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artzychic27 · 4 years

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To Save a Friend

TRIGGER warning: This story contains a physical, verbal, and emotionally abusive relationship. (Thank you @unmaskedagain for reminding me to put trigger warnings)

It was a fine morning at Dupont. Students waited in the courtyard for classes to start, teachers were setting up their lesson plans, and Marinette was actually early.

There haven’t been many Akuma attacks lately, and she got small commissions, so she was able to get some rest, something she desperately needed.

Ever since Lie-la came back, she became exhausted. Her friends became wary around her, and often shunned her when she tried to call out the Italian’s lies. She still had some allies who caught onto her lies, but the rest were lost causes. And out of all of them, Alya was Lila’s most loyal follower. If anyone pointed out a hole in Lila’s lies, Alya would be quick to attack. And if she was following Lila, Nino had to follow her too.

The two childhood friends haven’t really been talking much. ‘Probably Alya’s fault.’ Marinette thought, but then she realized Nino hasn’t really talked to anyone, not even Adrien. She recalled a rumor about Alya nearly attacking Aurore when she saw the blonde girl talking to Nino, but that was just a rumor... Right? They may not be best friends, but she knew Alya was not the jealous type.

But some other things confused Marinette. For example, she knows that Nino never goes without his signature red cap, she’s never seen him wear long-sleeved shirts, and he’s be fidgeting a lot lately- Something he hasn’t done since they were five years old.

She’s also noticed a change in his personality. Nino was always so chill and laid back, but now he’s just so nervous, and jumpy, and wouldn’t really talk to anyone... Except for Alya

“Nino!”

Marinette noticed the way he flinched when Alya yelled his name. He seemed so content, just talking to Adrien until her voice rang out. He cut his conversation short and ran over to his girlfriend, who was listening to Lila ramble on and on about her “grand adventures”. Something was clearly wrong, Nino never flinched... Was he slouching? He only does that when he’s nervous

“Có chuyện gì vậy?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Marinette turned to around to find her other childhood friend, Kim, leaning against a wall. Because of their play dates when they were younger, she understood some Vietnamese and responded, “I’m just a little worried about Nino.”

Kim nods “Same. He just seems... Out of it.”

“I know!” She exclaims “And have you noticed that he’s been fidgeting? He hasn’t done that since we were kids.”

Kim recalls how he’s only seen Nino fidget whenever he was around Alya, if anyone talked about her, or if anyone just mentioned her name “Do you think they got into a fight?”

Marinette was taken aback at such a question “Nino and Alya? No way. They always seem so happy together.”

“I guess,” He looks back over to Alya and Nino. He notices the latter has a strained smile as he listens to Lila’s tales “but I still think something’s going on between them.”

Marinette had to talk to Nino and get the full story on this, ‘Something Alya needs to do when she posts content on her blog’ she thought.

But Alya would never let her talk to her boyfriend, so they couldn’t talk during school hours, and her parents needed help at the bakery, so they couldn’t really talk after school. Looking back over to Kim, she gets an idea

“Could you try talking to him after school? I would, but I gotta help my parents at the bakery.”

Kim nods “I can do that! Gotta make sure my best friend is okay.” Marinette mock scoffs and flips her hair in a Chloé-like fashion “He was my best friend first.”

Kim chuckles and plays along “Sorry, Mari. First is the worst, second’s the best. And second, would be me.” He states smugly

Marinette pouts and pulls out the big guns “Alright. No macarons for a week. Bye!” She walks away, nonchalantly. Kim realizes what he’s just done and runs after her “Wait! You are his best friend! You’re the best best friend! Don’t do this to me, Mari!”

Classes were finally over, and students were heading home. Kim walks into the locker room, and find Nino putting books into his backpack. He remembers the plan, takes a deep breath, and approaches him with a comforting smile. Kim speaks “Hey, Nino.” He looks up from his bag and smiles when he sees his friend “Hey, dude. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to talk.” He takes a look at Nino’s demeanor. The bags under his eyes, how he’s refusing to make eye contact, and his hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist “Are you okay?” ‘Smooth.’ He thought

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He says quickly then shuts his locker “I-I gotta go. Alya’s been upset for a while, so I’m gonna head down to the bakery and get those macarons she likes for our date later.”

Kim seems confused “Don’t you usually go out on the weekend?”

“She just wants to hang out more. I-I mean we’ve both been pretty busy, with the Ladyblog and my gigs, they’re just cutting into our time together. Heh, she actually suggested I stop deejaying so I’ll have more time for her.” He tries to walk away, but Kim continues asking questions

“She suggested it?” He asks, now getting suspicious

“Yeah...” He sees that Kim isn’t buying it “Well, it was more like she told me to.” Kim notices him tightening his grip around his wrist “She’s not wrong, though.”

Kim places a hand on his shoulder “Well if you need help with anything, Mari and I have your back. Alright?” Without responding, Nino walks out of the room

“... That could’ve gone better.”

Kim nearly jumps out of his skin when he heard the familiar voice of a certain redhead cut through the silence. He turns around and finds Nathaniel walking out of the bathroom.

“Don't...” He pants “... do that!” He should’ve been used to that by now. Not many know this, but Kim and Nathaniel used to hang out when they were six. The redhead artist would always sneak up behind Kim and scare him

He just shrugs “Sorry.” He tilts his head slightly “Is Nino okay?”

“I don’t know, Nate.”

“... Before you walked in, I heard him on the phone with Alya. She was screaming a lot.”

“Did you hear what she said?”

“I did hear ‘Or else’ a few times, but there was mostly just angry shouting.” He grimaces at the memory “I really think something is wrong.”

“Well, he’s on his way to the bakery.” Kim reminds himself “Maybe Mari can talk to him, she’s good at this stuff.”

—

“I’m really worried, Tikki.” Marinette said while pulling a tray of croissants out of the oven “I’ve never seen him like this. He was shy as a kid, but he grew out of that.”

“Well, maybe you could ask Alya if something’s wrong.” The tiny goddess suggested, making Marinette frown

“Alya and I aren’t really speaking right now. So, I doubt she’ll talk to me about her and Nino.” She places the try on the counter and starts placing the pastries in the display case “Y’know, ever since Lila came back, their relationship has been a little... Not great.”

“I know what you mean. They don’t seem compatible anymore.” She places a croissant in the display case “I just hope Alya isn’t hurting him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well... Nino normally wears short sleeves, right?”

Marinette freezes, and thinks about what Tikki is insinuating “Tikki, y-you can’t be serious. Alya would never hurt him!”

“It is possible, Marinette.” She continues “Alya hasn’t been the same ever since Lila returned to school. She’s risking her life going after Akumas, demanding interviews with Ladybug and Chat Noir, and she’s been expecting you to do stuff for her but you don’t get anything in return.”

“Yeah, but that’s just Lila feeding her lies. I know Lila is terrible and is just a flat out liar, but even she’d be against any form of abuse!” She exclaimed “... Right?”

The two hear the bell ring, and Tikki quickly hides behind Marinette. Marinette looks up to see Nino “Hey, Nino. What can I get you?”

“Hey, Mari. Do you guys still have those caramel macarons?”

She thinks and remembers they’re not in stock “Nope. Sorry.” She notices Nino squeezing his wrist “Is everything okay?”

“A-are you sure? Could you check?” He asks nervously “I-I don’t care how many, just-“

“Maman ordered ingredients yesterday, they’ll be here next week. What’s the rush?” She steps from behind the counter “You don’t even like caramel.”

“They’re for Alya.” He explains “She’s just been really upset lately, I-I figured they might ease her up a bit.”

“Well, is she okay?”

“Yeah, totally. I’m usually the one who puts her in a mood. Honestly, it’s my fault.” He notices the look of concern on Marinette’s face and looks away “I just figured-“

“Nino, you’d tell me if Alya was hurting you, right?” She places a hand on his shoulder

Nino frowns “Dude! She’s not hurting me!” He exclaims “What gave you that idea? She’s my girlfriend.”

“I’m not saying that she is hurting you!” She says in defense “But, you haven’t been acting like yourself lately, and Alya’s been kinda... Irritable.”

“She's fine. Alya’s just been a little upset that Ladybug stopped giving her interviews, I-I haven’t exactly been that supportive.” He mutters the last part, but Marinette heard it clearly

“Excuse me?”

“Uh... Ne-nevermind!” He stammers “I’ll go see if that other bakery is open. Thanks again, Mari!” He runs out before Marinette can say anything else.

Tikki flies out of her hiding place with a concerned look on her face

“I really think Alya is hurting him.” Marinette still doesn’t wanna believe what the tiny goddess is saying, but it’s starting to seem like that now.

“I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow.”

—

Being unnoticed by people has its advantages. Nathaniel can see what others don’t, and learn new things about them. For instance, Lila seems to be giving Alya a lot of “advice” on her relationship. ‘You need to be the one in control’, ‘If he doesn’t listen, make him regret it’, ‘So what if he says no? He’s your boyfriend.’ ‘This is how a healthy relationship works’ Bullshit. That is not a healthy relationship. It also works well in the locker room when you see your friend’s girlfriend yelling at him and gripping his arm tightly

“I don’t want you talking to that... That BITCH! Got it?!” He nods quickly “Good.” She lets go of his arm, and storms out the room. Nino sits on the bench and cries to himself. Nathaniel quickly texted Marinette and Kim to let them know what he had seen.

—

Chloe was a lot of things. A sneak, tyrant, and a bully. But at least she had the guts to admit her flaws, unlike that Italian bitch, and that trashy tabloid girl. And Chloe understood abusive relationships. Sabrina told her stories she heard from her dad, and right now, Césaire and Lahiffe’s relationship is looking worse than those.

She was blonde, but she wasn’t dumb. There were signs of abuse, and it all was traced back to Lie-la. She didn’t mind the Italian at first. She let her have her fifteen minutes of fame, then go back to being nobody, but that didn’t happen. That girl had climbed her way up the social ladder, and she lied to do it.

She saw how the liar constantly bragged, made herself look better than others, fed people’s egos, and threatened others to get what she wanted, mainly Marinette. She even somehow managed to get the Eurasian expelled, something Chloe had never done.

But now she was encouraging an abusive relationship. This was something the blonde would not tolerate. She disliked everyone in that class, but even she isn’t that cruel.

When she saw Nino walking out the locker room with a visible bruise on his arm, she took a quick picture before he could pull his sleeve down, then went to find Sabrina. They had to get the word out.

—

Marinette considers herself a pacifist (When in her civilian form). But she has never wanted to hurt someone so much right now. When she saw the text Nathaniel had sent her an Kim on the group chat ‘Nino Protection Squad’, she was livid

“How could Alya do this?!” She screeched “This isn’t right! She doesn’t even care what she’s doing to him!” Tikki tries to calm her down so no Akumas are attracted

“It’ll be okay, Marinette. You can help him!”

“How can I do that when barely anyone in class will talk to me? They all believe that liar!” Her phone buzzes again. She checks and sees that Chloe has created a group chat. Everyone in the class, but Nino, Alya, and Lila was on. Marc, Nathaniel’s boyfriend, was included as well

QueenB

Meet me at the hotel at 4:00

Sk8r Gal

What’s going on??

VogueBoy

Is everything okay, Chloe?

RoseBud

Why aren’t Alya, Nino, and Lila on here?

QueenB

Don’t add them on

Sabrina and I will tell you everything. Just hurry!!!

Not thinking too much about the strange text, Marinette headed over to the hotel and met with her class, plus Marc, in Chloe’s suite

“Okay, we’re here.” Ivan says “What’s going on? And why aren’t Alya, Nino, and Lila here?”

“This is about them.” She notices the worried looks on Kim, Marinette, and Nathaniel’s faces “I’m sure some of you have noticed that Alya and Nino’s relationship seems a little off.”

While everyone looks confused, Marinette, Kim, and Nathaniel nod. Chloe notices Alix looking down solemnly

“And I’m sure you guys have noticed that Nino hasn’t been acting like himself lately.” This grabs their attention “... I think Alya might be abusing Nino, and Lila is causing it.” That statement causes outrage. Everyone on Lila’s side tries to defender her and Alya

“No way!”

“Alya would never do that!”

“You’re just jealous!”

“SHUT UP!” They’re all silenced by Marinette’s outburst “I believe her!” Before they can retort, Kim speaks up

“So do I.”

“... Same.” They turn to Nathaniel. Marc holds his hand “I... I saw Alya yelling at him. She was holding his arm tight, a-and he was crying after she left.” The class is stunned. No one says anything, but after a few more seconds of silence, Alix speaks up.

“I was skating by the park, and I saw them.” She frowns at the memory “Alya was yelling at him, saying he brought the wrong macaroons or something, and I just... I saw her slap him across the face.” She removes her cap and sits on the white couch “I didn’t know what to do or say, I just froze.” Juleka sits down next to her and hugs her

“I believe you guys.” She sighs “I know Chloe isn’t exactly the nicest person, but even she wouldn’t lie about something this serious. The more I think about it, the more I see Alya is hurting Nino.”

“But, why would Lila be the one who started this?” Max brings up

“Because she’s a psychotic liar!” Chloe screeches “For God’s sake, do you honestly believe someone could fall down the stairs and not get hurt, or that a napkin could gouge your eye out when you’re wearing glasses?!” Max cringes at the memory

Mylène speaks up “I believe that Nino is being hurt, but I don’t think it was caused by Lila.”

“You don’t notice how she keeps giving Alya ‘relationship advice’?” Marinette asks, putting air quotes around relationship advice. “Or how she’s been feeding Alya’s ego just a little too much? This is why she keeps putting herself in danger during Akuma attacks! And Ladybug won’t even talk to her anymore!”

“Yeah, but-“

Adrien finally speaks up “Guys, Marinette’s right. Lila’s a liar.” He feels Plagg nudging him in his pocket and comes clean “One day, Lila tried to lie and say that she was the descendant of a fox superhero. But Ladybug called her out, and well... That’s how I knew.”

“So, you knew Lila was lying and didn’t tell us?!” Alix shouts

“Could you blame him?” Chloe replies “You all turned on Dupain-Cheng when she tried to warn you!”

Everyone realizes she’s right. They’re starting to see that Lila isn’t the amazing person that thought she was. She was a manipulative liar, and they fell for every single story she told. They felt like idiots. They remembered Marinette, how she warned them, tried to point out Lila’s lies, but they didn’t listen. A few were about to apologize, but Marinette stopped them.

“You can apologize later.” She says “Now we need to help Nino, expose Lila for the liar she is, and keep Alya away from Nino for good.”

—

Marinette and Chloé used their connections to contact all the famous people Lila lies about. From Jagged Stone to Clara Nightingale, Audrey Bourgeois, XY, Prince Ali, everyone.

Adrien had informed his father of how uncomfortable Lila made him during photo shoots. Constantly touching him, being so unprofessional, and trying to kiss him every chance she could get.

Gabriel Agreste reconsidered his decision on making Lila his new model and decided to give his lawyers a call.

Sabrina told her dad about how Nino was being abused by Alya, and how Lila was causing it. She showed him the picture Chloé took of the bruise on Nino’s arm, and he was on board with the plan.

Kim, Marc, Nathaniel, and Alix gathered more evidence, such as Nino’s bruises, audio recordings of his and Alya’s conversations. They even recorded a few of Lila’s lies, and the advice she was giving Alya on how a “healthy relationship” works. This would be what they showed principal Damocles.

Mylène, Ivan, Rose, Juleka, and Max worked to find Mme. Rossi’s contact info. They eventually found the Embassy homepage where they found her phone number and email address. This information would also be brought to the principal.

—

Alya was pissed. First, her lousy boyfriend didn’t get the right macarons for their date, then she caught him talking to that jealous bitch, and now everyone was avoiding her and Lila for no damn reason! She bet Marinette got to them. That girl was taking her jealousy way too far! She was just so mad... And her boyfriend talking to Rose wasn’t helping one damn bit.

“Nino, please let us help you.“

“Rose, I told you. Alya and I are fine. I-I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation.” Before Rose could say more, Nino felt the recurring pain in his arm again. He turned around and saw Alya, a furious look on her face

“Leave him alone, Rose.” Alya sneered as she dragged Nino away.

Nino was hoping she would see this wasn’t his fault, and let him off easy this time. It was Rose who approached him, not the other way around. Alya didn’t believe him for a second. She dragged him into a broom closet, making sure no one saw them and shut the door behind her.

“Babe, please, I-I didn’t say any-“

Alya grabbed Nino by his head and slammed his faces into the wall, and three more times for good measure

“You idiot! You think you can just go behind my back and talk to some bitch?!” She smacked him across the face “This isn’t even half the pain I feel when you betray me!”

“I’m sorry!” This earned Nino a punch to the face, and a hard punch to the ribs, making him cough up some blood. “Stop! Please!” He was crying now

“Shut up!” She slapped him across the face one more time, then she reached into her pocket, pulled out some concealer, and threw it at Nino “Put that on!” Once she leaves, Nino slides down into the floor and continues crying

—

Alya could feel all eyes on her as she walked into the classroom. They weren’t friendly, though. She took her seat by Lila and waited for Mme. Bustier to start her lesson, but to her confusion, she wasn’t there. She turns to Lila “Where’s Mme. Bustier?” The Italian just shrugged

“So, Alya.” She turned around to see Adrien giving her a hate-filled look. Why? She didn’t know “You see Nino around?”

Alya just rolled her eyes “He said he’s gonna be a little late.” ‘He better get here soon.’ Adrien just slumped into his seat, his arms folded

“Sure.”

—

Irene Rossi was beyond livid. She was just filing a few papers and sending some emails to some fellow diplomats when she suddenly received a very disturbing email from her daughter’s principal. When she got to the end, she ran right outside, got in her car, and drove to the school. She was going to have a few words with her daughter

—

Mme. Bustier stepped into the classroom with Damocles and officer Raincomprix. The teacher looked horrified and so pale. But that all changed when she saw Alya and Lila. She glared at the two girls. She had never felt like this towards any of her students. She didn’t want to feel this way, but after hearing what had been going on behind her back, she felt those girls deserved the most severe punishment

“Alya Césaire and Lila Rossi?” Roger asked. The two girls nodded, and at that, he pulled out two sets of handcuffs “You two are coming with me.” He proceeded to place the cuffs on their wrists

“What?!” The two girls screamed

“But we didn’t do anything!” Alya yelled

Chloé rolled her eyes “Oh, so hitting your boyfriend is nothing?”

Alya was speechless at the accusation “You... Shut up, you bitch!

Lila started crying crocodile tears “Marinette, how could you?!”

“Cram it, Rossi!” Kim yelled, “We know you’ve been lying about everything!”

Lila was taken aback “I-I didn’t lie! I swear! Did Marinette-“

“Shut the fuck up Lila!” The students' mouths hung open when they heard Adrien curse “I have dealt with your shit before, but this is way too far! You are an enabler of abusive relationships!”

Lila continued to cry, trying to gain some sympathy, but no one except Alya came to her defense “How could you say that?!”

Marinette stood from her chair “Because it’s the truth, Alya! I saw the bruises on Nino’s arms! Nathaniel saw you yelling at him and squeezing his arm, Alix saw you at the park! You hit him!” Alya was about to retort, until-

“Hey, Mme. Bustier, sorry I’m late. I-“ Nino notices the handcuffs on Lila and Alya’s wrists and the angry looks on his classmates' face. He is about to ask what’s wrong until he sees that look on Alya’s face that says ‘Get the fuck out.’ “I... I’m gonna go.” He’s about to walk out the room until he feels his teacher’s hand on his shoulder

“Nino. I want you to be honest with me.” She says in a caring voice “Is Alya hurting you?” The room goes silent as they await his answer. When he says nothing, she places a hand on his cheek but notices something off about the texture of his skin

“...”

Bustier rubs her thumb over his cheek, revealing a purple mark. She’s close to tears “Nino...” She pulls a handkerchief out of her pocket and wipes the concealer off, revealing multiple bruises and cuts all over his face.

The students gasp at the sight. Marinette, Rose, and Adrien start crying. Ivan, Juleka, Alix, and Kim look ready to murder Alya.

Bustier turns to Roger. “Please, take them away.” The two girls are horrified when she allows Roger to take them out of the classroom, but then...

“Not so fast.”

They were about to thank God for sending them this woman dressed in a red power suit, until “Alya Césaire and Lila Rossi. You’ve been served.” She opens up her briefcase, revealing a stack of papers “Jagged Stone, Clare Nightingale, XY, Prince Ali, and Audrey Bourgeois are suing both of you for defamation.”

“WHAT?!” Alya screeched “But Lila knows them, they’ll vouch for her! They wouldn’t sue her!”

“I beg to differ. According to a few of your classmates, Miss Rossi has been lying about the following...” She pulls a sheet of paper out of the briefcase

“Claiming she saved Jagged Stone’s cat, that he wrote a song about her, Clara stole her dance moves, she visits the Prince multiple times, XY cheated on her, and Audrey begged her to model. And Miss Césaire, they’re demanding that your tabloid blog be taken down.”

Alya looked dumbstruck “B-but it’s all true!”

“No. It. Isn’t.”

Another woman stepped in. Lila immediately paled

“Lila Diabla Rossi, I can’t believe you!” She began to yell in Italian, Lila retorted, also in Italian. It was very confusing for the Parisian citizens, but the two women went back to speaking French

“You lied to me about school being shut down, about Ladybug and Chat Noir! About everything!”

“But, mama-“

“DON’T!” She yelled “You need to learn your lesson. That is why I’m wavering your diplomatic immunity.”

“What?!” Lila was livid. There was no way out of it. Where the hell was an Akuma when you needed one?!

“There’s also the matter of her partnership with the Agreste brand.” Nathalie stepped in, and a small stack of papers in her hand “Lila Rossi, you are fired. Mr. Agreste has also placed a restraining order on you. You are not to get within twenty feet of Adrien.”

Irene looked confused “Fired?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Nathalie asked “Your daughter is Gabriel’s newest model, and muse apparently. Her words, not his.”

Once again, the Italian woman shouted profanities in a language no one in the room, except for Lila understood. Many were wondering where the Akuma was, but Nathalie knew. It would be here in 3... 2...

“AKUMA!”

Now. She hid a smirk when she saw Lila pull out of Roger’s hold, and run for the Akuma. It went into her handcuffs, and she laughed like a maniac as the butterfly symbol appeared over her face

“YOU IDIOTS SHOULD’VE KEPT YOUR MOUTHS SHUT!”

Everyone waited for the black smoke to surround her, and for an Akuma to be in her place. Marinette and Adrien were about to get out of their seats and run somewhere private to transform... But nothing.

“What?!” She yelled “You need me! I was so damn close to getting that stupid jewelry! I almost killed Ladybug! You’d be nothing without me!”

The students were horrified. She was working with a terrorist! She admitted to almost killing Ladybug, their hero! The butterfly flew out of her handcuffs and became white again, much to their shock. Hawkmoth just revoked an Akuma.

“NO! YOU’RE USELESS HAWKMOTH! USELE-“ A black book was thrown at her head, and she passed out onto the floor, much to everyone’s shock and relief. They turn around and see Marc standing at the doorway with his arm outstretched

“Rainbow, did you throw that?” Nathaniel asks as he walks over to his boyfriend

“She was so annoying!” He exasperated. Nathaniel kisses him on the cheek, calming him down

“She... She was lying?” Alya asked herself “She was working with Hawkmoth...”

Marinette sighed, got up from her seat, and walked down the stairs, then walked over to Alya. The bespectacled girl looked to her former friend, hoping she’ll say it wasn’t her fault, and that she didn’t know, but instead, all the bluenette said was

“I FUCKING TOLD YOU THAT FROM THE START!” She yelled, making Alya flinch and look down in shame “But, nooo! I’m a jealous bitch! Well how are you any better?! You abused Nino, attacked Aurore, and spread lies about people I know!”

“But-“

“Save it. You hurt my friend. I don’t ever want to see your face again!” She feels Adrien take her hand in his. She sends him a smile, then heads back to her desk

Alya looks to Nino, hoping he’ll forgive her and see that she was wrong for listening to Lila “Babe, please help me! I didn’t know! I’m sorry!”

Nino just looks her dead in the eye and frowns “Why would I help you?”

—

Alya and Lila’s trials took place a few weeks later. Along with defamation, Lila had also been sued for bullying, sexual harassment, aiding a terrorist, destruction of property, and forging signatures. Nino, Marinette, and Adrien testified against them and showed no mercy. Lila tried to lie her way out once again, but the judge, a no-nonsense woman, was having none of it. They were found guilty of their actions. Alya received twenty years in prison with no bail. Lila received thirty-five, also with no bail.

As for Nino, he was getting better. His bruises healed after a few months, and his friends were there for him. A year passed and Nino found a new girlfriend, Alisha. An American girl who enjoyed painting, and musicals. When she heard about Nino’s previous relationship, she smothered him with hugs and words of comfort.

Marinette got her apologies from the class, and she accepted them. However, it would be a while before she could truly forgive them. They didn’t blame her.

Taglist:

@heaven428 @aestheticnpoetic @marinetteagrestelove @fleur-de-jasmin-fdj @wannajointhecrabcult @starpony999 @its-salty-bug @saltymiraculer

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yee-fxcking-haw · 3 years

Text

•Affirmation•

Summary: Reader's dad is a dick, Bakugo does the big comfort. Just a short little comfort piece.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo x Reader (both 18+)

Warnings: Little bit of angst, degredation (not the fun kind), bad relationship with father, Bakugo is not great at comfort but he gives it the old college try.

Word Count: 1,640

A/N: This was for a request, the basic gist of the request was the reader having an asshole dad that doesn't support them, Bakugo over hearing it, reader breaking down a little then Bakugo giving some comfort. I hope you like it!❤️

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"You shouldn't have moved out so young, it was stupid and impulsive." The harsh, too familiar voice barks over the phone.

"I know." You choke out.

But you left me with no choice. You want to say that, but you don't have the guts.

"You knew damn well you'd never be able to make a living off of doodles."

Another wave of nausea washes over you, your hand tightens around your phone and starts to shake.

"I know…" You don't know, you don't agree, but you can't argue, it would be useless.

"Dad, please don't." You beg, voice wobbly with the tears you're holding back.

You should never have called them for money, you knew better. What choice do you have though? With three dollars to your name, rent to pay and groceries to buy.

You should be able to call your parents… should be. They've never supported your choices, especially your dad.

"Look, you've gotta figure this one out, I can't cure incompetence." Ice settles in your gut as he hangs up.

He wouldn't help you, your mom wouldn't help you.

They had always laughed at your desire to become a comic book illustrator, calling it a useless path, a waste of time. Defeated and helpless, you crawl into bed.

You'll give your two weeks tomorrow, find a real job, maybe keep drawing as a hobby.

The thought makes you sob, the feeling settles into the base of your being, deep and aching.

"What are you crying for?" A grumble of a voice echoes from your doorway.

"Suki, please, not now." Katsuki is a lot of things, comforting is not one of them.

He waits for a moment, you just bury your face further into the blankets, clutching a pillow to your aching chest.

"Was that your dad?" He asks, his voice taking on a softer tone.

You don't answer, just nod and sniffle.

You hear him whisper something about shitty people, then feel the mattress dip.

"He's an asshole, he's gonna act like an asshole."

Not helping.

You flop onto your back, tears pouring out of your eyes as you glare at him.

"Shit, you're actually crying." He scrambles up the bed, he grabs you and hauls you into his lap, almost cradling you like a baby.

"What happened? Do I finally get to blast him to pieces? Just say the word baby, I'll-"

"I'm gonna stop drawing." You admit quietly.

"Huh?" He sounds almost offended.

You snuggle into his warm chest then blink up at him, ruby eyes look at you with honest confusion.

"I can't keep doing it. I can't afford anything, I'm not that good, my parents hate me for it." God it hurts, it makes your insides feel so raw.

He grabs the side of your cheek, forcing you to make eye contact.

"Fuck that, fuck them. You're incredible, -hey, look at me-" Halfway through his sentence you pull your head away and press your face into his chest.

"Hey, firecracker, look at me, please?" The nickname pulls at your heart a little, he's called you that since you met, since you were the only one with enough balls to give his shit right back to him.

When you refuse to look up, he just holds you tightly to his chest. You soak up the body heat, inhale his smell, revel in the way he clings to you.

"Listen to me, then, you're talented, you're capable, and you're so fucking beautiful. Parents are just a bunch of old dumbasses that get off on telling their kids what they can't do." He's trying so damn hard to keep his voice down, you can tell by the way he's gripping you.

"I'll help you with whatever you need." He places a kiss on top of your head, a little rough, but that's just Katsuki.

"No, I can do this, I just have to get a better job." You insist with a pitiful voice.

"I know you can, but you don't have to. I can't let you give up on drawing, not with the talent you have." He runs a hand through your hair as he talks, the motion soothes you immensely.

"I know parents suck, especially when you don't do what they have planned for you, but you have to keep doing what you love. Please, let me help you." He almost sounds frantic, it makes your heart melt.

Katsuki loves you, you know he loves you, he'd bring buildings to the ground for you.

"It's too much, I can't ask you to help with all of it." You wipe your eyes with your sleeve before looking up at him again.

"Is living here the biggest issue?" He asks, still running his hands through your hair.

You nod, defeated and overwhelmed.

"Move in with me." When he says it, he sounds almost as shocked as you feel.

"What?" You ask.

"I'm serious, when was the last time we actually slept in our own homes? Or even showered separately, there's no point in living apart anymore."

He has a point, a very good point. Though, something doesn't sit well with you.

"I'm not a charity case, Suki, would you even be asking me this if I wasn't crying over my dad?" Your question is genuine, but he seems so hurt by it.

"I would be, I've wanted to."

He's dead serious.

You scramble to sit up straight, moving so you can straddle him as he leans against the headboard. You grab the sides of his face and make him look directly at you.

"Katsuki, if this is a prank I will fucking kill you." You say, shaking him a little as you talk.

A small smile creeps onto his face, eyes full of adoration. He reaches up to hold your face as well, thumbs catching the remaining tears.

"You couldn't if you tried, but it's not a prank. Please, come live with me." He grabs one of your hands, brings it to his mouth, then kisses your palm.

"I'm also serious about you being talented." He kisses your wrist.

"And capable." He pulls you in to kiss your neck.

"And so fucking beautiful." He plants one, dedicated kiss to your lips.

"Ok." You say, breathless.

"You will?" He asks, his voice taking on a giddy tone.

His hands snake around your waist and starts kissing you wherever he can, frantic and needy.

"And you're gonna keep drawing?" He pauses, looking up at you with sweet, honest eyes.

You turn to mush when he looks at you like that, without fail.

"Do you think I should?" You play with the collar of his t-shirt, quickly forgetting your father's harsh words.

"Baby, I love your work, I love watching you work. Please don't stop because of some fuck head that couldn't see talent if it hit him in the nuts." He lays his chin on your chest, still looking up at you with a devoted gaze.

"Can we get a dog?" You ask, hands coming up to play with his wild, blond hair.

He gives you a dramatic pout before pressing his face into your sternum.

"We can get a cat." He says against your chest, voice muffled by your body.

You giggle as he pulls you closer.

"I'll keep drawing if we get a dog." You bargain.

He grumbles against your chest before pulling away to look up at you.

"A rescue?" He asks, bright eyes looking up at you hopefully.

There he is, the giant teddy bear hiding under the man that swears like a sailor and makes threats like a hit man.

"Of course." You lean down and kiss his nose.

Somehow, through his reassurance and his desire to have you close, Suki has managed to dull the ache of the parental disapproval.

"I love you." You sigh, hands snaking around his neck.

"I love you more, and I'll wipe the floor with anyone who makes you feel like you're less than incredible." He leans up to kiss you long and hard, lips working perfectly against yours.

"Can we go look at dogs now?" He asks when he pulls away.

"Oh? Mr. 'We can get a cat.'?" You tease him, ruffling his hair as you slide off his lap.

You try to walk towards the closet, but he catches you around the waist from behind, caging you with his strong arms.

"You're talented, say it." His voice is low in your ear, making goosebumps raise on your flesh.

He has this thing that he makes you do, something about verbally affirming yourself until you believe it.

You roll your eyes and pull at his arms.

"Huh uh, no dog until you say it." He kisses your neck gently.

"No dog, no drawing." You shoot back.

"Baby."

"Fine, I'm talented." You huff.

"You're capable." He continues, squeezing you tighter.

"I'm capable." You don't believe it, but Suki does, and that's what matters.

He spins you in his arms, hands coming up to cradle your cheeks.

"You're beautiful." It's more of a breath, a whisper, his voice soft and soothing.

You glare up at him, not willing to say those words. He gives you a serious look, all stern and unwavering.

"I'm beautiful." You say as quietly as you can.

"You are." He kisses your forehead, breathing out as he pours his love over you.

"Who's a badass?" He says as he pulls away, a smile cracking across his face.

"I'm a badass." You can't help but laugh, chest bubbling with admiration for your determined boyfriend.

"Hell yeah you are," He presses one more kiss into your lips, "Let's go get that damn dog."

Katsuki Bakugo is many things, maybe comforting isn't one of them, but he's learning.

#bakugo katsuki #katsuki bakugou #bakugo fluff #katsuki fluff #katsuki x you #bnha bakugo katsuki #katsuki bakugo x reader #bnha bakugou

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nothere-notthere-nowhere · 3 years

Text

Studying

Word count: 1704

Pairing: Natasha x Reader (platonic)

Warnings: panic attack, let me know if I missed any

Summary: Studying for an exam is overwhelming. Nat helps.

A/N: Hi! So, this is very much just me projecting my own thoughts and feelings onto the reader lol. There’s no real romance here, just Nat being a good friend. I also did not edit this, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes.

It was late, you realized as you closed your textbook. You’d been studying for some stupid math final the next day and time had clearly gotten away from you.

Balancing avenger work with being a full-time student was difficult but you enjoyed it, for the most part. Thankfully, it was online schooling so you were able to complete work on your own time, but it was still difficult. Deciding to go back to school in your mid twenties had been a big step for you.

You’d always hated school. It never came easy, despite being a science genius. You were what most people called brilliant. You thought it was just being creative. You thought in a different way than most people. Tony Stark had sought you out when you were fresh out of high school right before the invasion of New York.

But, despite having a secure job working for the avengers in the compound, you had decided it wouldn’t be a bad thing to go back to school. Just because you were good at making supersuits and other technological advancement-esque stuff didn’t mean you were that smart.

For example, calc two was kicking your ass right now. Making new impact resistant polymer suits for the gang was a hell of a lot easier for you than whatever the fuck this textbook was trying to explain.

“Stupid math,” you groaned, rubbing a hand over your face as you looked back down at the problem you’d already tried to solve four times. There was no way in hell you were going to pass this class.

Fighting back tears of frustration as you crumpled up the paper, you stood from your desk. It was near three in the morning and you were exhausted. But you would not let yourself fail this exam. Your grade in the class was already less than acceptable and failing your final would definitely leave you with an F.

You walked to the kitchen quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. Coffee would surely settle you down and give you enough energy to make it until the morning. You had to figure this out.

“I told you to ask Tony or Bruce for help,” Natasha’s voice startled you.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” You asked, drying your eyes before you turned to her.

“No, don’t worry.” She had an amused look on her face. “You’re still on calc, right?”

“Yeah,” your shoulders slumped. “But I have to be able to do this on my own. I shouldn’t have to annoy them with questions about basic math all the time.”

“Calculus is not basic math.” Natasha snorts at you.

“To them it is.”

“Well, make sure you go to sleep at some point, okay?” The concern in her eyes was evident and you just nodded, grabbing the cup of coffee you’d just brewed.

You took a sip before making your way back to your room. The textbook sat right where you’d left it and the sight of it bright a fresh wave of tears.

You were a scientist for the avengers, damn it. Why were you crying over math? But your parents words flashed through your brain, reminding you that you were just a stupid kid.

The relationship between you and your parents had always been rocky. They had held you to unachievable standards and no matter how much effort you put into school, they were never satisfied. And they always made sure you knew that.

“You think you’ll get anywhere in life with grades like these?” your father had shouted at you many times. “You’re just lazy. Do you know how much money we pay for you to go to this school? And this is how you repay us? You’re embarrassing.”

Your hand shook as you picked up your pencil once again, trying to figure out that stupid problem. There were so many rules and steps and none of them made sense to you!

When the answer you got still didn’t match the one in the textbook, you slammed your pencil down with a scoff.

“You’re so stupid!” You said to yourself, tears leaking from your eyes. You started to erase your own writing again, when you glanced at the time, half past three. You were never going to figure this out.

It was becoming hard to read the problems through your watery eyes as you fought back the tears. You had to figure this out! But it was no use, you dropped your head onto the desk, holding in sobs.

Your thoughts began to run with your father’s words. Embarrassing, lazy, stupid. You felt that familiar sense of self-loathing begin to rise within you and you were helpless. This wasn’t even the last unit you had to learn before your final.

You were overwhelmed and you didn’t realize that your chest was tightening or your breath was becoming short. But when you lost feeling in your hands, and your face was tense and tingling, it was obvious.

You were having a panic attack.

You were no stranger to these, of course. But, that didn’t make it any easier. It had been quite some time since you’d had a panic attack this severe, too, which made it that much scarier.

You slid off your chair, pressing your back against the wall and pulling your knees up to your chest. You screwed your eyes shut, the heels of your shaking hands pressing into your eyes. If you had more control over the situation, you’d have tried to quiet your hyperventilation.

A soft touch to your hand brought you somewhat back to reality.

“Y/N,” a soft voice called. Your fingers instinctively clutched at the hand that pulled yours away from your face.

“Y/N, you’re okay. I’m right here.” Nat’s voice was softer than you may have ever heard it before.

“Nat, I-I,” you choked out, trying to say anything.

“No, don’t talk. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Her free hand rested on your knee, squeezing lightly. “Can you breathe with me?”

You tried to follow her soft ‘In’ and ‘out’ over and over. Your breaths were forced, almost painful as the panic refused to let up.

“Good job, dorogoy,” You felt the redhead scoot next to you, her arm wrapping around your shaking frame. “You’re doing amazing, I’ve got you.”

She pulled you into her gently. You were starting to gain the feeling back into your hands, and your facial muscles seemed to loosen just slightly. But, you were still shaking violently as you tried to stop yourself from sobbing.

“You’re okay,” Nat soothed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “I’m here.”

You leaned into her, balling your fist up in her shirt.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked after you had nearly stopped crying.

“I’m gonna fail,” you whimpered. You felt pathetic.

“You know,” Nat sighed, “who cares?”

“What?” Her words confuse you.

“You are smart, Y/N. You already have a job, and after working for Stark, you could get in anywhere if you decided to leave. This is one class and regardless of how you do on the final, no one will think any less of you.”

“But-”

“No,” Nat cut you off. “Your grades in some stupid college class don’t matter. I promise, even if you do fail, we’ve all seen how hard you’ve worked in each of your classes. That’s what matters. Your work ethic and your commitment to your studies is worth so much more than sacrificing your wellbeing to secure a passing grade.”

“I feel so stupid.”

“You shouldn't. It’s a tough class. You should be proud of yourself for trying, even if you don’t get the results you wanted.”

“I just wanted to prove them wrong. Even if they wouldn’t know. I wanted to prove to them I was smart. But they were right, I’m just stupid.”

Your words hang in the air for a moment. Natasha knows you’re talking about your parents. They’d all heard about the verbal abuse you’d suffered through at the hands of the people who’d raised you.

“You are not stupid.” She tells you firmly. “You are brilliant. You’ve created a new polymer that is even better at stopping bullets than vibranium while also working as a material for clothing. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Yeah, but…”

“This is just one subject. I sure as hell can’t do calculus! You’re good at what you’re good at. I’m good at kicking ass, Clint’s good with a bow, Wanda’s good at… well magic. You’re good at science shit.”

You were silent. You knew she had a point.

“I know that won’t make you feel better about this.” Natasha explains. “But you can’t beat yourself up for this. You need to take care of yourself. Let’s go to bed, now, and we can ask Tony or Bruce for help in the morning.”

“I need to study,” you start.

“No, you need sleep.” Natasha’s voice is firm again. “You can’t sacrifice your health or your sanity for a test. You are more important than a test.”

“Okay.” You weren’t entirely convinced but, for now, your parent’s words were fading away.

Natasha helps you up before wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug. You savor the comfort of her embrace, before realizing just how exhausted you are.

“Get in bed,” Natasha nudges you towards the bed. You lay down, eyes closing as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Nat pulls the blanket up before turning towards the door.

“Wait,” you call, hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

“Stay?” You bite the inside of your cheek. “Please?”

“Of course, dorogoy,” Natasha smiles at you as she slides into bed next to you.

“Thank you,” you mutter, laying your head on her chest as her arms wrap around you tightly. She presses a gentle kiss to your head.

You know you’ll freak in the morning when you have to think about the final again. But Natasha was here now, and Bruce and Tony would be there in the morning. It would be okay. One failed exam, one failed class-- hell, even every class failed-- was no indication of your worth. And Nat would be there to remind you if you ever forgot.

#natasha romanoff #marvel #natasha x reader #black widow #black widow x reader #natasha romanoff x reader

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syn0vial · 3 years

Note

important question number 3 what do you have on boba and sintas vel 👀 - lekkui

i have... some things! honestly, i wish sintas’s portrayal had been a little more solid in the EU. it varied wildly between writers and in certain comics, she had little more characterization than “beautiful, tough bounty hunter chick.” i hope if they revisit her in new canon, they give her a more nuanced, more consistent depiction. also i’ll be ignoring said comics for the purposes of this post bc it’s my blog and i’m too sleepy for salt right now

but yes, onto the bullet points!

for those unaware, sintas vel was a female kiffar bounty hunter who boba tried to start a new life with when they were teenagers. they both got out of the bounty hunting game and settled down on concord dawn, where they got married and had a daughter, ailyn. boba was 16 and sintas was 18 at the time.

one of the things i find most interesting about the two of them, especially when they were teenagers: ailyn was consistently the more logical and level-headed of the two of them, while boba was always more emotional and impulsive. tragically, it’s this impulsivity that leads boba to fuck up so badly and, ironically, to transform into the emotionally detached asshole we know later on.

but yeah, this dichotomy is seen pretty early on in a flashback-by-proxy, in which we learn that the whole romantic run-away-together-and-get-married-and-start-a-new-life-somewhere-far-away plan? 100% BOBA’S IDEA.

in particular, we get the briefest snippet of an exchange where boba is trying his hardest to convince sintas that this would be a good idea. and, no exaggeration, it goes like:

sintas: “i mean, it’s kind of very obvious that you don’t know what you’re doing--” boba: “THINGS I KNOW: YOU’RE GOOD AT SHOOTING THINGS. YOU’RE PRETTY??? I TRUST YOU A LOT. see this is a good idea :)”

TEENAGE BOBA FETT: PURE OF HEART, DUMB OF ASS

anyway, boba fett and noted-morosexual sintas vel make their way to concord dawn. here’s some things we know about their relationship before everything went to shit:

nicknames! they referred to each other with the first syllable of each others’ names: bo and sin. very cute :)

they got married using a traditional mandalorian wedding vow. neither of them had any idea what the mando’a meant, bless their hearts.

as a marriage token, boba gave sintas a small red heart-of-fire gemstone tied on a simple leather cord. it was the best he could afford which, at the time, wasn’t much. however, it had significance to sintas as a kiffar; kiffars are near-humans whose members possess an unusually high occurrence rate of telemetry, or the ability to read memories from objects. heart-of-fire gemstones were said to be among the best for storing such memories.

SHIPPY FIC WRITERS TAKE NOTE. three words to describe boba in a committed relationship: PROTECTIVE. AS. HELL. absolutely unwilling to tolerate so much as a dirty look towards sintas. maybe even a little paranoid. kind of understandable given how much grief he’d already endured in his short life.

it didn’t save them

ok, fair warning, here’s the point where shit gets traumatic, so if you want to know nothing but the relatively happy stuff, STOP READING HERE. also, CWs for manipulation, sexual assault, murder, and imprisonment, bc nobody in this canon is allowed to be happy :(

last chance to turn back!

ok. onto the traumatic shit.

so! boba and sintas are doing fine. operation stop-being-teenaged-bounty-hunters-and-try-to-pass-for-normal is going pretty well! not only do they have their own functional little family unit, but boba has a job as a journeyman protector. basically think of them as like. mando frontier lawmen. and on top of that, boba has been taken under the wing of his superior officer and son of a local magistrate, lenovar.

we don’t know much about lenovar (like, is that his first or his last name, for example...) but we know that boba and sintas trusted him and that boba in particular looked up to him as both a friend and mentor.

however, lenovar was not what he seemed. once he had the young couple’s trust, he managed to get sintas alone and raped her.

in the aftermath, sintas performed some brutally pragmatic mental calculus: lenovar was a high-ranking journeyman protector and son of a magistrate. she and boba were two struggling teenagers with a baby, escaping checkered pasts. retaliating against lenovar would likely destroy them. which meant not only that she couldn’t retaliate against lenovar; she had to make sure boba wouldn’t, either.

so. how do you keep your extremely protective, impulsive former-bounty-hunter husband from flying off the handle and murdering your rapist?

you don’t tell him about it. you don’t tell anyone about it :(

argh just reading this i’m feeling salty that we get so little of sintas’s perspective on any of this. it’s all just “how did this make boba feel? how did it affect boba’s life?” and it’s like GOOD GOD. this woman is now maybe 20 years old, making the absolutely-gutting decision to keep her sexual assault a secret from her closest friend bc it’s the only way to protect her and him and their daughter from being steamrolled by the system. and like, nobody thought to expand on that?

nope, we just get a comic where she’s needlessly sexualized and drawn to look young enough to be boba’s daughter despite the fact that she’s older than him and ugh

OKAY. enough salt. moving on.

sintas’s plan works for all of a year, at which point boba somehow finds out the truth. and everything goes straight to hell.

boba, finding out that sintas kept her sexual assault by lenovar a secret for a whole year (and remember, boba was probably continuing to work under and look up to lenovar during this time), is utterly furious. of course, he wants nothing more than to murder the shit out of lenovar and is only further enraged when sintas tries to logically talk him out of it. in his anger, he proceeds to verbally torch ALL the bridges in their relationship, at one point even cruelly questioning if ailyn is even his daughter. he then storms off and makes good on his threats to kill lenovar

in the aftermath, boba was branded not just a murderer, but the murderer of his superior officer—an even more serious crime. yet, despite repeated interrogations, he refused to say why he had done it, fearing that doing so would drag sintas down with him. he only insisted that he felt no remorse for killing lenovar and that lenovar deserved to die.

in the end, his efforts didn’t save sintas—the courts seized all of what meager assets they had, leaving them all penniless. boba was then exiled from concord dawn and wouldn’t see his wife and daughter again for fifty years.

after everything that happened, boba was a changed person. it’s as if that spark of optimism and dare-i-say goodness that had survived his father’s death was snuffed out, leaving only a cynical, angry shell, laser-focused on violence because it was the one part of his father’s legacy he hadn’t yet failed.

sintas and ailyn, meanwhile, struggled to pull themselves out of poverty, with sintas reluctantly returning to bounty hunting to support them. ailyn never forgave her father for abandoning them, which led to its own equally-disastrous tragedy some decades down the line.

moral of the story is to listen to your wife and don’t make her sexual assault all about your stupid need for revenge. like, i get that the rapist needs to die but maybe like... work with your wife and make it look like an accident? don’t be an impulsive fucking inconsiderate idiot? maybe realize that your wife probably just endured the most hellish year of her life to protect YOUR dumb ass?

honestly, as frustrating as teenage!boba is, you can’t even be that angry at him bc like... he and sintas were both victims reacting imperfectly to absolutely shit circumstances. lenovar is the real villain here.

never going to be over how tragic it is that these two kids tried so fucking hard to derail their villainous origin stories, only to be forced onto even more brutal tracks bc the one adult they should’ve been able to trust in their situation ended up being a predator :(

#snowberry-pie #sintas vel #boba fett #lenovar #the fact that sintas was never spotlighted as a perspective character in the EU....... criminal

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rucow · 3 years

Text

massive nerevoryn hcs, beware

I have nerevoryn brainworms that torment me day and night, so I answered this ask game under the cut (I did this for myself not for anyone else, pls be nice and ignore it if u don’t like something you see here!)

(A lil clarification: I headcanon Voryn as nonbinary and I use they/them pronouns for them, also they’re ace and afab in my hc, pls look away if that makes u uncomfy) • How did they first meet? They met when Nerevar was hopping from House to House to ask to be supported as Hortator, he just kinda showed up at Voryn's home outta nowhere and was met with 38237 identical serious Dagoth siblings. I can’t think about it without laughing dgsfh

• What was their first impression of each other? Voryn thought Nerevar a fool at first, for coming all the way to Kogoruhn just to ask for political support and to justify /why/ he should be politically supported However, Voryn saw almost instantly that Nerevar was genuine and driven and had strong ambitions for Resdayn, and they ended up agreeing on a lot of things. Meanwhile, Nerevar's first impression of Voryn was...kinda non-existent? He didn't pay much attention to them and didn't differentiate much between Voryn and their siblings. They were all just a bunch of polite goths to him, so he liked them from the beginning 😹

• Did any of their friends or family want them to get together? Voryn's family was neutral and maybe a lil cautious, but ultimately didn't interfere at all and they quickly accepted Nerevar as part of their family Nerevar has no family, though I consider Vivec to be his family in some way. But no, Vivec didn't really want them to get together :') (he didn't like Voryn very much in the beginning, he thought they're boring, too serious, and has no sense of humor LOL but he warms up to them after a while.. he won’t stop messing with them tho, bc they’re rly easy to tease and that’s fun) • Who felt romantic feelings first? Voryn did. Nerevar's feelings only started ages later, he's not really the type to sit down and analyze/reflect on his feelings, so he didn't realize he had romantic feelings until they hit him full force LOL • Did either of them try to resist their feelings? Voryn tried, but gave up and opted for hiding their feelings instead of suppressing them 😔 • If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think? They would believe it. Nerevar wouldn't immediately assume it means "romantic soulmate" though, he already sees Voryn as a very close friend so the news that they're soulmates makes perfect sense to him. On the other hand, Voryn wouldn't be surprised to find out they're soulmates, but they'd feel like it's a cruel thing to do to them both, since they can't be together openly and in the way that they want to be. It would be heartbreaking to them :’/ • What would their lives be like if they had never met? Voryn's life would've remained quiet and uneventful, most likely. And they wouldn’t have ended up the way they did in canon. Nerevar is an unpredictable mystery though so I have no idea, maybe he'd go down a different path and take some impulsive bad decisions in his life 🤔 oh wait he already does that nvm • Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go? Nerevar initiated it. Voryn has had feelings for him for a very long time, but at first they didn't want to be in a relationship with Nerevar due to how complicated it would be, but yeah...they couldn't ignore their heart's call, and definitely couldn't refuse Nerevar when he started returning the feelings :') • Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like? YEAH!! I have no idea though! It would've been secret but very nice and romantic :'D • What was their first kiss like? It was intimate, and heavy. It was packed full of years of suppressed feelings and wishes. Voryn may have teared up a bit lmao • Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)? Nerevar has already had relationships (though nothing long-term) and has had...experience with ppl, in all meanings Nerevar WAS Voryn's first everything though! Mainly because Voryn has never had much interest in ppl before, and just the thought of kissing grosses them out, unless it’s with the right person ofc uwu • What’s their height difference? Age difference? Nerevar is 6'1 and Voryn is 5′6-5'7, they're the same age though! • What’s their relationship with each other’s families? Nerevar likes the dagoths. They don’t pry into his business (ahem, affair*) with Voryn and they always welcome him to Kogoruhn with no problem (aka they tolerate his out-of-nowhere appearances and occassional odd behavior). He finds it a bit unsettling that Voryn has so many siblings but he doesn’t question it. Voryn tries to get along with Vivec, even tho the younger makes it difficult. Voryn is an older sibling, so they have the patience to deal with a younger moodier mer who’s hellbent on disliking them for no reason LOL • Who takes the lead in social situations? Nerevar does, Voryn is really awkward at socializing and hates doing it too 😹 • Who gets jealous easier? They both do, but their jealousy manifests in different ways. Nerevar is much more vocal/open about it. Voryn doesn't give him any reasons to be jealous tho, at least not on purpose 🤧 • Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear? UHH neither of them does 😳 ...unless they've been drinking, then they both do it fjdhsn (Voryn won’t say anything explicit tho, just rly cheesy declarations of love or something SOBS) • Who said “I love you” first? Voryn said it first, but only after Nerevar had already confessed his feelings :’) they needed to be sure they wouldn’t get rejected bc that would just break their heart tbh • Who uses cheesy pick-up lines? Both do, but they mean it in all seriousness, and they believe every word the other says. • How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA? PDA is a big no-no for obvious reasons, unless it's only around trustworthy ppl like Alandro Sul and Voryn's family. Yes, Alan my boi is chill with all of this hehe • Who initiates kisses? Nerevar. He's very touchy uwu • Who’s the big and little spoon? Nere's the big spoon, usually. Voryn's like...a stick...though they can get clingy in their sleep /sobs • What are their favorite things to do together? Having time to spend together is rare for them, so they treasure every little moment they have. They both prefer spending time completely alone with one another, somewhere far and secluded where they can’t see or hear any other people. Nerevar needs moments of quietness to recharge after dealing with so many ppl in his daily affairs, so he really appreciates Voryn’s company bc their energy is very calming and they’re just quiet and pleasant in general.... they’re the type to sit in comfortable silence and just lean on one another as the world fades around them :’) • Who’s better at comforting the other? They know each other very well, so they're both amazing at comforting each other, except it's a lot easier for Voryn to comfort Nerevar solely because Voryn isn't as open about their emotions as he is, and doesn't want to worry Nerevar with anything, so they keep their emotions/pain private much more than Nerevar does. Nere's more open about things that bother him and spills his soul out to Voryn often lol • Who’s more protective? Oh gosh they are both overprotective of one another, they live dangerous lives after all. However, Voryn's the type to get physically sick by worrying over Nerevar's well-being... Nerevar doesn't handle it any better tho, he would become very spooky and destructive if anything happened to Voryn 👀 • Do they prefer verbal or physical affection? Nerevar prefers verbal affection from Voryn, because he knows Voryn’s words are always truthful. Voryn prefers physical affection from Nerevar though, because they know he uses verbal affection with a lot of people, so the physical kind feels more personal and genuine to them u_u • What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise? ... I must warn u. my taste in music is maybe TOO happy/sappy for these two, but anyway.. here u go (all these songs are from Voryn’s POV): 1. the lyrics and overall aesthetic and feel of this song.. it suits them in my hc a lot :’( 2. by the same singer, this song HHNGN the lyrics just make me think of how voryn sees nerevar 3. something even more light-hearted... sorry there’s no eng subs but trust me the lyrics are beautiful, the bridge especially makes me cry it’s so pretty.. and 「美しい��を持っている、ずっとこの海よりも深い」 😭 BASICALLY ANY LOVE SONGS MAKE ME THINK OF THEM 😭😭 • Who remembers the little things? Voryn's memory is impeccable. Nerevar is kinda airheaded, he doesn't remember things consciously but he remembers them in his heart • If they get married, who proposes? Voryn does! Though it's not a typical proposal, because their relationship isn't typical either. They simply propose that they both should undergo a ritual to bring them (more specifically, their souls) closer together... It’s the same ritual that Voryn’s mother did to their father, and they learned it from her before she disappeared/passed • What’s the wedding like? Who attends? It's a secret one, so no one attends it besides the two. It's not a wedding though, it's more like a romantic ritual conducted by Voryn themself, where they link their souls/hearts together :') it happens at nighttime in a secluded place, probably a cave with an open sky... somewhere in nature far away from any civilization • How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like? They have one very rambunctious but sweet daughter! She inherits a LOT of Nerevar’s looks and personality, even his ideals and stuff (once she grows up) • Do they have any pets? Nerevar doesn't have any, but he loves animals. Voryn's home has plenty of domestic animals/creatures though, much to Nerevar's joy 👌 (yes I hc the dagoths to be farmers bc I love the thought of a goth farm) • Who’s the stricter parent? Voryn. Though they're still very mild, just. more cautious about parenting than Nerevar is?? And unlike him, they actually teach their kid manners djfnsf • Who kills the bugs in the house? VORYN. They have no fear of bugs and actually know how to handle them really well! • How do they celebrate holidays? Not together :'( </3 • Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning? Voryn. Nerevar's an early morning person, while Voryn just wants to be lazy and stay in bed until noon. Voryn has sleepy b* disease • Who’s the better cook? Dare I say both??? >:)c Voryn likes baking more than cooking though, so when they have the time for it, they like treating Nerevar with sweets u_u✨ Nerevar doesn’t really have a sweet tooth though, he’ll just engulf anything that Voryn or their family cooks LOL

#I couldn't control myself I NEED to talk about them they're ruling my life ever since I played morrowind last year #nerevoryn #voryn dagoth #nerevar #voryn #txt #i love htem

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zodiyack · 4 years

Text

Wrong Girl, Right Time

Requested by anon: Helloo! I am a big fan of your writing and I had an idea about a kinda dark angsty tommy x reader fic taking place in season 1 where the reader is a childhood of the boys and when tommy spends his first night with Grace inspector Campbell goes after the reader (maybe one of his men physically assaults her) and tommy learns about it the next day and realises he messed up big time and tries to fix everything. Thank you so much and I will understand if you don't want to do it.

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Female!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, angst that was written while half asleep, implied smut, physical assault, fluff, me not proofreading

Note: Aaa! I hope you like it, I tried! Enjoy!

Taglist: @captivatedbycillianmurphy, @stydia-4-ever, @matth1w, @redspaceace, @jenepleurepasbaby, @simonsbluee, @peakysputain

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Y/n walked back to her sofa, wrapping her sweater tighter around her body. The warmth of Tommy’s kind hugs, the firewood he’d bring her after he’d scold her for risking her life living in such a cold temperature, the smiles that warmed her insides- even if they weren’t directed toward her.

She sighed, plopping down on the cushions. She’d fallen for Tommy, since they were kids, and she had no idea how to tell him. Or if he even felt the same.

“Fuck.” She rolled over, curling into a ball and hugging herself, hoping for warmth. Hoping for Tommy to show up with firewood even if it meant he’d scold her. Hoping for Tommy to hug her tightly and kiss her hairline even if it meant she’d have to suffer knowing it was platonically. Y/n didn’t care the consequence, she just wanted him.

And somewhere out there, he was with her. Just not Y/n “her”. It was the woman he gave his heart too. Or rather, wanted to give his heart to, but, for once in his life, he broke down and verbally admitted he was too much of a coward to do so.

They danced together. Twirling around the room. Lust filled Tommy’s eyes, a mirrored look in Grace’s. They leaned in, connecting their lips and relieving themselves of the desire they both knew they felt.

Outside of Grace’s place, was officer Campbell. Tommy knew. He knew the man would have a high chance of coming across this. And he could care less for the man’s thoughts on the situation.

He smiled softly into the kiss, deepening it and their contact, suddenly becoming more cocky inside knowing Campbell saw him and Grace. But the lust remained, and like he’d told others and himself time and time again, he just really couldn’t find the fucks to give.

Unfortunately, thanks to his discovery, Campbell decided to retaliate. He knew of Y/n L/n. The girl who hung around the Shelby boys as a young girl, who looked at Tommy with longing in her eyes, who smiled and hid the hurt in her heart when she met Grace.

He chuckled as he walked to the girl’s home. He sent his men to the door, told them to break in, have two grab Y/n, rough up the place and then meet in the living room with the girl.

Officer Campbell kicked a shard of glass that lied on the floor. “Look at this place, Y/n. It’s a bloody wreck!”

“Because of you, asshole!” She spat on his shoes. Campbell gave eye contact to one of the men next to Y/n, and smiled when he heard the sound of a smack and a yelp of pain. Y/n sobbed and looked up at him, a red hand mark rested on her face.

“My goodness, Miss L/n, you really ought to cover that up! Don’t want Tommy thinking you’re a weak link, eh? Maybe he’ll find you ugly, inside and out, when he learns you went insane, trashed up your own place, then fought someone for no reason... and lost.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and big the inside of her cheek.

“What do you think? Y/n?”

Still, Y/n kept quiet, refusing to give into his game. She continued to glare at him, but kept her mouth shut. It pissed him off, to say the least. He nodded to the men again. Another yelp left her mouth. Blood leaked from her nose.

“Ooooh!” The officer scrunched his face in reaction to her face, “That’s got to hurt, doesn’t it? Well I can make it stop hurting. Just tell me whatever you can about your little crush, okay?”

He growled when she didn’t respond. A man behind her yanked her head back with his hold on her hair. A whimper escaped her lips.

“Answer me, you bitch!” She smiled. He returned it with the thought that he’d won. “Good. Now-” His face paled, then crinkled in disgust.

“That’s all I know, sorry love.” Y/n quipped with a mischievous smirk, wiping her mouth on her shoulder and looking down at Campbell’s shoe. A wad of her saliva coated the top of it.

“Alright then, if we can’t get information out of you, we’ll just... leave Tommy a little surprise.” He nodded to the man before walking out the door, the rest of the men following.

“You fucked up big time, princess.”

“Thomas?” His foot steps slowed, then rushed again. His breathing was unsteady as he ran up the stairs and to the room the person he was looking for was occupying.

“Oh God- what did he do to you?” Tommy heard his voice crack as he knelt beside Y/n’s bed. He regretted everything. The night he shared with Grace, the deal he made with Campbell, the mistake of giving Y/n the space she never asked for.

“It’s okay-” she coughed, causing Tommy to wince, “go back to Grace.”

“What? No, are you crazy?” He truly thought she was joking. He smiled with the side of his mouth and forced out a small chuckle of his own. “You need to rest, and I,” He grunted as he sat down next to her, “am not going to leave until you get better.”

“Why? You could be having the time of your life right now, why stay with me when I’m sick and possibly very ugly-” she dawned a goofy smile, unknowingly making Tommy’s heart race faster than it already was, “I dunno, I haven’t been able to look in a mirror quite yet.”

“You’re beautiful. You don’t need a mirror to see that.”

He let go of his tougher exterior, smiling brightly and genuinely. He grabbed Y/n’s hand and kissed it softly.

“Thomas Michael Shelby, what on Earth are you doing to me?”

Tommy looked up with slight confusion and noticed Y/n’s state, mental absence being a perfect words to describe it. She looked out of it, but still, just as beautiful out of it as she would be if she was unharmed. He was about to ask her what she meant, but she’d already turned over and slipped away into peaceful slumber again.

When she woke up again, her consciousnesses was more alert, as her body was healing while she slept, the foggy mind effect her injuries gave her was fading away with every moment she rested.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

“Tommy? Oh.” She clenched her jaw. Y/n really had missed him, but that night gave her a lot of arguments to settle with Tommy, things she needed him to answer.

“Pol told me you collapsed on the floor, already unconscious by the time she discovered you, and that she got Arthur to help you into your bed. She said you were healing, nothing major, just bruises and some blood here and there.”

“Tommy.”

“Said she didn’t know what happened.”

“Tom.”

“So what happened, Y/n? Tell me so I can be on my merry way, and blind them. That’s what you want, right? Me to like you enough to go and blind some bastard? Well you’re wrong if you think I don’t. Y/n, some things you underestimate about me, like how much I care abou-”

“Thomas!”

“...you- ...Yes?”

“He tossed me around like a fucking rag-doll.” Y/n ignored the ache of her head and held her composure. If there was ever a time to give Tommy a piece of her mind, it was now.

“I- Who?” Her eyes studied Tommy, the way he clenched his fists with anger.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. You don’t get to be mad. You went out there, fucked Grace, and I was stuck here, alone, cold, oh and abused by Inspector Chester fucking Campbell!” She stood up, wobbling slightly due to her lack of movement in bed rest. Tommy tried to help her stand, but she pushed his hands away with a huff. “I hoped, I hoped, that you’d show up. But you never did.”

“Campbell did that to you?” He looked at Y/n’s face, flinching internally at the purple, blue, and kind of brownish hues that marked her skin.

“Fuck you Thomas Shelby.” He flinched. “Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you! Fuck you!” She stumbled over to him and hit his arms, punching him while breaking into tears. Tommy just stood there. He took her hits. His eyes closed in pain, not from her actions but from the situation; the pain striking him in the heart.

Finally, she broke. When she stopped punching him and began to drop to her knees, Tommy caught her. “I hate you.” She cried.

He felt the tears begin to form, spilling without his consent, “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay, I’m here-”

“I hate you, I hate you, I fucking hate you!” Though she was muttering words of her pain, she clung to Tommy tightly and refused to let go of him, as if her letting go of him now would be letting go of him forever. Her face was reddening and her nose was snotty, the tears were flooding.

“Let it all out, it’s alright, love. I’m here-”

“You weren’t the night Campbell gifted me to one of his men to use as a fucking pinata.”

He stopped. His heart ached. “I know... I’ll never forgive myself for that. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, I’m sorry I didn’t show up, I’m sorry I-”

“Stop saying sorry. You’re not sorry. You slept with the woman you’ve been eyeing.Congratulations! Hey, want another medal? This one’s for world’s worst best friend! And another! Another for world’s best heart-breaker! Gonna throw ‘em in the cut too, huh? A man fights in a war for his home, but can’t bloody protect the girl who loves him the most? Why?? Oh, maybe because he’s too busy, I don’t know, starting another fucking war?!”

“W-what?” He muttered quietly, dropping with Y/n, who was pulling away to spew more angry words at her childhood crush. She looked him in the eyes with fury and hurt.

“You could’ve been there! You.. you could’ve been there, but you chose her... you chose her over me.. Just like you always did...with every girl... ever since we were kids...”

“Oh Y/n...” He cupped her cheeks, and this time- she did not fight. “You’ve been hiding that? For so long?”

She nodded, reaching up and wiping her eyes with her arm. “I was hoping... I was hoping you’d pick me one day. But that day never came. So I kept waiting. I watched you flirt, I watched you admire, I watched you be admired... I know, it’s silly, but no matter how many times I’ve tried to get over you, I can’t. And I know you don’t li-”

Tommy cut her off with a harsh, desperate, yet somewhat soft, kiss. “To be honest, Y/n,” He lifted her off the ground, swooped her off her feet and carried her back to her bed, setting her on the comfy mattress and tucking her in. “It’s not silly. I’ve tried the same, and yet, here I am.”

“Wait- How- But you-”

“Grace was a distraction, like the whores. Something to get my mind off of you. I suppose I just didn’t realize I was thinking of you...” He pulled away from the bed and grabbed his hat, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To make this right.” Tommy turned, a small smile gracing his face. “Do you have problem with that?”

“Yes, actually. I do.” Y/n smiled softly at Tommy as he raised his eyebrows in question, “You can make it right later. For now, I’m healing and I’ll be needing some company, preferably from my favorite of the infamous Shelby boys.”

“Finn?”

“No, dummy, you!” She giggled when Tommy rolled his eyes, his smile bigger than before, and crawled into the bed with her, draping an arm lazily around her waist and kissing her forehead. “Thank you, Tommy.”

“For you? Anything and anytime. You’re welcome, Y/n.” He closed the space between them, kissing her softly. Eventually, the pair fell asleep, unaware of Polly walking into the room a couple hours later, curious to where Tommy was and how Y/n was doing.

She smiled at the sight; Y/n, smiling with her cheek pressed against her arm, chest heaving with each breath she took, Tommy’s head resting on it. Her hand was buried in his hair from her attempt of lulling him to sleep, and Tommy’s mouth was parted slightly, his chest moved up and down like Y/n’s.

“Really was the wrong girl, but had you been with the right one, I’d say damn near fantastic timing, Thomas.” Pol closed the door behind her. She knew this couple would happen; Polly Gray is always right.

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novantinuum · 3 years

Link

Fandom: Steven Universe

Rating: Teen Audiences

Words: 2.2K~

Summary: A series of shorts detailing what might’ve happened in the moments after I Am My Monster, told from six different points of view.

Greg apparently had a LOT on his mind, because this was supposed to be short and instead it’s over 2000 words, ahah. Final chapter!

If you read this and enjoy, I’d greatly appreciate your support through reblogs here, or kudos/comments on AO3. Thank you! <3

Chapter warning: Allusions to past non-canon character suicide.

____

Chapter 6: Greg

Hours pass.

Bismuth makes quick and quiet work of replacing the cracked slider door in Steven’s room while he sleeps, and secures a thick tarp over the open front of the house to keep the coastal breeze somewhat at bay until she can finish her repairs to the windows and siding. She warns that might take a day or two. Garnet, meanwhile, busies herself the rest of the afternoon and evening fielding all of the Diamonds’ frazzled calls, and reassuring them of the boy’s current stability. Pooling their knowledge, Dr. Maheswaran and Peridot make sure to confirm that. Beyond some minor scarring, neither his organic or Gem half seems to exhibit any serious physical health conditions in consequence of what happened today, news which works to ever so slightly lift the air of the household. With no other concrete tasks to complete, Pearl, Amethyst, Lapis, Connie, and Greg all rotate between sweeping debris off the floor, wandering the beach to mentally recuperate, and dutifully sitting at Steven’s side as he rests. It may not sound like a lot, but alas the level of emotional labor demanded by such a situation is immense.

All in all, the sun’s long since dipped below the horizon by the time Greg finally collapses onto the mattress laid out in the back of his van, craving if but a moment of privacy and respite from all the chaos. It’s been... an insufferably long day, to put it lightly. Busy. Tons of cleaning, and intercepting nosy neighbors, and bedside monitoring...

He offered to take the first night shift watching Steven a few minutes ago, but Pearl must’ve noticed the dark circles creeping ever wider under his eyes, because she proceeded to gently overturn his offer and remind him of humanity’s daily sleep requirement. And she’s right, of course. He can’t stay up as long as he used to in his twenties anymore. Plus, he probably deserves some time to himself after everything that’s transpired. There’s plenty of Gems left in the house who can keep watch, after all. Steven will be fine for a few hours. Surely nothing else can happen when he’s asleep, right?

Right??

Exhaustedly slumping against the side wall, Greg offers a glassy, vacant stare at the contacts list of his phone, roughly wiping the damp from his cheeks with his other hand as his thumb hovers over one of the numbers. Does he dare drag someone else into this whole situation? Surely the kinder solution would be to refrain from widening the circle any more, from letting anyone else learn about today’s harrowing events. And yet if he fails to find a proper outlet for the raw emotions all of this has violently hauled to the surface, he fears he just may suffer a mental break himself, repressed memories bursting like a vicious flood through the dam he desperately tried to seal them behind all those years back. Much of this is just... far too familiar.

His phone slips right through his trembling hands as the cruel reality of what he witnessed today finally begins to carve its indelible presence in his mind. A strained sob leaking from between his tightly pursed lips, he buries his head between his knees, clutching at the worn bottom hem of his jean shorts like an infant to a parent’s finger. Small. Vulnerable.

Helpless.

His son... oh stars, his only son, he—

He can’t talk about any of this to the Gems; they wouldn’t wholly grasp the uniquely human nature of his concerns. And he doesn’t feel comfortable discussing these matters with Dr. Maheswaran, especially not after the stern words she dealt to him back at the hospital. He’s burdened her enough already, by this point. No, there’s only one fellow human he feels close enough with to engage in this sort of conversation.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he reaches for the phone he dropped on the mattress. Turns it on. Nervously clamps down on his bottom lip as he selects his cousin’s contact and dials.

The passing heartbeats slamming against his ribs are almost nauseating in their needy clamor as he waits, his calloused fingers tapping against the thick rubber of his phone case. Andy’s never been a particularly tech savvy guy, so honestly, it’s well within reason he might not even carry his phone on his person to answer. And that’d be fine, really. In fact, he might even prefer it, since he’s still not confident he’s emotionally prepared to discuss any of this at this precise moment, anyways. But just as he’s beginning to undergo mental preparations for what on Earth he might leave as a voicemail message, his older family member finally picks up.

“Greg?” Andy’s gravelly voice rings through, sounding somewhat tinny through their connection. “Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? How’s the ol’ Universe family unit doin’?”

“Not great, honestly,” he narrowly manages in response, his throat constricting tight. “That’s kinda why I’m calling, if you have the time to listen?”

“Heh. I’m a drifter, you know I ain’t got no schedule. Carry on.”

“Well... geeze, how do I put this. There was, uh... a bit of an incident today. With Steven.”

“An incident?” his cousin questions, marked worry immediately painting his tone. “The kid okay??”

He falls silent for a few seconds upon this question, threading his hyperactive digits through the split ends in his hair on automatic, a stress-induced habit. “Unclear,” he says, a slight quiver making itself intimately known in his words. “I mean, physically, at the moment, yes, but—“

He cuts off once more. It suddenly occurs to him that little of today’s events would make sense to Andy without providing the appropriate context. Or, at least, what little context he’s capable of giving as a father. It’s still terrifying to admit the truth to himself— that he doesn’t possess the full story. That he hasn’t been paying close enough attention. That, in many ways, he willfully blinded himself to all the troubling events transpiring around his son throughout the years, foolishly believing that if he didn’t involve himself... that if he simply stayed out of the Gems’ hair... everything would go to plan, and Steven would finally receive the training he needed. He didn’t expect things would grow so complicated.

He didn’t expect that his teenage son would have to march into battle carrying nothing but his wits and a shield time and time again.

With a weary sigh and a quick apology, to which Andy brushes off, Greg begins to weave a verbal picture of everything that’s transpired across the last few days. First, the hospital call. Rushing home from tour, only to find his son giant and flushed pink, literally filling an entire room with the sheer volume of his trauma. The shattered x-ray in his chart, hinting towards hidden hurts that— before all this— even Steven seemingly hadn’t processed or quantified. Then, the road trip. The unwanted reminders of his childhood. That blasted CD. His expression sobers as he describes the fateful argument they had on the road home, one which lead to his son accidentally breaking the steering wheel and flipping the van. Next... his disappearance. No texts for four whole days, which is so unlike him. He was worried sick. And the next time he saw him, he was eight feet tall, glowing, and painfully manic in behavior, with each new sentence spilling from his mouth revealing an even more heartbreaking picture of the sort of poor mental state he’d spiraled into. It was nothing short of a father’s worst nightmare, propelled into horrifying, vivid reality.

Nothing in this corner of the galaxy could’ve prepared him for the primal surge of terror and anguish he was engulfed within when that nightmare distorted and transformed even further.

His only son... colossal and coated in thick scales and spines, sclera black as night... roughly clawing at this unfamiliar form, smashing his skull against the cliffside, roaring with an inner pain so primal that the sound now haunts the depths of his very soul—

“I- you remember what happened with cousin Jo, back when we were young?” Greg says softly once he’s caught Andy up with the details of situation, his voice frail and unsteady, the tone of a man helplessly marooned amidst his anxieties. “Before she was sent to that mental rehab place? Well, I’m... with the addition of Gem magic, it almost felt like that. I mean, h-he’s fine for now, we have him resting, but... but I’m just so scared he won’t come out of this, like her, a-a-and that one day he’ll—“

A mewling sob bubbles up in his throat, swiftly severing that train of thought. N-no. No, he refuses to even utter that horrible idea out loud! After all, a world without Steven in it isn’t worth envisioning.

Andy’s eventual response— albeit tinged with a justified shade of awkwardness, given the emotionally charged nature of this conversation— is filled with genuine compassion, and for that he’s dearly thankful.

“Aw, hell... Greg, I’m- I’m so sorry. I, uh- I could fly over, if any of ya’ need me? For emotional support, or whatever?”

Upon this kind offer, he inhales deep to steady his breath, and wipes away dewy beads of moisture from the corner of his eyes, desperately hoping that he can mitigate the pitiful wavering of his voice over the phone. He’s gotta fight to reliably keep some form of composure in front of other people, damnit. His kid can’t have his dad breaking down around him too, of course.

“No, you’ve got places to be,” he replies evenly, pressing his thumb and pointer against one of his aching temples. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You ain’t asking,” he retorts, the eye-roll evident in his tone. “I’m offering. Listen- family takes care of family, y’hear? And I’m only about a day’s flight away, anyways. It’s really the least I could do.”

He sighs. Absentmindedly tugs at a thick strand of his hair. Offers a long, contemplative stare at the rickety age-worn handle affixed to the inside of the van’s back doors. Truth be told— ignoring his deep-seated guilt at dragging Andy into all this to begin with— he’d love having another family member around to embrace, especially a human one who can more deeply understand the crux of his anxieties about this delicate situation. But in the end, he shouldn’t be prioritizing his own feelings and comfort. He’s not the one in crisis, his son is.

Desperately hoping he’s making the right choice, Greg flexes his fingers, and acquiesces to the offer, on one condition: only if Steven consents to having visitors, once he’s awake.

Andy hums in approval. “Understood. Don’t wanna overload the poor guy with any surprise visits, or whatever.”

“Yeah. The last thing I want to do is push him too hard, too fast.”

He pauses, braving waves of parental grief to spend a moment to reflect on Steven’s emotional progression over the past few months... a stray negative comment here, an unusually forlorn mannerism there... All of them events that, in isolation, wouldn’t point to anything more than your standard ‘teenage angst,’ but when observed in strong, unceasing patterns, begin to reveal deeply harrowing truths about the state of an individual’s self-image. How did he never notice? Why wasn’t he there to catch him in his fall?

“I think he hates himself,” he says quietly, his voice hitching up at the end. “He didn’t say so directly, but- but I can sense it. And I don’t know how to help him, I-I... I don’t know if I can.”

“Nonsense,” his cousin scoffs, “‘course ya’ know what to do! What does any good father worth their salt give their sons?”

Unable to evade the momentary temptation of feeling miserable and sorry for himself, he slumps back against the wall, giving a weak shrug that his current audience would never see.

“I dunno, maybe a stable, safe childhood? Not growing up poor as dirt in a van?”

“No, you numbskull,” Andy immediately cuts back, “you love on ‘em and support ‘em just as much as you always have! Y’ show him that you’re always gonna be there for him, and that he can trust you with anything.”

“But I haven’t always been there for him,” he exclaims petulantly. “That’s the whole problem! That’s one of the reasons he ended up like this.”

“Greg,” he says, his voice softer this time. “Listen to me, ain’t nobody perfect, okay? We’ve all made our mistakes with people. Me? More than most. But what we can’t do is let those mistakes cloud what’s happening right now. Y’know, that’s one of the hard lessons I’ve had to learn over the past two years, that you can’t always make things about you. Because right now, it’s about him. He’s dealin’ with some hard feelings, and he needs all of our help. So, let’s help him. Together. We’ll start with one foot in front of us, and we can take it from there. All right?”

Closing his weary, exhausted eyes and pressing his thumb firm against his still-aching temple, Greg Universe gives a long sigh and finally concedes to the reality that— just as he’s not solely responsible for the decline of his son’s mental state— no man should be an island when it comes to the task of supporting one’s journey towards recovery. As with everything, the extended Universe family unit will face the future together, hand-in-hand. Step-by-step.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “Yeah, I think that’s do-able.”

#su #su future #greg universe #andy demayo #su fanfiction #my writing stuff

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dadsbongos · 3 years

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Mommy Issues

Movie/Game/Show: Umbrella Academy Dynamic: Five Hargreeves/Reader (Platonic) Warnings: you’re a mom of two, maybe might be sad? Summary: Five has to pay a visit to the old lady. ~~~

“Come on,” she held out the can of beans, shaking it around slightly when the boy refused, “You have to eat, Five.”

He shook his head, continuing to mark up the book in his hands, “Too busy.”

“You’re never too busy to fucking eat,” (Y/n) huffed, grabbing the book from his hands and replacing it with the can of beans, “It’ll all be here when you’re done.”

Five pursed his lips but decided to not argue with the woman, “You’re lucky you’re the only person left in this hellhole.”

“How so?” (Y/n) crossed her arms, desperately attempting to hide her starvation, “I get to take care of a little boy?”

“I’m not a little boy, first of all. I’m thirteen, technically a teenager.”

The woman snickered, “What’s your second point?”

Humming through his chewing, Five quirked a brow, gesturing for her to continue.

“You said ‘first of all’,” she shrugged, reaching for the bottle of wine settled amongst the rubble of an old library, “Did you have a second point to bring up?”

When the boy didn’t respond, (Y/n) quietly laughed before looking at the book Five was so focused on since he found it. Extra Ordinary by Vanya Hargreeves, her brows furrowed as she picked it up and began flipping through it. Five nearly choked on his beans, “Careful with that.”

“I will be,” she calmly replied, tone softening at the shared surname between the two, “Was she your mom?”

Five shook his head, taking the book back, “Sister.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” (Y/n) forced on a smile, reaching into her tattered pants’ pocket, “If it’s any consolation, I lost some people too.”

Just as he went to retort, a picture of two children was forced into his hand. A boy his age and a much younger girl, and suddenly he regretted every time he mockingly called her mom. Her sad smile was still painted on her lips as realization sunk its claws into Five, “Your kids?”

“Yeah,” she murmured, sitting up straight, “I took all the pictures in the house before packing up.”

“Since we’re learning about each other,” he held out Vanya’s book, “I think you should read this.”

(Y/n) nodded, opening up to the first page, “If you want, for whatever weird reason is in your genius brain, you can keep the picture. I have a lot.”

“Thanks,” he pressed the photo into his blazer pocket, “you can’t keep the book. I want that back when you’re done and don’t write in it.”

“Naturally.”

Silence broke over the pair until (Y/n) spoke again, much quieter than before.

“What?”

“Stop zoning out, creeper,” she ruffled his hair.

“Don’t baby me, (Y/n),” the thirteen-year-old boy snapped, still clutching his mannequin companion to his scrawny body.

In response, the woman rolled her eyes, “I’ll baby you all I want, Five, because in case you haven’t noticed, we’re in a wasteland and I’m the only adult alive.”

“So far,” the boy glared, “There could be some lonely Australian man across the ocean and we have no clue.”

She shook her head, “Well until we find him, I’m still going to baby you - because that’s what you are to me. A little baby in need of mothering.”

Five grumbled under his breath, “You’re more annoying than anything else at this point.”

(Y/n) didn’t verbally reply, only pulling up the scarf acting as the boy’s mask before continuing down the road. She turned when Five didn’t follow, nudging her head down the way, “Come on, I think there's a wagon we could find to carry supplies!”

A wagon there was, but only one. At least at that point. The grown woman huffed while looking around, “Put Dolores in, you’re rolling the thing with you.”

“What?” Five looked up at her, “But you’re the adult, aren’t you?”

“Which means I get to tell you to roll it around.”

The wagon would go to him then. The boy.

“What’re you thinking about?”

Five’s brows furrowed as he walked, lugging the dirtied thing behind him, “What are you talking about now, (Y/n)?”

She simply stared at him, a blank, empty stare, “What are you thinking about?”

Her eyes made him nervous now, they were devoid of any kindness and warmth they usually held when looking at him. Less like a loving mother-figure and more like the mannequin he held close at night. But even Dolores smiled every so often.

“Five!” she suddenly shouted, no longer walking. She rushed over, grabbing his shoulders, “Five!”

There were no hands on his shoulders, just the old, wrinkled one between his own hands. He blinked a few times, shaking his head before looking down to the elderly woman on the floor, “Sorry, what were you saying?”

“As spacey as ever,” (Y/n) chuckled dryly, coughing a few times between the laughter, “I asked what you were thinking about.”

“Oh, nothing much,” he lied easily enough, “Just how much I’ll enjoy you not bossing me around.”

The dying woman shook her head, using what little strength she had to smack his arm, “You’ve been a rude little boy since we met.”

“Well,” he shrugged, letting a soft silence fill the heated air, rubbing his thumb over the weathered bones in this old woman’s hand, “What about you? What are you thinking about?”

“My kids,” she smiled faintly, “I’m excited to see them again.”

Little Joan and Lacy, he’d heard about them countless times. Joan was about his age when the pair first met after the Apocalypse, dark hair and light eyes with freckles spread across his cheeks. Lacy was on the younger scale with little curls sprouting from her head and brown eyes like honey pots with a birthmark right on her forehead. Adorable kids, from what few pictures survived the fall of humanity.

“I wish I could’ve met them,” he grinned down at the faint woman.

(Y/n) nodded weakly, eyes fluttering shut every now and again, “You three would’ve been so cute together. Them trying to make you smile and you just being grumpy; like something out of a sitcom.”

Five’s eyebrows rose at the sentence, “Now I’m not so sure.”

“Stop,” she wheezed, patting at her chest, “You would’ve loved them…” it was quiet for a few more moments, “I’m worried about you too, you know? Being all alone after so long, I don’t want you to go completely crazy.”

“I won’t be alone,” he attempted to reassure, nodding towards their plastic friend, “I have Dolores, don’t I?”

“God, don’t get me started on that…”

“I really will be fine,” he gripped her hand a little tighter, “Don’t be worrying about me, I can handle myself, old lady.”

“One day you’ll be an old man, and then who’ll be laughing? Me, from the afterlife.”

Five wouldn’t admit it, but the thought of (Y/n) still being somewhat around comforted him, “I’ll be counting on it.”

“Better be.”

. . .

Five rubbed at his temples, stopping the Apocalypse built up a headache worse than surviving it. He pushed the doors to Griddy’s open, not having had one of their coffees since his first night into the present. He slid onto a stool at the counter, giving Agnes a nod when she waved at him.

Agnes went into the back and after a few murmurs, he assumed a new waitress would be serving him.

Looking to the right, two familiar faces came into view. His eyes widened, hands fumbling for the photo in his blazer pocket. After (Y/n) died he made a habit of keeping it around; felt wrong to go without it. He looked between the picture to the children.

The doors from the back opened up and a painfully familiar woman stepped through. She smiled at two kids, ruffling the boy’s dark hair and pinching at the girl’s cheek before going over to Five.

(Y/n) shot him a grin, pulling a pad of paper from her uniform, “What can I get you today?”

Five didn’t answer immediately, stare fixated on the living, breathing, not-dead woman in front of him. Unlike in their years together, her skin was less dirt-covered, hands less crusted in ash and soil, hair more well-kept. She seemed healthy, happy. After realizing he was staring for far too long, he cleared his throat, pocketing the photo, “Sorry, I’ll have a coffee. Black.”

“No donuts?” she teased, “I know they’re not top-of-the-line, but I never miss an opportunity to snag a few for my kids,” she pointed her pen in the kids’ direction.

“Well, I suppose I could get…” he looked over the menu before continuing, “a lemon jelly donut.”

(Y/n) wrote down the order, “Funny, that’s my son’s favorite.”

“What a coincidence,” of course, he knew that. He knew it fifty times over.

Nodding, she tore off the paper before walking towards the back, stopping at the two kids. The tiny glances from both child in his direction made it obvious he had been mentioned. Giving Joan and Lacy each a kiss on the forehead, (Y/n) made her way to the back kitchen.

Lacy looked between her older brother and the strange boy before getting down from her stool and skipping over to the brunette. She gave him a broad, pearly smile, “Hi.”

Five smiled slightly, turning in his seat to look at the girl properly, “Hello.”

Joan followed after his sister, smiling apologetically to the boy about his age while taking the girl’s hand, “I’m sorry about her.”

“No, she’s fine,” he waved off the other boy’s sympathies, “She's pretty adorable.”

(Y/n) returned from the back, carefully setting down the steaming coffee followed by Five’s donut, “Hope my kids aren’t bothering you. They like making friends with the customers.”

He shook his head, “Not a problem.”

Joan slid onto the stool beside Five, holding his baby sister in his lap, “Haven’t seen you around here before.”

Five nodded slowly, wrapping both hands around his warm cup, already feeling his headache begin to dissipate, “I used to come here a lot when I was younger.”

#tua #The Umbrella Academy #five hargeeves #five hargreeves x reader platonic #just founds out i'm allergic to my face scrub because nobody wanted to tell me it's not normal for my skin to turn red flaky and hurt #pretty t'd off about it ngl

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saberspirit · 3 years

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jiang cheng character analysis essay under the cut! bc he means a Lot to me (its 5 pages im sorry)

tl;dr my thoughts on his relationship to his parents, his relationship with anger and feelings of inferiority, what zidian represents to him, his siblings (largely about what led to him and wwx falling out), and my thoughts on reconciliation between him and wei wuxian in the end.

tw!!! for child abuse and death, also warning for spoilers for the ending.

alternatively can be read on google docs for accessibility

foreword: by writing this it is not my intention to imply this is the end all be all interpretation, or that i know more than fans of colour (especially chinese/chinese-american fans). i’m looking at his character as a white fan and through a western lens. i understand there are nuances i wont understand, but i have tried and continue to look at him w/ an educated view point and i’m always trying to continue my own self-driven education. i’m as always open to criticism and correction, although i understand it is no ones job to do so. it’s purely an interpretation from someone relating to his themes that i talk about here. thank you for reading!

Jiang Cheng has a very complicated relationship with his parents (understatement), though different from Wei Wuxian’s complicated relationship w/ them (some overlaps being given).

It’s obvious to me that JC identifies more as his mother's son than his father's—feels he has to be because surely that’s why he feels neglected and like he’s constantly being found wanting by his father (even if Fengmian does Not mean to come across that way and isn’t a cruel man). He identifies with his mother’s anger and feeling of not being what his father truly wanted or loved and I don’t think he realized the effect she had on him with her constant comparison game—trying to measure him up because Madam Yu used him as a playing piece in her constant warring with Fengmian and instilled a sense of otherness in him and his deep-rooted feelings of inferiority and not being Good enough, not being enough in general. And yet he still deeply loves them even through all that he’s been through because of them both.

He never grew up learning how love should be in a relationship; should be from a parent to a child. The love he learned is a different type of conditional love from WWX's (WWX being that he doesn’t trust it in the first place, knowing it will leave). JC receives love and praise but knows it comes from a silent arrangement: it’s transactional. He upholds what his parents want and he gets…a form of it. Jiang Fengmian loved him in a way that you just kind of do love family, perhaps without a real reason otherwise—not pretty, but it is as it is. Madam Yu loved him in a way one loves a possession: she saw too much of Jiang Fengmian in him and JC was a reminder of how unhappy she was and how much her husband didn’t seem to care about her or what she gave him. (This isn’t to downplay Yanli's role in JC’s life: I think she was truly the only one to show him unconditional love in a way that he understood and recognized but it's unfortunately different from siblings and fell on half-deaf ears when all JC really wanted was his father’s approval).

Madam Yu was (afaik) stated to not be physically abusive (aside from the whipping when the Wens came from Wei Wuxian), but she was one-hundred percent verbally and emotionally abusive (for example, punishing WWX w/ isolation from the family w/ seclusion, or in general just how she talked to JC and WWX). She broke those two boys and it's something that can’t be undone…and Zidian represents that trauma, abuse, and expectation and JC’s anger and resentment that was the product of it. It’s literally lightning in a whip form; able to bind without harm, but it’s primarily used to hurt; it can reveal a true form; control over it is only relinquished to one’s family and loved ones.

JC doesn’t just lash out verbally at Wei Wuxian when they meet in his second life, he literally does. It’s his anger under his skin like static, driving him forward and being unable to rest because he’s constantly looking for closure he can’t have. He resents how his parents and Wei Wuxian made him feel but it’s also the only thing he has of them, and he clings to that (and therefore Zidian). It’s the last thing, bar Lotus Pier, that he has of his family anymore, and he wields it like a weapon…because ultimately it’s the only thing he's known for a very long time. Anger is an easy emotion. He wears it well. It was an emotion he learned from his mother, and he is his mother’s son.

As a side note for Zidian: Jin Ling refusing to take it from JC in the Burial Mounds to me was very much about not wanting a goodbye. He's a stubborn kid—JC mirrored what his mother did to him in handing off Zidian before certain death, and I think Jin Ling realized "take care of Zidian" meant "because I can’t anymore". JC wanted Jin Ling to stay safe and keep a hold on their family's legacy, but Jin Ling refused it and stepped forward to protect JC—JL is tired of goodbyes and afraid of losing more people, but also that stubborn streak to protect his family back. He went into the fray himself even if it’s not what JC was asking him to do (but then to JC’s chagrin the kid never really does do what he asks usually, Jin Ling has a good head on his shoulders and he’s as stubborn and quick to anger as his jiujiu but he’s also as incredibly loyal and caring). And I think it's a good vehicle to show that JL is breaking that cycle for them both.

Back to Jiang Cheng and anger and his siblings though. Yanli is all about showing affection in her words and actions (ie. meal sharing, peeling the lotus seeds, etc). WWX struggles to show it in forthright actions, let alone verbalize it (he’s truly bad at it) so while WWX does love his brother and shows it in actions like giving him his golden core…it’s not something JC picks up on well, or at all because he doesn’t even get told about the core until the Guanyin Temple. Jiang Cheng is someone who needs verbalized confirmation and very obvious action. But then to be fair, JC is also not good at verbalizing his love and care (he and Wei Wuxian are two peas in a pod w/ this one). It’s often behind barbed wire because 1) that’s how it was shown to him and 2) because it’s safer and easier to hide behind anger. He really does use it as a shield to protect his real feelings because he’s used to his feelings being trivial and being thrown in his face, and is used to loss. It’s a buffer.

This leads to a problem: Wei Wuxian does love him unconditionally, but I don’t think JC knows that. When he’s faced with the golden core surgery after everything, it’s definitely obvious, but it’s so twisted up in being hidden from him, in his own fears and feelings of failure and reliance that it’s soured. And he struggles to reach out and be frank with his own worries.

And this leads and lends to the severity of their falling out (not the only cause, but a big player in it).

He deeply loves his brother, but it's also entrenched in his bitterness and fears. If it was initially hard for him to verbalize because of those issues (on top of being a teenager/young adult and his feelings of inferiority irt WWX), he’s now in the current day steeped in sixteen years of loss/grief/trauma. Of unresolved tension between the two of them because WWX never told anyone anything—even if that’s just how he is, nothing personal towards JC except maybe that it’s his little brother, his shidi, and he doesn’t want to put a burden on those he loves—and JC tried time and time again to believe him and in him.

The problem was that his trust got thrown in his face time and time again. His older ‘peers’ (clan leaders) mocked and insulted him to his face for his naivety, pointed out that what WWX was doing was an insult to JC and their family, that WWX’s actions disrespected him and that he should do something about it. WWX’s actions themselves alongside him never letting JC in on anything further isolated them and put walls between them. This sewed the seed of the idea for JC that maybe he was naive. That WWX couldn’t uphold his duty and promises to JC and their family while also upkeeping his own personal code of ethics. (Not that it helped that Jiang Cheng also started lashing out at Wei Wuxian in minor ways for not having Suibian, but he didn’t exactly know why, to his credit).

His trust was him trying to care for WWX through all they’ve lost, but he’s also under the immense pressure of leading and rebuilding his home while also being looked down upon for his inexperience and ties to the man the cultivation world loathes.

Jiang Cheng believed WWX when he said he'd help him, wanted him to and expected him to. That’s his big brother and ultimately family comes first, so it was out of the question that WXX wouldn’t uphold that duty to him. Jiang Cheng is barely an adult as Sect Leader and was still a teen when they lost everything, so of course he wanted to rely on and believe Wei Wuxian when he said he'd help. JC doesn’t usually rely on others—I’d wager he hates relying on WWX especially as a callback to the inferiority complex—but he lets WWX in when they have the “Twin Prides” talk, lets him in when he promises JC to help him rebuild their home…and then WWX lets him down several times.

Post Burial Mounds there are signs that JC notices, if not consciously then subconsciously, that something is off with his brother (the demonic cultivation, the flute, the lack of Suibian, his weakness when pushed, etc), little things that he noted but didn’t have the time during a War to think too deeply on. He’s more relieved to just have him back where he can see him, happy that his brother can help them. Jiang Cheng gives him his vote of confidence in his abilities, in him, because he never thought of WWX or his methods badly (having been a fan until it became a symbol of losing Wei Wuxian to Something Else). Even if he had thought something of it, did have a concern, they don’t easily talk to each other now.

That much is obvious when after various meetings post the Sunshot Campaign as WWX is struggling with his temperament and resentful energy, after WWX saves the Wen remnants from the Jin Clan, and Jiang Cheng shows up at the Burial Mounds. He still believes in Wei Wuxian, still is bound to help him, and wants to help him. He’s willing to sacrifice the Wens for his brother. His actions and words are not pretty, but by god is he desperate. Jiang Cheng wants to save him and hides it with harsh words because once again he’s not good at being forthright with his feelings. He’s at his wits’ end, he’s barely 20, and suddenly he's losing Wei Wuxian too. It’s not about them being Wens because at this point he’s aware they’re helpless—it’s because it’s WWX and he’s supposed to make the right decision and be competent. It’s freshly post-war and he’s scared: his big brother is leaving and he feels powerless and he Hates that. Once again feels like he’s not good enough. Not good enough to save WWX, not good enough to lead, and he’s under intense scrutiny. He tells WWX as much that at this point he can’t help, and it hurts him to not be able to. Jiang Cheng wants Wei Wuxian to help him, help him. It’s an admittance wrapped in hurt and hurtful words, and WWX throws it in his face because he can’t let him in.

It’s not meant in any malicious way. Wei Wuxian is also traumatized, scared and hurting and dealing with the changes demonic cultivation is causing within him. But this is a key moment when JC for once verbalizes his fears and WWX tells him, ‘good, you don’t need to worry, I don’t have anything to do with you from now on’. (And of course, WWX is doing this to protect JC, but this response is what JC is afraid of).

So we have two times that JC has tried really hard in his own ways to let WWX in. To rely on him and be honest with him and WWX ends up…breaking his promises and leaving him and their family behind. And to me, that explains his actions when the last time they speak before he dies (that we’re shown anyways). WWX is sitting down with Jiang Cheng and Yanli. JC is the one that set up them being able to meet him, the one that reached out even after they fought to make his defecting from the Sect look convincing. He was the one that told Yanli that WWX should be the one to give a courtesy name to her child.

And then WWX brings Wen Ning. Yanli is open to Wen Ning sitting in and enjoying their family tradition, but JC can't understand why. Why WWX chose these people over his own family. He resents it. When he says "you might not be able to come back, to your family" I can imagine how much it destroys him to hear WWX say "but the people I’m returning to are also my family". Because what does that make them, WWX’s siblings; what does that make the promises and the years spent raised together, the duty he had to them first. Wei Wuxian might return to the Burial Mounds, but Jiang Cheng has to return to an empty Lotus Pier. The ghosts of his parents and ghosts of memories of his siblings he’s never getting back (because Yanli will be in Jinlin Tai after her upcoming wedding).

Repeatedly over and over Jiang Cheng reaches out, but time and time again it’s like WWX is telling him he’s not enough: not enough for WWX to rely on, not enough to protect him, not enough for him to want to return to, not enough to be family.

Then the cultivation world comes for WWX and his amulet. Yanli is killed, as far as JC can tell, because of the mess WWX made, and once again he’s in the dark about everything. Then WWX dies and rumours swirl that JC killed him, and maybe he did, maybe he is his brother’s killer even if Wei Wuxian would call it a misunderstanding. He’s left alone with an orphaned nephew in Lotus Pier with his entire family, bar an infant, dead.

So Jiang Cheng spends the next sixteen years without answers, with WWX having reinforced his insecurities and fears that stemmed from the abuse he'd suffered during childhood and then died. Yanli died when she never should’ve been in danger in the first place, seemingly because of Wei Wuxian. And he's so angry. He lashes out at memories and reminders, lashes out at anyone who chooses that same path that WWX chose over his family.

By the time Wei Wuxian’s come back from the dead and JC knows it’s him, WWX is still deflecting, still hiding still not telling him the truth. The fact that WWX comes back at all hurts purely as a fresh opening of the old wound, but the fact that he doesn’t come to find JC, that once again JC and his family isn’t a priority and once again is second best (this time to Lan Wangji)?

He doesn’t kill his brother. JC sits him down in a room and tries to talk but old hurts rile up and he reaches for anger again. WWX isn’t forthright and it makes it worse, neither of them are good at communicating: too many things unsaid, that can’t be said, too many misunderstandings and neither of them knowing how to talk about it. JC has Fairy there and it’s a minor act of revenge. JC uses what he knows is WWX’s weakness to intimidate and immobilize him, but it doesn’t help either of them actually talk.

Reconciliation is going to require WWX being able to talk to him without deflecting and JC getting angry so easily. But by this point, he’s given WWX a lot of chances and it’s why I think they could and would easily post-canon. Jiang Cheng's starting to come to an understanding that WWX did and still does care about him. He didn’t give him his golden core for no reason, and JC starts to understand why WWX did it for him and that he knew JC well enough to hide it in the first place.

He started to reach that conclusion shortly after Wen Ning told him—oh the pain of it having been WWX's chosen little brother figure—and Jiang Cheng had gone around asking people to unsheathe Suibian. It's why he brought Chenqing to the temple in the first place.

I think it speaks to his maturity that he decided at that moment he couldn’t say what he wanted to tell WWX in the end. I think he knew neither of them was ready, but I also think it speaks of how much he misses and trusts WWX to have let him go for now…I think he knows they will meet again as long as they both live, and that they'll be better for having waited. After some time to think, digest, they’ll be ready to be family again and all that entails.

#he really lives in my head rent free and i just. well. i think hes a really good example of the ''uglier'' side of the feelings of--#-- victims of abuse and how we deal -or sometimes cant- with it in our lives afterwards and how they affect relationships #BUT the important thing is that hes healing :)#jiang cheng #for my own tagging purposes #caleb meta hours #caleb.txt #i may come back to edit this tbh its 1am and i spent 3 hours editing it

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sweet-sammy-kisses · 3 years

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Stars In Your Eyes Chapter 1

For the @jaytimweek Day 1: Space Pairing: JayTim Rating: Mature Notes: I had hoped to have this done completely but health and my muse wanting to make it longer derailed those plans but I love JayTim in space to much to quit. Warnings: One scene of suicide and talk of victim blaming. Summary: Tim along with his friends take to the stars for a "short" break and mission only to decide to stay. When the Outlaws begin looking for them it becomes a chase among the stars as Jason and Tim take on an interesting and unique way of flirting. You can also read it on AO3

After a fallout between him, Dick, Bruce and the others Tim had set out to prove that he could fly on his own only there were those who wouldn't let him, his true family vowed to be with him every step he took.

Staring out the window there were days that Tim could hardly believe that this was his life now. To see the stars and planets up close. To see nebulas colours twisting and twirling around one another creating sights to behold.

"These are the voyages of Young Justice, seeking out those who would harm the innocent and basically just be jerks. To kick some ass and save the day while looking awesome as we do it."

A long-drawn-out sigh escaped Tim as he heard Bart start to narrate their day again, "I should have never let you watch Star Trek." Tim muttered into his hand.

Conner let out a laugh at Tim's comment, "Dude, you made us sit through and watch Star Trek and Star Wars so we could see how epic they were and get our opinions on which franchise is better." Tim's so-called best friend reminded him.

And okay Conner was right about that once Tim learned that neither Bart nor Conner had seen either Star Wars or Star Trek he had made it his mission to change that and now he was regretting it so much.

Tim had hoped when he found Bruce that things would change, that Dick would take apologize for his actions, would want him back as his little brother. Would stand beside him and speak to the Justice League that he was wrong as were they for turning their backs on a teenager who had lost everyone he loved.

But none of that happened.

Tim knew that Dick had a lot on his plate, stepping up to be Batman as well as raise the demon brat but he thought that Dick had missed him as much as he had missed his big brother but he had hardly spoken to him.

That added salt to the open wounds Tim was still carrying. So when a Raven suggested that Tim take a much-needed break one that would do Kon and Bart good as well, coming back from the dead could mess a person up and it was best that they take some time to heal.

Plus no one was brave enough to say no to Raven, if she wanted you to take a break you would even if that break ended up being in a demon demission.

Bart still had his hidden space ship and Tim had seen how much Jason enjoyed being out here and it had truly helped him to control his pit madness.

It was supposed to be a two-week trip then they ended up helping stop kidnapping and then they saved a planet from being enslaved and then something else came up and now they had been in space for six months and none of them were in a hurry to head home.

Somehow they had managed to become Space Vigilantes.

And as Tim glanced around looking at Bart, Conner, Cassie, Cass and Helena looking at home on the ship and then done to Dex-Starr that was purring away on his lap Tim realized that it had been years since he felt this at peace.

Jason had always thought that he was going to remain the black sheep of the Wayne family he never thought that his perfect replacement would tell Bruce and Dick to go screw themselves, give up his claim to the Wayne name and take off with his best friends into parts unknown.

Of course, that didn't mean that just because Tim was done with them it didn't mean they were done with Tim of course it had taken three months Tim returning to take Cass and Helena with him before it sunk in their "family" thick heads that Tim was serious he wasn't coming back. So when Oracle failed in hiding them they turned to their last resort.

A loud laugh escaped Jason as he stared at the face of his so-called brother, "You want me to help you find the kid that you tossed aside for the demon child who tried to kill him more than I did? Who from the moment he arrived used Timmy as his verbal, emotional and physical punching bag and to this day still does. You have got to be kidding me Dickface. Tim did the smart thing and the healthy thing to get away from that toxic and I ain't dragging the kid back to it."

Jason couldn't understand Dick when it had been him riding the pit madness and Talia's poisons whispers in his ear trying to kill Tim Dick had been protective and willing to go one on one with Jason but when it was Damian he was basically victim-shaming Tim into not being okay with Damian's treatment of him.

A sigh escaped a tired-looking Dick and Jason would have felt sorry for him if this wasn't of his own making. And if he hadn't seen the damage Damian's treatment and Dick, Bruce and even Alfred's lack of setting boundaries first hand.

Jason had been searching for Tim for a while. He wanted to make amends with the younger man. He had heard about the fallout between Replacement and the rest of the Bats but the last thing he expected was to see Tim standing on top of Wayne Enterprise's arms spread out wide as he took a step off of the ledge and let himself fall.

Jason could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he forced himself to go faster, he couldn't be late he had to catch Tim. Too much blood had been spilt and he wouldn't let another Robin die.

Once he had Tim in his arms did Jason remember how to breathe. Landing on the nearby roof Jason ripped off his helmet, "What the hell was that replacement?"

Haunted blue eyes looked up at him, "Why did you save me, Jason?"

At that moment Jason felt like he was back in his coffin.

The look in Tim's eyes and the lack of emotions still haunted Jason to this day and he might not be able to do much but he can keep Tim safe.

"Look Jason, I get that things haven't been easy for Tim but it is time that he got past his tantrum and returned home." Dick couldn't understand why Tim was acting like this and to make matter worse Raven and Gar were refusing to talk to him about Tim and about allowing Damian onto the team.

Frustrated that they were just going around in circles Jason ran a hand through his hair, "Look Dickie I know firsthand what training with the league was right and I know the demon brat had it rough but until you set boundaries for him, ones that include not trying to kill his brother, or using him as an emotional and physical punching bag I ain't helping you find Timbit."

Dick fell to his automatic defence, "Damian has changed and Tim is older." He winced at the look not only Jason gave him but also Roy and Kory. "Look I know Damian can be a little much but he has changed so much."

"No one is denying that you haven't worked wonders with the brat but you are still blind to how he treats Tim and that isn't healthy." Jason countered.

"Also have you gotten around to fixing Tim's standing in the hero community or is he still called the insane Robin?" Roy spoke up he had experienced firsthand what it was like to be the black sheep of the hero community, to hear the whispers and judgemental eyes watching your every move waiting for you to screw up and he refused to let Tim go through that as well.

The wince that crossed Dick's face was answer enough.

A soft sigh escaped Kory as she looked at her one-time love, "Dick, there is no denying that you had much to handle when we thought Bruce was lost from wearing the cowl to raising an abused boy that you let Tim slip through the cracks. Tim had lost so many in his life in a short time that losing Robin, his place in the community and his big brother all at once has left deep scars that have yet to heal."

Jason and Roy saw the effect that Kory's words had on Dick as he looked ashamed, "He had me." Dick whispered.

"Did he?" Jason demanded. "Because I remember he had a big brother that told him a neglected and abused teen that he needed to take the kill attempts, the verbal and emotional abuse from Damian because he was older. Because Damian's horrible upbringing somehow made Tim invalid. That he as the victim should just take it because how dare he wants to feel safe in a place he once thought of as home with the people he thought of as family. Only to be tossed aside and ignored as he was repeatedly attacked. Until you can look me in the eye and tell me that you have talked to Damian and the rest of the heroes I won't be helping you find Tim." With that, Jason cut the communication with Dick.

Letting out a sigh Jason relaxed back into his chair.

"So what are we doing?" Roy asked.

They had heard rumours of a bunch of teens, teens that happened to match the description of a certain team of young heroes who had taken off for a mission only once it was completed they sent back a message that they were staying in space helping out others and they weren't that far away.

Opening his eyes Jason's lips curved up into a smile as he purred out, "We have a bird and his flock to hunt."

#jaytimweek #jaytimweek2021 #jaytim #otp: be my robin #sherri writes #my fics

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imaginesmai · 4 years

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Peter Parker - Fluff Alphabet

This was requested by so, so many people I lost count. After the last Tom Holland Fluff alphabet, you all wanted one about Peter, so here it is! I hope you like it, it’s been quite hard to do.

Affection (PDA, how they are in private…)

Peter isn’t too shy, neither a fan of PDA. At the beginning, he’s hesitant in what boundaries you have and what do you feel comfortable with, so he would let you start any kind of physical contact like taking hands or hugging in public.

He loves brushing his fingers against yours, not really touching but playing this game of who will give up first and take the others hand. If you’re on a date or just walking around, sometimes he just grabs it to pull you closer to him or farther from the driveway, and keeps them that way. He isn’t a huge fan of wrapping his arm around your shoulders, mainly because he isn’t that tall and it’s uncomfortable. Your waist feels too possessive to him, so he is happy with taking your hand.

In private, Peter has conflicted feelings. While in public he always enjoys having you around, because it gives him a sense of comfort, sometimes in private he needs his own space. Maybe that day you’re wearing too much perfume, or your sweater is too itchy on the outside. His senses dial up to eleven some days, and you know to give him his space.

You sit each other on one side of the bed, Peter with his earphones and his eyes closed. You entertain yourself with homework or some show until Peter feels better, trying to do as little noise as you can. Then, when he feels good enough, he’ll crawl closer until laying his head on your lap and burying his face on your stomach, hugging you close. You’ll run your fingers through his hair and, usually, he falls asleep for a while.

Baby (do they want a family?)

On the contrary of popular belief, Peter is mostly against having a family. He knows being Spiderman is hard, and from the relationship he had created with Tony knows that Pepper is constantly in danger.

The part that he hates the most about himself is the one he loves too; being Spiderman. If by any chance it puts you in danger, he will beat himself at night because of it, and will even try to break up with you for your own good.

So, when kids are on the table, he thinks he has his answer pretty clear. He loves you more than anything though, and if you ever bring up the conversation, he would present his hesitation about children as just an opinion, not something definitive. Peter is all about getting settled with you, and he’s not sure if once he has his life sorted out things won’t look different, so as a definitive answer, Peter isn’t sure about kids.

But family is not only about kids, right? Peter Parker likes to imagine himself with you for the long run, in a small but cozy apartment with maybe a cat and a big window to watch sunset together. When he talks about it with you, his eyes light up and his hands move around to motion his excitement.

He guesses he would like any kind of family, as long as you’re with him.

Cuddles (how and when)

Peter is really shy at the beginning, because he’s not sure you want to cuddle as much as he does. He’s kind of touch starved, and not by any means is May’s fault. She hugs him as much as he can – but she works a lot and for a long time, so sometimes he gets lonely and needs physical contact.

You notice how much he loves cuddles when he’s hugging you and rubs his nose in the crook of your neck, wrapping his arms around you for a long time. Or when he doesn’t hesitate to tangle around you when you’re standing close. Then, one day you’re making homework together and he’s so sleepy that he can barely hold his own head up. You’re both sitting on your bed, your back to the wall and him in front of you. When you notice his eyes dropping, you propose laying for a bit. And Peter doesn’t have self-control when he’s tired, so he just lays his head on your chest and snuggle you.

Since then, cuddles is a must do. Lazy make out sessions are his favourite part of you, when you’re just laying on him, lips locked together, and his arms around your waist. His favourite position is when he’s tired from patrolling or life in general and he lays on top with you, face hidden on your neck and one of his legs trapping yours.

Dates (what are dates with him like?)

Dates with Peter aren’t ‘couple dates’, as much as you try. He wants to make it romantic for you, to take you to fancy restaurants or strolls around the parks. But for such a smart boy, he’s sure clueless when it comes to date planning. It’s up to you to plan some cute, romantic dates, because the one he chooses are the chaotic.

One time, he took you to Central Park to eat ice cream, watch people fall with their skateboards and feed the ducks. He chose his cleanest white shirt and some trousers, wanting to impress you but also be comfortable. It went well, for the most part – until one of the ducks got too sassy with him and he decided to chase him away, which only got another ten ducks chasing him around the park. His shirt got ripped from one sleeve and one of the ducks actually rammed its beak on his forehead, which ended in you sitting with him in the hospital waiting room as May laughed from afar.

That’s why he lets you do all the planning, and won’t complain with anything. He loves to try new things – like couple workshop or a new sport. As long as you’re together and there aren’t any ducks around, he’s happy.

Entertainment (how do you spend your free time)

Memes.

There is no other way to describe how you spend your free time, because that’s the only thing you do. Besides doing what any teenager does – homework, endless time of phone and hanging around with his friends – Peter and you spend a lot of time watching shows and films that are interesting for, as Tony would have said, the pop culture.

Peter likes to listen to music while playing board games, and that turned out to be a game of your own. You put a random track on your phone and, just saying the decade of the song and letting him hear the first seconds, he has to guess. You’ll try to beat each other records all the time.

You’re used to doing your homework together. Actually, you have a schedule for it. After leaving high-school, you go to one of your apartments to do your homework or just make out in bed lazily while forgetting about last day assignments. If you’re hooked up to some show, you’ll see a few chapters and then, he’ll walk you home or walk around your apartment for a while, to clear your heads.

It’s not hard to entertain yourselves because Peter is always trying his best to make you happy.

Feelings (when did they know they loved you?) + Love (who says it first, how many times) + Romantic (little details or non-verbal ways of saying I love you)

Peter being Peter, he probably knew from the first moment he met you. He’s a boy who feels too much and too quickly, so he was sure he was in love with him as soon as the first word left your mouth. That didn’t mean he said it out loud, but he could always show you.

It started by simple things, like he waiting for you at the end of the day to walk you to your house, then walking back to his. His apartment was on the other side of Queens, but still he refused to let you walk alone and not hear of how your day had been. On your way, he makes sure you walk on the farther spot from the driveway and lets you talk about whatever you want to.

Peter is not the type of boyfriend who gets mad easily, but as everyone else, there are sometimes where misunderstanding happens and you argue. His only real rule about your relationship is that he won’t go to sleep until you’ve solved everything, even if it means walking to your apartment when you argue at night. He doesn’t have any problems apologising, so usually your arguments aren’t long.

Another little thing he does is to give you flowers every now and then. May raised no granted-idiot, so he’s always making sure you feel appreciated. Once in a month, on Ben’s anniversary, he’ll pick a rose from the flower shop and give it to you or leave it in your locket, with a cute note or just a heart.

So, when did Peter know he loved you? He hasn’t always been good with admitting things, but from the moment he looked into your eyes, he knew he had fallen for you.

Gentle (kind or rough)

So this is about to get a bit sexual, just a fair warning.

Peter Parker is the definition of kind and gentle, always making sure he’s holding back with you and treating you as if you were made of gold. He wouldn’t, by any means, try anything rough with you in bed, because he isn’t sure how good he can measure himself in bed.

But

He might not want to try it with you, but with him it’s a different story. It’s hard for him to say it out loud at first, because he has always heard that men are supposed to be the dominant ones and take control in bed. Besides, he’s a superhero; so he thought it would just be wrong to be a sub, because that’s what society tells him.

You learn it one day when you’re making out in the couch and, by pure chance, you grab the back of his hair – which you had been talking about before that was a bit too long – and pull it so that he get his face out of your neck and you can meet his lips again. The sound that leaves Peter’s lips shouldn’t be qualified as human, more like divine.

Since then, Peter is more open about it with you. He likes when you’re kind of rough with him, like straddling his hips and pinning his hands, or grabbing his hair when he’s eating you out. He feels like it’s from having so many responsibilities all the time; Spiderman, the avengers, the patrolling and living with just his aunt. That, sometimes, it’s fine to let someone carry the weight of the things.

But truth is Peter Parker is totally a sub. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

Holidays (favourite place)

Peter doesn’t have much money to go on expensive holidays, but he’s a simple guy when it comes to destinations. To him, wherever you can be together is fine; but if he can choose, he’s a montain type of person.

A cabin in the woods, a walk hearing the animals, or just laying in the middle of nowhere looking at the stars. The beach is great, but most of the times it means overcrowding and too much heat. Peter doesn’t do well with neither of those things, because he overwhelms easily and doesn’t like too much the heat. The mountain holidays are quiet and not too hot, and with the possibility of using a river or a pond.

That’s where his favourite part is. Your first holidays together were to a snowed mountain, where you spent a whole week. You skied together, made some snowmen, and drank hot chocolate. One day, you decided to explore on your own and discovered some thermal waters in a private property. After looking around for a bit, you discovered the place was empty and – for the first time in his life, he swears – you jumped over the fence and decided to try the thermal waters.

Since you were in the snow, you didn’t have any swimsuit with you, and when Peter realized he was ready to walk back to the hotel; but then, he looked behind him and saw you strapping off your bra, and he flew out of his clothes. You stayed there until your fingers wrinkled, your back against his chest and his arms around you. The memory was so good that he always forgot the part when the owner of the place appeared and you had to grab your clothes and run naked through the snow.

From that moment, Peter likes to make sure that wherever you’re going has close some safe river or pond to spend a few good hours relaxing there.

Impression (first impression)

Short imagine ahead!

Peter shifted, once more, in his seat. The coffee shop he had chosen to finish his essay was the less crowded in queens, and he knew well enough because it was the sixth coffee shop he tried that afternoon. The place, decorated as if you were in the fifties, wasn’t too big, just ten desks around the counter, which was in the middle of the room. When he had entered, he had thought the best place to concentrate was the corner of the coffee shop, just besides the window and behind the wall, so that no one would disturb him.

He had been working just fine, happy with his decision and with the result of his work; until, of course, he had finally looked away from the 10 pages essay to the lower bar on the screen, and discovered that he could barely see the white bar of the battery. He had blinked, trying to see where it had gone, and when he looked at the clock, he kind of understood.

For more than two hours, he had been camping there, with his creamed coffee and two brownie cookies. As much as he had carefully picked up the place, he hadn’t picked up a seat with a socket. That left him with short two minutes to find one before the computer shut down completely.

Panic rose to his throat when he discovered the coffee shop wasn’t empty anymore, but quite full. Peter emitted a small whine and gripped the end of his plug harder, trying to find a solution to his problem.

So, when he saw one, he didn’t stop to think; just grabbed his bag and ran towards the desk by the other window, where a socket peeked out. He almost crashed against a waitress and stumbled over a desk, and when he finally reached his destination, he was sure everyone was staring at him.

Peter all but threw himself to the ground, only being careful of leaving the computer on a steady surface before crawling under the desk and plugging in. He gave it a few tries until it finally clicked, and he heard the comforting noise of his computer charging.

“Uh, that was close”

The voice above him emitted a small chuckle that reminded Peter that he had sprinted across the coffee shop and that was sprawled in the floor, under a table which was occupied. He wondered if staying there forever, or until the stranger left, would only add to his embarrassment. Peter could already feel his cheeks heating up and a lump on his throat that mean stuttering. Gathering every inch of confidence Peter Parker ever held, he got on his knees and crawled back.

“Yeah, I was doing my last Spanish assignment, and I would have lost the whole thing if the computer shut down” Peter explained as he finally got on his knees. “Sorry for –“

The confidence left as a pile of dust in the wind when he finally saw who was sitting on the desk and where his computer had landed. You were already looking up at him with a small, shy smile, while holding his computer hands and trying not to let it touch your lap, which was covered in whatever was in the now turned over cup on the desk.

“I hope you get a good grade” you said when Peter maintained quiet.

Normally, Peter didn’t do good when a girl was in front of him, unless that girl was MJ or May. Even worse if that girl was cute and had a beautiful smile, that was making Peter’s stomach jump in circles and to his throat. If you add that to having thrown her cup on her lap, and having crawled under her table like a possessed demon, it meant that Peter was no longer a working human being but a ball of anxiety and awkwardness.

“I’m so sorry” Peter rushed suddenly, reaching for the box of napkins on the desk. “I’m so – damn, I didn’t look where I was throwing the computer. I thought – I thought there wasn’t, you know, anything there. This is –“

You barely had time to prop up the computer before Peter was shoving the napkins on your lap, bending down between apologies, and pressing them against the wet patch on your lap. It was hard to interrupt him when he looked at the verge of tears, so you decided to save him from a little embarrassment and said nothing as you held up his computer and he attempted to dry your pants.

Eventually, he decided to follow the wet path with the back lack of pressing his open palm to your right breast. You swore he almost stopped breathing, just looking at you with the most panicked eyes you had ever seen. Instead of throwing him off or screaming at him for being a perv, you just chuckled again.

“I’m Y/N”

Jealous (protective or overprotective)

Peter being Spiderman is protective of you, of course. He’s always worried about something happening because he hasn’t been careful enough into keeping his identity hidden. He makes sure to separate as much as he can his alter ego and you, not wanting you to be involved with anything he has to deal with.

But that’s not the kind of protectiveness we’re talking about.

On the contrary of what people think, Peter Parker is a bit jealous. He tries not to let it show, but he’s like an opening book. If someone gets too close to you, and he sees that they’re just a bit too nice, the pout appears on his mouth. He stares from afar with his arms crossed and furrowing his eyebrows, not doing anything. But no matter how many times he promises himself that you know how to handle things and that you love him; eventually, he just gravitates.

He appears by your side eventually, as if he was a magnet. He doesn’t touch you or say anything, just stands by you looking miserable. If anything, the only thing he manages to you is to grab the end of you tee or the hem of your trousers, listening to the stranger talk.

If they get too aggressive or it’s obvious that you’re not comfortable, he doesn’t have any problem is stepping in and walk away with you, giving glares to who he left behind. If not, Peter will just stay glued to you until they left. And then clingy Peter is awaiting with a whole lot of cuddles and kisses.

Kisses

Like, lot of cute kisses in the nose and small pecks when you’re together just SO CUTE CAN YOU IMAGINE

Love (who says it first, how many times)

Look into Feelings

Memory (favourite memory together)

Peter groaned deeply as the annoying sound of the alarm filled the peaceful silence of the morning. He had been awake for a while, just laying with his eyes closed and enjoying the only time of the day his senses were asleep. That was why, when he reached for the alarm clock, his finger didn’t made contact with the hard surface, but with soft skin.

He opened his eyes, startled for a moment, to be met with your scrunching face. You said something in your sleep and battled his hand away, turning your head towards him and relaxing your face again.

Memories of last night, when you had stayed over for the first time ever and he had, finally, taken the step, took over him. He made sure it hadn’t been all a dream by lifting the covers and looking at his naked body. A smug smile broke into his face and he had to press his hand against his mouth not to giggle out loud.

After almost a year of dating, he had gathered the courage to ask you to spend the night with him. May was out of town and you had been studying until late; with the excuse of being Friday, he had asked you to stay. And one thing had led to another, and now he was waking up with you by his side.

It felt as if his heart was finally mending itself, all the hurt he had received through the years disappearing, making room for the utter and pure love he felt for your sleeping form beside him.

“Stop staring” you muttered, and opened one eye. “It’s creepy”

“Oh” Peter felt his cheeks reddening. “Oh, I didn’t – I’m sorry, uh, I just… I’m sorry, I –“

“I was joking” you chuckled, and turned on your side so you were facing him. You smiled lazily, and he hesitantly returned it. “Mh”

“W-what?”

His insecurities rose up when you just stared at him, not saying anything. Even if you had assured him last night multiple times you wanted it too, he had a hard time believing it was really happening to him; so he was ready for rejection.

“Didn’t think someone could be so handsome in the morning” you said, already drifting off sleep again. You missed how Peter chocked on air and his eyes widened until they almost fell out of its pockets. But you weren’t finished. “Didn’ think I could love someone as much as I l’uv you”

You words were slurred and not even a second later you were asleep again, the morning sun that was seeping through the window not bothering you. Peter actually had to remind himself to breath. All the guilt he had felt for forgetting to turn off the daily alarm last night dissolved when he thought what he got in return. Without thinking much, he bent down and pressed his lips against your forehead.

Peter laid back and closed his eyes too, pulling you close with a smile on his face that wouldn’t go away soon.

NO (something they won’t do in your relationship)

There are the typical things we all know Peter Parker wouldn’t do in a relationship, because he’s a gentleman and a sweetheart. Wouldn’t do anything he thought you wouldn’t like, wouldn’t force you into doing anything he likes, or wouldn’t ever make you stay with him if you were uncomfortable with his identity.

But if there’s something he refuse to do, is to go to your apartment after Spiderman. Even though you understand you’re not equipped to take care of him if he’s hurt, as much as Tony is, there are times when patrol goes smoothly and still he doesn’t end in your apartment.

You face him a few times and the answer is always the same; that he left his backpack on alley that was too far from your home, that he was hurt and needed Tony to help him, or simply that he wanted to check the suit in the Stark Tower. The truth is, Peter is afraid of leading some bad guys to your place; and even when you live together, he makes sure to change in an alley on the other side of town and enter in a different building, in case he’s being followed.

It started when May’s apartment was broken into a few years ago, when neither of them were there. Someone destroyed almost all of their things and moved all the furniture, not stealing anything. Peter had been thankful that he had carried his suit on his backpack, but he still knew why it had happened. May knew it too, so she decided to let Tony take care of the security.

From then, he’s afraid that something bad will happen to you if Spiderman’s is seen in your block. He goes through great lengths to avoid it, and if it means keeping you safe, he’ll walk a few hours more.

Orange (favourite colour and why)

It’s quite obvious, but Peter has three favourite colours. Red and blue are the ones people think about when they ask him this question. But his other favourite colour, less known, is gold.

It reminds him of the day he was saved by Iron Man when he was a kid, how everything he saw was a flash of red and gold who praised him and left. Since then, he had had an obsession with shiny things, and when Tony gave him the new iron spider suit, he swore he could faint.

Gold is also the colour Queens has when the sun is going down, when he’s sitting in the tallest rooftop, watching the view above. It reminds him of happy places, where the world was safe and the only thing Spiderman was needs for was to walk old ladies across the street and rescue lost cats.

There is one special memory that he loves about this colour. When he came back from the snap, he felt like he wasn’t himself. He didn’t sleep, he couldn’t keep up with school and he was reckless when it came to patrolling. Tony’s death haunted him every step he took, so he turned away from everyone and everything.

After a heated argument with you, when you ambushed him in his apartment since he had been avoiding you for two weeks, you decided to take a break. He hadn’t expected it – and it left him crushed; but he didn’t do anything to solve it. For a few days, it was like that, until a patrol gone wrong put him into a hospital bed. He woke up with May, Pepper, Happy, Ned and you watching over him worriedly; so he broke. Peter told you everything he had felt since the snap, how he felt misplaced in a world that had gone without him – even though you were snapped too – and how he couldn’t sleep because he was afraid of the dark.

That night, he was released from the hospital, he went to his bedroom, ready for another sleepless night, when he found a box on the bed.

I’m sorry for not asking you how you were doing sooner. Call me when you’re ready to talk. Luv u.

Peter opened it with wet eyes and discovered a small, star-shaped night light that emitted a low gold glow when it was turned on. Peter didn’t make the same mistake twice – and when he recovered from the emotional tears, he called you and invited you over.

Since then, the gold light was resting on his nightstand, reminding him that no matter how dark the day was, you were there always.

Parents (how is their relationship with your parents)

At the beginning, is bad. Even though Peter tries his best to impress your parents, everything that can go wrong in the first meeting happens.

Your parents were waiting for you in your porch when Peter and you appeared in the driveway in his car. He had refused to take one of Tony’s care, wanting to show your parents how he was able to provide for himself; and it lead to a disaster. The boy was nervous enough to care about his strength, so when he stumbled to your door to open it for you, he ripped it off its hinges. Peter held the piece of metal for a few agonising seconds until your father asked if you had really travelled in that car. Peter tried to explain how it hadn’t been dangerous, with the door in his hand until you put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a soft smile.

Once inside, Peter stuttered, sweat, and rambled during lunch, almost blurting out every secret he had. He threw his fork two times because of how bad his hands shook and called your mother ‘sir’ when he thanked her for the food. She ended up thinking he was adorable and chuckled, but your father was a different story.

It took him a few years to finally accept Peter, who every time he saw your father paled and searched for your hand.

Quirks (worst habit they have)

It doesn’t matter how many times you, May, Tony or even Ned tell him, Peter is unable to quit and you’re sure he doesn’t even try anymore.

You noticed for the first time when you were laying on his right, cuddling him as he tried to study. In an attempt to distract him, you grabbed his hand and started playing with him, and discovered that the skin around his fingers was raw. He tried to brush it off saying that it wasn’t that bad, but from that moment on you notice how Peter has too often one of his hands on his mouth, munching on his fingers as if they were a gum.

He does it because he’s always nervous, and because he used to do it with his lips and ended up with some serious problems. You try to stop him as much as you can, but he always manages to sneak a few seconds from your gaze and you catch him biting his thumb while looking into the nothing.

Romantic (little details or non-verbal ways of saying I love you)

Look into Feelings

Sad (how does he cheer you up)

Peter hurts with you. You remember how he told Tony that if May panics he freaks out too? Well, it’s the same.

Highschool can be stressing sometimes, and everyone breaks down because of it eventually. So when Peter opens the door of his apartment one day to you looking miserable, his day crumbles too. He looks at your wet eyes and the only thing he can think of is trying to get you not to cry, by repeating ‘please don’t, please don’t cry’ while tearing up himself. You end up breaking down on the door of his apartment and Peter hugs you without closing it, making some of the neighbours peek out of their own.

When you’re upset, he will cancel anything he has planned, even lab sessions with Iron Man. It’s not like he’ll just drop everything for you – but that’s exactly how it is.

About cheering you up, Peter tries his best to make you happy again with whatever you like, from watching a movie covered in blankets in the couch or dressing up and walking around the city.

Trickster (jokes, pranks…)

Pranks are not his style, because he always feels too bad about them after. Sometimes, he’ll pull a little one on you after overthinking for too long if you would be upset for it. Jokes, however, are a different story.

With just looking at him for more than two seconds, you already know Peter Parker is a dork. He wears t-shirts with science puns and tells the worst jokes on the world. He’ll be sitting in the canteen with Ned, MJ and you and he’ll just blurt something like ‘you know, I might make some horrible science puns, but only periodically’. There is a rank of Peter’s worst science puns that you’re doing with Ned, trying to figure out how long will it go until he stop.

Underestimated (what surprised him the most about you?)

- honestly, I can’t write about this because Peter Parker thinks you have put the sun on the sky and adores you for everything you do, no matter how small it is -

Vaunt (how much do they show you off?)

Too much, but no one can be angry at him, because he does it without noticing. It’s not the typical ‘hey look, that’s my girl and she’s the most beautiful one’. More like ‘I did a test today and Y/N smashed it’.

May had endured enough dinners with him to know he was whipped since the moment he crawled under your desk that day in the coffee shop. Even though he thought he would die while telling her, he spent a good hour describing every little detail of your face and admiring how nice and cool you were. Since always, Peter Parker has rambled his way out of conversations, so he keeps doing it; but just with you.

He could be talking about how he saw a shell at the beach and gave it to you for hours, explaining why and how. If you’re into some club – sports, robotics, decathlon – Peter will be always the first one to be there, on the first row with a bright smile and hands on his lap. Your classmates always tease you because he looks like a excited puppy watching his owner.

If there was a peak of Peter showing you off, was the day of homecoming. It didn’t matter if you wore a fancy dress or some plain pants; he’s shaking with excitement the whole way there, barely keeping his eyes off you. And when you’re in line for the photo, you bet he did the iconic Will Smith pose with his wife, opening his arms and just pointing at you, as if you were the most shinny star in the sky.

Wedding (do they want one and how they want it)

Peter’s decision to marry you wasn’t something planned, as mostly everything that happens on his life. Of course, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you and that he loved you no matter what, but a wedding was something… not important for him.

That’s until you’re close to finishing college and Peter is hit by the idea of marrying you. Probably, it’s May who puts the idea there, after talking to him about it for ages; but he had always been good at ignoring her. Until you’re sitting on your shared apartment’s couch trying to find something appropriate to wear for your graduation. Peter still has another year in college, since the degree he’s in is a bit longer than yours, so he’s just sitting cross legged and looking at the options you’re showing him.

As much as it pains him, you don’t have enough money to afford a expensive dress, neither you want the help of Pepper Potts, who have threatened to leave an envelop with the money on your mailbox. That’s why you are looking in some second-hand online shop for something cute; and that’s why you see the weeding dress. There are a lot of clothes there, from pyjamas to some erotic underwear, but Peter only has eyes for the dress.

You click on it as a joke, telling him that if you find nothing you wouldn’t mind wearing it. From that moment, Peter can only imagine you wearing that dress and walking down the aisle, with a bouquet of flowers and probably sneakers. He can’t count how many nights he spent looking at the ceiling with a goofy smile on his face, imagining how all of it would be.

So, on the day of your graduation, without any more plans than just the ring on his left pocket, he bent down and popped the question, forgetting to give you the ring until a few hours later.

XX (something you’re the only one to know)

It hurts him to no end that you know it, but there is nothing he can do. You know about his weakness, about his nightmares and about how he can’t sleep when all the lights are out. You knew about his secret the first, about the real version of his trip to Germany and about everything he did on patrols. He had never kept secrets from you; except one, that got discovered on fateful day.

Peter, at your persistence, was teaching you how to put up a computer in his room, guiding you through the steps and not interfering unless it was necessary. He had been sitting on his bed while you were occupying the desk, casually scrolling through his phone while you worked.

It came one point when you needed a part that was on the other side of the room, and since you were holding the thing together, you couldn’t move. You asked Peter to bring it to you and he got up, not missing a beat. What he didn’t expect was the horrendous monster that was resting on it.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise – those things came from the trash, and in there animals were very common. But when Peter faced the spider, he was surprised. So surprised, that he screamed and jumped away, sticking itself to the ceiling in a second.

You turned around in time to see how the poor thing, scared by Peter’s noise, had crawled away. With the back luck to find the wall and deciding to move upwards. You almost laughed when Peter stumbled to the ground in his way away from the spider.

For a week, you kept reminding him how he didn’t hesitate in crawling out the window and leaving you there to kill the spider, finding him thirty minutes later on the top of the building. And he hates it, so much, that you know that Spiderman is afraid of spiders.

You (they talk about you)

Peter was sitting on the familiar grass like every Saturday of every month, his arms wrapped around his knees and a bouquet of flowers on his right. The chilly air of October made him look at the clock once more. Even though it was getting late, Peter looked back to the front and smiled again, returning his line of speech.

“Y/N is, uh – she is, everything you told me. When you talked about Mss Pott, you had this special look in your eyes, and I guess I have the same. You told me that… after Liz and I broke up, you told me that there was someone there for me. I think – Mr Stark, I know she’s the one. She has this – this laugh, it’s so, so beautiful. The best sound I’ve ever heard! She’s just, beautiful, and she’s with me, which is quite amazing. And, she isn’t freaked out by, you know, the whole spider thing – honestly, I think she would support me even if I quit, you know”

He stopped himself and wondered, once more, if the man in front of him would be disappointed with what he was about to say; but only found Mr Stark kind eyes and encouraging smile, and he knew he was taking the right decision.

“I’m thinking about quitting. For a while. I mean, Spiderman would still save the neighbours, you know? But just – sometimes. When needed, not on daily patrols” Peter explained, noticing how there was a familiar, circular weight on his pocket. “I’m gonna ask her to marry me. I know I said I didn’t want family, that we’re too young. But – we’re finishing college, and I don’t want to imagine a world where she’s not besides me… So, tonight, I have everything planned. I hope it goes better than the plan in Europe”

Peter knew his plans didn’t always go like planned. He had thought about it multiple times, and still he had his doubts if it was the right moment, or the right decision. The wind picked up in the lonely cemetery and Peter smiled, feeling as if Tony was really there with him.

“May says Ben would be proud of me, and Pepper says that the proposal would have been a disaster if you were alive, because you would have talked me into doing something really dumb” he chuckled, and looked at the flowers. It was time to go. “I hope she says yes, Mr Stark. I really hope so”

With a last, treacherous tear that always managed to escape, Peter got up and touched for the last time the cold stone of the grave.

Zzz (how do you sleep; probably include a visual)

Want to know more about me? Here is my Masterlist! Feedback is always appreciated!!

Tom Holland/ Peter Parker taglist:

@delicately-important-trash

@lexxxistrips

@smilexcaptainx

@aikaterrina

@zalladane

@gypsystuf (since you didn’t answer me, I just put you on the general taglist. Let me know if you want to change!)

@nikkixostan

@galaxystern08

@justifymyfeelings

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shandycandy278 · 4 years

Text

Bluebell Masterpost!

Other Creators are @old-desert, @justalexnoelle, and Lumie! :D (Bluebell is a collaboration between us four uwu)

Art was made in a collaboration of both @old-desert (line art) and @justalexnoelle (coloring).

Info under the cut!

Name:

Bluebell

Pronouns:

He/Him

Age:

Somewhere in his early twenties

Sexuality:

Gay/Aro/Ace

Height:

4’2”

Parents:

Blue

Nightmare

Birthday:

05/27

AKA May 27th

Origins:

It all began when the fire nation attacked.

Jkjk, although it all did start with a stray combined attack from Ink and Dream. Blue and Nightmare had been dating in secret, and that combined attack killed Blue (on accident, of course). Bluebell had been born not long before that (a few days? A few weeks? unsure), and had been discovered not long after Blue’s death (an hour).

Blue had kept Bluebell a secret from Nightmare and everyone else, and the secret wasn’t revealed to other outcodes until a few years after that.

Relationships With Family:

Nightmare- He doesn’t know him, except from the stories that he’s been told. He feels close to Nightmare thanks to the time he spends talking to Nightmare’s statue and because they were both outcasts, and kind of idolizes him in the way a young child would their parent.

Blue- He doesn’t know him either, and he’s not sure how he feels about what he knows about Blue. While he was outcasted because people thought that he would be like Nightmare, he was constantly held up to the expectations that one would expect from Blue.

Dream- Dream was his Guardian/Uncle before he moved out. Bluebell doesn’t particularly feel anything towards him outside of a small grudge that he got after learning that Dream was part of the reason why Blue’s dead. He was a better parent than his Uncle Stretch though.

Stretch- His first Guardian, and the only Uncle he knew until Dream found Bluebell on accident. Bluebell has mixed feelings about him, but ultimately they revolve around anger and spite.

Hearts- His first and most trusted coworker (cough-his-adopted-parent-cough). He tried to keep a very professional relationship with them, but pretty much everyone can tell that Hearts unofficially adopted Bluebell, and that it wasn’t the other way around. Well, everyone except for Bluebell.

Ex-Fiance- We don’t talk about him. We do NOT talk about him under any circumstances.

Looks:

Look at above image.

He dresses in Nightmare and Dream’s old style for the most part.

His shawl was one that they “borrowed” from Blue’s room during their time with Stretch. Blue had a lot of spare scarves, bandanas, shawls, and other things- but Bluebell liked this one the most.

Those tentacles are what I like to call his ‘tail-tacles’ hehe.

He doesn’t use them outside of holding things occasionally though.

The right eye light is stuck as a crescent moon, but the left eye light changes shape with the phases of the moon, and looks like the said phase of the moon (in the image above, it’s a full moon). The left eye light only changes outside of the phases if he feels extreme emotions. New moon/no eyelight for negative emotions, and then he gets a full moon when it’s positive.

If he gets super excited/happy then little stars appear with the full moon and his left eye socket will look like a mini sky.

Powers/Abilities:

Empath (Can’t manipulate emotions, affect the Positive/Negative balance, or pinpoint exactly where they are coming from, but he can feel other people’s emotions and the emotions that they can put into objects.)

Blue Magic

Basic Bone Attacks (No Gaster Blasters or Cyan/Orange Attacks)

Two Goopy War Hammers w/ Phantom Goop Hands

Character Information:

Bluebell is trans (ftm).

Their Hearts uses they/them pronouns (nb).

Bluebell often has no idea how to socialize, and often has to come up with things on the spot.

He somehow broke the babey scale and is more babey than anyone anticipated (including us).

He needs more physical contact and positive attention/affection, although he doesn’t actively seek it out and shies away from it at first. (Hearts is happy to provide uwu)

He feels most at home in Dreamtale, which has become a mythical, magical, and breathtaking nighttime wonderland.

He refuses to kill people.

He and Ink are at-ends because Bluebell saving and helping people messes with the world’s stories.

Bluebell doesn’t like going into the Omega Timeline. Not only are there too many Swap!Sanses, but there are a lot of people who hate him there.

He is a good listener.

Hobbies:

Gardening

Reading, although mostly it’s just fantasy novels.

He likes to do Sudoku and Kakuro.

He’s also a pretty decent cook.

Training.

Other Backstory Stuff (warning it’s longggg):

After Blue’s death, Nightmare built a monument in Blue’s honor. After that he petrified himself at the base of Blue’s statue.

Not long after that (a few days give or take), his gang members came in and tried to pry him away from the statue. They succeeded (somewhat), but Nightmare was still grieving. In an attempt to snap him out of it, Dust tried to wreck the garden while Killer and Horror kept Nightmare distracted. This plan ultimately failed, and they paid with their lives.

Before this, Cross had left the gang and currently resides in the Omega Timeline. (The XEvent never happened here, because Nightmare found Cross before Ink could.)

Stretch was NOT a good guardian (Blue had raised him as the older brother, but this apple fell FAR away from that tree). He is sexist and 110% against the LGBTQ+ community. Even before Bluebell’s gender came into question, he was treating Bluebell wrong. He wouldn’t let him dress in anything other than dresses, and wouldn’t let him play with any of the other kids. Bluebell was expected to stay quiet, hidden, and obedient. Stretch didn't do anything outlandish when Bluebell would disobey (this was rare), but he didn't give Bluebell the love that he needed.

It got better after Dream found out about Bluebell, because Dream allowed Bluebell to grow. He let Bluebell wear what he wanted and do what he wanted too, but he wasn’t exactly a good guardian either. He also told and taught Bluebell about his parents, although some details wee kept hidden from him. He wasn’t overly-active in Bluebell’s life, although he did make sure that Bluebell socialized with other kids.

The other kids were Not Kind to Bluebell. They had all heard of Nightmare and his harsh hold on the Multiverse- although no one seems to know what had happened to him. They saw his bones and tentacles and feared him, so they terrorized him. He had a hard time fitting in and didn't feel like he belonged.

It was around here that Bluebell stumbled across Dreamtale, and consequently Nightmare’s garden and Blue’s memorial statue. He can feel the love and grief that was put into it, and it was here that he finally learned what his parents looked like. Since then, he made it his mission to take care of Nightmare’s garden for him.

Dream eventually got full custody of Bluebell. After that Bluebell started actually discovering more about who he was- including his sexuality and his gender.

When Bluebell turned 18, and before he moved out, Dream sat down with him and gave him the full story (what he knew of it, anyway) about his parents and their death. Bluebell was so angry that he declared that he had no family before leaving. He was really angry at Dream at first, but eventually calmed down and realized that he couldn’t exactly blame Dream.

Shortly after he moved out, he met a guy from a different world and they started dating. They dated for two years before the guy popped the question, and Bluebell had said yes. Bluebell honestly believed that this person loved him and didn't mind that he was the son of Nightmare, because he had always protected Bluebell from those remarks when he could.

The day before the wedding, Bluebell found out that his fiance was cheating on him. Had been for the entirety of their relationship, because he felt like one wasn’t enough (Bluebell was the second, he had been dating someone else before Bluebell).

Bluebell called him out on it, and his fiance got so mad that not only did he cancel the wedding, but he verbally assaulted Bluebell and hit him in all the places where it hurt. Bluebell threw the ring away before he went home and then cried into his bed.

It took a few days before he could manage to find it in himself to go outside and tend to the garden, but instead of actually doing anything he sat down next to Nightmare’s statue and cried. (Nightmare reached out magically to comfort him, don’t worry, he cares.)

A few weeks after that and struggling to get back on his feet Bluebell realized something. Why try to prove anyone wrong? If they all believed that he was the son of a monster, then he would become that son and follow in his father’s footsteps.

Unfortunately he had no idea how to do that and failed.

A lot.

None of the Sanses he tried to talk to either attacked or flat-out-ignored him.

He started getting really desperate, and somehow he ended up in an Underlust timeline and ran into Hearts. Bluebell was on the verge of a breakdown, and whenever he tried to offer up a point to convince Hearts to join him, he’d go on a rant and forget what he was trying to do before going back on topic. Hearts saw this and decided that they would take Bluebell under their wing (although they devised it as the opposite happening: Bluebell taking in Hearts).

After settling in with Bluebell and helping to fix up Nightmare’s old castle, Hearts helps Bluebell learn how to communicate with others in a way that would get him what he wants (although Bluebell struggles a lot with it).

At this current point in time, it’s just Bluebell and Hearts.

Later on in the timeline, they’ll accept a new Killer, Dust, Horror onto the team. Along with a version of Blue (which was certainly awkward), and any ship kids that may or may not need homes.

Later on in the timeline, Dream will decide to hop in and spy on/check in on Bluebell without his knowledge (he does this a lot actually, despite the fact that he’s a neutral in all of this). This time though, he decides to stop by Nightmare’s statue and talk to it a bit.

Later on in the timeline, after Dream talks to Nightmare’s statue, Nightmare eventually decides that he wants to support his son and unpetrifies himself. He’s weak though, and he can’t move. Bluebell happens upon him while visiting the garden and helps him get inside, with Hearts’ help.

Later on in the timeline, Hearts will help Nightmare as he finally faces his grief head-on.

Later on in the timeline, they’ll all start to become like a family.

But at the moment, it’s just Bluebell and Hearts. :3

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that is it for now! :D

#writing #Bluebell #Nightberry #Belladonna #Nightberry Ship Kid #Belladonna Ship Kid #Ship Kid #Nightmare/Blue #Blue/Nightmare

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itzagothamcitysiren · 4 years

Text

Welcome to the Family

Well, this is the last part of this part. I’ll be starting to work on the next one soon. I have so many different ideas. First though, today after this, I’ll be posting a mother’s day fic I wrote set in this. It’s set in the future (when Jason’s dead). It’s not really spoiler, just a cute little three-shot I wrote before writing this actual story. I’ll be posting the soonish after I pro-read it one more time :)

Never Wanted to be Here pt.7

Normally if you had told Jason Todd he was allowed to stay home from school for an entire month he would’ve been beyond excited but surprisingly this wasn’t the case. He was bed ridden practically the entire time and on top of it still had to keep up with his school work. And he still hadn’t been allowed back on patrol. His bullet wound was the least of his concerns as his boredom was the highest pain in his life at the moment. He was disgusted that he was actually looking forward to going back to school soon.

Alfred had finally allowed him to get out of bed, as long as he kept up with his work and out of the cave. It was an unfair compromise in Jason’s opinion but he took it anyway, desperate to stretch his legs a bit. He currently found himself sitting in the living room, watching a marathon of reruns from Impractical Jokers, one of his all-time favorite shows. He snacked on a bag of chips he sneaked from the kitchen, keeping an ear out for Alfred, who would surely kill him if he caught him eating junk right before dinner.

Just as Mur was about to get his eyebrows shaved off, he heard the front door open and Alfred greeting someone. He rolled up the bag and slipped it behind a pillow, craning his neck around to see if he could sneak a peek into the hallway. He raised an eyebrow when he heard Grayson’s voice. He and Alfred were talking one another, Alfred asking how their flight was. Their? It was then when he heard Halley’s soft voice answer him.

“Long, but not terrible.” She laughed, causing Jason’s hears to perk up in curiosity.

After the run in with Deathstroke, Dick had taken Halley back to Titan’s Tower. The girl was too overwhelmed to stay at the manor, Dick told Bruce the night before they left. She appreciated Bruce’s hospitably and understanding but the feeling of being a burden and the guilt of dragging them into her issues were ringing too loudly in her head.

Jason jumped out of his skin when he heard Dick say he was going to go talk to Bruce and then two sets off footsteps heading towards the room he sat in. His eyes widened, quickly checking that the bag of chips was securely hidden. Pretending to be fully invested in the show, he acted surprised when Alfred entered the room with the girl in question right behind him.

“Honestly, Master Jason, I don’t understand how you can watch this tomfoolery.” Alfred’s sharp voice made him jump again. Jason turned to look at him and Halley, rolling his eyes. The butler turned from the TV, looking at the girl. “Dinner will be ready shortly, young Master Jason will be a respectable host until it is ready.” Alfred said to the girl pleasantly before shooting Jason a warning look and heading back to the kitchen.

Jason rolled his eyes after the butler when his back was turned, along with sticking his tongue out. He wouldn’t dare to when he was looking. His face softened when he heard Halley giggle. He looked at her oddly, never hearing her laugh so lightheartedly before. Dork, he thought when she blushed when noticing his eyes on her. Clearing her throat she motioned her hand towards the TV, the strange antics happening on the screen catching her attention.

Jason outreached his hands to the empty spot next to him, silently ushering her to the couch. As she sat she crossed her arms against her chest, quirking her lip up as a man with his hair and eyebrows shaved off appeared on the screen, his group of friends gathering around him laughing as they held up a driver’s license up. The photo of the man in his current appearance was terrifying but everyone found it hilarious, including Jason, who was snickering in at the screen.

“What is this?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“The greatest show ever, duh.” Jason said as if it was obvious.

“Debatable.” She shrugged.

Jason cocked up an eyebrow this time, turning his attention to her. She stared at the screen seriously, trying to find what was funny about torturing your friends with over the top pranks as the preview for the next episode began. He couldn’t help to take note in how good she looked. Not that he was checking her out. But no, good in the sense that the bruises from being beat to shit by her asshole father were now faded and it appeared that none of the cuts scared. She looked lighter. Even with the serious look on her face, she seemed not as stressed out and uptight as compared to when he first met her.

“What?” She asked, not having to look to feel Jason’s eyes on her.

Jason shrugged, trying to play it cool. He turned back to the TV, reaching underneath the pillow and pulling the chips back out. He munched on a couple offering the bag to Halley. She refused them politely, not wanting to spoil her dinner. She’d been craving Alfred’s cooking after the first few nights of Starfire’s and the endless amount of take-out the Titan’s ordered. She never much noticed it when she first moved in, just thankful to be taken care of. But once you tasted Alfred’s cooking there was no going back.

“So you just visiting or-,” Jason muttered, biting on his lip, pausing to wait for her answer.

“Dick wants me to try again. You know being normal, or as normal as one can be as Bruce Wayne’s ward.” She said with a sigh, looking at her lap.

Jason nodded, shoving another chip in his mouth awkwardly. He chewed loudly, swallowing before turning to look at her again, “And do you want to?”

Halley looked up at him, fidgeting with the hem of her oversized black and grey stripped sweater. She was nervous of coming back, not sure if it was the right thing to do. She’d caused them a lot of trouble and she wasn’t the happiest here. She felt miserable actually but she also wasn’t in the greatest head space. She was concerned for Dick, worried about her father, and paranoid Batman wasn’t trusting of her.

But being back at the tower, something felt off. She couldn’t quit tell at first. Of course she was missing Alfred and his cooking. She felt like she had bonded with the older man; he was kind and made her feel like a normal kid. But she knew that couldn’t have been the only thing throwing her off from being in the tower. The thought of school did cross her mind. She didn’t particularly missed it but she found herself googling more about the French Revolution, as she had just started learning about it in her History class and she wanted to know how it ended as if it was some story in a book. She also never got to properly thank Bruce for all he did for her. He took her in, adopted her, forging it but still, people knew he now had a daughter and she just left him to come up with an explanation as to why. She loved the Titans but it just didn’t feel right going back.

“I want to try again.” She nodded, giving him a short smile.

He nodded, ending the conversation there, turning back to the TV again. The pair watched the next episode in silence. Well, silence besides Jason laughing at every gag. Halley smirked here and there but it wasn’t until the very end when the guy she now knew as Sal was forced to go around kicking kids out of a pool. She didn’t know why it made her laugh so hard but it did. The look on his face when a mom question why he was kicking her son out just hit her in the gut and she found herself wiping a tear away from her eye as her and Jason laughed together.

“I see Master Jason has already corrupted her.” Alfred’s voice rang out, startling the two teens out from their fit of giggles. Jason cursed, earning a verbal slap on the wrist by the butler. Jason quickly tried to shove the bag of chips out of view but it was too late. He’d been too distracted by the show and it finally getting Halley to laugh out loud to have heard Alfred enter the room. Alfred eyed the bag, silently telling Jason he was disappointed but not surprised. He noticed the bag missing from the cabinet earlier when he was cooking. Looking less than impressed, Alfred spoke, “Master Bruce requests you show Miss Halley downstairs, he’d like to speak with the pair of you before dinner.”

“Like downstairs, downstairs?” Jason asked, thrown off. Bruce was inviting her down to the Batcave?

“I do believe that is what I said, Master Todd.” Alfred rolled his eyes, only ever calling the Robin’s last names when he was losing his patience with them.

Jason stood up, turning the TV off not wanting to hear it from Alfred. He jerked his head towards the door, urging the girl to follow him. She gulped, quickly catching on to what downstairs meant. She felt her hands sweat as she trailed behind Jason down the hallway past the grand staircase, vaguely remembering her way around the manor. She’d never been down the hallway he turned down though, leading her to a library. He held the door for her, shutting it once they both stepped in. Jason felt nervous too, seeing as he hadn’t been allowed downstairs in nearly over a month now. Walking over to the piano, he hit the right keys, noticing Halley’s raised eyebrow. When the secret doorway disguised as a bookcase slide open, she jumped back before smirking.

“That’s so cliché,” She looked at him before following him through the doorway. She looked back as it closed behind them. The sound of water running and the smell of stone entering her senses. Rocky walls surrounded them as she walked behind Jason down a metal spiral staircase.

“Yeah, well so is Bruce.” Jason chuckled, smiling at being greeted by the familiar Batcave he grew to worship so much.

“It’s literally a cave?” She almost questioned, not containing her smile as it came into full view. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the tall walls and high ceilings. Below the walkway stood a hanger that held the Batmobile, Batplane and a couple of other models of vehicles. After escaping the warehouse as it exploded, she had gotten to ride in the Batmobile, but her tiredness and injures had gotten to her and she had passed out in the back seat, waking up the next day in her room upstairs. She hadn’t gotten to see any of this than.

Her mouth hung open as her eyes continued to scan the large cave, her eyes stopping on a giant life size, statue of a t-rex and an a ridiculous oversized penny, along with other trophies of Batman’s adventures. Her eyes stopped on what she heard Dick called the Batcomputer, because of course that’s what it was called, as Jason grabbed her arm and began leading her down the walkway and towards where Bruce was standing next to Dick. Lining the wall along the walk had glass displays with different Batsuits and even some of Dick’s old Robin ones. She grinned when she saw the famous Robin leotard.

“Pretty cool huh?” Dick walked over to her, a proud smirk present on his face as he watched her eyes trail over the suits.

“Yeah,” she whispered. Looking at him teasingly, she jerked her thumb back to his old Robin costume. “You seriously wore that?”

“Hey, don’t hate,” Dick scoffed, placing an arm on her lower back and guiding her towards Bruce.

He sat in front of the large screens of the Batcomputer, overlooking different security videos displaying what appeared to be people loading and unloading boxes into trucks at the docks. Bruce had his chin resting on his hand before looking from the videos and towards the two teens he called down. Raising from his chair, Halley noticed how he was dressed in his costume minus the cowl. He made his way over to Jason and Halley as Dick led them to him.

“What’s that?” Jason looked at videos still playing before nodding towards Bruce.

“Our mission for tonight.” He nodded, giving his signature smirk when he saw Jason’s eyes widened in excitement. Alfred gave Bruce the okay on Jason’s injuries, the wound looking worse for wear at first and healed nicely. He’d still have to be careful but he knew Jason was getting antsy and was ready to get back in the field. He turned his head to look at Dick, then down to Halley. “I want you three to eat well, it may be a late night. Bane’s got a new shipment of Venom arriving tonight. I want to get to it all before he gets it out on the streets. Come down as soon as you’re so we can get ready to head out.”

“Wait,” Halley whispered, eyes raising to look at Dick. Did she hear Bruce right? “The three of us?”

“Surprise!” Dick exclaimed, giving her a wide smile.

Bruce shook his head at his eldest, opening his mouth to explain, “Your skills would be an asset to this team,” He said motioning between himself, Jason and Dick. “That is if you would like to join us. I understand if you’re not ready to go out into the field.”

Halley bit the inside of her cheek. No one’s ever complimented her abilities before and to have Batman be the first person to, she couldn’t help but feel thrown off. They must’ve thought she didn’t want to with the look on their faces due to her taking a few moments to process what Bruce just offered her. He offered her a spot on his team. She wanted to try at a normal life and by agreeing to this, all cards for that would be thrown off the table. But did she really want a normal life? She didn’t want to just go to school and come back to the manor and do nothing. What would she do with her life? She knew she’d get bored without some short of action. The handful of missions she went on with Dick and the Titans over the years made her think that maybe she could become a hero, like Nightwing and Batman.

“But I don’t have anything to wear.” She managed to say lamely. There was no way in hell she was she going out in her father’s suit.

“Got you covered,” Dick said breaking the silence, eager that she was saying yes. He crossed his arms against his broad chest, looking proudly at himself. He’d been working on this for the last week when she first came to him asking if she could go back to the manor. “I wanted to surprise you so I didn’t tell you I was making this. Kori helped with the sizing and stuff like that. I was going to make it look like a miniature Nightwing costume and you could’ve been like my sidekick, I thought it was a good idea, but the death glare Kori gave me when I suggested it told me it that was actually a bad idea.” He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You think,” Jason snickered, raising an eyebrow at the former Robin.

Halley laughed to at Dick. Thank God for Kori, she thought. Rubbing her arms with her hands nervously she watched as Jason then walked over to computer, smirking as he was mentally preparing for the mission. He turned his attention to his suit in its case, feeling the adrenaline already start to begin.

“Well, while you finish this up,” he started with a wave of his hand, “I’ve been coped up in this place for a month so I’m going to go stuff my face so we can head out.” He said walking past them. As he walked past Halley he stopped, patting her shoulder playfully, but she could sense he had some sort of sincerity to him, “Welcome to the family, dork.”

Halley blushed as her eyes followed him as he disappeared back up from where they came. Turning back to Dick who began leading her to show off the new costume real quick before they joined Jason upstairs. She couldn’t contain the smile from spreading across her face. Halley barely heard a word Dick said as he stopped them in front of a case that showed off the outfit. She took in its appearance, eyeing the clean Kevlar armor, staring down every detail.

“I take it, I did a good job.” Dick’s voice cut her out of her trance.

“Yeah, you did good.” She beamed, teasingly. Without warning she nearly tackled him into a hug, but he was strong enough so that she didn’t knock them over. Dick was only frozen for a minute before returning the hug. They’d been close but hugs from the girl where extremely rare so he enjoyed them when he got them. He only had been hugged by her two other times before. When they pulled away, she said thank you, looking up at him with big eyes.

“Your welcome,” He smiled back, before leading her away and up the stairs. “Like Jason said, your family now. I mean-I already considered you family but now you’re like officially apart of the Batfamily-,”

Halley rolled her eyes at him as she was brought upstairs and towards the dining room. Jason was already pigging out, being chastised by Alfred for his terrible table manners. Dick’s voice didn’t stop either, somehow managing to shout out different name ideas for her while still scoffing food down his throat.

“She is not calling herself Nightbird,” Jason exclaimed in disgust. “She’s not your sidekick! She can probably kick your ass,”

“What’s wrong with Nightbird? You like that name right?” Dick defended shooting Halley a look to back him up.

Halley pulled a face as Alfred set a plate down in front of her. Her face wasn’t at the food and Alfred knew that. The pair shared a grimace, both having the same opinion of Dick’s name choice without having to say it out loud. She dug into her food, trying to think of a way to put it nicely, “it’s okay,” She managed to say, avoiding eye contact with him.

“You don’t like it!” He sounded so betrayed.

“It’s not that I don’t like-,”

“You don’t have to baby him, Halley.” Jason cut in. “He’s a big boy,” He raised his fork to his chin, thinking. “No, you need a kick ass name. You’re basically a crazy deadly assassin, you need to sound terrifying.”

Digging into her food she couldn’t help but smile to herself as the boys argued over what her code name should be. Any doubt she had about coming back here was gone as she just let herself enjoy the family meal, chuckling as Dick insisted that his names where way better and more appropriate than Jason’s. Munching away she had begun tuning them out, not worried about her name for now. It wasn’t that important and it would eventually come to her. As she cut another bit of steak though, her ears perked up at as something Jason said caught her attention.

“That,” she pointed her knife at him with wide eyes,

“Nightshade?” Jason questioned, looking at her excitingly,

“Yeah,” She nodded, eagerly, but somewhat faltered, at the memory the name brought up. It wasn’t a terrible one, just not exactly a great one. When her father was teaching her about poisons, he said they were a woman’s weapon, for the incapable, But Halley didn’t agree. Poisons were strong and gave you a subtlety that guns and knives couldn’t. And she remembered admiring how beautiful certain poisonous plants had been, the shades of purples and blues in the Nightshade plant being her favorite.

“Well it still had night in it so I’m satisfied with it,” Dick shrugged, trying to hid how annoyed he was that she liked Jason’s idea better.

“Nightshade,” Jason repeated, getting used to the way it sounded. Teasingly, he leaned forward finishing the last bit off of his plate. “Eh, I don’t know, I think you’re too much of a dork for it. I don’t know if I’ll let you take my idea.”

“Too late, it’s mine.” She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “You can’t just take it back,”

He chuckled, pushing his seat out, so he could go down to the cave and get ready. He shot them both a look telling them to hurry up before leaving the room. Halley quickly stuffed her face with the rest of her steak pushing her own chair out and racing after Jason. She was now more than eager to get out and actually see the city. Dick watched after the pair of them, eyebrow cocking up as he saw her race to reach Jason in the hall in the doorway. She said something he couldn’t hear and couldn’t help but be curious due to Jason’s loud mock laugh, before he saw the new boy wonder playfully punching her shoulder.

“Am I the only one slightly concerned about the trouble they’re going to get into?” He nodded towards the doorway, looking up at Alfred who had come to collect the teen’s plates. Their bubbling friendship, if you could call it that, clueing in on Dick.

“No you are not, Master Dick,” Dick looked up as Alfred responding, finishing off his own food before now rushing to follow after the two teens.

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd x oc #red hood #red hood x oc #dick grayson #dick grayson x sister!reader #dick grayson x oc #nightwing #nightwing x reader #nightwing fanfic #bruce wayne #batman fanfiction #batfam x reader #batbros #deathstroke daughter

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imagine-fight-write · 3 years

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RANDOM - Banana Fish Review, Vol. 1, Part Four

(This was one of my fav gifs looking for gifs of Shorter.)

*There will be pictures/gifs included tomorrow, because this is already late & loading them is taking forever, for some reason.

Haha, no, I actually prettied it up 1/5/21. Yes, I’m glorious.

No I’m actually Dio DIO in this situation, who am I kidding.

(This transition from Caesar to Dio fascinates me, by the way.) (The GIF.)

The JOJO reference is because I’ve finally finished Diamond is Unbreakable! It was fun! I enjoyed it a lot! Ready for the next part!

But back to Banana Fish.

Hope you enjoy this!

So my plans failed again. Who is surprised? (Not me.)

I apologize profusely for the gaping void of Banana Fish-ness left since last I posted.

No really. I now have an alarm set for every Wednesday.

Let’s see how this goes. News Update: Maybe next time.

Also, my internet is still blitzy & rotten, otherwise I would’ve posted this yesterday (the 15th).

Now on to the in-depth, delighted gushing - er, review, of Banana Fish!

*Also, this is part 4, and 4 is a special number for me. Because of this guy:

And I can spell his name correctly!!! (It’s Ulquiorra, from Bleach, my 1st anime fan gushing love.)

Yes, I’m strange. Moving on.

So, brief recap, since I’m not sure anyone has read Part 3, given how terrifyingly long it is. If you missed it, here’s the link:

https://imagine-fight-write.tumblr.com/post/632014616404344832/random-banana-fish-review-vol-1-part-3-my

Please love & like it & repost to the rest of the Web. I worked tremendously hard on it.

Yes it’s long, but oh, it was delightful! There was snark! Delicious food! Wine! Fabulous mustaches! Mysteries! I gushed so much!

(And snarled at the wonton waste of good breakfast food, which I will not forget & always condemn.)

*I mean, I know people who will throw up if they have breakfast in the morning. But it’s important to eat so you have energy to do things & feel good.

And Dino took a perfectly beautiful breakfast & essentially wasted it for no good reason. I was so mad.

We meet Dino Golzine, a.k.a., Ash’s worst nemesis /enemy (note, I can’t spell nemesis) and major reason for why his life sucks.

(Although society doesn’t help either. Though the police try. They really do. Except what’s his face who’s complete scum & thoughtless, but we won’t meet him til Vol. 2. Plus I don’t think he has a name?)

But yes, Dino Golzine. All around awful person, and not safe around children (or anyone, really.) He’s low-key in this scene, mostly using verbal assaults (to great effect) but just you wait. There’s a reason he’s a mob boss.

Ash snarks, to great effect, but he’s no match. Dino has all the cards and all the dice (cards & dice being metaphors for power, & how he involves awful, painful memories of Ash’s past & tries to manipulate & order him around. Brrr.)

But Ash rallies, and ultimately refuses returning to be Dino’s heir / toy.

We meet Shorter! Huzzah!

(End of recap.)

It’s clear right away Shorter & Ash are old friends. They exchange quips about Marvin. We learn Marvin holds a mean grudge, so savvy readers can guess it’ll come to play later (it does.)

Shorter’s last line is strange.

“Just don’t put me in the position of having to kill you.”

Which is kinda out of the blue. I don’t know what to make of it. It doesn’t spoil or fore-shadow anything (unless in a very confused, round-about way) because that never happens later. So I’m confused.

Ash laughs it off and goes zooming off on his motor-bike / motorcycle (not sure which).

Note, from this short scene we already learn Shorter has his own sources of information - he knows Ash went to Dino’s, fast enough to be there before their conversation ended (unless he was just lucky to be there already - why was he there?). He already knows about Ash’s talk with Marvin, with enough detail to warn Ash about Marvin’s temper & that Marvin likes him, which is a bad combination.

Shorter is smart & cares about his friends, warning Ash about Marvin.

Aren’t friends great?

Especially after meeting such a dominating if soft spoken monster like Dino?

The answer is yes.

Next, we get this hilariously great shot of Ash running up the steps to his dingy apartment (pg. 47.)

It’s reminiscent for me of a scene in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1, when Jonathan & Dino have their epic fight in the Joestar mansion.

There’s a part where Jonathan does this epic flip up to a second floor via sword (it’s epic) & it ends with this a few-seconds-longer-than it-needs-to-be shot of his butt. You can’t miss it. I’m usually oblivious to such things & I noticed it. I laugh every single time.

Anyway, back to Banana Fish.

(The atmosphere of grunginess (it’s not a word, I meant dirty, ugly, rough) & spartan furniture is great. Just look at those walls. I adore it.

(But would never want to live there.) Ash is clearly not rich & after Dino’s rich mansion, this is a stark contrast.

Also, there are no pictures or posters on the walls (which are festooned with dirt and cracks instead.) In fact, there’s almost nothing in terms of personal effects at all.

This baffles me. I mean yes, I assume they’re all dirt poor, living in a gang & working for the mafia on the side isn’t something you do for the luxuries. But surely they’d have something.

Or maybe it has something to do with Japanese decorating aesthetics? Meaning, Japanese appear to be more spartan than Americans in terms of decor (see the book, In Praise of Shadows, for example.)

* I can’t spell aesthetics. Why do I even use that word?

The apartment just looks extremely bare compared to others I’ve seen in movies depicting this era. Is what I’m saying.

Look at those bare walls. (It hurts me.)

Thoughts? Comments on how Japanese, Americans, and Europeans differ in basic decorating styles? Comment below!

Also remember as always, Banana Fish is both set & was written in the 1980’s, well before the “modern” style we have now.

Unless - wait. There is something very important to Ash which he’s clearly hiding in the apartment he goes to, which I assume only Skip & select members know about.

So maybe this isn’t actually Ash’s main base, where he sleeps & hangs out?

Yes, that must be it.

If you’re confused, I’ll explain once we get done with this section.

Moving on.

We meet Skip!!!! (Pg.47)

Black characters (and Latino) are still, alas, extremely rare in manga, anime, & other media, so all the cheers for including Skip so early & as such an important character.

Because Skip is very important. For multiple reasons. More on that later. Also note, 1 of the gang members Ash busts earlier is also black.

Again, the dialogue is great here between Ash & Skip, establishing Ash’s trust in him. Which is no small thing.

Skip is like Shorter, (agh, both their names start with S) sweet, but also has a nose for news.

Arthur’s going to get it, hah!

There’s yet another reference to it being early.

Though there’s no specific time mentioned . . . Nope, not since Ash found the poor, dying banana fish dude.

Does Ash usually sleep in? Is he a night owl? He was wandering around at 1 in the morning last night, after all.

*Yes, technically it was early morning, but it was still dark, so bite me.

But then, he was also suspicious & keeping tabs on his 2 gang members. So, who knows.

But I’m going to guess he’s a night owl.

Ash sits on the bed, and after Skip mentions everything is good, “him, too”.

Ash gives his 1st real, genuine smile. Gentle, relieved, no hard edges. Just pure happiness & relief. It’s sweet.

(Also, I just realized the “him, too” is supposed to be a surprise / shock for the reader & I spoiled it earlier. I do apologize.)

Skip offers to get coffee but Ash declines, deciding to nap, which reminds me:

Actually, drinking coffee before you take a nap can, for some people, actually make you sleep better.

Also, short cat naps (15-30mins) can boost your energy and mood.

Naps are good for you!

I almost wondered if the comics Skip had on the table might’ve been manga, but remembered it was the 1980’s and, far as I know, manga wasn’t big the U.S. yet. Alas!

Which is funny if you think about this being in a manga.

Skip goes to leave. Ash puts his hand in his pocket and gets this intense, almost fierce expression on his face (middle panel, pg. 48).

I was absolutely baffled by this reaction for a long time, but finally figured it out. Ash’s reaction is supposed to be baffling, because what he realizes right here will be revealed in the next few pages.

Skip, concerned, asks what’s up, but Ash brushes him off and sends him off to buy coffee. (After which I sincerely hope he takes a nap, because he needs one, he’s been up all night.) Sleep is good for you!

Skip is able to buy coffee with a single coin. A single coin.

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

All my tears, and curses on inflation and overpriced coffee! And Starbucks!

Anyway, we learn Arthur’s going to get it (and Skip is the best spy ever) and the scene cuts to:

Our favorite person (not) Dino Golzine, tending his orchids.

I like this. It’s a rather unique hobby for a villian. I assume to give him a refined, elegant, and exact air.

He’s interrupted by Angie & his fabulous mustache (snickers) and this delightfully comic scientist person (who might be important later? The face sameness makes it difficult to judge, & I’m too lazy to consult my other volumes, which are not close by.)

But his entrance is priceless (pg. 50). I mean seriously, please go find it if you haven’t already. It’s dramatic, with a big WHAM! & he looks so cartoonish.

I love it.

Dino tells him, essentially, “don’t disturb my orchids” and me being an non-gardner person, I wonder: is it actually true loud noises can disturb flowers?

Comment below!

Anyway, Dino quickly establishes yes, he did send Ash’s gang members to kill the poor banana fish guy who started this whole mystery, and yes, it was important.

There’s a great panel (pg. 51) of scientist dude, drawn much less comedic, the whole panel black except for a white aura around him sweating and clearly in distress.

He whispers, “It - it’s gone.”

Dino snaps to attention with a leonine look, exactly like a cat who has just spotted another cat. It’s easily my favorite picture of Dino so far, very striking.

The dialogue is brilliant and snappy, short and direct.

“What is gone? . . . You’re positive? . . . Just a small amount.”

And we get the grand reveal:

Ash, taking out a bullet shaped capsule (was the shape intentional by Yoshida?). A capsule he’d clearly taken from the dying banana fish guy. There’s a great panel on the bottom of pg. 52 of Ash’s questioning expression and a ?

He unscrews the capsule and pulls out a tiny vial.

Thinks of the address the dying banana fish guy gave him.

Ash goes into the next room, where we see the silhouette of someone sitting with a plaid blanket draped across their knees.

He expresses his first real look of vulnerability, and gives a wonderful line:

“Go see . . . Banana fish . . . He said it and died. And you say it and you might as well be dead. Who did this to you? Griff . . . Please tell me, big brother.”

Everything clicks together (almost.)

Griff /Griffin is the soldier shown way back in the very beginning. The one who left for a few minutes and came back insane and shot up his squad.

Who’s now a human vegetable.

Banana fish is clearly responsible. Somehow.

And Dino is mixed in with it (of course). Pieces are coming together, but questions still remain.

Until next time!

#random #banana fish #banana fish review #manga #ash lynx #skip #banana fish shorter #friendship #xena warrior princess #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

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