriya x Fem!Reader

Chapter #02/25 — Single Parenting Masterlist

Words: +1.5 k.

Warnings: Cursing, rape mentions, abuse, blood, and a lot of tears, pregnancy, childbirth(?

Previous | Next

Being a single parent is not easy, and when the world hates Y/N it is only a matter of time for everything to collapse.

When your mother found out your pregnancy test things went straight to hell,  you are force, not only to leave the love of your life, but everything behind and now happiness will not be easy to achive. You are like cinderella before the magic, with more responsibilities and abuse of all kinds, and there is no ball in the small kingdom of the basement you live in, but some times there could be a glimpse of hope, one that calls you “Mommy”.

A/N: Please tell me the gender you think the baby is going to be, I mean I already know but let’s see if you are correct!

Keys to read:

Y/N: Your name.

L/N: Last name.

N/N: Nickname.

H/C: Hair color.

E/C: Eye color.

Taglist: @xoxo-dede​ (Ask to be added!)

‘Where is she?’ The boy in front of him was nervous.

‘She’s not here, sir’. He swallowed his thoughts, he knew for a fact that he was unaware of the situation. ‘I haven’t seen her since before prom, she never came’.

There was sadness in his words.

‘Please, if you know something that can help me found my precious daughter… if you really love her as you said that day when you asked me to date her, then by all means tell me’.

Izuku’s tears sprayed hard from his eyes, thick and salty, with a lot of emotions behind.

‘You should ask your wife’. He looked him directly in the eyes, his green ones meeting his e/c orbs. ‘And if she returns, please let her know that I’m sorry I couldn’t help her when she needed the most…’

The door closed, the boy being apologetic and praying for your safety.

How could he not thought about it? That damn woman...

‘Where is my child?’ the men asked his wife. ‘You said that the boy took her out for prom, but she never even showed up there!

‘I sent her away’. She smiled with pride, ‘she’s not gonna bother us anymore!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Exactly as I said’, a snicker came out of her mouth. ‘That little bitch is far away from us and will never bother us, she’s never coming back’.

‘Tell me!’ The man was stunned. ‘Where is my baby girl?’

‘I AM YOUR BABY GIRL’ She screamed.

‘You are sick!’ The man was crying, his heart was shattered. ‘Give me my daughter back or I’m calling the police!’.

‘Oh no, you won't’. A sharp pain came from the top of his head, with the sound of glass scattering all along the floor. ‘I didn’t send her away just to be in jail!’.

Your father was on the floor, bleeding from the wound in his head, the pain was numb when the adrenaline kicked in. His legs moved to the door, trying to reach the outside and call for help but his feet stumble with a big box on the grass.

‘Luggage?’ The purple suitcase with the green heart that he once bought for you were there, covered in a lot of dirt and leaves, his eyes traveled to a black leather pouch that once was his and you stole it from him at a very young age… A lot of other things dispersed and not well hidden. A lot of things went through his mind, causing a migraine, but he had to run first and then search for his joy in life. ‘Help, somebody, HELP!’

The woman was behind him, with a knife in hand and her face twisted in anger, she was not going to let him go, not after all the work she had done.

‘You are staying with me,’ and before even knowing the knife sunk on his back. ‘Finally, just the two of us’.

At the other side of the word things were not going well either, the first couple of days were normal but then things changed for the worst. Three meals a day turned to two, and two turned to one, now and then you would save food for later, for the baby growing inside. 

Once the first month goes by the fear started to rise, and you wanted to go back, to hug your father, to kiss your ex-boyfriend, to go to a doctor to check on you or at least eat something else than bread and water for a day. You were starving but pushing harder and grabbing your life onto you, begging to whoever was up there to keep you and your child safe.

Was it a girl? Was it a boy? You knew that by this time the doctor would already told you, and you were guessing a boy, for one specific reason… if it was a boy, the family son would not put a finger on him nor make him uncomfortable.

You started thinking about names, the father of the child had a last name with “green” on it, and the Deku nickname made you thought of the trees in one of your favorite video games.

So green and tree, like spring, right?

‘Haru’, you said in a whispered silence. It was weird hearing your voice after all those months in the basement, and the sound of it made you feel warm, like the spring you and Izuku met each other at the entrance exam, or the spring when you shared your first kiss, or the spring where you shared your bodies… spring gave you such a good amount of memories, so why not?

Haru was the name, Haru Midoriya, because you knew he, Izuku, would have stayed with you even in a young pregnancy. You were grateful that you had waited up until your eighteen birthday, he was months older than you so both were on the perfect age to understand what were you doing, on the age to live and explore the ups and downs of life, together… even with a child, but here you were, alone and about to explode.

Wait… explode?

And then it hit you, the cramps and the liquid. When did the time passed so fast? When were you ready to give birth? It was as if the minutes and hours and days and months were mere seconds, as if you were sleeping and everything was going so fast.

Again… more pain, and more and more.

Giving birth was not the easiest thing in a normal environment, but being held hostage on a house far away from home, locked on the basement and with nothing but yourself was hell.

‘Pleas—’ You hissed on the door, punching it with all your might. ‘Help me, my water brok—’

It was the first time you spoke to other that Haru or yourself, but now that those words were for someone else they felt weird, unnatural, uncomfortable and disgusting.

You shouldn’t be talking with them or the punches would turn worst that they already were, or maybe that son of a bitch would come back to have sex and hit you again and again and again.

The first time he did something to you it felt as if you just killed Izuku, as if the promise was broken, not only touching but penetrating and inserting things… not only his, but from another people,randomly. That time you got your lip broken and a black eye, an sprained ankle and marks from cigarettes all over your arms. It hurted you, yes, but the moment he entered you was as if your soul left your body, ignoring everything really going on, as if you were an empty case, a fuck doll, rags, not a human no more.

And the goal of all this was to gave you a miscarriage, that and that the bastard was boring or so he said, and heaven knows why that purpose was never fulfilled, maybe it was a plan from God that this child lived. And it was going to live, even without a doctor to help you, you were going to be a mother, and a mother always protects her child. And your memories trailed back to the women who gave birth to you, she was never a mother, she was just a women, an stranger… and nothing else and nothing more.

‘Pleas—’ You hissed on the door, punching it with all your might. ‘Help me, my water brok—’

Screams filled the room, and you fell to your knees, the pain from that hit was nothing compared to the one between your legs. You pushed yourself up and walk to the corner, there you had everything prepares for your shower, and now it had a new purpose,  the shower could wait. The seconds felt like minutes and the minutes like hours, so much pain coming from your body and a lot of fluids running down your legs. A trembling hand reached in between them, and you could feel it… the head was coming, almost crowning.

No medical or prenatal care, no new clothes for the unborn, no nothing. Not even help for the delivery, how in the world could you take care of the baby without even being able to take care of yourself? Giving birth was not the easiest thing in a normal environment, but being held hostage on a house far away from home, locked on the basement and with nothing but yourself was hell.

Tears were streaming down your e/c eyes, but you pushed, and you moved your body to a relatively comfortable position and kept pushing. And you remember that one video you watched before the two blue marks appeared, scared of the reality, but now you were grateful of it.

There you had hot water, and towels, all there for the new life…

And ready or not, the baby was coming.

You were going to have a child.

You were not a child anymore.

NEXT

Happy Halloween Month !!

Good evening to all my followers ! (French time zone) October always pushes me to look for scary stories to freak me out. I wanted to offer you some stories that I appreciate. Terrifying stories to help you fall asleep tonight ... Forget the fairy tales, they lived happily and had lots of children... Prefer true stories. For resolution and readability concerns, I couldn’t put the text on my edits below, tumblr gave a really ugly resolution and you wouldn’t have managed to read it. The stories are not mine, I will put the links to the videos I watched but they are in French, I only did the translations. If you like it, I will post a story every day or every other day, depending on my availability. I'm sorry for the mistakes, there will surely be plenty, I did what I could ^^ The first story is adapted into a movie, if you are interested, the name is: The haunting in Connecticut .

If you are also interested, I think of a horror story with Daenerys and the Targ family. Don’t hesitate to ask me. I am very motivated but only if it interests people.

This story is part of the Warren files.

Thanks to all my followers 🔥🐉 Long may she reign ! 

Story below, don’t be afraid...

It's 1987, the Snedeker family is touched by a terrible tragedy, one of their son is suffering from cancer. They decide to move to Connecticut, they find this house : The Hallahan House. And without even visiting, they decide to buy it. Upon arriving in front of the house for the first time, Carmen has an anxiety attack, she refuses to enter. Her husband enters the house then comes back looking for her, he asks her to come in a very mysterious way. She then decides to enter and follows him with fear in her stomach.What she discovers will surely have made you move immediately... I will, for sure..

Above each door, there are crosses, as if to prevent evil spirits from entering. There is a strange smell, but more importantly, an embalming room in the basement. They understand that this house was actually a funeral home. The house is equipped with a coffin elevator and they even find old pictures of it. This house doesn't have a good karma.

Unfortunately, they can't go back on their purchase decision, they put all their money into buying this house and the treatment for their son is very expensive. So the father installs all the furniture and then returns to New York for his work, leaving his wife and children behind.

The nightmare is about to begin...

 Just before the father leaves, they decide to hide the embalming room behind a heavy bookcase, making sure the children don't know about it. They are installed in the basement for their sleep without having any idea what this house used to be like. 

Then the problems begin.

One night, while she was doing the dishes, Carmen sees a silhouette appear and jumps, her sick son, Philip, whispers to her that they must leave this house immediately and never come back because he heard someone calling him. He adds that there is something evil here.

Carmen decides not to say anything, not wanting to upset her son, already exhausted by his cancer.

Soon the children discover the room hidden behind the library and decide to explore the place. What they discover there is just horrible.

In the room, there is a small gate leading to a dark tunnel. They crouch down and decide to crawl through it. They discover strange stains on the walls, dark, slimy...

Blood...

They scream to death and leave the tunnel to go warn their mother. She gets angry and doesn't go to check the room, not taking them seriously.

 She should have listened to her children...

 At the same time, some crosses, the ones hanging above the doors, are beginning to disappear. Carmen thinks that her children are making fun of her, but will quickly understand that they have nothing to do with this...

One evening, Philip tells her that he sees ghosts and hears voices whispering in his ears. Still in denial, she thinks that his treatment is causing him hallucinations, side effects that make him think he sees and hears things that are actually unreal. Once again, she doesn't believe him.

One night, Philip wakes up one of his brothers and shows him a spot in the room, telling him there are four men sitting in the corner. The two children then claim to have seen two hooded figures walking around the room and then turning suddenly towards them.

Again, their mother doesn't believe it.

The crosses continue to disappear again and despite this, she still doesn't believe it.

Philip suddenly decides to move into the embalming room without giving any explanation. His behavior had changed, he had been quieter, strange, for several months.

Carmen then decides to invite her children's cousins to spend a few days together.

While she was helping with the housework, one of the cousins found a small black notebook hidden under Philip's mattress. The boy seems to be writing in it regularly. Without thinking, she shows the notebook to her aunt. Carmen is horrified by what she discovers in it.

The texts she reads talk about death, murders and other horrible things. But her son can't have written this on his own because he's dyslexic. But the words used are complex and very well written. A language that her son cannot know.

She then asks her son for an explanation and he replies that the man helped him write it...

But this is not the worst. Madly worried, she then discovers scars all over her son's body, signs of witchcraft, pentagrams, and other strange mystical representations. Once again, she asks him for explanations :

 "An entity asks me to do this..."

This time Carmen is afraid. And things are getting worse...

One of the two cousins argues with Philip and he pushes her against the wall with an impressive force. But Philip is sick, and his treatment weakens him, he can’t do this...

Carmen becomes more and more worried as the girl explains that she is increasingly harassed in this house. She explains that the blanket of her bed is pulled and thrown on the floor while she sleeps, she also feels that someone is pulling on her bra strap sometimes.

Carmen suspects her son and thinks he’s going crazy. She decides to have him interned.

The poor boy is taken to the nearest psychiatric hospital and locked in a room under a straitjacket. And as his mother is about to leave the room, he says :

 "Now that I'm gone, they're going to come after you... "

 Carmen's fear intensifies when she discovers that it's now her niece who is going crazy. The girl screams at night, claiming that someone is approaching her bed.

But this time, Carmen sees a hand under her niece's pajamas.  She can clearly see the bones of the hand moving up the girl's body. Panic grips both women.

They quickly go to the living room but an icy cold invaded the room and a smell of death took over the place.

Both of them feel the presence of an entity around them. So, they begin to pray.

The girl feels something touching her neck. She discovers that her rosary floats between her and her aunt. For a few minutes, it floats... and suddenly... it explodes...

The beads of the rosary end up all scattered on the ground, leaving the two women terrorized by fear, unable to move.  And then, for several minutes, nothing more happens. Carmen then decides to take a shower to relax.

 Have you seen the movie 'Psycho'?

 …

 After a few seconds underwater, the shower curtain is held tightly against her, wrapping around her, preventing her from breathing. She screams so loudly that her niece is alerted. She arrives quickly to help her aunt. And without her intervention, Carmen would probably have choked to death.

The girl inspects the room but sees no one.

Carmen then decides to call the Warrens, a couple who investigate paranormal cases.

When they arrive home, Carmen explains to them everything she, her children and nieces have witnessed since they arrived. She also recounts seeing two men, very powerful according to her. One of them was thin, with long black hair and eyes. The other has white hair and bright white eyes. Both wear striped suits.

They discover that the funeral home is still in operation...

 It took the Warrens almost two months to 'clean' the house’. During this time, they are violently attacked by ghosts.

The investigation, dating from 1988, reveals that the employees of this funeral home practiced necromancy in the basement of the house, thus attracting the spirits that haunted the Snedekers.

 The family then left the place a year later and never returned.

 Don't play with death... and most importantly, if you buy a house, visit it before.

A true story.

On Youtube in French.

Le Paon Part 1

(Alright! So we’re gonna try this! here’s chapter one of the Le Paon AU. I used origins for the beginning, but I’m gonna try to veer off the cannon plot for the rest. Tell me what you guys think or if you want to read more!)

Part 2

~WHY IS MY LIFE LIKE THIS????~

Felix sighed. Adrien was always so dramatic.

~What happened this time?~

~I was so close Fe SO CLOSE! Like I was on the stairs and at the door!!~

~And?~

~and then I saw this poor old guy who fell and lost his cane 😓~

Felix face palmed. 

~You wasted your 13th attempt at a school life for an old man who was probably dying tomorrow anyway?~

~I couldn't just leave him there! How can you be so heartless?!~

~Call it a family trait. All I'm saying is that that was our closest shot, and Father is starting to suspect that I'm the one disrupting the video feed on the security cameras.~

Why Adrien wanted to go to public school so badly was beyond Felix. They were already surrounded by people daily for photoshoots. He, personally, wasn't interested in seeing more humans than necessary at this point. They only think about themselves and cause drama. Goodness knows he has enough of that with the reporters constantly looming outside the front gate.

~I know I know. we're coming home now~

~I will see you soon then.~

Felix set down his phone, gingerly going back to his book. He wanted to enjoy the quiet as much as possible before his little brother got home.

-

Adrien sulked through the front door around twenty minutes later. Nathalie and Gorilla were right behind him, indifferent as always. 

“Your lessons resume in five minutes. Go to the dining room to prepare.” Nathalie ordered, glancing at Felix before moving towards their Father’s office. 

“Yes, Nathalie.” Adrien sighed, pulling his bag over his shoulder.

Felix sent a glare to Nathalie and Gorilla as Adrien passed, then followed his sibling into the dining room to show him what they were doing for today’s lesson.

-

Nathalie came in a few minutes later. Felix had already finished the homework he’d been assigned. Therefore, he continued reading while they started review.

“Who was the first president of the fifth French republic?”

Adrien propped his arm up on the table, resting his chin on his palm as he recited the answer. “Everyone thinks it was De Gaulle, but it was actually Rene Cote before the first elections.” 

Felix nodded to himself. He remembered learning those names last year in school. 

“Excellent, Adrien!” Nathalie praised, turning to him with a smile.

Felix rolled his eyes. If she really cared for the boy, she would do something about his wish to go to public school. Adrien had only begged her a hundred times.

“Give me a minute, would you, Nathalie?” 

A chill ran down Felix’s spine when his Father spoke from the doorway. His gaze flicked to Adrien, who suddenly looked stiff.

“Yes, sir.” Nathalie replied, submissively standing to the side.

Gabriel turned his hollow eyes on Adrien, and Feix tensed. He didn’t mind helping Adrien out with his schemes, but standing up to their Father was still hard. 

“You’re not going to school, Adrien. I’ve already told you.” He stated sternly.

Adrien stood. “But, Father-”

“Everything you need is right here where I can keep an eye on you. I will not have you in that dangerous world.” 

“It’s not dangerous, Father. I’m always stuck in here by myself-”

“You have Felix, don’t you?” Gabriel countered, and Adrien flinched.

He didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean alone alone. Felix knew that. It was just different, being with family and being with friends. 

“Why can’t I just make friends like everyone else?” Adrien continued to argue. Felix couldn’t decide if it was bold or stupid. 

“Because you’re not like everyone else. You are my son.” Gabriel snapped. “Continue.” 

With those final words, he walked away, leaving them in a heavy silence.

After a moment, Nathalie spoke, “We can leave it there for today if you-”

Adrien ran out of the room before she could finish. Felix sighed, standing and picking up his books. No doubt he’d be pouting about this for the rest of the day.

“Wonderful work, Sancoeur. You’ve collectively ruined everyone’s day.” Felix bit out, sending her another hateful glare.

Nathalie straightened, returning his glare with an impassive expression. “I was only doing my job.” 

Felix rolled his eyes again. “Keep telling yourself that.” 

He slipped his books into his brown, leather bag, and headed for the door.. in the opposite direction of Adrien. 

“Where are you going?” Nathalie asked, a strange sense of panic rising in her voice.

“To talk with my Father.” Felix answered shortly, not even stopping or looking in her direction.

“Wait! You can’t, he’s busy!” She said, her heels clicking on the floor as she ran to him. 

Felix scoffed, picking up his pace. “Don’t act like you can order me around like you do Adrien.” 

He barely made it to the office door before Nathalie, throwing it open and ducking inside.

“Father, I wanted to-” 

He stopped. The room was empty. Didn’t Gabriel just come in here, though? Where else would he have gone?

Felix scanned the room, his eyes landing on a small hole in the floor next to his mother’s portrait. As soon as he noticed it, though, the hole vanished. 

He blinked, rubbing his eyes and looking at the floor again. This wasn’t some trick of the light, right? He’d definitely seen a hole.  

“Felix!” Nathalie scolded, pulling him out of the room and closing the door. “I told you not to go in there!”

“And I told you you’re not my boss.” Felix hissed, yanking his arm out of her grasp. 

Before Nathalie could reply, the two were thrown off by something he assumed was an earthquake, except it had rhythm. It vaguely reminded him of.. Footsteps?

“What’s going on?” He thought aloud, glancing towards the window. Adrien- when did he come downstairs? -ran past him, opening the front door. Felix followed him and they both stopped on the front steps, watching the scene before them slack-jawed.

Police men and cars lined the streets. He didn’t understand why until this- this thing came stomping towards them.

“Ready?” The main officer called, holding his arm out to his comrades. “Fire!”

Felix watched as they shot at the giant rock monster. It growled and curled in on itself. Then, to everyone’s horror, it got bigger.

Adrien and Felix closed the doors, retreating back to their room to see what was happening. 

As incredible as it seems, it’s been confirmed that Paris is indeed being attacked by a super villain. A reporter Felix recognized as Nadja Shamack said over the TV screen. The police have been struggling to keep the situation under control.

“Stay here. I’m going to lock down the house.” Felix instructed, hurrying out the door as the main officer from earlier appeared on the screen.

-

To his annoyance, Nathalie and Gorilla were still standing by the window, doing nothing. 

What did we even hire them for! He thought bitterly, marching down the stairs. He didn’t bother acknowledging them as he got to the control system and began putting the house on lockdown. Where would the safest place to hide be? They didn’t have a basement. Not one that he knew of, anyway. Perhaps they could hide in a bathroom? What do you even do in these kinds of situations?

Felix finished locking down the windows and doors, promptly going back to his room to grab Adrien. 

Panic twisted in his stomach when he opened the door, only to find Adrien gone and the window open. It must have been open before he got to the system, since it was the only one without a metal plate in front of it.

No, no, no, no, what was Adrien doing now?

“Adrien Agreste, if this is some sort of joke, I swear I’m not laughing!” He yelled, leaning out the second story window. How would Adrien even get out this way?

A groan of exasperation escaped him when there was no answer. This kid was going to be the death of him!

Now in full-blown panic mode, Felix raced back down to the control systems. As soon as he had the front doors unlocked, he was gone, darting down the streets and shouting for Adrien.

~~~~~

Two hours. Two. full. Freaking. Hours. That’s how long he searched for that boy. And he still hadn’t found him. Not a trace.

After seeing the reports of a “Ladybug and Chat Noir” over the news and hearing the danger was over, Felix finally decided to head home. If Adrien was dead, he deserved it. If he wasn’t, he would be when Felix got his hands on him.

He trudged up the mansion steps- which he was getting real tired of, by the way- and headed for their bedroom. Once inside, he made a point to slam the door behind him, and just fall onto the couch. He was so done. So tired from walking around all of Paris for nothing.

“Felix?” A voice inquired.

He froze.

No.

No.

Slowly, Felix rose from his position on the couch. It better not be him. If he was here this whole time-

There Adrien stood. Innocently staring at him as if he hadn’t sent Felix on a wild goose chase for two hours straight. 

“Where have you been?” Felix bit out, getting to his feet.

Adrien took a step back, the only smart decision he’s made all day. 

“W-what do you mean? I’ve- you know -I’ve been here, haven’t I?” He stammered, scratching the back of his head and moving back again as Felix got closer.

Dang right, he should be scared.

“Adrien, I am going to throttle you myself!” He growled, lunging for his poor, defenseless sibling. 

Adrien yelped, ducking away from Felix and jumping over the bed.

“Boys!” Nathalie suddenly interrupted, causing the two to pause mid jump. 

“You’re dinner is ready. Come downstairs.” She instructed, leaving as quickly and quietly as she came. Felix huffed, crawling off the bed and glaring at Adrien.

“Soon.” He warned, smirking when Adrien shivered.

“Sorry I made you worry.” The blonde apologized, maneuvering around him to get to the door.

Felix sighed. “Just save the escape tactics for tomorrow morning.” 

“We’re trying for school again tomorrow?” Adrien grinned.

“If you’re done wailing like a Disney Princess.” He teased.

Adrien scoffed. “Whatever, Fe. what’s the new plan?” 

~~~~~~

Felix pulled back the curtain to one of the front windows. Still no cars in the driveway.

He checked his phone. Despite Adrien leaving half an hour ago, he had no new messages.

“I guess he succeeded then.” Felix shrugged to himself, putting his phone in his back pocket. Then he felt a buzz.

He winced, taking his phone back out to see Adrien had indeed sent him a message. They were probably in the car again.

Felix opened the app, ready to read an essay on how the plan failed this time or why Adrien couldn’t just be a normal kid. To his surprise, there was only a picture. A picture of a classroom with students filling the seats. 

A few more pictures were sent, one being a selfie with- ugh -Chloe Bourgeois. He hated that girl. Another picture had the rest of the class in it, then there was one with a single girl. She had a black, half sleeved jacket, and raven-colored hair, which was pulled into pigtails. Her eyes were hard to catch in the photo, but they seemed to be a blue-ish color. She was, in a word, pretty.

Felix was pulled from his thoughts when the front door creaked open. Ah. good. They were home. 

He quietly stashed his phone in his bag of books, creeping to the door of the dining room. Peeking around the doorframe, he saw Gorilla go upstairs- probably trying to find him - and Nathalie slip into Gabriel's office. What excuse was she going to give for not getting Adrien?

“Sir, we didn’t get to Adrien in time.” The secretary informed in a monotonous tone.

What! His father’s voice growled. It almost sounded like it came from a screen. Shouldn’t he be home?

Glancing at the stairs to make sure Gorilla was still absent, Felix carefully cracked open the door. Not much, just enough to see inside.

Nathalie faced the computer screen across from his mother’s portrait. 

I’m coming up there and I want an immediate explanation!

Up there? 

Nathalie nodded. “Yes sir.” 

The screen flickered off, and she sighed.

“You’re lucky.” The women said out of the blue. Felix thought she’d seen him, until she turned to the painting of Emilie.

“He’s risking everything for you, to bring you back.” 

Bring you back. What does that mean?

Nathalie shook her head, hugging her tablet to her chest and leaning against the desk. “I wish he loved me that way.” 

Felix’s nose scrunched up in disgust. Nathelie and his father? What a wretched pairing.

Something in the room clicked, and Nathalie straightened. A circle in the middle of the floor rattled, before descending into the ground.

So it hadn’t been a trick of the light! There was a hole! But why?

Gabriel rose from the “secret elevator” a few seconds later, a nasty look on his face.

“I give you one job to do!” He huffed, clasping his hands tightly behind his back.

“Adrien just wants to go to school, sir. He’s not going to stop running away until that happens.” Nathalie defended.

“Then double the body guards! He’s no time for school with everything else he has to do.”

“I could reorganize his schedule?” Nathalie offered, already unlocking her tablet to do so.

“Then what about while he’s there? He won’t agree to Gorilla going with him, and neither will the school. I don’t trust them to watch my son properly!” 

Felix drew in a breath to calm his nerves. If Adrien was to ever have a school life, it was now or never.

“If it’s supervision you’re worried about,” He started, opening the door fully, “Then send me to school with him.” 

Nathalie jumped. “Felix, how long have you been there?” 

“I’ll personally see to it that Adrien stays in line.” He finished, ignoring Nathalie’s question.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You would go to school with him?”

Well, that wasn’t a no.

“Yes.”

“I thought you hated any form of public outings.”

Felix shrugged. “Will you let Adrien go to school or not?” 

Gabriel pressed his lips together, thinking it over. 

“Alright.” He relented. “But make sure you keep an eye on him. If I hear anything regarding bad behavior, you will both be pulled out of the school immediately.”

Felix nodded, hiding a triumphant smile as he exited the room. No need to stay longer than necessary and ruin his chances. 

~~~~~~~

Felix stared out the car window, watching the buildings pass. The rock monsters from yesterday suddenly sprouted up again that morning. They rampaged through Paris, destroying everything in their path. Thankfully, the new superheroes saved the day, but something still plagued his mind.

A face constructed of butterflies had appeared around the end of the fight, announcing itself as Hawkmoth. That was concerning on its own, yes, but the voice sounded so.. Familiar. He couldn’t place where he’d heard it before, but he’d definitely heard it.

“Where are we going again?” Adrien asked dejectedly, slumping against the car door. It was pathetic really.

“We’re almost there.” Felix answered vaguely.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the school a few minutes later, and the screen in front of them flickered to life, revealing their Father.

You disobeyed me, Adrien. Take a look at that school.

Adrien frowned, looking at the building as he was told, then bowed his head. “Yes, Father.” 

You will never, I say never, go back there again.

“Father, no-”

Without your bodyguard. He will drop you off and pick you up everyday. Nathalie has offered to organize your new schedule, and Felix has agreed to attend with you in case something should happen. You’ll be continuing your music, Chinese, and fencing classes and your photoshoots.

The grin on Adrien’s face erased any doubts Felix had about going to school with him. Considering his brother hadn’t been that happy since their Mother went missing, he supposed he could put a little effort into this whole “public school” scenario.

“Thank you, Nathalie! Thank you, Father! Come on, Fe!” Adrien beamed, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the car. “I’m gonna show you all of my new friends!” 

“You have friends?” 

Then again, it was Adrien. Why should he be surprised?

-

As they neared the classroom, Felix heard a revolting voice he distinctly remembered as Chloe Bourgeois. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” She sneered. 

Another voice, one he didn’t recognize. “It means that I’m not putting up with your crud anymore, Chloe, and neither is anyone else around here, so take your attitude and go on! Get lost!” 

Bold words for someone speaking to the Mayor’s daughter. You could get in a lot of trouble for that. In other words, Felix already liked whoever was responsible.

They walked in just in time to see Chloe begrudgingly sit down in the front row. He also noticed a ravenette in the second row sitting down. Felix smirked when he realized it was the same girl from the picture Adrien sent him earlier.

“Yo, dude! Who’s the second Adrien?” A dark-skinned boy greeted them, smiling towards Felix.

“Nino, this is my brother, Felix.” Adrien introduced, patting Felix on the back.

“Good to have you in class with us.” The red-capped boy grinned, politely offering his hand.

“I’m only visiting today. Tomorrow, I’m going to Mr. Chevalier’s class.” Felix replied flatly, shaking Nino’s hand. 

Adrien waved the girls in the second row, only for the pigtailed girl to humph and turn away. 

Looks like she’s also the one Adrien had that misunderstanding with.

His brother sighed, sitting next to Nino who nudged him encouragingly. Speaking of which, where was he going to sit?

Felix’s eyes glazed over the room. The seats appeared to be full, except for the one in the back. At least he’d be the furthest away from anyone.

~~~~~~~

Marinette held her hand out towards the grey sky, sighing when she felt the steady rhythm of raindrops on her palm. Great. Rain. That was exactly what she needed right now. Not only had the responsibility of saving Paris been dumped on her, but she also had a new bully to deal with at school. And both of those instances happened in the span of two days! Now, it was pouring and she really didn’t feel like getting soaked on the walk home.

A scoff of disgust came from her right, and she jumped.

“How convenient.” A boy said sarcastically, reaching out his hand like she’d done moments before. His dark grey and black attire matched the colors of the clouds, which she would have found humorous if she didn’t remember who he was from roll call.

“You’re Adrien’s brother, right?” 

 The blonde glanced in her direction, his silver eyes looking her over. “Yes, that’s correct.” 

Marinette frowned and crossed her arms at the answer. “Then I guess that means you’re Chloe’s friend, too?” 

His scowl surprised her. “Hardly. I would quite literally rather die than be friends with that spoiled brat.” 

A small pause ensued as she took in his answer.

She then smiled, extending her hand to him. “Well, any enemy of Chloe is a friend of mine. I’m Marinette. Nice to meet you.” 

He didn’t respond at first, simply staring at her with a strange expression. 

“Felix.” He finally said, taking her hand in his. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat when he did.

Thunder crackled across the sky, and the two pulled their hands back. 

“Hey, Fe! Sorry I made you wait.” Adrien suddenly called, stopping between them. 

Felix shrugged, catching Marinette’s eye one last time before walking down the steps to a silver car.

Adrien turned to her then with a smile. She huffed and looked away. His brother may be nice- and sort of handsome, though she wasn’t going to address it -but Adrien had still tried to stick gum on her chair the other day. And he was friends with Chloe! She couldn’t trust that. 

The model sighed, wistfully looking up at the sky. 

“I just wanted you to know, that I was only trying to talk the chewing gum off your seat. I swear.”

Marinette blinked, certainly not expecting the apology.

Nevertheless, he continued. “I’ve never been to school before. I’ve never had friends. It’s all sort of.. new to me.” 

He glanced back at her and shrugged, holding out his umbrella to her.

She took it, still staring from shock. That is, until the black umbrella snapped shut around her.

Adrien laughed at the scene, causing her to laugh as well, despite the embarrassment. 

“See you tomorrow.” He smiled, started down the steps again.

“R-right, tomorrow..” She replied absently.

Maybe the Agreste boys weren’t so bad, after all.

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Childhood Friends AU: Max and Markov (Marxkov)

Part 1- In which Max ‘makes’ a friend

(2.6k words)

Masterlist Here

A/N: I got a bit carried away while writing and this became less of a list of bubbly making headcanons and more of a tragic origin story, so it’s a little different from the Marikim headcanons, so let me know what you guys think.

------

-Max’s mother, Claudie, gets pregnant with him at age 18

-he was an accidental pregnancy

- his father, Adam Kante, had just enlisted in the French Armed Forces and his mother was just starting university

-it wasn’t ideal circumstances, but his parents loved each other and didn’t want to give up

-So his dad proposed, and was stationed in Paris until Max was born

-unfortunately, then he was sent off to an overseas base

-Luckily, Claudie’s brother steps up to help out.

-Two years older than his sister, he was very different from her and her husband. While both of them were disciplined and fact oriented, he was more laid-back

-His dream was to be a stand-up comedian, and his stage name was Mark Oz

-He worked at night so he was able to watch Max during the day so Claudie could go to school

-With Adam away for so long, Mark became a father figure of sorts to Max

-They would spend most of the day together, and Mark realized early on that he had a child-genius on his hands

-So he bought extra learning material for Max

-He encouraged Max as much as could to peruse whatever academics interested

-Max was only 3 though, so nothing truly interested him more than Transformers

-Mark played the cartoon as background noise one day, and Max was instantly hooked

-He watched every episode

-For his birthday, he received only Transformers figurines

-when he started school he would draw new transformers in Art class

-For his 5th birthday, his mom bought him a robotics kit (a child-friendly robotics kit)

-and his Uncle bought him a coding Manuel

-Max found his new passion

-him and his uncle spent days building simple robots

-he was so fascinated by robots that he spent most of his free time learning more

-he dreamed about one day creating his own transformer

-and his Uncle helped him.

-He was never super academic but was still had the family brains.

-He full heartedly threw himself into Max’s passion

-inadvertedly, it helped his career. He created one of the most unique stand up comedy routines ever heard in Paris, those lucky enough to see it raved about it for years

-Mark Oz was finally hitting it big time, and he did not give a shit

-the only person he cared about making smile everyday was his nephew

-together, the two of them continued to hone Max’s robot building skills

-Mark bought a big black notebook and in it he wrote down every robot Max wanted to build

-max would dictate the details and Mark would write it, and then Max would attach a picture he drew of it

-despite being a child genius, he was still a child and had atrocious handwriting

-Slowly they were crossing robots off the list, starting with the most simple

-a basic walking robot

-eventually, and Mark didn’t know how long it would take, but they’d get to their last robot

-a fully functioning AI

-When Max turned seven he started taking advanced classes

-His mom had just finished her PhD, one of the youngest ever to complete the program, and was considering applying to become an astronaut

-Both Mark, Max, and her husband encouraged her to go for. Adam offered be discharged from the military to look after Max, but Mark insisted that he wouldn’t mind taking care of Max

-“Neither one of you should put your dream jobs on hold. I’ve been watching Max for seven years, I love the kid, and I’ll take care of him for the rest of my life if he still wants me around.”

-And Mark kept that promise

-Unfortunately, he kept it because his life was cut short.

-It was after a late show, the driver was intoxicated and didn’t see Mark crossing the street.

-Claudie withdrew from the astronaut program and took up a job as a train driver so she could be around for Max

-Adam returned from his deployment, but things just weren’t the same. He enlisted in a third campaign after a month

-Max was devasted. His uncle was the only one who understood him.

-He didn’t speak a word to anyone for a year.

-His mom is concerned, but therapists insist that Max just needs time

-Meanwhile, Max works his way through his robot list.

-His mom offers to help him, but he refuses.

-If he can’t build them with his uncle then he’ll build them alone

-a year later he’s halfway through the list

-His mom almost cries when he asks her to come see his robots

-He spends the entire day showing her the different ones and explaining what they do

-After that, their relationship improves greatly. Max talks a lot about everything he’s interested in

-Claudie is barely able to keep up

-She’s afraid that he might have an unhealthy attachment to his robots though, and is afraid of what will happen when he completes his list

-So she introduces him to a new hobby, video gaming

-Mark had tried to get Max into it a few times but Max was more interested in Robotics and programming at the time

-Now though, in memory of his uncle, he gives it a go

-and fucking loves it

-He and his mom spend the weekend playing old games that his uncle had

-He doesn’t give up on his robots though

-Two years later, he’s down to the very last robot on his list

-His father comes home that same week, his three year campaign ended

-Once Max started speaking again, his father would video call him. Max would show him his latest robot, and his father, who didn’t know a thing about robots, would ask him as many questions as he could come up with about it

-It was slightly awkward at first, seeing his dad in person, but soon it faded away

-Max still didn’t want help with his robots, but he was more than happy to play video games with his father

-his dad was skilled, particularly in fighting games, and Max almost never beat him

-at first

-his dad taught him a few tricks, and Max practiced and practiced until he could beat his dad

-Max was doing pretty good

-Still, though, he seemed to have an aura of sadness around him

-His dad asked him one day what games he liked to play with his friends

“I don’t have friends”

-It was the advanced classes. They were filled with older kids, and none of them wanted to befriend a 10 year-old

-His parents decided to pull him out at the end of the year.

-For college, he’d be going to a regular (though very good) school with kids his own age

-Francois Dupont had a great reputation, and offered him an academic scholarship

-His dad enlisted in another campaign

-Max was sad to see him leave, but was feeling happier than he had been in a while

-He continued to work on his last robot

-He turned 11 and started school at Francois Dupont

-He had no idea how to interact with kids his own age

-He was seated next to a hyperactive kid who introduced himself as Kim

-They were in the very front row and Kim joked that the teacher was already trying to keep an eye on them

-it wasn’t very funny, but Max almost fell over laughing

-“Wow, if you thought that was funny, just wait till you meet my friend Marinette!”

-“I’m sorry its just that…I would never disrupt class. Knowledge is the most valuable thing we can gain, and I intend to gain as much as I can.”

“I don’t know man, that sounds kind of like something a mad scientist would say.”

“well, I am trying to build the world’s first sentient AI in my mom’s basement.”

-Being at a regular school is a relief to Max

-The homework is extremely easy in comparison to what he’d been doing before, which gives him more time to work on his robot

-(bare with me through this next part guys, I do not know anything about science, mechanics, or engineering so this will probably be a heaping load of bullshit)

-the biggest difficulty in the creation of this robot was not creating an AI, many people have done that before, but rather figuring out how to allow it to feel without programming emotions into it

-Max had been doing a lot of research on Markov chains lately

-He believed that being able to code the ability to predict events would lead to a breakthrough on how to code the comprehension of emotions

-but the Markov process and chains were extremely complicated

-but, Max was out of ideas

-so he spent weeks reading about all the research and experiments. He read about modern day applications of it, analyzed the codes he could get his hands on

-and then he made his own.

-He didn’t need his AI to study systems, but rather humans

-ideally, if he did his code right, the AI would scan the web for all examples of human behavior to catalog and process it. Hopefully, then it would gain the ability to comprehend human emotion

-Max figured he would know if it worked if it was able to predict how people would react to different things being said to them

-sure enough, he was right…in a way

-Max didn’t think he’d be able to achieve true sentience like what the transformers had

-He was trying to give his AI the ability to understand emotions, not the ability to feel

-and yet, somehow, from the first day the robot was online, he seemed to have emotions

-it confounded Max

-He spent all of winter break talking to the robot

-trying to determine if it really felt

-He started just by talking to it

-it had access to all the knowledge on the internet, yet it seemed to have trouble grasping many theories about philosophy and morals

-Max accidentally stayed up the entire night discussing moral relativism with it

-He counted it’s ability to ask questions and hold a conversation in it’s favor

-however, that’s what Max was aiming for in the first place, and it didn’t convince him it had feelings

-he had to admit though, he truly hoped it did as he was quickly considering the robot as his first true friend

-in the weeks they spent talking Max told the robot his life’s story

-and the robot replied with genuine sympathy

-Max connected with it in a way that he’d only connected with one other person before

-he showed it a video of his uncle’s stand up routine

-when the robot started laughing Max was blown away

-not by the laugh, but by it’s reaction to it

“Oh no! Max, I am afraid I had a malfunction! Do you think it is possible for auditory signals to transmit a virus?”

“What? No, that’s laughter. It’s natural, especially when you’re listening to someone as funny as my uncle.”

“Yes, the brother of your mother. You mentioned he had a career as a comedian, and a quick scan of the web shows that he was quite successful.”

“Yeah, he was.”

“You sound sad. Were you close?”

(it’s only because it’s a robot and has advanced hearing sensors that it’s able to hear Max’s “Yes”)

-Max really hopes the robot truly is sentient

-What finally convinced him is when he heard it cry

-He’d left it in the basement to get eat dinner, promising to be back in half an hour

-but got drawn in to a round of video games with his mother

-sure enough, a few hours past before Max remembered he left the robot in the basement

-he shrugged it off as an accident until he got to the basement door and heard quiet sobs

-when he went down the stairs it was the robot crying

-when Max came into hearing range, the sounds stopped

“Max! You’re back! I thought you had abandoned me!”

-it didn’t seem possible, but Max could hear the happiness in the robot’s voice

-in that moment, Max made a decision

-“How do you feel about the name Markov?”

“Like the chains?”

“Yes, but Markov also sounds like…Mark Oz.”

“…I would be honored to be named after someone who was so important to you.”

-Max introduces Markov to his mom

-She’s literally at a loss for words

-like, she knew Max was a genius, but this was something on a whole other level

-She’s incredibly proud though

-and wants to tell everyone about it

-But Max stops her

-Markov isn’t just a robot, he’s a sentient being, and more importantly, he’s his friend

-if people learned about him, they would want to take him apart to figure out how he works

-Max doesn’t want that and neither does Markov

-So his mother keeps silent

-Plus there’s still more work to be done

-Markov might be built, but there’s still a lot that could be improved

-For starters, he’s huge

-Max built him out of three old computer monitors and can’t even lift him

-luckily, Max doesn’t have to do all the work himself

-Markov creates the blueprint for a smaller body

-they go from three monitors to two to two

-but it is slow going

-the first downsize took six months because Max didn’t want to risk accidentally destroying Markov

-he’s the happiest he’s been in a while

-but Markov thinks he could be even happier

-Max hasn’t been interacting with his classmates much

-he’s on good terms with them. No one trips him or throws things at the back of his head, and he talks to some of them every now and then

-his seatmate, Kim, asks him how he’s doing every morning

-Max doesn’t realize that he could be getting an even better experience out of school

-but Markov does, he’s analyzed enough books to know that it’s vital for a young child to have multiple human friends

-so he encourages Max to reach out

-Max is hesitant, but asks Kim if he wants to come over and play video games sometime

-Kim’s response is a resounding HELL YES

-(minus the swear word bc he’s like 11)

-Max is nervous as all hell, but the moment he has a game controller in his hands it goes away

-Kim is pretty tough competition, but Max still wins most of the time

-before they know it, it’s dark outside

-The next day when they need to partner up for an assignment, Kim asks Max if he wants to be partners

-Max smiles for a week straight

-With Markov’s encouragement, Max slowly befriends most of his classmates

-He’s particularly close with his seatmate Kim and a girl from Class A named Alix

-He also meets Kim’s friend Marinette, who’s in Class A with Alix

-and her friend Nino

-Still, Max considers Markov to be his best friend

-He sits in the basement with him everyday and tells him everything that happened that day

-Markov eagerly listens to all of it

-he wants more than anything to be able to go out and things for himself.

-but for now he’s stuck in the basement

-he’s sure that one day Max will make him small enough to transport

-for now, he’s happy to listen to his best friend’s stories

-----

Bonus:

------

A/N: I didn’t mean to make Max’s life so tragic, I swear.

If you want to be added to the childhood friends taglist or removed from it, please send me an ask or message me.

Taglist:

All Miraculous Ladybug fics:

@ravennightingaleandavatempus @crazylittlemunchkin

All Childhood AU fics:

@charlietheepic7 @krispydefendorpolice​

Codename: Candy

Part Twenty-Three - Who She Was, Revisited.

Word Count - 2037

Author’s Note: Trigger Warning for this chapter: discussion of torture and sexual assault, as well as the depiction of a abusive relationship. On another note, did I watch Glee and remember how good Grant Gustin is at playing the bad guy? Yes, yes I did... So, how do you feel knowing that Michael is a good-looking bad guy?! Conflicted? Yeah, same.

"You died in Iraq." Michael protested to her presence, and Amelia let out a cold laugh, the woman he had fallen for all those years ago was gone. He had changed her into something darker, crueler. It was, in all honesty, a point of pride for him.

"No, you thought I did. Now, turn around and get walking. I have a feeling you are meant to be meeting up with Thomas, am I wrong?" Amelia asked, pressing the gun into his back. "Lead the way, quickly." She ordered, and Michael let out a chuckle. The personality change suited her. He started walking, the cold metal of the gun leeching through his shirt and sending shivers up his back.

"You know, you got hotter." He smirked as he said the words, receiving a harsh kick to the leg, causing himself to inhale sharply, grimacing. "Oh come on baby. I'm not allowed to flirt with my wife?" He pouted, looking back at her.

"Ex-wife. I divorced you." She rolled her eyes, the pair heading down a staircase to the basement. Michael wasn't giving up so easily.

"Remember our honeymoon? The Ecuador mission... You completely severed that guy's hand! What was his name?" Michael asked, and was met with a sudden pinning against the wall by his ex-wife. There was enough rage in her eyes to kill a man, he knew the look all too well.

"All I remember about you, about us, was escaping your twisted torture dungeon. You mean nothing to me anymore, Michael. I cannot stress it enough. So do us both a favour and shut up. Your brother is waiting." Amelia hissed, and as she went to step back, his hand brushed over her cheek, moving the hair to the side.

"If you didn't still care, you would have shot me sweetheart..." Michael said softly, moving closer, and pressing a kiss to her cheek. And Amelia let him.

Whether it was out of paralysing anger, or feelings she refused to let surface, his lips followed a practised route: first her cheek, then her forehead, and finally, her lips. It only took a second of his lips on hers for him to receive a hard slap, but it was a second too long.

She still had weaknesses, and he knew it now.

"Touch me again, I take your hand like I did to poor José." She threatened, and Michael just smirked, leading her further into the building as they hit the basement floor. He muttered the directions as he went, and picked the correct door in a hall of identical exits.

"Michael... You brought company." Thomas smiled at the pair, twisting the last of the bomb wires together. "Well, I see she brought you..." he corrected himself, spotting the gun pressed into his brother's back, and watched as Amelia examined the scene before her.

She had seen photos of the bombs in Washington and Madrid, in Vienna... They were small, at least a thirtieth of the arsenal that was laid out strategically around them, the explosives linking to the main ventilation shaft in the building, in front of which sat more radioactive material than Amelia ever thought she would see.

"You shouldn't have come down here, little miss..." Thomas began, glancing to his brother, who laughed.

"Well baby, did you go back to Telford or keep my name?" Michael asked, walking over to stand by his brother, and Amelia raised her gun.

"Wait, this is the wife? Not bad, Michael, not bad. Feisty, hero complex..." Thomas tilted his head, examining Amelia with curiosity.

"You should see her in bed I mean-"

"STOP!" She yelled, breathing heavy. "It's over, don't you see that? I have 3 dozen trained soldiers upstairs at my disposal. You lost! You'll spend the rest of you lives rotting in prison." Amelia pressed on her radio, but when she didn't hear static, she pressed again. Michael began laughing.

"Sweetheart, you really ought to come with backup already arranged. Now, nothing bad will happen if you just do as you're told." Michael said, gesturing to her cable. Amelia glanced down, the wire to the radio ripped from the device. He had fucked her over.

She was alone, and then wolves descended.

-

Before the Marines, Amelia was alone. In every possible way, she was a single figure, until she joined the brotherhood. And halfway through her second tour, she met her perfect match, her other half, in Michael Roland, codename Buster, while travelling between bases. they talked the whole journey, sharing tales of battle and home.

He was charming and handsome, with the sort of smile that could melt hearts. Her heart, to be precise. In the Hellscape she had come to call home, Michael was a snippet of life beyond war, and a future with purpose. So, they stayed friends, and only when they were both picked for the same program, the 904th, that Amelia plucked up the courage and asked him out.

He gave her the codename Candy... He gave her more than that, and in spite of suicide missions and imminent danger at every corner, Michael was the first person to love Amelia unconditionally since her mother died. And it was real, instead of some twisted long game plan. Michael loved Amelia as much as she loved him.

But after Benghazi, Michael hated the agency he worked for more and more each day. The people who sent him and the woman he loved into near-death scenarios on a weekly basis, and all of it was so wrapped up in secrecy no-one knew but the team on the ground. So, after the pair got married in 2013, and the Ecuador mission left Amelia hospitalised in a coma for two weeks, Michael had had enough.

Thomas called his younger brother first, but Michael was all too eager to agree to the plans, so long as he and his bride were protected. The assurance was made, and plans were arranged for an unreliable source to reach out to Amelia on their next mission.

Michael urged her to follow it.

Michael co-ordinated the capturing of his team during the recon mission.

Michael got his fellow troopers killed.

Once they were in the compound, things were meant to be easy. All Amelia had to do was supply his brother's team with the nsme of s photographed individual. That was it. No extra steps required.

But Amelia didn't speak a word. Four three months, she refused to speak, refused to co-operate, and Michael grew angrier and angrier with her, confused by her actions. She hated the CIA as much as he did, after what they had sent the pair into, it was clear they both needed a change of work environment, a way to get revenge. But Amelia wouldn't bite, and Thomas ordered in the big guns. A doctored video displaying the beheading of Michael was aired to the public, and looped for six days in Amelia's cell.

After the video did nothing, the chief interrogator under the Rolands sat down with Amelia, offering her the first piece of food she had eaten in three and a half months that wasn't stale, rotten or covered in sand. She chewed as slowly as she could, trying to enjoy the taste of fresh, warm bread knowing full well she wasn't likely to eat it again for a while, if ever.

The interrogator offered to give her more, if she could just identify, if she could name, the man in his photo. He held it in front of her, and with steady breathing and a neutral expression, paired with a painful shrug, Amelia denied knowing him. She denied knowing her husband, her dead husband. The man she loved.

It was an error she didn't understand until the following month, when after constant rounds of torture and waterboarding, after electric shocks and beatings that had turned her back into a bloody mess more reminiscent of a butcher's offcuts bucket than a human body, and after continuing to deny knowing Michael, when he showed up one day.

Just like that.

Dressed in a suit and without a scratch on him, her husband was very much not decapitated, and very much angry. It was a rage Amelia hadn't seen in him before, and as she begged him to help her, to explain what was going on, he approached her with a knife in hand, cutting open the last rags of her shirt, breaking flesh as he did so. He cut away her restraints, lifting her up to her feet, and as Amelia tried to ask again what was going on, he grabbed her by the head, and rammed her head into the wall, sending the woman to her knees as she held her hand over the bleeding head wound. It didn't make sense, and her first thought was that this wasn't Michael, just some lookalike they had found to torture her psychologically as well as physically. But as she turned to look up at him, she couldn't deny reality, even through her blood-impaired vision.

His trousers were unbuckled, his hand in his boxers, and it was the action that solidified it for her: no matter how unromantic or borderline disgusting it was, Amelia knew it was her husband standing over her because he touched himself the same way. His grunts were the same, his half-open eyelids as he prepared himself. What was once a sight of excitement and joy for Amelia became horrific, and she realised that whoever she married, whether her husband had changed or just pretended for years, was the same man that was about to rape her.

--

"Nothing bad will happen if you just do what you're told." The words Michael spoke were a replica of that night in Iraq, and Amelia had already promised herself to do the exact opposite all those years ago. To never give him the satisfaction of commanding her again. As the pair approached her, Amelia set off her gun, the headshot meant for Michael being compromised by Thomas' arm coming down, and instead hitting her ex-husband in the leg.

He let out a cry, gripping above his wound as blood slowlhy began to trickle out of his thigh. While Amelia never studied much biology, she knew that she had missed the artery, but at least he was in pain. In the split second she had stopped to assess, Thomas had landed a hard blow to her face, his fist connecting with her nose and sending her stumbling. Despite clearly being the weaker of the two brothers, Thomas was still at least half a foot taller than Amelia, and about thirty pounds heavier. As he tackled her to the ground, losing her both her shoes and gun, the wind was knocked from her lungs, sending her into a coughing fit as Thomas pulled off her kevlar vest and ripped open her top.

Her immediate reaction was to scratch at his arms, but as he continued, Amelia made the decision and took her foot and kicked her heel straight into his left eye with as much strength as she could muster while she tried still to catch her breath.

Thomas yelped, falling backwards and holding a hand over his face. During this, Michael had managed to secure his belt over his leg wound, and he limped towards Amelia, over her flailing brother, with a grin on his face that made Pennywise look friendly.

"You look so pretty when you're all beaten up sweetheart..." Michael said gently, running a hand across her cheek, twirling a strand of hair around his finger. Amelia tried to push him back, her legs kicking, but Michael had been smarter than his borther, and his other hand clamped around her neck, blocking her airway. "Shame you couldn't just behave... Don't think they'll be anyone else like you for me... But you fucked up, Candy. And you'll die for it." With that, Michael slammed her head against the wall behind her, and her body fell limp.

Episode 4: Designer Complicity

My thoughts are coming your way.

SPOILERS AHEAD

0:15 - I feel like this is a false memory. Jessica is very dressed up to be hanging out in the basement. I don’t strike her as a woman who willingly went into the basement a lot. Seems out of character for her. I mean maybe she was looking for Malcolm when she didn’t find him in bed? But then I figure Martin would’ve stopped her. 

0:36 - Yo. Gabrielle is underpaid. She’s trying to help Malcolm but Malcolm is a mess. He’s passively suicidal and desperate for answers. He. Needs. Help. He. Is. In. So. Much. Pain.

2:20 - awww. Is Gil one of those people who have no idea how technology works? Now I really want to read a fic about how Gil calls Malcolm/Dani/JT every time he can’t figure out how to work his phone/computer. 

2:30 - That blue bath is kind of beautiful. In a very disturbing way. 

2:41 - Does that mean JT was born and/or raised in Harlem? 

2:55 - Gil putting his hand on JT’s shoulder is adorable. He really is Papa Gil to the whole team. Gil is the best. 

3:00 - “If you’re lucky.” - Am I the only one who does not understand that joke? It makes absolutely no sense to me. But Malcolm’s facial reaction to it is cute. 

3:32 - I find it mildly disturbing and very endearing that JT, our physically imposing man with a military background,  knows sooo much about this fashion lady. 

4:45 - Is this how social influencers really live? With a posse following them everywhere?! If it is - I’d rather be a poor nobody. 

5:00 - If these people follow Axel everywhere - I presume they hung out with Tatiana, Axel’s girlfriend, too. Assuming that’s true, why is it that Axel is the only one who seems even remotely upset?

5:10 - What is Axel’s accent? It’s so bizarre. 

5:48 - I see that Malcolm has boarded the manic train again. Thank God Gil is talking to him. 

6:38 - I love this. Gil doesn’t want to give Malcolm the tapes. He doesn’t want Malcolm to suspect his mother of doing anything (legally) wrong. He’s acting like Jessica’s co-parent. Protecting her from her manic son’s desperate attempts to piece together his fragmented memories. Also - I love the “I’ll take you home” line. It’s said in a way that implies that this isn’t the first time Gil has taken Malcolm home when he’s getting too worked up about his past.

7:12 - Wow. This conversation is not going to go well in Malcolm’s current mental state. 

8:10 - Malcolm. No. She loves you. She didn’t do anything wrong. Sweetheart just go to sleep. Stop interrogating your mother.

9:00 - Honestly - I would’ve hit him too. He crossed the line there. She shouldn’t hit her son but I won’t pretend that her actions weren’t justified.

9:45 - “I don’t need you to love me Malcolm. I just need you alive.” I feel like every parent has thought that at some point when they were disciplining their child.

10:25 - I hate this. I hate that Martin is acting like he’s being a good father. I hate that he’s playing with Malcolm’s psyche. This conversation is haunting. Malcolm’s eyes....he just looks broken. ALSO. Martin isn’t chained to the wall in this scene. Is he only chained to the wall when he has company?

12:20 - Dani’s gentle concern for Malcolm is heartwarming. She’s the friend he deserves.

13:22 - The way that Gil is looking at Malcolm here. It’s like Gil isn’t even listening to what Malcolm is saying. Gil is just looking at Malcolm with concern. It’s breaking my heart. Malcolm’s mental state is breaking my heart.

13:34 - “Is this a profile or an intervention for JT?” ICONIC. hahaha and JT’s facial expression reacting to that line. *chef’s kiss*

14:00 - “Or are we surfing the internet?” hahaha honestly I swear Gil feels like a total Dad half the time he’s at work. 

14:05 - Why do I love JT in a T-shirt so much. It’s his arms. I don’t know why but I think they’re so nice. He has amazing arms. I can’t stop staring at them. There is something profoundly wrong with me.

14:12 - hahaha this look.The one JT is giving Bright when Bright takes his phone. Freaking hilarious. This whole interaction between Bright and JT is hilarious. 

14:21 - Sure JT. You’re only going to keep an eye on him because he has your phone. It’s definitely not because you care about our shaky-handed lunatic. 

15:15 - Again. I will ask. What branch of the military was JT in?!? 

15:35 - It’s really sweet that, despite how much pain Malcolm is currently in, he still has the capacity to care about JT to the point that he puts his hand on JT’s shoulder.

16:10 - How stupid is this guy? He just ran straight into a pile of garbage?!? THE REST OF THE STREET IS COMPLETELY EMPTY.

16:33 - awww the boys are working together. I’m so disgustingly proud of them.

17:00 - Malcolm taking pictures of the paparazzi is so amazing. The social commentary is incredible. Also it looks like Malcolm is using an iPhone again.

18:33 - Again. I will ask. Is Malcolm talking to Roger or verbalizing an internal revelation about his current predicament with his Mom?

18:53 - Is that a France flag in Gil’s office? There are two flags. One is the US flag. The other looks like the France flag. My question is why.

20:00 - Gil deserves a medal. You can tell how restrained he is with Malcolm. Our boy is out of line this episode. 

20:33 - She’s very rich. Why has she kept the same dress for 20 years? I thought rich people got new wardrobes every year or two.

21:20 - I feel like Martin and Jessica are talking about different things here. Even without the context that Jessica thought Martin was having an affair. I feel like they’re not on the same page.

23:40 - Dang. Getting run over by a car seems a little extreme.

24:40 - Oh no. Malcolm - what are you doing?!? Do not say that to Roger. He’s a creep but you are being really cruel. 

26:40 - I feel really bad for Ainsley. She really is the third wheel in this family. They need to pay more attention to her. 

27:40 - How does Jessica know that Martin watches Ainsley’s newscasts? She’s visited him once in the past 20 years. 

28:08 - I know that look. That’s the look someone gets when you can hear the parental lecture running in your head even though your parental figure has only given you the look.

29:00 - That’s a really sweet story. I wish Gil would talk about Jackie more. 

31:00 - I love it when Malcolm acts like a protective big brother. It’s really endearing. Also Ainsley’s ambition is a little bit scary.

34:00 - That fact that Malcolm is so calm when there is a gun pointed at his face really speaks to his passive suicidal mentality. Not good.

34:55 - That Dani/Malcolm interaction is really cute. 

35:17 - Does everyone come into Malcolm’s house unannounced and uninvited?

36:00 - Loving the number of Gil/Malcolm conversations in this episode. They are fuelling my soul. 

37:30 - Watching Malcolm’s face as he reacts to his mother’s video is heartbreaking. I’m so upset. This whole freaking family needs a hug. Gil included.

40:32 - Malcolm is a good person. He acknowledges when he’s wrong and sincerely apologizes to his mother. That’s a good person right there. 

41:25 - Pretty sure Jessica is still drunk. Her alcoholism should really be addressed.  

42:40 - FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD. AINSLEY NO. DON’T DO THIS. 

There’s another one in the barrel. Thanks for hanging out. Up next: The Trip. 

Wedding in Japan 2 - Chap 23

Chapter 23

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25131394/chapters/63401779

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13637197/23/Wedding-in-Japan-2

https://www.wattpad.com/941666957-wedding-in-japan-2-chapter-23

Adrien sat on the wall railing next to the stairs on the exit of the mansion along with Kagami facing their friends Nino and Alya, which assisted Kagami in finding Adrien.

“You weren’t really tortured in there?” Nino asked watching Adrien shake his head.

“I was just locked up in there, he brought me food and had left me a lot of water for me to drink. Otherwise, I just sat there all on my own,” Adrien explained.

“Man, how could you hold it out so long, without going to the toilet?” Nino asked.

“I didn’t, I just peed into the bushes as far as I could aim,” Adrien mentioned earning a nod from the Moroccan man.

“Just like I taught you on our trip to the Hautes-Pyrénées” Nino mentioned making Alya chuckle.

“What are you laughing about?”

“I just remembered about that Truth or dare game we played in the camp and you were challenged along with Nathaniel to ran across the forest naked and had gotten a rash over your skin for the rest of the week,” Alya pointed out making Adrien grin at the story.

“Really?” Kagami asked looking at Adrien, which nodded. Nino looked along with Alya down at the stairs, where Roger Raincomprix stood with another police officer holding Gabriel on his arms, while in front of him stood Emilie Agreste and Tomoe Tsurugi.

“Are we going to get interrogated too?” Nino asked making Alya shrug her shoulders.

“I would be expecting that” Alya responded earning a nod from the boyfriend.

Downstairs, where the mothers of the young Agreste couple stood Gabriel was explaining everything he has been cached away from her since her appearance.

“It’s not Nathalie’s fault first to be clear, she had just given me that idea and I thought about it and just went along with her idea. Officially I was the one, who had the idea to akumatize a few people in the hope I would manage to obtain the miraculous right away, with the time I got desperate as I kept and kept failing and she just comforted me. There were times she suggested me to just take a break and think about spending time with our son or tell what really happened. I…..was afraid to tell him the truth, I was afraid he wouldn’t understand it and I postponed it again and continued it. I went on with it for about three years and I gave up as Adrien began to revolt towards me. Back then Goldybug was around I managed to contact her and gave her the miraculous back, then a few months later she and Cat Noir had retired and everything was normal. Adrien moved out shortly after his birthday away from our house and recently Nathalie was saved on a car crash on her way home by Goldybug and his new partner Jade Neko, explained them about my plan to bring you back to life and they came to our house…...then the rest I have already told you the other day on our dinner,”

“And why did you hide our own son in the basement?” Emilie asked.

“Besides Nathalie, Mrs. Tsurugi was the second person, who knew you and I could talk with her once in a while. The reason I wanted to split Adrien away from Kagami was that she was against him and her being together. She didn’t like the fact they had gotten married without saying her anything,” Gabriel answered.

“I knew your husband would try everything to keep his little secret safe, but I wasn’t expecting how far he was going in this situation,” Tomoe added. “This was more of a motivation for him to do it,”

“I believe, that Adrien and Kagami’s decision to marry the other day was spontaneous or even planned as I’ve heard from him she and him shared a lower relationship with you or Gabriel,” Emilie added.

“After all I did I wouldn’t deserve it” Gabriel mentioned earning a nod from his wife.

“I still can’t believe, that you were capable of doing such a thing” The wife complained making Gabriel sink his head down disappointed.

“If I could go back in time, I would have avoided all those terrible mistakes,” Gabriel lamented, then Emilie left him back and walked towards a police car near the exit, where Felix sat alone in the back and Emilie knocked on the window to call Felix’s attention. Felix noticed Emilie wasn’t really fond of what was happening at the moment and sank his head down in sadness.

“Why did you join Gabriel in this?” Emilie asked watching the man shrug his shoulders. Emilie shook her head, then watched Felix look up at the woman and turn his head back to spot Adrien on the top of the wall railing, chatting with Nino and Alya. “Aunt Emilie? Can you do me a favor and call Adrien here?” Felix asked watching Emilie think for a second and she nodded and looked up at the four friends and waved at Adrien, then signaled him to come down to her. Adrien signed Kagami and she helped him walk the stairs down and followed him, making sure he wouldn’t let him fall down per coincidence. The two stopped in front of the police car and Adrien glanced through the window at his cousin.

“Before all this…..before I did this to you and Kagami….Have you always seen me before as a friend?” Felix asked earning a nod from Adrien.

“We’re family Felix. You could have talked to me. I would have helped you,”

“I should have,” Felix replied. “I wish I would have done that. You’re the kindest friend I have ever had and I did all this to you. I don’t deserve your friendship for all the mean things I did,”

“Well….I don’t know, what to tell you, but…...you know with good conduct you can get out earlier from jail,” Adrien said a little unsure about, what he should say his cousin at this moment.

“I don’t know your cousin well, but I like that he delivered himself to the police and told what had happened to you. That’s also a good thing for him,” Kagami told her husband.

“Really?” Adrien asked looking at Felix, which nodded.

“You know Adrien, I feel like after my father died, everything has changed around me, even I…..the friends I had back on that time left me as I began to treat them rudely so that I was alone. It was my fault, but I didn’t want to put the blame on myself,”

“The time you were over the weekend at my parent's house here and made that video call to my friends, you did that out of jealousy as you knew I had what you lost?” Adrien asked making Felix shrug his shoulders.

“I saw you had so many friends, that cared about you and this just annoyed me. Even now you have them and you’re also married to someone…..I have never seen someone so faithful and self-assured in a relationship as she was. She was obvious since the first day, that something was wrong as I showed up the other day styled like you telling about my disappearance. You’re such a lucky man, cousin” Felix avowed making Adrien smile and look at Kagami, which copied his facial expression.

“I really am Felix” Adrien stated leaning his forehead on Kagami’s then he looked back at his cousin. “Hey I know this will take you a little while, but you will find a light in your life too. Don’t worry,”

“Yeah” Felix answered, then at the entrance of the plot of the Agreste an ambulance entered and Kagami noticed the ambulance, then nudged Adrien carefully on the shoulder to earn his attention and she pointed at the vehicle.

“Oh they’re here,” Adrien mentioned. “How long does a check-up usually take?” Adrien asked making Kagami shrug her shoulders.

“I don’t know” The woman responded. “But I think you should take some clothes with you. You probably will have to take a shower there,”

“Yeah I guess so,” Adrien agreed, then saw Gabriel entering into the back of a police car with the help of Roger Raincomprix, then Adrien glanced at Kagami, which noticed Adrien wasn’t quite happy with what was going on.

“You’re okay?” His wife asked making him nod.

“Yeah, it’s just…...I kind of feel bad for my father,”

“I understand that Adrien, but you know your father should have known, that the things he has done would have consequences. This is what’s going to happen,”

“Yeah I know” Adrien responded, then a paramedic of the ambulance came towards Adrien. “Hi”

“Good evening Mr. Agreste, please follow me,” The paramedic asked walking with Adrien at the back of the ambulance and Adrien waited for the man to open the door while he gazed back at Kagami, which approached him then Adrien grabbed Kagami’s hands and looked into her eyes.

“Will you accompany me?” Adrien asked making Kagami shrug her shoulders.

“If they don’t mind it.”

“I haven’t talked with anyone for over 24 hours” Adrien blurted out giving Kagami sad eyes making her chuckle.

“Aww you’re so adorable when you beg,” Kagami confessed, then the paramedic offered Adrien to sit down on the back of the ambulance and placed next to Adrien the first aid bag and passed a wet napkin over Adrien’s injury on his eyebrow he made a few days ago while Kagami stood there watching them.

   A few months later Gabriel and Felix had been sentenced to jail for a few years to pay for the crimes they had done. Adrien and his mother got to know each other better after all the years she was gone, as well Kagami got accepted well by the mother-in-law. Adrien recovered really quickly and slowly began to get accepted by Kagami’s mother as the husband of the daughter.

Adrien and Kagami had moved out of the commune and found a small house where they could live together. Their life was going well so far and they agreed on inviting their friends and their moms to have dinner at their new house to inaugurate the guests to their new lifestyle and additionally reveal to them all a special message. A message, which mostly delighted Kagami as she would finally tell everyone, what she was expecting.

 Adrien and Kagami sat on the outside around a long folding table with their mothers and their old school friends from the Françoise Dupont school eating dinner. The major part of the guests were chatting loud and on the other end of the table sat Adrien together with his wife, his mother Emilie and his mother-in-law Tomoe Tsurugi.

“Did you really make those chicken breasts? Emilie asked looking at Adrien putting a bunch of grapes into his mouth, then he nodded. “I didn’t know you had a talent for cooking,”

“Neither did I” Adrien answered. “I kinda like it to be honest,”

“We took cooking lessons together in the first year we began to live together,” Kagami mentioned. “Madame Morane was a very skilled cook,”

“Isn’t that the same woman, that taught your mother how to cook?” Nino asked looking at Alya, which was cutting her chicken breast.

“No, they were in the same culinary school back in the past and worked a few years together at Auguste’s restaurant,” Alya answered.

“Out of you, who do you think is the best cook?” Alix asked, who sat between Emilie Agreste and Nathaniel Kurtzberg.

“I’m really fond of Adrien’s cooking, to be honest,” Kagami answered. “He’s also more entertained in trying out new recipes when he can, while I prefer to focus on the ones I know and improve them,”

“I have to say those sweet potatoes are good” Nathaniel mentioned. “Until now I only ate them as fried fries,”

“Same dude” Nino agreed. “No offense bro, but fries will always be better for me,”

“Yes I know, but they’re not as healthy as potatoes” Adrien pointed out earning a nod from the Moroccan man.

“Yes, but I’m not eating them every day don’t worry,” Nino assured making Adrien smile.

Kagami looked at her mother eating normally, then she placed her hand over Adrien’s then pointed out at him to his mother and smiled at his wife and slid closer to her on the folding bank and spoke at his mother-in-law.

“Mrs. Tsurugi, are you enjoying the meal so far?” Adrien asked watching the woman swallow the bit she had chewed, then answered.

“You know I’m not used to this kind of food, but I find it’s good. I’m not really fond of sweet food thought, but it’s good,” Tomoe explained making Adrien smile a little.

“You know I’m making sure to help Kagami in having healthy nutrition for the rest of the months,” Adrien mentioned watching the mother nod and continue to eat her food. Adrien sat down and looked a little perplexed at Kagami, which embraced him with one hand and he leaned his face on hers,

“I know I was a little severe towards you in the past about you and Kagami’s relationship, but the last few times I’ve been here with you I have never heard Kagami so happy. I hope I have interpreted this all correctly,” Tomoe mentioned making Adrien smile and glance down at his wife.

“I’ve told you, mother, he was the right one. I just realized it a little late,” Kagami stated grabbing Adrien’s hands to smile at him.

“Hey this just plumped into my head right now as I looked at you before” Nathaniel began. “Why is there a small open space on your eyebrow?”

“I hit my head” Adrien answered making Kim chuckle.

“Where?” Kim asked. “On the bedboard?” Kim asked making Adrien shake his head.

“You’re taking the conversation into the wrong lane again,” Adrien mentioned.

“You guys had all time to get used to it,” Lila pointed out, which sat between Kim and Tomoe.

"Agreed" Max added.

“The issue here is her” Nathaniel whispered pointing at Mrs. Tsurugi.

“Come on, she’s not your mother-in-law, Nath” Alix mentioned. “Why are you even afraid?”

“Who said I was afraid?” Nathaniel asked. “I have respect from women that kick other people’s butts” Nathaniel mentioned making half of the woman laugh around the table.

“You should have from everyone” Nino mentioned watching Kagami trying to get up and Adrien noticed it and got up behind her then placed his arms around the woman holding her carefully on her medium-sized belly.

“You’re not doing anything more, I’ll do it” Adrien warned his wife, which shook his head and kissed him on the cheek.

“Hey, I can’t just sit and let you to everything” Kagami warned watching Adrien shake his head.

“I know, but I want you to sit down and give our baby some rest” Adrien questioned his wife, which nodded.

“But I will at least carry the cake,” Kagami began to walk away, then Adrien placed his hands around her shoulders.

“And I will help” Adrien said, then he looked back at his friend Nino, which gave the blonde a thumb up and began to collect around them the plates along with Alya.

 Adrien and Kagami arrived the kitchen and Adrien opened the fridge and took out carefully the cake they had ordered from the pastry.

“Did Kim really think my scar happened during sex?” Adrien asked watching Kagami shrug her shoulders.

“He was probably joking as usual” Kagami answered taking out dessert forks from the drawer of the kitchen. “But if I need to be honest, I find the scar very attractive on you” Kagami mentioned as Adrien placed the cake beside the woman and both gazed at each other flirtatiously.

“That sounds nice” Adrien answered, then opened the counter over them to take out plates for the cake and Kagami counted them all for him, afterward Adrien closed the door and checked out their cake. “The cake is here, can I know the gender now?”

“You will know it at the same time as the others Adri, just like I promised” Kagami answered making Adrien sink his head down.

“Shouldn’t daddy get a special treatment?” Adrien asked bowing down at the belly of Kagami. “Yes mommy” Adrien mimicked making Kagami laugh.

“Just hold on this one minute and you’ll know it” Kagami responded, then she grabbed the cake and walked back to the outside, while Adrien brought the plates and forks passing by Nino, which carried the empty plates to the kitchen.

“There comes your cake, Marinette” Alya mentioned looking at the end of the table at a traditional dressed Marinette sitting vice versa to Luka Couffaine, which held their son Rouven on his lap.

“Can you film it?” Marinette asked. “If he doesn’t mind it, I’d like to use it on my page,”

“You’ve got a lot of cakes on your site, what is so special on Adrien’s?” Nino asked.

“You know to earn attention from other people. Rose and Juleka are doing the same with their salon, right girls?” Alya asked looking at the two women, which sat next to the Couffaines and Rose gave the Martinic woman a thumb up.

“I’ll do it” Adrien answered. “You can start,” Adrien said watching Alya start to film him, which grabbed the knife and looked at Kagami, which sat down on the bench next to him and nodded with a smile watching him cut the cake, which was decorated with pink and blue overlapping cream on the sides of the cake and on the middle on the top of the cake the top was white and had several lines on the cake forming the field from the fencing sports and on the middle stood two plastic figurines fencing each other, one colored in red and the other one colored in white and behind the character, there was drawn with a pen the gender symbol of each parent. On the upper corner, where Adrien was going with the knife stood the sentence girl or boy? Cut here to find out.

Adrien pressed the knife down, then moved a few centimeters aside to cut the other part of the cake and pulled it out and saw the interior drop out various colored smarties, confusing him.

“Uhm are we having twins?” Adrien asked watching Kagami shake her head, then Luka got up and looked into the hole of the cake, then shove the knife into the cake and pulled out a deflated balloon, which brushed over the small buttons a dark blue color, which made Luka chuckle.

“Lucky you, this was supposed to burst and cover your face with it” Luka explained, then Marinette facepalmed as her cake didn’t work out as expected. “This was our first try anyway, we’ve got other chances”

“I can’t believe you wanted to ruin my beautiful face like that” Adrien joked making Kagami shake her head playfully, then Luka grabbed the balloon and passed it over Adrien’s face. “Hey!”

“The goal was to have your face painted and I just wanted to fulfill it,” Luka said placing his clean hand over Adrien’s shoulder.

“Ha ha ha,” Adrien said sarcastically, then he began to cut down pieces onto the plate and his mother helped him distribute the cakes to the guests. Kagami emptied a bit water from her cup on a napkin, then began to clean Adrien from the side of his head making him giggle from the feeling he got from it.

“You’re tickling me,” Adrien mentioned.

“You didn’t mind the other day I helped you bathe at the hospital”

“You didn’t either,” Adrien added with a chuckle making Kagami nod. “But I really enjoyed it” Adrien whispered making Kagami smile, which had his face almost cleaned more or less and spread the last two dishes to the side of her mother, before Adrien cut for him and her the last two pieces.

“Is it okay, if I share the video?” Alya asked earning a nod from the couple, then Alya worked on forward it to her best friend.

“Blue means boy, right?” Adrien asked earning a nod from his wife. “Wow we’re having a son,” Adrien stated gazing down at his cake. “I’m going to be the dad of a baby boy,”

“You’re going to be a good father” Kagami stated placing her hand on his cheek. “I know it”

“I will,” Adrien replied placing his left arm behind Kagami’s back and the right arm on Kagami’s belly. “Your daddy and mommy will give you a good childhood. Pinky promise” Adrien said pecking Kagami’s belly, then she patted him on his hair and let him lay his head over it.

“But don’t forget he needs also a good education,”

“Yes, I was more referring, that we won’t be that strict like our parents, just when necessary”

“Of course, I don’t think our son will give us a lot of trouble” Kagami stated earning a nod from her husband and moved her hand out to pick the fork, while Adrien kept his position over her baby bump. “You’re not going to eat?”

“Just a few more minutes” Adrien replied carefully patting Kagami’s belly and she sat there for a while watching her husband fondling her, then she carefully embraced his head and kissed him on it and lied her chin over him savoring their moment, soon both took their plate and joined the rest of the guests by eating the cake enjoying the evening while they can.

The End.

roisa tgp au

ft. rose as eleanor & luisa as chidi

below the cut is a little rose solano/luisa alver in a the good place au!

As Rose’s eyes opened, she took a look around, the strange room earning a sense of unease. A strange man stood by the opened doorway, with a smile.

“Clara Ruvelle?” He asked, voice soft, and yet firm. “Come on in.” Her sense of security heightened, but years of practice ensured it wouldn’t show. However this man knew her name, she was going to find out why, and whether or not she did it the nice way, well, that depended wholly on him.

She stood up anyways, plastering on her signature soft smile, one which had charmed one too many men she had no interest in— but it worked, and that was all that mattered, for he flashed a smile back.

Following him into the room, her eyes flickered from corner to corner, trying to make sense of all of this. Had she been kidnapped? She knew it hadn’t been a good idea to visit a bar at her lowest, nothing good would come of it. She chided herself for once again being an idiot when she had everything at stake. She carefully sat down on the grey-ish chair, carefully watching the man sit down under the false pretense of staring at the plant.

The plant was, however, not interested. But it was all she could focus on, in this boring office room, where everything was yellow, grey or somewhere in between. Not that he was judging his choices, just that, well, the office was bland.

“You, Clara Ruvelle, are dead.” He said, his eyes displaying a sliver of sympathy and perhaps feeling sorry, but she shoved those thoughts aside, as she attempted to process this.

At first, many waves of snickers and scoffs echoed within her mind, believing the man was lying and she had just been kidnapped. It was probably all a mind game, right? She had so much more to do, she couldn’t have just died, could she? But then, the scoffs quieted down, and she realized that, well, it could be very possible she had died.

A hint of panic, just the slightest, passed through her, and her heartbeat got louder, was she really dead? How could she be? What happened? How could she have let herself be so careless? How was she going to run her empire now? She had so much more she wanted to do, so many more empires to corrupt and take over, many more idiots to seduce— but there was nothing she could really do now, except to make the best of the world she was in. Could you run a crime business in the afterlife?

“Cool.” Her voice, cool and calm, echoed, followed by a nod, maybe a small smile, as she fixated on the man in front of her.

A pause, an awkward one, as she took a second of hesitation to think, maybe rid the awkward air between them.

“How did I die?” She asked, her voice a little bit louder than she’d hoped.

“Are you sure you want to know?” He asked, resting his hands on the table between them.

“I’m sure.” 

“Well, you were sleeping in the basement bedroom of one Lily Keller when her mother left the stove on by accident, and the whole house burned down.” A brief moment of silence, again— but this time it wasn’t just her, the man seemed to be thinking as well, or perhaps he was just judging her. Either way, she took the silence as a gift.

“Well.” She probably should’ve asked about the mom, whether or not Mrs. Keller made it out in time, but to be frank, she didn’t quite care, and there was no use pretending to care— she was dead after all.

“We erase traumatic memories of the death for an easy transition into the afterlife.” He explained, sitting back a little as an easy smile surfaced, as if attempting to calm her.

“So, where exactly am I?” She asked, her finger pointing up for a second, then down. She assumed the latter, obviously, I mean, she had killed one too many people by accident, and her business wasn’t exactly cruelty-free in her ways of gaining. 

“Not many people get in, but you, Clara Ruvelle, are in the Good Place.” He said, leaning back in a little, his hands resting on the table, fingers intertwined with one another.

“Wow.” Was all she could manage to say at the moment, a smirk right below the surface. And perhaps following it, panic? Was she supposed to be here? Had somebody made a mistake? After all, textbook sociopath or not, she had done some pretty bad things, put as the man across from her rose, she stood up to her own two feet, flattening out her red dress.

“Come on, Clara, let me show you around.”

The tour around had been pretty boring, if you asked her. She’d probably learned more about the mechanics of the place than where she could go to get food, meet people, or purchase a sweet snack. Nonetheless, it was a nice way to pass the endless time that she’d have to spend in this small town variation of heaven.

They’d been walking for what seemed like a century already, around the town where everybody was arm in arm with someone else, and offering her a friendly smile. To be frank, her facial muscles had never been more tired, even when she had to speak for hours and hours. It was all just so overwhelmingly sunshine-y.

“So, who’s in the Bad Place, that would shock me?” She asked, trying to bring up conversation as her heels clicked against the little paved road in the middle of nowhere.

“Uh, well, Mozart, Picasso, Elvis, basically every artist ever, uh, ever U.S. president except Lincoln.” He replied, hands in his pockets.

“That sounds about right.” She responded. “What about Florence Nightingale?”

“That was close, but, no, she didn’t make it.” He spoke. Her heartbeat started to speed up as he spoke, and she panicked. If even such a woman like that wasn’t here, why on earth was she here? Well, obviously her terrible actions must’ve brought good impacts onto the lives of others, and from her countless terrible actions, she swayed herself into believing so.

A moment of silence hung between them as she searched for the right words that wouldn’t completely destroy her image.

“Wow, all those amazing people, down there, it just seems hard to believe.”

“Again, it’s an incredibly selective system. Most people don’t make it here. But you, a lawyer who got innocent people off death row, you’re special, Clara.”

What? She prayed she’d heard wrong, but there was no doubt what she was hearing. His hands were on her shoulders now, and if she was anybody else, she would’ve crumbled apart under the guise of the lies. But she didn’t.

Instead, she continued to smile, and despite the momentary falter, he bought it.

“And by the way,” He continued, removing his hands from her shoulder. “Welcome to your new home!” The man said, as they approached two houses near the edge of town. Her eyes flickered from the larger house to the tiny house beside it, trying to figure out which one would be more convenient for her to live in, maybe get to know in the span of the endless years she’d have to spend here with whoever this soulmate was.

It was eerily quiet, she was used to the bustling, busy cities and the busier underground networks which she frequented. The houses stood on a grass field, almost what she would’ve called in the middle of nowhere, if they hadn’t just come from the small town right beside it.

The small house was multicoloured, a sort of primary colour scheme, with the exception of the porcelain white that glazed the rooftop, a nice change that made the house look less… kid’s classroom -esque, more actual house.

You see, in the Good Place, every person gets to live in a home that perfectly matches his or her true essence.” He said, gesturing towards the house that was becoming more and more horrific to look at by the moment.

“Cool.” She replied. “So, I guess that’s why my house, for example, is this adorable little cottage, whereas other people have homes that are bigger, like that one.”

And she was referring to the house beside hers, a large house, which looked as if it could fit the smaller house inside at least seventeen times. Pearly silver swirls surrounded the rice coloured marble walls, the translucent glass panes showing but the tiniest corners of the house, alluring but not exposing— a large fountain in the front to top it off, as if being the fanciest house in the area wasn’t enough.

“Exactly. Oh, I’m so happy you get it.” He replied, grinning.

As she entered, she prayed that the inside was nothing like its horrendous outside. She almost jumped, hands balling into fists as she struggled to understand why anybody on earth would live in such a house.

The walls were decorated in clown paintings, and there was an obvious lack of stairs. But, though it was small, the little sections inside it acted like there was more to explore, and for her, it was enough. It wasn’t like she’d ever want to live in a mansion, especially not the huge one next door where, if she lived it in, she feared the skeletons in her closet would lay behind every door.

“As you can see,” He continued, leading her inside. “The interior has been decorated just as you like it, in the Icelandic primitive style.” A second of silence, before he continued to speak, yet again. “Oh, oh, and uh, of course, you love clowns, so…”

Well, at least that explained the odd, horrible, paintings, she thought.

“I do love clowns.” She replied, a light chuckle following.

“Now,” He said, turning her attention towards the opposite area of the house. “Let me show you the video system here.”

She looked at the giant board in front of her, with her name in the centre and branches with countless green words on the end of them, signifying good deeds.

“You can review everything that happened in your life from your point of view.”

He tapped on one of the green words, and a video-style footage popped up, as she watched, curious.

“This is your Human Rights mission to the Ukraine.” He said, gesturing at the shaky footage. “I mean, you got a ton of points for that one. It really put you over the top.”

She didn’t sweat, ever, except during sex. But, if she could, she would’ve been. This was not what she predicted the afterlife would be like, at all. She continued to watch the footage, with a smile, as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Luisa, come on in.” He said, as a stranger with the most gorgeous chocolate brown locks and the sweetest hazelnut honey eyes, with storms behind them, entered, dressed in a flannel blouse and trousers.

“Clara?” The girl who she presumed was Luisa, spoke. “I’m Luisa Alver, and you are my soulmate.”

The man in the suit clapped, with a grin. As if he was the one that set up a tinder match that just succeeded, or got his end of the pay on a drug deal.

“Cool!” She said, not sure how to address the gorgeous woman she’d just met— especially as the sparks flew between them and she struggled to keep her cool.

Alas, she went in for a hug, as the stranger’s arms around hers felt like home, the honey almond shampoo scent rich in her hair as it lapped around the nook of her neck, and they hugged like they were making up for all the lost time that could’ve been theirs.

“Now, excuse me, I have other people to attend to.” The man in the suit exited the house quietly, as they continued to embrace.

He left, shutting the door behind him, as the two sat down on the little beige couch-bench seating.

“So, Luisa, where are you from?” She asked, looking into her soulmate’s eyes with the mask of excitedness.

“I was born in a nice hospital, one my father probably paid for, but we moved many times, but eventually settled down in Miami as a doctor.” She grinned, as if excited she finally had someone to talk to. “What about you?”

Quick, she panicked, as she knew she couldn’t tell this lovely stranger about the whole crime lord in the making thing.

“Uh, well, I was born in Stowe, Vermont. And then I lived there for as long as I can remember.” She said, nervously watching her soulmate. Had she messed up already? She started to panic, feeling nervous in a way she hadn’t been for a long, long time, until those brown eyes smiled back at her, the only response she needed.

Her cold hands were taken into the warm ones of the woman across her, as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Clara, I’ve spent so much of my life alone, hoping to share moments with someone. And now, I finally have someone to share them with, as soul mates. It’s overwhelming.” Luisa beamed, the puppy dog smile making her swallow, as she realized she couldn’t lie any longer.

“Luisa. You’ll stand by my side no matter what, right?” She asked, keeping her hands firmly in her soul mate’s.

“Of course.” Her soul mate responded, looking a little confused.

“Promise me.” She said. Luisa looked like the type that would keep spoken promises, no matter what, right? “Say, ‘I promise I will never betray you for any reason.’”

Luisa put her hand on her chest, as if making a genuine and solemn swear, as if they were nine again. “Clara, I swear, that I will never say or do anything to cause you any harm.”

“Good.” Clara responded, a smile emerging on her face. Partly because she finally had someone she didn’t have to lie to, but also someone who already swore they’d never hurt her “Because those aren’t my memories. I wasn’t a lawyer,” She continued, shaking her head. “I never went to the Ukraine. I hate clowns.”

She took a moment of silence, or perhaps it was hesitation. “There’s been a big mistake. I’m not supposed to be here.” She puts her best ‘surprise!’ face, jazz hands and all.

The silence hung between them as Luisa’s face went through a bajillion different expressions, from gaping mouth to perpetually confused eyebrows.

Then she spoke with that soft, sweet, voice of hers. “Wait, what?”

Scenic Route 44/45

The chapter count drastically went down, I somehow counted them wrong at first !!!

”Read on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268208/chapters/43229774

Start over : https://elopez7228.tumblr.com/post/620919089893933056/scenic-route-0147

***

July 10, 9:00 AM

Galen Erso walked through the sliding doors at the foot of a monolithic glass tower overlooking San Francisco Bay. The gate emitted a welcome beep as he pressed his badge to the reader, and walked towards the elevators, his cup of coffee in hand. His face was pallid, unfortunately accentuating his bloodshot eyes and dark circles. The elevator emptied floor after floor and he was alone in the cabin as the counter hit fifteen. The doors were creeping to a close, when suddenly a silk-gloved hand interrupted their progress.

Galen nearly spat out his coffee at the sight of Armitage Hux, dressed in an immaculate black suit with his hair slicked back into a neat red swoop.

“Hello, Galen Erso” he said politely as he walked in, trying to sound natural as he eyed the other man’s badge.

******

Hux turned his head a fraction to glance at the truly unkempt employee in the elevator. His upper lip twisted in a grimace of disgust. Whoever Galen Erso was, he did not deign to answer his greeting.

The shabby stranger went all the way up to the twenty-seventh floor, home of the engineering and IT departments. Hux’s brain was still processing when he left; he was vaguely sure he had passed this idiot in the hall before. Additionally, if he managed to remember the name of his supervisor, he would be able to send a warning for egregious violation of dress code.

In the meantime, he had other concerns.

Phasma had not shown up to his office at eight o'clock, despite her usually exemplary punctuality. It was abnormal, something must have happened. Even more alarming, her phone went directly to voicemail every time.

But it had been an hour—barely an hour—since he last heard from her, and it could easily be nothing.

Syed Ren wasn’t responding either, and had been MIA for a few days; Hux knew with near certainty that she must have been silenced by the other Knights of Ren. Skylar Ren was no longer of any use to him at all. The bastard was currently strapped to a chair in the basement, where he kept repeating that he had never sent the message to Valorum, that he was framed. In absolute terms, it was a credible story. But whether he had sent the message himself or not, he was already guilty of recording such a video and keeping it.

And where the hell was Kylo Ren? The Director of Operations was apparently no longer operating. They’d lost track of him in Nevada. All the roads led to Wells, an insignificant desert outcrop which was now the final scene of a disappearing act. It was there that Kelsi Ren's empty Lincoln had been found, and where Syed’s SUV had vanished. It was also where agents last sighted Earth Soldiers debutante Rey Jakku. Some witnesses even report that they saw Kylo Ren himself there, or at least someone who looked like him. Given that Kylo was still rockstar royalty in the eyes of most people, Hux was inclined to believe that the risk of misidentification was low.

On precisely July 8th, everyone in that godforsaken desert had disappeared without a trace.

At first, Hux was incredulous enough to wonder if an alien abduction had occurred. A flying saucer, a ray of light, and presto, their bodies would be floating around in the ether.

It would suit him perfectly, actually. Because what worried him most wasn't really that Syed, Kylo, or Rey had disappeared. It was what they would probably return one day. And his instincts told him that when they reappeared all hell would break loose.

He stepped out of the elevator and strode to his desk, removing one glove with his right hand.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed Kylo Ren's cell number. He picked up for once.

“Seven hells, Kylo, what do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled. “Have you forgotten that until further notice, you are bound by contract to the First Order? Your sorry arse better be in my office before noon!”

“Mr. Solo is not available,” said a male voice Hux didn’t immediately recognize. “And to whom do I have the honor of speaking? Armitage Hux I presume?”

He froze, shocked. “Who are you? Get me Kylo Ren right away!”

“You may call me Master Windu. Congratulations on your impressive career, Armitage. I always knew that you had the means to channel your ambition. Unfortunately Mr. Solo no longer answers this number, I take care of that now. What you say to him, you can say to me. I take my client's privacy very seriously.”

Armitage hung up.

Master Windu half-smiled as he handed the device to Ben Solo.

“What did he want?” Ben asked, taking the phone.

“To threaten or blackmail you, probably. Nothing he can really do anyway, now that I'm here. In your interest, Mr. Solo, I forbid you to answer the phone from now on, until further notice. You don't know who’s recording what. All your communications will have to go through me.”

Ben Solo nodded, moistening his lips.

“You received a text earlier,” added the lawyer. “I erased it. No more texts, understand?”

“Who was it?” Ben asked, his heart pounding suddenly.

“Rey something or other. It was quite romantic too. You haven't forgotten to mention a mistress to me, I hope?”

“It's none of your business,” Ben muttered defensively, fighting the blush rising to his cheeks. “It’s unrelated to the case. Your services don’t come with an abstinence clause, do they?”

Mace Windu took a step forward. He was just as tall as Ben, his deep brown complexion drawing even more attention to his muscular frame. He turned his immaculately shaved head, his gaze piercing the young man and evaporating any pretense of confidence. For once, Ben was outmatched. He had long been used to overtaking everyone, physically or otherwise, watching them shrink in his presence. There was something new and intimidating about standing in front of someone of the same height, eye to eye. It would be perfect for the trial, but presently he felt like a kid being called out in class.

“Absolutely everything is my business. And especially the girls you fuck. Lest you find yourself with a honey trap who’ll make a confessional out of your pillowtalk. Additionally, I'll be keeping your phone.”

That hit too close to home. What if Rey had been a honey trap, sleeping with him for gain? The thought made his stomach churn.

He suddenly felt unhappy, and helpless. He’d gotten used to the idea of not seeing Rey again until she left, maybe until the trial ended, and maybe even a few months after that, just to be safe. But he had counted on their calls and texts. Didn't he promise to call her every day? Would she understand the circumstances that prevented him from answering her? She was smart. She would understand. As long as she didn’t think he was pulling anything (or anyone, he shuddered). He’d gone through a lot to gain her trust again after his betrayal at the camp that night. Their relationship wouldn't survive any  more lies.

The lawyer glanced at his watch, a fine Breitling.

“We have two hours left to review the situation, then we'll go to lunch. The rendezvous at the courthouse is at 2 o’clock. Whatever happens, you let me speak.”

Windu had reserved a meeting room in the San Francisco courthouse. Beside him, in front of a large lacquered wooden table, sat Ben Solo, in a suit and tie, newly clean shaven. He silently  twiddled his thumbs while waiting for the others.

The door opened and they both stood up.

Although he was prepared, Ben paled when he saw Amilyn Holdo enter. And behind her, the slender figure of his mother.

They shook hands.

His mother's hand was tiny, soft and warm, but firm. He quickly withdrew his own handzz a; he was more overwhelmed than he wanted to admit.

She sought his gaze but he looked away.

“Thank you for attending this interview,” began Ben’s lawyer, “were you able to take note of the documents that I sent you this morning?”

“Yes, but we hardly had time to review all of them,” Holdo replied.

There was a silence. Master Windu waved his hand impatiently. “And? What do you think of our proposal?”

“Following his appeal, I advised Mr. Erso to involve his own lawyer. But the offer deserves reflection nonetheless. After much discussion, we agree that this is a positive development for my client—or rather his sister—who will also represent Mr. Erso’s interests in this meeting.”

Ben Solo rolled his eyes. This conversation bored him already. He’d never been able to sit still behind a desk. Windu expected him to stay there all prim and polished like some kind of show pony. He hated the formality. Justice this, Mister that, the colleague in charge of representing the interests of whatshername...

He stood up.

Mace Windu frowned. “Where are you going?”

“To smoke.” Ben grunted. “Either way, you’re the one talking. Gimme a summary sometime.”

“I'm keeping the phone,” Windu annunciated.

“Lucky for me, I don't smoke phones.”

Without waiting for an answer, he left. Leia stood up too. Amylin Holdo put a hand on her arm. “No, Leia, stay. Let me handle this. Don’t talk to him.”

But Leia pulled it away. “He's my son, Amylin!”

Her dress swished as she left the room in turn. The two lawyers rolled their eyes, both knowing that nothing good would come of this. Mace Windu laid out the stack of documents on the table in front of him.

“Let's start over,” he said.

Ben walked down the flight of stairs at the entrance to the courthouse and sat down to light his cigarette.

His little excuse had worked, but his phone was still missing. He desperately wanted to call Rey. He wanted to hear her tell him that everything would be fine. He could say a few naughty words to make her blush and hear her chuckle.

He didn't even realize he was smiling. But his smile froze when he heard his name being called from behind.

“Ben!”

It was his mother.

His heart hammered. The hand that held his cigarette trembled imperceptibly. He turned around. She came towards him, slowly descending the steps with the help of her cane. In his memories, she was this indestructible superwoman, an infallible force of nature with shining chesnut hair.

In front of him stood an old, greying woman with weary eyes, leaning heavily on her cane.

His heart sank.

He said nothing, lips sealed tight. She walked closer, reaching out to touch him, but he stepped back abruptly.

“Did you come here to tell me you forgive me?” he spat, “that you want to save my soul?”

Leia shook her head, but he continued.

“You always knew, didn't you? That history would prove you right. That I wouldn't make it one day.”

A tear beaded on the old woman's cheek.The words were stuck in her throat. She felt like she was seeing her son for the first time. She found him tall, and handsome. He got it from his father. A wave of tenderness swept over her.

“Ben Solo-Skywalker,” she said softly, “I’m proud of the man you’ve become. I know I can't take credit myself—I wasn’t there. I was never there. But I see you now and I'm proud of you.”

He had planned everything. He had prepared for this confrontation a million times. He had repeated the words he had saved for this moment so many times that he lost count. But nothing was going as planned.

“You don't know anything about me,” he stammered, taken aback.

”That’s true, and I regret it.” Rey was telling me about how you’re always smiling and I...I can't remember the last time I saw you smile. I realized that I missed out on the most important part. I’m sorry, for all this time.”

“It's too late,” Ben croaked, troubled by his mother's sudden vulnerability, “we can't go back.”

“We can’t change the past, but the future remains. As long as I'm alive to watch you grow, then it's not too late. I'm tired, Ben. I won't be here for long.”

Ben managed a small laugh tinged with disdain. “So that’s what it is, it's not my soul you want to save, it's your own!”

The old woman's shoulders slumped. “I failed a lot of people in life, and you more than anyone. I'm sorry.”

“Save it. That's not going to stop you from doing everything you can to get me locked up for the rest of my life,” Ben said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

“It's not against you. It was never against you. Ben, I’ve tried all my life to protect you.”

“And it’s been very effective,” he hissed.

Leia smiled. “And I was wrong, you don't need to be protected. You do very well on your own. And even better when it’s the two of you.”

Ben raised an eyebrow.

“I sat down with Rey,” she explained. “I saw the glimmer in her eyes. The same one you had just now, when I mentioned her name.”

He pretended to know nothing. He didn’t want to know what his mother knew, or imagined, about his relationship with Rey.

“And I wanted to thank you,” she went on. “You were the one who drove Rey, safe and sound, to Winnemucca. Isn’t that right? So you knew what she was carrying, and the consequences. You could have stopped her half a dozen times, but you didn't.”

“I didn't do it for you,” he cut off, uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

“I know. But it wasn’t for you either. It was for another reason, the best of reasons. And even if I regret the consequences for your future, I'm glad you did it.”

She reached out again to take his hand, and this time he let her.

“I know,” she said again, “that you sacrificed yourself for her. I understand what it has already cost you, and that it will cost you again.”

“I would do it again without thinking twice.”

“No doubt about it. And that's why I want to help you. Holdo will negotiate with Mace Windu to help you. We’ll fight this, together, and get you out of this trial with your head held high.”

Leia could never pass up an underdog, could she? Even as a widow, and mother of an orphan. She was exhausting.

“I'm not one of your lost causes, Mom. I don't want you to treat me with whatever cocktail of pity and lofty grace you save for the others. I’m a grown man, I know what I’m doing, and it’s going fine. I take responsibility for the consequences of my actions.”

Of all the words that came out of his mouth, the only thing Leia heard was that he had called her "Mom". She stifled her tears.

“Okay. I trust you,” she said.

“Thank you.”

He threw away his cigarette and crushed it under his sole. They were done here. She turned to go back inside, but stopped when he yelled from behind:

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

“Can I borrow your phone for five minutes?”

*******

Everything was going smoothly.

Rey put her phone back in her pocket, a smile on her face.

She was sure this was the last time she could speak to him in...a long while, but she didn't feel sad. A strange sense of serenity overtook her..

Ben Solo had spoken to his mother.

Even better, he had called her from his mother's phone. It would take time, but the curse was finally broken. They would talk to each other. They both had a lifetime to make up for. Against all odds, the trial that threatened to tear them apart forever was going to bring them together.

He’d asked her where she was staying. Vertigo Hotel, Union Square.

“I'll meet you there.”

She knew he would. Probably in the middle of the night, escaping the watchful eye of his lawyer to join her in the literal flesh. Both of them like lovesick teenagers, who snuck out of their bedrooms at night because being apart for more than a few hours was unbearable.

He no longer had a phone, at least until the trial, probably longer. It didn't matter, she wasn't worried. She didn’t doubt him. Her friends would think her naïve—but no one could understand the depth of their relationship. Within days, he’d sacrificed everything for her, and she’d fought for him too. There was something intoxicating about their bond, almost mystical, like the blood ties in ancient lore. Lestat and Akasha, Tristan and Iseult, or Hades bewitching Persephone.

She had no doubt that he would return to her when the time came. First he had to rebuild his life. Brick by brick. And she would be there for him after.

BB8 nuzzled against her leg, the happiest furball alive. They were leaving the vet again.

They had jumped through all the hoops to make sure BB could travel now: vaccines, certificates, a shiny new carrier. Rey had the best souvenir she could hope for from the States—so much better than a few measly postcards!

The look on Jessika’s face would be priceless. Rey could just imagine it:

Hey, I’ve got a new dog. But not just any dog, this one saved my life on multiple occasions and went on a secret road trip with me to escape a bunch of violent criminals, anyway how are you?

Leaving BB behind would have been unthinkable.

Rey took a few more steps, finding herself in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. Everything was perfect right now. The warmth of the afternoon sun on her skin, the blue skyline of San Francisco in the distance. The crisp white sails of the boats lazing in the bay, the endless horizon of the Pacific reaching into the vastness of the sky. The bright towers of the bridge, grand monuments to the creativity of mankind, connecting the sky and earth, bay and sea, mountains and cityscapes. The salty breeze on her face and the wind in her hair. When she closed her eyes, it almost felt like a caress.

Everything was perfect.The world was in total harmony. Her heart was finally at peace.

Her phone vibrated.

It was a text from Poe: Finn just woke up.

Home: Jacob Seed/OC Chapter 28

Warnings: Violence, Child Abuse, Rape, Drugs 

 (2 days later: Friday: Faith is sitting in Joseph’s church arranging flowers into bunches. Joseph is writing in a book. Just then Lexi walks in with a man.). Lexi: Faith your sister has agreed to join us. Faith: What? She has? How do you know? Man: You need to see this. (The man turns on the TV and tunes it to a channel. Faith gasps as she sees Mara on the screen sat in a chair. Her surroundings are dark but she can just make out where she is.). Faith: Is she... Man: John’s bunker. Lexi: Will saw it in the canteen he just came and told us. (Faith stands up and watches as Mara looks at the camera.). John: Are you going to confess? Mara: Yes. John: You will confess and you will atone? Mara: Yes. (Faith watches in shock as John moves into view. Faith gasps as John grabs Mara’s hair and yanks her head back. She then stares as John jams the screwdriver into her sisters neck making her bleed.). Lexi: John ain’t playing. Man: She don’t look too scared though. John: Confess. Mara: Just remember that you asked for it.

(John takes the screwdriver away from Mara’s neck and disappears from view. Mara sighs and looks at the camera.). Mara: Um...I don’t know if there’s a specific way of doing this. Things your meant to say. I’m just gonna start at the beginning. (Joseph is looking at the TV. Will walks in.). Will: Have you seen it? Faith: Yes. I don’t understand why he is broadcasting it. Will: I don’t know. Mara: Some of you may think I’m mad. Some of you might think I’m a monster. Maybe some of you will understand what I did. I was born to parents who did nothing but sell drugs and abuse. My mother always wished that she had just had an abortion. I was never wanted. By her or my father. She kept me locked in the basement. Coming into this bunker today was the hardest thing I’ve done in years. All I can see is that basement. Still hear my mom screaming about what a mistake I am. How useless I am. She believed that I was the devil. Hell maybe she was right. Faith: No sis she wasn’t. (Will rubs Faiths shoulder.). Mara: She would whip me until my back was red raw. She would starve me for days and give me no water. It was dark down there and damp. I was always cold, always hungry and always in pain. Alone in the dark. (Tears roll down Mara’s cheeks. Faith is also crying. Will puts his arm around her.). Will: You know what she did don’t you Faith? Faith: Yes. (Faith lets out a sob and buries her head in Wills Jacket.). Mara: I was never allowed out of the basement because my mother didn’t want anyone to know I existed. In fact nobody did. My mother never told anyone she was pregnant. She never went to a doctor. She gave birth at home. She said it was agony. That I was a little bitch for putting her through so much pain. As if I had somehow decided to be there. She told me that the pain was Gods punishment for giving birth to the devil. She was delusional. Probably all the drugs she took. I was surprised when my father let me out of the basement. It was a strange experience. Being kept underground then suddenly seeing the rest of the house. The window and...Outside. It was confusing. My dad was friends with the priest who used to run the church in Falls End. Some priest he was, turned out he liked children. He liked them a lot. Will: Ah hell. (Joseph is watching the screen with interest.). Mara: I didn’t like him second I saw him. The way he looked at me. The way he spoke. My dad told me to help my mom so I went to the living room. Mom was there and I helped her clean the living room then I was shoved back down in the basement. My sister wasn’t kept in the basement like me. She had her own room. I thought she was loved and cared for. John: You were jealous of her? Mara: No. Worse than that. I was happy for her. I thought she was loved and cared for. She wasn’t. Least in the basement I was left alone most of the time. My baby sister went through hell and I didn’t even know anything about it. I had no clue. That priest came down to the basement one day and started touching me. I had found a large nail, I was using it to draw on the wall. I stuck it in his face, took a load of skin off and left him with a nasty scar. He screamed. My mom came down and got real angry with me. Called me ‘Devil’ again. Then she carved the word into my back. I was six years old. Man: Damn. (Will lets out a breath. Faith is still crying.). Mara: My sister sometimes visited me in the basement. She would sneak me a drink or some food. I remember being so happy that she was okay. She was never dirty, always dressed nice. While my parents were out we would sit and talk to each other for ages. We would play games and cuddle. Over time me and my sister grew close. She was sad that I was kept in the basement. But I looked forward to her visits. When I was a teenager I was finally let out of the basement. I think my mom hoped I would leave the house and not come back. My father told me to piss off to my face. ‘Go on go you little bitch’ he spat. I finally got to see the world. Well...Hope County anyway. It was hard at first. Especially talking to people. But I met some nice people who became my friends. Most people knew who my parents were. They were the ones that dealt drugs to everyone. Even young kids who were still in school. I learned that the drugs my dad sold had already killed two kids. I wondered why the police hadn’t arrested him. Turned out the Sheriff at the time and my dad were best mates. Just like he was best mates with the priest too. Could get away with whatever he wanted. I finally thought that things could be okay. I’d managed to make friends and I was finally out of the basement. I still had to sleep down there though. I thought that once I was a bit older I could take my sister and go. Get our own place together. It’s amazing what you think is possible when you’re a kid. When I was fourteen my sister told me that she was being bullied at school. She showed me bruises on her ribs and a cut on her arm where they’d attacked her. So I went up the school when it finished and waited. I saw my sister walking out and then I saw them. Three of ‘em. One of ‘em grabbed her and pulled her hair while the other one pulled out a little flick knife. I marched over to them and punched the first one. I got the knife off the other one and stuck it in his arm. He was crying like a baby. The other one ran off. Oh my mom was furious when she heard what I’d done. Locked me back in the basement after whipping me again. The boys didn’t bully my sister again though. When I was fifteen my parents went away for the weekend. They took my sister with them and left me on my own. (Mara sighs.). Mara: It was Saturday night and I was looking around the house. I’d found my dad’s whiskey and decided to have some. I was looking around upstairs and that’s when I found them. In my parents’ wardrobe there was a box of tapes. I was curious as to what they were, they didn’t have anything written on them. Curiosity killed the cat though right? I couldn’t believe what I was watching. My baby sister being violated over and over again by my dad and that priest. My mom was there watching. Who does that to their daughter? In the first video she could only be about six. There were over thirty tapes. All filled with images of my baby sister being raped repeatedly. I couldn’t watch it all. I went to the church in Falls End. He looked surprised when he saw me. He looked even more surprised when he saw the kitchen knife I’d bought with me. (Will sighs. Faith is still crying quietly.). Mara: I lost count of how many times I stabbed that dirty raping bastard. I should have cut his dick off. He had this ornate cross on his table. I don’t really know what made me do it but I thought it was fitting. I picked up the cross and shoved it through his chest. Then I went back home. The priest wasn’t found until the morning. Sunday. Church day. Not that day. Church was closed, surrounded by crime scene tape. Who would do such a thing? (Mara laughs.). John: You let your anger take control of you. Your sin is wrath. Mara: Yeah. You can put the screwdriver down though. I ain’t finished yet. I walked around town and listened to what everyone was saying about the grisly murder. I even heard that people were coming forward to say that the priest had abused them. He hadn’t just done it to my sister. He was a paedophile. Not a priest. I ended up hanging out with Wheaty in the woods. I didn’t get home until late. My parents were back by then. They had heard about their beloved friend being killed. My father had lost his temper. He thought it was all my sisters fault. My father was worried that they would find drugs in the church and other things...When I came home my father had beaten my sister so badly I could hardly recognise her. She was curled up in the corner of the lounge sobbing. Her little dress was covered in blood. She had a lot of broken bones, her jaw, her nose. She was broken. So was I, I guess. I was tired. I’d had enough. Seeing my sister like that was awful. I was supposed to protect her. I had one fucking job. I failed. My dad noticed that I was back and he started shouting and swearing at me. Then he said that he would drown me first. Mom was upstairs running the bath. She was going to drown my sister. (Faith is sobbing.). Mara: I wasn’t going to fail her again. I went to the kitchen and got the knife. Same one I used on the priest. I went back to the lounge and my dad just stared at me. I told him I was the one who killed his friend. Gave him what he deserved. He said he always knew I was a head case. That I wasn’t normal. That I was different. A mistake. He said I was nothing but demon spawn. So I thought alright then...I’ll show him then. My father started yelling that I was done for now. He’d drown me himself and nobody would know coz nobody really knew I existed. I then did the unthinkable, the unforgiveable, the ultimate sin. I started stabbing my father. Will: Jesus. Man: My God. Mara: My sister could only watch in horror screaming from the floor as I stabbed daddy again and again. My mother came flying down the stairs and she screamed when she saw what I had done. She pointed at me and screamed ‘I knew it, Devil’. I guess you can’t kill a monster without becoming one. I stabbed my mother repeatedly before slitting her throat. My sister was crying and I hugged her and told her everything was going to be fine. I called an ambulance for my sister. When they saw my parents they were horrified. The police arrived a little while later. My sister was screaming for me. Begging for me not to be taken away. I told her I loved her and that I’d see her again. I thought I was going to prison but oh no. They thought I was insane. They found out I’d killed the priest too. I was placed in a psychiatric facility. I was released when I was eighteen. I was stunned. I never thought I’d see the light of day again. Seemed a bit stupid to me. I told them I’d been locked in a basement for years. So what do they do? Why they lock me in a tiny room of course. Coz that makes sense. I had nowhere to live and no money so...I lived on the streets. I was sleeping in an abandoned apartment block that had turned into a den for junkies and gang members. The leader of the gang was always there dealing drugs. One day though I noticed that he had two young girls handcuffed to an old bed with a rusty frame. I spoke to them. Turned out they had run away from their abusive parents. Sisters. They reminded me so much of my sister and me. They were just trying to get somewhere better. They didn’t though. Ivan was the leader of the local gang. Into all kinds of shit. Nobody messed with him. Those that did ended up dead. One of the girls was seventeen the other was twelve. I didn’t want to get involved. I was on my own and had myself to look out for. But later that night I saw a man in the room with Ivan and the girls. He was handing Ivan a large wad of cash and the girls were crying. Their trousers were around their ankles. Ivan was selling them to dirty pervs. Pimping them out. I weren’t having that. You should know what happened next John. Seeing as you know me well by now. John: You killed them. Mara: Yeah. That’s where I got the revolver from. I took it from Ivan. Then I used it to help the girls escape after stabbing Ivan and the perv. One of Ivan’s mates always watched the door of the crack den. Knew he wouldn’t just let us leave. He had a gun too. He raised it to shoot me but luckily for me I was quicker. Shot him in the head. His blood spattered the wall and I didn’t even care. I still don’t. I gave the girls the money that perv had given to Ivan and told them about a shelter I knew about that wasn’t far. I hope they went there. I hope they were okay. I met Franky not long after and we hung out for a bit just trying to get by on the streets. Until she buggered off. Then I met Bonnie and Alex and stayed with them. I kept looking for my sister. Came here seven years ago then again four years ago. I always hoped to find her. I hoped to see her again and I did. Came back here and met up with her again. Killed more people. Thirteen members of the Whitetail Militia. Also killed that guy that came to your ranch and threatened to shoot us. It gets hard to keep count after a while. I am a killer. That’s it. Now I am going to be that psycho girl again that everyone looks at funny. The girl that killed her parents. Coz you know there must be something wrong with me right? I must be insane. Normal people don’t kill people. Except they seem to forget that way back when they probably did. All the time. People have always killed people. We’re good at destruction. It’s what we do. (Mara finally stops talking. She just sits there looking blank.). John: That is your full confession? Mara: That’s everything. John: No other sins? Mara: Not that I know of. Ain’t got anything to be greedy with and I have no Lust in my life. Ain’t never even had a boyfriend. Never will neither. Not now. Can’t have much pride coz I hate myself. John: Hm. I see. (The camera moves and John’s face can now be seen. He smiles.). John: I told you dear Faith that your sister would join us. That she would say yes. (Faith gasps.). John: You might not want to watch this next part though. (The video feed suddenly disappears and ‘No Signal’ now displays on the blank screen. Faith lets out a whimper and Will wraps his arms around her.

 ---Jacob sits in the makeshift mess hall of the veterans center. Terry came racing into his office telling him about the broadcast. Everyone sat watching as Mara confessed to John. Jacob couldn’t stop staring at her. He tells himself that he is intrigued by her. The way she has killed without hesitation that’s all that draws him to her. Nothing else. She would probably be no good to him anyway. Not really. Not like his men. She wouldn’t be able to pass the trials. She is pretty though. He can’t deny that. So beautiful. He tries to remember what she felt like. What she smelled like but he can’t. He barely remembers much about that night. Only that he fucked her. That she cried his name and called him a grizzly bear. He gets up and goes back up to his office. He sighs as he flicks through the days reports. He didn’t get much sleep last night and he is tired. He struggles to sleep. He didn’t struggle when Mara was sleeping next to him though. He didn’t have any nightmares either. He sighs and picks up the report about the latest Militia sightings.

  ---John walks into Josephs church. Faith looks up her eyes red from crying. Joseph stands up and greets him.). Faith: Why did you broadcast it? John: Your sisters confession? I thought you would want to see it. Faith: How did you get here so quickly? John: I didn’t. Faith: But we were just watching you with my sister in your bunker. John: That was filmed two days ago. It wasn’t live. Faith: Two days...Where is she now? John: I don’t know. After her atonement I baptised her in the river. I also gave her the Edens Gate tattoo. She wanted it on the back of her neck. Then she left for the Whitetail Mountains. She said she was going to collect her things then meet up with you in the Henbane. Faith: I haven’t seen her. John: Hm. I’m sure she’ll be back. She wouldn’t leave you. She cares for you too much. Faith: I know.

 ---11.23pm. Mara stumbles into the bathroom. She groans in pain and wipes the dirty mirror and pulls her top down. She stares at the word ‘Wrath’ carved across her chest. She sighs. Now she hates her body even more. The word ‘Devil’ on her back along with all the scars from the whip now this. Tears sting her eyes. John has serious issues. He enjoyed slicing into her skin. He enjoyed the way she cried out in pain. She didn’t mind the pain. She has found that she likes it. That’s why she cuts herself sometimes. But she didn’t scream though. Wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. She still isn’t sure about John. He seems to honestly believe that he has helped her. Saved her. She almost wishes he had drowned her in the river. For a moment she thought he was going to. He held her under way longer than was necessary. She winces as she runs a damp cloth over her chest. Damn is it sore. She also rubs the back of her neck which itches slightly from the latest tattoo John has given her. The black cross logo of Edens Gate. There’s no going back now. She is officially a member whatever the hell that means. She goes back to the kitchen area and puts her things in her holdall. She doesn’t own much. Her drawings and pens, some clothes and shoes, the iPod that Franky gave her that she can’t charge. She grabs the blanket from the bed and shoves it into the holdall. She just about manages to fit it in there. She then slings the holdall across her body but it rubs against the scarring on her chest. She moves it so that it is over her shoulder. She takes one last look around the trailer. She sighs then opens the door. She stops dead when she sees several militia standing outside with their guns aimed at her.). Man: Time to die peggie bitch!