Dakaretai Otoko No. 1

AN: Forgot I could post on tumblr too for a bit, whoops! Couldn't sleep because of this fic, enjoy

Ryuu had never thought to ask, but then it would never have occurred to him that it could be a possibility. Even knowing his experience with the President over the years, and with apologizing to Sougo-kun about his thoughtless comments on family before, he’d never expected to miss something else so glaringly close to him. If they hadn’t all moved in together, how long would it have taken him to notice? To realize and put the pieces together, to see the pattern that had been repeating beside him all this time? 

They’d settled into something of a routine once they moved into his place, with regards to navigating each other’s things and laundry, all the mundanity of everyday life lived together. There had been a few surprises, Tenn’s collection of houseplants being one, and a few arguments about the air conditioning and the heater and methods for loading the dishwasher, but he knew those squabbles between the other two were simply the equivalent of play-fighting amongst lion cubs. He’d heard the same gripes from his brothers a dozen times if ever and they were all growing so much closer in the process that the noise was worth it all. 

The washing machine was yet another point of contention, the fact that they could not combine their loads quickly became apparent. Ryuu’s own sweaty sports club clothes required a certain setting, Tenn followed a rigid regimen towards keeping his colors vibrant, and Gaku…That Gaku had so many clothes that required handwashing perhaps shouldn’t have surprised Ryuu by this point, but the world of designer brands and their upkeep was still newer to him than to the other two. He was no stranger to the chore of it, had helped his mother out back home with their festival wear, and he knew their costumes usually necessitated the same class of care, but for his own leisure and personal choice, the option wasn’t one he would’ve picked. And considering the stray garment that had wound up in his basket, he didn’t know if Gaku had picked it either.

It was sheer silk, smooth and so diaphanous that Ryuu felt as if he were holding a wisp of mist, billowing even in the stagnant air of the bathroom. Turning it over, he finally understood that it was a top, the sleeves slitted and the neckline so wide that he’d almost mistaken it for a skirt. Unbidden, the image of Gaku wearing it rose in his mind’s eye, the silk brushing his fingers just like now, but already warm from its wearer. His imagination provided plenty of detail, despite the fact that he’d never seen Gaku wear it before—

He’d never seen Gaku wear it, though it was clearly expensive and well-made… Ryuu blushed, realizing the truth, folding it on the counter as carefully as a gift deserved. With all that had happened, the last he’d heard was that Tsumugi accepted and understood the strictures on them both now and they’d kept their distance, but this might be a reunion present of some sort. Going indie had its perks, certainly. 

Turning back to his own laundry, Ryuu ignored the tightness in his chest and buried the image under a list of what else they needed to fit into their meager budget and just how they were going to make ends meet. 

~*~

Amidst chasing missed chances and fading opportunities across the city, Ryuu forgot about tidying up at home for a few days. With the crushing weight of every closed door and refusal they’d faced, he fell back on doing something that he could control and would leave him in a better place by the end, regardless of the rest of their predicament. Cleaning was a way to wipe his mind free of worry for a while, to find the joy in a spotless surface and the ache after a thorough scrubbing, creating a small corner of order in an otherwise uncaring city. 

Vacuuming was the last order of business, the satisfying sound of all the grit and little irritants being removed lulling him into a trance, until a glitter in the carpet behind the entry table caught his eye. He’d moved the vacuum over it before the sight of it had fully sunk in: the gem-bright shine of jewelry. Fumbling to turn the vacuum off before it was sucked in, he heard the rattle and winced. He crouched, hoping to salvage whatever might be left, and found it still lodged in the carpet, an earring. 

Despite the attack by the vacuum, it looked undamaged, sparkling as he twisted it free of the rug. It was a waterfall of pearls, cascading delicately over his palm, their various sizes creating an illusion of foam amidst the silver wires. It belonged at a gala, paired with a dress and necklace to match. He recognized the present for what it was this time, no distractions or delusions getting in the way. 

Knowing that Gaku had headed in to shower as soon as he’d returned, Ryuu tried the door to his room, earring in hand ready to slip onto the dresser discreetly. Ryuu was aware of Gaku’s predilection towards big gestures, ever the dramatic romantic at heart, and how openly he wore that heart on his sleeve; if he had decided to keep this courtship a secret then Ryuu wouldn’t pry. He knew what it was to yearn, to feel the spark and yet be kept from fanning it into a flame, to hope for something that might be within reach and still be scared to grasp. It was a vulnerability he didn’t know how Gaku could bear so often, as freely falling into love as if it were a soft bed and not the terrifying uncertainty of sky-diving, but that courage was just another reason why he—

Gaku looked up from his bed, out of the shower and already dressed, brows rising at Ryuu’s sudden entrance. Laid out across the covers were several outfits, some revealing while others left a little more to the imagination but all as provoking as the next. A jumble of jewels was spread beside him, necklaces dripping with diamonds, crystal aigrettes, and rings of all styles, a treasure trove in the making. 

Ryuu’s mind ground to a halt, taking in the array of finery on display, and the pieces on Gaku himself. He’d been in the middle of pinning back a strand of hair, evidently almost ready to leave. 

“Where’d you find it? I thought I’d looked everywhere,” Gaku said, spying the earring in his open hand and crossing the room with a wide grin. “Trust you to be the savior of the hour, Ryuu!” 

Taking it, Gaku quickly scooped up its pair and put them in, already turning back to the bed when Ryuu found his voice. 

“They’re yours?” 

“Yeah?” Gaku didn’t look up from where he was sorting through the rest of the jewelry. “It’s certainly not Tenn’s.”

“But…not Tsumugi’s?” He’d thought he knew the full picture, but the pieces he’d assumed immovable were falling apart. 

“Why would it be hers?” 

“It’s so nice, an expensive gift like that is…”

“Ryuu, these are all fake,” Gaku said, finally finding what he’d been searching for and straightening up again. The confusion on Ryuu’s face seemed to reach him through the rush of getting ready and he stopped in place, looking Ryuu steadily in the eye. “Sure, they glitter and shine, but none of them is worth what they would have you believe. But the clients like them, so I wear them.” 

“At the soba shop?” Ryuu feels leagues behind, trying to connect this to what he knows of Gaku. 

“No, not at the soba shop!” The laugh that breaks through Gaku pulls Ryuu from his thoughts, roots him in the moment. He admires the way the shirt is cinched tight at Gaku’s waist, a desire to feel with his hands surfacing before Gaku’s next words slam him back into reality. “My escort clients.” 

Ryuu’s been in the city long enough to know what that means, what that entails. The only word that leaves him is, “Why?”

“We need the money. Other people may turn their noses up at us, but that kind of snobbery doesn’t bother the ones who pay me. It’s mostly the same ones from before Trigger anyway, so they’re actually happy that I have the time again.” He scowls at the last, irritated at the schadenfreude.

“Before Trigger?” Ryuu knows he’s just repeating, but Gaku doesn’t seem to notice the echo, words spilling out of him as easily as ever. 

“Longer than we’ve been Trigger actually, now that I count back.” 

“When did it start?” He can do the comparative math, but he naively hopes Gaku will have an answer that doesn’t make his heart squeeze with grief. 

“When my father got custody. There was a whole court battle over it, my mom went down fighting, and the legal fees were hefty on both sides. I didn’t have anyone to debut with and a solo career would’ve been too big of a gamble for the company, so being an escort was how my father got back his ‘investment’. Technically, I was paying off both sides since I just gave my mom my cut, but they didn’t need to know that.” Gaku shrugs, the story old news of an era past, tracing the last piece he’d picked up from the bed. It’s a thick band, studded so densely with gems—like their capes from Treasure!, comes the unbidden comparison—that he can barely see the black velvet of the backing, and when Gaku raises it to his neck, Ryuu breaks his restraint and reaches out, catching hold of Gaku’s hand. 

“You’re not alone anymore,”—his voice breaks—”you don’t answer to him anymore. You don’t have to…” He’s never been the best with words, when the silence falls all he can do is run a thumb along the back of Gaku’s fingers in a slow circle, avoiding the jeweled collar’s edge. He’s been witness to the President’s disregard for years, has had the words ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re my son’ resonate in his head until he saw red and snapped, and known how Gaku, who could never stand silent in the face of others’ injustice, had silently endured his own. In someone who encouraged self-confidence, in Ryuu and Mitsuki and others, to still be chained to the search for any hint of approval, the smallest crumb of blatant pride, or acknowledgement of his efforts from his father had broken Ryuu’s heart more thoroughly than any rejection could. Gaku deserved all the praise that could ever be spoken, but Ryuu knew all his words would pale in comparison to just one from President Yaotome. 

“I’m not doing it for him.” Gaku’s voice is soft, as if concerned he’ll spook Ryuu with anything louder. The velvet is crushed against Ryuu’s skin as he takes Ryuu’s hand in both of his own, the softness at odds with the sharp edges of the jewels. “I’m doing it for us. I want us to rise back up to the top, and if this is a way I can help jumpstart that, then I’ll do it gladly. I’m not the Dakaretai Otoko No. 1 for nothing, am I?” 

Gaku’s smile has always been one that Ryuu can’t resist mirroring, even if his is fainter and smaller this time. 

“But I’m No. 2, then I should—”

“Ryuu, leave it to me. It’ll just be a little longer, just until we get our foot in the door again. We’re close, that’s the direction you should focus on.” Gaku lets go, fiddling with the clasps of the collar. “Help me with this, will you?”

Ryuu hesitates, staring at the gems and knowing that the question is twofold. He might wish he could barge back into the President’s office and give him a big enough piece of his mind that the man will choke on it, but right here, right now, he knows what will do the most good is being a support where needed, when asked. 

He steps behind Gaku, pulling the collar flush with pale skin, and clips it into place. It truly is the last piece, the crown jewels of the whole look, and as Gaku hurries to slip on his coat while hissing at the time, Ryuu bites his lip and lets it slip out, “You look stunning.” 

Gaku pauses on the threshold, looking back from the cusp of the night, a dangerous glint in his eye. He smiles, sharp, and instead of saying goodbye, he says, “When I get back, help me take it all off, will you?” 

Ryuu swallows and nods, a shiver climbing up his spine. He’ll find his voice and speak the words until Gaku forgets he ever wanted to hear them from someone else.

We need more Bella and Megan content!!! Insta posts were so cuutee!!! Maybe a blurb abt the relationship between Megan and the family?? It could be interesting… I imagine then being a very open and close knit family u know, where they can talk freely about anything,and yes including sex, and I think it could be interesting to see how maybe bella needs some advice/want to talk to someone about being intimate w her gf and doesn’t know how to bring that up to her family bc she is embarrassed and doesn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable?? I’ve never read a doc like this, or where one of the kid is not straight (only w/ Harry or the reader being bi) and yeah it should be written abt more.

megan and belle are sooo cute yes! ok let’s see where this goes!! hope you have fun reading;

belle - 18

“Will you stop faffing, you look beautiful honey.”

You slapped Belle’s hands from playing with her outfit again. Tonight you and Harry were properly meeting Megan for the first time, by taking them out for a meal at this new Thai restaurant down the road. Belle had been worrying all evening as she was getting ready, coming downstairs multiple times to show off outfits to you so you could give them your honest opinion. It didn’t help her when you said she looked beautiful in all of them. Belle wasn’t into playing “girly” dress-up, but she thought that putting effort in for her girlfriend, tonight, might be a good idea. So she’d finally decided on some denim jeans, a basic top and then one of Harry’s old blazers. She looked amazing.

“Just so nervous.”

“Why? You like them, right?” You asked, adding on a bit of lipstick, whilst you were sat at the table of this fancy restaurant.

“Yeah. Like really like them.” Belle emphasised, shrugging off the blazer as she was becoming too hot with nerves.

“Well then we’ll really like them too. We trust you.” Harry butted in, sitting as close to you as he could whilst sat in these chairs. Before you’d managed to sit down at the table he’d moved your chair along to be closer to his, meaning he could slink his arm around the back of your chair and have his hand in your lap if he wanted to. Even after all these years he still knew how to make you feel especially loved.

Belle’s phone pinged and it made her freak. “Oh god, it’s Meg. They’re here.”

“Okay, B. Calm down and go and get them from outside, we’ll just order some wine or something.” You ordered her softly, trying to put your daughter more at ease. She was more nervous than you imagine Megan would be.

Your daughter stood up from the table, both you and Harry smiling at her. “Okay.” She pushed her chair in behind her and about to walk off, but she quickly turned back to you both, “Remember; Megan Dover, they/them pronouns and don’t mention anything about astrology otherwise we will be dead before we leave this table,okay?”

You both chuckled at her, loving how she was so aware of her girlfriend and the things that were important to them. “Okay love. Now stop fussing and go.” Harry shooed his hand and his daughter away from the table. She turned back around to flash you two thumbs up and you both smiled at her, watching your all-grown-up baby walk away.

“We’ve done well Styles.” You turned to face him, to find he was already admiring you, thinking about the wonder life you’d both created and the wonderful children that had been a product of it.

“Was just thinking the same thing, m’heart.” He smiled and leaned in to kiss you, pressing his lips onto your lipstick-stained ones. He didn’t care if his lips became painted a different colour because of it, he would never miss the opportunity to give his beautiful wife a deserving kiss. He loved you too damn much.

You cupped his chin and he tightened his arm around you, that had been slunk around the back of your chair. He squeezed your thigh three times in signal for saying ‘I love you’ without any words needing to be spoke. You tapped his chin three times in return. Everyone always hated how loved up you two were, but really you just think they’re jealous of how perfect your relationship is. Sure you have your ups and downs, but isn’t that what makes it so perfect? You pulled away and looked into his dreamy eyes, kissing him once more for good luck, before returning your attention to your glass of water for a drink.

“Thirsty?” He asked you, keeping you close.

“Mhm. All that talking I was doing this afternoon on the phone to that bloody insurance company.”

“You did give them a piece of y’mind though, love. You were a lot more civil than I would’ve been.” Harry chuckled, waving his hand to catch one of the waiters attention.

“Seriously though? Nearly charged us an extra £1,000 for a service charge. Bloody fuckers.” You sighed and put your water back on the table after taking a lengthy sip.

“£1,000 isn’t really that mu—” He didn’t finish his sentence though because he caught sight of your stern face and knew exactly what you were thinking. You hated when he talked about money as if it wasn’t a problem, because you didn’t want your kids to grow up with that ideology. “You know what? They’re bastards and i’m proud of you for handling them so well.” He kissed you again and then the waited came over, stopping you from having a go at him for being cheeky. You pinched his leg in respond and he caught your hand, holding it tightly in his as if a warning for you to stop.

“Evening Sir. How can I help?” He asked politely, his serving towel draped over his forearm.

“A bottle of y’cheapest red wine please.”

“Certainly Sir.” And the waited was gone.

“Cheapest?” You asked confused, making Harry turn back towards you.

“Well it’d be a bit hypocritical of us to ask for our favourite bottle of wine, which is £1,000 darling, now wouldn’t it?” He smirked at you, knowing he’d played you just perfectly.

“Such a git.” You scoffed in pretend offence and then kissed him again too make sure that he knew you weren’t mad.

You both sat back and looked in the direction which now you could see Belle walking back over to you from where she’s gone to fetch Megan. Belle was guiding them book, Megan following closely behind her, and they were holding hands. They looked completely adorable and you wanted to just rush your camera out and snap loads of photos of them to remember this moment. Yes, you were that mum who takes a photo of everything and anything when it came to your children. You even had an album on your phone dedicated to your children’s haircuts… You leg started to shake nervously in anticipation.

“Calm down you!” Harry laughed quietly, just incase the two girls could hear you. Harry stood up out of his chair first and held out his hand for you to follow. He made sure your chair didn’t tip back as you stood and kept ahold of your hand as they approached you both.

You caught Belle’s eye and you could how happy she was from the twinkle within.

“Mum, Dad, this is Megan,” Belle introduces you all, Megan still stood slightly behind her, “Meg, this is my mum, Y/N and my dad, Harry.”

Harry was the first one to cross his hand over the table. “Lovely to meet you Megan.”

“And you Mr Styles, but please just call me Meg.” They shook hands together and Harry smiled at them warmly, wanting to make her feel as part of the family as possible. He was good at that.

“Well then then you, please, call me Harry. Makes me feel old otherwise.” His joke made the table laugh and ease any nervousness that had been there before.

“That’s because you are old, dad.” Belle added cheekily.

“Oi watch it you. Don’t think I won’t embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.” He raised his eyebrows teasingly and pointed sternly at his daughter, who did pack quite the punch with her snarky responses sometimes.

“I’m counting on it Harry.” Megan laughed, which made everyone chuckle again. Megan was such an easy girl to get along with and it was clear that they made Belle a very happy person, for that you indebted to them.

“And nice to see you Meg.” You shook your hands with Megan as Harry and Belle continued to banter over the table. You were sat opposite Megan, Harry next to you and Belle diagonally opposite you. You and Megan both sat down before Harry and Belle did.

“Likewise Mrs Styles,” you gave them a look which had them chuckling as they corrected themselves, “Y/N, sorry! Are they usually like this?” They asked you, watching Belle and Harry talk about some absolute rubbish.

“Oh don’t even start! They wind each other up all the time. Drive me up the bloody wall they do!” You laughed and you felt calmer when Megan laughed too. “Wine?” You offered them, having had the bottle delivered whilst you were all being introduced to each other.

“Yes please.” They smiled and held out the glass to help you pour. You poured them a generous glass and then followed by pouring yourself one too.

You weren’t blinded by the beauty of Megan. They had strong-loving brown eyes and blonde hair that seemed to be toned down with brunette roots. They had a simple face with perfectly plucked eyebrows and a fiercely sharp jawline. They were just very naturally pretty, that you could tell. They were wearing similar to Belle actually, which made you think they’d coordinated their outfits - your inner mum was freaking out over the soft thought. You and Harry often liked to coordinate outfits too, like tonight - both of you were wearing navy blue.

“You want wine B?” Meg asked Belle, breaking her away from the pointless conversation with her dad.

“What? Oh, yes, yes please.” Belle responded, shifting closer towards Meg and holding their hand again. They kept their public displays of affection to themselves, a bit like you and Harry had originally been. You filled up your daughters glass, but passed on filling up Harrys glass because he was driving home tonight.

“So what do you plan on studying at university Meg?” You started the conversation with the easiest question you could.

“Marine Biology.” They answered and you could tell they were clearly excited by the tone of happiness in their voice. You didn’t miss the squeeze of pride that Belle gave them either.

“That sounds good! Where abouts are you going to study?”

“Newcastle, actually.” Meg went quiet and you understood why, because Belle was going to the exact same university to study Engineering.

“Oh really?” Harry asked, pretending to be surprised but it definitely came through sarcastically - this earned him a kick under the table from his daughter.

“Oh shut up!” Belle rolled her eyes and Meg smiled at her playfulness with her family, it made them really happy that their girlfriend had such a loving and special family.

You were so not ready to send off your daughter to university, because she was your final baby to leave the safe nest of the Styles home and it was just going to be you and Harry left. You were excited for the time you’d have with him, but you were sad to see you final child leave you. You were even more excited for Belle to be going out and adventuring the world as she wanted to. She was going to do great things and you couldn’t be prouder of her. It eased you to know that at least Meg would be their with her - almost like a home away from home.

“You have any brothers or sisters Meg?” You asked.

“I have a younger sister, but she’s evil.” Meg laughed, before taking a sip of their wine.

“Evil how? ‘Cause my children are the exact same.” Harry spoke sincerely as if one of his children weren’t sat directly in front of him. It earned him another kick to his legs from his daughter. “See? Evil.” Everyone laughed, Belle just sulked.

“Well Ivy just terrorises everyone and anyone. She’s just evil.”

“Belle ain’t much better i’m afraid.”

“Dad! Meg is going to leave me if you keep painting me out to be an arsehole.” Belle rolled her eyes, but was brought out of her strop by Megan who brought her hand up to press their lips on her skin.

“Can’t chase me away that easily Belle.”

And it was that moment that you knew that Belle had found a forever partner in Megan, just as you had found in Harry.

blueberry pancakes // rc

part one | series masterlist 

warning; language, drinking ig

summary; while y/n’s running from her feelings for jj, she ends up in a mess she didn’t account for 

word count; almost 3.5k 

life on the cut was anything but luxurious. small houses and being forced to work jobs that sucked, but paid somewhat decently. y/n was an only child which meant getting a job wasn’t even a question. her dad worked out of town a lot, and her mom worked doubles most of the time so she was pretty much always on her own. 

most kids would’ve killed for that, but y/n had gotten so used to it that it got old quickly. she didn’t want to be alone all the time, so she spent most of her time at john b’s house. 

she was there almost as much as jj, which wasn’t a problem with her. the two had been friends for years, and though she was close with all of the pogues, jj and john b were the two she’d known the longest and inevitably grew the closest to. 

john b had filled a brother role that she never knew she needed, though she enjoyed it immensely. jj, on the other hand, seemed to catch her attention in a slightly different way. 

having feelings for jj maybank was slightly problematic. the boy that was always in trouble, always doing things he wasn’t supposed to be doing and saying things that should never be said out loud. he was one of her best friends, and besides, he had feelings for kiara. 

“what am i going to do, y/n?” the girl opened her eyes, squinting slightly at the blinding light from the sun before looking at the blond. he was staring off the edge of the boat, hand running through his hair and tugging while he gulped down his beer. 

“about what, j?” he scoffed, being able to tell that she hadn’t been paying attention due to her question. 

“kie. how do i tell her i have feelings for her without fucking up our friendship?” y/n could practically feel the blood drain from her face. 

sure, she knew jj had a thing for kie. all of the pogues had a thing for kie, it was hard not to. it had been only recently that jj had started vocalizing his deeper rooted feelings for the girl, but he only ever told y/n. obviously, jj had no idea that y/n had the same thoughts about him. 

“i don’t know, jj. just tell her i guess. what’s the worst that can happen, right?” she wanted to rip her tongue out. the taste on her tongue as she spoke the simple words that held a deeper meaning was vile, and she felt her skin crawl at the mere mention of it. 

“you think i should just tell her? what if she slaps me or something?” 

“then you know how she feels, i guess.” y/n stood up, not wanting to sit around and hear anymore questions or give any further advice to the boy she’d fallen for that had fallen for her other best friend.

y/n dove into the water, barely making a splash. the water cooled off her skin, but there was no way to put out the fire in her stomach. the burning feeling of hearing jj talk about kie, though he had said it to her before, was almost unbearable. 

she stayed a few yards away from the others, not wanting to dive into another conversation. she floated on the surface, ears beneath the water and only hearing dull noises while she stared up at the sky. 

she had shut her eyes for what felt like only a few moments before something cold touched her stomach and she flinched. she opened her eyes and moved quickly, letting out a heavy sigh when john b stood there laughing at her. 

she punched the boy’s chest roughly but took the cold beer can from him. 

“you scared me, dick.” he laughed gently, his smile dropping at the fact that a smile never stretched across her lips like it usually did. 

“what’s wrong?” the girl shook her head, trying to shrug it off before it became a topic of conversation. 

“nothing, i’m fine.” she whispered softly before tipping the beer can up and taking several gulps of the cold liquid. 

“the kie questions, again?” she nodded, eye flicking up to the boat to see jj hanging over the side and messing with kie. 

they were hitting each other playfully, their laughs filling the air while pope stared at the two and sighed. he tried to get them to stop but it was no use when kie splashed water up at jj and he practically jumped on top of her. 

“you should just tell him.” y/n scoffed loudly at that, staring at john b with a knowing look. 

“and make an absolute fool out of myself? no thanks, johnny boy. i’ll stick to being the therapist of the group and help my two best friends fall in love with each other.” john b rolled his eyes, but he knew she was telling the absolute truth. she was the one everyone went to for advice, and she never thought twice about giving it, despite her own feelings.

“you’re going to kill yourself with this, y/n.” she shrugged simply and looked back at him, seeing the disapproving look on his face. 

“then i’ll see you on the other side.” 

she looked at the boat when kie called out to the two of them, pointing out the sun that was nearing its setting point. she told them to swim back to the boat so they could hitch a ride back to john b’s house before the boneyard party later that night. 

john b nodded quickly and tried to get in another word with the girl beside him but she had already started swimming back, holding the beer can above the water’s surface and handing it to kie once she was within arm’s reach. 

y/n pulled herself back on the boat, wringing the water out of her hair and her bathing suit top and completely ignoring the various glances thrown at her before she walked back to the same place she always sat in. 

she put her sunglasses on and lost herself in her thoughts as they rode back to john b’s dock. she helped unload the boat before walking into the chateau, stealing the shower before anyone could stop her. 

she found herself sitting beside john b hours later, eyes locked on the fire until they weren’t. the sight of brown curls up against blond strands that stuck in different directions caught her attention, making her stomach twist. 

to the pogues it was nothing, at least nothing they’d never done before. hell, y/n had done the same thing with pope and john b, but it sat different this time. her knowledge of jj’s feelings paired with her lack of knowledge of kie’s was enough to make her chest ache. 

“you’re staring at them again.” y/n snapped her head back to the boy beside her, sighing heavily when he gave her the same look he always did. 

she brought her cup to her lips, downing the rest of her beer before letting out a soft hiss and a heavy sigh. she stared at the empty cup before glancing back up at her two friends. she only watched for a second this time, standing up quickly and sighing once more. 

“i’ll be back.” she guessed she was walking towards the keg, but she didn’t truly care where she ended up as long as it wasn’t somewhere with a perfect view of jj and kiara. 

it hadn’t been all of five minutes that she was walking before she a body stopped in front of her, copying her movements in order to trap her in place.

“hey pogie, how’s your night going?” she rolled her eyes at the tall boy with a cocky smirk on his face and scoffed.

rafe cameron, prince of the kooks. she didn’t like him, though that was a given with their socioeconomic differences. the only difference between her and the rest of the pogues were that she didn’t exactly hate him, despite his reputation. 

the two never got along, but rafe seemed to go easier on y/n than he did with the rest of the pogues. she knew what he did in his down time, and how him and topper had practically dedicated their lives to making it known where they stood above all and any pogues. 

“nowhere, rafe. why do you even care?” he laughed gently at the question, because y/n knew exactly why he cared. the only thing that pissed off the pogues more than getting into a physical altercation with them, was when the kooks hit on y/n or kiara.

it had happened too many times to count. kie was at a slight disadvantage since she went to school with them for 9 months out of the year, but she also stood her ground against them. y/n easily gave into the interactions, letting the conversation go further that kie every would, before she simply walked away. kie, on the other hand, would jump at any opportunity to harshly shove the kooks away from her.

y/n never knew why but she never felt the deeply rooted hate for every kook on the island like her friends. though, that changed for kiara and more recently sarah. kiara and sarah were “different” as the boys always said, but it wasn’t something she liked to dwell on. 

topper and rafe always hit on y/n to piss of the pogues, and it worked every time. though, y/n thought that’s all it was, just an easy way to piss of the pogues and add another tally mark onto the kook’s score in this stupid classism war. 

“maybank and kiara look pretty close tonight.” rafe looked over y/n’s shoulder at the pair of friends that looked far from a pair of friends in that moment. y/n’s back was to them, but she could imagine what they looked like from previous experience. 

y/n rolled her eyes, face to face with rafe’s chest while he looked behind her. her eyes lingered elsewhere, trying to rid herself of the images flashing through her mind.

“do they? i haven’t noticed.” rafe laughed at that, knowing far too well that that was far from the truth. 

“well that’s a load of shit. you stare at the kid all night long and drink to forget about how they look together.” a small smirk grew on y/n’s lips as she tilted her head back slightly to look up at the boy in front fo her.

“have you been watching me, cameron?” the way his eyes snapped down to meet hers told her everything she needed to know, but he still scoffed and shook his head.

“in your dreams, pogue.” she rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, catching the boy’s attention once again.

“you can fool just about everyone on this island, rafe, but you’ve wanted to get into my pants since you were in high school. just because i didn’t jump at the opportunity doesn’t mean i didn’t notice.” his eyes blew wide for a split second before returning to normal. he’d never heard anyone say something like that to him. 

he tried to brush it off, but he didn’t succeed. different things rushed through his mind as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to react to this information, and what he was supposed to think about it.

“come with me.” he grabbed the girl’s hand and started trudging through the sand out to where everyone parked their cars.

the girl rolled her eyes but let the boy drag her away anyways. she didn’t feel threatened, and rafe didn’t seem angry like he usually did in situations like this. she knew rafe meant well when he acted around her, so she didn’t fear for where he was taking her or why he was taking her there. 

“i’m not having sex with you in the back of your truck, rafe.”

“that’s now what we’re doing. we’ll do that later.” she bit back a laugh and just followed the boy, shocked to see him open the passenger side door for her.

she pulled herself into the truck and watched rafe run around the front of it before he pulled himself in beside her. it wasn’t until they’d driven for a few minutes in silence that she asked where they were going.

“just trust me, yeah?” she scoffed, not knowing how she was meant to trust the boy that had beat up all of her friends on more than one occasion, but kept quiet. for some reason she did trust rafe, as crazy as it sounded.

it only took a few more minutes with rafe’s tendency to surpass the speed limit before they got to where they were going. it was the only restaurant on the island opened at this hour, and she loved it. 

she used to come to this diner all the time, but hadn’t been in what seemed like years at this point. she didn’t come often anymore, not having the money or the ability to convince her friends to come with her. it was also somewhat out of the way from where the pogues always spent their time, so there weren’t many opportunities for her to come. 

“i love this place.” she whispered softly, more to herself than anyone else.

“i know. you used to come with your dad all the time.” her head snapped to the side, narrowing her eyes slightly in shock.

“what else do you know about me, stalker?” he laughed gently before stepping out of the car, ignoring her question entirely. 

she followed suit, stepping out of the truck after him and following him into the diner. he held the door open for her, which only slightly surprised her this time, before they slid into a booth up against one of the large scaled windows.

she watched rafe look over the menu, though she knew he didn’t need to. most people that came to this diner knew what they were getting without looking, everyone had their usual order here. y/n hadn’t even grabbed a menu once they sat down. 

“you’re staring.” y/n clicked her tongue softly before the boy looked up at her, dropping the menu onto the table and intertwining his fingers together.

“i’m confused.” he raised an eyebrow in speculation, waiting for her to continue. “you dedicate your life to harassing the pogues, but secretly know things about me that my best friends don’t even know. and then you sweep me away from a boneyard party to take me to a diner that i haven’t been to in years.”

“years?” she rolled her eyes, surprised that that was the bit of information he clung to.

“yeah, years. hard to eat out all the time when you don’t have much money. plus, the pogues never want to come all the way out here so we just eat at the wreck most nights.” she shrugged, not finding the use in dwelling on the small pity party.

“they don’t come here with you?” she shrugged again, not knowing why it bothered him so much.

“are you going to tell me how you know weird things about me? how did you know i came here with my dad, and how did you know that i like jj?” she leaned over the table slightly, only pulling back when an older woman stopped by the table to pick up their orders.

she was surprised when rafe ordered french toast, figuring he’d be more of a waffle guy, but let it pass when she ordered her blueberry pancakes. she turned back to rafe after the woman left and leaned back over the table.

“i know you used to come here with your dad because rose used to drag sarah and i here to bond with us. you were almost always here, and when you weren’t, your dad was picking up a to-go order. i know you like maybank because it’s fucking obvious. you stare at him constantly and always have the same gloomy look on your face when he’s with kiara.”

she rolled her eyes, still finding this whole situation out of character for him. rafe cameron was the biggest ass on the entire island, and here he was, showing real interest in something that wasn’t cocaine or impressing her father.

it was odd to see rafe both sober and genuine, but y/n liked it. she liked this side of rafe, and it wasn’t the first time she’d seen him like this, though it had been the first time in a while.

“well that’s odd, cameron, but slightly endearing in the weirdest way possible.” he laughed gently, though it was the most genuine laugh she’d ever heard. his smile stretched across his lips, almost reaching his eyes, and his eyes lit up slightly.

“but tell me things i don’t know about you, y/n.” y/n shrugged, nervously picking at her fingernails. she didn’t like being the topic of conversation very much. she talked to people about them, not her. 

“why don’t you tell me about you?” 

“everyone knows shit about me, y/n.” she rolled her eyes and leaned back in the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“high school reputations don’t mean shit to me, rafe. i don’t care how people on the island see you; how the pogues see you. what are your hobbies? why is topper your best friend? why the truck and not a 4x4 like topper?” she rattled off small questions that she truly felt interested in, not caring about the kook image he attempted to uphold. 

“i guess i don’t have that many hobbies. top and i play golf a lot, so that’s one i guess. reading, i guess.” y/n’s eyes blew wide and she leaned back over the table, stopping rafe from continuing. 

“you read?” rafe scoffed at her tone, ignoring the annoyance building in the back of his mind. 

“yeah, i read. it’s therapeutic to me. good to know that’s so surprising to you. i couldn’t tell you why topper’s my best friend, he just has been for a while i guess. he knows too much about me for me to cut him out of my life.” y/n laughed softly, knowing the feeling all too well. 

“and i didn’t pick the truck, my dad did and i was just grateful to have a car at the time so i didn’t care what it was.” 

their food didn’t take long to come out, and y/n didn’t realize how hungry she was until she was staring at a stack of three large blueberry pancakes. she looked up at rafe when she heard him laugh at the slightly dazed look in her eye. 

“is there a problem, cameron?” he smiled brightly at her but shook his head as he poured a dangerous amount of syrup across the top of his french toast. 

“eat your pancakes.” 

the two stayed at that table for hours, finishing both of their meals and rattling off things to each other about themselves. y/n was sure she’d learned more about rafe in the first hour at the diner than she had learned about anybody in her life, besides john b or jj. 

it seemed incredible how different rafe was when he wasn’t deep in a pile of cocaine or on a rampage because of his dad. he was a normal guy, and y/n found herself sympathizing with him after he started opening up about his dad to her. 

y/n rolled her eyes when she saw that the lights were off in her house, knowing her mom hadn’t expected her to come home for the night. she couldn’t blame her, but know she’d have to navigate the house in the dark at 2 am. 

“you’re going to be okay, right?” she smiled at the worry in rafe’s question and nodded, sending him a reassuring glance. 

“she probably thought i was staying at john b’s, i’ll be okay.” he nodded and smiled back at her, ignoring the feeling in his chest when he realized he didn’t know when he’d see her like this again. 

she opened the door and jumped out of the truck, feet colliding with dirt before turning back to face the boy just a few feet away. 

“call me, cameron.” she smiled softly before shutting the door and walking up to her front door. 

he saw her pick up the flower pot beside the door and grab the key underneath before lodging it into the lock and pushing the door open. she waved at rafe one more time before disappearing into the house. 

she waited by the door until she saw the headlights disappear, smiling to herself at the night she had. 

--

taglist; @queenofthebees003​ @extratragic​ @jjtheangel​ 

AU Blind Murdock Reader x Leonardo (TMNT 2014/2016) Chapter 4

"Please someone....help.."

You jolted and Leo's eyes darted forward. He dropped his arms, wondering what it was that broke your focus.

"Are you alright?"

During the beginning, you were quite reluctant to join, and he realized he just needed to be persistent. So after you healed, and tried to get out of working together, you finally gave in. Leo knew if you were going to trust them, he would have to give you a reason to, so there was no doubt about showing you the lair. You'd already been there, and he had the sense that you would be able to find them even without his guidance.

At first, it was difficult, going out together and fighting crime. You still tried to operate like you were solo, and he didn't want to risk a casualty, so he asked Splinter for some advice. He suggested team training exercises. It helped with his brothers, so why not you? That's what you were currently doing, until something distracted you.

"I'm fine."

Fine.

You kept saying that. It was starting to get on his nerves. He knew for a fact you weren't fine. But with your very prominent trust issues, getting that information out would be a challenge.

"I need to go." Leo narrowed his eyes. It was Saturday afternoon. You didn't have school, and he was positive when you agreed to come, you did so because your schedule was clear.

"Where are you going?"

Your fist tightened at your side. "I didn't realize this was an interrogation. I just need to go. Or do I need permission to leave sir." He internally winced at the venom in your voice. He'd stepped on a bomb, he knew that now. "Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy. I was just under the impression that we were going to practice. I'm just a little worried, I want us to work well when we're out there. I can't do that if we aren't familiar with each other. "

"We'll be fine." You spoke flatly. You were already turning before he could say much more. You only made a few steps before his hand grabbed your wrist. Effectively halting your movements.

"Let me help you." you bit down on your lip. Asking for help would take a while, Leo understood that. That just meant he had to pay attention. He supposed you were used to being ignored, so it was easy for people who didn't pay mind to miss the subtle expressions on your face. He was getting better at reading you. "Something is bothering you, it's been that way for a while." He could feel you tense in his hold.

"I'm right." So it wasn't just a hunch on his part. At the start of the session he could tell. You were a bit antsy, and some of your hits were delayed. He'd seen you fight, you were calculated, strong and agile. Today you weren't as quick. Your shoulders slumped, and he loosened his hold, watching as you turned to him slowly.

"There's a girl in my building. She's..in pain. I can't seem to help. Every night she cries out for help and I..I can't do a thing."

"Did you try talking to the police, maybe they can help." you frowned.

"I've called child welfare and they didn't do a thing."

"Child welfare..." The child was being abused.

"(Y/N), are they beating on her?" your jaw clenched, and you turned abruptly.

"Are you going to help me or not."

You didn't answer his question, that wasn't good. Something told him that it was better to just go along with you. If he didn't, he'd be stuck worrying about what could happen. He didn't want you acting rash and getting hurt.

"I'll help."

He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but at least this way he was in the loop.

~~~~~

As darkness overtook the sky, you and Leo stood on the roof of your building. You kept flexing your fingers. Leo realized that watching you filter through all the sounds around you was intriguing. You seemed to react like an antenna, picking up signals until you found the right one. Your head would turn at every quick noise you caught. Your outfit really was a clever choice, the black blended nicely for the activities you need to carry out, and your eyes were completely covered, so the chance of someone even catching a glimpse of your eyes was impossible.

"How do you deal with it, all the conflicting sounds. It can't be easy, hearing all that you do."

A pause.

"It wasn't always easy, at first it was chaotic. They weren't sure what to make of me, so they placed me in an orphanage. Some of the nuns thought I was possessed. " you muttered. Leo swallowed. This was dangerous ground. Sometimes you'd give him little pieces of your past.

"This world isn't that pretty anyway, people think this disability is a curse, but it's a gift. My gift. I see everything through my other senses. I try to fix it. But everyone else, they see it all. The death, destruction, yet they are the ones truly disabled. Because they choose to be blind. "

You knew what your purpose in the world was, and this was it.

"Please don't.."

"Be quiet."

Leo straightened, and you turned to him. "Did you hear that?"

He nods. "He isn't sure what it is he just heard. It was an obvious cry for help, but the other voice came from inside the room. So it had to be a family member.

"I don't understand, why would they leave that relative with her if he's hurting her."

"It's because he's her step dad." Now he was even more confused. "She's a kid, what could she be doing that warrants abuse. I know parents are strict with their kids but-"

"He raped her." Leo's eyes widened. He took a step back, disbelief in his eyes. You couldn't see him. But there was no doubt genuine surprise.

"Your father, Splinter, I figured he sheltered you guys from a lot, and you've probably only been dealing with the minor threats. Bank robberies, common assaults. There's a lot more out there. Far more than you guys realize. You have no idea how much restraint it's taken me not to smash that man's face into a wall. It's been going on for weeks. I called the police, left notes for the mother. Even tried to get the girl to talk to me. Nothing. "

You tried getting him alone at night, you'd been studying his routine the moment you knew what was up, but there was rarely an opportunity. The hours he worked clashed with when you attended school, and every other chance he was always surrounded by someone. A friend, coworker, or his family.

"But he's...he's her.." Leo felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't comprehend it.

You just let out a dry chuckle. Dark, emotionless.

"The world isn't that black and white Leonardo. In this line of work, if you can't stomach the sight, you might as well be one of the other blind sheep."

Leo was still trying to gather himself. He finally registered that something was about to go down when he heard the sirens not too far away. "Their on time for once."

"W-Wait what are you.."

"If I can't get him for one crime, I'll just have to make him pay for another." he couldn't even ask what the actual plan was. You jumped over the edge of the building and Leo panicked.

"(Y/N)!!!!!!"

Gripping the ledge, you catapult yourself through the window, crashing into the glass. It broke, startling the man in the bed. He jumped off the girl in shock, and you tucked and rolled, cushioning your fall.

"What the hell!" He barely had a chance to pull up his pants. You drove forward, punching him square in the jaw. He took it, grunting and backpedaling as he crashed into the door.

"H-Honey!! Honey are you okay!!" you could hear the mother frantically yelling on the other side of the door.

"Mommy!!" your head whipped to the side. "I'm not going to hurt you." you said softly. You could hear the rustling of the sheets, she was cowering into the bed. "He hurt you." the girl didn't say anything, and you could hear the labored breathing of the step dad. He was still slightly disoriented from the hit.

"H-He said if I told anyone they wouldn't believe me. I-I was bad. I deserved it." It broke your heart to hear those words come from her mouth. "He's a liar. There's nothing you could have done to deserve any of this. He's a monster, you hear me, there's nothing wrong with you."

"Bitch!!"

That was becoming a frequent title. You just smirked when he picked up a bat from the corner. He raised it, striking in your direction. You dodged, moving in as punched him in the gut. He tried to use the lack of distance to get a hold of you, but you elbowed him in the jaw. He yelled out in pain, dropping the bat. You gripped the back of his scalp, driving his face harshly into the wall. It wasn't enough. You drew back. Clenching your teeth as you smashed his face harder. The crack of his nose was satisfying. Blood gushed down his face, and you released your hold on his hair, letting him face plant. He curled into a ball, wailing.

"Pussy." you sneered.

You shifted from the door, moving back to the shattered window. You could hear the police coming up the staircase. It was then that the mother finally forced her way into the room. She kicked in the door, standing in the doorway partially paralyzed at the sight of her spouse bleeding on the floor. "Mommy!!" the girl raced off the bed, right into her mother's arms. She caught her easily, hugging her protectively to her chest as she watched you wearily. It's then that she seemed to really take in the scene. Her husband's pants were down, and her daughter wasn't wearing any.

"No..." you sighed.

"Protect your daughter, if I see him back here again, I won't be so generous. " You raised your leg, stepping on the edge.

"NYPD OPEN UP!!" She could barely say much, the minute she turned at the call, you were already gone. Police flooded the house, and the little girl just held unto her mother, crying softly in her arms.

~~~~~~

"How did you...what did they take him in for." You and Leo were on the roof. You watched the aftermath of all that went down. Leo felt useless. He'd couldn't do much at that point but stay there and hope you got out before the police got there. The number of officers aware of his existence was pretty small, drawing in a larger audience, especially after his family was almost exposed, it was dangerous. He couldn't take the chance. That wasn't the only reason. Somehow he could still barely process the prospect of what that poor girl went through. From her own family no less.

"I planted some weapons I recovered from a russian mob a few weeks back. My plan was to just dump them at the nearest dock, but I guess there was a reason I held unto them for so long. Didn't think I'd need it, but it came in handy. Those guns have been used in numerous crimes around the city. That doubled with the charges his wife is gonna file, he won't see the light of day anytime soon. "

Your only wish is that you'd been able to do something sooner. Nothing was going to make up for the innocence that was stolen from that girl. Hopefully, with the help of her mother she'd be okay. Leo was quiet.

"You've done this already. "

Until now, Leo felt like he was making a difference, but he wasn't so sure anymore. You dealt with this often, no wonder you were so insistent on being left alone. If he had to deal with people like that regularly, he probably wouldn't trust anyone either.

"Don't doubt yourself. You're a good guy Leo. "

You could deal with the dark, it was a part of you. But Leo, he was pure. He still had hope in humanity. In some weird way, you kind of hoped he'd always be that way. You had no problem dealing with scum. It just meant that someone else wouldn't have to worry about it. You didn't mind suffering, it's all you'd known. You could bear it.

OH MY GOD! ITS HAPPENING! Its only the summary and I’m emo 😂 I should be studying for my exams, but I have tomorrow for that ;)

Ok, lets do this:

UDHWIJSHW THEY ARE SO CUTE FOR EACH OTHER I CANT-

"He preferred to hide his heart away. But he couldn’t hide David. He didn’t want to. David deserved to be seen." Like father like son. Both speeking poetry about their love ones. (and no, Idk which father I'm talking about 😂)

“I don’t think they are fake dating,” David hummed from the other end. “You don’t talk for hours every night if you are just fake dating.” (THANK YOU DAVID! SOMEONE THAT ITS NOT BLIND)

"They like doing chores. Let them do it. They fight demons all day and then come home and do chores. I feel like it’s their form of therapy. They need this.”“So, by not helping them, we are technically helping them?” Bapa had asked and Max had nodded with a grin. “Shadowhunters are weird.” “True dat,” Max had laughed. They were all weirdos. But Max loved them anyway. He loved his weird shadowhunters. (The domesticity lf this is killing me in a good way🥺)

“Will you on a date with me? Tomorrow?” Max asked then – because why the hell not. (Hell yeah Max. Go big or go home babe😎)

“This date is going to be the best first date in the history of first of dates.” In retrospect, he really shouldn’t have said that. (I'm already feeling his chaotic ass will do something like Magnus did, but lets keep hope)

"Maybe Lexi and Liv would probably enjoy a date – a fake date - in the arcade." Could I be more in love with both of them?? Is that physically possible?? 💙

Elyaas giving Max dating advice!! Lmaooo 😂😂

"His parents would not be pleased if they knew Max was summoning demons for relationship advice. But they had also encouraged Max to make friends with everyone regardless of their identity. So, technically this was their fault. They gave him very mixed messages."  YOU LIL SHIT. YOU ARE NOT WRONG THO...

FUCK. An attack??

You lil shit Max.

Yep, Rafael has to deal with it everyday 😂

OOMG YESS. THE ALIANCE RUNE!!

"So, when he got tired, he would simply fix the problem by eating. It was a win-win to be honest." I feel like I should say something, but tbh it makes sense

Ok, this fight is intense

Wait. Anjali is there???  What?

Oh ok, it wasn’t

“Say the thing!”Rafael groaned and raised his hands, the alliance rune lighting up.“I’m not just a shadowhunter,” Rafael said through gritted teeth. “I’m Magnus Bane’s son.” I'm dead 😂

THAT SCENE WAS EVERYTHING. LOVE THOSE TWO

“Well, demons are stupid,” Max pointed out. “Yeah, that makes sense,” Rafael said with a mouthful of food. “You are half demon after all.” “Asshole,” Max laughed and punched his brother.

“Text dad we are okay,” Rafael said, slowly recovering. “They will worry.”Max nodded and did that. (This just summ up sibling relationships so well *chef kiss*)

“It can be hard, Max. Bapak and dad…Sometimes I look at them and feel like I will never have what they have.” YUP. THEY HAVE SIBLINGS DYNAMIC. ALSO RAFAEL IS JUST 🥺🥺🥺

David got wounded???

Oh ok. False alarm.

Rafael sat down next to him and put Bapak’s head on his lap, gently massaging it.

“Are you okay?” dad knelt down next to his husband. “Just a little tired,” Bapak replied.A little tired. Max knew Bapak was fucking exhausted."  "Bapak never showed it. He never complained. Max wondered what else he hid away from everyone else." “Okay,” dad whispered and kissed his husband on the head. “Get some rest, my love.” Bapak nodded and closed his eyes as Rafael hummed something softly. (Well, now I'm crying 😭😭)

" His niece found an herbal medication that helps with the pain.” ANJALI!! I LOVE HER💙💙

"Dad finally smiled and went out to the balcony, phone in hand. He seemed to hang out in the balcony a lot lately" No no no. I dont like this. Babe find a better copying mechanism!!

"Bapak smiled then. A brilliant grin. The one dad probably fell in love with." jsyeihdiej I cant🥺💙

"Bapak sniffed when dad sat down next to him and gave him an odd look. But he didn’t say anything." Magnus tell him something. I dont like where this is going😭

“Does that mean Bapak is a capitalist?” Max asked. “Do not drag me into this!” Bapak protested and dad laughed at that" Ahh yess. Typical family discussions 😂

"David: Mr Herondale yelled “Yes! Two out of three!” (😂😂 I HONESTLY LAUGHED WAY TO HARD!!)

“Well, no! I don’t want drama. But I want you to be dramatic so I can tell you not to be dramatic!” I would like to say WHAT? but I honestly get it 😂

“Also, we all know you had an embarrassing crush on Uncle Jace growing up,” Rafael snickered. “And you definitely still have a crush on Uncle Jem.” Oh god 😂😂 but I mean... Who doesn't have a crush on Jem?

“Oh yeah?” Max demanded. “Well then let me explain your type. You are probably going to fall for someone who is like a combination of Aunt Izzy and Aunt Lily! Some femme fatale type who is a heartbreaker and looks like a supermodel and-” Boy got it right huh? 😂

“You two are dating?” dad demanded. “Since when? Who else knows about this? Why didn’t you tell us before? Were you dating when you were in London? Magnus, did you know about this?” “There you go!” Max yelled triumphantly. “That’s the dramatic reaction I was looking for. Thanks, dad!” lmaooo 😂😂

"And that’s how the next hour turned out to be the most painful and most embarrassing hour of his life." I. I have no words

“I’ll have you know this conversation utterly traumatized me. I demand financial compensation.” “Not happening,” dad said into his coffee, and Max groaned before walking back into his room. (THAT FAMILY 😂😂)

" I tried to hurt your father once.” OH no, the angst is coming

" He didn’t know about this. He knew about their story. Everyone did. The accords hall kiss. The fight in Edom. The changing of the law. Their love was legendary. Not this!" THIS IS BRINGING BACK SO MANY FLASHBACKS

“All I know is that I was terrified. I love your father. I love Magnus more than anything in the world. And I didn’t want to lose him. And I didn’t know what to do.” 😭😭 NOT AGAIN!!

"When you love someone so much, sometimes you do crazy things.” THIS

" Love had made a fool out of them. Love had made them blind." Yup. tsc: a summary

"When you love someone, you have to be honest with them" And THAT is character development!!

"They called it The Jem effect." I'm using this from now on 😂💙💙

"Uncle Jem was wearing a tank top and and ripped jeans." So its time for SIMP over Jem Carstairs? Okey then.

"In fact, he used to have a crush on both Tessa and Jem. It’s how he had found he was bisexual." Same here 😂

“MINA! I SWEAR TO LILITH I AM GOING TO GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!” OH MY GOD I LOVE MINA!!

“In my defense, I was busy!!” “Oooo, someone has been getting busy!” Mina WINKED. (You lil shit! I love her 💙)

He didn’t know he could blush!!!

" They had gone to hell and back for Roman. It wouldn’t have been possible if not for Catarina. She was, and always has been, a miracle worker." Again, I love my queen💙💙

“I believe in Mavid supremacy.” ME TOO

"There is something so queer about Ferris wheels!" Someone needed to say this

"They had their own space in the spiral fucking labyrinth. These fucking legends." I BELIEVE IN WARLOCK TEAM SUPREMACY

"But Ragnor had always had a soft spot for Rafael." 🥺🥺

I love my warlock squad so much I cant-

Ragnor is so done😂

“I don’t want to lose him,” Max said it out loud for the first time. “But you will, Max,” Catarina said gently. “Everyone loses people they love. Every day. It’s how life works.” (its to early to be crying)

“Yes, we do,” Ragnor replied. “But it also means we fall in love over and over. Century after century. It’s our blessing.” (these warlocks are just to perfect)

“And that love is going to last for a lifetime,” Tessa said softly. “Can you imagine that? Someone loving you for centuries. Someone remembering you for eternity. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” 🥺🥺

David deserved to be loved like that – endlessly and impossibly. (OK BUT THE PARALLEL)

Tessa should definetly write a guidebook

“Je t’aime à la folie,” Max said.David’s eyes widened. “Vraiment?“ "Je t’aime. Je t’aime de toute mon âme. Je t’aime pour toujours.” ( I literally screamed and woke up my sister, I just love them so much!!!)

"David smiled. The smile Max fell in love with" 🥺🥺

“I know I am not your forever and I am okay with that.” Max bit his lip. “Okay.” “But you are mine,” David said. “You know that, right?” (ksidjdldk its just all this was beautiful!)

“I got it all planned,” Max said – for someone who had no idea what he was going to do." (Me as I should be studying 😂)

" And you were just scared. You were just a kid." “I just…I just realized you might not have had that when you were growing up – that there might not have been people you could talk to about these things.” THAT!! LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!

"Max pulled him closer and kissed him again. Every kiss a promise. A promise to love. A promise to fight. A promise to survive" I would die for this two

OMG he took him to the Celestial Palace!! Thats so perfect and 🥺🥺

“Oh mon dieu! Ceci est incroyable! Il y a tellement de livres! Oh mon dieu! Je l'aime tellement!”💙💙 Idk how you manage to make me love David even more

“Of course he doesn’t hate you!” Max chuckled. “But he did say he will put your nerd ass in the silent city if you don’t bring me home by 11.” David blinked. “You’re joking, right?” “Of course,” Max grinned. His father had actually said that but there was no need to scary poor David any further. (😂😂 Imagine having the Consul as father-in-law, poor David)

“Yeah, not good with words my ass,” Exactly!! They say they are not good with words and procede to recite poetry of their love one??!!

Ughh I love this chapter so much and I loved how they deal with the inmortality thing! I just love when people comunicate and talk to each other! THATS A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP! And how they didn't repeat Alec and Magnus mistake. I just love it! *chef kiss*

Anyway, this was really long and it took to open notes to fullfill, so i'll just leave💙💙

Bro I just felt like I read the whole chapter again and I am feels. I AM FEELS SEND HELP. Not me catching feels over my own shit lmaooooo.

Thank you so much. I have some work to do and I was like meh and now I have some energy to do it lol. I hope you spend tomorrow studying! You better!! Good luck!

ps - I love you notice the parallels and references. It makes me lil heart go boop!

also why do I feel like y'all are eternally doing exams????

Headcanons (I promise these won’t make you cry)

Ok so on @eatyourdamnpears post there were a lot of headcanons, and I decided to put them all in one post, but just bear in mind, half of this is credit to @thedarkestcrew cuz she did some amazing HCs, and I’m by no means stealing hers, just putting it all in a better place.

- Liam sends packages to Ruby because he can't make a fool out of himself in person so it's the next best thing. 

-These packages include things like hand writing notes, stuffed animals, any ruby jewellery he finds, pictures of them on dates that he printed (he has matching pictures and keeps them under his bed)( Cole and Harry find them but it's too cute to tease him), and finally, videos to make her laugh

- He also keeps a menu from Ruby Tuesday, and LOADS of old CDs and rock band t shirts

-Cole and him borrow each others jackets all the time and it's not a problem because they live in the same house and they can just go over to the room next door, 

-But when ruby starts stealing Liam’s jackets that he stole from Cole? well now the Stewart house is missing 10 leather jackets and you can't just get them form the girl who lives a state away. So she has to send them back in the mail,

-keeps a few that smell like Liam because she can

-sometimes people are confused which Stewart brother Ruby is really dating. And the fact that they look like twins it adds to the confusion, and the Ruby and Cole literally love to watch people get so mixed up

-oh absolutely, they’ll walk in on ruby and Liam making out, but two second later see Cole smoothing Down her hair and calling her Gem, AND seeing her he friendly with Chubs and cleaning his glasses because her skirt has better fabric for it, AND seeing her joke around with Nico

-it becomes a bet to see who she's with

-Liam will give Ruby his jacket, but than Cole comes and notices it's his jacket and makes a joke about them dating, she just gives him the jacket because she'd rather wear lee'. bystanders are distraught

-  And then Clancy comes along and brags about how he kissed Ruby and then the people who bet are just like 'where. the. hell. did. clancy. frickin. gray. come. from???

-Ruby thinks most of the rumours are funny and will be really vague about who her boyfriend is. most of the time just seeing Ruby and Liam together will be enough for people to figure it out by how the are relaxed around each other and look lovingly at the other.

-But when she hears the Clancy rumour she shuts that down faster than Charles scarfs Down a pancake

- Also, Liam's mum and Harry have an ongoing bet about who Ruby is actually dating because it's just so confusing at this point. Grace is like 'are you blind???' and Harry Is like 'there's something with Cole, I swear!!' But eventually realised its Liam and gives in

- Grace thinks she’s dating Cole, because when she visited she hugged Cole first and than a minute later hugged Liam. Yes, she went out to the park with Liam but grace doesn't know that, also she spend 20 minutes in Coles room chatting. She thinks Liam just has a crush on her or something 

- Ruby's parents can't tell them apart for anything and made a rule of " announce who you are before talking" after Liam kissed Ruby on the cheek and her mom thought that was the same person who told someone to go-F themselves ten minutes ago and nearly faints. It takes them a while the even figure out there are two blond southern men that flirt with their daughter

 -Grace is always giving Liam encouraging mom advice like, 'there are always others' and 'you'll get there someday' and Liam is just like 'thanks, mom'

-Ruby's dad is just so tired of confusing Liam and Cole, he's like 'Stewart sr' and 'Stewart jr.' He tried to call them 'Ruby's boyfriend' and Ruby's friend, but Cole answered to both just for the fun of it

-Chubs does not think it's funny at all and spits out what he's drinking when he sees Cole look when her dad says ' Ruby's boyfriend'. almost strangles Ruby until he hears about it. 

-Vida thinks it's really funny but event breaks and tells everyone it's a joke the day after. she doesn't know how many more times she can see Liam pouting

-After the Cole fiasco is over. his parents wait about a week and try to get Liam with Ruby. it's a bunch of prep talks, buying new clothes, telling him how to not mess up. when the big date comes her kisses her as a hello and they feel betrayed

-When ruby’s dad says the jr, sr thing he has Harry looking too and now he just needs to have ruby in the room with him, whoever’s face gets softer Is Liam, the one who stands up to tease her about something is Cole

-One day they talk about it and their 70 percent sure it’s Cole because they think he’s more her type while Liam would be good for her. Anyways they see her making out with Liam and are shocked and think she’s cheating on Cole.

-Harry had to sit Cole down and explain that Ruby isn’t faithful and Cole is absolutely loving it. He’s eating it all up, goes along with it, calls ruby in-front of him and ‘breaks up with her’, she also thinks it’s hilarious because for crying out loud it’s been a few month into the new program and why not see how long they can keep going. I swear they have a whole plot on how they met, what line made them fall in love the, whole 9 yards. 

-Grams knows of course because she pulled her aside and threatened her to date Liam because he’s the poster ’ nice southern boy’. Liam does not enjoy his girl friend pretending to date his brother but she throws enough Liam flirting into the mix to make it even.

- when Cole ‘breaks up’ with her, they have a fully fledged fake argument, like ‘remember that time when we got ice cream and you told me you told me you loved me’ and ‘you never loved me!!’ And for Ruby this is easy, because let’s face it Ruby is a grade A liar (in a good way) and Cole should be a 5 star actor because he is so damn dramatic. 

-Harry is totally buying this, and in the end they confess to their parents that Ruby + Cole was never a thing, and Liam is just looking at his mum like ‘SEE, I TOLD YOU I WASN’T A TOTAL LOSER’ and poor Grace just bakes a bunch of things just to make it up to him, and they all have a laugh about it. 

-But it was getting to the point where Ruby’s parents asked Zu which one she was dating and she was like ‘I am not getting involves in this.’ and Cole is just giving her a discreet thumbs up for playing her part while she just rolls her eyes.

-Oh absolutely they get into it, everyone who knows their lying get popcorn and treat it like its a movie. Cole says something absolutely ridiculous like “ you can take my heart, and my dignity, but I’m taking back the popcorn I gave you that one time” and Ruby has to use all of her enegery to not burst out laughing. 

-Ruby can also fake cry quickly so she’s sobbing, and by the end schools her face within a second and wipes away to tears Cooly. Ruby’s mom can’t trust her after that. also still kinda doesnt belive she’s dating anyone because of the Cole thing. Liam comes over 5 times before she’s convinced that this isn’t another prank. Ruby tells her she’s going on a date Saturday and says “ ha ya alright I’m not falling for that again” and than on saturday spends 6 minutes looking around the house for her before calling her and realizing that she wasent kidding

-Vida definitely films the whole thing like it's some telenovela, while Chubs is rolling her eyes at her but Zu secretly loves the drama and her stupid family. And Rubiam parents mention this at their wedding as well like, Ruby's dad would be doing a speech 'today we are gathered for the union of my daughter and Cole- Liam, i meant Liam. Its definitely Liam. Right Ruby??'

-Cole shows up to Haven for a visit about to yell at Liam and Ruby for not inviting him sooner after Harry and Grace let the location slip

( I know cole being dead is one of the things that sparked haven being made on liams part, but let's just say the spark for haven was Ruby getting harassed and Liam not being able to see her like that and asking her to run away with him to the middle of no where. Good? Great)

-Cole is about to walk through the door before a kid puts a frog in his hand and another kid asks if he can beat the level on his game boy.

-he thinks it's really adorable and the kids start calling him Liam for a Few minutes so why not,

-anyways he sneezes in a lone hallway and lights something small on fire before quickly putting it out.

-Owen is coming out of his room but sees the panic in Coles eyes and says ' hey, I'm not one to judge' and walks back into his room.

-When Ruby gets home she stops and stares at him for a full minute like " that's..... not Liam????"

-he calls her gem and she can't decide between jumping a hug onto him or punching him.

-Liam gets home and the kids all do a double take like ' you changed shirts??? can got a hair cut????' before doing a double take between the two

-Loads of the kids gather around and start making daisy chains for Cole’s hair, and he freaking loves it.

-He’s surprisingly good with kids as they all hover around him asking questions, holding his hand and showing him random things and it warms Ruby’s heart so much

Again, credit to @thedarkestcrew for thinking all of this, and this post has been fun 

El Cumpleñero

AN: Fatass shout out to @aliencal​ and @hoodschick​ for letting me bounce ideas around, esp the last scene. And to my girl @d-oaks​ for editing as usual.

Request: 1 & 73 with Cal please? xxxxx “Stay here tonight.” “I missed you.”

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, smut, mentions of toxic relationships towards the end

Word Count: 3.5k words

January 2019

“Here, you can borrow something. Again, I’m so sorry.” Calum stammered as he guided Claudia in his room. He’s mentally punching himself; the one chance he had to impress her, he blew it by splashing beer all over her dress.

“Don’t worry about it, Calum. It was a moment of celebration. It’s not everyday we beat Luke and Sierra at beer pong. Plus, I finally get to raid your closet.” She reassured him.  

Claudia grabbed his white dress shirt with the thin black lines and went into the bathroom. She rummaged in her bag until she found some safety pins to pin them inside his shirt, so it looks better fitted on her. The shirt stopped a bit after the curve of her ass. Her long black boots gave her extra oomph, and she decided to slip on her leather jacket to give more attention to her ass. 

Calum was left speechless when she walked out of the bathroom. Sure, he had imagined her in one of his shirts, but he was not prepared for the actual thing. He caught a peek of the black lace covering her breast. Also enjoying how the bottom hugged her ass perfectly. Wordlessly, they walked out of his room. 

Drake’s verse in SICKO MODE echoed through the house, reminding her that Michael was in charge of music.  He  had volunteered to be the party’s designated DJ in the group chat where they had planned Calum’s party.  Luke said he was just going to connect his phone to Spotify and see what played. 

Duke ran up to her, standing on his hind legs to get her attention. 

"Duquito! I missed you, babas." Claudia exclaimed. She picked him up and kissed all over his face. She started to baby talk to him. Duke rested his head on her shoulder, and Calum never felt more jealous of his dog.

“You saw him less than five minutes ago.” 

“I know, those are five minutes too long without my Duquito.”

Calum shook his head at her comment. He reached for her hand and guided them to where the rest of the boys were. 

Luke and Sierra gave each other a knowing look when they saw the pair approach them hand in hand. They both claimed that Calum and Claudia are dating, but Ashton knew that they weren’t. Calum confided in him that she broke up with her boyfriend of three years in September, and he didn’t think it was okay for him to make moves on her. 

Calum sat down on one of the seats with Claudia taking a seat on his lap. He casually rested his arm around her waist and played with the hem of his shirt as they talked to the group. It was a simple gesture, but Claudia couldn’t help thinking about how his fingers would feel in her or while he gripped her hips as he fucked into her. 

“I'm gonna get another drink,” Claudia told him as she slid off his lap.

Calum watched her beeline to the makeshift bar with Duke on her trail. He looked back at the group, and everyone stared at him. 

“What?” He said, taking a sip of his beer.

“You need to make a move. She fucking likes you. You have to be blind to not see it, Cal.” Sierra said. 

Before Calum was able to respond, Ashton beat him to it. “You've got to be kidding me. She actually showed up.”

All their heads turned to look at the one person Calum didn't want there.

***

“Hey you might want to slow down. You've taken like eight shots of Patrón.” Claudia suggested as Calum poured himself another shot and one for her, sliding it to her. He downed his without a second thought.

“Well, what would you do when you see your ex at your birthday party?” Calum asked, downing another shot.

“Well, I hid in my room, watched all the Barbie movies on Netflix and kept sending my niece to bring me food until it was time to cut the cake.” Claudia replied. She was still angry that Paco was invited to the party. It was supposed to be just a family thing, so she made up the excuse that she had a bunch of homework to avoid going downstairs. Instead, she wrapped herself up in her blanket and ate gelatina.

“You also Facetimed me, remember?” They FaceTimed for a good three hours after his show. 

“Oh, yeah.”

“Okay, fine.  I’m taking your advice and going to watch Barbie in my room. Let’s go.” He stood up, knocking down his chair. Duke, who had been napping on Claudia’s lap, jolted awake. She caught him before he fell to the ground.

“I didn’t say that! I was only telling you what I did.” Claudia giggled. Her phone buzzed, showing a picture of her dad. She cursed, sliding her phone open. “Hi, papi.”

“Is that your dad?” Calum asked, shoving his face on her phone. “Hi, Mr. Santos.” 

Calum took Claudia’s phone and started talking to her dad. She passed Duke to Calum's lap and went to the kitchen to the fridge and got out the cake. 

"You don't seem like the type Cal goes for." Calum's ex said from behind her, startling Claudia and nearly making her drop the cake.

"Excuse me?" Claudia asked, confused. She turned back, looking to see who she was talking to. No one else was within ear shot, so she was obviously talking to her.

"Nothing, just expected more I guess. I mean," she gestured to herself. She was light skin and beautiful, the opposite of Claudia. 

Claudia knew deep down Calum wouldn't go for someone like her. A brown and ordinary college student. "Um, I'm not sure what you're trying to say. If you'll excuse me."

Calum watched Claudia grab the cake and candles and headed to the yard. Luke met her halfway and took the cake off her hands. Calum turned back to his ex, who was rummaging through his fridge as if she was welcomed in his home.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Calum asked her.

“I was invited, duh” She said, rolling her eyes. 

Calum looked over his yard where Sierra and Claudia were clearing a table for the cake while they laughed at something Luke said. 

“She’s cute. Though you could've done better. She's a bit… simple."

"I think you should leave." Calum said.

His ex sauntered over to him, smirking. He recognized that smirk, it was the one she always plastered on her face when she preyed on someone or something. Calum took a step back and she followed by taking one towards him. She laid her hand on his chest, grabbing a fist full of his shirt.

"Oh shit, sorry. I, uh, Ashton asked me to get you. I'll tell him you're...busy." Claudia stammered from the entrance way. Calum noticed her cheeks slightly flushed, as she stepped back to the yard.

"You're right, I should go." His ex let go of his shirt and smoothed it out. "You should go cut your cake."

"Fuck off." Calum slid away from her. Her cackle echoed through his ears when he went to meet his friends. 

Claudia felt like she was in a telenovela, and she was the dumb protagonist that caught the person she loved with the person they needed to be with. She even did the dramatic running away scene. All she needed was Calum to go after her.

"Claudia,"Calum called her.

Chingada madre, she thought. She turned around and looked at him. 

"Look what you saw back there wasn't what—"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. Again, I'm sorry for interrupting." She made her way to Sierra, throwing an arm around her whispering something in her ear earning a laugh. Claudia watched as some of the party goers joined them and sang to Calum. 

Calum solemnly walked over to friends. The rest of the band joined him and took pictures with him. They did some Charlie's Angels poses.

"Your turn Claudia." Ashton nudged her.

"Oh, no I'm fine. I'm not a picture person." She began.

"We took like a million selfies in the bathroom when I got here. What do you mean you hate pictures?" Sierra asked. 

"Here's Duke so it can be like a family picture." Ashton said. 

Calum caught the teasing tone. He quickly glared at him when he grabbed Duke. 

Claudia made her way over and near him. Duke squirmed in Calum's arms wanting to go with Claudia. She grabbed him and on instinct he laid his head on his chest. She felt Calum's arm wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The picture was taken and Claudia quickly pulled away from Calum's grip. She went over to the bar and drank, downing  shot after shot after shot. She closed her eyes, letting the alcohol do its thing. 

A plate of cake landed in front of her. She looked up and met Ashton's hazel eyes. She poured herself another shot in disappointment that it wasn't Calum.

"You shouldn't let her rile you up. She does that all the time to piss Cal off." Ashton explained, stealing her shot.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, poking at the slice. She spent all morning baking the cake. It was red velvet with vanilla cream cheese buttercream. She got the "H" in Happy Birthday that she promptly smeared.

"Please, one moment both of you are oozing sexual tension and the next you can't even look at each other. His ex was something else quite honestly. In the time that they were together I never saw them act the way you both do. He's happy around you." Ashton patted her hand and went over to the boys. 

***

An hour so passed, and the party died down. It was just their little group now. Even Roy had left with a girl he had met. After helping pick up most of the Solo cups and bottles, Claudia wandered back to Calum's room to get her bag. She dumped her bag on his bed looking for her phone. Then she remembered Calum had it when he hijacked her call. 

The door opened making her jump. It was Duke and Calum. Duke trotted over to her wanting cuddles from her.

"Hey," they said simultaneously.

"Do you have my phone?" Claudia asked him. 

"Yeah, here." He dug in his pocket and pulled it out. 

"Thanks, I need to get a ride home." She said, checking the prices between Uber and Lyft. 

"Stay here tonight. It's late. I don't want you in a car with some stranger. I've read one too many articles about rideshare apps being the new way human traffickers kidnap young women." Calum said.

"Fine." She said, closing the app. He had a point, not to mention she had one too many drinks. 

"Okay, yeah. I'll drop you off in the morning."

"It's morning right now." She showed him her screen. It said 1:28 am.

"The reasonable morning, smart ass." He said, earning a giggle from her.

They made their way down when they bumped into Michael.

"We should get going. I'll come by and get the speakers tomorrow." Michael told them. 

"Just text me." Calum said. He lifted the arm he had around Claudia and fist bumped him. 

"We should get going too. Ash, you need a ride?" Luke asked him. 

Ashton glanced at the Calum and Claudia. "Yeah."

They made plans to meet up for a late lunch before bidding each other goodbye. Calum watched Claudia make her way to the kitchen and pull out a pizza box from the oven. She grabbed a paper towel and placed a few slices on it, sitting on the counter to munch on it.

“What?” She giggled when Calum approached her. Without thinking he grabbed her wrist and bit the slice she was eating. Claudia let out a dramatic gasp. “There’s plenty more in the box, why did you eat mine?” 

“Because I’m the birthday boy, and I can eat what I want,” he said. 

Claudia opened her legs, letting Calum take a step closer to her. 

“Well, actually it’s almost two in the morning. Your birthday ended a few hours ago.” She said matter of factly and took a generous bite of her pizza all the while turning  back to point at the time on the microwave. 

“Pretty girl, no one likes a smart ass.” Calum said, leaning closer to her. He caged her in with his body, not that she minded. 

Claudia took in his scent, bright and woody cologne mixed with  tequila. It was a comforting scent, as if she was at home. She looked up at Calum, and he glanced down to her lips. 

He met her eyes and pushed back some of her curls before cupping her face with one hand and using the other to balance himself on the counter. His hand landed on the napkin piled with pizza and slid. 

Claudia let out a snort. “Smooth, Cal.”

“I get a do-over. It’s my birthday.” Calum said candidly. 

“It’s not your—”

He cupped her face with both hands, which was what he needed to do in the first place, and kissed her. The kiss was slow, a test of  water, but urgency took over soon. Claudia’s hand twisted against his shirt. Their tongues battled for dominance, and Calum won. They kissed for what seemed ages until they needed to breathe.

They both pulled away, winded. 

“No one likes a smart ass, pretty girl.” Calum panted. 

Claudia rolled her eyes. Then she threw her arms around Calum, pulling him back to her and kissed him. Calum pushed himself against her legs to give him better access. His hands grabbed her ass and grinded her against his crotch. Claudia threw her neck back, revelling in how good Calum felt against her. She mentally gave herself a pat on the back for wearing full lace panties. 

Calum nipped and sucked down her neck to find her sweet spot. He barely caught her strangled moan when he nipped the spot between her jaw and neck. He repeated his actions, earning a louder moan from her. He smiled against her neck, wondering how she would sound when he makes her cum time after time.

“Bedroom,” Claudia moaned. 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah."

The walk to Calum's room took seconds, but it was going to take longer to go inside of it. Claudia was pinned up against the wall next to his room. While they kissed, she impatiently unbuttoned the shirt revealing her black lace number. 

Calum was rendered speechless. He let go of her and kissed all the small tattoos sprinkled all over her tummy. He kneeled down when he got to the ones near her hips and stomach. He lowered the waistband of her panties and kissed the small 'wildflower' tattoo on her hip bone. 

"These look nice on you, pretty girl." Calum said, toying with the waistband of her panties. "But I think they'll look better on the floor."

"Guess, we won't know unless we see it." Claudia teased. 

With that Calum gripped the sides and tore her panties off . 

"No mames! Those were my SavageFenty chonis!" Claudia exclaimed. She had joined the Xtra VIP exclusively for those panties. 

"I'll get you a new pair." Calum shrugged as he gently pushed Claudia against the wall and tugged off her boots. He lifted one of her legs, placing it on his shoulder. Meeting Claudia's gaze, he licked his lips and kissed around her thighs. He adjusted her legs for better access to her. 

With one lick Claudia was ruined. She nearly toppled to the ground. Luckily the grip she had on Calum's curls helped her stay up. Her grip only tightened as Calum squeezed her ass as he continued to have her. He bent his arm to rub her clit. At first it felt strange to have fingers that weren't hers rubbing her clit, but she loved how Calum's felt. 

"Fuck! Calum!" She moaned. 

"Love your taste, pretty girl." He stated. 

Claudia felt a familiar tug in her stomach. Before she could process what was happening, she yelled out Calum's name pleasure. He continued to rub her clit until her high wore down. He gently dropped her leg and held on to her hips keeping her balance. 

Claudia had closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. The last time she panted like this was when she had to run across Cal State Long Beach because she mixed up her Tuesday/Thursday classes with her Monday/Wednesday a few days ago.

***

"I'm sorry. I swear I wanted this. I just— I get it if you hate me and never wanna see me again. I'm gonna go." Claudia said. She wrapped the bed sheet around her chest and looked for her clothes.

Everything was going great. He had gone down on her again, and she gladly returned the favor. They made out some more. Then Calum reached for a condom. That was when shit hit the fan. Claudia pushed him away and called him by her ex's name.

"Claudia," Calum called her as she walked away. He quickly put on his boxers and went after her. He found her outside hugging her knees, crying. "Hey, what happened back there?"

Claudia wasn't with him. She was in the backseat of Paco's Honda Civic. She had driven down for Labor Day weekend because her Friday class was canceled, so she decided to go visit her family. She texted Paco if he wanted to go to Las Cuatro Milpas after work. After eating they went to Por Vida for an horchata latte. Claudia found a chafita version of Por Vida in Long Beach, but their horchata lattes were abysmal. 

They drove back to his place. His parents were in Mexico and his little sister was at her friend's house. They had house to themselves. Much for Claudia's dismay. 

The hangout started normal. They were in the living room watching some Fast and Furious marathon when Paco started to get handsy. Like Danny when he took Sandy to the drive-in theater. Claudia began to feel uncomfortable. 

"Paco, stop." She shrugged him off for the nth time within the hour she was there.

"Baby, you know you like it." He began to bite her neck and grope her breasts. 

"Paco, I said stop." She said pushing him off her.

He glared at her as he let her go. "I'm getting sick and tired of you acting like a fucking prude, Claudia. We've been together for three years. I should get something out of it."

"I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. Can you please take me home?" 

"No." 

"You're unbelievable." 

"I'm just asking you for one thing."

"No, you're not. Sex is more than one thing. It's a lot deeper than that."

"You're full shit, Claudia, and I'm done."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you can suck my dick one day, but the next you won't let me touch you. We're done, get out of my house."

"Paco, you can't do that to us. Was all the shit you went through with Danny, not worth us." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke.

"You're not worth anything. The next fool that has to deal with your prude ass is just going to leave. I was doing you a favor for when we broke up eventually. No one wants a fucking a virgin." 

Calum placed a hand on her knee, startling Claudia. She blinked up at him, tears still free falling. He reached over and wiped away her tears. She pushed him away and began picking her up her clothes. 

“Did I do something wrong? If I did, I’m sorry.” Calum said.

"You're good, it's all me." She dismissed him. She turned back and saw the look on his face. His brows were furrowed and he was in deep thought. He was beating himself up. Claudia dropped her shoulders in defeat. "I’ve never had sex. Which was the real reason why my ex broke up with me, not the distance or whatever excuse he used to make me look bad. He said that no one wanted a virgin and that I'm not—"

Calum wrapped her up his arms. She tensed, but then relaxed. Claudia held on to him as she cried. She never told anyone the real story. She felt a bit embarrassed, but overall relieved that huge weight on her shoulders was gone.

"He's a selfish idiot." Calum said. He pushed back some of her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry if I pressured you into something you aren't ready for."

"You didn't do anything wrong, except rip my SavageFenty panties." She began. "I felt safe with you. You made it seem like you care about me."

"I do, you know, care about you. I've had feelings for you for a while, to be honest." 

"I know, and I also like you too. You're the best." 

Claudia pulled his head down and kissed him. It was a reassuring kiss. It let them know what they mean for each other. They'll take things slow, and see where things go from here. 

@pretty-meekish I have done you question thing.

Guardians name: Atlas

Age: 26

Race: Human

Call signs/alias: N/A

Pronouns: He/him

Class: Titan

Preferred subclass(es): Solar

Ghost's name: Drachen

Their Vanguard: Zavala

Fireteam name: Last Words

Fireteam teammates: Faire, Deimos, Ruin-1, Ardyn-2

Favorite legendary weapon: D1: The Devil you know. D2: The Vow

Favorite exotic weapon: D1: Patience and

Time/Gjallarhorn. D2: Ace of Spades/Sweet Business

Favorite exotic armor: D1: Sunbreakers Mark. D2: Armamentarium

Favorite ornament armor set: Virtuous set (Season of Dawn's set)

Favorite weapon ornament: Last Hand/Salute to the Colonel/Big Blind

What stats do they focus on: Resilience and Recovery

Are they offense, defence, or support: All three but mainly offense, he switches around if the situation calls for him to do so.

Do they prefer being close, mid, or long range: Close so he can punch things and set them on fire.

Do they lean more "Element of Surprise" or "Upfront and Aggressive": Upfront and Aggressive, he's a Titan.

Strikes, Gambit, or Crucible: Strikes although if Mayhem is in then he's heading for that.

Who was their mentor(if they had one. If it is a character you created, tell us about them!): A solar Titan named Chad Lucky

What ship do they have: Saint's Invocation with Reflection Effects for the transmats effect. Shader is Lighthouse Sun.

What is their Sparrow: Atlas Runner

Favorite Ghost shell: Tie between Kill Tracker Ghost, Kitbash Shell, and Atlas Shell.

(Although I do own the irl Kill Tracker Ghost so he leans towards this one, but Kitbash's description is a mood.)

Favorite shader: Sulfur Burnish (it's from D1 and I am too lazy to Google it)

Favorite color: Colors of fire

Favorite food: Apples

Favorite piece of Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any): N/A

Favorite Pre-Collapse music(if they've heard any): Rasputin by Bobby Farrell and this is only because he likes to blast it to annoy everyone or he knows others will start singing it.

Favorite place in The Last City(if it's a place you created, give a little description!): Shaxx's area

Favorite NPC(s): Shaxx, Zavala, Ikora, Cayde-6, Saint-14, Osiris, Banshee-44, Amanda, Lord Saladin, Lady Efrideet, Failsafe, Asher, Eva, Tyra, Arcite, KADI 55-30.

Favorite patrol location: Nessus

5 things your Guardian likes(can be anything): Sleep, his husband Shaxx, his friends, his Ghost, his Sparrow, when someone finally calls him a veteran. (I missed the transfer date by 3 months and I still am angry that I missed it.

Least favorite food: Rhubarb (My dad and his dad hate it so decided to give him it)

Least favorite shader: Anything related to his enemies and the Reef/Dreaming City, EX Reefmade.

Least favorite patrol location: Europa

Least favorite Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any): N/A

Least favorite NPC(s): The Sovs, The Brays, Executor Hideo, Brother Vance, The cult of Osiris, Variks.

Least favorite weapon ornament: All In, this is because it makes the Ace look like a completely new gun.

Least favorite ornament armor set: Legatus, Valkyrian, Hardy's.

Least favorite legendary weapon: (I really haven't thought of it.)

Least favorite exotic weapon: Any of them that people use to be dicks in Crucible like Jöttun because that means he only gets kills if he uses those guns.

Least favorite exotic armor: Ashen Wake

5 things your Guardian dislikes(this can be anything): The Sovs, The Brays, Executor Hideo, being awake, anyone being rude to his loved ones. (Looking at you Drifter)

Your Guardian has to rest. What is their living space like: Clean and tidy as they live with Shaxx.

Does your Guardian have any casual wear?(Y'all remember Polyvore? The website URSTYLE works very similar if that helps!): A T-shirt and black pants along with basketball shoes. [Literally what I wear]

What hobbies and/or skills does you Guardian have: Sewing, crocheting, knitting, reading.

What would your Guardian's lore book be called: Atlas's Wild Ride

Where was your Guardian reborn?(If you created the location, give us a little description!): Old America

What were they wearing when they were reborn: Gold and red shirt, black pants and basketball shoes.

What was their reaction to being reborn: Complete confusion

What was their reaction to their first rez: "What the absolute fuck!"

After being reborn, did they meet friendlies first or hostiles: Friendlies

Who was the first other Guardian they met?(Same thing! If you made them, give a little description!): Fireteam Hide and Reap. They're mine but I don't really feel like going into detail with all 6 members.

Did your Guardian get reborn with, or find, any indication of their past life? If so what do they have/found: He only knows that he entered a death trap so others could escape the Fallen.

How did your Guardian get their name(if they didn't rez with past life momentos): Since he was holding up a gate in the death trap his Ghost decided to give him the name Atlas due to how similar he looked to the pictures of the ancient Greek Titan.

Going back to your Guardian's lore book, what would be some quotes or passages from their book: "I punched an echo of Oryx to death!"

Does your Guardian have a significant other: Warlord Shaxx

Did your Guardian go explore first before going to The Last City? If so, where to: No

What was their reaction to first seeing The Last City: "That's huge!"

Is your Guardian a part of a clan: No but I am part of one.

Does your Guardian's clan have a back story? If so, what is it?(if you want to or able to share): N/A

If your Guardian would have a quote as a flavor text for a weapon and/or piece of armor, what would they be: "Hang in there my fellow Guardian."

If your Guardian has had any interactions with any civilians (The Last City/The Farm), Eliksni, Cabal, Vex, Hive, Taken, Scorn, Rouge Lightbearers, or Iron Lords/War Lords(if your Guardian is an Old Light) tell us about it!: I honestly don't feel like doing this one.

Does your Guardian have any unconventional allies or connections(By Vanguard standards): Drifter and Spider, he hates both but understands he needs them to do things.

How does your Guardian feel about themselves or others using Stasis: "I was unwillingly brought back from the dead so I'll use whatever power I please."

Did they run The Last Wish raid? How did they react to seeing a live Ahamkara a.k.a Riven: N/A

Did they run The Deep Stone Crypt raid? How did they react to the Crypt and seeing Exo Eliskni: N/A

Is your Guardian from D1? How did they react to seeing Taniks alive once again: "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO HIT HIM WITH MY HAMMER, JUST STAY FUCKING DEAD!"

Where did they go and what did they do during The Red War: He went to the Farm and made or fixed clothes as well as class items.

Here are some characters that are either polarizing or have created a strong enough mass emotion within the community. What opinion does your Guardian hold on each of them(These are only a handful of characters!)>>>

Osiris, First Warlock Vanguard, originally exiled: Bird grandpa 1.0 needs to go see his husband Bird grandpa 2.0 for love.

Eris Morn, Bane of the Swarm: Who doesn't love Creepy space mom!

Cayde-6, Sixth Hunter Vanguard: SPACE VODKA MOM I MISS YOU!

Ikora Rey, Second Warlock Vanguard: Space mom is very deadly, she needs sleep and relaxation

Commander Zavala, Second Titan Vanguard: Space dad is deadly too, he also needs sleep and relaxation.

Saint-14, legendary Titan, First Titan Vanguard: Bird grandpa 2.0 please go hug Bird grandpa 1.0!

Lord Saladin, Iron Banner handler, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: Wolf Grandpa!

Lady Efrideet, part time Iron Banner handler, Guardian hippie, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: Wolf Grandma will throw Titans at you if she's angry!

Lord Shaxx, Crucible handler, Hero of Twilight Gap, living megaphone: MY HUSBAND!

The Crow, New Light, Ex-Enforcer to The Spider: This is my begrudgingly adopted son who I co-parent with Faire.

Shaw Han, random Hunter vendor for the Cosmodrome: This is my dumb son I adopted.

The Spider, The Shore's Only Law, founder of "House" Spider: "Fuck off or I'll kill you with fire!"

Uldren Sov, Prince of the Reef, Master of Crows: Fucky, Fucky, Fucky you!

Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef, Queen of the Awoken, Ex-Kell of Wolves: Fucky, Fucky, fucky you. Also SHAXX IS MINE NOW SO FUCK OFF, I'M A GOD SLAYER AND I FUCKING PUNCHED ORYX TO DEATH!

Variks, the Loyal, founder of House Judgement: "I didn't trust you in the Reef but now I hate you for the Prison riot and not just because Cayde died, the Scorn are unholy creatures that shouldn't have been able to be created."

Mithrax, the Forsaken, Kell of Light, founder of House Light: "You try anything and I WILL END YOU!"

The Exo Stranger/Elizabeth "Elsie" Bray, Granddaughter of Clovis I and Sister to Ana Bray: "Ew a Bray."

Eramis, of House Salvation, Kell of Darkness: "YOU BETTER STAY FUCKING FROZEN!"

Taniks the Scarred, the Perfected, the Abomination, the Shadow Thief: "WHY DON'T YOU STAY DEAD!"

The Darkness is fast approaching. How is your Guardian handling it: "Well shit."

And finally, does your Guardian have any advice for any New Lights:

"Hang in there and don't do anything that will make my unstable ass come after you because YOU WILL DIE. Also for the love of the Light RESPECT THE ELDER GUARDIANS LIKE ZAVALA OR IKORA!"

writing prompt masterlist #1

 Of course, there’s 75 million prompt lists out there but i figured there’s nothing wrong with making my own. Send me a category + a number + a pairing and i’ll write you a fic. Okay to reblog and use :) (x)

Fake/Secret/Etc Dating AUs:

my parents keep setting me up on blind dates but in reality I’m dating you and it’s so you help me get out of them

i hate commitment but my dad’s dying wish is to see me get married and you’re an old family friend i ran into at the airport on my way to visit him so hey let’s get engaged

you need a plus-one for your brother’s wedding so i’m going as a favor but there’s been a misunderstanding and now your whole family thinks we’re engaged

i’m mad at my parents so i ask you out because they wouldn’t approve of you and you’re well aware that i’m just using you but you agree because you find it funny but hey you’re actually super sweet

there’s this really creepy person hitting on me and i don’t know you but you pretending to be my partner completely saved my ass thanks how about i buy you a drink

we’re just really touchy friends and we get each other gifts all the time but everyone thinks we’re going out and we let them think that but why are you getting upset about me going on a date we’re not actually together? 

I’m sorry you always thought your love for me was unrequited but on to more important matters YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED IN THE MORNING SO YOU HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE YOU ASSHOLE!

Our mutual friend apparently has been waiting for us to get together and so they’re very angry/disappointed/upset when they find out that the reason we kissed last night was because we were black-out drunk

everyone thinks we hate each other and we keep that front up in public, so we have hilarious pretend fights and squabbles and pranks 

when we were little I accidentally mentioned that I had a crush on you but I always thought you didn’t hear me because you just looked at me weird and never commented but now we’re in high school and omg you just introduced me as your boyfriend/girlfriend/datemate wtf we never discussed this

friends to lovers aus

You’ve got a date tonight and you asked for advice on what to wear but I’m so in love with you and damn you look good in the outfit I picked out for you

You’ve liked me for ages and were really obvious about it and I didn’t like all the attention but now you’re over me I really miss it and fuck I think I like you too?

 You want us both to get in shape and I hate working out/running but your ass looks really good in shorts oh the things I do for my friends and their nice asses

Our best friends are that awful ‘cute’ couple that make-out in public and call each other “sweetie” and “sugar” and “babe” and god they’re awful let’s talk about how awful they are – develops into “shit we’re the awful couple now”

Celebrity/Famous AUs

listen, you may be a famous (and extremely attractive) guitarist, but that gives you no right to practise on the electric at two a.m when we live right next to each other.

We broke up and I used my feelings to write songs and now I’m super popular and you want me back

we decided to make a fake vlog drama for our subscribers and they all think it’s real but jokes on us we end up actually liking each other

I run a prank channel and you were some innocent bystander I pranked for a video but then it turns out hey, you’re also famous online haha shit

we met and started talking but i didn’t know you were a rising star until i noticed cameras following me wtf

you’re a reporter and i think you’re super cute so i’ll only give you personal interviews to help your career and also get you to talk to me more

I’m a celebrity and I have a secret social media account and we started talking online and now we’re close friends but you want to meet up oh shit

I’m a celebrity and I may or may not be following your blog which is dedicated to me. reading your comments and tags are hilarious and very flattering and I’m somewhat smitten  

You’re an actor/other famous person that I really admire and I just saw you in the street and as I was debating whether or not to say hi you came up to me and started flirting what do I do??

wedding/kids/marriage/long term relationship AUs

we’ve been dating forever, and you just caught the bouquet at our friend’s wedding

remember when we were in high school and we swore that if we were still single at 30 we’d marry each other, well hey guess whose birthday it is

i’m a runaway bride/groom and you’re driving my getaway car

I suddenly bumped into you after years and wow you look good but holy crap is that a kid?? since when?

you had a breakdown because the baby wouldn’t stop crying and you kept saying how you weren’t ready and how you couldn’t do it

whenever my kid starts crying I just hand them to you and then they just stop and start smiling

“i’m so sorry that my child pointed out how your shirt- actually nevermind i agree, that shirt is horrendous”

i always tease you because that’s just our thing we tease each other but for some reason you snapped at me and are you okay? what’s wrong?

my in-laws despise me GREAT but around you they’re super nice so you don’t believe me

neighbours AUs

You always complain about how loud I am (whether it be TV, video games or music/musical instrument is up to you) and this is the first time you’ve actually knocked on my apartment door and given me a lecture there rather than giving me a phone call, but I’m not really listening because I didn’t  realise I had such a cute neighbour

you never open your door for children on halloween so i always pay the kids to smear your door with shaving cream

my printer isnt printing anymore and my papers are due tomorrow so im on my knees in front of your door begging to use your printer when the old lady from above passes us and thinks im proposing to you

we always run into each other on the stairs but we’ve never said more than hello but when we found out that we both hate the other neighbours, we became friends

i came home drunk and wouldnt stop knocking on your door. when you open i keep telling you to get out of my apartment

after a rough party night i find you sleeping on the stairs but since im still a little asshole all i do is put a blanket over you and a pillow under your head

Please help me, I know you have a kid and my sibling just dropped their baby on me where’s the button to put them to sleep?

I’m stressed and sleep-deprived, please let me pet your cat. 

I have really weird dreams and you have really weird dreams so now we’re in this contest to see who has the weirdest dreams.

Strangers/Meet Cute (or meet very NOT cute) AUs 

We were sitting next to each other in a public place and I saw a mosquito on you and my instincts just acted before my mind.

We mixed up our clothes at the laundry service and I have nothing left to wear and every thing you wear is too big/small for me.

We’re at a comic book store and if you tell me your superhero is better than mine I’m gonna have to punch you in the teeth.

There are no table left at this restaurant and you let me sit at yours since you’re alone.

I’m a single grown-up with busy friends but I want to go to Disneyland so I drop a message on a forum to find someone like me to go wear silly Mickey ears headband and stuff ourselves with cotton candy.

My computer broke down so I called an IT and now I need to find a reason to call them back so I delete important files and download adwares and do all kinds of stupid things. 

I almost dropped something and in my fumbling attempts to stop it from hitting the floor I accidentally projectiled it at your face and it’s a really nice face I’m so sorry

first day at a new job and oh fuck my boss is the person I drunkenly hooked up with last weekend/night

I wanted to go on the ferris wheel but there has to be two people to a cart come on random person let’s go oh wait are we stuck at the top? Fuck

 Our mutual friend set us up on a blind date and I thought I’d hate it but you’re actually… kind of funny? But because I expected to hate it in no way am I going to let you change my mind just because you’re gorgeous and funny and intelligent oh no my friend is not winning this

college/high school AUs:

i went on a date with a boy who had plans to take me to dinner and drinks. but he lost his wallet at a pizza place so we just walked around the neighborhood, sat in the park and talked.

we’re in the same study group but we dont talk but you brought goldfish and im starving

we have the same notebook and we took the wrong ones home so i used your notes on my open book test

you were my elementary school crush but you moved away but somehow we end up miraculously going to the same college and i barely recognized you because holy hot damn you are more attractive than i remember?

I tripped over on my way to this party and I’m bleeding profusely from the grazes on my knees and you’re a complete stranger that pretty much jumped me the second I walked in the door to play nurse

ive had a crush on you for 3+ years and now youre going out with my best friend and i definitely havent locked myself in a toilet cubicle to cry

We’re in different debate classes and I was constructing a case on the board and I come in the next morning and you’ve replied to all my points really well?? But I don’t even know your name? And oh shit, we’re taking over the entire whiteboard, is that your phone number squeezed into the corner of the board there?

You have braces and I don’t and I keep forgetting you’re not allowed to have gum so every time I offer, you give this death glare

You sent me a text asking if I wanted to go to prom on the day of prom and I’m not in town

I’m a notorious goody two shoes and you look like you get into fights on a daily basis, so when you were in the library on the first day I was supposed to be a tutor, I assumed I’d be tutoring you. But, as it turns out, we’re both tutors, and the people we’re tutoring keep blowing us off to make out and we have to go round them up

we have a mutual best friend but they cannot find out how much i like you then they’ll tell you, but i need to find out if you’re single!

I sat down in the wrong class and I’m panicking but don’t want to get up and leave because the class has started and you think it’s hilarious 

You pissed me off in class so I threw a book at your head and now I’m in detention and jesus fuck I hate you so much and the teacher made me apologise and wait you’re cuter up close

soulmate aus

if one soulmate gets an injury, the other gets it as well.

Character A has a soulmate, but Character A died before they got to meet them. As Character A navigates the afterlife in their ghostly form, they discover that they can’t “move on” until they’ve met their soulmate.

 the very first words your soulmate ever says to you are tattooed somewhere on your body since the day you are born

when you write something on your skin with pen/marker/whatever, it will show up on your soul mates skin as well.

You get an ‘impression’ of your soulmate when you turn 18 or something but all I got was a strong smell of bananas or something

you have a compass on your wrist and it directs you to where your soulmate is

i usually think i’m having a conversation with myself in my head but it turns out we’re telepathically connected

everybody is born with a map “tattooed” on their forearm that’s centered on the exact location of where they’ll first meet their soul mate 

The President’s Son [18]

Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19

➜ Words: 4k

➜ Genres: 100% Fluff, Slice of Life, Bodyguard!AU

➜ Summary: Kim Taehyung is the President’s son, mischievous and playful, and infamous for being a troublemaker. When everyone’s given up, they call for you to be his personal guard. There’s no other choice when your dad’s assigned you to it and surprisingly Taehyung doesn’t mind either. Maybe because you happened to grow up with that brat.

It’s still fresh in your memory.   You remember your feet cold against the floors, gripping your nightie in a tight fist, nudging the big door just enough to look through the crack. You had brushed your hair behind your ear, scared of being scolded for looking like such a mess. But before you could stumble back into the darkness, you had caught his eye and he turned his head.    “I thought I told you to go to bed.”   You grip the fabric in your hand tighter. “Is mommy home?”   Your father doesn’t answer you, merely glancing out the window for a moment before he sets the glass in his hand down onto his desk. He slumps onto the sofa that’s pushed against the wall and you take the invitation to come into his office.    He looks down at your legs. “What happened?”   You follow his line of sight to your bruised knees before hesitantly meeting his eyes again. “I fell.”   You didn’t — someone pushed you at kindergarten today. Maybe he knows about it. It’s not good to lie, but you don’t wanna tell the truth either. He would be happy though. You got up and didn’t cry at all.   Like you guessed, he asks point-blank, “Did someone do that?”   He’s smart. Your dad’s very smart. So, you wonder why mom would wanna go and not come back. It might be your fault, but you tried your hardest to be a good girl and you didn’t cause any trouble.   “No.”   Your dad scans you up and down, the same way he looks at you when you get to pick out your own clothes before school and come out all ready and dressed. But this time, he seems sad.    You don’t know why.   “Go to bed.” He finally turns away. “We’re going somewhere bright and early tomorrow.”   You know better than to ask questions, so you nod, slowly padding out of his office and making sure to close the door behind you. Your feet scatter against the tiles before racing up the stairs, scared that monsters in the dark will get you if you look around or stay for too long. The covers are pulled above your head once you make it and you fall asleep staring at the closet that might have skeletons.   In the morning and after some cereal for breakfast, dad takes you to the dojo — it’s like the gym at school, but with wooden floors and mats, and kids older than you practicing. They’re punching the air and kicking mats that others hold. You watch them before dad brings you away.   “What are we doing?”   “Seokjin, can you come here for a moment?” Dad calls out and an older kid comes running forward, bowing his head. He’s taller than you, bigger, bright eyes and dark hair. You don’t have a lot of time to look at him. “Shove her for me.”   “Sir!” His head spins around, eyes wide.   You don’t get it.   But dad looks stern and the student is forced to comply, doing his best to lightly shove your shoulder. “Harder.” The boy complies with the command and he pushes you, making you stumble back. Your dad hums a note and turns to look at you. “Bend your knees, root your feet to the ground.”    You try your best to follow his instructions and he nods to the boy again. You’re pushed again, but this time, you don’t stumble back or fall on your butt. “Good. Now turn your body a little. Like that. One leg in front of the other. Yes. Now when he pushes you again, twist away.”   Seokjin tries to shove you.   You deflect, but barely.   “Again. Put some muscle into it, Kim.”   The student frowns and he tries harder. He’s faster than you expect, stronger, and you’re staggering back, nearly shoved off the mats all together. But your dad has your hand on your back, keeping you upright.   “Again.”   Again and again until he’s happy. “Now open your palm. When he pushes you and you twist, you can throw your arm this way and hit him on the side of his head. Try to get him behind the ear.”   The teacher told you hitting wasn’t allowed — but you listen to your dad and do it the next time Seokjin tries to push you. It works, your arm coming out fast to jab where dad showed you. The boy winces and while you feel bad, it’s kind of fun…   “Do you understand?”   “Yeah!”   “Now next time, they won’t be able to push you anymore. If they do push you around, it’s because you let them.”   You nod and while it’s all weird, you’re glad dad taught you.   You don’t feel so scared anymore.

“Y/N!”   You’re literally shaken out of your daydream, startled and snapping back to attention with a couple of blinks. “Huh? What?”   “Wow. Unbelievable. I can’t believe you were ignoring me this entire time. How rude is that?! The audacity. Our relationship is already going downhill and we haven’t even gotten married yet. Aren’t we supposed to experience this after ten years of having a dead bedroom?” Taehyung’s not impressed whatsoever and he sighs deeply. “If you were listening, I was saying...that there are a lot of ways you can show your dad you care without blatantly saying anything to him. I know you’re not the type to go declare your love or anything, as much as I’d like that.”   “Thanks for the advice.”   “I’m serious though.” Taehyung shrugs, picking up his pace before matching his steps with yours. “Actions are stronger than words anyway. Words can be cheap.”   You pat him on the shoulder with a reserved smile, deciding his meddlesomeness was unwelcome and brushing it off. “You should do the same with your dad then.”   “Nah. I’m already close to that old man. Too close. He ruined my first crush by yelling it out when he was picking me up from school once. Should’ve never told him.” Taehyung smiles to himself, now fond of the memory filled with crippling embarrassment. “He’s just busy these days. Nothing he can do. When he’s done though, he promised to go fishing with me again. I don’t know if you remember, but we used to do that together. Too bad he can’t fish for shit. Keeps picking up seaweed and we end up with seaweed soup instead of grilled fish.”   The story is cute, but you wonder about something else. “What about your stepmother?”   “Nah. You can’t get close to everyone.”   “You haven’t even tried.”   “Don’t make this about me when we’re talking about you.”   “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” You smile before reaching over to hold his hand, squeezing securely. It does a good job of making him silent. “Thanks for the advice, Taehyung.”   //   It’s on your day off that you muster the courage to act, instead of just thinking. Maybe Taehyung’s words have really gotten to you because otherwise, you don’t think you’d be doing this.   You release a shaky exhale, crumpling the slip of paper that has the address in your hand before opening the gate. It’s a tiny house on the corner street, not far from the Blue House. It looks unkempt, like he doesn’t come here often; it’s understandable considering he lives and breathes work.   But before you knock on the door, you notice how the roof’s singles are falling, a few kicked in the corner of the patio. The gutter is also torn, hanging haphazardly in the air.   Your fist raps against the surface of the door and it opens. The man on the other side is old and weary, wrinkles lined all over his face and he looks at you with his eyes squinted, blinded by the morning sunlight. “Y/N? What are you doing here?”   “I...uh…” It’s terribly awkward as you shift your weight from one foot to the next, much like a forlorn child who’s been abandoned by their parent and is now showing up one day out of the blue. You shut your eyes to compose yourself. “I heard you were off-duty. I am too. I thought I’d visit..since I’ve...never...really…”   Your voice gets quieter against your will. But the hinges creak, door widening.    “It’s nice of you to come by. I don’t get many breaks often so…”   “Yeah, yeah, no, I get it. But breaks are good. You should, um, keep your health in good condition and breaks help with that.”   It’s a small home, one main room, a single bedroom and a bathroom. It’s meager, little furniture that’s dusty and brown. He’s not one for interior decorating, but you already knew that. Though what takes you by surprise is a picture of you in your graduating outfit on the shelf by the one-seated tiny dinner table.    “Would you like tea or coffee or water?”   “Sure. Any! I’m fine with any.”   When you’re no longer in a professional environment, you’re not sure how to address him or how to act. But while it’s still tense, you focus on taking off your coat, hanging it on the tiny rack, a painted one that you had sent him in grade eight after making it home ec class.    You step closer, the floorboards creaking. “I...didn’t know you moved.”   He stirs the cup of coffee he made with powder inside a packet and hot water. “I don’t need a whole house by myself. This place is enough and close to where I need to be. But it’s still there. The house. In case you need it one day.”   “Oh.” You take the cup he offers, mumbling a ‘thank you’. The conversation dies off, air becoming still, and your eyes stray. “The wall’s wet,” you comment, noticing how the stream of water captures the light.    “Right.” He follows your line of sight. “It’s the roof leaking. I keep telling myself it needs to get fixed, but I keep forgetting—”   “I can do it,” you offer and he turns as you give a small smile. “I can fix the roof….if you want.”   //   Taehyung was right. You’re not bold or courageous like he is. Declarations and confessions are out of the question. You can’t spill the words out of your throat or let them be written on paper if you wanted to. It’s better for you to act without saying. To do rather than to think or speak.   You realize this is the only way you know how.   “I’m sorry for calling you right after your shift.”   “It’s not a problem, chickpea. I’d come running for you no matter the circumstances.”   You’re giddy, giggling while your cheeks heat, face feeling too hot. But then suddenly—   “Y/N!” There’s an angry shout that has your eyes lifting to a man with square shoulders and his fists balled up, a witness to how you’ve become sheepish. “What the hell are you doing?”   “Taehyung? What are you doing here?”   Jimin leans over to be seen, popping out of nowhere, having been hidden by his friend’s larger body. He wears an apologetic smile. “We...we were at the Blue House...and h-heard you call Jin….s-sorry.”   “They joined me.” Seokjin grins. “The more the merrier, right?”   “I guess.”   “You wanted me to help you fix the roof….” Jin turns with his hands on his hips, staring upwards where the damage has been done. “Can’t say I’ve ever tried, but we’ll see what we can do.”   “Psh, you’ve never?” Taehyung scoffs and saunters forward in an arrogant manner, his face cocky.    You’re not impressed. “Have you?”   “Doesn’t matter,” he brushes off quickly. “But I can probably be of more help.”   “Absolutely not.” — “That’s not a good idea.” — “ No.”   All three of you speak over each other, Jimin in a panic, Jin with his mouth curled upwards, and you shaking your head. Taehyung’s jaw drops and you smile, trying to placate him. “You, out of everyone, can’t get hurt.”   “Who said I’ll get hurt?”   His whine is ignored as Jimin pipes up, “Actually, I worked at a roofing company for a year before coming here.”   “Really?” Seokjin smiles. “Then that’s great.”   “But who’s going to watch Tae?”   It goes silent.    “I can watch myself!” Taehyung protests in a voice increasingly becoming shriller. “I’m not a child!”   “Alright, alright.” You pat him on the shoulder. “Let’s get started.”   A short trip to the hardware store later, with Taehyung tagging along with you and bothering you the entire time while Jimin reads off a list he found on the internet and Seokjin goes to consult a worker, all the necessary supplies are gathered together.    Taehyung’s nervous when he watches the three of you climb the ladder. He stands at the bottom to catch you if you slip and also prepare for moving out of the way in case it’s the other two that come falling, especially Jin. Then again, if the older man were hospitalized, that would be a perfect opportunity for you to go running into his arms shamelessly without looking back.   Goddammit.   Before Taehyung could even reconsider what to do, everyone’s gotten up safely and without worry.   He tries to help in other ways, but there’s not much he can do. He stands back as things are thrown off the roof, bits and pieces being torn apart to be replaced. Taehyung watches in envy, wishing he knew how to do these things despite lacking the most knowledge and strength of everyone here….   But there are still things he can do.   “I made lemonade!”   “Thank god!” Jimin wipes his brow with his wrist. “ It’s so hot!”   “Not for you!” he shouts back.   “Oh.” In an instant, the bodyguard’s shoulders fall, dejected.   “Taehyung,” you scold him simply by calling his name. He gives you the glass after you climb down and peel off your gloves, and he begrudgingly pouts as he pours another glass from the large pitcher, listening to you and handing it to Jimin.   Park Jimin wheezes upon the first sip.   Jin observes and it’s enough for him to politely refuse.   But Taehyung doesn’t pay any mind — he only cares about your reaction.   And you drink.   Somehow the lemonade is salty. And you wonder what he could’ve possibly put in it when there’s only supposed to be sugar, lemon, and water. But upon realizing that your pre-boyfriend boyfriend is watching, you hold your breath and down it all.   “Good?”   Your mouth is dry, throat somehow more parched than it was before. “Very.”   “Here have another one then! You drank all of that in one go! You must be super thirsty.”   “Nope.” You give a tight-lipped smile. “I’m fine, Taehyung. Thank you.”   “Aw, you should have another one,” Seokjin playfully shouts behind you. Your expression is blank and you turn around to glare, making the older duck his head and Jimin giggles incessantly.    Work continues.   Taehyung turns to the man sitting beside him. “Want some, Mr. ____?”   “No.”   “Alright then.”   “Don’t worry, Chief. Should only take us two more hours!” Jimin yells down, throwing a thumbs up to show things are going well.   Yet, your father doesn’t speak a single word. Taehyung glances at him, taking in the awkward air and intimidating aura of the man. He shifts, swaying from side to side, fidgeting before he decides to put the pitcher back on the patio table. The table rocks, but luckily the old thing holds up the weight of the drink, and he breathes a sigh of relief.   Taehyung’s eyes stray up again, looking intently. He realizes you don’t look like your dad, but you certainly have his personality, or at least the intimidating aspect is similar…..   The man sighs through his nose. “Son, stop staring at me.”   “S-sorry.” Taehyung looks away.   It goes silent again, excruciating, until he breaks it. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?”   “Pardon?”   “For her to come here. And visit me. Just doesn’t seem like something she’d ever do.”   “This...was her decision.” Taehyung looks up at you working and without realizing himself, a proud smile sneaks up his lips. “She wanted to come here, believe it or not. I didn’t tell her anything.”   “I see.”   “She doesn’t hate you,” Taehyung says suddenly, twisting his body to look straight at the old man. Like you, it’s not so scary when he faces it head on. “In case you were thinking of that. She doesn’t. It might not be my place to tell you, but she came back because of you.”   “Because of me?” The old man lightly scoffs and turns to gaze at you. “She’s still stupidly soft, isn’t she? I thought after all that we went through, she would’ve hardened and not care about anything.”   “Is that such a bad thing?”   Your dad pours himself a glass with the pitcher. Taehyung’s about to help, but the other man’s stare keeps him from interfering. Once he gets himself his own drink, he sips on it. And he sets the glass down immediately.    “That’s absolutely disgusting.”   “Sorry.”   “You can’t even make lemonade?”   “I don’t cook.”   Your dad scoffs with a smile tugging at his face. He leans back in his patio chair. “I was surprised she even invited me to her graduation ceremonies. When she finished high school, when she finished the police academy…..I still have the pictures. They’re in my wallet.”   Taehyung doesn’t know why he’s telling him all this, but the old man continues anyway. After all, to him, Taehyung might as well be as stupid as a cactus and it’s easy to talk to plants. “I regret a lot of things. When you get to my age, it’s hard not to. But one of my biggest things I regret was how hard I was on her. I just wanted her to be the best...to be strong and tough….and I didn’t realize I was making things worse until it was too late.”   “Nothing’s too late.”   His comment is ignored. “You can tell her I’m proud of her.”   “Why don’t you tell her?”   “Hmmm, I don’t feel like it.”   A grin spreads into his cheeks and Taehyung stares at your dad. “You’re emotionally stunted too, huh, old man?”   “Excuse me?” His neck cranes, eyes dead.   “That was a joke, it was a joke, I’m sorry.” Taehyung has his hands out, trying to undo and retract his words while begging for mercy.    “I never liked you,” your dad says out of the blue and colour drains from Taehyung’s face.   “What?”   “I only tolerate you because you’re my closest friend’s son. But I always found you...stupid. You lack any form of self-discipline, you’re spoiled, you’re too carefree and idiotically optimistic about things.”   “That’s….harsh.”   “But you’re very kind and genuine. A brave boy, even if you’re dumb about it.” Your dad nods and hums to himself, a conversation he has on his lonesome. “I guess those are a few good traits about you I never realized. I apologize for misjudging you.”   “Uh….I...um….it’s okay.”   Taehyung didn’t even know he was hated so much by your dad.   “I know you two are together.”   If possible, Taehyung’s become even paler. He barely holds himself up from slipping out of the patio chair. His palms are clammy, lips dry, sweat rolling down his face and it’s not from the afternoon sun. “W-who? Me and Jimin? C-Course we’re not together!”   Your dad shifts around again. “Don’t play stupid with me, son. I hear about things all the time. I have eyes and ears everywhere. I know what’s going on between you and my daughter.”   “Oh.”   “To be frank, I don’t care. If she’s going to make idiotic decisions, then she’ll have to bear the responsibilities and consequences herself.” He blinks. “But if I find that any failure is your fault, I will not be happy. Do you understand me?”   “Y-yes. I promise to make your daughter happy, Mr. ____. I-I w-won’t disappoint you.”   The corner of his mouth curls into a ghost of a smile. But he turns away before Taehyung can get a good look. “You’re not asking for my daughter’s hand in marriage, son. I wouldn’t give it to you if you did anyway. But you don’t need to look so scared. I don’t have plans to kill you...any time soon.”   “Oh. Okay. T-Thanks.”   “Get rid of the lemonade before a bird drinks it and dies.”   “Yes, sir.”   While he scatters off, back inside the house, he catches your line of sight. You wonder what your dad and Taehyung were discussing, if it was possibly about you. But your thoughts are interrupted when Jimin asks for the pliers beside your left foot.    Whatever the case may be, you’re glad they’re getting along with one another.   //   You take your coat off the rack, clearing your throat. “The...roof’s done. At least for now. Call me if there’s any leakage or issues with it.”   “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He lingers by the doorway, back hunched from decades of hard work. “There’s no need to worry.”   “Alright. Then, I should get going then.” Your hands stuff themselves in your pockets. “They’re waiting for me outside, so…”   “Go ahead.”   You turn around, facing the surface of the door. But before you open it, you swivel on your feet, question on the tip of your tongue. “Have you been eating well?”   “I have.” Your dad nods. “You don’t need to be concerned for me. I know how to take care of myself.”   “Right. It- uh, seems kind of cold in here, so if you need me to mess with the thermostat or fix any heating issue, you can call me.”   “I’ll make a note of that.”   You hesitate. For some reason, there’s something stopping you from walking straight out the door like you should, something on the tip of the tongue that you want to spill out. You’re held back and you look at your father once more, mustering the courage you don’t have. “Let me come again. I’d….like to visit again, if that’s okay with you.”   “You can do whatever you want,” he deadpans, but then his voice warms, even just by a little. “I’ll always welcome you.”   You’re not used to physical affection — it’s still difficult to get used to how Taehyung throws his arm around your shoulder, how he holds your hand or cuddles when you’re trying to watch TV. You hate being emotionally vulnerable — it feels like a weakness even though it isn’t. And most of all, you struggle to show your dad that you care.   But you hope he can feel it, even if you don’t say it out loud.    “Are we going to go eat anywhere?” Jimin strolls down the neighborhood, forgetting about his duty of guarding and protecting the person beside you. “I’m starving.”   “I know a good sushi place a block away,” Seokjin notes to the other man’s glee.   “Hey.” Taehyung nudges you, speaking in a murmur to keep the conversation private. “Is everything alright?”   “Y-yeah.” You take a sigh of relief, shoulder losing their tension. You meet his eyes. “Everything’s great.”   He smiles softly. “I’m glad.”   You did it. It hits you now as you walk away. You did it without anyone’s help, and it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t scary or frightening or terrible. He never slammed the door in your face or looked at you in disdain and disappointment. It was normal. Your dad was welcoming.   The next time you visit is a week later. And strangely enough, the fridge isn’t empty upon your arrival. Rather, there’s fresh ingredients on shelves and plastic bags. He insists on cooking dinner as a way to thank you for fixing the roof or as he says ‘returning the favour’. But you wonder how long it took him to think of this, to learn and memorize a recipe and act nonchalantly like it came from the top of his head. You wonder how long he’s been waiting for you to come back, what he would’ve done if the ingredients had gone stale.   He’s never cooked before and you watch him mumble to himself helplessly until you help chop the carrots. For the first time there’s a tight feeling in your chest….an emotion you’re not quite sure of but that you’ve felt before—   Family. It comes to you as you take in the cozy atmosphere. For the first time, being with your dad feels like you two are part of a family, and not distant relatives with professional obligations.   Your dad tries and that’s all that matters.   You just have to thank Taehyung for giving you the push forward.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Escape attempt

Stephanie woke in a small, dark room in the freezing cold sometime later. Resting on the floor in an extremely uncomfortable position, she tried to see if anyone was with her. She couldn't hear anyone and she honestly couldn't tell the difference between eyes open and closed.

She struggled to sit up as her hands were behind her back but managed it just as the door to the cell, and she was sure it was a cell, opened with a bang against the wall.

The sudden light after so much dark was almost blinding and she didn't see who dragged her up and out before she was halfway down the hall. It was the same man that had run in the room right before she'd passed out. Her thoughts went to Wolf, to her other friends. She hoped they were okay.

"Where are we?" She asked the man.

He snorted. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you that?"

"It's not like I'm going anywhere," she pointed out. "Also, that cut of yours looks infected." He reached out and yanked her hair sharply and she yelped out in pain. "Fuck you!"

He growled at her and pushed her up the steps. Stephanie stayed quiet and tried to think of what she could do. Until she knew if her friends were here there was no point leaving. Then again, if they were all here she would need to escape to get back up. She tried not to panic and followed the man despite the growing anxiety clawing at her stomach.

They entered a large room with at least twenty of the paper men and a few real men she didn't know lined up against the walls. No females of any type except herself. In the middle of the room stood Serpine. Stephanie was brought a few metres in front of the man and forced to her knees.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you to awake," Serpine said. "I think you might just know what I want."

Stephanie refused to say anything and glared at the small scar above his eyebrow. She hoped Skulduggery had given it to him.

"I have a little bargain for you. I know Pleasant and his Dead Men have decided to take you under their wing and make you their newest member. Usually, I'd dismiss anything they thought, but then I met you," he said, stepping forward slowly, looking her over. "You are young and weak now, but you show a lot of potential. You killed one of my men. Did you know that? Oh yes, he died quickly from his wound. I expect you would make a great apprentice and under my mentorship, you can help me take over this world and crush those that don't believe in us, that look down on us. Doesn't that sound better, my love? Doesn't that sound better than following muddy dogs around like a stray they took in to feel good about themselves?"

Stephanie tried to look blank faced. Gordon had written that that was a good thing to do.

"But with me,” he continued, “I will mentor you to your absolute greatest and you will aid me in completing all my dreams. You can be my daughter. I can be your father, and I will love you as my own. One day, they will look at us as saints and the beginners of the enlightenment. Do you want that, my daughter? Don't you want greatness?"

His hand came around and cupped her cheek. She glared into his eyes. "The Dead Men love me. And Gordon is my dad!"

He laughed deeply and struck her cheek hard enough for her eyes to water. "Would you listen to that? She thinks they love her. Darling, they will use you and hurt you until you can't stand and then feed you to their enemy as bait for their own ends. I will give you one final chance to join me before I am forced to torture you to death."

She pretended to think about it. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

"Oh?" He chuckled. "And how's that? Are you going to negotiate?"

"Yes. I will get you the Sceptre, but you have to let me go."

"And why would I do that? Do you not think that I won't know you'll run off?"

She shrugged. "Well, I don't exactly have anywhere to go. If I try and run, you'll find me and even if I do try I won't get far without magic and a passport."

He stared deep into her eyes and a grin slowly spread across his features. He leaned in close enough she could smell the coffee on his breath. "You are not in a position to bargain. Take her to the dungeon!"

Stephanie was yanked to her feet and followed the man willingly out the room – she didn't like all those paper men, and Serpine wasn't helping.

But what now? She was away from those eyes but she was still with her guard. She couldn't act like her friends were all free, or even one of them was, or even that they knew where she was if they weren't in the cells around her. She needed to get herself out, though knowing if she had to break out someone else would be good too. She expected Wolf would be but she'd already gone through the maze of the dungeons and didn't expect she could find him. And her fighting wasn't good enough to take down these people and she didn’t even know any magic!

"You're annoying," she told her guard.

"What?" He said. "Shut up. Stupid kid."

"Can't you tell me where we are now? What if I guess? We're at Serpine's house? Mansion? Wait, is it a castle?"

"How'd you guess that?" The man asked, looking at her.

"Castles have dungeons, dummy. What about my friends?"

"I can't tell you anything kid," he said. "Just stay quiet and keep your head down. You shouldn't be involved. You're a kid."

"Well I am, so tell me if my friends are safe."

"I don't know."

"So they're not here?" She asked.

He hesitated.

"Some of them are here? How many? I bet Wolf is."

"Who the hell is Wolf?" He asked.

"Dexter Vex," she clarified. "Is anyone else here? Are the other's safe?"

He shook his head, but she didn't think it was an answer more so than in annoyance. They came up to her cell and she was pushed into it. "Wait!"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What?"

She hesitated. "I need to pee."

He gaped at her. "What do you want me to do about it?"

She bit her lip. "Put my hands on my front. Then you can leave."

"I know I can leave." He said but got a set of keys out and came into the cell to move her shackles around. She waited until he had to move around her to reattach the cuff before striking – she twisted and punched him in the neck as hard as she could, and he let go of her other hand to stumble back and she stepped towards him to deliver a blow to his nose. He cried out and she wrapped her cuffed hand around the spare cuff and used it to punch him with the metal in the temple, which was strong enough to get him on the ground and it was just a simple matter of stamping on his head three times before he stopped moving.

She breathed hard and listened carefully. There was no sound except the slow drip of water elsewhere and the quiet breathing of the man on the floor. Quietly, she searched his pockets and found several cuffs, a flip-knife and of course the keys. She also took the chocolate bar that had melted slightly but since he had captured her, she felt she deserved it anyway.

She put everything in her various pockets, thankful for Wolf's advice already and of Panda for his amazing creation. She closed the cell door on him and locked it. She had no idea where her friends would be, or if anyone would come looking. With everyone upstairs, she figured that her guard would be expected back soon with either one of her friends or else for a meeting, or just by his fellow guard friends. She started looking through the open peek-hole on the doors, going through aisle after aisle of cells. She was beginning to give up hope of finding Wolf when she saw a cell peek-hole closed in the distance. She ran to it and carefully opened it.

Wolf and Snake looked up at her. They grinned.

She put a finger over her lips and got the keys out, looking left and right as she did. The cell was opened quickly, and she got them out their shackles. Luckily, it was one-key-fits-all.

"How did you get free?" Snake asked her in a whisper.

"No one expects to get their ass handed to them by a girl half their size. Come on, we need to get the others."

"Are they all here?" Wolf asked.

"I don't know. Snake, did you see anything?"

Erskine shook his head. "I know Skulduggery is here. I heard him with Serpine, but I don't remember who was hurt or not in the fight, they dragged me from the room at the start."

"Alright. Where do you think Crow is?"

They started scouring the cells together and came across Skulduggery whistling in his cell.

"Come to – oh hello," he said when they opened his cell. "How did you get free?"

"Tell you later," she said, unlocking his shackles as Wolf and Snake kept an eye on the halls. She could see them acting as a team now, as a unit. It was very privileging seeing a group as close as this able to protected her, to see them flow together so well. She desperately wanted to learn how to fit into that flow and learn them so well she could work without words too. "Who else came in with you?"

"Saracen and Anton got free but I know Ghastly is here. Any idea on times?" Crow informed them.

"Probably none. I got free at least ten minutes ago. The guard was probably expected back with someone," she said. "If we get Panda we might be able to fight our way out but there are a lot of people up there."

He looked at her sharply as they left the cell and the other two closed around them. She closed the door to make it seem like they hadn't been there. "You went upstairs?"

"I was taken. Let's talk later."

He nodded, and they split into two, Stephanie sticking with Crow, and they searched the last few rows of cells. He wasn't there though, and they were forced to do a running check back through the cells just in case. Stephanie rounded the corner just as four paper men went around the corner of the next aisle and she almost fell to the floor stopping Crow running passed her, and had to throw herself in front of Snake to stop him running passed too.

They waited a few moments as the soft rustling and thud, thud, thud of the paper men moved through the cells. Slowly, Stephanie stepped forwards and crouched down, looking around the corner. The paper men had stood outside a cell. She crept back.

"Guards," she said. They frowned. "At Panda's cell, I bet."

They nodded, and the three men looked at each other before Wolf and Snake jogged silently to the other side of the aisle of cells to come from the other side. Crow held up three fingers. Two. One.

They raced around the corner at the same moment as the others and rushed at the paper men. The four split and Stephanie was quick to simply run passed them and get the door open. Panda was unconscious but even after she got his cuffs off and patted his cheek he didn't so much as flutter an eyelid. She looked up to see Crow looking into the cell. There was a sudden shout from somewhere else. Their time had run out.

Wolf pushed in and pulled Panda onto his shoulders and pushed Stephanie out the door with his leg. She ran with the others to the stairs. At least twenty people must have entered the dungeon, but they didn't see anyone as they’d scattered to find them. They waited a moment for Snake to check the hall and then made a run up the stairs.

They were confronted with forty paper men at least and the three able to fight immediately began to rip into them but with no weapons they were soon choking in the gas, except for Crow who stood in the middle of the group pulling arms until he had a pile in a circle around him and he had to step high to get over the bodies. They ran from the last few who were slow to run after them.

Stephanie didn't see any way out at first but as soon as she saw the window she pulled her jacket off and let Snake grab it from her roughly and sprint ahead to jump through it.

They all followed and landed badly, though Crow did use magic to make their lands a bit better focusing on Wolf since he had Panda who was still out cold. Stephanie fell to the floor badly and felt her leg pull but rolled and started running after the others. Crow was the one who kept back to stay behind her and keep her safe, the others getting far ahead much too quick for her to keep up with. She looked back quickly before they went into the trees and saw what could have been thirty paper men and at least a dozen other guards running after them.

She squeaked and ran faster after Wolf and Snake, taking far too long to get to a big wall. Stephanie saw Wolf, with Panda, scale it in just one jump, push himself to swing over the wall, flash a grin at her, and fell from sight. She turned to Skulduggery and he kneeled with his hands together and she was in the air, flailing and then was grabbed by Wolf, sans Panda, and hauled her the rest of the way over. Wolf almost stumbled but Snake was there to steady him as Crow landed to their right.

A van was on the road with the door open and a man in white carried Panda into it. Stephanie looked to Crow but he put a hand on the back of her neck and pushed her gently towards it and the doors were closed behind them just as she heard the shouting of their pursuers.

They drove faster than Stephanie had ever experienced, and she couldn't help but grin and high-five Snake and Wolf.

hello everyone! this is rylan (27, she/her, gmt+2) here to introduce you to the lil nugget of fucked up-itude that is freddie dawson! + more info, wanted connections. / @redridgeimp​

name: fredericke ann dawson nicknames: freddie, fred, st. fred age: 33 ethnicity: white gender/pronouns: cis female, she/her sexual/romantic orientation: bisexual/biromantic been in red ridge for: five years occupation: bartender at st. peter’s affiliation: none positive traits: nurturing, clever, good spirited, humorous, wise, motherly, diligent, quiet, loyal, protective. negative traits: closed off, impulsive, proud, resentful, self-deprecating, bitter, frightened.

BIOGRAPHY —

(WARNINGS for depression, death, abuse / domestic abuse, violence, underage sex, prostitution, child abandonment).

“why’d you get so obsessed with that word, freddie? who told you about saints?” “grandpa did, he said he’s named after st. peter”. “and why do you care?” “‘cause he said saints do good things. i wanna be a saint, too”. “why on earth would you want that?” “‘cause, ma — i wanna save everyone”.

—

there’s a lifetime from that moment to now. she can remember it, but it comes in flashes, a hazy hue of desert gold — she remembers the girl she was, bright-eyed and restless, never shying away from the trail of a question. prying, relentless: the whole world could be simplified to reasons and whys, and she would hunt them the whole day long, out in the dust storms like the wind, not even it could dare question her spirits. whatever happened to that girl? dull, watered down: erased, and her own has been the hand rubbing her existence off her own life.

el paso, texas, 2002. she couldn’t tell how it happened, or when it began — surely that summer of eighteen years ago must have played its part. her mother losing her job (too tired, too tired all the time: too sad to see a doctor, too weak to even get out of bed anymore), bills piling up. her older sister trying hard to keep things afloat with an underpaid gig at the laundry, but it’s not enough. it’s never enough. one day grandpa comes home and he’s making math in his head, calculating how much longer they can survive if he sells the farm, the truck, the horse. that night freddie asks, how come their dad’s not around? he could provide, he could help them? grandpa grows colder then, gaze darker than the clouds gathering on the horizon: i’ll burn this place to the ground before he sets foot in here.

that side of the family, either way, is cunning and insidious, and it comes knocking at the door, offering business, a way to salvage the farm. it is victor, freddie’s uncle, who brings the offering: grandpa throws him out in spite, and freddie watches it all while she’s sitting on the fence outside, skin burning gold from the sun, dust sticking to her like glitter. you’re pretty, victor says: you might be your family’s only chance, you know? she doesn’t (can’t) understand, but she’ll walk any way that can save grandpa, his horse, her mother’s strength, her sister’s dreams of becoming a nurse.

turns out the way is a dark and winding one, one where she has to suck up the terror when a man touches her skin and she has to say yes, please, more, i’ll be anything you want, the key to unlocking all the dark and sick desires you’ve buried in there and can’t speak to anyone, not your wife, not your daughter, not your mother: give them to me, she whispers, let the darkness out. at night she takes hour-long showers to try and rub the darkness off of her, and it won’t come off, it never does — but grandpa didn’t have to sell the farm, and even if he was against her getting a job (said she’d be a waitress, don’t worry pops, i got it), the day he realized he wouldn’t have to sell the horse he smiled: it felt like the gates of heaven themselves would open.

she hates her job, but doesn’t mind the company. they make her work in a dismissed motel, along with girls about her age and her damage, and there is an unspoken bond of loyalty between them — the guys, too, when they’re guarding the doors they smile at them as fondly as they would their sisters (but they wouldn’t let their sisters in a place like this, no). there’s carl, who never speaks but smiles at fred each time he sees her. there’s billy, drives her home every night before victor can volunteer. there’s sonja, who teaches her how to punch a man’s throat when he gets too handsy. there’s a sense of family, while her own begins unraveling around the suspicion that something dark is going on.

el paso, texas, 2005. the farm is saved, but mom’s not getting any better. depression sucks her up, little by little, and she drifts away more or less peacefully, doesn’t dare oppose resistance — she dies a morning of october, and neither of her daughters can speak of it. grandpa has to put down the horse a week later. she’d thought she’d saved everyone —— how come the darkness still won’t leave?

she grows sadder, dark as the clouds that won’t seem to leave their town alone. she finds an unexpected shoulder to cry on in the person of johnny, billy’s cousin and yet another one of victor’s men: johnny’s sweet, he makes her laugh. he begins driving her home at night instead of billy (his cousin’s not happy, she can see this: but he nods his agreement anyway and doesn’t protest, he can’t, johnny’s older and wiser and he’s still just a kid). the rest of it is as old and predictable as it gets: he says he’ll make an honest woman out of her, she retorts there needs to be an honest man for that to happen to begin with. they laugh, they kiss, they promise — five years later, she’s twenty-five and married, almost happy. almost.

el paso, texas, 2006. she wants to leave her job. johnny said he can’t stand the thought of someone touching her where he should, and she tries: but victor won’t have it, no, did you think it was a temporary gig? come on girl, you’re smarter than that. he’s filthy, he humiliates her — beats her just to prove he can, he owns her. she comes home with bruises and johnny’s angry: if you couldn’t quit, he says, it’s because you didn’t really want t. his bruises are added to victor’s, perfectly symmetrical blooms to decorate her skin. she begins cracking, her very essence tearing at the seams — she was trying so hard to save everyone, how the fuck is she gonna save herself now?

billy comes over sometimes. his commitments to what he likes to call “street things” keep him out of the motel now, but he needs to check on her — she makes up excuses to keep away, hide the signs. says she’s got a bad cold one day, the other she’s just not feeling. one day he’s got enough and forces her to open the door: a busted lip, both her eyes grown purple with the blows. his anger is scalding hot but she manages to calm him down — it’s okay, she says, he just gets angry sometimes. i’ll find a way out of it somehow. he leaves in a hurry, never shows up again: the unspoken fear in her mind, that he’s gone and done something terrible he’ll regret, almost brings a relief to her sore mind. perhaps he’s killed him, she thinks. perhaps i’m free.

johnny comes back and it’s business as usual. she tells herself she’s gotta be strong, gotta leave this town, gotta make it out alive. she packs a bag and leaves it hidden under the bed, but when she looks at the door she sees the world with johnny’s face, ready to eat her up, chew her out, over and over. it’s the day police comes knocking at her door that the world drags her out — in the person of detective jake graham, investigating the disappearance of william ‘billy’ dickinson — part of a much bigger investigation, that sooner leads to the arrest of victor rosce and most of his men (johnny included). she’s on her own: and when the detective figures out she needs help, he makes the way for a new life in red ridge, nevada. beaten, broken, ashamed, she says goodbye to texas; to freddie dickinson; to the comfortable shelter of her fear.

red ridge, nevada, 2015. red ridge ain’t much of an afterlife, but it works. they take her to a women’s shelter and bit by bit she puts her pieces back together. badly held in place, like a broken teacup taped back together — but it works. azul, the director of the shelter, turns out to be the family she’s missing — she finds a sense of home in the shelter, a new purpose behind the counter of st. peter’s, serving drinks for those who are heading for a fight at rogues’. like a gatekeeper, like st. peter himself: such a stark contrast from the hell she just left.

heaven is short-lived, and hell comes knocking back at the door. it appears in the shape of two parallel lines on a pregnancy test: johnny’s seed, rooted in her womb, giving way to evil like himself. she wants to throw up, hopes somehow that’ll rid her of this curse — her vision blinded, her ears are ringing. in fear, she turns to the only place she knows can provide comfort, or advice, or any sort of guidance while she has no fucking clue how to fix this: back home, to her sister.

el paso, texas, 2016. grandpa’s dying, angie says. old age catching up to him, so all he does is lie in his bed all day and ask for movies to be played continuously on his tv. it’s an odd family they recreate now, the nurse, the dying man and the pregnant sister. there is a soft, mournful balance found, until one night victor shows up demanding to see her and when angie claims freddie isn’t there he has his men beat her grandpa, thrash the house just to get the point across: he can. he owns her.

she sits by her grandpa’s deathbed that night and weeps. i’m sorry, pops, i’m so sorry: i tried so hard to be a saint, to save everyone. perhaps he’s just exhaling, but it sounds like he’s laughing. child, he says, saints always die either virgins or martyrs. you fucked up the first — now you just gotta pray you’re good enough for the latter.

somewhere between texas and nevada, 2016. grandpa dies two weeks later, and freddie’s not there. right after victor’s visit, angie gave her money just to get her away from them, and bring her trouble with her — grandpa dies a week before her baby’s born, taken out of her and delivered into a nurse’s hands without so much as a goodbye. they ask, would you like to see your baby? freddie turns and pretends she didn’t hear. wherever the baby will end up, it’s gotta be a better fate than the child of a martyr.

red ridge, nevada, 2017. red ridge felt like a home. for a hot second, it felt like things could start over again. she ends up in it again — in the thick of a burning town, trying to make her way through people that do not belong to her, desperately looking for something to hold on to. a year has passed since she last set foot in town, but st. peter’s has been waiting for her; the same arrangement of unfinished business, too. little by little, in red ridge, she begins putting herself back together.

CURRENTLY fred is a bartender at st. peter’s, occasionally lends a hand to azul evangelista for the women’s shelter, is in a committed relationship with detective jake graham. her uncle, her husband and most of their gang are in jail after the investigation jake led back in 2015. she hasn’t heard from her sister ever since leaving el paso. her baby was given up for adoption and she never learned anything more about them — nor does she plan to.

Starker - Through the eyes of Uncle Ben

“Is he adjusting okay?” Rebecca asks, one of the moms who frequents this park almost as often as Ben does.

“I think so,” Ben murmurs, a small smile on his face. It’s been about a year, and he never really knew Richard and Mary, but May doesn’t tear up when she talks about them anymore, though a long look of sadness pinches her cheeks. Peter doesn’t have nightmares anymore either. They haven’t healed, but they’re doing okay. He turns out to look at the playground where the little boy is an impassioned argument over who gets to keep the ladybug he’s found.

Peter’s only four, but he’s perfect. He’s strong and brave and Ben knows he’s the best of Richard and Mary, and some nights, the early ones especially, that was the only thing that really kept May going. It hurts him to know that she hurts, and sometimes Ben can’t do anything- and his hands shake with how badly he wants to comfort her, but he can’t make her smile. And then Peter ambles into the room with chocolate smeared all over his mouth and a tub of play-dough he can’t open, and then May will smile. And she’ll lift the little boy into her arms and just breathe him in, and Ben can breathe a little easier too.

He loved Peter before Peter was theirs. (Is it okay to say he’s theirs? At first it seemed like he could never be anything but Richard and Mary’s, but as the months go by…it hurts in a good way, May feels it too, Peter is their son). He’s a precious little boy, and he looks so much like May that most people don’t question it.

Rebecca though, she knows.

“He looks really very happy,” she says, squeezing Ben’s shoulder and then heading off to find her own daughter.

Ben hums around a smile, and sips his coffee, watching as Peter and his friend appear to decide to free the ladybug instead.

He ends up a little caught in his newspaper. The crime rate in this city is clawing its way back up into a zone that makes his skin prickle with protective fear over his wife and-and- son? nephew? Son. And when a little voice clears its throat, Ben is yanked out of a reverie of fine print and faced with a stern looking six year old boy.

It’s Howard’s boy, Ben thinks. He reaches for a name...Anthony. Tony. Howard isn’t the most pleasant man, but Maria is nice. Anthony goes to the private pre-school around the corner, the one that May hopes Peter can win a scholarship for someday, given his genius genetics. Ben’s not sure quite how Tony and Peter became such fast friends, not because Peter isn’t friendly. He is. A little too friendly, really. Happy to follow complete strangers if they have a dog or a pretty dress.

Ben’s had to reiterate the concept of ‘stranger danger’ but he’s not sure Peter had really taken it in.

Tony and Peter go to the same junior-playgroup on Tuesdays. Maybe that’s how they’re friends.

Ben looks around and spots Maria on the other side of the playground, muttering angrily into the phone. Ben holds back his sigh. He’s not surprised. Howard doesn’t seem to approve of his son hanging with ‘the riffraff’. God, Ben hates the man.

Anthony though, is a sweet boy. Clever and blind to the differences in people that Howard is so sensitive to.

“Mr Parker!” The boy exclaims, and Ben raises his eyebrows a little, setting down his newspaper in a show of attention. “I have an ‘nnouncement.”

“Ah, of course,” Ben nods.

The boy, decked out in clothing almost obscenely expensive, is holding Peter’s muddy hand. The four year old is beaming up at the sky. Tony clears his throat, and Ben bites back his amused grin. He’s like an adorable mini-Howard. Wait, no. He’s trying to be like Howard. But Tony is better than Howard. Ben hopes it stays that way. “I’m askin’ for your permission to marry Petey.”

“Yay!” Peter exclaims, bouncing up and down on the spot.

Ben has to cover the lower half of his face behind his fingers so he doesn’t laugh in front of the very serious proposal. “I see.” He manages graciously, “and why should I say yes?”

Tony nods thoughtfully, like he expected this line of questioning. “Um,” he begins, rubbing his little fist against his eye, “cuz we love each other, and um, we both like turtles the best.”

“The bestest,” Peter reiterates safely, before throwing his arms around the taller boy and hugging him tight. “Tony is my bestest friend!”

Tony seems to glow with pride.

“Well, that settles it,” Ben decrees, using his newspaper to pat them both on the head. “You have my permission to be married.”

“Yay!” Peter squeals again, and Tony goes all soft and privately pleased, as Peter picks up clumps of grass and sprinkles it over them like confetti.

As Ben gets out of his car and heads into the school, he thinks about things.

He thinks about the fact that his fourteen year old boy, his boy, is kind hearted and good. Peter is a good person, deep in his bones, Ben knows that. And yet this is third time this week he’s being called in for some kind of disruption.

Maybe this private school scholarship wasn’t the best thing for him. But May had been so insistent. Ben doesn’t see what’s wrong with the other schools...

Peter’s been different the past two weeks. Off. He’d come down with a bad flu, and then just…he’d changed.

When he gets in, Peter is sitting in one of the chairs outside the headteacher’s office, his head hanging down and radiating shame.

Ben softens at the sight. He sighs, and sits beside him. “What happened?” He asks, surreptitiously looking for signs that Peter might be hurt or bruised. There’s been lots of that in the past. It had made Ben so angry, but then it had stopped, and he’d heard that Tony Stark had been suspended for three weeks for breaking the noses of four boys.

Ben had given Tony an extra serving of dessert the next time the boy was over.

“It’s so stupid,” Peter hiccups, wiping his face with his sleeve and shaking his head, “I didn’t mean to- they were just-“

“Mr Parker?” The headteacher says, opening the door, and beckons the two of them inside.

Ben’s anger swiftly returns. He doesn’t like bullies. He won’t tolerate it, and even though it’s hard to see his Peter as a bully, the facts don’t lie. Peter had humiliated that jock in front of everyone, and shattered school property and punched him so hard that he’d almost fractured his cheek.

Ben’s not totally sure about that last one, even though the head teacher insists that’s what happened. Peter doesn’t know how to punch. He doesn’t have any bruising on his knuckles either.

When they get out of the office, he looks down at his boy and he shakes his head as Peter curls in on himself in disappointment. “Peter…what’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Uncle Ben,” Peter chokes out, eyes sparkling with tears, “I didn’t mean to-“

“This is the third time this week, Peter! What’s happening? Your Aunt is sick with worry-“

“It was an accident,” comes another voice, more like a snarl, and Ben turns to see Tony. The sixteen year old is almost as tall as him, and he hooks Peter by his backpack straps into a tight hug. Peter sobs into his shirt and Ben feels lost in a way he hasn’t felt since May lost her sister and he couldn’t do anything.

“Tony,” Ben shakes his head, grasping, “what’s happening? What’s happened to my boy?”

Tony cups the back of Peter’s head and gives Ben a glance so mature Ben almost can’t believe it. “He’s going through something right now, Mr Parker,” Tony whispers, voice hard but even, “we’re working through it, and when he’s ready, he’ll tell you, but for now…He’s your kid. You know him. Cut him some fucking slack.”

Ben doesn’t take parenting advice from sixteen year olds, but Tony essentially raises himself, and Peter is clinging to him for dear life and-

Ben likes Tony. And he just wants Peter to be happy.

So he does.

(It’s the right thing to do)

Age comes before he can do everything he wants to do. Celebrate his sixtieth wedding anniversary with May. Spoil a grandchild. Walk Peter down the aisle.

As his breath becomes more laboured, and his vision becomes more blurry, he thinks he very nearly did that last one.

He feels selfish, ruining Peter’s big day- only a week away, by drifting towards the light. Will the boys postpone it? He hopes they won’t. It’s his time. There are times for things. Like Peter getting bitten by a radioactive Spider when he was 14 years old. That happened for a reason, though Ben can still remember through fits of laughter the way that he and May had sat across from Tony and Peter at the kitchen table and wondered if they were on drugs. Like the time Peter had said that he and Tony were more than friends, and Ben had nearly choked on his coffee but May had rolled her eyes and asked how he hadn’t realised already.

There are times for things.

For the first time ever, Peter calls him dad. Croaked out and heartbroken.

Ben’s got the best medical care money can pay for, and he doesn’t need to ask to know that Tony, the ever-present pillar of stability in the corner, 24 and already a force to be reckoned with, is the reason why.

May never leaves his side.

Ben smiles at that, and thanks the lord that he’ll be wearing his wedding ring for eternity.

“When I wake up,” he says to her, as she weeps, “I’m going to see you.”

From a place of bliss, somewhere above and beyond, he watches the wedding.

It was postponed by a year, but maybe it’s better this way. May gets to walk Peter down the aisle, and Tony is crying, and so is Peter, but they’re good tears.

“Come on,” Richard says, a smile in his voice, ageless and happy, “I don’t think we’ll want to watch the honeymoon.”

Ben laughs at that, and takes Mary’s hand.

Somewhere, down there, Peter throws a clump of grass in the air as confetti and smiles, and then he turns to the sky and whispers words of gratitude to his lost parents.

All three of them. 

Ayesha Liveblogs Naruto Shippuden S20 (Pt. 4)

Hashirama’s “:O” face at everything is so endearing

Hagoromo is now really the time for a family story there are three children and a sad old man in need

“It was a few thousand years ago” Zetsu just said it was 1,000 years ago how bad are you guys at telling time 

I wonder how Hashirama feels about Madara being his Soulmate™

“I want make sure [the Tailed Beasts] don’t fight amongst each other, and that people don’t use their powers for evil” better 2 have tried and failed I guess 

“That’s because a toad’s dream is destiny” weird flex but ok

“So then, will everything I do now be meaningless?” “Don’t waste your time worrying” Ffgkjhfgkjh damn I didn’t ask for a lecture on fatalism in my Naruto liveblog

Lmao @ this dude revealing his thievery scheme after talking to Hagoromo for 0.5 seconds what makes him think everyone will be on board with it 

“I only want you to go away as soon as possible” ah looks like Hagoromo made a friend lmao 

“If we make it too sturdy, you’ll break your bones when you try to destroy it” they actually did a really good job of making Hagoromo charming like consider me charmed I wanna hear abt ur ninja way

Hahahah I admire Futami for not bringing up the horns for the entire length of time it took them to build the bridge 

Futami: Hagoromo-sensei gave me a high-five one time and it touched my heart so I formed a cult around him

Wait if Hagoromo only gave 8 disciples chakra are the nine of them together responsible for fathering all the shinobi world what kind of Gengis Khan fuckery

Minus the Hyuga, who, for some reason are moon aliens, I guess

“Throughout this long history men appeared, one after another, with the desire to use the tailed beasts for their own evil purposes. And that turned the tailed beasts against mankind. Anyway, back to my story.” Hahahaha did Hagoromo just go “(A/N: Fuck Obito and Madara lol)”

Unbelievable you’re telling me there was someone who wanted to get with this old man with horns and three eyes who leads a cult and you won’t show me WHO where is the justice 

OH HEY FUTAMI HELPING RAISE THE KIDS I GUESS? WILD

Mmmm I love Ashura already 1000/10 endearing impulsive baby

Some filler storyboard artist who I respect beyond reason: But what if... we added.... a dog

“It might even be bigger than yours” please don’t tell me they fished Zetsu out of the river

"I didn’t realize you thought so deeply about [chakra being used as a weapon]” “Yeah, well” “But then again, what will be, will be” what kind of parenting is this Hagoromo kjhgkjhgkjhg

Indra, 10 years old: I am concerned about the ethical impact of my innovation

Hagoromo: YOLO, son ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“I’ll be watching you” Is that the voice of......... Pubescent Zetsu 

LMAO IT IS

These kids are really emotionally unprepared for the boar considering they were following boar tracks into the woods 

ARE YOU SHITTING ME THEY EVEN USED THE SAME FILLER DOG NAME LMAO WHO IS WRITING THIS 

I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY KILLED THE DOG I’M SO MAD

Wow @ them having Indra invent chidori instead hkjhgkhg poor Kakashi

Indra awoke his sharingan over losing his dog I cannot believe this how are dogs the central plot device of multiple arcs

“Whatever is in this village belongs to everyone - that’s the law” wow along with fatalism this arc is also teaching us about the practical failings of communism 

“The law is still the law” where’s the post that says Sasuke is ethnically a cop. Because that’s this arc

Not 2 be that gal again but Indra’s voice is also nice on the ears he has inherited his grandmother’s kekkei genkai of having an attractive voice and a terrible moral compass

...............kekkei grandma 

“Looking into his eyes reminds me of my mother’s eyes” I was kind of joking about the kekkei grandma thing but fair

“At that moment I felt that I understood for the first time why heaven had blessed me with two sons” have you ever considered your eldest son is mean in part because you make comments like this 

“What will the two of you do when you are out in the world alone” wow Hagoromo is giving his kids some kind of High-Stakes Bell Test 

Hahaha I like Taizo I hope they don’t do anything to him but they probably will because he’s had so much screen time

HAHAHAHA I LOVE THIS SQUAD it’s the first ninja team and the boy is the healer!!!

Ashura: OH NO I’VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO GENJUTSU

Kanna and Taizo: WE GOT U BUDDY WE GOT BATS

I thought I was going bananas for a sec but the intro did change lol 

Poor Tenzo I think he’s been officially discarded from OPs RIP

Side note: Having a Naruto blog has made me so wary of Kakashi and Sakura standing next to each other I don’t trust the ppl on this website to be normal for a second RIP x2

“They’ll suffer, sure, but everyone dies eventually” okay calm down Taizo

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s possible or not, because I’ve decided to do it” I admire Ashura’s blind optimism lmao

Not to poke too many holes but why would the water in the well not be affected by the Divine Tree

I take my comment about healing back ludicrously all the men get to display chakra natures and the women can only display glowing yin chakra hands booooo

Omg there is a Tenzo after all in an ED at least!! This is the first time I’ve seen all three members of the Naruto’s Dad Association in one place!!! Bless up

A shot of them standing all together!!!! My heart!!!!!!!!

SASUKE AND NARUTO’S GRINS AT EACH OTHER I WEEEP

[Hagoromo as Kakashi voice]: TEAMWORK!!

I was very much expecting Indra to go crazy and kill those two guys but wow that was a scene

“Enough to make you fall in love with him and follow him all the way here” At least Ashura gets like a real wife instead of Hagoromo’s ‘ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ she dead’

Hagoromo: Indra’s a dick because his eyes are red trust me it has nothing to do with my parenting I’m a chakra scientist

“Indra, just what is the meaning of this” it’s a temper tantrum lmao

Was it really necessary to kill both of those guys Indra one best friend death usually suffices for mangekyo my dude

Minato joining Kakashi in the club of Boyz Who Jutsu Was Plagiarized

Hagoromo really has absolutely zero hesitation to attack his son and you wonder why Indra has a complex

“THIS IS THE POWER OF OUR BOOOOOND” he said, as he punched his brother in the face with a thousand wooden hands (mood)

Indra’s Lightning Teleportation Jutsu is really doing The Most the Raikage is not nearly this dramatic about it 

Can you... just.... declare that your soul will be reincarnated? Is that how that works? 

Also. Who slept with Indra?! U made him out to be like. Very Not Okay. But he’s the forefather of the Uchiha?? WHERE ARE THESE CHILDREN COMING FROM TELL ME WHO IS BANGING THIS OUT OF CONTROL FAMILY

Hahahahaha I’M SO READY FOR THIS RIDICULOUS TEAM 7 TRYING TO UNMASK KAKASHI EPISODE BRING IT THE FUCK ON

I knew the Sukea voice would be different but omg I’m still thrown

“S-kay-a” is really not how I thought that would be pronounced wow 

“If I’m able to capture this Kakashi guy without a mask on, it’ll be the biggest scoop since the Leaf was established” a little arrogant Kakashi but okay kjhgkjhgkjhgjhg

This is such an adorable and weird bonding exercise of Kakashi teaching his kids how to break into Konoha’s archives I’M WHEEZING

I would pay money to see Kakashi explain what he was doing to all those dudes in ANBU who probably thought he was intimidating as all fuck catching him a wig with three twelve-year-olds breaking into his own file

“Who cares what I look like anyway!” THIS IS SO DUMB I LOOOOVE IT

“I think that a woman might’ve drowned right over there on the river bank” HINATA!!!!! UR TOO NICE TO BE ENLISTED INTO THIS SCHEMING HAHAHA

Oh I remember seeing reference to this scene booooo do they really have to make it weird all the time

This concept is even MORE ridiculous in the show bc it expands beyond Team 7 to all the other Konoha rookies like Kakashi how much do u enjoy teasing the children that this is how you’re spending your day

HAHAHAH Kakashi is lucky that the person who knows him best has face blindness and can’t call him out for his schemes 

Okay not to betray my own brand but ᵏᵏᵍᵃᶦ ᶜᵘᵗᵉ

They really designed a nicer apartment for Kakashi just so they could animate his silhouette in the shower STUDIO PIERROT PLEASE

Fhkjhkjfhkjhkf that last scene made me so uncomfortable I don’t really like seeing Kakashi’s mouth while he talks it’s weird

You know I spent a lot of this interlude chanting main arc main arc in my head but alas now that we have arrived I’ve remembered that the war arc climax is a mess

“If my chakra runs out, I’m done” seriously Obito.......... how are you here

Can you imagine if Naruto actually died.... what would that even mean for this series I can’t imagine 

“I already marked this space, so I can hide out in my time-space” I want to know how Obito “marks a space” is it like a jutsu or does he just have to nod at it and go “my space now”

 I would also pay money to see what Obito and Sakura talked about when they had to hang out in Kamui for a solid two minutes lmao 

“So you’re friends with sensei huh?” “Yeah it’s complicated but I think we’re cool now” “Yeah, same with us and Sasuke” “Sorry about that” “I don’t forgive you but thanks”

“You alright?” define ‘alright’ but also Obito’s never been alright a day in his life, Sakura 

Uh oh foreshadowing to the heavy gravity space where Obito d*es

Okay maybe this is the part of me that is still clings to their Part I friendship but Sasuke helping Sakura stand really brings out my inner soft bitch

 “It would’ve been helpful if we could’ve received this advice a bit earlier” Tobirama’s bitter about sitting through five episodes of filler

Tobirama: Why haven’t u been helping this whole time

Hagoromo: It all comes down to Madara’s magic pelvis—

“This man lent me his power and that’s why we were able to get here” does Sakura not know Obito’s name either khgkjhgjkgh

How many times will we watch these same two flashbacks of Obito’s life

Looks like Kakashi brought a knife to a taijutsu fight LMAO

God Rin is such a good friend to Obito and he repays her by literally defacing her grave 

“Am I powerless to do anything but sit here and watch” it’s not really your fault you can’t fly Kakashi tho u could try throwing some kunai or smth ur not a one sharingan pony

Ddkjhsdkjhd why does Obito get a line worrying about Naruto’s death but Kakashi doesn’t he’s spent the past two days trying to kill Naruto

I’m still emo abt Kakashi trying to die for Sasuke that’s his soooon

“Rin... this time, let’s spend some alone time together, just you and me” Why phrase it like that, Obito

"Why save someone useless like me” Kakashi get some therapy

“A fool full of only mistakes” it’s hard to disagree with Zetsu when they’re flashing back to every mistake Obito has ever made

Where’s the graphics set where Obito goes ‘admittedly I lost my cool here’ because that’s what that flashback was 

Update: found it

“Don’t cry, Obito, you’ll just get laughed at” this fantasy is an indication that Obito has no real comprehension of how fucked up Kakashi was by Rin’s death

Can you believe that Rin still dies in Obito’s jonin AU like....what. It’s not even like “AU of what I want” it’s like “AU where I learn how to cope with trauma” 

Also was this just an out for not designing an adult Rin bc he’s been thinking about Rin endlessly for like three episodes straight so..... what up with that

It’s still so fucking funny that Iruka’s in Obito’s jonin fantasy like when did they meet did he just absorb secondhand Iruka appreciation from Naruto 

“But, if you screw up, I won’t hesitate to step up as a candidate for Hokage myself” yesssssssss let Kakashi be the playful menace he truly aspires to be

Gjghjkhgjhg Obito’s “euuuuuuuuehhhh” when the paperwork dropped was funny

Sasuke’s face when Sakura punched Naruto was also v funny 

Honestly to be real for a second Obito imagining himself as buddies with Team 7 makes me mad u’ve done nothing but make these kids’ life TERRIBLE until today babysitting license REVOKED!!!!!!

Am I a hypocrite for enjoying AUs ft. Obito? Mayhaps!!!

“You told me that saving you was pretty much the same as saving the whole world, remember?” (Well.)

“I’d say, you did your best” You know that post that said it makes sense that Rin said this bc she’s a Scorpio. I’m still upset about it

You know... Naruto’s “the coolest guy” (“nothing but awesome”) comment about Obito is a direct parallel to “Bravest man I ever knew” in HP and that’s why, if I were to meet either adult man, I would dropkick both of them. In this essay I will—

“It’s kind of annoying seeing [Kakashi] all stiff and useless” u right Obito

Kishimoto pick up the phone I just want to talk about that rabbit bijuu design 

“A Susano’o? But whose?” DAD’S HEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRE

Kakashi with Six Paths Power REALLY feeds into my theory that Kakashi is Hagoromo’s transmigrant 

THAT’S MY TEAM READY TO SAVE THE WORLD TOGETHER!!!!!

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 KAKASHI GETS HER VULNERABLE AND THEN THE BOYS ATTACK WHILE KAKASHI GUARDS THEIR BACKS AND SAKURA FORCES HER INTO PLACE THIS IS WHOLEASS TEAMWORK

“I really love you guys” YEAH HE DOES 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Okay arc over haha right guys we’re good now RIGHT GUYS??

In part, Kakashi jumping around to save his students feels very much reminiscent of Part I’s “MY SENSEI SENSES ARE TINGLING” swoop and scoop that he and Gai loved to do

Lmao @ Kaguya spitting Madara out like he’s a bad-tasting vegetable

Coming up with an OP specifically for VOTE2 is so extra but I kind of love it the Diver parallels!!!!

Sasuke is SUCH a liar abt his attitude towards Team 7 - more specifically towards Sakura and Kakashi bc he has already granted that he cares for Naruto

Sasuke: Comrades? I don’t know her

Also Sasuke: Constantly urging Sakura and Kakashi to get to safety and actively intervening when they’re not

“Honestly at this point I don’t think anything could shock me anymore” Sakura really needs a hug and a nap

“I shall be sure to ask Obito tell me that tale in the afterworld” the real question is if Obito will still look 12 when he takes Hagoromo on the harrowing journey that is his life

Kakashi truly has endless love in his stupid ass heart Obito’s like, “Hmmm... whoops sorry 4 committing mass murder” and Kakashi’s like “Hehe, we all mess up sometimes :) See u in heaven”

Madara and Hashirama really did invent being in gay love huh

WOW I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO TEAR UP BUT KJHFKJHFKJH MY BABY BOY SAYING GOODBYE TO HIS DAD HE IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SWEETHEART

“You’ve now finally settled things with Madara” Tobirama has been waiting for like a hundred years for his brother to get over his ex

Hagoromo: Naruto’s your new conference room congrats kids 

Mmmmm I don’t like aaaaannnnnny of this

“You’re suggesting that I enjoy a roooOoomance” why say it like that Sasuke

I genuinely think this is the maddest that Kakashi’s ever been at Sasuke that boy is very, very grounded

“I, too, had two children at one time” OMG KAKASHI OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED TEAM 7 DAD BY HAGOROMO (ur miscounting tho Kakashi actually has four (4) children)

“I think I shall let Naruto handle this” said Hagoromo, and everyone who encountered any problem in this series ever

I’m very distracted from Sasuke’s dictatorship speech by the fact he looks so much like an alien. What is UP with his eyes they never look like this???? Why are they so far apart and narrow and angled

“Your blood will be the last that I shed” what r u just gonna keep genjutsuing ppl Sasuke? Could just keep the Tsukuyomi on then, homie

It also plays into the Hagoromo and Kakashi are related (spiritually or literally) that Hagoromo is equally as useless with advice to him lmao

Kakashi: What should I be doing, sir?

Hagoromo: Sometimes I like to pray :) 

Fjkkjgkjhgkjhk Sasuke claiming that Naruto is his only bond never ceases to amaze me like Sakura and Kakashi are RIGHT THERE ghkjhgkjhgkj u have been protecting them this whole time while they shout how much they care abt u. Just admit u have a crush on Naruto and go!!!

“I know your heart well by now. And you mine” Sasuke u unintentionally romantic dumbass

“Finally decided to kill me, huh,” said a thrilled Sasuke, taking a lesson from the Kakashi School of Very Much Needing Ninja Therapy

This entire fight is the Life or Death equivalent of this tweet:

Lmao one of these boys lost a tooth I want to know which of them has a dental implant 

Omg............... Iruka what is going ON.... u are suddenly v pale and also I think ur VA might be different could they not get the same Iruka or has he just forgotten how Iruka sounds

It was real unclear until this fight that Sasuke had any of the same powers as Nagato

“Now I can finally be alone... farewell, my one and only... friend” again... Sasuke... u can be in love with Naruto and still have other friends!!!!!!! Ask Naruto he has tons of friends he’s not in love with*

*Disclaimer: they are all in love with him

The idea that everyone Naruto’s ever cared about is spiritually trying to help him kick Sasuke’s ass is p funny

“Sakura and Kakashi are still there, they’ll figure something out” cute that you have such an assload of faith in your loved ones in ur life-flashing-before-you moment Sasuke but with what jutsu lmao

“I began to see a shadow of my own family in Squad 7″ YEAH HE DID  😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I still can’t believe that Kishimoto really wrote that all it took for Sasuke to return to Konoha was Naruto explaining to him how love and empathy work 

Omg Sasuke laughing...... I missed your laugh you precious boy

“Release the infinite Tsukuyomi once I’m dead by transplanting my left eye into Kakashi or someone else” Fhjfhkfh it detracts a little from the significance of Sasuke offering his eye to Kakashi to add the “someone else” but I guess they gotta make the syllables match up

Why is every Uchiha’s long-term plan just to die before they have to deal with the consequences of their actions

“I’m sorry” “Sorry? For what” “For everything” “You got that right” Sasuke I think u need to treat all of ur teammates to ramen 

“It’s finally back to the way it was” Kakashi loooves his baaabies 

TENZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Omg they included Guren from the filler arc in this crowd hahahaha

Gaara and Naruto enveloped in that same beam of light like Kakashi and Tenzo in the Tsukuyomi kghjghkgh SP said gentle gay rights

“I’m forbidden to talk about it” Team 7 would RIOT if Sasuke was locked up in a cell like that fuck you

Hahahaha I wish I could see the scene where Kakashi and Iruka decided to ambush Naruto with study materials 

Okay this is definitely a different Iruka ahhhhh weird I don’t like it

Iruka bursting into tears whenever Naruto talks about his progress.... same

I 100% believe that the vast majority of the reason Kakashi became Hokage was to pardon Sasuke but also that prison scene still seems appalling to me STOP MAKING THINGS WORSE THAN THEY WERE SHOWN TO BE

"Maybe next time” is super funny in the context that he does take her on his next mission outside the village and comes back with one (1) whole baby

Sasuke’s introspection usually seems to amount to “Birth is a curse and existence is a prison... oh hey Naruto <3″ 

The moral of the story seems to be that the best way to show someone you love them in ninja language is by telling them you want to keep punching them for the rest of your life

I think this is nominally incomplete, but it’s from October and I’m never going to finish it, but I reread it and still enjoy some of the jokes in it so.... I figured other people might get some enjoyment out of it.

Summary: Some defense attorneys, prosecutors, and detectives get together and while drinking make poor conversational choices that vacillate wildly between commiserating over personal trauma and making bad jokes. So, the usual.

-

“You know,” Kay says, frowning in concentration as she attempts to affix a fourth paper umbrella in her hair, “what always bums me out about these big get-togethers is I always start thinking we should play some super-fun drinking games and then I realize that would be terrible, because, like, ‘Never Have I Ever’ always turns into weird sexscepade confessions and that’d be horrible enough if Mr. Edgeworth was just our boss, but he’s like, our dad, so we can’t do that.”

Everyone takes twenty seconds to absorb what she has said. “There are things I don’t want to know about any of you,” Apollo says. “Especially not Mr. Wright.”

“Because he’s our dad,” Athena adds. She is lying on the floor with her chin propped up on her arms. “Also it’d be mean to play drinking games with me here not being able to.” Her glare turns from Phoenix to Simon. “American drinking laws are stupid.”

“You say to a room full of prosecutors and detectives,” Apollo says.

“No no, she’s right,” Klavier says. “I got my badge in Europe and then came back and they would let me stand in court and prosecute a trial but not buy a beer.”

“Franziska complained all the time about that,” Edgeworth says, with a small smile that is almost fond as he contemplates the dregs at the bottom of his wine glass. “In the interest of full disclosure, she complained about everything in America. She still does, actually.”

“I can see why she would,” Athena says. “I liked Germany. I didn’t actually drink a lot there, though.”

“You are smarter than I,” Klavier says. “I lost about a month somewhere in Germany.”

Phoenix coughs and sets down his glass, which is pint-sized but filled with wine. The only condolence for Apollo, and from the expression on his face, Edgeworth as well, is that he isn’t drinking straight from a bottle. “A month?” he repeats incredulously.

Klavier nods. “I had just taken the bar; I had nothing to do but wait for my results. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Not that?” Phoenix asks. He looks somewhere between impressed and horrified, which is strange for Apollo to realize; he can’t usually read his boss’ emotions from his face. “Anything but that?”

Klavier shrugs. “Ja ja, but I never got arrested or woke up anywhere unfamiliar, so I think I did fine.”

“Did you wake up with that horrible accent, though?” Blackquill asks, smirking slightly, and without looking bats Athena’s hand away from his drink.

“Ooh!” Athena says, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “You know, that’s actually happened! There’s been cases where after a traumatic brain injury, a person has recovered to speak with an entirely different accent that they never had before. So you could have--”

“I’m sorry to dampen your excitement, Fraulien, but I have never had any traumatic brain injuries.” Ema mutters something and Klavier, staring at the glass in his hands, says, “Ach, we’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, and I will amend my statement to ‘not that I know’ because Kris could have dropped me down the stairs when we were young and I can never know for sure now, because what I am sure of is that even if the answer is no, if I asked him now, he would say he did.”

“You know, Kay, that this is realistically where ‘Never Have I Ever’ would end up,” Ema says. “The personal trauma shit, like ‘never have I ever had someone close to me turn out to be a murdering bastard.’” She doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes and instead stares at the floor. “Ah shit I can’t even say that. That one’s happened to me too. Fuck it.” She throws her head back and drains a third of her glass.

“Would that be a shot for each murdering bastard, or just one for all of them?” Klavier asks.

“At that point you just start drinking and don’t stop,” Phoenix says without lowering his glass from his lips, apparently taking his own advice.

“Define ‘close’,” Apollo says.

“We’re lawyers,” Sebastian says. “Why don’t we just all argue about the definition and never get anywhere with it?”

“He was your boss,” Klavier says brusquely. “That’s fuckin’ close enough.” The harshness of the words doesn’t match the way Klavier’s weight leans against Apollo’s shoulder or how his hand shakes just slightly, knuckles too white curled around his shot glass.

“Is ‘close’ in this case simply to be understood as figuratively referring to emotional connection,” Blackquill says, “or would a literal meaning as in physical proximity at length apply as well?”

“When you’re splitting hairs like that just join the rest of us in being drunk and depressed,” Ema says.

“Are we actually playing now?” Kay asks. “Because this is like a super fucked up way to play if we are.”

“Let’s not even bother with the ‘never have I ever had someone I loved be murdered’,” Apollo says. He hadn’t wanted to get drunk tonight, and instead just sit back and watch whatever unfolded, but he’s thinking he might want to change those plans.

“Everyone loses on that one,” Kay says, reaching over and gently patting Apollo’s head, which he thinks is a gesture of sympathy as best as she, pink-cheeked with unfocused eyes, can manage. And he thinks he is just tipsy enough that it actually feels like a comfort. “And the grand prize, ‘never have I ever had someone I loved be murdered by someone I was close to’, because that’s like… aw shit that’s me isn’t it.”

“Depending on how you define your proximity to Ms. Yew, or Shih-na, or whatever you should like to call her,” Edgeworth says, and it’s probably not coincidence that he is now finishing off his wine, after Kay has said those words. Everyone knows the story of von Karma.

“Again,” Blackquill says, his chin resting on his hands, his elbows on his knees, “how are we agreeing to define ‘close’ and does it apply retroactively, in that they only came in close literal proximity to you long after they committed the murder of that particular--” This time he is not quick enough to stop Athena from snatching away his glass and draining the contents.

“Gross!” Widget cries, and Athena sets the glass back in front of Blackquill with an expression of profound disgust twisting her features. “What the hell is that, anyway?” she asks.

“You were duly warned,” Blackquill replies.

“No,” Athena says. “You told me it was illegal, not that it was disgusting.”

Phoenix is laughing at her, his glass untouched on the floor for the past minute. Kay raises an eyebrow. “What, the unluckiest man in the world can’t drink to that?”

“I can’t, actually,” he says, “though not for lack of trying on my ex-girlfriend’s part.”

“Is trauma crossing over with sexscepades now?” Ema asks. “I’m gonna need to be super more drunk if it is.”

“Me too,” Apollo says, staring at the empty glass in front of him. He hadn’t wanted to refill. Now he thinks he needs it. Klavier offers him the remains of his drink. Apollo accepts it.

“It was not a… a…” Phoenix props his chin up on his hands. “Well, depends on how you’re defining it, and whether ‘my college girlfriend was actually twins, one of whom was evil and wanted me dead and tried to frame me for murder when her good twin, who’s a sweetheart other than having a dire blind spot where her sister is concerned, spent eight months trying to convince her not to kill me’ counts as such.”

“Wait,” Ema says, reaching for Kay’s drink, as Edgeworth stands and leaves the room, “you were dating both twins, and you thought they were the same person?”

“They fully intended to convince me they were the same person,” Phoenix says. “And it took me six years and an attempt on my best friend’s life to find out otherwise.”

“Why’d she -- they -- whoever -- try to kill Edgeworth?” Sebastian asks.

Phoenix coughs. “Erm -- my other best friend, Maya. It’s a long fucked-up story that’s incoherent enough when I try to tell it sober but it ended with me cross-examining a dead woman and the prosecution indicted on the murder charges that had been leveled against my client.”

“What,” Athena says.

“I was there and can corroborate,” Edgeworth says, reentering with a new glass of wine.

“Wait,” Klavier says. “When was this?”

“It’s…” Phoenix frowns, staring at Edgeworth. “It was February, so… nine years now.”

“Was that prosecutor Coffee Dude?” Klavier asks.

“Coffee dude?” Apollo repeats. Klavier’s accent has been slipping in and out all night but hearing him utter the word dude is still absolutely jarring.

“Eloquent as ever, Gavin-dono,” Blackquill says dryly.

“I don’t remember his name because I was a self-absorbed piece of shit who’d just joined the office but: Eine, I remember the news article, and Zwei, I remember him taking the pot out of the coffee machine in the break room and drinking directly from the pot.”

“Oh yeah that’d be him,” Phoenix says.

Blackquill frowns. “This prosecutor you speak of -- about my height, white hair, blind, and able to be convinced to punch another inmate for the price of half a cup of sludgewater prison coffee?”

“Oh my god,” Phoenix says.

“Simon,” Athena sighs.

“I did not say that it was I who convinced him to do such. For all you know I may have been the victim of the punching. You assume the worst of me, Athena.”

Apollo snorts at that. Phoenix is rolling his eyes and Edgeworth coughs.

“You met him in prison?” Edgeworth asks, sitting back down next to Phoenix. “I suppose you must have, if you know him, because he was arrested in February and you joined the office in -- May?”

“April,” Athena corrects.

“Right when everything went to shit,” Klavier says.

“In February a prosecutor was arraigned on charges of murder; in March, another prosecutor committed murder in the office, and the chairman of the Investigatorial Committee was convicted on counts of murder and forging evidence since he was Chief Prosecutor -- you forget, again, that in no point in our lifetimes has ours been a functioning legal system.”

Something about the way Blackquill says it, and the way that Klavier responds with “Bleh,” makes Apollo think it’s a conversation they’ve had before.

Sebastian is staring at his hands.

“And that’s when Mr. Edgeworth gave up his badge for two days and I fell off a building and got amnesia,” Kay adds. “And then we caused another international incident. Not totally in that order.”

“What,” Apollo says.

“Oh god I remember half of that,” Ema says.

“You left out the part with the assassins,” Sebastian says.

“I’ve always believed if you’re not in court it’s sometimes better to leave out details in the retellings, and nothing here is dissuading me of this notion,” Phoenix says.

“So what did you leave out of your little sexscepade story?” Kay asks

“Kay,” Sebastian says, “I am begging you to stop saying that word. I will pay you.”

“Hey Chief, I think that’s Prosecutor Debeste saying I should get a salary raise.”

Edgeworth places his face in his hands.

“I left out the part where I fell off a bridge, my murderous ex-girlfriend was my best friend’s cousin, and Edgeworth --”

“Continue leaving out any further part of this involving me,” Edgeworth interrupts.

“Fine.”

“Boss, how are you still alive?” Athena asks.

“That’s a case that’s going to go forever unsolved,” Phoenix replies.

“Can we do ‘never have I ever had a near-death experience’?” Athena says. “Or any significant physical injury on the job. How many shots would you have to take for that one, Boss?” Phoenix is muttering under his breath as he starts counting on his fingers. Apollo can’t make out the words but Athena almost immediately objects -- “Wait, did you say tazed?”

“Tazed, blunt force head trauma from a fire extinguisher, fell off a bridge, that one thing from before I was a lawyer doesn’t count because you said ‘on the job’, hit by a car doesn’t really count under that definition either -- I think that’s it.” He stares absently into space. “Actually, no, it was sort of related to the job so in hindsight, add ‘getting smashed with the man who got me disbarred’.”

“Take another shot for tonight, then,” Klavier says.

Phoenix rolls his eyes. “Klavier, shut up,” he says, and Klavier recoils in surprise, blinking a few times. “I mean the one with ill intentions and a penchant for poisoning people. God there’s so many ways that could’ve ended with me dead over a bowl of borscht in that hell restaurant.” His eyes go unfocused staring at some point over Apollo’s head. “You know what’s another one of the super fucked up parts about that?” He doesn’t wait for anyone to ask before he continues, “I don’t even like borscht.”

Klavier coughs, or at least Apollo thinks it’s a cough, but it also sounds like a laugh and a sob intermingled.

“You exasperate me,” Edgeworth says to Phoenix. Phoenix flops over into his lap like a particularly boneless cat.

“Here’s ‘take a shot if your older sibling is or has ever been in jail,” Ema says dryly, emptying her glass and then laying backwards on the floor. “Welcome to the shit club, boys.”

“I think Herr Samurai and I need more alcohol for this one,” Klavier says.

“Then go get us some,” Blackquill says.

“Sometimes I feel like I am the only one doing the work in this relationship,” Klavier says.

Athena chokes on air.

Edgeworth sighs. “You both know what I am going to say.”

The response comes in near-unison from the three other prosecutors and two detectives. “Dollar in the jar!”

The Summer of Del'goxoth part 14

Two days later it is Summerween in Gravity Falls, and the town is at full swing as the town has Halloween decreation at homes, business, and other buildings. Kids, teens, adults, and elderly were dress in customs ranging from monsters to superheroes to fairy tales characters, and already people are pulling pranks on this night. In Danny home, Danny is in his room changing into his custom as he dresses as a Vampire Danny wore red gothic glasses, grey makeup, another blonde wig with some grey streaks in it, a black top hat, Black velvet coat has attached bat-style cape, grey vest, black Faux leather boot, and black pants. Danny looked at himself the bedroom mirror see how he looked in his custom.

"I look pretty good in this custom," Danny thought, and he turns to Cujo who was asleep in the middle of Danny bed "what you think boy?"

Cujo wakes from his sleep and looks at Danny and barks happily.

"Glad you like it I was a bit worry for a moment that I almost looked dress up as Vlad,"

Cujo growls at the name Vlad.

"Don't worry Cujo that fruit loop is far from earth to hurt anyone no more,"

Danny pets Cujo who became happy again. Danny grabs his phone and a shiny ruby cane as he about to leave his bedroom Danny turns to Cujo "stay here boy unless I need to okay,"

The dog barks and get's back to his sleep, Danny goes downstairs to see Washington filling a large bowl of candy, but Washington is in a sour mood.

"What wrong Washington not into the Summerween?" said Danny

"No, I'm not Danny I have to buy tons of candy for a holiday that suppose to be in October instead of in the Summer then I have to give candy to a bunch of kids I don't know,"

"Lighten up Washington there might be a hot single mom for you when you give candy out,"

"Don't get my hopes kid. Anyway, what are you doing for tonight,"

"Wendy and I are going to see this movie that a couple of people are playing on a projector in the Circle park,"

"Hm, so this a date then?"

Danny blushes "no we are just hanging out that all Washington,"

"Sure it is Danny just tell me when you two have a private moment," Washington laughs, and Danny as checks are deep red.

Then the doorbell ring Washington goes to with carrying the bowl full of candy in one hand Washington opens the door and see who on the other side.

"Danny Wendy is here," said Washington

Danny goes to the front door to see Wendy in here werewolf custom Wendy wore a bloody black shoes, a black, and orange flannel shirt and tight black pants that both looked torn, Wendy had orange fur around her custom, and she wore orange werewolf ears and tail she looked like a person turning into a werewolf.

"Woah, Wendy your costume looked great," said Danny

"So does your Danny but I don't we can be friends seeing how Vampires and Werewolves don't like each other," said Wendy

"But I think can make a friendship out of it put aside the hatred of two species do you agree,"

"I agree with that,"

"See you later, Washington," Danny and Wendy leave Danny home.

"Danny, you better get back here before one!" Washington shouted as he sees a group of ten-year-old girl dress Disney princess custom "here comes the little devils," Washington said to himself

Danny and Wendy go to Circle park to watch a movie called "Supervamp" the film is about a vampire dress in a superhero outfit killing his bullies from high school after the movie was Danny and Wendy got nothing else to do for the night.

"So what else you want to do Danny?" said Wendy

"I don't know Wendy how about we go trick and treating?" said Danny

"Nah we're too old for that," then Wendy phone buzzed she pulls out to find a text message, and she smiles, "I think I found something we can do,"

"That would be?"

"A got a text message about a party that is happening at this guy Marcus house from Pacifica we should definitely go,"

"I'll go, it would be nice to go to a party with everyone not coming up to me for every second of a party,"

"To Marcus house,"

Danny and Wendy go to Marcus house, which is a tan two-story house the party is raging on with the music blasting out from every corner of the house. Wendy and Danny walk into the house to see teenagers their age still dress in customs as well the party had strobe lights, a bucket full of candy, a two cooler filled with soft drinks and beer, and DJ set in the living room. Danny and Wendy get into the party they dance to the music, eating candy from the bowl, watch two jocks dress in gladiator customs play beer pong, and play Mortal Kombat upstairs in the game room. Later at the party, Wendy had to go outside of the party to talk to a friend on the phone and Danny sits on couch drinking sprite then he sees Pacifica dress up as the wicked witch from the west with the black witch clothes and green makeup on her face and hands she sits down next to Danny.

"Hey River enjoying the party?" said Pacifica

"Yes, I am this is the best party I have been to in a while,"

"That's good since not every town does Halloween twice a year,"

"Yeah, you guys love Halloween that much to do it twice a year,"

"Well, we do live in this weird little town,"

"Weird and awesome at the same time,"

Pacifica laughs at Danny last comment "River I gotta ask you since your a guy,"

"Shoot,"

"How do guys act when they like a girl,"

"Pacifica do you have a crush on someone?" Danny could tell Pacifica blush even under the green makeup

"Don't tell anyone River but yes I do like this dork how come visit Gravity falls in the summer I'm trying to tell him that I like-like him I wonder if he likes me back,"

Pacifica reminds Danny how Sam feels about Danny back where they were fourteen so Danny uses it to tell Pacifica "if the guy tries to impress you or could not stop thinking about you without blushing then he likes you, Pacifica,"

Pacifica smile bright "thanks for the advice River,"

"No problem Pacifica,"

At the backyard, Wendy is talking to an old friend on the phone whom she wishes was she and her twin brother was here to hang out with Danny.

"Mable hows you and Dipper road trip?" said Wendy

"It's wild! Wendy, we had to outrun crazy bikers, our dad rode a bull, Dipper learned to play the bass, I beat a Germany guy at foosball to get our car back and our mom knockout a bear with a cricket bat,"

"Heh, it seems you guys always run into a new adventure everywhere you guys go,"

"Must be in our DNA anyway enough about me what you Wendy how is it going in Gravity falls,"

"It's going great actual meant this cool guy his name is River,"

"Really! What is he like?"

"He's fun to hang out with he funny and.."

"It sounds like in love with him Wendy," Mable interrupts

Wendy blushes "No I'm not Mable we are just friends,"

"It does not sound like it to me, Wendy... Oh crap! I gotta go, Wendy, my dad is freaking out about something about the car, and also I can't wait to see your new boyfriend," Mable hangs up.

"Oh boy just wait until they find out that River is actual Danny Fenton/Phantom when he gets out of Witness protection," Wendy thought then suddenly feel worried about Danny leaving Gravity falls "why do I feel that way if Danny leaves?"

"Hey, Wendy,"

Wendy turns around to see Danny holding a cola for her Danny's hands the soda to Wendy.

"What's on your mind, Wendy?"

"It's just that well" Wendy sits down on the back step "I wondering if we could still be friends if you leave Gravity falls after your done with Witness protection,"

"Of course we still friend Wendy,"

"Really what about all your ghost business back in Amity park?"

"I can find a way to come here and hang out with you if it wasn't for you Wendy I would be totally bored and alone here,"

Wendy smile "I hope we can still be friends after the summer,"

Danny ghost sense comes out of nowhere; Logan comes out of the ground he snatches Wendy from the doorstep and flies her in the air Danny quickly turn into his ghost form and then become invisible and chase after Logan.

In the air, Wendy struggles to get out of Logan grip "let go of me you ugly ghost,"

"Ugly I'm Logan Hall I was voted sexy men two years running,"

"I don't care put me down," Wendy hits him in the head not affecting him.

"Settle down I'll let go once I take down that ghost boy," Logan looked behind him to see an invisible Danny "and speaking of which,"

Down below at the Mystery Shack Stan was about to scare a bunch kids in a clown mask when he looks up to see Wendy trying to get out Logan grip "Bro we got emergency," Said Stan going back inside

Danny and Logan fly all over in the sky Danny almost grabbed Wendy from Logan before Logan shot a bright light blinding Danny as he only grabbed a torn fabric from Wendy costume then Logan sucker punch Danny. After Danny could see again, he lost Logan and Wendy,"

"Shit how I am going to find them now," Danny looked at the torn fabric and came up with an idea.

Later down the ground in the forest, Danny has the Fenton thermos with one hand, and the other is Cujo on a leash.

Danny bends down and holds the fabric up to Cujo nose "okay boy help me find Wendy," Cujo sniffs the material he runs to the scent of Wendy Danny hold the leash tightly "Hang on Wendy we're coming,"