newness? maybe.

Just FYI for anyone uncomfortable with it — there is a moment of Hobie getting pinned by Miguel for a moment, if you won’t be comfortable please skip from “I know, I know” to “I can’t just — Miguel!”

@hobiesgender @royallydivinelesbian

Masterlist

Everything went to shit so quickly, Hobie barely had time to process what was going on.

The visiting Royals had left the kingdom, and nobody knew why they decided to leave so suddenly; it wasn’t any different from before, when they’d randomly showed up and nobody had any information as to why they were there to begin with. It didn’t really matter to Hobie either way; he had better things to focus on.

Two days after they’d gone, the Royal people, Hobie and his crew went to the marketplace. It was a quiet day, for the most part; Peni and Ham were playing tag in the very front of the group, occasionally weaving around Gwen and Margo, who were walking arm and arm together and chatting, just ahead of where Hobie was walking with Michael. A kid darted out from behind one of the stalls without warning, crossing the sidewalk right in front of the pair of them. Hobie, who’d been trying (and failing) to convince Michael to let him teach him some sleight of hand tricks (“it’s a valid skill to learn — think of the tricks you could do!”) and therefore not particularly paying attention to his feet, tripped over him and nearly fell.

“Sorry!” The kid squeaked, his big eyes wide and terrified. Hobie blinked down at him, confused, and watched as the kid began trembling slightly. “I’m sorry! Sorry!”

“Hey, hey, don’t be sorry, little man.” Hobie said brightly, holding his fist out so the kid could bump it with his own. The little boy sniffled, rubbing his nose instead and staring up at Hobie still; his eyes couldn’t really get any bigger, but they were slowly filling up with tears. Hobie frowned, wondering if he was supposed to have known the kid from somewhere — it was becoming increasingly obvious the kid knew him, at least. “Hey, mate, whatsa matter, huh?”

“They told my mama that if I helped, they’d give her food.” Hobie paused at that, staring down at the kid with narrowed eyes. He laughed a bit, still not understanding, until a heavy hand landed on his shoulder to pin him in place. The kid scampered off a bit, running behind the stall he’d come from and hiding out; Hobie lifted his gaze straight ahead, seeing Gwen and Margo staring at him with horror in their eyes.

“On your feet, Brown.” Miguel’s voice hissed in his ear, and Hobie stood up slowly. Their eyes were still locked, Gwen looking conflicted about what was happening. Most of the group had walked ahead, which meant that Hobie was the only one in danger of being caught right at this moment; that could, and likely would, change the second they noticed the rest of his crew there.

Hobie threw his arm back, elbow digging right into Miguel’s stomach with a sharp force, and Miguel released his shoulder to stumble back.

“Run!” Hobie yelled, booking it past Miguel down the street in the opposite direction. He heard, faintly, Gwen giving the corresponding order (“go, go, gogogogo — ”) and knew that he’d meet with his group back on the boat, as usual. He ducked around another guard, heard Miguel’s yell of frustration and knew instinctively the man would be coming after him. The marketplace was fairly crowded for a late afternoon, and Hobie was sort of hoping to use that to his advantage in some way —

Something slammed into his side and Hobie stumbled into the side of a building. He narrowly missed the corner of it, and made to go on until a hand caught on his own. He twisted down to see Michael staring up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

“You didn’t go with Gwen and the others?” Hobie hissed, interlacing their fingers together and taking off with Michael. They dodged and weaved through the crowd, a bit harder to do since they wouldn’t let each other go as they ran.

“Didn’t wanna just leave you.” Michael told him breathlessly, and Hobie let out a chuckle that was barely heard.

“Shoulda just gone with Gwendy, I woulda met you back at the rendezvous point.”

“I know, I know.” They didn’t speak after that, too focused on running, but it wasn’t able to go on for very long. Miguel seemed to have found a short cut, because Hobie was slowing to turn into an alleyway one second, and then he was getting slammed into from behind the next. His hand was yanked from Michael’s, and he went down hard with the weight of the captain on his back.

“Finally caught you, punk.” Miguel hissed in his ear, and Hobie threw his elbow back; Miguel grabbed it before it made contact with his stomach again, pinning it down to the ground. His weight tipped precariously at one point, and then Michael grunted as he fell to the floor by Hobie.

“Get offa him!” Hobie snarled, fighting to get up so he could grab Michael. “Run, kid, get out of here. Get off!”

“Stop struggling!” Miguel snarled back; Michael got up again, trying to push Miguel off, but he was stronger. He shoved Michael back several steps; he stumbled, but didn’t fall this time. There was the sound of running doorsteps, and suddenly there were more guards in the alleyway.

“Let him go, what are you doing?” Michael yelled. “Stop it, let him go!”

“Get that kid out of here!” Miguel roared, holding Hobie down on his stomach even as Hobie struggled underneath him.

“Leave ‘im alone,” Hobie growled, “Michael, run — ”

“I can’t just — Miguel!” Michael stopped looking panicked, or at least as panicked, and the tone of his voice went from scared to authoritative. Hobie stopped struggling out of pure surprise; he’d never heard Michael use that tone of voice before. Even Miguel stopped, standing up and taking Hobie with him so he could blink down at this teen that was barely half his size. Michael was trembling slightly, but he stood straight and sure as if that would make it less noticeable. “I order you to unhand him. At once.”

Miguel burst out laughing, looking at the rest of his guards as if to say ‘you see this kid?’ before turning back to look at Michael with a bemused look.

“You order me?” He repeated. “You order me? Under whose authority do you order me?” Hobie threw his shoulders back in a test, and Miguel held him firmly. Just run, dumbass, Hobie thought frantically, trying to throw Miguel off again, just get out of here —

“Under my own authority.” Michael pulled the hood back, revealing himself fully to Miguel for the first time. Miguel froze, which made Hobie pause, because why would — “Prince Miles Morales, of Nueva Araña, demands that you release Hobie Brown at this very moment.”

“Your Highness!” Hobie grunted as Miguel dropped into a bow, forcing him down again as well. The other guards did the same, Hobie could see them out of the corner of his eyes, but he couldn’t focus on that right at that second. His mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what was happening right now. “It’s been a week, we’ve feared the worst.”

“Let him go, Miguel.” Michael — Miles — the prince said firmly, completely disregarding what the man said.

“That isn’t possible, Your Highness.” Miguel said as he stood up straight again. “This delinquent has been sentenced to be brought before the king and queen as soon as possible to face the consequences of the crimes he’s committed.”

“What crimes?” Prince Miles asked firmly. Miguel hesitated, only for a second, before bringing Hobie to stand as well. Prince Miles didn’t even look at him, and Hobie felt his face pull back into a dark glower; the prince, it seemed, had had his fun with them.

Miguel glanced around at his men, then met Prince Miles’s gaze head on.

“Kidnapping the prince, of course.”

Update.

Aaaah here we go. Hullo everyone, I'm not sure if any of you have noticed but I have been very absent the past week. Zero interactions, zero likes, zero reblogs, just zero interaction between both tumblr and discord.

I'm not usually one to talk about my struggles, especially regarding my mental health. I'm the type of person who closes myself off from the world, I will literally become a hermit and will refuse to acknowledge anything until the phase has passed. Unfortunately, it hasn't passed as of yet but I wanted to give an explanation or an update if you will on my absence. FYI I will be talking about very sensitive topics such as depression and suicide so please don't read ahead if you feel like you will be triggered by these. The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable with something I want to get off my chest. So I've added a keep reading just to be safe.

Not many people know this about me, but I am the type of individual who will hide all my feelings and self-doubts from the public eye, it's just something my brain has accustomed itself to as I don't want to be a bother to anyone.

Due to this, I have a habit of letting it fester and grow to a toxic level up to where I reach breaking point. I admit that has happened to me recently, I had been neglecting the signs. Work has been an ongoing struggle in itself with my mental health and anxiety which is forever ongoing, there is also the recent random drama that appears in blips within the community that has been a major red flag for me to avoid. And I will admit that I honestly burnt myself out making that pose mod, to the point that I have not opened Cyberpunk since I completed it several weeks ago.

I became a danger to myself, and as a result without warning, I woke up one morning with a sense of no belonging, a loss of hope and motivation for my future, the dread of having to get through the working day, and zero enthusiasm to do anything or get out of bed. Depression is nothing new for me, but this was the first time that I truly felt like it just wasn't worth it anymore. Have I had multiple suicidal thoughts to find peace? Yes, I have. Have I or will I ever act upon these thoughts? No, I haven't and never will. I myself have had first-hand experience of what it is like losing someone to suicide and I would not wish that upon anyone. To reassure you all, I am perfectly safe, I have very supportive family and friends close at hand and I am receiving help on the matter. I just felt that I needed to let you all know, as this is a big part of my life and I don't want to hide it anymore as I realise it is just unhealthy.

I don't want to seem like I am attention-seeking, far from it. Mental health is such a delicate subject and not everyone will agree and see it eye to eye. If you find this update of me sharing my biggest personal insecurity looking for attention? Fine, as long as it gives you the accomplishment of being a better person than I am. I'm just too tired of facing this alone.

I also want to say that I am very, very sorry. I have been absent for over a week and each day I have felt the guilt of not interacting with the tags I have received or giving all your content the love it deserves. I have also been very much absent on Discord, The server is always beaming with life and banter but I just couldn't find myself to face it, not just yet. I feel it is going to take time for me to get better and make sense of it all, I may still be absent from tumblr for a while but do know that I love you all very much and I do miss you. This is just one of those things that cannot be rushed.

<3

Hello, how are you?

So I had an idea for a scenario but feel free to change things up or even ignore it if you don’t like it !!

Basically, Jack is dating an influencer for a while and she gains weight, people notice and start posting negative things about her (including telling Jack that he should be with someone slimmer), so she gets a little insecure. Jack notices and makes an effort to let her know he loves her just the same slim or thicker - while they’re out together he keeps up his extreme pda, when they’re making love, he workships her and her body, and defends her publicly. Basically a scenario of Jack loving his woman 🥹

Again, do whatever you want with this! Much love 💕

A/N: this might be the best fluff request I’ve gotten 🥺🥺🥺🥺 probably cause it hits home but I loveeeee the idea of Jack loving on his girl a lil extra when she’s insecure 🥺😭🫶

None of the people in my writings portray the actual people I write about! It’s all a work of fiction, I have no idea how they are/act irl.

Warnings: smut, oral sex (f!receiving), penetrative sex (f!receiving), swearing,

I also wasn’t sure how to tag this, but there is a mention of reader’s slight struggle with food in relation to weight gain. I don’t go into detail, more of a slight hint towards readers mindset and how Jack helps out. However if this is triggering, please don’t read! ❤️

Also, I just wanna clarify as a writer that reader having insecurities in their weight doesn’t mean that the reader/character necessarily has to have an ED (reader doesn’t in this fic)! Just an FYI :)

———————————————————————

You and Jack had been dating for a while now, about a year and a half. He was everything you could’ve wanted in a partner. Sweet, caring, affectionate, understanding - of course you had your differences like every couple, but this had been one of the healthier relationships you had been in. The two of you kept your relationship on the low for a little over a year; neither of you wanted the hassle of being public just yet, wanting to enjoy the bubble you had created. You liked your privacy, and you also weren’t a fan of how your relationship would be attacked and picked apart once people found out; which is exactly what happened when they did.

You were nervous when Jack and you had agreed to go public; Jack was clearly more enthusiastic than you as he was mainly focused on not having to hide you anymore. You on the other hand were a little hesitant, not because you didn’t love him, but because you weren’t sure you could handle the criticism your way. This always happened to women especially, either your the famous girl and still get picked apart for choosing who to date, or you’re the regular girl who gets slandered for not looking a certain way or being in the industry.

Nevertheless, you went through with it, knowing you were ready for this step in your relationship. You received some love and some hate, which was better than expected to be honest. You were too enthralled in your bubble with Jack anyway. You and put on some happy weight being with him, which you personally didn’t have a big issue with, it was just felt a little more noticeable in your eyes. Your thighs were a little thicker and your tummy was softer, and face just a smidge fuller. It wasn’t until you had been photographed by fans and paparazzi at one point, unbeknownst to you. The pictures went viral, with people dissecting your body with vulgar comments about your weight gain. You really tried to not let them get to you, but they were everywhere. They swarmed your instagram, twitter, TikTok, all comments about your weight and how Jack should be with someone skinnier than you.

Jack saw all the comments, and hated that you were under all this scrutiny because of him. He just wanted to show off his girl, he didn’t think that far ahead that you’d be caught in the shitty mix that came with fame. You tried to play it off as if it didn’t matter, but Jack would catch you look at yourself in the mirror with shame and criticism, he hated it. You were beautiful, and so was your weight gain, he needed you to understand that. He knew you would deflect his comments, so he decided to show you in a way that he knows best.

Jack came up behind you as you were judging, poking and prodding your body. You let out a deep sigh as he wrapped his arms around your waist, fitting his face in the crook of your neck.

“You know I love you and think you’re the hottest woman alive either way right? Slimmer or thicker, I’ll never stop thinking you’re insanely beautiful and sexy.” He purred into your ear, rubbing his hand on your lil belly pouch. You frowned as he rubbed your belly. It was hard to see how Jack saw you, especially when the internet - let alone society’s stupid beauty standards - was hounding you for your size and body. You weren’t gonna disagree with Jack because you knew he wouldn’t let you go until you got it through your head that you were perfect the way you were - all and any versions. As sweet as his words were, you couldn’t shake that ugly feeling of judgement and insecurity. Though you gave him a small smile and a nod, Jack knew his words weren’t enough.

During the next few weeks, Jack was extra affectionate towards you. He always had a hand on some part of you -your sides, ass, thighs, back - caressing and rubbing the skin he settled on. The PDA was turned on high as Jack would start to make out with you, any time and any where he pleased, accidentally (not so accidentally) cutting off conversations at times. He couldn’t shut up about how beautiful you were, the love for you just spilling through his lips, faster than his tongue could keep up with. It was usually you who wasn’t the biggest fan of PDA, but now that you needed it more than ever, Jack was ecstatic to show you how much he loved you. Anytime you sat next to him, he’d pull you onto his lap, loving the weight on his lap as he’d kiss your neck and whisper stupid comments in your ear to try and get you to laugh. He’d litter your entire face with kisses after you’d take your makeup for the day, and softly groped and rubbed at your thighs when he ate you out in the shower. Jack would notice the little things too. He’d encourage you to eat half his meal if you got something healthy, knowing you really wanted something a little greasy. He removed the scale from the bathroom and hid it, and would leave little messages in the steam when you got out the shower - mostly ‘I love you’s and ‘no need to look in the mirror, gorgeous’, and ‘pretty mamas’, - words you needed to hear, no matter how much you tried to reject them.

He was also extra attentive during sex, especially.

“Oh god, Jack-“ you gasped, as he ate you out. He had started out by kissing up your legs, leaving hickeys here and there and moaning about how much he loved your thick thighs. That was until he was face to face with your sex. He let out a devilish chuckle before diving in. He wrapped his arms around your thighs, pulling you closer to him as he made a mess of your pussy with his mouth. You tried to push his head away, the sensation becoming too much, but Jack kept his grip on your thighs, pushing his face against your pussy even harder so his nose would put pressure on your clit - just how you liked it.

“F-fuck, J-Jack-“ you cried out as you came. Jack hummed, the vibration from his mouth making your toes curl and a stray tear slipped from your eye. Jack lifted his head from your thighs, and started to crawl up your body - his beard and jaw slick with your wetness. He kissed up your belly, smushing his face in it a little as he murmured out “I love your lil pooch. So soft and warm, one of my favorite things about you.” He said giving it a final peck before looking up at you. His blue eyes pierced into yours, making you shy your face away into your hands, feeling exposed at how vulnerable you were.

“You can hide all you want angel, s’not gonna make me stop loving on you. Though I’d really like to see your sweet face too.” He told you, gently removing your hands from your face. He smiled at you and you blushed as he leaned in for a kiss.

“I love you. So much y/n. Nothing will make me change my mind about that. I just want you to see yourself how I see you. Beautiful, sweet..” he said before laying kisses across your chest, taking his time with each breast.

“- so pretty, and all for me. Love these curves and the freckles on your face. Love these sweet, soft lil rolls of yours and these sexy stretch marks mamas.” He continued, and you felt your throat start to close up, recognizing the tell tale signs that tears were about to spill from your eyes. You let out a shaky breath as Jack continued his monologue, his cock slowly thrusting into you. You let out a gasp at his size, never truly ever getting used to the euphoric feeling of him stretching you out.

“You’re the most beautiful woman alive baby, and as your man, I should be making you feel like that every single day, I’m sorry I’ve dropped the ball a bit, won’t happen again. I promise sweetheart.” He whispered in your ear as he thrusted into you.

“You always make me feel beautiful Jack-“ you cried out softly, his dick nudging against that spot. “Fuck, just like that baby-“ you moaned softly.

“You’re too good to me.. you and your sweet pussy..” Jack groaned as his thrusts quickened.

“You deserve everything y/n, my good girl..” he moaned as you clenched around him. You came with a loud cry as Jack sneaked a thumb to your clit, sending you on overdrive. You whined and clawed at his back at the overstimulation, which made Jack smile.

You laid there, regaining your breath for a minute or two before Jack flipped the two of you over. He lightly tapped your ass which got him your attention.

“Sit on my face.” He said, guiding your hips over his head.

You furrowed your eyebrows, unsure about complying with Jack’s request as you didn’t want to rest you full weight on his face.

“Jack no, I’m too heavy for that-“ you started before Jack took your wrists in his hands, forcing you to look at him.

“Y/N. I don’t give a fuck, suffocate me for all I care, it’d be a blessing to die like this. I know what I said. Sit. On. My. Face. Now.” he growled, his tone deep and unwavering - you knew he was serious. His arms came to circle around your thighs again, pulling you down so you fully sat on his face. You quickly forgot about your insecurities as Jack’s tongue worked it’s magic in you. His tongue swirled and suckled on your clit, making you grind your hips into his face. Once he started tongue fucking you- you were done for. The way his soft tongue moved through your folds and lapped you up as well as switching up between that and teasing your clit by grazing his teeth along it, you squirted all over Jack with a loud moan of his name, your nails digging into the headboard and Jack holding your hips against him to help you ride out your high.

Jack helped you shuffle down his body and lay on him before giving your forehead a kiss.

“You’re my favorite juice to drink y’know?” Jack said after a moment of silence. You laughed into his chest as he continued.

“I’m serious, I could put this shit in a bottle and drink it every morning with my eggs.” Jack joked, and you looked up at him, giving him a gentle sensual kiss.

“I love you.” You told him.

“I love you more.” He said holding your gaze.

“Impossible.” You whispered as huh pecked his lips.

“Oh really? Want me to keep showing you? Cause you know I will, climb back up mamas-“ Jack challenged you.

“Okay, okay. How about we agree to disagree?” You suggested.

“No, I refuse, I love you more!” Jack said before littering your face with kisses making you laugh h until you couldn’t breathe.

“Okay Jack! I surrender!” You laughed with tears in your eyes.

“Good, there’s no way you’ll ever win that fight.” He said contently as he tightened his hold on you, pulling you in closer to his chest. He gave you another sweet kiss before rubbing your back until you fell asleep.

The next morning you woke up to Jack eating you out again, making you cum twice before told you ‘good morning’. He crawled up and kissed you passionately before separating.

“I’m gonna go get the shower started. You come in when your ready, alright smush?” Jack softly whispered as you were still coming down from your high. You nodded and heard him chuckle before feeling his lips press against your forehead. You felt his weight dip off the bed and heard his footsteps walk to the bathroom and turn the shower on.

After a minute you opened your eyes again. Rolling over, you grabbed your phone, wanting to check a few things before heading to the shower.

You tapped the instagram icon, opening the app, you eyes widening at what you saw.

Jack had posted multiple pictures of you two in a post with a caption that brought back tears to your eyes.

jackharlow: my girl is the baddest to ever do it. thick as hell, homegrown, and all mine. Don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m for sure the luckiest man alive. love you, stink. (p.s. fat phobia has never been and will never be the vibe. Fuck outta here with that shit.)

You smiled to yourself. He really fucking loved you. He didn’t have to do any of this, but he did because he did love you. And you loved him. That’s all that really mattered. You locked your phone and walked to the bathroom. You heard Jack humming to himself as you undressed and opened the shower door. You wrapped your arms around his waist and he turned around in your hold, smiling. The two of you held each other like that for a couple minutes. The warm water beating down on both of you as you relaxed into eachother.

“Thank you.” You murmured.

“For what?”

“Everything. The instagram post, for loving me, for putting up with me when I’m spiraling. For being the best boyfriend.” You said looking up into his eyes.

Jack leaned down and captured your lips in a loving kiss. He parted the two of you and leant his forehead against yours.

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s a privilege for me to love you. And me reassuring you that I love you and want you isn’t me ‘putting up with you’. You should feel loved and wanted by me all the time, it’s my boyfriend duties.” He said rubbing his nose against yours.

“Love you so much mamas, my pretty girl.”

“I love you too Jack, so so much.” You whispered as you felt him start to back you into the shower wall, hooking one of your legs around his waist, as he continued to show you how much he needed and craved you - and continued to show you for the rest of the week.

———————————————————————

Tag list: @hoodharlow @moody4world @watercolorskyy @lcandothisallday @harlowthot @triplexdoublex @thinkingaboutjharlow @bbyharlow @jackharlows-world @primadxna-girl @curlyhairclub @dessmxsworld @inluvwithladybug @babyharleezy @thysagclub

hey everybody...

...and to celebrate, I want to play an ask game!

I have a pinterest board full of images (currently 786, jfc) that give me gender envy for whatever reason. All you have to do is send me an ask with any number from 1 to 786 and I will find the corresponding pin and share it on this blog.

Might be something cool, might be something weird or embarrassing. Who knows! That's part of the fun. tbh I barely remember what's on here at this point so this will be an interesting game for me, too.

if you don't want any part in this and don't wanna see it, that's ok! It's within your right to be a party pooper 💙. I'll be tagging everything so you can go ahead & block/filter this tag

#trans bday 2023

aaaaand you should be all set! 😊👍🏻

There's more info & disclaimers, please give these a read before sending anything!

💀 i tried to put this under a cut, but tumblr is dumblr 💀

in no particular order...

I'll be opening my inbox & starting this game today (the 14th) but technically my trans birthday is tomorrow. we're playing early because I'm impatient and also it's almost 800 pins, guys! I'd like to see as many of them as possible so my inbox will stay open through the 16th as well.

when you do send in asks, please be patient because I will be scrolling through almost 800 images and trying to remember how to fucking count 😫🙏 in addition to trying not to be on my phone all day.

anon will be on!

you can send multiple numbers in one ask, just, y'know, be reasonable. like no more than 8, alright?

you can send as many asks as you want, the more the merrier! (not to sound desperate but please send asks lmao)

while my inbox is open, if anyone sends other messages and stuff I most likely will not respond to them! just FYI. <3

none of these images are explicit, if anybody is worried about that. idk, just wanted to make that clear just in case!

95% of these images were found just by scrolling through pinterest. they are not mine & so I have no clue whether or not they were stolen or reposted, so that's my big disclaimer. ✌🏻😔

if anybody wants me to share a link to a shirt or whatever: no ❤

That's all I can think of, so here we go! 🥳🏳️‍⚧️

I’m not too sure if I keep missing it but I swear you had a height chart to compare all the height from the characters in your Orca story? (And may I just say it’s so good, I didn’t think I would get as invested as I did but now I patiently wait for each update)

I fetched the post for you, I tag all orca related content except the main story „orcas“ fyi ^^

Glad you enjoy the story!!

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Not to mention, it might be remiss not to point out that there'll come a day when Lee moves on, however you’ll forever own a piece of this time in trendy purse historical past. This very trendy hobo from Bottega Veneta is an elegant method to carry your everyday necessities. However, I do wish to see the longevity and staying power of the baggage only for the truth that they're very expensive. If they had been rather less I would buy one now, but I are inclined to look to Loewe for understated as the worth point is a bit higher even if the leather-based isn't as superb. That being said I hope to own a Bottega some level soon. I simply wish to know if I can wait and get one for infinitely much less. My mom bought me a Dior Gaucho bag after I was a younger person and that factor price $2600 and now it’s $600. I like it, however I somewhat would have gotten a Chanel flap for the funding functions. We’re rounding up the most popular Bottega Veneta baggage that will help you find your subsequent handbag. Of course, unlike the true deal, this one isn’t made with precise leather—to every their very own, however personally, that makes me like it much more. Our mission at STYLECASTER is to convey type to the individuals, and we only characteristic merchandise we think you’ll love as a lot as we do. Please notice that if you purchase something by clicking on a link inside this story, we could receive a small fee of the sale.

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The Blood King and his Queen [7]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader

Romance, Angst, Drama

Word count: 2.4K

Summary:  From being a mere servant girl to marrying the scariest prince in existence, your world changed right before your eyes. Exchanging places with the princess, you knew, wasn’t going to be easy. But could you have found love on the way? Or was it never meant to be?

A/N: I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter because I think its my favorite chapter so far! FYI, if I don't update this series in a while, it'll be because I am working on an 18+ oneshot for a collab for Bakugou's birthday. So if that does happen, the regular uploads will happen after Bakugou's birthday. And let me tell you, its going to be S P I C Y~

But I can't express how surprised I am by all the love I'm receiving! I really wish I could respond to all your comments, but again, this is my side blog so I can't comment! If ya'll want to follow me on my main... please dont. LOL not to be mean or anything but I don't use my main at all and I don't post ever so there's no point in following me there :)

PLEASE ENJOY AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED TO THE TAG! JOIN THE FAMILY!

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Your heart physically dropped when he said that. You felt sick. Your palms were sweating and shaking. The air around you grew dense and you felt like you couldn’t breath. You couldn’t move for that matter.

Ruin?

What would he do to you if he found out that you weren’t really a princess? That you were a fake lying to him this whole time. It made you sick, just imaging every cruel thing he could do once he found out. But then you remembered, he wasn’t like all the rumors you heard. He was different. He was kind and understanding. He wouldn’t really ruin you if he found out, would he? You shook away the thought. The more you think about it, the more you were likely to get caught.

You were completely exhausted from all that labor you produced in a week’s time. Town after town, you were able to help his people even if it was just a little bit. But it sure depleted a lot of energy out of you. You don’t know if you’ve ever been this drained before in your entire life. It’s not like you had to do hard physical labor back at the palace. This experience was hard on you but also gave you insight on the prince and his kingdom.

Completely drained of your energy, you sat down on one of the tree trunks his soldiers brought for you at the camp not far away from the village you were at. The impoverished village didn’t have enough shelter as is, so you were left with no option but to set up your own shelter. It wasn’t a big deal to you anyway since that’s how you’ve been spending your nights so far.

All the soldiers had gathered around to take a breather for the night and drink away the stress. You weren’t a drinker, but enjoyed the atmosphere the soldiers created: fun and rowdy, like they didn’t give a care in the world. They were dancing on tables, clinking their drinks together, singing songs while hooking their arms around each other’s shoulders.

You laughed at the sight and stretched out your arms. How you wanted to continue the night away but your muscles were soar and aching. A physical exhaustion that you weren’t used to and didn’t want to get used to.

Bakugou was watching his crew from the door, arms crossed and enjoying his crew have fun. He was never the one to be center of attention, so he had his own fun from the back. He saw the way you extended your arms, faced wincing from how sore you were. Cute. It was your last night of volunteer work, why not end the night with something special?

You felt the Blood Prince’s breath sneak up behind your neck, sending chills down your spine.

“Tired?” he asks.

“Maybe just a little,” you admit. You look up at him and he’s giving you those soft yet piercing eyes. He goes to sit next to you and everything is just… peaceful. In that moment you felt content. You felt free. If this was how life was out of the palace, if this was more to life than just serving a spoiled princess, then you didn’t want to leave.

“I am impressed, princess,” Bakugou spoke. “This whole trip, you never, not once sat out. You helped the whole time. Are you sure you’re a princess?” he side eyed you.

“If I am not a princess, then what am I?” you asked back. (y/n), what are you doing? You could expose yourself and everything would be ruined! But for some reason, you wanted to be selfish. You wanted to know his reaction and how he would respond. Maybe you would give up your whole mission for him.

“An innocent and hardworking beauty that is not a princess. She is my future queen who will help me restore this kingdom.” He came closer to you, meaning every single word. Your eyes softened and you got emotional, almost to the point of tears. He’s smiling at you, but suddenly gets up. But gestures for you to take his hand. Of course you did.

“I want to show you something,” he says and leads you away from the crowd of people and into the woods.

You two were walking for a while, your hand in his the whole way. He hadn’t told you where he was leading you to but it had to be something special if he was dragging you to what seemed like all across the country to get to your destination.

“Your highness, are we almost there yet?” you asked, fatigue hitting you once again.

“Almost,” he responds, continuing to look ahead. You huffed and held on tight to his hand so you didn’t get lost or left behind. After a few more minutes of walking, you felt the air get hotter and thinner. Bakugou smiles in front of you, looking excited.

“We’re here,” he announces. He pulls back these huge leaves, revealing a natural hot spring. The water was clear enough that you could see right through it, steam rising from the water, and rocks surrounding it, creating this gorgeous, peaceful atmosphere. Your eyes lit up and a loud gasp escaped your lips.

“How did you find this place?” you asked, getting closer to the hot spring.

“You like it? None of my men know about this place,” he says.

“It’s beautiful!” you continue to gasp, feeling the water with your hands. The heat of the water made you giddy and you couldn’t wait to hop in.

“You deserve it,” Bakugou comes up to, whispering in your ear. His statement made you blush, but this time, you didn’t hide it. He smirks behind you and you heard something falling to the floor. You dare turn around to see Bakugou shirtless, discarding his clothes one by one. As if your face wasn’t hot enough, steam was coming out of your ears with embarrassment.

“What are you doing?” you freaked out, turning around immediately.

“Getting in,” he said in the most obvious tone of voice.

“Together?”

“You’ll be on one side and I’ll be on the other,” he points out a huge rock, separating the hot spring into two pools. That seems a little better, but the idea of soaking in a hot spring together with the prince was nerve wracking.

“Princess, you can enter first, if that makes you feel better,” he suggested. When you turn to look at him, he already had his back turn out of respect for you.

So you undress and enter the heated water, noticing that all your muscles relaxed and the aches started going away as soon as you hit the water. You lean the back of your head on the rock and allow yourself to fully relax and destress. You could hear water splashing from the other side of the rock, indicating that Bakugou had also entered the water. Humming in satisfaction. You grew deeper and deeper in the hot spring until your nose was sitting on top of the water.

“Princess, I realize that I don’t know your name,” Bakugou spoke. Your name? You stayed silent. Was it wise to use your own name or should you continue to play as the princess?

“(y/n).” you decided.

“(y/n),” Bakugou repeated, elongating your name as if he stopped saying it, it’d disappear from him forever. The way your name left his lips felt like butter to him. He couldn’t help himself from repeated your name over and over again in his mind. You giggled and looked over the rock, arms crossed and head resting over them.

“Your highness, allow me to scrub your back,” you offered. Bakugou waved his hand while shaking his head.

“Nonsense. You shall not attend to me. We’re here to relax,” he had to remind you. But you insisted.

“But I want to, Prince Bakugou,” you pouted, jutting out your bottom lip.

“The high and mighty princess wants to wash the blood Prince’s back?” he questions playfully. He glances back to see you resting on top of the rock, giving him your big doe eyes.

“If you insist,” he gave up. He turns his back again, making sure to give you the privacy you needed to be able to come over to his side. You make your way over to him, covering your breasts in case. When you got settled behind him, you started washing his back.

You expected Bakugou to have scars from his many battles he’s had, but you didn’t expect his back to be covered in decolored and deformed wounds. Unknowingly, your hands went up to caress each scar.

“Does that frighten you?” he asks.

“Not at all,” you tell him honestly. “I think it makes you very brave.”

A comfortable silence fell upon you. Only the sound of water running and insects in the background could be heard. That was until you felt poke your butt. The hairs on your body hiked and you screamed as loud as you could, rising from the water in panic.

“Princess!” Bakugou instinctively put protection mode on, shooting up from his place to see what the danger was. You immediately clung to him, Bakugou wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you close. What Bakugou saw wasn’t an enemy but rather, a wild Japanese macaque monkey poking his head out of the water.

“Shoo!” Bakugou scared the monkey out of the water and back into the forest. Bakugou grunted and relaxed his shoulders. “Damn monkeys. I thought they only came out during the winter season. Are you okay, prin…cess,” he looked down at you only for you to look up at him with your exposed chest fully pressed against his chest. Now this could easily be the most embarrassing moment of your entire life. Your face heated up with embarrassment and you let out another scream, using all your force to slap him across the face. Bakugou wasn’t expecting such a reaction and it caught him off guard. You put for much force into the slap that Bakugou flew back and fell into the water. You ran out of the spring, covering up as fast as you could.

Bakugou had never been so flustered in his life. He was a blushing mess and now the image of your naked breasts on him could not escape his mind. He needed time to calm himself down and a certain friend from getting too excited.

When you both had returned back to the rest of the crew, everybody had been knocked out cold from the alcohol. Thank goodness, because they couldn’t see how awkward you two were at the moment. That night, you slept in the tent again while Bakugou camped outside.

But you couldn’t sleep. How could that situation happen to you, out of all people? You weren’t sure how much he saw of your naked body. Maybe he didn’t see anything at all. But you saw the expression on his face, he definitely saw something. You covered your chest and closed your eyes. To think that a man saw your body and it wasn’t even your wedding night.

You felt the wind enter your tent, the chill making you shiver. If it was cold inside the tent, it must be extra cold outside. Bakugou was sleeping outside. You bit your lip in confliction. You wanted him to be warm but that means you had to confront him. Ah, fuck it. You opened your tent and saw Bakugou resting on the grass with his cape wrapped around him. And it wasn’t doing a very good job because you could see him shivering. He couldn’t hide it no matter how hard he tried.

“Would you like to come inside?” you invite him in.

“It’s for you, princess,” he reminded you.

“I understand. But it’s too cold to be sleeping out here. Please. I insist,” you urged. He opens one eye and sighs.

“As you wish, princess,” Bakugou gave in. You scooted over to make room for the large man to sleep next to you. Bakugou made himself comfy but he was a tad too tall for the tent that he had to have his legs hanging out. The opening of the tent revealed the big, bright moon overhead.

“I’m sorry for hitting you,” you apologized. Bakugou just lets out a breath.

“It’s whatever. I didn’t see anything, by the way,” he reassures you. Embarrassed again, you unconsciously covered your chest.

“You sure?”

“Erased from my mind,” he says as he closes his eyes and moves his hands around his head, as if he was erasing his memory. You laugh at his antics, more comfortable with the mood that was created. Bakugou laughs with you and turns to you, meeting eyes. This is the nth time that his heart leapt when you stare at him with those innocent, childlike eyes. He clears his throat and all of a sudden, his ears got red.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Bakugou professed. You blinked in confusion. You weren’t sure why he said that. Glancing up at the moon, you guess you could say that it was beautiful. It was a full moon, and shone brightly above your heads. You weren’t versed in the poetics so you couldn’t comprehend the message the Blood Prince was trying to get at you.

“The moon is especially beautiful tonight. But isn’t the moon beautiful every night?” you responded.

Bakugou looks are you in mortification. Fuck, did he just get rejected? His ears got hot and he covered his mouth with his hands.

“Yeah… yeah it is,” he agreed, embarrassed. He took a deep breath in and back out again to calm his beating heart. You look over at him to see him a little distressed. You softly smiled, another side you got to see of him. It was cute. You could feel your heartbeat starting to pick its pace up and that’s when you realized. Gathering up all the courage you could muster, you leaned over to kiss him on the cheek you slapped.

“Good night,” you quickly say, then turned over to face away from him. Bakugou stops everything in his tracks and is frozen. He couldn’t help but smile and fall asleep next to you.

The moment you made the decision to kiss him was when you knew that you wanted to be selfish. You wanted to become his queen and rule his kingdom together. You were going to forget your past life. You were going to forget this mission you were on. You were the princess now. That was his truth and you weren’t going to change it.

A/N: For those who don't know, the phrase "the moon is beautiful, isn't it" or 月が綺麗ですね is a more poetic way of saying "I love you" in olden Japanese. And then the response to that would be "I can die happy" or 死んでもいいわ. Just for reference.

As I said before, I absolutely love this chapter and I really really REALLY want to know your reactions and thoughts!

Spoiler: drama starts in the next chapter :)

If you'd like to be tagged, please let me know in the comments or DM me! and if you'd like to be tagged when my 18+ oneshot comes out, let me know too! I love you all!

Tagged: @superblyspeedydragon @melasnchz-things @animexholic @bkgwrites @sam-i-am-1025 @apexqueenie @katsukibabe @germfart3 @tspice283 @angie-1306 @bakugous-trauma @bakugousmrs @random-fandom-girl-24 @monetfatalia @triviajeongin @readingslumpfanfic @softredrobin @briefhoundpartynickel @bnhahegao

I... I don’t often call out anyone specifically using social media before, but... I saw this among the reblogs in my first post about MXTX novels English release announcement and I feel that this is just too much...

I’m not going to tag this with the fandom tags because this is literally just my personal rant, and I don’t want unpleasant things to appear when people are happily browsing the tags.

I also censored the person’s blog name. It’s not like I want people to mass attack them.

But I do have some things I want to say about this kind of mindset.

And this is gonna be a long post, so I’ll cut it with "Read More” later below as not to disturb anyone’s browsing experience.

Why do they have to split the books into multiple volumes?

First, you do realize that the original Chinese version and other languages versions are also in multiple volumes that don’t always be published on the same date, right?

SVSSS has 3 volumes, MDZS has 4 volumes, TGCF has 5 volumes.

With the English release, both SVSSS and MDZS get +1 volume while TGCF gets +3 volumes.

Why you ask?

Have you ever considered how long a single Chinese word would be if written in alphabets?

The word “人” in Chinese only needs 1 (one) character, while in English it would translate to “P E O P L E” = 5 (five) characters.

The word “知己” in Chinese only needs 2 (two) characters, while in English it would translate to “C O N F I D A N T E” = 10 characters, or “S O U L M A T E” = 8 characters.

Now apply this to an entire novel. FYI, TGCF has more than 1 million word count in Chinese, so you can do the math by yourself.

I mean, just go watch the donghua or live action in YouTube. One single sentence in the Chinese sub is often translated to two or more lines in the English subtitle.

And have I mentioned that the English release will have:

Glossary

Footnotes

Character Guides

And I’m going to repeat this once again: In China and other countries that already get their official releases, it is also NOT always all released on the same date as a single set/box.

So yes, (not) surprise! For the Chinese release and official releases in other countries, you also often need to purchase multiple times, pay shipping fee multiple times, and wait for certain period of times until all volumes are released.

It doesn’t only happen to MXTX novels, it happens to almost all novels, be it danmei or not.

Why don’t they just wait for translations to finish and release it all at the same time/as a box set? Why the span of two years?

On my part, I already say above that in China and other countries that already get their official release, it’s also not always published all on the same date.

Other than that, I’m not an expert at book publishing, much less when the publisher is not from my own country. But maybe consider the following:

They’re releasing 3 (three) hugely popular IPs all at the same time. Maybe the preparations take more time and effort to ensure everything is flawless?

Since it is very rare (or maybe never, cmiiw) for danmei novels to be published in English, maybe the publisher is testing the market first? Because if they already release them as a huge bundle from the start and it somehow flops, the loss would be very big. If it works well, then good! Maybe for future danmei release, they will consider making a box set or releasing them within shorter timeframe. 

In terms of marketing, if they wait another 2 years to release it all at once, will the momentum still be there? You can say “so in the end it’s all about money”, but if not sales number and money, what else should the publisher expect to receive for their work? They’re already putting a lot of effort buying all three IPs from the Chinese publishers, proofread or even translate some from scratch, pay translators, editors, illustrators, printing companies, etc. If it’s not selling well simply because they release it at the wrong time, aren’t all these efforts going to be wasted? And you can bet there will be no more danmei published in English if their first try already flops merely because of losing the momentum.

Are there any other rules or regulations they need to comply that prevents them from releasing everything in one go? But once again, even in China and other countries, it is also not always all released in one go, so this argument is already invalid from the start.

But they make it so expensive like this!

I’m sorry to break it to you, but I’ve compared the prices to MDZS Japanese release + TGCF Thai release and... The price isn’t really that much different.

Btw, I’m using Google’s currency converter, in case anyone wants to know where does my calculation comes from.

Okay, so here’s MDZS Japanese version from CD Japan:

One volume of MDZS Regular ver. cost 1760 yen. This is 15,96 USD before shipping. There’s only like $4 difference.

There’s also the Exclusive ver. that cost 3660 yen (32,92 USD) but we’re not gonna talk about that because they’re basically making you pay for the bonus, which is some acrylic panels and illustration cards.

Now here’s TGCF Thai version from Sense Book:

Translation using Google Chrome page translate:

One volume of TGCF costs 360 baht. This is 10.77 USD before shipping. So there’s about $9.22 difference.

Again, notice the difference of word/sentence length in the Thai words and English alphabet.

"But there’s still difference in price and other releases usually gets merchandise!” - Correct me if I’m wrong, but the US is probably one of the most expensive countries in the world. Do you think the materials, printings, and manpower cost is the same with other countries? Especially compared to one in Southeast Asia.

“But it’s xxxx times more expensive than the original Chinese version!” - Excuse me, the original Chinese version doesn’t need to pay for translators, proofreaders and editors with multilingual skills, and purchase the IPs? If you think it’s more worth buying the Chinese version, then by all means go ahead.

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

Some last words...

I’m not looking down on those in difficult financial situation, but hey, I’m not filthy rich either? I come from a third world country and even if I’m a working adult, I’m still in working middle class + I got my parents to take care of. My country’s currency is literally just a tiny 0.000069 USD per 1 Indonesian Rupiah.

Every single fandom merchandise that you see me bought, either I’ve saved up for that or I sacrificed other things to buy that. I just don’t show the struggle to you guys because why should I? I’m just here to have fun about the fandom I love, not to flex my struggling financial condition.

These official English release of MXTX novels? All 17 books are going to cost me almost HALF of my monthly salary. But hey, I think it’s a good thing that they didn’t release it all at once, so that I can save up between months to purchase them all and plan my spending better.

If you feel the price is expensive, especially if you have to ship from outside North America, consider the following:

Book Depository provide free worldwide shipping

The books’ ISBN numbers are all available in the publisher’s website, just show it to you local bookstore and ask if they can order it for you

Plus, there are already hundreds of generous fans doing free giveaways in Twitter, even the publishers are helping to signal boost this. You can go and try your luck if you’re really desperate.

Lastly, I know how much love we all have for our favorite fandoms, but remember that fandom merchandise is NOT your primary needs.

You are NOT obliged to purchase any fandom merchandise if you can’t afford it and you should ALWAYS prioritize your primary needs.

Also, if you still want to read the fan-translations that are still available, alright go ahead. But remember that the translators themselves already said fan translations in English are now illegal. You can read it. We all consume pirated contents at one point. But don’t flex about it and diss the official release just because you can’t afford it.

I don’t know if the person who made that reblog tags are going to come at me or not, but even if they do, I literally don’t care. I’m not gonna waste my time arguing with someone with that kind of mindset and will block them right on the spot.

Also Idgaf if they call me out or talk behind my back, I literally don’t know them, so I don’t care.

End of rant.

Who We Are - F.W.

Chapter Five: Your Facade

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four

a/n: its really outta pocket how late this is, but, i am sorry depression been hittin hard lately im going to try and upload around every three days now !

word count: 2.2k sorry short 

warnings: none! just fluff and a tad of uncomfy a lot of ground work for next chapter also this is a series specific taglist just as fyi

tags: @you-make-children-cry @bohemianspacebabe @levylovegood @louist-pics @rochellestark @hufflepuffzutara @weasleybeb @whoreforfredweasley @fortheloveofthecharacter @ayesha-mae @ma0422

“Darling! How I am so excited to meet you!” Before I could reply I was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by Mrs. Weasley. I was quickly pulled out of the train by the twins, barely able to tell Lee goodbye before I was being surrounded by redheads. If I didn’t know who they were I would have felt like I was being circled by vultures. Placing names to the faces I saw wasn’t so difficult, I knew all of the family from my time at Hogwarts, the only thing I didn’t know was who the two taller men behind Mrs. Weasley were. I only got a glance at them, they were both redheads, obviously of the Weasley clan. One had a dangly earring with longer hair that reached his jaw, the other was slightly taller and stockier, his hair wasn’t as long as the others but had more of a curl to it. They were engaged in a conversation I couldn’t hear or focus on as I was being pushed out of Mrs. Weasley’s arm’s. She held me at arms length smiling. 

“Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, it really means a lot to me,” I spoke softly, bringing one of my hands up to squeeze hers that rested on my shoulder. She nodded enthusiastically. She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Mr. Weasley. “No problem, not at all.” He said nodding down at me. He extended his hand which I shook gladly. “Oi stop coddling Y/N!” George spoke up from behind me pushing next to me. “Yeah we want to spend time with her too.” Fred said linking his arm around my shoulders. George let out a chortle that pulled my and Fred’s attention toward him. “I meant for mum to coddle us, you know, because we are her kids.” I felt Fred’s arm drop from around me and I glared at George who smiled wide and looked between us. “Alright children let's get going.” Mrs. Weasley clapped, pulling all of our attention towards her. I let out a short sigh and grabbed my trunk. The ride to the burrow was uncomfortable. I sat in between the twins in the backseat with some extra luggage. Fred started to rest his head on my shoulder around the halfway point which would have been cute if I could relax into it, instead it just made me feel more cramped. I shut my eyes, trying to relax my breathing as my nerves took over me, counting my breaths until we were there. Getting into the Burrow was a flash, moving bodies tumbling up the winding stairs. The house truly was a beauty to behold, seemingly stacked and held together by magic, the outside was remarkable. The inside felt like an ever present hug, little nooks filled with cushions and blankets could be found in nearly every room. It truly was cozy and everything I longed to feel in my own home. Home was void, it was a place where I stayed but it never made me feel the way the Burrow made me feel. “Now Y/N, go put your stuff in Ginny’s room, you and her will be staying together and with Hermione later when she joins us.” Nodding along to Mrs. Weasley’s words I followed Ginny to her bedroom. It was cute there were posters on the wall for quidditch and on her dresser she had a few stuffed animals, they had their fair share of tears and missing buttons but I’m sure that was just from use. “So what’s it like?” She asked as I set my bag down on the cot set up opposite her bed. “Being Fred’s girlfriend of course! Mum’s ecstatic, this is the first time one of the boys have brought someone they are dating home.” I felt heat and embarrassment crawl up my neck like a ferocious fire breathing dragon until my entire body felt hot head to toe. “No, we are just friends.” “Are you sure?” “Very.” “But George said-” “Kids! Dinner is ready!” Mrs. Weasley’s voice flooded the house and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding in. “Go ahead, I’m going to change.” Ginny nodded and left, shutting the door lightly behind her. Did the family think me and Fred were dating? Did Fred think we were dating? Multiple questions raced through my mind, each one making me grow hotter, but I couldn’t quite place why. I decided against my winter apparel, opting for sleep shorts and an oversized shirt. It wasn’t the cutest but it was the coolest thing I packed and knowing how many people were down stairs I could only assume how much hotter the air would get. Winding my way down the stairs and through the rooms I finally found the one filled with people. The family was surrounding a table where it looked like there was a feast right out of the Great Hall spread out. 

“Ah! Y/N, come! Sit sit, um here.” She pointed to a chair on the far end of the table, on each side were the two men I saw from before but didn’t know. Feeling nervous I nodded and went to take my seat. Luckily Fred and George were across from me and that calmed me a bit knowing the meal wouldn’t be met with awkwardness. Soon my plate was full and the entire family seemed to be going in between a big conversation and small ones on the side.

“You must be Y/N.” Said the man on the left of me. 

“Yes and you are?” He chuckled and sent a confused look to the twins, I followed his gaze and saw Fred looking rather displeased, sending him a glare.

 “Charlie, and that’s Bill.” He pointed around my shoulder to the man on my right. I smiled warmly and waved and he nodded with a sly wink. 

“I’ve heard about you two, you’re the oldest ones right? And you are in Egypt most of the time?” I asked Charlie in between bites of beans. 

“No I’m usually in Romania with Dragons, Bill is in Egypt working with his voodoo.” Placing my attention on Bill, silently asking him for confirmation. 

“I don’t do voodoo, Charlie is just being an ass, it's his specialty.” He was cut off by Charlie laughing, rolling his eyes he started again. “I’m a curse breaker, I work for Gringotts.” My eyes widened as I felt curiosity bubble up within me. If I had to guess I would have assumed that Bill was the one working with dragons, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, his tooth earring, leather boots, it just felt more fitting. Charlie's build definitely proved his occupation; I just would not have guessed it. 

“What does a curse breaker do exactly?” I asked. “Well obviously, you know, but are there any cool perks?” 

“Yeah Bill what are the cool perks?” George asked with a sly smirk, his eyes danced between Fred’s hostile gaze and his older brother, chuckling to himself.

“Yeah other than getting sunburnt.” Fred groaned. I sent him a look but he missed it too busy prodding around with his food angrily. George had an amused look on his face, obviously directed at his twins behavior but I couldn’t place why. 

“He knows nothing about burns, trust me.” Charlie piped up. He rolled up his left sleeve which held a scar that curved and danced up his forearm and around his elbow. 

“Baby Chinese firebolt, I was trying to put it into the incubator when it realized I wasn’t mama.” 

Dinner went on, Fred didn’t utter a word for the rest of dinner, just poked his food with a grimace on his face. I didn’t let his sour mood ruin mine, I was divested in conversation with Bill and Charlie, learning all about their jobs and travels. Bill told me about an old woman who made jewelry in the center of the town in Egypt where he stayed, he told me about how she imbued each item with a different magical property, some were protection charms and others were sister pieces used to send messages between  their owners. Charlie taught me about the different types of dragons and what it was like to work with them. They were both so kind, answering each question I had with a smile on their face. I was so divested in whatever Bill was telling me I didn’t notice everyone had left the table at that point. 

“Why don’t we move into the living room?” He asked looking around, I followed his eyes, noting the once lively table empty. In a weird way it made me feel cold, a shiver tore through me. 

“If you don’t mind I am going to find the twins.” I spoke getting up. He smiled understandingly. “I think Fred might be in their room, second level first door on your left.” I nodded, sending him a small smile as thanks. 

“Wait I said twins, not Fred.” I looked back to him, his smile evident as if he had just caught me.  

“I know.” He said, cheeky grin never leaving his features. I felt my cheeks heat up, turning on my heel I left and found my way to the stairs. Harry was watching Ginny and Ron play wizards chess in the kitchen, Charlie and Percy were arguing in the living room about the ethical uses of dragons as means of labor while their parents were both reading. I didn’t see George or Fred and took Bill's advice and bounded up the stairs. 

Knocking lightly on the door I was met with no response, tried again, nothing. Despite my better judgement I pushed the door open. The room is exactly how you would expect it, slightly messy with blueprints and products strewn about. On each side was a twin bed, one with green covers and the other with blue. On the right side Fred was laying on his stomach, head facing his wall and limbs falling off the sides. George wasn’t in sight. 

I tiptoed around the things on the floor and found his side, sitting down gently in case he was sleeping. There was a tension in the air that made me uneasy and I wanted it gone. I just wanted to spend time with him, I didn’t want to feel like I had to hold my breath. 

I ran my fingers through his hair, unable to hold myself back. I felt him let out a sigh under my touch. He began to shift, picking his head up and adjusting himself so he was facing me. 

“Hey stranger.” I said softly, sending him a smile. His face was unreadable, part way between smiling and frowning like he was fighting himself inside. He scanned me, up and down like he was trying to read my intentions by a quick look. 

“What are you doing up here?” He asked. His voice held no emotion and it stung slightly to see him be so blank with me. 

“I want to see you, we haven’t been able to hang out all day and I missed you.” I kept my head down as I spoke. A beat of silence rang throughout the room. I looked at him for an answer, my eyes met his and I watched the resolve fade away, like a barrier breaking beneath his exterior, his eyes lost their cool touch and they warmed up, returning to their familiar honey pools I know. 

“Get in here.” He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me down to his level. I helped him, situating myself around him, tangling my legs with his and putting my hands on his chest. Both of his arms were around me, pulling me into him like he hadn’t seen me in months, he buried his head in my neck, his hair fell across my face making my giggle at the feeling, realization struck through me as I evaluated his movements in his head. 

“Freddie are you ok?” I asked, my voice was more serious now but his behavior was just hard to read, it felt like since I met his family he had pulled back, the back of my brain was telling me it was because I did something wrong. 

“Yeah I just,” He paused holding his breath. “Please don’t let me go.” His words vibrated against my neck. I felt his arms tighten around me as he spoke, like he was in a dream he didn’t want to wake up from. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it Freddie.” I whispered back, deciding not to push it. Leaning down I placed a small peck to his ginger locks. I felt his mouth curve into a smile against my skin and it made butterflies erupt in my stomach. I felt giddy and drunk, being wrapped up in his arms, smelling, holding, being held by Fred. It was intoxicating and I couldn’t possibly wish for more. 

do it for them. [mind blind]

I sincerely apologize for any emotional pain I caused with this one. Kind of.

warning for suicidal thoughts on carmen’s part. it isn’t a large part of it, but be aware if you’re sensitive to that kind of content.

tagging @tayareum.

carmen wiseman (they/them pronouns) + nick wiseman. pre-game + chapter 4 spoilers. words: 4,083

-

There’s still dried blood on their knuckles from where they’d hit them. The rainwater hadn’t gotten rid of the evidence. Carmen turns their hands over, flicking the red spatter off of it. The office chair is hard, but they don’t complain. Nick’s stare of disappointment would be harder.

The bully in question has an ice pack over his nose, glaring at them and still sniffling something fierce in the chair opposite to them. Broken, probably, if the crack they’d felt when their fist connected with his nose meant anything. He deserved whatever came to him, tormenting them would get Benjamin nowhere. Their mind might be an unfenced daisy patch, but there was nothing in the rule book that said they couldn’t defend themselves. Sally wasn’t here to do it for them (Carmen was getting sick of the girl, she was everywhere. She was kind, but sometimes Carmen wanted to be alone. Sally didn’t know their personal space boundaries and their parents determined that Carmen would always be safer with her without even consulting them first) so they took matters into their own hands. At most, he’d left a few bruises from where his fist had connected with their chest.

It’s numb. They don’t feel it. They don’t feel much of anything these days.

Well, their parents would have some words for them over a phone call or something. That much they knew. They didn’t much care, but they knew.

The clock keeps ticking. The office secretary had said that Nick would be here soon to come and get them, and the principal would speak to him when he got here. Carmen’s loosely aware that means that he was probably in school when the school called their parents. Good for him then, they might as well just trudge home.

Another ten minutes pass. Benjamin’s mother is here now with the big heels that click and reverberate through the front office, glaring something fierce at them while on a call with her partner. Carmen’s eyes stay pinned on their hands, not interested in much else. Their phone is cracked to hell, it’d been in their back pocket when Benjamin had swung and they’d fallen back to the ground of the courtyard. The corpse sat in their bookbag by their feet. If they knew better, John would buy them a new one within the week. He was playing a losing game of earning Carmen’s trust back after leaving last year. Maybe he’d even buy them one of the new models.

Five minutes more, and Nick’s Aeon uniform passes by the office window. The door clicks open when the knob turns, and Carmen raises their head to look at him.

What happened this time? He asks silently, his matching grey eyes pinned on them. Relief floods through his body once he’s seen them, before frowning. Disappointed, but not angry. Worried. You’re not hurt then, thank God. Don’t tell me you started another fight for no reason.

Get out of my head, Nick, Carmen glares at their older brother, annoyed with the intrusion. He should know better by now, it isn’t as if they’ve been broadcasting how much they hate having him there, And it wasn’t for no reason, FYI.

Alright then, I believe you Carmen. I’m in your corner, you know that, He responds, giving them a soft halfway smile that tugs the corners of his lips up, We can talk about this when we get back home.

Carmen is a little taken aback that he doesn’t even sound exasperated with them. They would’ve expected it at this point, considering how many times they’ve been in this situation. This is just the first time since John and Hope left for Milwaukee, and the first time a kid had gone tattling to a school officer. Usually they got away with this, and Nick didn’t ask questions as long as they didn’t come home with a broken bone or something. Their brother is too good to them, and it stifles Carmen sometimes. It doesn’t make sense.

Another five minutes of Nick talking circles around Benjamin’s mother (who is stoically referred to as ‘ma’am’ by Nick. Carmen themself would have a much stronger word in mind), with occasional mind prods by everyone in the room but Nick. For once, they’re thankful he doesn’t use that power to make them even more uncomfortable than usual. Trampled over enough times, picking their brain for every little bit of information that they can pluck out of there (mostly on Benjamin’s part. Carmen should sock them in the nose again for good measure to shut up his nasally voice) until there’s nothing left Carmen can even say to protect themself.

It only reminds them that their mind has never been their own. They’re beginning to curl up on themselves again. They want to go home, they want these people out of their head. Ments have always been trouble, and today was no different.

Their hands start to shake in their lap as people talk over them, curling their form in on themself. It’s cold, the beginning of winter with the heating unit barely doing anything for the rapidly decreasing temperature in Chicago. Nearly Thanksgiving. The first one they’d spend without Hope or John. Just Carmen and Nick.

All because of them. The catalyst of everyone’s problem. Designated the problem child. And here they were again, in a school office, head thick with thoughts that they can’t control. 

What they’d give for two seconds to be normal. What they’d give to feel safe in their own home, in their own skin again.

Carmen doesn’t quite realize they’re quaking until Nick puts a firm hand on their shoulder, grounding them back to the present. His worried grey eyes are on theirs when they look up to him. Benjamin’s mother has her hands crossed over the chest of her obnoxious yellow pantsuit. The principal has his hands steepled on his desk. They hadn’t been paying any attention, it was easier not to when people could just read their mind.

They’re asking for you to apologize to Benjamin, Nick fulfills their question, maybe aware they’d zoned out as soon as they got loud, I know you don’t want to, and you shouldn’t have to for what he did, but you’ll sooner be home when you do.

“Sorry.” Carmen clips, not bothering to look at the pair. They aren’t sorry, he had it coming and they just delivered it. Benjamin had been bullying them since high school started, he was just the latest victim in a list of tormentors since middle school.

“Sorry for what?” Benjamin’s mother snaps. Carmen doesn’t know what the woman wants from them, other than to lie down and take whatever her son was dishing out, “I could sue, you know.”

“But you won’t. Because Carmen acted in self-defense, ma’am.” Nick retorts, “The only foul play was your son attacking them first. He’ll be fine, at worst he has a broken nose. That’ll heal.”

“I-” She stutters, before recomposing herself, “Just because you’re the Wiseman children doesn’t mean you can just get away with doing whatever.”

“We’re aware,” Nick glares back at her, as if asking her to challenge him again, “Again, Carmen wouldn’t have broken his nose without good reason. And from their testimony over the last few months, your son hasn’t been much better to them.”

She purses her lips into a line before gesturing to Benjamin, telling him they were leaving. Benjamin makes a show of being injured and struggling to pick up his backpack as the pair shuffle out the door. It clicks shut, and the tension flows out of Carmen’s shoulders. The principal and Nick exchange a few more words (probably a threat of suspension again. They skirt suspension every couple of months, at worst it’ll be another detention), before they’re able to leave the office.

Their knuckles had split upon impact. They only notice when they feel a twinge of pain spark up their hand when they throw their bag over their shoulder. It wasn’t Benjamin’s blood then (or not much of it), it was beads of their own that their skin was trying to scab over. 

It had started raining again as they trek out to Nick’s car. They choose not to stand under Nick’s umbrella, rain soaking them and their hoodie through. Blonde hair plastered to their face when they climb inside the small car. It isn’t until the doors are closed and Carmen is able to breathe again that he sighs, running a hand through his hair, “Button-”

“Don’t. Don’t use that damn name with me,” They snap back, their voice still quivering. He knows that they hate it, “I know John and Hope will be mad. I don’t care. They could come back down here if they want to, but I don’t owe them anything.”

He winces at the use of their first names, but presses ahead, “They never said what that kid did to you. I know you wouldn’t have done anything without reason, and I wanted to hear your side of the story.”

“I was thinking it, wasn’t I? You could’ve just plucked it out of there,” They pull their legs up to their chest, wrapping their arms around them, “You do it a lot anyway. It doesn’t matter what I wanted.”

He doesn’t meet their gaze for a moment, lapsing back into silence. Most likely internally berating himself all over again. Good, that’ll teach him not to go rooting around in their head without permission. That’s not unusual, hopefully he starts up the car so they can just go home.

He doesn’t and Carmen inwardly groans. They hate having these conversations with Nick. Their older brother wields guilt like a battering ram, and Carmen’s having enough of a time dealing with their own problems without Nick adding this on, “I know things have been difficult since mom and dad left. And I’m sorry if I haven’t always been here for you, I’m trying my best. No matter what, we’re family,” He hesitates, but gently reaches over to touch their shoulder. Carmen flinches away from the touch, and Nick retracts his hand with a disparged look. Hurt glances off his grey eyes, and guilt roots itself in Carmen, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here for you when you needed me.”

“No one ever is. I don’t need everyone treating me like a child, Nick. I’m not stupid, and I’m not weak either. You and Sally are determined to think that I am,” Carmen responds in protest, their voice cracking, “One of these days you’re going to realize that, and you’ll back off. You can’t protect me. I might be a zero, but I’m not incapable.”

“No, you aren’t. I just don’t want you hurt, Carmen. You can’t punch everyone that...” He trails off, maybe thinking again, “Takes advantage. I know you can protect yourself, but who’s to say there isn’t another Alan Chung out there? I don’t know what I’d do if...”

He doesn’t quite look at them, but they get the idea. A shiver runs up their spine at the thought. Nick is right, there were Ments like Alan who were far more sinister that wanting them to shove a pencil up their nose. Carmen would be a fool not to acknowledge that.

“I know, Nick.” Is all that they answer. They know their older brother toils over that, especially after he found out. It’s an experience they never want to relive again, nor Hope’s...incident. 

27 minutes. Exactly 27, and they remember every excruciating detail of the ordeal. The thought of that happening again with someone that wasn’t Hope is the terrifying bit, being left for dead somewhere that their family couldn’t find them. Nick had been there though. He’d been the person they regained control to. They still remember the cold floor once they could feel again, and the tears that streaked their cheeks that Nick carefully brushed away. Even though they’d run away to sleep after that, he’d still been sleep outside the hallway in the morning -- in case they needed him during the night.

Deep down, they know that he cares. And that’s the only reason that he holds so tight to them. Their family was torn apart, and Nick and is the only person they have left. But Carmen can’t keep living in a world where they live in metaphorical bubble wrap in the form of their older brother and best friend. Independence is what they strive for, not codependence on someone else.

At this point? They wouldn’t mind if Gray stole him for days at a time. The guilt that Nick has thrown away what he could’ve had for them is probably the reason they’re so bitter. Or at least that’s what their therapist told them. How right they are depends on the day and just how introspective they feel. The therapist had once asked whether they actually loved Nick or not. That it was okay not to have feelings for him, or possibly ones that weren’t entirely tangible. 

Carmen knew their answer. It was harder to say it with the guilt scratching at their throat. Harder to even pronounce the words without remembering just how much stress he was under at Aeon and dealing with them whenever he came home. They weren’t the easiest person to deal with.

Somedays Carmen wonders if they just disappeared, whether Nick would be happier. He could live with their parents again, and they’d be a happy family of Ments. Without them.

Somedays they just want the pain to finally go away. That ache in their heart for normalcy never quite fades. Dull, always pounding away until Carmen can’t take it anymore.

Static fills their ears.

They wonder if the world would be any better if they weren’t in it. Sally could have other friends. So could Nick. That damn principal wouldn’t see them every other weekday.

“Button?” Nick pulls them back into the present before they can spiral. They’re thankful. They don’t need to start crying, not in front of Nick.

Carmen shakily sighs, regrounding themself in the car, “You hold so damn tight. I know why, but I don’t want to suffocate. I’m my own person. Seventeen years. I’m not a baby, don’t treat me like one.”

Nick smiles softly, if not also sadly, “You’ll always be my baby sibling, you know that. I can’t just turn that off, Carmen. No matter how determined you are to push me away, I love you. I always will.”

Carmen finally looks at him directly, resting their head on their knees, “I know. I-” heir breath catches, before they find their words. I love you too. They think it louder than they mean to, and Nick smiles upon hearing it, “And that’s what makes it so insufferable sometimes. I want to live for once, Nick. You shouldn’t have to hang onto me so much. I wouldn’t push if you didn’t force this.”

“Yeah,” He answers, shaking his head as he resigns to looking out the windshield, “Maybe I shouldn’t.”

They fall into silence again as Nick starts the car, the rumble of the engine drowning out any remnants of their conversation. Carmen unfolds themself enough to fasten their seatbelt across their body, propping their head up with their hand to look out the window as they pull out of the school parking lot. 

“Gray’s not over today,” He offers as a white flag when they’re halfway back to their home. Carmen is nearly happy to hear the news, “We could make cookies, button. Snickerdoodles.”

Nick has, inevitably, caught their attention. Probably exactly what he wanted to do. They hadn’t eaten today, not with the vultures of their high schools swarming around just waiting to get the drop on them. And cookies sounded far better than the cold eggs and hot sauce in their lunchbox, “Don’t you have to go back to school?”

“Classes have been out since I came to come and get you. I was thinking I could drop you off at home and then I could go shopping for this week,” He muses to himself, mood lifting, “It’s nearly Thanksgiving again. I have an excuse to make an ungodly amount of snickerdoodles, and not have dad asking questions.”

Carmen knows what he’s doing, by rattling off every cookie in existence and they roll their eyes. Considerate of him not to invite them to the shopping trip after the day’s events. Nick always makes cookies when he’s stressed, or he knows that they’ve had a bad day. 

Maybe it’s a mix of both today. 

Carmen’s altercations stagnate after that event. And every time, Nick is always there for them. Sometimes they talk, and sometimes they don’t. This time, they do. But he drops the subjects once they’re inside the house and away from the rain. They shake their heads like wet dogs. It nearly makes Carmen smile. 

He hesitates by their room once they shuffle their wet articles of clothing off and onto the hooks by the front door, “You should really get a shower. Or maybe bundle up, you’ll get sick.”

“I know.” They say, unzipping the sides of their boots and stepping out of them. The blanket that he’d bought them for Christmas last year has their name written all over it. They intend to climb in and hibernate for a bit. At least until the snickerdoodles are done. Maybe call Sally. They acutely wonder where she had been all day -- not that they could blame her for what happened.

He bites his bottom lip out of habit, before extending his arms to them in a silent invitation for a hug with a crooked smile. As if to say, ‘Please?’ with his eyes.

Carmen wants to retreat. They don’t like physical affection from anyone, especially with wet clothes as the cold seeps into their bones. Nor do they really want to hug Nick of all people.

His hands fall to his sides with a ‘Oh well’ sort of look, though the hurt still shines through as bright as a beacon. Before he can turn, they carefully put their arms around him, pressing their head to his chest. Startled, he doesn’t respond for just a moment before leaning his head against theirs and wrapping his arms tight around their form. Just for second, long enough that their shirt is clearly stuck to them and they pull away without a word.

Their brother is holding back a smile as he looks at them, then turning over his shoulder, “Let me change, and we’ll have a batch of snickerdoodles in no time, button.”

Carmen stands there for a moment, watching until his retreating form disappears into the rest of the house. They drag themselves back into their room, closing the door behind them with a soft snck. 

Now alone with their thoughts, it’s impossible not to slide down their door to curl up again, knees pressed to their chest as hot tears well up in their eyes. What they would do without Nick, they aren’t sure. They don’t know anymore. No one knows what lies ahead for Carmen, not Nick, not Sally, not John, not Hope, no doctor on the planet knows. All they know is that they’re a zero, that they’re powerless and they need to be protected. They’re loud and need someone to quiet them. 

They want to feel alive again. Crawling their way out of the hellhole that is their mental state these days proves more and more difficult. Ending it all seems like the clear choice. Putting Nick through that pain is what keeps them around. They couldn’t live with that.

Carmen flickers their cracked phone screen on after a moment, the light nearly blinding them in the dark and cold room as they sink into their hoodie, turning the brightness down. Six text messages from Sally in the last day, all some variation of her being worried about them. Another one vibrates their phone,

sallymeister (17:30): nicholas says ur home now. hope he gave a verbal beatdown to that ben kid n his mom. kinda hope you gave him one too 😤 sallymeister (17:30): wanna get on a call? its 2 quiet w/o u around

A pause,

sallymeister (17:31): or not. up to u. just want 2 make sure ur ok wisefry

Carmen fishes their earbuds out of their soaked bag, sighing at the use of the nickname. Once the call connects, Sally launches into a retelling of her day (nasally -- she’d been out sick). Carmen is nearly happy to hear her voice on the other end, filling the silence and encroaching thoughts in their mind. Her cheerful story at least reminds them that Sally cares. Even if they don’t want Sally to be the only person around, Nick calls them for the cookies an hour later, their eyes still burning, but now dry of tears.

Carmen passes by too many photos of their family on the way into the kitchen, the eyes they share with Hope following them around wherever they go. The room smells heavenly though when Carmen steps in, Nick already with a cookie in his mouth before silently shoving the plate of still warm snickerdoodles over the counter. He leans against it after untying his apron.

“I thought you were going out for groceries.” They say, carefully picking one up as it starts to fall apart.

“I was, but that can wait until tomorrow,” He answers, “That storm isn’t going anywhere.”

Carmen makes a noncommittal noise, chewing on the cookie and pulling themself up into a stool on the island. There isn’t much they can say, not when they were considering the unthinkable only a few minutes ago. What Nick would say if they told them exactly what bounced around in their head all the time, they don’t want to think about it.

Carmen doesn’t remember if they’ve ever seen him cry.

“Want me to redo your hair?” He asks, swiping another cookie off the plate, “Your roots are showing again.”

“Maybe.” They answer. They hadn’t realized. They hadn’t really cared either.

“Going for a different color this time? We could do orange. Or neon green.” He offers, chuckling to himself. The thought arrives anyway, as much as Carmen grits their teeth, Are you going to be ok, button? I heard you all the way in here.

Great, so I’m still loud? They ask, glaring back at Nick but too tired to put up a real fight.

No. I’ll always worry, it’s my superpower, he slides his hand across the counter, offering it to them with a smile, Let me be here for you.

After a moment of hard deliberation, Carmen accepts, slipping their colder, smaller hand into Nick’s warm and inviting one. His fingers intertwine with theirs’, squeezing, I love you button. Even if you don’t me, I always will.

-

Their backpack is by their feet again. A different one. 

They’re the one in the Aeon uniform now. They’re hunched over, they can barely breathe in that stupid hard chair by the bed. They wanted to leave, they don’t even want to be in this stupid cramped little room.

Their phone is cracked again, scars running up from the impact point. Fallen from a balcony, shattered the screen. For some reason, they feel like John won’t be buying them a new one. It wouldn’t be his priority at least. Carmen isn’t sure they mind. The phone doesn’t matter right now.

Their hands are shaking in their lap again, their body is so tensed that they feel like they’re a rope pulled taught -- just waiting for it to snap.

They’re the one reaching for Nick’s hand this time. 

It’s too still. These were the hands that hugged them, that made them cookies, that made them lunch every damn day. That had this morning, even though they turned it down.

That ventilator’s wheeze punctuates every moment they sit there hesitating. Every moment that they hear their heartbeat in their ears, knowing that if they tried, they wouldn’t be able to feel their brother’s.

Nick, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.

They can’t believe their last words were for Nick to just leave them alone. Their throat is closing up as tears bubble up at the corner of their eyes, threatening to spill.

Nick, I love you. Please. Don’t do this. I love you so much.

I need you.

Carmen intertwines their fingers with Nick’s, holding him so tight. His hand larger, but their hand fitting like a glove.

He doesn’t squeeze back.

After the Lonely

So I wrote safehouse-ish JonMartin a while ago (like technically it’s that gap between the lonely and the safehouse), but I was *not* going to be sharing my TMA fanfic because time and energy but… now I kind of want to? Like I found it comforting to write and maybe other people will find it comforting to read :) 

FYI my head canon is that they never slept a night apart after Jon pulled him out and things happened FAST. NEVER SAID IT WAS HEALTHY <3 (I feel like I need this disclaimer on all my JonMartin posts sdjkfhdsjk but maybe it’s obvious)

Will eventually post on AO3 and add link later. 

Read on AO3 here!

I wasn’t sure how long was too long for one post, so four posts for now (only this one tagged):

Part 1 here (1865 words)

Part 2 (915 words)

Part 3 (1251 words)

Part 4 (2026 words)

I’m working on some post-canon fix it too if people like this

Summary: After Jon saves Martin from the depths of the lonely, Martin accepts his invitation to go home.

CWs: discussion of loneliness, discussion of sexuality (up front, Jon is ace here), discussion of canon character death, brief mention of scars, general anxiety/comfort… let me know if I missed anything!

***

The Magnus Institute was on fire. Part of it was, anyway; smoke poured from a broken third story window. The more Martin stared, the more he realized the extent of the damage to the building: an entire section of wall had blown out, and a small but insistent stream of water flowed over the edge of the gaping hole.

Honestly, he hoped it all burned, hoped it collapsed into a pile of ash and ruins. His only regret would be that he hadn’t been the one to light it up himself.

Martin and Jon had only just emerged from the tunnels a short time ago to find the archive deserted. Toppled shelves, broken furniture, and scattered papers greeted them; shell casings had littered the floor. Martin had swallowed involuntarily when he caught sight of a deep crimson stain on one of the rugs.

I’m surprised you came for me with all this. Martin had meant only meant to emphasize the damage, but after he said it he realized the truth of it. He was surprised.

Of course I did, Jon had replied, almost bitingly, and Martin hadn’t known how to respond.

The main floor of the Institute had not fared any better, but unlike the archive had not been abandoned—quite the opposite, in fact. Police (sectioned, Martin thought, or they will be soon), emergency workers, and other less identifiable uniformed officials had swarmed the place. A few spoke quietly among themselves, while others, deeply engaged in their tasks, paused occasionally to take notes on clipboards or tablets or whatever they had handy. None had so much as glanced at them as Jon had hurried him on toward the large glass doors at the front of the lobby. Of course, there had been no sign of Basira or Daisy, and Jon had not suggested trying to find them. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it couldn’t have been a good thing.

He shifted his weight uncomfortably in the street. He didn’t want to look anymore. He coughed.

“So… now what?”

He turned to face Jon, standing at his side, who continued to stare toward the building. He appeared to be looking more through it than at it; his eyes were focused on something in the distance. When he finally spoke, his words were marked by exhaustion.

“We should go back to my flat. I—I don’t think it would be a good idea to be apart just yet.”

Martin turned the words over in his mind. What did he mean, not a good idea to be apart? A prickle of resentment rose up inside him. It wasn’t what he wanted to feel right then, but there it was, and he was too raw to negotiate with it. What was Jon not telling him?

“Jon, wait. Are we in danger right now? Because if we are, after everything we’ve just been through, I would really hope that you would just—”

“No. Martin, no.” Jon spoke louder, cutting Martin off. “We’re not in any danger, not right now.”

“Then why—” Oh. His indignation rapidly drained away, replaced by awkward embarrassment. Of course, Jon would take pity on him. It wasn’t the first time. “I get it. You don’t want me to be alone.”

Jon finally turned to face Martin, meeting his eyes directly for the first time since they had walked away from what remained of Jonah Magnus. “That’s not it.”

Martin faltered, warmth rising uncomfortably in his cheeks despite the chill air. “No?”

Jon sighed, mercifully shifting his gaze back to the building. “No. Well, I mean, I don’t want you to be alone, but what I mean… I don’t want to be alone.”

Before Martin could really consider, Jon sighed again in growing frustration. “No, that’s not what I mean either. It’s not—I want to be with you.”

Something like shock washed over Martin, a first wave and then a second that made the feeling drop from his stomach. He opened his mouth to respond, but his voice had simply left him. He stood, paralyzed, until Jon spoke again.

“Please. Will you come?”

It was almost like—well, like Jon didn’t know the answer. How could he not know the answer?

Martin swallowed hard, followed by a deep breath, unfreezing himself, desperate to provide reassurance.

“Yeah. All right. I mean, of course. You just caught me a bit….” He swallowed again, took another breath. “Thanks for saying it. That you want me there, I mean.”

Jon exhaled slowly, then nodded, eyes still on the pavement. “It’s not far. We can walk.”

They walked in silence, Martin remaining a half step behind Jon. Partly this was because he didn’t know where Jon lived now—he had deliberately avoided learning that information since Jon had woken up, it might have been dangerous—but mostly he didn’t want Jon to see him. Even if Jon couldn’t know his thoughts, his face would tell everything.

I… I told him I am in love with him. Well, I guess I said I loved him, but I mean, it was clear right? Was it clear?

And what about him? He said he needs me, that he doesn’t just want to survive, and I thought… but what does that mean, really? I guess that’s not so clear either, now that I think about it.

But also, he could have just left me, and everyone else would have been fine, maybe better. I could have been alone, forever, and it would have made no difference to anyone. He should have run, all things considered. He—

Wait, is there a couch? Do I sleep on the couch?

I’ve barely spoken to anyone in months. What if I can’t anymore? What if I can’t talk to him anymore?

Martin shook his head. He tried concentrate on the sound of their feet on the pavement, noting that they had fallen into the same rhythm. Had he done that?

Is that weird? Is that—

“Stop,” he said.

“Hm?” Jon turned his head to look up at Martin, slowing his pace slightly. “What?”

“Oh, nothing, I’m—just talking to myself, I guess. I’m sorry.” Martin shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket, aware again of the cool night air on his hot face.

“It’s all right, Martin. You’ve—well.” Jon reached out his hand and gently touched Martin’s arm. Despite several layers of fabric between them, Martin could have sworn he felt the warmth of his fingers. His shoulders untensed just a bit; he hadn’t even realized he had drawn them up. “We’re almost there. See that building just after this one?” He pointed, and Martin recognized the building up ahead.

“Oh, wow.” Martin was a little taken aback. “I actually—I had a friend that lived there once. Well, it was a while ago now, but this place was pretty nice then. I’m kind of surprised you’d—well, I mean, before you were living in that studio with basically a desk and—”

“Don’t get too excited, I still have ‘basically a desk’. It was… convenient. Close.” There was a hint of tired amusement in Jon’s voice, and he squeezed Martin’s arm lightly before letting go.

“Jon, can I ask… why did you get a place after you came back? I mean, with everyone else staying at the archives—I was surprised you didn’t. I mean… when you were around.”

“You weren’t staying there.” Jon paused before continuing softly. “And the others—they didn’t want me there. Not really.”

Martin didn’t answer him. He couldn’t argue, because he didn’t actually know how the others felt; he’d worked so hard to push them away. He reached toward Jon’s back, wanting to comfort him somehow, but hesitated. He finally gave up, letting his hand drop as he followed Jon the rest of the way in silence.

The first thing he noticed when they entered Jon’s flat was that there was, in fact, a couch.

“So, um…” Martin began, closing the door behind him. He was just going to ask before he fell apart again. It was a stupid thing, it was small, there were so many big things to deal with and it really didn’t matter. “Should I—”

Jon turned and caught his eyes for the second time since they had walked out of the Institute; Martin fell uncomfortably silent. So much for not falling apart. Jon studied his face carefully, thoughtfully, before he finally spoke. “One of us could sleep on the couch. Plenty of room in the bed, though. If—if you want.”

Did he… did he know what I was thinking? Martin decided it didn’t matter for the moment. He was pretty sure he’d been looking at the couch when he started talking, that could explain it. In any case, the answer came a lot easier than he thought it would.

“Yeah. Okay. If you don’t mind.”

Jon nodded his head in assent, and turned away to pull off his coat. Martin exhaled in a sort of relief, reaching for the zipper on his own jacket. So I guess that’s happening, he thought. That’s… good. It was a bit overwhelming, but not as much as the thought of sleeping by himself, after everything that had happened. And not what had just happened, but the months before that, too. He had just been so alone, for so long. A familiar ache filled his chest.

I have been so lonely.

“Martin.” Jon called him back into the moment. “I want to tell you—well, I’m glad you’re here, and… well, I hope you understand if I can’t stay awake. It’s been—”

“Oh, no, that would be great,” Martin interrupted. “It would be nice to see you actually get some sleep.”

Jon’s answering look made Martin wonder for just a moment if he had said something wrong, but then Jon was reaching for him, touching his face, his cheek. The ache in Martin’s chest began to burn. He gripped Jon’s wrist, gently at first, then firmly, turning his face into the open palm.

Do not cry, he told himself, just not tonight, do not cry. He closed his eyes, breathing, breathing, just breathing; Jon was so close…

“Martin—”

“I’m fine,” Martin said, patting Jon’s wrist roughly as he let go, breaking away. “Honestly, I’m fine. Right. Um, sorry, where’s your toilet?”

Jon stepped back, letting his hand drop. Martin could see he was concerned, but he didn’t push it, for which Martin was extremely grateful. He would talk about it, he wanted to—just not that night. Not right then.

“Oh, of course. I wasn’t thinking. It’s that—that door right there.”

“I didn’t bring a toothbrush.” What? Martin could have kicked himself. “I mean, that’s stupid, of course I didn’t bring a toothbrush, but—”

“There should be an extra under the sink, if you want one. Feel free to, um… use the toothpaste, too?”

Thank you, Martin thought. Thank you, Jon.

“Great, thanks.” Martin started toward the door Jon had pointed to. “Go ahead and lie down, ok? I know you’re tired. I’ll be right there.”

“All right.” Jon nodded. “End of the hallway. When you’re ready.”

Go to Part 2

One Step Back - Prologue

Hey guys. This is the Clark Kent fanfiction that I posted about a few weeks ago or whenever that was, the Clark Kent x ex-fiance/ex-best friend! reader. The first few parts are going to be more focused on Clark just FYI until I officially introduce Y/n. This story is supposed to take place after the movie Justice League. This is the Prologue and I’m just going to warn you, it is pretty long.

I haven’t written anything in a while and certainly not something this in depth so please be kind. If you want to be tagged please let me know.

Big shout out to @singeramg for being so encouraging and helpful through this process. Couldn’t have done with without her. Enjoy!

Clark sat in the living room he shared with Lois and stared off into the distance. He could hear Lois talking but the words weren’t computing for some reason. It all sounded garbled, like she was talking underwater. Magazines were spread out on the coffee table as well as binders and other paperwork. The coffee in his cup has gone cold long ago but still he gripped it like it was the only thing anchoring him in the room. Since he came back and was able to take a moment and relax because the world wasn’t in danger of being completely obliterated, there had been one thing and one thing only on his mind. He had been withdrawn and distant and there was no doubt in his mind that if Lois hadn’t been so busy being the ground-breaking journalist that she is and also trying to plan their wedding that she would have confronted him about it already. She wasn’t exactly shy about getting the answers she wanted, one of the many reasons why she made such a good journalist.

He took a deep breath and set down his mug. Clark felt guilty that he hadn’t been more present. He loved Lois and he knew he should have been more active in their wedding planning but he had such a difficult time concentrating recently. His eyes flitted over to her and he felt such adoration seeing her speak so passionately about something she cared about. The guilt gnawed at him knowing that she was talking to him about their biggest day in their life and he couldn’t even be bothered to listen because of how distracted and overwhelmed he was.

“What kind of flowers do you think we should have?” He flinched at how loud her voice seemed now that he was well and truly listening.

His eyes widened at the question. Flowers. He hadn’t really considered that for some reason. Did Lois have a favorite flower? Clark couldn’t remember. Every bouquet he’d ever gotten her had a variety of kinds and colors. Did she like roses? Tulips? Lilies? He could honestly say that he didn’t know. He mentally berated himself, that was something he should know about his fiancé.

“Clark? Did you hear me?” She asked.

He gulped and cleared his head of all his jumbled thoughts before just saying the first one that popped into his head. “Marigolds.” His voice cracked at the word and he nearly felt his heart beat out of his chest at the thought.

Lois laid her hand on his and it took everything in him not to wince at the feeling. Ever since he’d come back from the dead his senses had been extra sensitive, especially touch. “What did you say honey? I couldn’t hear you.”

Clark shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. He was finding it hard to open his mouth and repeat the word he had just said. His hand reached for his mug and he took a big gulp of the cold coffee, wincing at the temperature and taste before clearing his throat again. “Marigolds. I think they would be nice for the wedding.

“Hmm.” She retracted her hand and pulled out her phone. Her nose scrunched up and he could see from his seat that she was looking them up online. “I don’t know. What about tulips? Those of my favorite.”

He nodded his head but inside he was wincing. “Sure, that sounds nice.” He was disappointed, he couldn’t believe that he didn’t know her favorite flower.

She smiled and he noted that while her smile used to make him feel lighter than air, which is saying something considering he can literally fly, but now he just had a sinking feeling in his chest. Lois stood, grabbing her empty mug and his half drunk one and taking them to the kitchen. He could hear her turning on the sink and washing the cups. “I was thinking red.”

He turned his head toward the kitchen in confusion, his brow furrowed. “What?”

“Red for the color of the tulips silly. What else?” She laughed. “What do you want for dinner? I was thinking Chinese. How’s that sound?”

Clark ran his fingers through his hair, he couldn’t relax. He had been constantly on edge and talking about the wedding was just making things worse. It was bringing up all the stuff he didn’t want to think about. He felt awful. “Yeah. That uh- that sounds great.”

The wedding magazines stared up at him, making Clark feel even worse than he previously had. When he’d gotten the ring, he’d been so sure and so excited to propose. He hadn’t even gotten to actually propose to her because his mom had given Lois the ring after he’d died and she’d been wearing it since. Clark looked down at the magazines and his breath caught in his throat at the photo in one of them. It was a more rustic style wedding, something he knew Lois would never go for. Everything about it reminded him of home, the bride in particular. She had flowers in her hair and her gown, while still elegant, was simple. A peach colored sash was wrapped around her waist and in her hand was her bouquet which comprised of the same flowers in her hair in an organized-chaotic fashion. He could practically see a young girl who he couldn’t get off his mind in the dress, the colors in particular bringing him back into his jumbled mess of thoughts.

The sight alone took him back to the days when his dad was still alive, when things were so much simpler and yet so complicated as well. Clark found himself lost in thought, going back to the days when his biggest worries were keeping his secret and helping out his parents with the family farm. He could practically smell the homemade biscuits and taste them on his tongue. There were nights even now when he longed for the stillness, the quiet, the peace that the nights offered back home. He didn’t get that kind of tranquility in the city, or anywhere else for that matter, with all the hustle and bustle. His heart ached for the things and people he had left behind, one of which has been plaguing his every thought since he returned.

“Clark?” He turned to look at Lois and realized that he must’ve been best in his own head longer than he thought as the food had already arrived and was spread out on the coffee table. The magazines and such had been cleared away and only the one that had caught his eye remained, clutched tightly in his hands. “Did you see something in that one that you like? That one wasn’t really to my taste but I did see some cute ideas in there.”

He turned and put down the booklet on the end table nearest to him. Now, more than ever, he felt like he knew what he needed to do to help him clear his guilt, to focus on Lois, to get his head out of the past and back to the present. Clark turned back to his fiancé and took the take-out from her hands before placing it on the table.

“Honey, are you okay? What’s wrong?” He sighed and smiled softly at the woman he loved.

“Lois,” he took her hands in his own, “I think that you have noticed that I haven’t been myself lately and in an effort to spare my feelings have declined to ask me about it. Am I right?”

She nodded and scooted closer to him on the couch while gripping his hands tighter. “You’ve been through a lot recently and I didn’t want to overwhelm you more than you already are.”

Clark rubbed the back of his neck and grit his teeth. He felt even worse now. He knew she had noticed. “I’m sorry that you have been keeping that inside.” She stroked her thumbs along the back of his hands. “And I know that I haven’t been very helpful with all the wedding plans–”

“Hey, Clark,” Lois released one of his hands and cupped his cheek. “It’s alright. I have been managing just fine on my own. I don’t blame you at all for being withdrawn.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and he felt like an even worse person for her feeling the need to protect him. “Just tell me what you need.”

He shook his head. It shouldn’t surprise him how well she knew him by now. He cupped her hand that was on his face. “I think,” he eyes met hers, “that I need some time to get back to who I am.” A sigh passed through his lips; he was nervous about this next part. “I think I might go back home for a while.”

Her smile widened. “That sounds great Clark. I’m sure your mom would love to see you.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “When do we leave?”

And just like that, his heart sunk in his chest. “Um actually I think it’s important that I do this alone.” The joy on her face faded. “I just have a lot of stuff to work out and I don’t want to take you away from work. Don’t you have a big story you are working on anyway?”

She nodded; her brow furrowed. “Okay yeah that makes sense, I guess. How long do you think you will be gone?”

He winced. “A few weeks, maybe a month or two at the most? I don’t know honestly.”

Lois sighed and gripped his hands before releasing them and standing. She started pacing around the room mumbling to herself. Clark sat back in his seat on the couch. He pinched the skin between his eyebrows and groaned. His stomach was in knots. He knew he was asking a lot and he had lied about his intentions for his time away. Well, he hadn’t lied per say but he hadn’t told her the whole truth either. He knew if he had, she would have demanded coming, and this was something he had to do on his own. For goodness sake she didn’t even want him to go alone now and she didn’t even know the entire spiel.

“I don’t like this Clark, but I will go ahead and agree to it because of how you have been recently.” She turned and sat next to him on the couch again. “I just don’t want to lose you again.”

He set his mouth in a grim line and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. She cuddled into his chest as he kissed her forehead. “You won’t. I���ll only be gone for a little while. Knowing you, you will be so busy with everything that you’ll barely notice I’m gone.”

“That’s probably true.” And with that it was like a weight had been lifted. He knew what he had to do and while he knew that what he was planning was probably going to make him feel like an even worse person than he already did and cause him more pain, that it was the right thing to do. Clark hoped that in the long run, it would help him, and her. He was going back home to make amends with the woman who was once the most important person in his life, his ex-fiancé and best friend, Y/n, who he hadn’t seen in over ten years. And just like that, the weight that had just been lifted off his chest, came crashing back down. He was so screwed, she was going to eat him alive.

So that is the Prologue for this story. Sorry if it’s rough. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think and/or if you want to be tagged. I’ve already started on Chapter 1 but I have no clue when it will be finished. Thanks everyone!

49 and 50 for Bryce and MC?

Thanks for the ask @rookie-ramsey 💙

You can find the prompt list here.

#49- I have already written this and you can find it here.

#50- “You’re the clumsiest person I know…how did you survive past childhood?”

Word count: 1.1 k

Warning: none, it's just fluff

Forgive me if i make any mistakes 

Angel

Today is the day Bryce... Today is the day you ask out Aliya. Bryce kept on chanting as he stood in the locker room as he buttoned his blazer.

He wanted the entire thing to be perfect because that is what Aliya deserves.

He never thought that he would be one to settle down that easily and he definitely did not see himself confiding his deep dark secrets to anyone.

But Aliya was different. She understood him and was by his side through everything. She was a blessing. She was an angel.

That's why the nickname stuck.

Dr. Ramsey had been kind enough to let him use the diagnostics office for half an hour so he had gone and decorated it with roses and balloons.

It was already 8:15 am and Sienna would be bringing Aliya around 8:30 am which gave him enough time to reach there without being spotted.

Show time, Lahela.

————————————————————————————

"We are late." Sienna said as they rushed into the locker room.

"Thanks for stating that, Captain Obvious." Jackie muttered as she sauntered to her designated locker.

"I don't know why are y'all making such a big deal out if it. We come to the hospital at this time. So chill." Aliya said as she lazily strolled into the locker room with Elijah.

"You don't get it Aliya. People are dying." Jackie said.

Raising her hands in surrenderance, she spoke. "Okay, okay. Don't need to make it so sombre at 8:26 in the morning."

"It's 8:26?!" Sirena screeched which had Aliya snorting. But that only lead to her to knock her head against the bitch and trip. But she caught herself before face planting on the floor.

HAHAHAHH not today floor.

But pain shot up her leg which had her sitting down. "Fuck fuck fuck."

"Aliya sweetie, open your eyes and walk." Sienna said as she bent down on her knees to see if anything was twisted or bruised.

"Even if she were to keep them open, she would trip on thin air." Jackie snorted.

"Hey now that's not true-" she began but Elijah interrupted her.

"Please. Just yesterday you punched yourself in the face trying to move Aurora's boxes."

"I thought no one saw that." She mumbled as she took her jacket off.

"Everyone saw that."

"Yeah but. It was just a one of case-"

"Aliya when we went for sushi with Bryce, you ended up pouring soy sauce on the both of you. You and Bryce spent so much time in the bathroom cleaning up those stains." Sienna exclaimed.

That's not why we took long but, okay.

"I-"

"Need I remind you of the dock dunk?" Jackie deadpanned.

"Wait, dock dunk? Why don't I know this one?" Elijah asked as he rolled in.

"That's because this happened on the night you had your video game marathon with Phoebe." Jackie said as she shut the locker door with a bang.

"Care to fill me in?"

"Jackie no."

"So Dr. Aliya Acharya and co were sitting on these chairs on the dock. Aliya decided 'hey why not move the chair a little forward so that I can touch the water'." Jackie imitated Aliya in a high pitched voice.

Aliya threw a pen right smack at the centre of Jackie's forehead. "Kutri(bitch) ! I do not sound like that."

But that did not deter Jackie. "So she moves the chair ahead in such a way that the front legs slip into the gap between the wood which flung her into the water."

Laughter echoed through the locker room and Aliya scowled. "That was an accident!!"

"Says every clumsy person." Elijah snickered.

Jackie patted her shoulder shaking her head. “You’re the clumsiest person I know…how did you survive past childhood?”

"Fuck off." She grumbled and Sienna linked her hand into hers.

"Ignore them. Let's get to work."

—————————————————————————————————

Bryce's phone pinged and he saw that it was a text message from Sienna.

Am I ready?

Hell yeah.

He typed his response and Sienna immediately texted back which brought a smile to his face and boost of confidence.

He pressed play and a melodious old hindi song played through the portable speakers.

Aliya was laughing at something as she entered but stopped in her tracks when she saw Bryce.

Her eyes wandered to the roses, the balloons and to him, standing in the centre of the room looking dashing in a crisp suit. The entire view took her breath away.

"Bryce... I- is that a hindi song?" She said as she entered the room.

"Yes. I know how much you love them so I asked Jackie to help me out."

Her cheeks were red and she had a wide smile as she walked towards Bryce. He had a soft smile playing on his lips as he grasped both her hands.

"Angel, for a long time I thought that the bachelor life was for me. Drinking, partying and sleeping around was all I thought I would be doing because I never thought that love was something I deserved."

He brushed away a strand of her hair. "But, you changed that."

"You changed everything and I'm forever greatful for that."

He brought her hands to her his lips and kissed her knuckles as her heart beat raced.

I love this man.

"I know we already confessed to each other how much we love each other. FYI, I love you more-"

Tears of happiness in her eyes she playfully punched him. "That's factually incorrect and improbable."

Chuckling he squeezed her hands and continued. "Whatever floats your boat. But still... I don't see anyone else but you by my side. So this is me asking you to be my girlfriend. And since you love puns so much, I have decided to incorporate that into this entire ordeal."

"Bryce, you are the one who love those puns!"

"But you laugh at them so hence proved that you like them."

"I-" she was interrupted by his finger on her lips.

"Trust me you are gonna love them."

Oh lord.

Clearing his throat he put a serious face on. "Aliya, this poem is for you-

Her jaw was on the floor. Okay that was a good one.

Blood is red

Cyanosis is blue

I get tachycardia

When I think about you."

Before she could speak, Bryce spoke. "I'm not finished. Are you my appendix? Cause I have a funny feeling in my stomach that makes me want to take you out."

Aliya burst into laughter and soon he joined in. "Oh. My. God. Bryce. The first was smooth but the second one was horrible!"

"But it made you smile."

Cupping her cheek he asked her. "So what's your answer? Will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"

"Of course!! I love you and would be honoured to be your girlfriend." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he twirled around, his heart bursting with joy.

"You don't know how happy you have made me Angel."

Her hazel eyes sparkled. "And you don't know how much you make me happy Bryce." That being said they kissed. It was a short sweet one, where I love you's were exchanged and happiness was shared.

He placed her down and almost immediately she tripped. Bryce caught her and stables her.

"Did I also promise that I would be fast enough for the both of us so that I can catch you everytime you fall?"

Aliya groaned as Bryce's cheerful laughter filled the room.

"I hate you.." she grumbled.

Bryce kissed her forehead, adoration in his eyes. "Nah.. you love me and I love you. We are perfect together."

For all those people who didn't get the medical puns here is a guide:

-> cyanosis: skin turning blue due to lack of oxygen supply

-> tachycardia: increased heart rate

And all the desi people who want to know which song it was, it was pehla nasha from jo Jeeta who Sikandar 

Bryce X MC: @loveellamae @lilyvalentine @sanchita012 @zeniamiii @lucy-268 @have-aheart @utterlyinevitable @anotherbeingsworld @cryinginthebackseat

Permanent Tag list: @trappedinfandoms @oofchoices @agent-breakdance @dailydoseofchoices @tyrilstouch @siaramsey @theeccentricbibliophile @ac27dj @ramseysno1rookie @justanotherrookie @openheart12 @jamespotterthefirst @checkurwindow @chasingrobbie @junggoku @tyrilstouch @bellcat2010 @choicesstan1 @mvalentine @crazynutella @hatescapsicum @choicesficwriterscreations @anonymously-cool @nooruleman @sanvivrma

The Fullmetal Alchemist Live Action Movie Part 7: More Philosopher Stones than their PC Farm Can Possibly Render

So last we left off, a bunch of weird stuff was happening. Mustang just set Envy on fire, Lust and Gluttony kind of walked up from stage left, and Ed and Hawkeye just broke out of bougie jail and barged through a chain link fence on some Jeep. Good thing Mustang is here to explain it all to us:

(FYI I am so bad at spelling homunculus. I don’t even know which way is real anymore.)

What is incredible about this movie is just how much everyone else already knows, while Ed knows freaking nothing. Also, if you know about homunculi, then you know about sorcerer stones, and you’d know about...most of the things in Fullmetal Alchemist. Assuming that Mustang, who can look at a homunculus tattoo and be like “yep that’s a homunculus” doesn’t know anything else is kind of a big leap.

This actor had fun. I legitimately enjoy the actor who plays Mustang, I really do.

Anyway, we do get a little bit more explanation at this point by going back to the part where Hughes dies and just...showing it a second time but with this extra  reveal:

(see Hughes die yet again under the cut because this movie did it not just once but twice)

It’s at this point that Hughes turns to the phone and in his dying breath is like “It’s lab 5, go to the old POW camp, at lab 5” but not only did I think that the person on the line was the general (Because Hughes originally said it was the general) apparently now the person on the line is...Mustang? And that’s why Mustang knew about lab 5?

Like it’s...it’s just kind of confusing. I know this plot because I’ve seen the anime, but if you have not seen the anime beforehand or read the books, you’d be so freakin up a creek right now about why we saw this scene twice, and why it was completely different both times.

To make things even more confusing, that whole Tucker side plot is so random, that not even our baddies know what is going on with that whole Tucker side plot.

Anyway we have to give Gluttony and Envy have to do something in order to make their presence make sense. Honestly Gluttony just needs to have a single line in this movie.

Just everything is that same shiny neutral Phong. Look at all that Phong. Like other parts of this movie are passable, this was just so hilariously overlooked.

And like I dunno if this was a teeth harness or not but damn. Damn that looks stupid from the back, hahaha. He kind of lumbers slowly after these 9 dudes (same extras we’ve seen everywhere else, ps—this is still just the same guys) and it’s not all that scary because like...they can easily outrun him. The only way you can die to Gluttony is if you trip and then take a nap for a little bit.

Mustang gets hurt and it’s kind of funny how they shot it. It was actually rough to cap because they have to do so many tricks to not show us exactly what is happening, so they rely on sounds, on zooming in on people’s shocked expressions, because they Do Not Have The Budget to do more than this.

I don’t remember if this happened in the anime, too. Like from this point forward everything is kind of like “can you spot the source material?” because it’s just become so jumbled at this point.

Ed, who as you can imagine is a bundle of emotions by default, suddenly gets really protective of his mean Dad although like...we’ve barely made Mustang seem like a Father. Hell, we’ve barely made Ed seem like a kid. Why would he get weird and conflicted now?

Just the awkward teenage energy that only occasionally stems off of Ed is very unpredictable.

This is a full grown man.

Finally, we make it to Lab Number Five, the correct one this time. It’s got an alchemy circle…

It’s got a ceiling full of...zombie corpses, if you squint real good because I have to shrink all these images (Yes, they fit in the zombie corpses, but could not fit in the North or Father or Ling Yao or like anything Armstrong) It’s got everything that we need to put that nail into that Fullmetal Alchemist coffin, but ran out of time to fully explain or do.

It’s even got Al!

Yep, this is happening now, this part of the show. Ed is just having a WILD TIME trying to keep up with it and so are we.

So apparently Shou could just turn Al “off” this whole time. This explains why Al was just chilling under a blanket for 36 hours, but like...doesn’t really explain how Shou can do this or why he is bothering to do it right now.

But we need Shou because...well someone has to tell Ed what the plot is and what he should be doing at this very moment.

(Winry is here too)

So, with the threat of Winry getting shot in the head, Shou Tucker demands that Ed make it impossible to do any magic, because magic is very expensive and hard to animate. I could be wrong...but I’m pretty sure he also took off his right arm in the show at some point nearish to the end...I think? Forgive me, everything before 2020 is kind of a haze in my memory.

PS him ripping his hand off with all these sparks everywhere gave me serious Star Wars prequel vibes that I can’t explain. Something about the CGI, something about this contrived mess was like “Ah, I’ve felt this insanity before...long ago in a simpler time” and it was kind of nostalgic for me.

GOL LOOK AT THAT.

This Mickey Mouse glove just hot chilling on that sparking end. Hahaha I love it so much!

Shou just...delivers one of the most important reveals, sending Ed on a bit of a spirit journey because the stones he’s wanted for so long are actually very bad.

As you can imagine, because Ed likes to freak out, he has a big ass freak out, to top all freak outs. This actor spent like sooo much of his time just screaming at the ground. Which, I mean this is a shonen, so that checks out.

I’m just letting you know in case you decide to watch this movie and you have some epilepsy issues--skip this part. Just skip it. I don’t personally have it, but like...they went kind of extra in this part.

Now unlike the show, this movie has like...no apology for Dr Marcoh. Freakin stabbed him through the chest and was like “I don’t care if it means we can’t have the original FMA ending I freakin hate this guy” and you know...good on you, movie. Dr Marcoh was a really bad person. Thank you for not even attempting to justify this godawful man.

This crazy ass fanfiction movie.

Anyway, Shou directs Ed to look 10 feet up to get the rest of that juicy content. That Juicy FMA DLC that was within eye distance this entire time but youknow...cropped offscreen so it just didn’t exist.

Can’t believe this wasn’t the FIRST THING you’d notice when coming into this room, since Ed has been hardwired for red stones for like 10+ years. But youknow.

Anyways, we’re getting a ton of visual elements from FMA, just checking off that check list here in the last 1/3 of the movie. But wait, it gets weirder.

What I love about this is that Shou tells us all of this stuff because I guess Ed asked for Philosopher stones once, and even Shou is like...heyyy I figured it out! But like...hell would anyone even want to do this though?

Because that’s what happens when you have Shou freakin Tucker reveal the big master plan when he is not the big master. Like this explains nothing about Father, about Ed’s Dad, about the homunculi, about the corpses in the ceiling, like there’s just no explanation, other than just –“hey! Look at this atrocity I found just now!”

There is actually a horror element to that, where you don’t need to explain everything if you’re doing horror. If this were a horror movie, this would probably...be fine. You could have a fully explained movie by just saying “they turned POW camp people into rocks and now the zombies are here!” and that would be fine.

But it’s just...that isn’t this movie. I had so many expectations. And honestly...I expected way too much from 1.5 hours of content.

So Shou pulls a gun on Ed, which makes sense. Ed is lookin to make stones, and if stones are made out of people—then it’s time to kill Ed. First thing that make sense in this movie, but I don’t know if it makes sense coming from Shou freakin Tucker who made it seem like he just wanted to kill Ed because Ed got him arrested that one time.

It may have been just the translation on my end but like...Shou’s reason for pulling a gun out here was a little nonsense. But Shou himself is already a little nonsense anyway.

So we say goodbye, for the last time, being honest—he’s fully dead—he’s not coming back—to Shou Freakin Tucker. You were a mess Shou. I won’t miss you.

And if I forgot that this guy comes back, I fully apologize ahead of time, but I am 99% positive that I remembered that this guy never comes back.

(He might come back.)

And then Lust is like “Hakuro why did you do that? Like what are you even doing???”

And everyone else is like “Oh, the General. Of course. Why didn’t I uhhh….see that coming?”

Because they had to condense a whole bunch of corrupt Generals for this movie into one character, and so I guess Hakuro took it for the team?

Also these guys are here.

Just every single person standing in this room is pretty confused, as you can imagine. No one really expects to open up Volume 2 of FMA and it’s accidentally printed the last page of the entire series.

Anyway, that’s all for this 15 minutes (It was actually a little short 15 because there was ton of caps) I’m very tired because I did this workout routine with bro that was like 300 squats and I don’t know what day it is. I wrote “update blog” in my bullet journal (because it’s January, so I’m bullet journaling) so I’m just gonna do that because I want to use this green sparkly jelly pen and cross off all of today. Mm. Satisfying.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/fma/chrono