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lurkinglurkerwholurks · 6 months

Text

Kitten

First posted: March 22, 2019

Focuses on: Bruce Wayne and the Fam (plus a new addition)

Favorite bookmark: "GIVE BRUCE A BABY GIRL!!!! HE IS A DESTINED GIRL DAD AND DESERVES MORE DAUGHTERS!!!! AND HE NEEDS A BABY!!!!!!"

Tier: This is #11 in terms of hits and bookmarks?? How?? #9 in terms of kudos? #19 in comments?????? #14 in subscriptions. I am baffled by this.

This is my “behind the scenes” series where I indulge myself horribly by annotating my fics. Link to the fic itself above. Thoughts below the cut.

Apparently by this point I had secured a friendship with @audreycritter because she was the one who told me about the existence of Helena Kyle, Selina's daughter, and some comic book nonsense about her maybe or maybe not being Bruce's daughter also and how in some universes Bruce helps her get adopted out and no??? J'refuse????? This is the kind of canon nonsense fic was made to fix.

The decision was a spontaneous one. Rare, for Bruce, but not as rare as some might think. Nor were his decisions—including this one—as free from consideration as the label “spontaneous” might imply. While it was true that Bruce liked to put more deliberate, conscious thought into his life choices, the pieces had already been there, facts lurking in his subconscious like mayfly larva. When the moment had arisen, those facts had sprouted wings and coalesced into a swarm.

As anyone following along has clocked, the majority of my fics start with the author going "Now let me explain something I need you to understand."

Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t have a history of making this kind of choice before.

We stan a self-aware man.

He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as before, even if it had taken him multiple times to learn his lesson.

I do want to write that fic someday. I had a specific framework mentally charted out that would partly involve Dick learning about Jason Todd's arrival. Someday.

“Bruce!” Dick’s voice was bright and warm, flooding through the interior like sunshine.

Bruce Wayne loves Dick Grayson so. freaking. much.

He could hear Dick shifting, probably settling against a wall or filing cabinet, before prodding, “No offense, but you’re not one for mid-day, no-reason calls. What’s up?”

Ah, that familiar "okay, who died" anxiety provoked by the unexpected call of someone who doesn't do unexpected calls.

“Bruce, tell me I did not just hear what I thought I heard.” Dick’s voice was flat and preternaturally calm, a detective arriving at the scene of a crime, analyzing and struggling to withhold judgement.

Dick: oh no who died

Dick, two seconds later: oh my god not again

“You were my first call.” Bruce offered the fact quickly, an olive branch to shelter under. He kept one hand on the wheel, one hand on the fussing baby in the backseat, and his focus on getting through this call. “I know I… haven’t handled this sort of thing well before. With you.”

Whatever else he may be, Bruce Wayne is a Dad Who Tries!!!!!

He was fumbling, words turning to sludge on his lips, gumming up with guilt and regret. It was always like that, for him. It was one of the reasons Bruce preferred the cowl. No one expected heartfelt speeches from a wraith out of Gotham’s darkest nightmares. Kids, though. Kids expected those sorts of things from their parents.

Always my favorite version of Bruce, this uneloquent and painfully aware version. Also, ironically, as best I remember this entire scene was one of the easier things I've written. I just watched it happen and took dictation.

He still had days with each of his children when seeing them at the breakfast counter or curled up in the den surprised him. That’s a living thing, he would think, and it’s mine, and he would be overwhelmed once more.

Literally me with my cats. The bit right before this about the choice crashing over him like a wave and taking him by surprise even years after the fact is a thing that happens to me. I adapt really quickly in the moment to various changes and then get hit with delayed, extended surprise. (But Bruce's literal surprised thoughts are me re: my cats.)

“As sure as I’ve ever been,” Bruce replied, and even he wasn’t sure which meaning he was reaching for.

Ah, duality. It's fun to think about which he might mean and which Dick might assume.

Still, it was a relief to have Alfred greet him at the door as if this were just another ordinary day and Bruce was not standing with his neck bent as a small child tugged on fistfuls of his hair.

What an an adorable art piece this would make. Not that I'm hinting. I just see it so clearly.

She was looking around with sedate interest, calm but alert, a monarch overlooking her domain. Or, Bruce realized with wry amusement, a cat eyeing a new box.

Please also know she's doing that little unbalanced head wiggle babies do when they're old enough to hold their head upright on their own but young enough to not do it well.

Bruce had planned on gathering all his children in the den, explaining as briefly as he could the circumstances of the baby’s arrival, and letting them make each other’s acquaintance. But his day had yet to go to plan, so why start now.

Drily wry Bruce is always so fun to write. He doesn't get to be as overtly funny as his kids, but I enjoy the humor.

It was an uncomfortable maneuver, since he had to bend further, almost double, to ease the tugging on his scalp until he could loose those little hands.

big man little baby BIG MAN LITTLE BABY

“I already have a sister,” he pointed out. Bruce was inclined to describe it as petulantly, but Damian managed to keep his bottom lip sucked in, if only just.

Damian: I claim none of you

Damian, confronted by a girl baby: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY BELOVED SISTER

also he's jus' a babyyyy

Damian recoiled further, and Bruce let Batman fall from his shoulders like a loosened cape.

can't get enough of this crap

Bruce wrapped his arm around Damian’s middle and pulled the boy into his side. Damian turned away so he couldn’t look at the baby, who was gabbling to herself as she gummed on Bruce’s thumb. Bruce rested his jaw against Damian’s temple, both to keep the boy still and to keep his voice low. The Manor was the securest place in Gotham, other than the Cave, but he would not risk this.

Sometimes writing the logistics of physicality is so difficult, but when it works for me, boy does it work.

Bruce let the question settle against his skin like mist before answering the same way he would again and again for years to come. “She is now.” He didn’t know. He suspected Selina truly didn’t either. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, in the same way it didn’t matter that his blood didn’t course through Dick’s veins, that he wasn’t responsible for Jason’s broad shoulders or Tim’s blue eyes or Cassie’s dark hair or Duke’s dimples. They were his. And now this child was, too.

I think, in canon, she's supposed to be his, maybe. Don't know for sure, don't really care, and I don't think Bruce would either, as stated above.

“You will be her big brother,” Bruce continued softly. “That is a solemn charge that you cannot take lightly. As closest to her in age, she’ll look up to you. As she grows, she’ll mimic you—your words, your actions, your behaviors. Which means you’ll be in a unique position, perhaps more than any of us, to influence the person she becomes. Do you understand?”

10000% shamelessly used this exact tactic on a nibling when they acquired a younger sibling.

That was something new, the idea of being able to name a child himself.

Isn't that fun! I love names and naming things. I'm delighted he gets this opportunity. (More on this in a minute.)

Somehow, choosing a name felt like a larger responsibility than all of his former child-rearing experience put together. My car is called the Batmobile, Bruce thought despairingly as he watched his children watch each other.

Did I mention that I love drily deadpan Bruce? That line still makes me laugh.

“So does she do anything?” Tim asked. He was eyeing the baby in the same way he might a particularly florid insect—with interest, scientific remove, and no small amount of wariness. Cass wrinkled her nose but didn’t comment. “She’s a baby,” Duke pointed out with the typical fond exasperation he had picked up once the shine of the Manor had worn off. “What do you expect her to do?”

I loved trying to figure out how each kid would react and if there were ways they might respond to the new baby that would be surprising but still sensible. I'm not sure if I managed that, but I'm still pleased with how they all ended up, this weird little family of only children.

Bruce’s brain made a sparking noise, like a fork left in the microwave.

BZZT DING DING A DING A BZZT DING

“Uh, yeah? Got back on Monday. Why?” Why, why, why. Why were his children so distrustful, that’s what Bruce wanted to know.

*taps the exhausted dry humor Bruce sign*

Bruce opened his eyes and stared at the baby shrieking inches from his face. Duke stood behind her, his hands clamped under her arms, and stared back impassively as she squealed into the phone.

Bruce has horrible children.

“B, what the—“ Bruce fought the urge to cover the baby’s ears, even though he was the only one who could hear the voice on the other end.

I love this stupid family.

There was an ominous gurgle from the baby. Duke looked at her, then at Bruce, then quickly handed her over. “Not it.”

I have literally watched hundreds of children in my life, related and unrelated. I have changed one (1) diaper, under duress, and immediately and deliberately forgot everything I was taught. J'refuse.

Helena, meaning bright, shining light, Bruce had explained almost bashfully to Selina. Selina, who had left town the same night Helena went home to the Manor but who saw each of Bruce’s texts and left the read receipt on so he would know. Selina, whose name meant moon. So she’ll always know where she came from.

Remember I said later? Later is now. As we were already spitting on canon, I was more than willing to change the kiddo's name if needed, but it turns out DC (I will be charitable and assume purposefully) chose a lovely, symbolic name that matched beautifully in a way that felt like Bruce. So I kept it. So Bruce did get to name a kid, but also not really because comics did it for him.

The legislation that he’d helped champion regarding the treatment of minors in the media hadn’t hurt either.

I think this was around the time there was a flurry of papparazzi nonsense and talk about this IRL with... Jolie kids or Cruise kids or something, I don't remember. Some grown adults being awful and pushy around famously related minors.

With each adoption, the celebrations had gotten smaller but more precious, the attendees a guard set in place, their names like a chant against hardship and a hymn of thankfulness.

I love this line, but I also think it's wrong now. I think the older Bruce gets, the more firmly he cements the relationships he trusts the most, but also the more he meets people deserving of that trust. Loner, low-key terrified Bruce wouldn't have held a gala to celebrate Dick's appearance. He would have gone full feral shields up. Maybe with Jason he would have given half a thought to expectations and appearances, but with a street kid like Jason, he would've wanted that child shielded from the horrible people in his social circle. And so on and so forth. By now he has his friends, but also his kids' friends, their allies both in domino and out.

Bruce vowed it, down in the deepest part of his heart, the core of him that let him lead a team of aliens and demigods, that made a double life possible and dressing as an armored animal a feasible life choice. A life choice he would not let the baby in his arms emulate.

I too sometimes have a deadpan sense of humor. Shocking, I know.

I take that final line not so much as full self-criticism but an acknowledgement that Bruce's children are all driven to the caped life in the same way he was—by trauma and loss and the need to fix Gotham—and all came to him with that drive already installed. With Helena, being separated from Selina is a trauma, even for an infant, but as is stated throughout the fic, Selina will remain fully present and involved as much as she wishes to be. And Bruce will brave hell and high water and even worse to keep this child from experiencing the kinds of trauma that brought his other children to him and into their other life.

She was already a wonder to him, his little moonbeam, a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a taffeta-heavy party dress with a matching headband.

The bookmark was right. Let this man be a girldad!!!! (I'd briefly considered writing a followup to this, where Cass had to sort complicated emotions about not being the only girl in the house. Never got enough reaction in the early days, though. Something about it or the tags or something attracted a larger than usual contingent of "okay but Bruce is a bad dad" crowd. Bleh.)

He realized he looked like his father, but with airbrushed grey hairs and crow’s feet lines that Thomas Wayne had never had the time to gather. He realized he looked happy.

me @ me: ow????

As stated in the before-cut stats, this ranks decently high in terms of all my fics????? Somehow????????? I can usually get a decent bead on reception just based on how option a fic shows up in my inbox or people reference it on Tumblr or whatever, but this one apparently was a sleeper to only me. Stunned. Bewildered.

#fanfic bts brain dump #batfam #fanfic #bruce wayne #helena wayne

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dee-dee-monster · 2 years

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Then Out of the Aether - (Chapter 1)

Summary: Eddie has a personal Douche-o-Meter, which he ranks his classmates on. You are somewhere in staunch “neutral” territory because you don’t do much. Or say much. You’re just kind of ...there. Right?

He’s never been more giddy to be wrong.

Chapter word count: 4,800

Chapter warning: none.

A/N: Multi-chapter slow burn I’ve been working on. Henderson!Reader.

________________________________________________

Is Eddie fully aware he is stretching the plausibility of his current “bathroom break” from class? Yes.

Does he care? Mmmm, not so much.

Just how it is.

Mrs. Vernon’s going to have to deal. And so when he sees another student in the hallway he is only too happy to spot a reason to be distracted. He gives a low whistle and spins right around on his heel as you pass.

Eddie doesn’t whistle at you because he’s not an entire Neanderthal. He’s focused on what you have.

“…hold on, hold on. What am I seeing?”

He hooks a finger on the edge of the canvas you’re carrying and gives a little tug. This only prompts you to tighten your arm, which, ya know what? …fair. If a guy goes around getting grabby he ought to get rebuffed.

Kudos.

“Just looking,” he throws his hands up – a plea of innocence, your honor!

You merely arch a dark brow.

“You already did more than look…”

And, again. Totally fair.

“So I did,” he bends in a theatrical half-bow as a way of apology …and incidentally as a way to put him at the right height to cock his head and get a better look at your painting anyway.

He grins when he hears you chuckle. You pull the canvas up for better inspection, so he straightens.

He already knows this picture. A haggard looking zombie, hair akimbo, in front of a brick wall and cloudy nightscape. Now that he’s closer, he can see it’s made of a zillion tiny little dots.

“…oh, this is metal….”

“I would hope so”

Eddie’s eyes dart up, surprised. He’d certainly meant it as a compliment but, not for nothing, he hadn’t expected you to take it as one.

“…is it yours?”

“No,” you roll your eyes. “I stole it from the art classroom and thought I’d take it for a walk.”

Huh.

Sassy.

“Honestly? Art thief might make more sense …” he leans his weight onto one leg, tilts his head, and taps his chin with a finger.

Considering.

Because he knows you.

Er…sort of. You sit by the window in his Government class (where he sits smack in the back thank you very much) and he’s never really noticed you. Except to, well, notice. Just to know who is around and, most importantly, figure where everyone in the vicinity ranks on his personal Scale of Douche-ery. You’d been staunchly in neutral territory because you don’t do much of anything. You’re one of those people who are just kind of ….there.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Uh-oh.

You’re frowning.

Alert! Danger, Will Robinson!

It seems Eddie’s toe is on a line. Clearly you aren’t amused with his comment. He wonders if a brief overview of your more-or-less favorable position on his Douche-o-Meter would help, but he’s not sure he has time for such a lesson if he wants to save this social interaction.

And…

He thinks he does want to, actually.

“Uh…I dunno,” he feigns ignorance

He has found this technique to be tried and true.

“Riiiiight,” you don’t buy it.

You start to continue on your way. You don’t look pissed, exactly –Eddie’s pretty good at knowing when people are pissed with him – so he stutter-steps after you to grab your elbow.

Then he remembers you hadn’t liked him grabbing your art so maybe you don’t want him grabbing your person, either?

He yanks his hand back.

You stop, though.

“Sorry…but am I supposed to assume you dig Iron Maiden?” He points a finger toward you and then down to your painting. “C’mon.”

The smile he throws up in is his charming one. It doesn’t work on the girls around Hawkins High very well, what with him being “The Freak” and all, but some of the chicks around The Hideout assure him it will one day.

“…maybe you shouldn’t assume things.”

The comment seems loaded and, ooof, point for fucking you.

La-dee-dah.

“You got me there,” he crinkles his little smile again.

You return it.

A bit, and that’s something.

It emboldens him a little again.

“Soooo,” he sing-songs and hooks a finger in the edge of the canvas again to slightly lift. Stoops for another inspection. “Out with it. What’s with the little polka-dots?”

“…it’s pointillism. Our first assignment was to recreate a piece of art in a different art style.”

Eddie guffaws.

“…so you picked Iron Maiden?”

Of all fucking things!

You shrug in answer, and he sees a blush even though he obviously —obviously — approves.

You’re kind of funny.

“Some kids were asking if they could do movie posters and it got approved, so I figured I could. And …I’ve just always liked this one,” you roll a shoulder under your pale blouse and study your own painting. “Maybe because he shouldn’t be there? Or just the juxtaposition with the blacks and yellows? The wild in a mundane place…”

You shrug again.

Eddie nods and looks back down.

“…his eyes are killer. I like the red.”

He catches the way a smile lights your face before you tamp it back down into a more neutral look.

“Thanks…I figured Ms Ghee wouldn’t realize I took the artistic license...”

Eddie snorts, and then the pair of you are snickering together.

“Now who’s assuming?” he can’t help but point out.

“Touché,” you allow, and Eddie accepts the point concession with a dramatic hand over his chest.

“Why polka-dot-ism though? Looks like it took for fucking ever,” he bends in again for another close look.

Some of the dots are bigger than others but still.

Ugh.

“Pointillism…and it was relaxing…”

No way.

“We have very different definitions of that,” he wraps a knuckle against the painting before straightening. “…so is this your favorite album? Or their newer stuff?”

To his surprise, you don’t unfurl with excitement to discuss this most excellent topic. Your face tightens up again and you raise a brow.

“…you’re not being that guy, are you?”

Uh?

Eddie looks right and left in mock-suspicion, then whispers:

“…what guy?”

Because: no.

Really.

He’s just him.

You sigh like you’re put-upon. Which is unexpected and kind of sounds exhausting? But Eddie leans in because he’s intrigued in the best sort of way.

This is so much better than Trig.

You.

This painting.

Kindda nice to know Hawkins High still hides little secrets here and there.

“Ya know…the guy who is all about a thing,” you gesture to his attire, “so you have to be the arbiter of that thing? People have to prove themselves because you love it the most? Like …name 5 songs or I won’t believe you’re a fan?”

You’d thrown on a rough, low voice for this last part, and you roll your eyes when you finish.

Huh.

“…I don’t think I sound like that.”

You throw a hand up, clearly over it, and move off on your way again.

“Whatever”

“No, no, no,” Eddie double times after you. “I don’t think I was doing that…” — Or was he? Is that even a thing? Must be…— “Well. If I was, I didn’t know it, so I’m sorry. I just like talking about music. Or listening to music. Or playing music. I play guitar...”

“I’ve heard,” you’re at least still engaging with him even though this is now a walk-and-talk.

He is nothing if not adaptable.

He keeps your pace.

“Or thinking about music—that’s not bad, either.”

He’s ultra aware you’re heading back in the general direction of Ms Vernon’s class, which is disappointing, buuuuut he’s got to go back sometime. Probably.

“Hmm…” you side-eye him.

“I swear. I’ll bore your fucking socks off with music talk,” he holds up both hands as some vague pledge to do just that. “So if I find another metalhead I just want to both throw it all out there, you know?”

Your face loosens back up, and Eddie finds himself grinning.

“…sorry to disappoint, then,” you slow to a stop. “I wouldn’t say I’m a metalhead. I listen to all sorts of stuff – I just want to hear everything I can. I’m a mood-listener, I guess…”

Good enough by him.

“…how so?”

“Like… I just listen to whatever matches my mood”

Eddie thinks he wants to see whatever “mood” metal speaks to for you, but he isn’t sure he should say so.

“Oh…well, I guess I kindda feel you about listening to anything – I’d rather have some kind of music than silence,” he concedes. “I love metal and rock, though. I listen to it no matter what in order to get into the mood I want to be in.”

You hum in thought and tilt your chin like you’re actually giving this philosophy fair consideration.

“I think I get that…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…music can do that…”

Definitely.

“Alright,” he heaves a deep and forlorn sign. “Am I being that guy if I tell you that I saw them live a couple years ago? Iron Maiden.”

You snort.

“No”

“…mkay. Good!” he punches down at the air. “They were in Fort Wayne for the Beast on the Road Tour. Had to go. Talk about music doing it for your mood…” he thrashes his head a few times in emphasis.

You laugh so, yeah, he supposes he’s not that guy. Which is good because “that guy” sounds like a fuck, and Eddie would hate to have to put himself on his own Douche-Chart.

“…I’m not a huge concert girl.”

“What?!”

Both of Eddie’s hands fly to his chest and he stumbles like he’s wounded. Mortally so, in fact. Maybe he’s not shocked, exactly, but the sentiment is downright offensive to his nature.

“They’re too crowded,” you visibly cringe.

Hmm. Well. Sure. But that’s half the fun baby!

You just shake your head when he tells you so.

Ugh. Fucking fine.

Every party needs a pooper and whatnot.

“…well, if music but no crowds is your thing then you should come to The Hideout. Tuesdays. My band plays.”

He’ll always recruit a fan.

“Wait wait,” you hold up a finger as you think, and Eddie gives you the seconds for it. “Are you trying to tempt me to come see you play…by telling me people don’t come see you play?”

He shrugs like he could possibly be bashful when talking about music.

You laugh.

He gives you a fresh smile.

“…is it working?”

You consider.

“Maybe not in the way you’re intending…”

“So? …shame?” He starts patting down all of his pockets and looking around wildly. “…shame? Nope, I don’t see any shame here.”

You laugh along appropriately but don’t make any assurances, which seems about right.

“Alright. So. Let’s rewind this conversation,” Eddie claps his hands, then points two finger guns at you. “…what are the chances I can have that?” He hones in on the painting again.

He’s got the perfect space on his wall for it.

“Oho! You sort-of-maybe insult me and then think you get gifts?” Your face reads skepticism again except for the grin betraying your mouth. “Kinda conceited, Munson..

“Gift?” he scoffs. “No. I’d pay — I’m not a total twat”

“Language, Mr. Munson,” the vice principal morphs out of seemingly nowhere.

Or he just steps around the corner. Whichever.

“Right right,” Eddie clears his throat, then pledges: “…I am not a completely depraved reprobate. Was that better?”

Mr. Kent scowls.

Then he turns to you and sizes you up and down.

“…Mr. Munson, I hope you’re not having someone else do your art homework for you,” he muses when he spots your painting.

Fuuuucking dingus.

“Nope. Not in that class”

Eddie shoves his fists into his pockets, smiling genially with the knowledge he can’t get detention for something impossible. Probably.

“It’s mine,” you confirm, nodding.

Mr Kent looks you up and down again. Evaluating. You bristle less about it than you had when Eddie had essentially done the same thing, and he gets annoyed with himself for having momentarily been of the same mind as this straight-laced old dweeb.

“…does your mother know what you're spending your time on?”

“Yes sir. She’ll be happy I got a good grade,” you spin the canvas around to show him where a small paper had been painters-taped to the back with a calligraphy-esque “A” looped on it.

Eddie flashes you a congratulatory thumbs up behind the VP’s back.

He also wonders if Ms Ghee is going to get interrogated over what kind of projects she’s assigning the innocent children of Hawkins…

“Very well. Where are you supposed to be?”

“I have study hall”

“And you Mr. Munson?” He swivels his gaze back to Eddie, an overall more obvious target.

“I’m just coming back from the restroom,” Eddie nods at Mrs Vernon’s door nearby. “Gotta get back to Trig.”

Pale blue eyes bounce from Eddie, to the alleged classroom, and then back.

“Let’s go, then,” he gestures the way.

“Oh yes! Let’s,” Eddie agrees.

He allows himself to be escorted and waltzes back into class like he’d hardly been gone. He should probably be grateful Mr Kent doesn’t bother asking his teacher about just how long he’d been MIA, but instead he spends the last 20 minutes of class annoyed he’d been thwarted from his attempts at adding to the menagerie that is his bedroom wall.

Pointillism.

Who fucking knew. .

A couple weeks later, and it’s still hot out.

Hot enough that you’re seeking out shade during your free period – because study hall essentially is a free period under the current librarian’s watch. So you’ll be taking study hall out here on the lawn until the weather gets too cold to do so.

A shout of your name startles you.

You glance over your shoulder to see Eddie Munson jogging along the sidewalk in your direction. You toss him a wave but don’t wait up — you’re both heading in the same direction. You hunker in on the opposite side of the tree and wiggle around to find a comfortable spot for your back to rest.

“You suck at hiding,” Eddie announces once he swings around the tree and promptly drops down beside you.

“Good thing I wasn’t hiding, then … …uh, hi,” your tone is a little strained on the greeting. Awkward.

Because he’s sitting so close.

Eddie is kind of funny about boundaries, you’re learning. Personal bubbles are, like, not a thing? You think maybe it’s a habit born of his inclination to be provocative and test people.

“Hi,” he greets blandly.

He seems to read the situation because he backs off a little. Doesn’t ditch out, but he straightens so his shoulder barely brushes yours instead of being all pressed up beside you.

Courteous of him.

“That doesn’t look like homework,” he nods at your sketch pad, which you’ve collaged the cover of with stickers and magazine clip-outs.

“…and this doesn’t look like Trigonometry,” you point out because there are people who could have the high-ground about you bending a rule, but Eddie Munson is not one of them.

Not at all.

“Shhh,” he lifts a long finger over his lips.

You both grin together. As if this is any kind of secret.

“Ohhh, skipping class? A whole new leaf for you, huh?”

“Yup,” he pops the p. “Just like you, I contain multitudes….”

Maybe it’s silly, but you kind of enjoy that he appreciates this sentiment. That he is maybe remembering not to shoehorn you into one thing or another.

“Gottcha. So you’re only a reprobate half of the time?”

He smiles widely when you regurgitate his words, and it reaches his eyes.

“...probably more than half.”

You smile despite yourself.

You find that you’re more at ease with him than you had been when he’d taken notice of you and your painting the other week. At that point, it was the longest conversation you’d ever had with him. Or, rather, the only real conversation you’d had with him besides a word or a nod here and there in passing.

Now…you think you might be starting to get used to the way he is.

Kind of?

Eddie had tracked you down twice now about your “darker artistic proclivities” — and yes that is a direct quote. He’d explained he was genuine in wanting his hands on that painting and about being willing to pay.

'Not a twat, remember?’

You were kind of flattered by that, honestly, but you’d turned him down. The more he had needled, the more you’d thought maybe it would feel pretty cool to sell some of your art (that’s the dream, right?). But the truth was that you’d been able to paint that project on a bigger canvas than you ever usually used since it was part of the class, and you weren’t keen to give it up so soon.

And though you had felt stupid when your started explaining this to him the second time he snuck up on you… Eddie apparently didn’t think it was stupid. He’s left it alone since then.

“For now,” he’d added.

But maybe that last bit was only for show.

Hard to say. “Whattcha workin’ on?”

He asks today like this is no big deal. Like the two of you lounge around and discuss your hobbies on a regular basis. It’s a cozy sort of attitude for him to take even if it also makes something bashful surge up in your chest. The familiarity isn’t earned, but…maybe it doesn’t need to be. As usual, you remind yourself that this is just Hawkins High. He’s just Eddie Munson. You don’t have to be shy.

So you focus on facts.

His words.

See, normally you were pretty private about your work, save for family. Or a couple close friends. Or Ms Ghee, who obviously requires you to share your work for a grade and expects a lot out of you in order to give you her thoughtful feedback since you actually care about her class. Outside of that, you don’t go flashing yourself around.

…would Eddie Munson, of all people, even get that? Probably not.

Then again…

You think he might dig what you were working on.

So rather than tell him to mind his business you pluck the tablet off your knees. You’re getting close to the last pages of this one and have to thumb carefully back to where you’d last been working.

If Eddie notices your discretion he doesn’t mention it.

“Whoa…” he doesn’t grab the book, but he plants a finger on the page to twist it more in his direction. “The fuck and I’m looking at?”

It’s just a pencil drawing this time.

“What’s it look like?”

“…an eyeball floating in the sky with a fucked up waterfall of tears,” he summarizes.

“Eloquent”

But not altogether wrong. Surrealism is a little fucked up sometimes.

“...is there a fucking cityscape inside the eyeball?”

“Uh-huh”

He swings his gaze to yours, his large brown eyes curious and waiting.

“Alright …so? Why?”

…why?

You shrug.

“What do you mean why? …why does the grass smell? Why is your hair wavy?” You gesture at each of these things in turn.

“…because someone mowed it. And due to genetic something-or-other, I think.”

You elbow him because he’d chosen to sit so close and therefore shall pay the consequences for his smartassery.

“That’s it? Come on. Tell me about it,” he sighs and then starts jangling his leg back and forth so it bumps yours. “Cmon, cmon, cmon…”

“It is what you said it is…” you concede to the bare bones first. “We did this project this week: Ms. Ghee played some music and we had to paint what we felt …or what we thought the song meant. However we wanted to take it,” you explain. “It was some classical music that I didn’t love, but I like the general idea. So I’ve been playing around with trying it.”

“… …with drawing music?” the cottons on.

“Mmhmm”

Eddie laughs and you squirm; if he —

“That’s so sick! …more Iron Maiden?“ he tilts his head back down and takes in the sketch with a whole new glint to his eyes.

You feel a rush of strange gratitude toward him.

“No, not this time”

“…what song, then?”

“Guess,” you goad him.

“Ah. Shit, at least give me a who …” his knee jostles you some more but in a more distracted, excitable kind of way.

“Uh-uh”

“So cruel…” despite his grumbled complaint, he’s still gazing over the piece with eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Ugh. How the hell can I guess when the whole wide world of music is an option?” He slams a fist into his knee. “You’re killing me…”

You borrow a page out of his theatrical textbook and look him up and down with exaggerated head movements.

“...you look pretty alive to me.”

He chortles but sighs.

“Not for long…”

“Just guess”

His long hair flicks as he shakes his head.

“Nope. Not until I feel confident about it…” he’s chewing on his lip. Arms crossed.

Thee. At. Rick.

“If you never guess, you’ll never know…”

“Oh,” Eddie throws up his hands. “You’re Van Gogh and Confucius, now. Great.”

You laugh.

“How---oooo!”

This exclamation and a pair of wide eyes give Eddie away just before he lunges toward your bag. You realize in moments he’s reaching for the headphone cord hanging out of your bag.

You launch forward to stop him before his fingers can curl around it.

“No way!” You catch his arm and kick your bag away. “Cheater!”

“Nah – you didn’t give rules!” Eddie declares with a vigorous twist of his upper body.

You move easily and shove to counter the way he’s still trying to lean across you.

“I’m making a rule now!” you yank on his arm and are quite certain he only comes with you because he chooses to. “No cheating.”

He merely blinks at you.

“…that is less of a rule and more of a verbal preference for fairness.”

If he expects that his wide eyes will convey innocence he is sorely mistaken. You see only mischief. The kind that makes you grin, but it’s dishonesty all the same.

Fine.

“All you can use is your brain,” you keep your hold on his elbow and tap his forehead in emphasis with your free hand.

“Well,” he smiles. “My brain tells me it would be smart to get my hands on that tape deck….”

You will not smile in return. You. Will. Not.

You won’t let yourself.

You gotta win this.

“You can only use your knowledge of music. No tools.”

All is quiet for a few moments before Eddie grumbles, apparently seeing no quick loopholes.

“Such a killjoy… …” he laments and takes a few extra moments to study you for weakness. “But I’ll accept your terms”

He holds his hand up for you to shake. You’re surprised, but you decide to believe he isn’t lying straight to your face. You ease your shoulders and slip your hand into his for a brisk shake.

Only then do you realize just how entangled the two of you are after his sudden attempt at skullduggery. You release his other arm and lean back. He rights himself, too, removing his weight from your side.

Luckily your sketchbook came out unscathed. No wrinkles or dirt from tumbling off your leg.

“I’m going to need to think about this …I want to win,” Eddie declares in a tone that sounds akin to a growl. “Can I have the drawing? You know – for observation.”

That’s twice now.

You wonder if he’s some kind of squirrel trying to worm away little treasures from others. Maybe more of a magpie, then?

Or maybe it’s another way of testing people.

“It isn’t finished”

“…is it almost finished?”

More or less.

“Suppose so…”

“Alright,” he holds up a waiting palm.

“Will I get it back?”

You’re not sure why you give a shit. How many full sketchbooks and random loose leaf papers do you have around your room that you never even hang up?

Only…it feels so strange to give it away.

“Maybe,” Eddie just wiggles his fingers. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see…”

Which. Should bother you, right? Because it’s not an answer. Certainly isn’t a promise…except for maybe a promise for another interesting conversation in the vague future

But…it doesn’t bother you.

You do roll your eyes, but you’re more intrigued than annoyed or else you know you’d be retreating.

“Alright…”

You carefully pucker the perforated edge of the page while Eddie exuberantly punches the air in silent but thorough triumph.

He calms in time to take the paper from you. He holds it delicately between two fingers and unzips his backpack so he can slide it into the middle of a Dungeon Master's Guide. You’re no stranger to Dungeons and Dragons, and you’re about to make a comment on his book, but he beats you to words.

“What else you got in there? Anything good?” He’s eyeing your sketchbook all over again with ravenous curiosity.

Nope. No.

You hug it to your chest.

“Oh I get it,” his nod is solemn. “It’s full of nudes?”

“What!?” You laugh but can feel yourself blushing while Eddie snickers in delight. “No! You perv…no, some of it’s just private...”

“Right. That’s what I’m saying …some of it is nudes.”

You elbow him again.

“Don’t worry. I would never judge you— I respect all kinds of art,” he lays on a pompous accent to assure you.

“Shut up,” you elbow him a third time, a record as far as your violence at school is concerned. “I’ve never taken a class like that…”

“Yeah, but would you?“ his bangs fall over more of his face as he tilts forward and waggles his eyebrows

Would you?

Yeah.

“…probably.”

Eddie thrust a finger close to your nose.

“Now who’s the pervert!” He laughs like he’s so clever.

“…I just mean because I could use some work on proportions.”

God, you're really blushing. You can tell. You can feel it. What are you? A child?

Geeze.

“Proportions … …I bet” he smirks.

“You! You are the prev,” you laugh because at this point it’s either that or melt into the grass from needless embarrassment. “No question.”

He tilts his head.

“Probably yeah… …and, hey, if you ever take that class I would be happy to take a peek and see if you’re doing well,” he nods at your sketchbook.

You try to knock him again, but he barrel rolls to the side and springs to his feet. He tutts at you once he’s standing and brushing himself off.

“Such aggression today…good thing I’m taking off. I don’t feel safe here anymore…”

“I’m sure that’s why you're leaving… …you have a campaign to plan?” You nod at the backpack he’s shrugging on.

He twitches, and his face goes blank in confusion for a second.

You wonder if he’s expecting ridicule to follow. Hellfire Club isn’t exactly the most subtle name for a school club, nor is Eddie a subtle guy to begin with. People don’t get him or his hobbies, but who the hell are you to judge?

People don’t seem to get you either, and you think you’re pretty damned simple.

Maybe Eddie is, too.

After a beat or two he blinks himself back into awareness.

Grins.

“No…I mean, yeah — always,” he recovers with a shaggy shake of his head. “I’m always planning. But, no — not right now. I’ve got a shift. I’m a bar-back every now and then. Wouldn’t want to be late…”

“And Trig can’t keep your attention anyway?”

He shushes you again about that.

“Wait a minute …” he frowns, freezing in sudden realization. “Wait, wait, wait. What the hell are you still doing here? Study hall at the end of the day and you should be blowing off!”

Ugh. You wish.

“I have to give my brother a ride home … …sometimes I go grab a soda or something, but otherwise,” you shrug and gesture at your tree friend.

His mouth makes an understanding “o” as he starts to back away, thumbs hooked in the shoulder straps of his bag.

“Enjoy playing school bus”

“I will,” you scoff and pull your cassette player out.

“Tell me what you're listening to!” Eddie stops his retreat to sink to his knees and flail his clasped, beggy hands around.

You shake your head and glance around to see if there’s witnesses.

He gets back up with all the same drama, arms gesticulating against this atrocity.

“Fine!” He spins to march off. “Call me when you’ve got the nudes!”

His parting line makes you jolt and glance around again. Thank everything you don’t see anyone nearby. You pull your headphones on so that if he says anything more you’ll just never have to know about it.

Geeze.

Eddie Munson

Never exactly what you expect.

But all in all a nice surprise.

Who knew.

Next Chapter

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #henderson!reader #eddie munson fanfic #Stranger Things #stranger things fanfic #eddie munson x fem reader

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shirtlesssammy · 1 year

Text

The Winchesters 1x12: The Tears of a Clown

Fort Wayne, Indiana

At Hugo’s Midway of Fun! Wally wanders the quiet carnival paths between tents. His friend wonders if this is the best way to spend his last night in Fort Wayne. (I mean, probably? That town can’t offer that much entertainment, right?) Wally just wants to have FUN! You know, A GOOD TIME! And, lo, a ticket for Limbo’s Hall of Happy! appears! (So many exclamation points to start this episode, guys!)

He picks it up and starts to hear distant, tinny music. A tent appears. His friend does not hear or see the tent.

Wally wanders closer to the tent, and a kindly clown pops his head out of the tent opening.

The friend hears a security guard and runs one way, while Wally follows the 100% uncreepy, totally normal, very cool clown into the tent.

(Boris: I had thoughts of grabbing screenshots of all the posters in the tent, but there are SO many, and my brain started to short-circuit after a while.’Alive! All Alive!’ ‘Freaks!’ (Lol, that’s for us clowns, I presume), ‘The Devil Child’. Hmm, not sure what ‘John: is he a she’ means, but we already have enough to unpack.)

Anyway, Wally finds an open door in the tent and, I presume, decides “In for a penny, in for a pound” and goes into that dark doorway too. He finds himself in a hall of mirrors, where Limbo the Clown’s laughter echoes menacingly. Wally turns and sees a flash of Limbo (NOT SCARY). Suddenly fun times aren’t so fun anymore. He looks in the mirror to find a clown staring back at him.

“Hunting’s a dishonest business. You gotta lie all the time about who you are and what you do. But the hardest lies aren’t the ones you tell other people. They’re the ones you tell yourself.”

(Jeremy Renner chin hands gif) Tell us more, Dean.

Mary and John are on the run looking for the mystery man. John managed to snag some sweet sandwiches while on the move (1. Like father, like mystery man son, B. That does not look like a very good sandwich, John). Mary worries about John’s headspace, and John–

*Credits Alert*

SPECIAL GUEST STAR RUTH CONNELL!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!

Sorry, where were we? John is showing why he earned his John Winchester A+ Parenting tag, only he’s being an ass to his future wife. And kudos to this show, and this season, and Drake, for being able to make us genuinely like John, but have his anger and pent up aggression manifest naturally.

He blows up at Mary just as Carlos and Lata enter the motel room. Awkward.

They have a case!

Mary thinks this missing person case is a good idea while they’re in town. John is still in full surly mode and questions her judgment. Too bad, dude, you’re working the case.

Meanwhile, after a too long hiatus, Ada is back on our screens, and has found a witches’ gathering hoping to peddle her wares. She’s still a bit of a novice witch though and is clearly intimidated by the others, but she needs magic to stop the Akrida.

Back at the carnival, the gang hunts a clown.

Lata, in her best green and blue outfit, is having the time of her life. The rest? Not so much. Mary suggests talking to another carnival clown to start. They pose as journalists to learn more about Wally’s disappearance. He tells them that Wally is, “the latest victim of Limbo. Limbo the Clown.”

He’s a carnival urban legend. No one knows if he’s a man or a monster. “He goes from carnival to carnival pitching his tent –Limbo’s Hall of Happy-- and luring folks inside. And once he does, no one ever sees you again.” Good times!

The gang decides to split up to work the case further. Mary starts to suggest Lata and Carlos head back to the motel room, but John jumps in and decides to go back with Lata. Yeah, everything is fine, guys. That leaves a pissed off Mary and Carlos to work the carnival grounds (while a creepy dude tracks them).

Ada, meanwhile, is playing the poker game of her life. She, sadly, can’t win the game, and she can’t prove that she’s strong enough to handle the magic they have to give her.

As Ada leaves, a mysterious, hooded witch approaches her. WHO ARE WE KIDDING! It’s Rowena! We’d recognize that accent anywhere!

At the motel, Lata checks in with John before they deep-dive into clown lore. He’s good. Totes fine. And a lying liar who lies.

While wandering the midway, Mary confesses to Carlos what’s been happening with John. Carlos hopes that Ada can get the magic, and then Mary bursts into tears and flings herself into Carlos’ arms. Ngl, I was thrown by how bad this acting was, until it was revealed that Mary can’t act! Ha. She noticed the man that’s been following them and needed a way to alert Carlos. Carlos can’t act either because the dude makes him immediately.

At the motel, Lata has a breakthrough! She finds that Limbo’s real name was Jerome Haskins. He worked with a carnival in the 1920s, but during the depression and dust bowl, the job disappeared. The lore says that he traded his soul for dark magic for a spell that would allow him to forget all his problems so he “could stay happy forever.”

At the carnival, Mary full-body tackles the stalker. Go Mary! It seems the guy wants to know what they’ve learned about Limbo. He lost his kid brother, Roger, 30 years ago, and he’s never stopped looking for him. Clarence (!!!!) tells the two about how his parents died when he was 18. To cheer up his little brother after the funeral, he took him to the carnival. Only, Roger ran away. Clarence wishes he would have helped his brother through his grief instead of taking him to the carnival. (AND thank you every last Tumblrina for comparing this story to Sam and Dean going to the pie festival in the finale random episode that means nothing and is currently being erased BTTF style.)

The gang has a theory that Limbo is targeting people who are sad. He uses their grief to lure them into his tent. Clarence tells the others that they don’t have much time. The carnival leaves that night. He has research on Limbo that he can give them. The gang splits up again –this time John is stuck working with Mary.

In the Clubhouse atrium, Ada hangs out with ROWENA. She’s after a grimoire, which Ada will trade back to her in exchange for powerful magic. Typical Rowena, amirite? Except NOPE! Rowena dumps the grimoire on the floor and announces that she was never after the book! “Those hags may have dismissed your green-thumbed magic,” Rowena says, “but not me. I’m here for the demon you trapped in a plant.” (Oh, how I adore the spotlight on this being a unique and possibly rare gift, since it makes the en-plantification extra special.)

At the carnival, John’s bantering with Mary falls somewhere between passive-aggressive and aggressive-aggressive. Mary proposes that John has been using their new relationship as a happy distraction, so he doesn’t have to actually confront any of his issues. John accuses her of failing to follow up on her normal life plans.

Dialogue for further GAAAAAAH Supernatural feelings analysis:

Mary: “Well sorry I’m too busy trying to save the world!”

John: “There it is, Mary. The eternal excuse!”

A cough that suspiciously sounds like “Dean” leaves my lips. Mary dismisses John and strides away, only to find a ticket on the ground. It’s a ticket for…LIMBO THE CLOWN. Mary and John split up to find the clown’s tent. Mary literally walks past this booth called “Sitting Ducks.” SITTING. DUCKS.

For Circus Horror Puns Science:

Somebody please buy the design crew a very large cake. Just past the “Sitting Ducks” booth stands the dark entrance to Limbo’s tent. Mary radios John and then heads in without waiting for him. She disappears into the invisible doorway just as John arrives.

At the motel, John fills in Lata and Carlos on Mary’s disappearance. Lata’s confused about why Mary got taken by the clown. After all, she wasn’t upset like the others! John makes a face and Lata and Carlos quickly catch on - and Carlos ain’t happy. AWKWARD. Lata pulls out some lore on the occultist who gave Limbo his magic mirror. Limbo can only stay happy if he infects others with his, uh, happiness. If just one person decides to return to the real world, Limbo’s fragile power network collapses and he dies. All they have to do now is find an invisible tent! John brings up the ticket Mary found, and they realize that they need to find a ticket in order to see Limbo’s tent. Carlos remembers one from Clarence’s Creepy Clown Memorabilia Collection™. He pulls out an original ticket from their stash, and they prepare to head out.

Meanwhile, Rowena is cooing over the demon plant. “So much evil in such a small package!” she marvels. And I laugh at what could also be a very apt description of Rowena at this point in her life. Ada’s concerned about Rowena’s sudden interest in demon-kind, but Rowena soothes her. She’s not interested in intervening in the Akrida war. Instead, she wants to interrogate Evil!Bonsai for information about HER SON! (Now, I know some people think this is future!Rowena trying to rescue Crowley which is sweet. But I prefer to see this as past Rowena and we just get…more! More history, more depth. I love it.)

Ada is heavily swayed by the lost child argument for, as you see, she ALSO has a son! But that’s still not enough to let Rowena just sashay out of the Atrium. Instead, as Rowena tries to do just that, Ada shouts at her to stop and vines grow up from the floor to encase Rowena. While Ada stares in shock at WHAT HER HANDS HATH WROUGHT, Rowena blasts her with a ball of purple power and knocks her out.

At the carnival, workers are packing up tents. It’s their last chance to break into Limbo(‘s tent) and save Mary! And also some other people! Carlos, Lata, and John all take hold of the old ticket and the tent shimmers into view. It’s time to monster hunt, babeez.

For Oh No Don’t Go In There Science:

They head into the ante-tent. While Carlos and Lata examine the periphery, John walks ALONE into the interior doorway. The doors slam shut, trapping him in the giant maze of mirrors. Covering his eyes, John starts looking for Mary. The clown dashes into view, a crackly blur of malevolent grayscale ghoul.

Limbo taunts John, chuckling, and tells him that he’ll join him soon enough. Limbo’s gleeful, as Mary appears. She smiles beatifically, her voice high and light. Mary tells John to stay in there with her. They can be happy together! “There’s a world out there we have to save,” John begs her. She tells John to give up and look in the mirror behind her. He’ll be caught in the spell. John wheels around away from the mirror only to discover that the enchanted mirror was actually on his other side! Tricksy Limbo!

They’re both immediately CLOWNIFIED.

Meanwhile, Lata and Carlos are trying to break in to save John and Mary, when a clown car pulls up. “Oh, gross, no!” Carlos says as all of Limbo’s clowns start to decamp. They discover that the tent has sealed itself, trapping Carlos and Lata. Making matters worse, Limbo emerges from his mirrored interior maze with clowned-up John and Mary at his side. Y I K E S

Carlos and Lata beg their friends to return to reality but those feuding sad sacks are happier being clowns. Carlos and Lata flee to the clown car and lock themselves inside, as clowns descend. A small clown child pops up with a grin.

Carlos recognizes Roger, Clarence’s brother. He’s still a little kid! While Lata freaks out, Carlos talks to Carlos. He quickly connects to him, bringing up his own tragic past in losing his parents. “You are not alone. You have a family that loves you.” Carlos tells him that Clarence has been looking for him and never gave up, and Roger’s clown smile falls. He starts to listen to Carlos. Limbo realizes what’s up and shouts at him to “cheer up!” through the window. But it’s to no avail. Carlos breaks through, Limbo shatters, and the tent disappears suddenly. They find themselves in the bright sunshine of the next day. People of many eras mill around and hug each other. They’re gonna have…a LOT to unpack.

Ada wakes up after getting knocked out, to find Rowena STILL there! She wisely turns down a cup of Rowena’s healing tea and they talk. Rowena announces that Ada passed her test, and invites her to join her coven!

Rowena doesn’t know too much about the Akrida, but she knows the queen is going to use the alignment of five planets to emerge. Ada demands the magic, and Rowena turns over a crystal. The crystal just needs a wee bit of power. It just needs…a piece of her SOUL. (Natasha: Noooooo don’t do it Ada!)

In the field, they mull over the stories of the survivors and their own ordeal. Lata asks if they remembered being clowns. UM YES. Mary thought it was kind of nice, which seems like a major plea for help. John and Mary discuss, and apologize to each other for getting angry. John wants to know if their relationship is solid, but we get NO ANSWER because Millie pulls up. She and Betty found a witness who saw Kyle enter the garage after making his 911 call saying he was already there! Now they just have to drive back to town and clear John’s name. Easy peasy.

At the clubhouse, the brain trust reviews maps and star charts to try to figure out when the queen will emerge. Ada reveals that she has a major piece of mojo now, but FAILS to reveal the soul shattering secret that powers it. (Millie looks skeptical - I hope she protects Ada!) The gang celebrates until Lata drops a little science fact - the planetary alignment the queen needs to escape has just begun.

Natasha: We LOVED the retro horror vibe of this episode! It felt like we’d stepped into a Ray Bradbury carnival story. I LOVE that Ada’s magic is explored further as a unique earth-based magic, and that the society of witches exist as a glowing, glitter-dusted dark magic speakeasy. This was all SO GOOD.

Your Quoteshadow Game Needs Some Work:

Hunting’s a dishonest business. You gotta lie all the time…about who you are and what you do. But the hardest lies aren’t the ones you tell other people. They’re the ones you tell yourself.

“Did we interrupt something?” “I’d like to say the answer is yes, but thank you, Lata, for making things more awkward.”

Don’t let the warded door hit you on the way out

If we survive this, I promise I’m never gonna eat cotton candy again!

Oh my god, we’re going to die in here. In a clown car!

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

#spnwin #spnwin spoilers #spnwin recap #the winchesters #spn #mary campbell #john winchester #ada monroe #carlos cervantez #latika desai #millie winchester #rowena macleod #the tears of a clown #spnwin 1x12

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pinkykats-place · 2 years

Text

BakuDeku Fanfic Recommendations

Deku stops calling Bakugo “Kacchan”

Archive of our own

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked below are mine.

Art belongs to @spatziline

Note: If you read any of these works and like them please let the author know with a kudos and/or comment!

What The Fuck Did You Just Call Me? by reading_raindrop

Summary: “A-ah B-Bakugou! You dropped some pencils!”

Katsuki stiffened. Kirishima and Kaminari froze. Basically, everyone within earshot stopped what they were doing to look at Izuku like he sprouted a second head. What did he just call him?

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“U-um I said you dropped some pencils! I think this eraser might be yours to-”

“No. What the fuck did you just call me?”

Complete | 4 Chapters

Rated - Teen & Up

Forgive Me? by miraculousemily47

Summary: Bakugou Katsuki is having a bad day. In a fit of rage at the world, he yells at Midoriya Izuku and says things he doesn't mean. When he tries to apologize, Izuku is nowhere to be found. By the time they see each other again, Izuku had already resolved to leave Katsuki alone.

Complete | 3 Chapters

Rated - Teen & Up

Back to Kacchan by K5breana, snakeroot100

Summary: What would Bakugou do to make Midoriya stop saying Kacchan? How would Bakugou react? Would he be excited to be rid of the childish nickname or would he want to go back to being Kacchan?

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

Not your Kacchan by ikindalikemylifealittlenow

Summary: Izuku overhears Katsuki say that he hates the name “Kacchan” to the bakusquad, so he makes an effort to stop calling Katsuki by the childish nickname. For some reason, this doesn’t seem to make Katsuki happy.

Incomplete | 5/? Chapters

Rated - Explicit

MY NAME IS KACCHAN! by marzar

Summary: “Hey, Bakugou, do you have another pencil?”

Izuku stops calling Bakugou "Kacchan".

Bakugou has some feelings about that.

Complete | 3 Chapters

Rated - n/a

Midoriya Calls Him Bakugou by NightmarezReal

Summary: Bakugou starts to grow nervous. Somethings wrong. Deku hasn’t smiled at him in weeks. The half and half bastard is sticking way to close for comfort. What the hell did he do?

— — —

Or Izuku starts calling Katsuki by name and it freaks him out.

One Shot | UA Students

Rated - Explicit

The Elevator Incident by Sockwritesstuff

Summary: Bakugo had been avoiding Deku for a week now, and everybody was feeling the tension between the two. Honestly though what else was he supposed to do when Deku was so insistent on calling him by his actual name. Unfortunately for him though, he'd end up stuck in the dorm elevator with him. Forcing the two of them to actually communicate for once.

One Shot | SFW

Version of Me by StartOfTime

Summary: Izuku shakes his head. “No. I’m done, Katsuki. I’m done with you. The way you treat people… the way you treat me— I won’t put up with it anymore.”

Katsuki clenches his jaw, heart beating a little harder in his chest the way it always does whenever people talk about their feelings to him. He fucking hates it.

“Quit being dramatic. You’re not serious,” Katsuki asserts, though sensing that he is.

He briefly wonders if this is finally the last straw, if everyone has finally had enough of him. If Izuku has had enough of him.

Complete | 10 Chapters

Rated Teen & Up | UA Students

Gotchya by mysterymissteary

Summary: Izuku just wanted to pull a little prank. Just for fun. He called his partner by his family name.

One Shot | Pro Hero au

Rated - General Audiences

Don’t be stupid Deku by Original_Angel

Summary: Izuku had come to the terrible realization that Katsuki had finally left him behind. At first that thought had caused him so much heartache, but after a small outing with his friends, Izuku has found himself a lot more comfortable facing a life without Katsuki Bakugou.

Unfortunately, Katsuki Bakugou would rather die than living a life without Izuku Midoryia.

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

Say My Name by Sekai_Nerah

Summary: "Don't ever call me that again."

"Dude, chill..." Kirishima tries to sooth.

"You hear me?" Katsuki spat. "Don't call me Kacchan."

Or...

When Katsuki finally snaps at Kaminari to stop using that damn nickname but doesn't realize a certain Nerd has taken it to heart.

{One Shot}

Rated - Teen & Up

who the hell is 'babe'? by pinchingzuku

Summary: It's not that Katsuki didn't like the petnames-baby, princess, dork, lover, all that shit. But recently, that damn nerd has been refusing to call Katsuki what his actual name is. And no, it's not Katsuki.

One Shot | SFW

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kawaiijohn · 2 years

Text

Nobody

For @dannymayevent day 2: No One Knows AU

Rating: G WC: Almost 600 Warnings: Depression & Self Esteem Issues

Please leave me a comment/kudos Ao3 if you read!

“So will we actually see you at movie night tomorrow?”

Danny snaps out of his half-asleep daze and stares at Tucker for a second. His friend’s face has the same furrowed brow he’s worn the last couple of weeks and Danny hopes it doesn’t become permanent. Tucker doesn’t deserve to look at him like that.

“I think I should be able to?” Danny replies, rubbing the back of his head. “Unless–”

“Unless something comes up again, yeah,” Tucker finishes. “Stuff always comes up, dude. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m doing fine, Tuck. Just busy with a lot of after school stuff– parents keep having me help in the lab lately, you know how they’ve been since the portal suddenly opened.”

Tucker’s face falls as he talks and Danny has to stop every instinct in his body from both laughing nervously (his tell) and falling through the floor (he can’t risk him knowing, can’t have him leave like Sam did).

“Yeah dude I get it, but you never wanted to be anywhere close to their ghost stuff, and suddenly you’re their personal beaker jockey? Don’t blame me for being curious. And maybe a little paranoid.” Tucker shrugs as he finally packs the last of his books into his backpack. “Later dude, don’t skip out on me again, okay?”

Danny winces as Tucker walks away. He knows Tucker’s suspicious, but he’s ridiculously lucky Tucker isn’t as bull-headed as Sam is.

It sucks that she hasn’t talked to him in weeks, but he had to lie– he had to obscure what was really going on. She’s too smart to overlook the obvious and he couldn’t afford having her react negatively to his current freak status.

And just like with Sam, he can’t afford Tucker finding out how much of a freak of nature he’s become, not after he’s heard how his parents talk about ghosts. Danny already deals with enough at the dinner table, he doesn’t want to imagine Tucker spewing that sort of poison at him too.

But Danny always wonders– when will he become a monster himself? Vlad is completely evil, and keeps trying to get him to join his evil bullshit. And every other ghost he’s fought has tried hurting innocent people. Even more hurt him just because he’s a freak of a hybrid. Some even hunt him.

But he’s trying his best, even if the town absolutely despises him when he’s in his ghost form. Danny’s lucky he looks so different, he doesn’t think he could handle looking similar enough to get hunted by the town for fucking up (and damn is he a complete fuck up). He doesn’t want to think about how close he’s gotten to letting people die, so he tries to forget how lucky he seems to be.

If lying about his parents demanding his help with their ghost bigotry will get Tucker off his back, he’s going to keep doing it. It’s not like he’s going to ask Danny’s parents– they’re pretty nuts on a good day, which is great!

Danny sighs deeply as his ghost sense goes off.

He sometimes has this selfish wish of someone knowing, of understanding him.

But he knows better– nobody will accept how much of a freak he is without ratting him out to either his parents or the government.

He’s not a ghost. He’s not a boy.

He’s just a creepy little boy with creepy little powers.

And nobody could care for a thing like him.

#danny phantom #dp #dannymay #dannymay 2022 #nobody knows au #my fic #phanfic #fanfic #danny fenton #tucker foley #depression cw

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nickmaghighlights · 1 year

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Nick Mag Highlights - #43 August 1998

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming! Spring is in the air, but can’t it just be summer already? Let’s get a head start by checking out Issue #43 from August, 1998.

First let me say, I love this cover! It really surprises me that they didn’t feature more Nicktoons crossovers for cover art, it’s a fun idea. Dare I say it might be the only Nickelodeon Magazine cover featuring a crossover between different Nick shows? With original art, I mean. (The Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour and its sequels got their own dedicated issue covers but that's different, it doesn't count.)

Before we begin, just letting you know you can read the magazine along with me here.

Well, can you find which flavors are fake and which are real?

Yep, the ones that sound fake… are fake!

It’s a bit obvious isn’t it? If Gatorade had played their cards right they could have tripped everyone up and taken this as an opportunity to announce a new “Trout” flavor. Missed opportunity indeed.

I’d say we’ve got the makings of another winner issue here. There’s nothing like the excitement of an impending summer vacation! Although, if you were alive when this magazine was released, chances are summer vacation stopped being a thing for you a while ago. But hey, I say you're never too old to have fun! So grab your sunscreen, beach towels, and feel free to take any notes for when you’re making your summer plans. Let’s dive in!

A three foot long poster? Well I’ll be, I’m surprised there’s any space left in the box to fit the cereal!

Little history lesson here for those unfamiliar: If you check the bottom right of the page, you’ll find mention of nickelOzone. nickelOzone was a short-lived hour-long programming block that ran on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2000. Suppose this little cereal stunt was a means of promoting their new block? That might be even easier to figure out than the Gatorade puzzle.

Online sources say that nickelOzone played from Sunday to Friday (sorry, Saturday fans) from 8 PM to 9 PM, and was aimed towards an older, preteen audience. I’m not really sure about that though, since it seemed to just play shows from Nick’s usual lineup anyway, like Hey Arnold! for example.

Maybe checking out the bumper that would play to start off the block will shed some light on things.

youtube

… Nope, guess not.

Also no, I'm not going to say anything about the three-legged freak boy in the ad. Stop asking.

Gotta say, they’re already really selling me on the summer vibes. I appreciate using stuff like kayaking and carnivals to represent summer fun as opposed to the usual beach iconography. I don’t appreciate the closeup dog mouth picture as much.

That one question about the interviews Nick Magazine conducts is a bit interesting though, because I’ve also wondered how they get all their short responses, like for these kinds of sections:

Kudos to R.L. Stine for looking exactly like you expect he would.

Did they just send out questions en masse via email or letters, and publish whatever responses they got in time? I wonder if some of the actors’ agents or PR people ever answered on behalf of their client with on-brand responses because the actors themselves were busy. I know they’re just one or two sentences, but I wouldn’t be surprised if big actors have people to take care of little promotional stuff like this, even if they’re about answering personal questions. What do you think?

Alright, here’s a better question: Am I overthinking this?

I would really love to speak to someone who won or went to the same school as someone who won one of these kinds of giveaways. Y’know, one of these types where you win a party for your class or have a popular band come and do a concert in the gymnasium. That kind of thing. I wonder how they go about planning and executing that sort of operation. What if the school just says no? Maybe they just dump the prizes at your house.

I can’t say I expected something quite so pleasant out of a Nickelodeon Magazine, but I like it! I’d also like to give some appreciation to the late Joan Steiner and her series of Look-Alikes books for giving me my next aesthetic to obsess over. Oh, to be a little guy living in a world made of snacks and knick-knacks without a care in the world…

If you find the world of Look-Alikes as lovely as I do and want to see more, you can borrow it from the Internet Archive.

Now even if it is just a s’more turned green, this still is a cute way to personalize a famous summer snack. I mean, just take a look at these satisfied customers!

(Ask your doctor if you think soggy green marshmallows are the right choice for your summer camping trips.)

Some of you might be familiar with this ad’s TV commercial counterpart, but Nick Mag readers were also obliged to find Banjo-Kazooie’s magic puzzle piece hiding in their grocery store’s usual Keebler goods. I find the choice to portray Banjo & Kazooie as mute, 3D freaks in a 2D world a little odd. Did they think kids wouldn’t understand the game was 3D if Banjo was illustrated, or something?

If you were even thinking about becoming your school’s #1 cool kid, you better do your research in amassing the components necessary to complete the Rugrats style. This is so crucial, Nickelodeon was even kind enough to give 500 kids the chance to snag chic baby merchandise to secure their high-end societal status. Oh yeah, the $10,000 grand prize is neat too, I guess.

Excuse the weird aspect ratio, I had to edit the page slightly to make everything look neat for the picture.

In addition to gag product labels, Nick Magazine also used to be in the business of gag postcards. Ain’t that just the bee’s knees? I don’t recall Nick printing many of these back when I started reading in the 2000’s (I mean c’mon, postcards? Instant message me when they start printing gag emails, grandpa), which is unfortunate. I might’ve gotten more use out of these than a fake label for dental floss. There were very few times as a child where my friends were in close vicinity to dental floss, but they definitely all had mailboxes!

Jeez, what is this, the giveaway issue? Sorry Arnold, but I already just spent hours convincing my Mom to search for Banjo-Kazooie's magic puzzle piece and apply for a lifetime's supply of Rugrats pencils. Just be happy I bought your 3-foot long poster and move along!

Ah, is there any other activity more tried-and-true than the ever-popular maze? Between activity books and restaurant kids’ menus I think they may be more common than the word search at this point.

Interestingly, when also considering the Look-Alikes pages, I’m surprised by how straightforward this magazine is when it comes to crediting the artists of these activities (and with big, bold, differently-colored text, no less). Back when I was checking out issue #115 I had to head to the back of the book just to find some proper attributions! I wonder what changed between 1998 and 2005?

Speaking of which, Rodica Prato is still active in the industry to this day! You can find a lot of her works on her Instagram. She does tons of large, natural landscapes in a style very similar to this page here, give her a look!

Another Comic Book, coming up! I’ve actually got a lot to say about this one cause-

Oh, uh, I’m sorry! It seems I accidentally skipped an interview. Usually they don't make 'em as small as this… Hm, this is awkward…

Seriously, what's with the shortchange? Did they want to get Chevy Chase and when that fell through interviewing Beverly D'Angelo was Plan B? Sorry you weren't deemed full page material, Mrs. Griswold.

Alright, sorry, where were we? Right, let’s take a look at the Comic Book for this issue.

Starting us off, I actually got a lot of laughs out of the “Prankvertisement” on the left page, maybe the most I’ve laughed at any Nick Mag content since starting this blog! Convincing someone they mathematically don’t exist and having them immediately fade away, unable to even find a hole in the formula is so funny in such a ridiculous way to me.

Also, I tried the activity on the right page. It’s kind of a fun idea, but it made me dizzy. I recommend it to anyone reading who might be deserving of such a fate.

Finally, another history lesson opportunity! The Southern Fried Fugitives was one of Nick Magazine’s first ongoing comics, and was pretty synonymous with the mag’s brand during their publication. It had been canceled sometime before the 2000’s, and while it's personally not the most appealing to me, I can see how its art and wacky premise factored into its longevity.

Eagle-eyed readers might have already spotted these strips underneath some of the pages. Like the similarly formatted Impy & Wormer, these are short gags slotted in the bottom of each page of the Comic Book in what’s probably the most effective use of empty space since that ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal. There’s more than what’s in my picture, but they all also follow the “[Thing] who is always stuck 10 seconds in the future” setup, so take a look if you’re really dying for more of those.

These strips come from famous American illustrator Tony Millionaire, who’s probably most well-known for his Sock Monkey series of children’s books and the comic strip Maakies. He’s worked with DC & Marvel, done art for a They Might Be Giants album, and has produced a veritable mountain of independent work. On the Nickelodeon side of things, he recently did work on Boom! Studios’ Rocko’s Modern Life series of comic books. You can find him and his stunning work on Instagram.

So, after passing another edition of Scene but Not Heard and a short n’ sweet CatDog comic I haven’t got much to say on, we come across… Hey, I remember these guys! Funky & Miriam’s House of Random Words was a sort of comic/activity hybrid where readers were challenged to guess the right definition of the word the characters were using. These are fun! And they make a vocabulary virtuoso such as myself feel smart, in spite of the fact I’m reading a magazine for children.

Odd thing to end off the Comic Book with, don’t you think? Unless it ended earlier? I can never tell since they don’t actually say when the Comic Book is over, exactly. Anyway, I know how this sounds, but I would really appreciate some citations here! How can we be so sure that “monster obstacles” in minigolf only really started in the 1950s?

Hm?

Really making kids put the work in here, huh? I feel like this might be one too many mazes above the average reader’s paygrade. Good thing kids can just turn the page or you would've severely handicapped your marketing.

Pages edited to show both the back and front.

This is a pretty fun idea for a prank, and I know as a kid I would’ve appreciated some way to liven up the road trip experience. A gag newspaper would’ve done the trick! Well, it sounds good on paper, but maybe not magazine paper. Yeah I feel like the crinkly texture of plastic-y paper might give away this one-page periodical as a phony before the prankee gets the chance to read it. Unfortunate, but what can you do? Statistically this prank must’ve worked at least one time.

Alright, I can usually handle Nickelodeon’s slime-based image and all the drippings that have come with it, but this actually makes me want to gag. The idea of cracking through the cold, hard exterior of a popsicle and unearthing a filling of thick, syrupy slop underneath is not really my idea of a good time. A quick look-up shows that these things do indeed have their fans, so maybe I’m missing grout- er, uh, missing out.

We’ve got our calendar for the issue here, and while I’m still not impressed by the calendar’s comedy, I do appreciate the wide variety of fun facts and celebrity birthdays. This is just another way for kids to gain little random pieces of knowledge, and I’m all for it! Kids love finding out random facts, it's like the fun version of learning.

This is a pretty good tutorial, and it actually teaches some important drawing tips, like breaking down figures into shapes and making outlines and temporary lines for guidance. Yeah it’s basic, but for a young audience, I give it a thumbs-up. Just like Arnold.

Oh, wow. This is genuinely some history in the making! It’s interesting to see the likes of The Fairly Oddparents and ChalkZone being mentioned before they and their creators became such hot topics. For those unfamiliar or forgetful, Oh Yeah! Cartoons was a Nickelodeon show that premiered in 1998. It was an anthology of sorts, with each episode featuring a couple of short cartoons created by various filmmakers in the industry. It ran for three years, spanning a total of 34 episodes, and like those other two shows I mentioned, it was where My Life as a Teenage Robot got its start. Cartoon Network had tried a similar format a couple years before Oh Yeah! Cartoons, with its own anthology show What a Cartoon!. That show gave us Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, among others. Both shows were fantastic means of creating tons of new, varied content and spawning shows that are still beloved to this day.

So yeah, needless to say, can we get another one of these kinds of shows, please? There’s only so many more reboots you can make, right? Right?

Time to wrap things up, and we’ve got the usual last-minute ads and gags, but I do want to talk about Hey, Herb!. This was a section where readers could write in to then-Nickelodeon president Herb Scannell and ask their burning questions. As you can probably tell though, the audience of elementary school kids reading Nickelodeon Magazine usually weren’t very sure on what to ask. So these sections tend to be pretty small. As Nickelodeon’s fourth president, Scannell oversaw the release of some of Nick’s most popular shows, including Spongebob Squarepants, Danny Phantom, and Avatar: The Last Airbender during his ten-year long stint. I’d love to ask him what that was like, but seeing as how this was before all that, I guess these are pretty good questions too. (He does kind of look like Jimmy Smits).

And with that, we put a lid on another rip-roaring edition of Nickelodeon Magazine. As per usual, I didn’t get to everything in the issue, just the stuff I had things to say about. Honorable mentions for this issue include some gag flyers for fake tourists traps (to go along with the gag truckstop newspaper), and the previously mentioned CatDog and Scene but Not Heard comics. KABLAM! fans might also be interested in checking out page #58 which includes an interview with Stephen Holman, the creator of the show’s recurring Life with Loopy segment.

In other news, Nickelodeon just celebrated its 44th anniversary two days ago! So, why didn’t I post this NMH then instead of today? Well… it was April Fool’s Day too, wasn’t it? Uh, April Fool’s?

That’s all the fun in the sun we've got for now. Enjoy spring while you've still got it, 'cause summer will be here before you know it! Have fun, and until next time, keep on reading!

#nmh post #90s #1998 #nickelodeon #magazine #hey arnold

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scripted-downfall · 1 year

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I have finally got some titles for you! 😈😈😈

1.) to hook a star

2.) Shadows Ticking

3.) the Stud Muffin and the Cupcake

Have fun! 😌😚

Okay so. On the one hand, kudos on the gif because I love that one. On the other hand… WTF ARE THESE TITLES, MY DEAR??? I adore you but WOT. ESPECIALLY number 3!?!??!!

Anyway :)

1. to hook a star

This, my dear, is foul freaking play because you know full well that I have so many Howl’s Moving Castle thoughts… At this point, I’m not even sure which universe I’m going to choose (maybe more than one, but I’d have to take care not to get too repetitive), so I’ll give the possibilities. I’ve considered fusions with:

a) Supernatural. Dean as Howl and Cas as Calcifer… Casting for Markl and Sophie are a bit more up-in-the-air, but I’m thinking Jack as Markl and Sam as Sophie — and this is obvious since you know me, but I want to clarify: no Wincest. This would work within the HMC framework, but not be a complete fusion

b) Heaven Official’s Blessing, of course! You know this too, because I’ve already mentioned it, but Hua Cheng and E’Ming as Howl and Calcifer respectively (this would take slight tweaks to the falling-star premise, but I think the parallels are visible), Xie Lian as Sophie, and… idk for sure about Markl. I have to finish the series. Ban Yue would be an option, but she was always more Xie Lian’s apprentice, so… meh. There’s Yin Yu, I guess, but I haven’t seen much of him yet and idk if the characterization works. Maybeeeee He Xuan, though it’d take some tweaking. That has funny possibilities. And maybe I could work in beefleaf :)

c) I have kinda considered a few other universes --- Stranger Things, Good Omens --- but never especially seriously... They still deserve mention though.

I swear there were more, but this is all I can remember right now aldksjf

2. Shadows Ticking

Huh… Interesting. Ummmmmm. I just went through my writing doc, and this title would work for a From Dusk ‘Til Dawn fusion I’ve had planned for a bit… idk if it’s the title I’ll use whenever I get around to writing it, but I think it’s the only idea I’ve got rn.

Anyway, Sam and Dean stand in for the Gecko brothers, while you’ve got fallen (by which I mean “disgraced”, not “demonic”) angel Castiel with adoptive kids Jack and Claire. The basic outline of the story is roughly the same, but I’m modifying it a bit… specifically, because Jack, Cas, and maybe Sam have varying degrees of supernatural heritage/biology, so they don’t die like their source characters in canon; instead they just… change.

3. The Stud Muffin and the Cupcake

Can I once again say wtf???? Uh… Suffice to say that, while both of those^ stand a chance of being written, I’m almost certainly not writing this one… I don’t think I’ve ever said the words “stud muffin.” Ever. But anyway…

Crackfic, goes without saying. I’m really trying to make this something about baking, and Heaven Official’s Blessing (and Xie Lian’s absolutely atrocious cooking, and the fact that people always underestimate Xie Lian/think he’s too sweet/polite/kind to take seriously) keeps invading my head, but I also don’t want to soil HOB by connecting it to this title, so… Frustration. But I guess that’s my very-vague-because-I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-it summary. You suck :)

Thanks for the ask, Jezebel… You’re a problem child, but I appreciate it :)

– – –

(Title Ask Game)

#answered asks #scripted downfall asks answered #i'm not fandom-tagging this because i don't want anyone to see number 3 #how dare you jezebel #typicalopposite

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letstrywritingmaybe · 2 years

Text

I Wish I Cared Less

Chapter 9: Next Stop Marriage?

Attempt #9- Propose to her

I don't wanna change

I don't know how

Make the same mistakes

Freak myself out

'Cause I can't be tamed

-Mad Visions (Royal Blood)

His timing really could’ve been better, what was he thinking? Oh that’s right, he wasn’t. Months of planning gone to waste, from finding the perfect ring and setting up the perfect setting to the perfect moment. He chooses now to blurt it out, he didn’t even get to go through the speech he’s been rehearsing in his head. This couldn’t get worse.

“You’re not serious…”

“Well…”

“No, I can’t do this right now. Where’s the key? I need a minute.”

It just got worse. He can see the panic in her eyes though she’s trying to hide it. Honestly, what was he thinking? Who proposes in the middle of experimenting with bondage? No one. Except for him apparently. This is not going to go well.

He doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or not that she didn’t immediately bolt for the door after he releases her. He can see the gears in her head turning, after what feels like an eternity, she finally raises her head to meet his gaze.

“No.”

“Shiho…”

“I’m not the marriage type Kudo, if there’s a ring…”

“Of course there’s a ring, it’s in…”

“Return it. I don’t want any part of this. We’ve talked about this before, if your end goal is to be married again then it’s better if we break things off now.”

“I just want to be with you. Why are you so against it?”

“It’s not that I’m against it… it’s just… unnecessary. You can think I’m being cynical, but I’ve seen too many relationships fall apart. Marriage isn’t a guarantee couples will be together forever. No one needs another person to live.”

“You’re right, but it’s easier when you have someone by your side.”

“I’m not running away if that’s what you’re worried about. I like you a lot Shinichi, but marriage is a deal breaker.”

If he’s being completely honest, he doesn’t know exactly why he’s so adamant on marrying her. Obviously his first marriage didn’t work out well, not to mention the numerous cases he’s had to deal with regarding sour divorces. There’s been a lot of murders by former spouses, it’s always the one closest to you. Just about everything in the universe is telling him to give it a rest, he’s not meant for the husband life, but call him traditional. He just really wants to marry her okay. Imagine waking up next to her everyday and knowing she’s his wife, getting to call her Mrs. Kudo and letting her know she’s his. He’s had too many dreams about this already, it even haunts him in his subconscious.

“I really can’t convince you…”

“No.”

Running his fingers down her body as she lays in his arm, they’re not big on cuddling but every now and then it happens. Normally it would be after a long night, but given his impromptu proposal they’re a little off course. She’s very clearly trying to get him back on track, but he wants to know why and she can’t give him an answer he can accept.

“Why?”

“I thought we were past this.”

“Is there anything that could change your mind.”

“Not likely.”

“But there’s still a chance.”

“What there is a chance of, Kudo Shinichi, is that if you continue with this nonsense. I won’t hesitate to leave you.”

“Even though you love me.”

“That… nice try. I haven’t said it yet.”

“Yet, so you will.”

“You know I could easily go and find someone else without having to deal with all of this.”

“You would miss me too much.”

“You’re so full of yourself.”

“That makes two of us.”

She laughs, feeling him inside of her, he usually likes to give her warning but not this time. He’s been warming her up the entire time they’ve been pressed together. She kisses him then, this is only the beginning.

——

One whole year, they’ve been official for three hundred sixty five days and counting. They didn’t make a big deal out of their first anniversary, she lucked out since he got caught in a major case that demanded all of his attention. It isn’t until after midnight that he realized what day it was. Waking her up from her sleep, he apologized and promised to make it up to her, she was only annoyed at the fact he disrupted her rest. She knows her reaction threw him off, her nonchalant attitude, giving an air of indifference. It’s not that she doesn’t care, she does, especially when he could be the real deal. It’s just a little too good to be true. She’s held this belief since the beginning of their affair, and nothing’s changed her mind. She’s still waiting for things to inevitably fall apart, and while she’s still cautious, she’s been going against her better judgment. Moving in together, introducing him to her collages, meeting his family and friends, to the biggest risk: taking him to visit her sister’s grave. That was a really big step, she’s always gone by herself. Not even with Shuichi, but somehow she agreed when he asked. He let her have her space, not expecting her to even mention him. She wasn’t expecting it either, yet the introduction comes tumbling out. He rolls with it, telling Akemi not to worry. He’ll take good care of her little sister. Thinking back to that day warms her heart, she nearly spoke those forbidden three words to him that day.

“If we want to make our reservations, we should leave now. You okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Just thinking about some things.”

“What could be more important than our anniversary?”

“You really didn’t have to make a big deal out of it.”

“You say this now, but you might change your mind once we reach bigger milestones.”

“If we make it that long, I still won’t care.”

“We will. You really don’t care at all?”

She feels a little guilty hearing the hurt in his voice, but she’s already accepted the fact that he will always put his work above their relationship. She does the same thing, it’s just how they are. There is no point in trying to change what’s been hardwired into their brain from the beginning. Besides, what does it matter? It’s just numbers, she would rather enjoy the time they have together than stress over dates on a calendar.

———

It’s frustrating to say the least, Shinichi sometimes gets the feeling that Shiho doesn’t love him to the same degree he cares for her. Her nonchalant attitude about their whole relationship bothers him immensely. She never whines or gets upset if he has to cancel plans last minute, she just goes with it. Which granted is a fairly regular occurrence, try as he might to keep their date a priority, he has a bad habit of losing track of time and getting too immersed in solving the mystery. It’s why he’s made to be a detective. In this regard it makes Shiho the perfect partner to have, the complete opposite of Ran. He used to wish his ex would care less and invest more in herself, but now that he has a taste, he admits missing someone who needs him. They’re better together, but he knows she would be fine without him, he’s the one that would suffer.

“Are you up for trying the handcuffs again?”

“Some days I swear you’re only using me for sex.”

“Why do you think I keep you around? I’m kidding, don’t look so sad. I do actually like you a lot, Shinichi.”

“You can’t blame me for having doubts.”

“If I had it my way, I’d lock you away in our bedroom and keep you all to myself. I don’t like sharing.”

“You’ll never have to worry about that.”

“Good, now let me take care of you.”

It’s not like her to be possessive, he’s only caught a hint of jealousy in her eyes a couple of times. He always shuts it down immediately, afraid she’ll decide he isn’t worth it, but he admits liking the extra attention she subconsciously gives him. He doesn’t think she notices when her touch lingers after a too close for comfort encounter with his fan girls, but she definitely gets a little more protective when it happens. He’s not sure exactly what triggered this act of aggression, but he’s not complaining.

“Fuck.”

“Did I give you permission to speak? Maybe I should just leave you here by yourself.”

“No, wait! I’ll keep quiet.”

“We’ll see about that.”

!!!

A reverse of what was supposed to transpire a couple days ago if he didn’t ruin it all. Both hands are handcuffed to the headboard, he’s at her mercy here. Her touch is soothing as she riles him up, staying away from his more sensitive parts. He’s never been a great rule follower, bending them as he chooses to suit his needs. She knows this, and intends to torture him just a tiny bit before she gives him what he wants.

He doesn’t have trouble keeping his mouth shut as she slowly works her way down the length of his body. Feeling the warmth of her breath over his hardening cock does make it more difficult. Even more so when she leans to kiss it. Trailing her lips further down until she reaches the tip, teasing him with a slow sensual lick. He bites down on his lip. Taking in just the head, gently sucking, her tongue tasting the precum leaking out. She moves in a swirling motion, slowly taking him deeper. Inch by inch until he hits the back of her throat, he struggles to suppress his moans. He can’t even grip on anything except for empty air when his hands are cuffed. She pulls away completely when he raises his hips, he knows better than to complain so he stays quiet waiting for her to call the shots.

She straddles him, purposefully brushing her dripping cunt across his fully hardened dick. She gets almost as much pleasure as he does when she pleases him. She’s so close, if he could just adjust the angle he could slip inside with ease. She’s tempting him, it’s a test and he just might risk failing.

“How much do you want me?”

“So much.”

She leans down to kiss him, humming against his lips. Her chest pressed against his, hand caressing his cheek. All too suddenly, she pulls away, he tries to chase her but he’s stuck in place. She leans back brushing against him, a mischievous smile on her face. He wants to ruin her, but he can’t and she knows it. She can see the frustration in his eyes, she gets off on it.

“Give me one reason why I should let you fuck me.”

“You want it too.”

“Hm. Do I now?”

She’s perched over him, easy access to what they both want, he takes the opportunity. She’s not surprised when she feels a part of him slip inside, closing her eyes she purrs then slides down pushing him all the way in. He struggles against his cuffs, wanting nothing more than to get things moving along but for once she isn’t keen to participate.

“Someone’s being naughty, no wonder I have to keep you restrained.”

Leaning forward, trailing her lips up the slope of his neck, darting her tongue out she licks his earlobe. Her whisper sends a shiver up his spine, he has no choice but to obey.

“Be a good boy and stay still.”

Placing her hands over his shoulder, she begins to ride him, keeping her face buried in his neck he can hear her pants. The instinct to thrust into her is too hard to fight, chasing her warmth he pushes forward. Squeezing her thighs over his hips, she forces him to stop his movements. She’s close, he knows it, knows he can get her there but she keeps holding back.

“You’re not a very good prisoner.”

“I prefer to have you tied up.”

“You can’t always get what you want Shinichi.”

“Even if all I want is you?”

“Especially if it’s me.”

She gets up, their combined juices sticking together, not ready to be apart. Again those persky cuffs are in the way, he groans frustrated with the way things are going. He recalls a similar situation before, back then he let her have complete control just so she would give him a chance. Now that they’re official and he’s had more than a taste, he wants more. He needs more.

A click and a twist, his left hand is released. Before she can even give him an option, he’s already made his decision. The key drops somewhere on the floor, he could care less. Pinning her down, he parts her legs, pushing inside of her in one fluid motion. His free hand grips her hip prompting her to spread herself open for him. Pulling out, he rocks into her with a steady pace, she wants him to go faster. He obliges.

The metal biting into his wrist disappears into the back of his mind, all he can focus on is how good this feels. The way she responds to him is something he will never get tired of. Her flushed face, nails digging into his back, her melodic voice singing his name when he reaches in between to press on her clit. Her walls spasm around him, it only takes him a few more thrusts before he follows.

She’s all smiles as they both come down from their high. Cupping his cheek to pull him down for a soft gentle kiss. Hearing the metal clank against the headboard is what finally breaks them apart. Tangled together, they separate as rationality sets in. She should probably let him out of the handcuffs.

———

The aftercare is mostly her fretting over him, while not unusual, it is a first after sex. He may have gotten a little too carried away, wincing as she applies disinfectant over the cuts left from the cuffs digging into his skin.

“I underestimated your self restraint. I was going to give you a choice to free yourself or maybe switch positions.”

“I couldn’t think clearly.”

“Obviously, but I still enjoyed it. I would’ve liked keeping you under duress a little longer though.”

“You love to see me suffer.”

“Perhaps, what happened to the guy who would let me do whatever I want?”

“I still let you get away with a lot.”

“True, I guess I’m just surprised.”

“At?”

“I kinda expected our sex life to dip, but I feel like you want me more than you did before.”

“I do.”

“That’s not normal, is it? I mean it’s not a bad thing but… I’m not used to this.”

“I can’t explain it either. I’ve never felt this way before.”

She doesn’t know what to make of this, all signs are pointing to Shinichi being the one. Yet she still can’t get herself to fully commit. She’s taken some really big steps already. She’s never moved in with a boyfriend before, it took months of convincing for her to finally take the leap. They didn’t have any problems, everything felt so natural. To be fair, they are used to sharing space, she would sleep over or he would all the time. Still she expected an argument about some trivial matter, but nothing. They were simply too busy with their jobs to get annoyed at each other. It’s almost a relief when they get some down time to spend together.

They’re not doing anything special, a rare day off for the both of them. Usually it means date night, but they mutually decided to stay in and take it easy. Work has been stressful, with deadlines approaching for her and a tough case he only recently made a breakthrough in.

Now they sit on the couch, well he’s more laying in her lap, watching a random movie they’re really not paying any attention to. She’s idly running her hand through his hair, looking down at him she notes his tired eyes. He hasn’t been sleeping well, if at all, spending all his time at the station. Not once did she complain, she’d be a hypocrite given all the overtime she’s put in at the lab.

He looks up at her with a smile on his face, he’s making her soft, taking her hand he holds it against his cheek. She smiles when he places a kiss over her knuckles. It’s in this moment that she realizes she really loves him. All the other times she was able to brush it off with an excuse of her thinking too much. She has nothing to blame this time around, they’re not doing anything, yet the once unfamiliar feeling of being in love erupts within her heart. She feels warm, she feels happy, and it’s all because of him. The thought should terrify her, but it doesn’t, far from it. The anxiety only starts to build when she begins to think of the future. She should tell him, right? Then what? He convinces her to get married then they have kids and live happily ever after? Try as she might, she still cannot imagine her life going that way. Even if she can admit now that she does love him. Something about marriage just doesn’t sit right with her, never mind creating a family together. That’s too much.

“Shiho, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

He’s sitting up now, giving her his full attention, still holding onto her hand. What did she do to deserve him? She’s going to ruin it, she knows it. Better to end it now than drag it on.

“No.”

“What?”

“I know that look and I know what you’re thinking. I’m not letting you run away. You said you were done with that.”

“Yeah… you’re right. No more running away.”

He’s not afraid to call her out when she inevitably starts overthinking. Quieting her fears, she reminds herself that this is real. They’re in an actual relationship and it’s going great. This is okay, they’re okay. They’re doing good. No more self sabotage. This is what they both want, they love each other and that should be enough. It’s more than enough.

Also available on ao3 <3

#shinshi #coai #honey i’m a sucker when you linger series #i wish i cared less aka cynful verse part two #it took me three months to post an update Omm

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helliontherapscallion · 3 years

Text

New Enemies, New Alliances (Sweet Betrayal Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Spotify Playlist (collaborative)

Warnings: Swearing, graphic description of injuries/death, violence, grief, blood, manipulation

Word count: 3,661

(A/N): Things are starting to get spicy, folks!

“Nice job today, I think you’d actually put up a fight in battle now,” Dream grabbed your hand and helped you up. You basked in the compliment, they were few and far between. Now, if you didn’t pass one of the Badlanders by accident, Dream and Lucius were the only ones to recognize your work.

You brushed off your training clothes and smiled to yourself when you saw Lucius move to pat you on the back before stopping himself. He’s been around for a month now and he still isn’t used to not being able to touch anyone. You remembered that when he was alive, physical touch was his love language. It must be killing him to not touch anybody.

“Yeah! I’d hate to be on the other side of your sword, homie!” You have no clue why he started to call you ‘homie’, he hated that word when he was alive. Faintly, you supposed that he must’ve learned it sometime between after he died and when he was looking for you as a ghost.

“Thanks, guys,” you fiddled with the handle of your sword before swinging it over to rest on your shoulder. The walk home was filled with Lucius and Dream exchanging terrible puns, much to your exasperation. Out of all the things he could’ve kept in his personality after he died, it just had to be his love for puns.

As the days passed and the war’s climax drew closer and closer, stress was increasing in the White House. Schlatt had become far more paranoid of traitors in the midst of the remaining cabinet, and truth be told you were also growing more paranoid. It was like you and Schlatt were the only ones completely loyal to Manberg anymore.

Lucius had increasingly grown worried for your well being, always trying to push you to go to bed early and urging you to distance yourself from Schlatt. In your opinion Lucius was insane for even suggesting the latter, Schlatt was everything to you. Without him, you’d be nothing.

“I really don’t-”

“Lucius, drop it,” you hissed out, rubbing your forehead and returning to your work. You needed to get this paperwork done as soon as you could, otherwise Schlatt would have your ass.

“I’m not going to ‘drop it’, (y/n). You need a break! All of this,” he swung his arms around to gesture at your office, “isn’t you.”

“You don’t understand, Lucius,” you bitterly chuckled and threw your quill down onto your desk. The ink that was on the tip splattered over the desk, staining the birch wood black. “This,” you gestured towards the office and walked over to the window. Lucius followed you and looked out at the city. You clasped your hands behind your back and smiled fondly at the sight of the endless buildings. “This is me.”

“I know you, you aren’t this- this brutal or bloody insane!” Lucius tried to put his hands on your shoulders but stopped himself, settling for crossing them across his chest. “You’re caring, funny, ambitious, and most importantly agreeable! Now, if someone even slightly crosses you, your first thought is revenge.”

“That person was a coward through and through. Aren’t you happy that I’m finally standing up for myself?”

“Standing up for yourself? Standing up for yourself? You get stepped on constantly by that ram asshole that you call a father, you call that standing up for yourself?”

You spun around to face him, looking down at his face with a harsh glare, “you have no right to bring Schlatt up, he’s done everything for me while you were just galavanting around the SMP doing Ender knows what! He’s the one that took me in. He’s the one that cared for me. He’s the one who made me who I am today. He’s the one that made me less of a coward.”

“Are you serious? He’s the one that completely fucked up your life! When was the last time he’s said anything that bordered on nice to you? When was the last time he said he loves you? I just want the best for you, (y/n),” he ran a hand through his hair and looked up at you in desperation and frustration. “You wouldn’t be this mentally unstable or this disfigured if you would’ve just stayed away from him like I told you to do when I was alive.”

“You clearly don’t know what’s best for me if you’re too blind to know that Schlatt changed me for the better,” you scoffed to yourself. “That person left the second I killed you.”

You watched as his already pale skin blanched impossibly and his eyes widened in horror. “You- you what?”

So he doesn’t remember his own death? How interesting.

“You don’t remember? You were my first kill, I can still remember the crunching sound your skull made and how warm the blood that splattered on my face was when I drove that pickaxe through your forehead. The power I felt after I came to terms with the fact that I just took someone’s life? Exhilarating.”

You smirked down at his terrified face, taking great pleasure in the fear he felt. He took several steps back from you, almost tripping when his heel caught the edge of the carpet. Grinning, you followed him until he was pressing himself up against the wall. You leaned down close to his ear and whispered, “I’ve never felt anything like it before. You were my first friend and my first kill, kudos to you.”

He ducked out of your presence with haste and distanced himself from you, his chest heaving with panicked breaths. He stuttered out a response, “do you even regret it?”

Regret was something you always pushed deep into your subconscious, “regret is for losers, winners own up to everything they do,” Schlatt’s voice echoed in your mind. You didn’t like thinking about your regrets, however the delicious fearful tone that shook Lucius’ voice was too alluring to ignore. He deserved every single ounce of the fear that racked his body, the argument that had raged on previously still filling you with anger. You’d humor him for now.

You certainly regretted it when you first killed him prior to losing your first life, if losing your first life is anything to go by. You hadn’t even done it on purpose; it was simply a freak accident in an abandoned mineshaft. You didn’t know that when you and Lucius discovered it that you’d leave without him. You could remember exactly what happened that day.

“Luci, wait up!” You pushed yourself to run faster into the cave, chasing the short teenager. He threw his head back and laughed, “catch me if you can!”

You grinned happily to yourself, “I’ll catch you faster than you can say a damn pun!”

You followed him deeper and deeper into the cave, passing different assortments of ores and jumping over crevices along the way. The carefree laughter that bounced off from the stone walls mingling with the slapping of both of your leather boots against the floor.

Despite the sharp twists and turns, you managed to stay hot on his trail. Eventually, he led you deep into a mineshaft. That was where you couldn’t keep up with him anymore. By the time you followed him around a corner, he was nowhere to be seen. You slowly came to a stop and looked around at the dark hallways. This had to be the largest mineshaft you’d ever seen, it was seemingly endless with a labyrinth of twisting halls. You looked behind you only to be met with even more dark halls. You couldn’t even remember where you came from, everything in here looked the same.

In the distance, you heard the hissing of cave spiders and the pitter pattering of their multitude of feet on stone. You swallowed nervously and took out your pickaxe, mentally scolding yourself for not thinking to bring your sword. Every single sound made you jump out of your skin and press yourself up against the wall, preparing yourself to swing at any movement.

Eventually, you gathered the courage to start to wander the maze of hallways. You gripped the handle of your iron pickaxe in a vice grip, ready to kill any mob that would potentially sneak up on you.

“Luci, please come out. I’m starting to get scared.”

You paused to strain your ears for any potential reply, only to sigh to yourself when you heard nothing but cave spider sounds and the faroff dripping of water. With a steadying breath, you ventured further into the mineshaft.

As you passed a hallway, you saw sudden movement from the corner of your eye. Squeezing your eyes shut with a small yelp, you spun around, raised your pickaxe, and swung it down with all your might.

In an instant, you heard a sharp gasp. When you felt your pickaxe make contact with something, a sickening combination of a crunching and squelching noise accompanied the feeling of something warm splatter across your face. You peeked your eyes open to see what mob had attacked you.

Instead of a zombie or… or whatever your mind was expecting to see, Lucius stood there looking at you with his eyes bulging and his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Your hands left the pickaxe and flew up to your mouth as you stepped back in horror at what you’ve done. As soon as you dropped the pickaxe, Lucius’s body dropped with it. He fell to the stone ground limply with a thud, landing on his side with his arms and legs awkwardly sprawled out.

You stood frozen as you watched his body start to convulse before falling still completely after what seemed like hours. Nothing but the roaring of blood in your ears and the obnoxiously loud thumping of your heart in your throat was heard. You finally snapped out of your trance when you saw his body still and started to dissolve in glowing golden dust.

“No, nonononono what the fuck did I just do?!” You dropped to your knees next to his body, feeling icy dread as you saw the telltale sign of death floating from his body. Gritting your teeth, you pressed your hands over his limp arm where the majority of the dust was coming from in a desperate attempt to potentially save him. He was already losing his warmth, you could feel him rapidly cooling under your hands. To your terror, the dust merely slipped through the cracks of your fingers.

Strangled sobs left your mouth as you removed your hands and dragged his upper body onto your lap. You lifted him up and hugged him as tight as you could, once again pressing your hands over the glowing gold, trying and failing to keep his body in one piece. You hated how he was slowly lightning as his body was dissolving.

“I’m sorry,” you repeated to him like a mantra. “I’m so fucking sorry Luci, come back.”

Just before he fully left you, you buried your face into the crook of his neck, praying to whatever gods were above that he’d just wake up and laugh loudly.

“You should’ve seen your face,” he’d tease you, “I really got you good this time, didn’t I?”

He’d then realize just how terrified you were, and he’d then hold you close to him while humming your song over and over. He’d tell you, “turn that frown upside down! You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” He’d put his pointer fingers on the corners of your lips and lift it into a smile, telling you to “fake it til you make it” and that “your smile is your best asset to use against someone.”

You’d ask him in a bout of confusion, “but then you’d be vulnerable! Isn’t it better to just… hide it all?”

He’d give you that dazzling smile of his and gently tap your nose with a finger, “hiding everything behind a smile is better than being a husk of a person. I know there’s a constant happiness deep down in you, I’ve seen it and it’s absolutely beautiful. C’mon,” he’d start to jab your sides lightly, “give me a smile!”

You’d shove his hands away from you with a small, genuine smile. He’d then haul you up to your feet and lead you out of the mines, pulling you behind him as he ranted constantly about what he had planned for you both for the day with his signature blinding smile.

But that didn’t happen.

Soon enough, you were holding nothing in your tight grasp and your face was hovering midair with something coming to rest in your lap. As you pried your eyes open and saw the bloodied pickaxe that laid in your lap and the blood that covered your clothes and slicked your hands, a guttural scream ripped itself from your throat. You’ve never screamed so loudly or so intensely; you were unsure if the copper you tasted in the back of your throat was from your fried vocal cords or from Lucius.

You stayed in that spot crying until you couldn’t anymore. The full reality of the situation hit you as you finally found your way out of the cave after days of wandering. Not knowing where else you could go, you stumbled to Schlatt and Quackity’s house.

The second Quackity opened the door and saw you sobbing and splattered with blood looking like you haven’t eaten or drank anything in days, he immediately took you into their household and sat you on the edge of the bathtub. He was the one that cleaned the blood off from your face with a warm washcloth and held you to his chest after you cried out when the feeling of the warm water was too similar to the blood that had splattered your face days before.

Schlatt had been the one to coax you to eat something after you had passed out in Quackity’s arms, whether due to lack of sleep or nourishment, you didn’t know. Alongside that, he was the first one you talked to about a couple of days into your stay with them.

Though you never told them what happened to your late best friend and what you did to him, they fully supported you and slowly nursed you back to the point where you could keep yourself alive without their constant aid. Whenever you’d have nightmares of the incident, Schlatt would be quick to make you realize that you were in their guest bedroom and not deep inside of a mineshaft while Quackity would stay by your side throughout the night softly humming small tunes.

Though everything came crashing down when Philza showed up at their door one day and drugged you home, your time with them solidified your suspicions that you could be loved.

You blunk, the scene of the blood spattered stone being replaced with your office and the very boy you accidentally killed cowering in the far corner of your room. He was staring at you like you were a starving lion and he was a cornered gazelle, watching your every move vigilantly. You couldn’t blame him, he was in the same room with his murderer after all.

“...I didn’t mean to kill you; I was terrified at the time, I couldn’t believe that I killed my best friend. Hell, I even killed myself because of the guilt.”

Though a brief flash of sadness reflected across his face, he hadn’t budged from his place with his eyes still trained on you, “t-the past doesn’t matter. Do you regret it now?”

You once again paused, the question of ‘do you regret it’ circulating your mind once more. If Lucius hadn’t died that day, you wouldn’t be the person you were today; you’d still be getting stepped on by everyone. You’d still be a coward, a spineless nobody. You wouldn’t be happy.

Though you hated yourself for even thinking about this, you questioned if you were truly happy here. You had everything you’ve ever wanted here: the power that you craved, a surefire means of getting your revenge, and living with the person that had constantly supported you. You couldn’t explain it, but it felt like something was missing. Yes, you’ve felt like that your entire life, but lately it felt like a massive, evergrowing void from deep within your core was swallowing everything within you. Maybe Lucius was right. Maybe-

“Why are you hesitating?!” Your eyes snapped to Lucius, surprised at his outburst. Now instead of the petrified look on his face just moments before, a spiteful one replaced it. “Why the fuck are you hesitating?”

“Lucius-”

A bitter chuckle interrupted you, “the fact that you’re hesitating tells me everything I need to know. I really thought the real you was somewhere deep within you, but you were right! This is the real you... You really are the monster everyone says you are.”

Before you could say anything, he fazed through the door leaving you standing in the middle of your desolate office. It felt like a spike was driven through your heart, you never would’ve expected Lucius to say anything like that. Not Lucius, never Lucius.

The pleasure that coursed through your veins previously during the argument had long since fleeted and been replaced with something you vowed to never feel again: regret. Disgust hit you full force as you remembered the delight and satisfaction that filled you at the sight of his fear. Your first and closest friend that stuck with you through thick and thin, his utter fear gave you pleasure. You really were a monster, weren’t you?

A knock sounded at your door, making you jump out of your skin.

“(Y/n), it’s time for our session.” Dream’s voice sounded through the thick doors. You sighed and looked at your suit, you weren’t even dressed properly.

“I’m not ready yet, I will be in about five minutes.” Your tone wavered slightly, making you hope that Dream wouldn’t comment on it.

“Is everything alright? I’m coming in.”

The door opened to reveal Dream wearing his usual lime green hoodie and his signature smiling mask. His curls bounced as he made his way over to you and examined your face.

“You look like shit,” he mused, “you know, you don’t need that ghost. He’s just been holding you back this entire time.”

“Well,” you crossed your arms and looked off to the side, “he isn’t in the picture anymore.”

He was silent for a moment before he walked over to your couch and sat down haphazardly, gesturing for you to do the same. When you did, he hummed, “you know, Lucius isn’t the only one holding you back from your full potential.”

“Who is then?”

“Schlatt.”

Schlatt’s name sent ice through your veins, your fingers growing numb and your throat drying up.

Just as you opened your mouth to object, Dream raised a finger to silence you. “He can’t even run his own country that he claims to be so proud of. In fact, he’s making you do all his dirty work while he gets drunk off his ass, not even recognizing you for your work. Everything you’ll ever do, even if you half ass it, is always going to surpass him at his best... He’s going to fire you soon, you know.”

You felt truly helpless in that moment, “what? He needs me, he-”

“As soon as the war ends, he’s just going to toss you aside just like everyone else in your life has. Just like Philza has, and now just like Quackity, the Badlanders, and Lucius has. But…”

He turned his head towards you and tilted it slightly. You hesitated before clearing your throat, “but what?”

“I can help you. I won’t throw you out like you’re a piece of garbage; I’m not a brain dead idiot like they are. I see your potential, and you’re going to absolutely thrive if you accept my help.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, “...what’s the catch?”

“Ever the vigilant one; so wary of the world at such a young age, so smart,” he chuckled to himself. “What you have to do is simple, not even a moron like Schlatt could fuck it up. I’ll do all the work here, all you have to do is pledge your undying loyalty to me. Of course, you could stay here,” he released a long sigh, “and waste your potential while simultaneously inevitably getting abandoned, or you could break the cycle by working with me and reaching your full potential; I’ll never abandon you like they all did. Are you in?”

He stuck his hand out towards you and held it in the air, waiting for you to seal the deal. You stared at it as you contemplated his offer.

Though the thought of Schlatt throwing you out crushed your heart, you wouldn’t be lying if you said you expected him to do so sooner or later. With his ever growing dependence on alcohol, his judgement has grown increasingly more clouded. The furthest corner of your mind acknowledged that he was going to abandon you sooner or later as the abuse got worse, but your conscious mind refused to even think about him not being in your life.

Maybe it was time to turn a new leaf, Dream had said that you hadn’t reached your full potential yet and everything here was holding you back. You trusted him, he had proved to be a good mentor and a good person during your training sessions. He proved to genuinely care about you.

“Well, are you in or not? I’d hate to see such potential get wasted because someone is stuck in the past.”

You slapped your hand into his and shook it firmly, “I’m in.”

His mask lifted up slightly as he smiled underneath it. He shook your hand and matched your firmness, “excellent.”

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Gender neutral reader:

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Sweet Betrayal:

@zefrenchturtle @smolgreenybeany @wouldyoulikesomepollen @savleftus @bonkaloid @prickypearpropaganda @marceline1212 @simp-of-newyork @wasteofspacze @mossanon @hee-hee-haw @keiarma @expir3d-m1lk @seraphsema @aiyncel @louistommosnesquickmilk @xx-smiley-xx @maelstromania @miloisagoodboy @boiciph3r @izuruamme @sticksdoesart

#jschlatt x reader #quackity x reader #dream x reader #dream smp x reader #mcyt x reader #tw: swearing #tw: blood #tw: manipulation #tw: grief #tw: death #tw: injury #tw: violence #sweet betrayal

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ashtheshortstack · 3 years

Text

Truth be Told

Rating: G Fandom: Danny Phantom

Sequel to dwelling on deceit

Tags: Valerie POV, Post-PP

Read on ao3

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

Danny Phantom saving the world with his genius plan was something Valerie had to give him kudos for. Especially after he confirmed her suspicions and transformed back into Danny Fenton right before her eyes. She was a bit stunned to see it happen to say the least, but she knew. And was glad she was right.

The Danny she knew was just a dorky, awkward kid that she had ended up crushing on. It was… sudden. And she didn’t quite know how it happened. Little did she know she’d been fraternizing with the enemy. Danny did though. He knew she was hunting him. And yet… still pursued her. Still wanted to feel like a normal kid and date the girl he liked. She couldn’t imagine how hard it’d been for him. How hard she’d made it on him to constantly fight her knowing full and well he didn’t want to.

Dating Danny had been an uphill battle. As much as she liked him, she knew in her heart that he liked someone else more. Valerie wasn’t stupid. She could see the way he looked at Sam. It was selfish of her to confront the goth girl on the issue, but she wanted to hope that Sam would back off. She remembered when she overheard Sam saying that they’d give her a chance for Danny’s sake, but they knew. They knew this wouldn’t work out.

Jeez, Valerie owed Sam an apology. But… that would come later.

When she suited up, she hadn’t expected to find Danny so quickly. And surprisingly… alone? He and Sam had been attached at the hip since the Disasteroid. Valerie had noticed a small class ring on Sam’s finger every day at school when the two walked down the hallway with their fingers intertwined. Which was super lame and definitely not Sam’s color, but was fitting for Danny. She hated to admit that they were cute. As much as it made her want to gag.

He sat upon the town billboard. The one with the dumb “Amity Park: A Nice Place to Live!” slogan. Yeah, Amity Park was a great place to live if you enjoyed the constant ghost attacks. She was sure their town was going to become a tourist attraction not too long after the famous Danny Phantom saved the world.

“Do ghosts normally haunt billboards at night, Phantom?” she teased as she retracted her hoverboard beneath her feet.

“Night is the best time to haunt, Red, makes things spookier,” he replied, not turning to face her yet. His ever charming sarcasm oozed from his voice, but she could place a bit of hesitance in his tone as well.

Poor guy. Danny probably thought the worst of her. She hadn’t spoken to him since they had returned to school. He had spared her a few glances and nervous smiles between classes, but she hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t dared to pop open that can of worms. And yet, there she was… somehow finally finding her courage to speak to him. The boy she had hunted… the boy she had dated.

Her face softened as she smiled. “Hey, Danny.”

He looked at her then, those green eyes piercing and glowing. “Hey, Val,” he smiled. A genuine Danny smile that she had come to appreciate so much.

Valerie took a seat next to him, not sure where to even begin. But Danny took the lead, of course.

“So, how long is this truce thing going to last? I kind of miss you chasing me around with blasters,” he joked with a half hearted shrug.

Valerie chuckled, leaning back on her palms. “I didn’t know you enjoyed fighting so much..”

“Oh, yeah. Screaming in pain, getting caught in nets, even Skulker constantly telling me he wants my pelt on his wall: love it.”

“That’s a little TMI, Danny. I didn’t need to know that you were a masochist.”

Danny gaped at her. “That is not what I--”

Valerie cut him off with a burst of laughter. He pursed his lips, giving her a glare for teasing him but seemed to relax and join in the fit of giggles with her.

When the chuckles died down, Danny finally leaned back on his palms as she was. “You knew, didn’t you?”

She didn’t have to ask him to elaborate. Valerie already knew what he was asking. She looked up, gazing at the stars with a hesitant smile etching at the corner of her lips. “I had a suspicion. That was my fault, though, I shouldn’t have been so nosy and pried.”

Sighing, he shook his head. “No, if anything I was glad you knew. It’s hard explaining why I didn’t like Vlad Masters without a reason. Especially as a ghost.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t like him either.”

Danny snorted at that. “Pretty sure no one likes him anymore, Val. He tried to conquer the world by force and promised safety he couldn’t follow through on. Even my dad hates his old pal Vladdy.”

“Well, I didn’t like him anymore before that. And I tried so hard to play nice so he’d give me information. I think he tried to hint at your identity a few times too.”

Humming, he nodded. “Sounds right. Vlad always had a weird obsession with me.”

“What a freak.”

“A crazed up fruitloop.”

Valerie snorted at that. “I just--I want you to know that I’m happy for you. You’ve never seemed happier and I’m glad. You deserve it, Danny.”

He looked at her, those green eyes seeming to pierce her soul. He really was too kind. Too good, ablet a bit devious at times she knew. He always wanted what was best for everyone. Willingly sacrificed himself for the greater good so many times. And somehow, he was still the dorky unpopular kid at her school. The one she was mean to for so long because she thought that’s what she was supposed to do. Dating Danny had really opened her eyes to the person he could be. It didn’t surprise her one bit that he was Danny Phantom: the ghost hero of Amity Park.

“Thank you.”

The response was so genuine… it made her heart ache. There was a look on his face, however… something that told her there was more he wanted to say. Something in his eyes that didn’t sit well in the pit of her stomach.

“What is it?” she asked.

Danny swallowed, seeming tense. “I have to ask… how do you not hate me? I lied to you--a lot. You were dating me. You were dating Danny Phantom, the literal ghost you wanted to blast to bits and had no idea. Why didn’t you come here screaming at me?”

Sighing, she felt her shoulders sag. “After that stuff with Vlad… and after I figured you out, I had a lot of time to think about it. I was a little angry at first, I guess. But then I thought about how it must’ve been for you. You just wanted to be normal for once. It’d be lame of me to blame you for that. You knew I was literally trying to destroy your other half and yet you still wanted to be with me. I can’t hate you for that.”

He considered her, seeming to soak in her words. When he nodded with a smile, Valerie felt some relief. It wasn’t even a worry she realized she had. She hadn’t thought about Danny fearing how she’d react to him being Phantom. She was glad she could clear that up for him, at least.

Clearing her throat, Valerie quickly realized that sincere conversation was no longer for her. “Sooo, is Tucker seeing anyone?”

He blinked. “Aside from his PDA? No, not that I know of,” Danny paused and grinned. “Why? You interested?”

“I dunno. Dating Amity Park’s youngest mayor in history sounds enticing..”

“What? And dating Amity Park’s ghost superhero isn’t?”

She cocked a brow. “Yeah, but I heard he’s taken.”

“Again, that’s not what I meant.”

“Duh, I know what you meant.” Valerie paused, letting silence wash over her a minute before she sighed and glanced away from him. “We were never going to work, you know that, right?”

He cocked his head in a curious gesture. “What?”

“Danny, you’ve always loved her. Even when you didn’t know it. It was so obvious to everyone else. I just--I just thought I’d take my chances.”

Danny’s cheeks tinged pink (with a little bit of green mixed in, oddly enough.) “Valerie, I liked you. A lot. My feelings for you were real too.”

“‘Liked’ being the operative word. Danny, it’s okay. You don’t have to validate your feelings to me. I know you liked me. I just know you have had stronger feelings for Sam.”

He opened his mouth as if he were going to argue, but snapped his jaw shut quickly. Pursing his lips, he glanced away. “I do. I love her.”

“Have you told her?”

“No…?”

Valerie smacked him on the arm.

“Hey!”

“Why are you telling me, Fenton!? You should be telling Sam that!”

“I will!”

“When?”

“When it feels right!”

Valerie groaned, flopping her head back. “Ughh, you’re such a hopeless romantic. It’s almost gross.”

“Hey! You liked it when I tried to woo you!”

“Maybe so.”

He gave her a knowing look before turning away. “I don’t know how to tell her. I’ll get there, okay?”

Raising her hands in surrender, Valerie caved. “Okay, fine. But do it quick, someone may snatch her up.”

“Are you trying to steal my girlfriend, Valerie?”

“Hey, maybe I just want to homie hop. I’ll date Tucker next then steal Sam from right under your nose.”

Snorting, Danny shoved her gently. “As if. Pretty sure she loves me.”

“Uh huh. Maybe she’d say it if you say it first.”

There was a beat of silence, and Valerie worried she had pushed the conversation too far. But Danny surprised her instead.

He smiled at her.

“Can we be like this all the time,” he asked.

“Me threatening to steal your girlfriend?”

He barked a laugh. “No! Just--Just being friends.”

Valerie smiled in return, holding out a hand to him. “Permanent friends truce, then?”

Nodding, he took her hand. “Permanent friends truce.”

When she let go, Valerie turned to look over the streets. As stressful as it could be to live in Amity Park, there’s nowhere else she’d want to go. This was home. These were her people. And she loved her life. It took her a long time to see it. But Amity Park meant so much to her. It was terrifying to know her life was a risk. Her home was at risk. But Danny saved them. Saved her. Just like he always did.

“You want to be a member of Team Phantom?”

“Oh, God,” she made a gagging sound. “You guys have a team name?”

“Hey! We’re cool enough to have a team name.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that, Fenton.”

#danny phantom #danny phantom fic #danny phantom fanfic #danny fenton #valerie gray #phantom trash #ash writes

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dodo-begone · 3 years

Note

I've decided to go back to my roots with this one the classic Ender creative mode isekai but with a slight twist rather than the Dsmp it's the hermits so apologies if any are occ.

You should probably be freaking out alot more than you were, after all you were stuck in a game world that's normally not exactly a good thing but well you did freak out for the first few weeks. Now though you had sort of just accepted it I mean this was pretty good you were in creative mode so you didn't have to worry about getting food or monsters attacking you and you could just build to your hearts content. You were actually starting to prefer this to your old life honestly. Granted you were getting used to the fact that you didn't look like yourself anymore you were your minecraft skin, the villain one you made complete with the netherite crown, and yeah you might have decided that hey if you look the part might as well play the part right.

The towering blackrock Castle that loomed over the rest of the smallish island you had spawned on was very nice and really tied the whole evil empire thing you were going for together. The town looked just as ominous being mostly made out of dark oak with soul torches and soul lanterns lighting everything up since while you wouldn't get attacked by mobs your poor villagers would and well you couldn't be an evil empire without citizens to rule over. To be fair you didn't know if you could be considered evil beyond the whole *aesthetic* but hey you were having fun so you weren't exactly splitting hairs over the technicalities here. The wall you had just completed circling the island looked good and best of all you could still see the castle from sea level outside of the wall so it really did look like a final bosses lair, patting yourself on the back you returned to the castle after all you still had to do the throne room, if you had remained for a few more minutes perhaps you would have found out you weren't alone in this world.

Ren groaned just completely done with today, he and Doc had spent the last day and a half looking for a shipwreck since a certain duo had ransacked the one they had already claimed but after hours of him rowing and Doc sticking his head under the water to see if his mechanical eye could spot a ship they had absolutely nothing to show for it. At this point they were so far from the continent that Ren was a little concerned that they would get lost at sea but Doc had a compass so all was good, it was surprising that they hadn't even found any landmasses beyond a couple tiny islands. Just a little more and they would call it a day and row home, what he wasn't expecting was a sharp inhale from Doc turning around to see what he was staring at, yeah he could see how those gigantic Blackstone walls could get such a reaction, if he squinted he could just make out.... was that a castle? Whatever it was it most certainly wasn't hermit made none of them built off the continent, he quickly got his communicator out he needed to tell Xisuma about this.

Xisuma wasn't expecting his meeting with his helscraft counterpart to be interrupted by the ding of his communicator, but reading through Rens message he could feel a headache come on, of course Helsknight and evil X weren't the only ones to come bother the hermits. He quickly turned to his evil half and asked who's counterpart had built a island base, only he got a very confused look in return and a evil x who slowly and quietly confessed that it was only him and helsknight that had travelled to hermitcraft so whoever that was it wasn't one of his helscrafters. That was very very concerning.

Ender-anon

Hope you like it Dodo.

Oh i absolutely adore this ender!!! Thank you so much for sharing- i added a lil thing to this and i hope you enjoy it, even if it goes far from what you were imaging. Because i most likely went SO far away form what you had thought.

You're essentially a god because you're in creative mode. Absolutely untouchable to anything and everything. And that made you cocky, confident. Yet not confident enough to travel far from your new sanctuary. It was odd, truly. The ominous and dangerous aura that the build gave off shouldn't be so comforting, yet here you were, seeing this place like a cottage home instead of being intimidated by the oppressive presence of the castle and city.

If/when the helscrafters see your build, they'd be impressed. Such a large and evil looking build. They creator definitely needed some kudos. I mean come on, it was a masterpiece! Building something like that in survival would've taken ages and not even talking about the material gathering. They may not be builders like the hermits, but they can recognize a great build when they see it.

When they meet you, it's like whiplash. Excuse me? Um, why do you seem friendly? Why can you fly? Stop floating already! And you're over here just acting like this is normal? Mostly carefree, yet an anxious energy just emanates from your actions. You were the exact opposite of what they expected you to be. The vibe between you and the build was more than shocking, but they could use this to their advantage.

How fortunate they were to have gotten to you before the admin. Now they could make you out into something you weren't and keep you all to themselves. Get whatever they want from you and portray you as a mythical and menacing entity that had been living in the world long before any of the hermits joined.

You know what'd be even funnier? Them saying that you were one of the gods that they believed and worshipped. Yep. That's totally what you are. That's why they're getting these amazing stuff without trying. Their god gave them a stack of enchanted golden apples EACH what did you get loser? idk i thought that was funny to me it's kinda late good god

#ask #ender anon #c: doc #c: evil x #c: helsknight #c: ren #c: xisuma #rambling with dodo

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deluweil · 3 years

Text

Buddie 4x14 review - if you haven’t watched it yet don’t read.

The episode starts where we left it, once Buck was on the ground, it seems like he was thrust back into reality. I noticed two things here (connected with 4x13) Eddie didn’t close his eyes until Buck was safe behind the truck on the ground. And the second thing is that Buck was spurred into action the moment Eddie’s eyes closed.

And I mean this was some BAMF Buckley right there, that was SEALS trained Evan Buckley! 😱🤩 It’s like training and instinct kicked in and all that mattered was to get to Eddie and get him help as soon as possible, sniper’s bullets be damned. I gotta say it was executed to perfection❣

Big kudos to both Oliver and Ryan for delivering this whole sequence in a heart-wrenching, beautiful manner.

The shooting doesn’t stop and they get Eddie out of there under fire, I really like the 133 captain and crew, they worked so well with the members of the 118, it seemed effortless. (I’m not touching that subject, but let’s picture Buck lifting Eddie bodily up into his arms and in to the truck for just a second here. - I mean we wanted it but not under these circumstances)

Buck taking the role of medic when finally getting Eddie into the truck, is so amazing, he’s usually the one either in need for treatment or the one who stands back and let’s Hen, Chim and Eddie do the medic stuff, it is their jobs after all, but he doesn’t sit back and let the medics of the 133 to take over, he does it himself.

He tore Eddie’s uniform’s buttons open (again, that’s not how any of us wished for this to happen), tore the pressure bandage wrap open and pressed it down on the wound, he did not step back from Eddie, until he absolutely has to, at the hospital. 😭

Eddie, my poor baby, was lying on the ground of the truck, bleeding and half conscious and the one thing he focused on was the blood on Buck’s shirt and he asked him if he’s hurt. I mean I could totally cry, because that’s Eddie. Best friend, combat medic, protective and caring, that never goes away even as he’s lying there bleeding. 🥺🥺

Eddie was legit ready to forget his injuries and try to get up and take care of Buck if he was hurt too. He loses consciousness only when Buck assures him that he’s not hurt.

Buck’s frantic litany of “Just hang on, we’re almost there.” and “I need you to hang on” (“I need you”, not we, not Christopher, “I need you”) was really hard to watch, because even though we all read and wrote it in fanfics thousands of times, watching it actually play out was heartbreaking, I totally teared up with Buck there.🥺🥺

For firefighters the job ends at the hospital doors, so Buck naturally, out of instinct stops from following. But that’s Eddie taken away from him and he looks frozen, at that moment he must have thousands of thoughts running around his head.

“You ok Buckley?”

Buck’s broken “No.” was maybe expected, but it was also earth shattering of sorts. This is Buck standing there, knowing (especially after the well incident) that when Eddie is not okay, he’s not either. 😭❤

I want to point out that I loved the fact that the 133 didn’t just drive away or waited outside for the cops, they went in after Eddie. And after trying to check in on Buck, the Captain of the 133 went in too.

I’m going to point out a parallel here between S3 Finale and S4 finale, in 3x18 Eddie asks Buck if he’s ok as his ex-girlfriend was taken in the ambulance with her new fiancé, Buck’s response was “What’s next?” and going back to work. He was okay, because Eddie was with him, and there was still work to be done.

Here in 4x14, Eddie is taken from him to the hospital, and Buck doesn’t know if he’ll live, so Buck’s obvious answer here is ‘No’.

Later we see Buck exiting the hospital, in his firefighter uniform. I’m a little disappointed we don’t see him cleaning up, I know that could have made for a hell of a scene, Oliver would have killed it, and us in my opinion.

Taylor is coming to the hospital, not as a reporter but as a friend. She was worried. I like that side of her, when she knows to put away the reporter and to make sure her friend is in one piece. Her character development is shown beautifully in this scene.

Buck, in no condition to pretend and speak to the press, turns away from her, he doesn’t trust her at that moment and he doesn’t trust himself not to break down there. He’s teary, still in shock and his hands are shaking like crazy. (in complete contrast to the usual Buck, where he can be in danger or wrap up a crazy rescue and he is normally completely steady.)

Taylor, offered to take Buck to Eddie’s house to see Christopher, telling him he can’t go see Chris looking like he does now. “You can’t got see his son like that.” - At first hear and several others it sounded like “Your son.” - of course it’s not but either way it would have been true too, because in a way Buck has been co-parenting Christopher for a very long time now. And indeed later when Buck gets to Eddie’s house he is washed and dressed in civilian clothes.

The scene with Oli and Gavin killed me! I thought for sure the breaking down will be done in private, but Buck couldn’t hold it together in front of Christopher once he found out Eddie is going to be ok, and Christopher comforting Buck was so so sweet.

Christopher’s “like the ones who fixed you?” Kind of gives us a certain idea as to the conversation Eddie had to have with Christopher when Buck was hurt. His sweet “Then he’s going to be ok,” he says it with such conviction, only adding “right?” only as an afterthought.

And as if he manifested it himself Buck then gets a text from Bobby that tells him that Eddie pulled through surgery and it looks good.

Buck actually dropped the phone from the relief and he started to cry, and sweet, adorable, national treasure Christopher puts an arm around him and tells him that Eddie is going to be okay. I definitely cried with Buck here. It was such a powerful scene and it was portrayed so well by Oliver and Gavin.

The “it’s going to be okay Buck” was kind of a call back to 3x01 - when Christopher reassures Buck and tells him “You’re going to be okay kid.” - I love these two together so much! ❤❤

When Bobby gives them the talk in the firehouse about how they proceed from there, Buck is standing with his arms crossed, looking completely dejected. And when Hen asks about the safety of their families, Bobby says there's no reason to believe they are in danger, Buck pipes in with “We didn’t have a reason to believe Eddie will get shot helping a kid either.” Buck is traumatized, and worried, he sleeps at Eddie’s house looking after Christopher.

I loved Christopher waking Buck up, and them having cereal breakfast together, a call back to Eddie and Christopher having breakfast together in 2x04. Buck doesn’t sit next to Chris, but across from him - to me it says that the seat between them is usually reserved to Eddie when they’re together at the house.

I love how Christopher’s teasing Buck about him snoring. And Buck is later confused because he’s unsure of whether or not Chris really understands what’s happening, but Carla assures him that he already lost his mother, unfortunately he understands better than he or she thinks. Which again should give people a new appreciation for Christopher’s sunshine child attitude.🥺❤

Carla showing up to take Christopher to school, is showing relief that Buck could finally sleep, which means that he didn’t for at least a couple of nights. She’s also asking him how it feels to go to work, Buck doesn’t even think about the sniper, for him all that matters is that Eddie is not out there with him and it feels off. (call back to 2x18 when Eddie seemed pensive about being back at work but Buck was not with them.)

Carla, bless her, retorts that that is not what she was asking - obviously she meant, she was worried about the sniper, but that is not Buck’s main worry, his head and his heart are somewhere else.

The crane scene was insane! I laughed when Chimney looked to Bobby and asked him “Can you blame him cap?” and Bobby flat out responded “Yeah!” 😂

The rescue was really impressive. However if Eddie ever found out about this he would probably hit Buck over the head with something heavy. It just goes to show that Eddie is Buck’s impulse control and vice-versa.

Bobby and Buck’s interaction wasn’t one of anger, Bobby was terrified and Buck was guilty but unapologetic, because he couldn’t protect Eddie but he could protect the rest of his family, so he did just that. Bobby didn’t have anything to say other than give him the same response Eddie did in Monsters - “Don’t do it again.” - Because for one, in my opinion, Bobby knows where Buck is coming from and also Bobby knows, he knows Eddie is Buck’s impulse control, knows he’s his anchor, he knows that Buck will only be his relatively normal self when Eddie comes back.

I’m not even going to touch the Taylor scene, yes she was worried, and yes she scolded him in a friendly way, but that kiss felt so out of left field for me, especially since Buck was just packing a bag to go stay with Christopher and Eddie was still unconscious at the hospital.

Also she freaking friendzoned him last episode, how fickle do male writers think women are? She gets a little scared and kisses the guy? Lucky they didn’t write in a sex scene! That was an insult to women everywhere in my opinion. It could have been set in so many better opportunities, why now? And if she’s scared now what’s to say that won’t make her leave like Ali did? I have a whole tirade about it but I will let it go for now.

Now I know ya’ll are like - Eddie woke up because his spidey senses told him someone was kissing his Buck (and I do not negate that point lol), but he just woke up and he asked for Buck. I find it so deliriously endearing that I need a moment even as I’m writing this.🤗🤗

I have to point out that there is no scene of Buck, Eddie and she who will not be name together other than the second when Buck walks in (read ran through the hospital corridors) and Eddie has only eyes for his partner. 👀❤

Afterwards it just the two of them, with a brief facetime to Christopher. I love that Eddie thanks Buck for staying with Chris, and Buck pretty much breaks down the logic behind the decision, like a true parent. - Christopher’s comfort came first in Buck’s eyes, and really that just demanded a hug right there.

“Is he doing ok?”

Buck’s response here, was very honest, a lot more honest than I expected, “better than me.” He said. Buck openly admits to Eddie, “I kinda lost it when I told him you got shot. I’m sorry I should have held it together.” To be honest, I’m very curious as to the ins and outs of Buck and Eddie’s friendship, especially during quarantine, they seem so much closer, a lot more open. More honest than you'd expect two male, straight, lead characters to be with their friends.

Buck would have played it down and shared only the essentials when it’s anybody else. With Eddie he openly saying here, in his own way, ‘I was terrified, and heartbroken, and ‘couldn’t imagine my world without you.’ - ‘I couldn’t function with a clear head.’ - ‘all my masks were shattered.’

“You were there for him when I couldn’t be, that’s what matters.” Eddie knows, buck, he understands him better than anyone, he’s telling him here in his own way that it’s okay, and he loves him just the way he is - it was his way to reassure Buck that he was doing just fine.

But Buck’s “Still I think it might have been better for him if I was the one who got shot.” - Eddie looked like he was ready to get up and smack some sense into Buck.

I want to point out that Buck’s response to Eddie being hurt or in danger is nowhere near the same as his response to anyone else in danger. Case in point in 4x14 is Bobby, he is inside, probably injured, in a fire with a gunman - if it was Eddie, Buck would have waited 0.1 seconds before he disappeared back into the flames to help Eddie.

With Bobby, he was calm, cool, calculated, he knew what Athena would do because that’s exactly what he would have done if it had been Eddie and he is ready with helpful details and a plan. He wants to go with her, but doesn’t argue when she says no.

Eddie is Buck’s Bobby, and it reflects all throughout this episode, and I think I had some parallels pointed out in 4x13 too. So I don’t know what scripts Tim reads or if we’re all watching the same show but buddie exists and thriving as far as I’m concerned.

Buck is also the one to pick Eddie up at the hospital - he tells him that the nurse is getting his meds and discharge papers ready, which means that Buck did all that process, he was busy getting Eddie discharged. (Take a moment to soak it in.)😌

Eddie sits Buck down to talk, to be honest this talk went pretty much the way I expected it.

Eddie explains why he had his will updated, and that Buck is Christopher’s legal guardian if anything happens to Eddie. - I love that after all this time, sweet Buck is still surprised.

He asks if Eddie didn’t need his consent for this and Eddie’s reply is: “My attorney said you could refuse.”

I also love, that even shell-shocked, Buck knows that Eddie knows him “You know I wouldn’t.”

And Eddie assures him that he does in fact know Buck, and he knows that Buck loves Christopher as much as Eddie does “I know you wouldn’t.”

(”I had to do it.” - “Yeah, I know you did.” this was a call back to 4x05 where Eddie understood why Buck did what he did. And knowing what we know now, I can assume that even though Eddie understood and forgave Buck, he didn’t have to like it.)

“No one will ever fight for my son as hard as you.” - call back to 3x03 anyone?

“There’s no one I trust with my son more than you.” - and Eddie proves it time and again.

And here he is basically giving Buck permission to give hell to his parents or anyone who tries to take Christopher away from His Buck. - And I love it!! 🤗❤

Buck, smart, handsome guy that he is, asks the right question again - “Why are you just telling me now?”

“Because Evan.” That first name that even took Buck by surprise, because Eddie only ever called him Buck, to our knowledge anyway. - Eddie was talking to Evan Buckley, not Buck, and yes they are two separate entities living inside one hunky firefighter. - This is Eddie saying, I know you’re frayed around the edges, I know I’m asking for a lot right now but I need you to hear me.

“You came in here the other day and you said it would have been better if you who were the one who was shot,” and I think for Eddie, who was lying on that firetruck floor bleeding out, and his only concern was that Buck may have been hurt, that was the worst thing Buck could have said.

“you act like you’re expandable but you’re wrong.”

Eddie has been where Buck is at that moment, losing his wife, watching his best friend nearly die time and again. - Really at this point Eddie just wants him safe, and if telling him about Christopher is what will do the trick, then he is not above playing dirty.

Eddie is telling Buck, you are my partner, you are Christopher's second parent, I love you, Christopher loves you, I don’t know what I’d do without you. - Because Eddie has been without Buck before and he was completely lost. - And that’s before they became even more intertwined as they are now.

I love the second before Buck and Eddie enter, Eddie’s house, before Buck opens the door, Eddie looks like he’s steeling himself to get in and Buck has a knowing grin on his face, somewhere between ‘ready?’ and ‘they’re happy you’re back be nice.’ 👀😂

I hated the jump forward, but everyone standing on the roof looking good and Eddie with those sunglasses? wow!! 🥵🤩

This was an all out buddie episode, and I was totally there for it!! I really hope for many more, because these two give me life!!

#evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #LIs who?#christopher diaz #buck is christopher’s second dad #it's pretty much canon now #buddie and bathena parallels #call back #9-1-1 4x14 #9 1 1 on fox #9-1-1 on fox #9 1 1 spoilers #❤❤❤

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nodameshield · 3 years

Text

I know we all positively *lost it*, hats down because, truly, what an episode:

Prof. Cerise is a big kid at heart and I respect that.

yeah, a nice legend!! ☺️☺️ (bless this child, he’s too pure)

research fellows count! (I just really love it every time their work is acknowledged)

in today’s episode of Ash’s hero complex is gonna get us killed one of these days ⬆️

you see my child’s face in these??? you see the split second decision he makes and how he is immediately determined to keep Suicune safe??? that is the resolve of a hero !! there was no greed and no premeditation, just quick-wit and a lot of heart. I’m so proud.

imagine being so in sync with your partner that they immediately know what you were trying to do, and have values so well-aligned that they’re ready to put themselves on the line so you can achieve your common goal. the stuff of soulmates, that.

I've seen you do this a handful of times this gen around, and it doesn’t get old. I love you, gods I love you. thank you for having such a big heart and being such a knucklehead. I truly adore you.

big sigh no comment they’re truly the perfect partners aren’t they. ugh. love.

bless you, Sobble, you were really gonna risk it all for your trainer, weren’t you, little one? (seriously though these two jumped to protect their trainer from a hostile force in a nanosecond, and prior to this Cinderace actually instinctually jumped to protect Suicune, talk about being in sync with your partner!! Cinderace is so good at reading the environment!! he’s a protector by nature !! and good at following its instincts, too !! proud !!)

it was all about character development so let’s also appreciate how my boy can now climb by himself !! his boyfriend wasn’t there to take his hand and pull him through but Goh is now an athletic boy as well and he did this with only a little sweat. kudos to that, too.

Ash had counted but invaluable moments in this episode. can we just take a moment to admire how he was stressed as well (balled fist and stealth pose), but still had the leadership to comfort Lucario??? this is the stuff Pokémon masters are made of, I've heard.

I'm in a lot of trouble and hiding but I still have half-the-mind to think of my better half, who is also in a lot of trouble and hiding, I really love him I hope he’s all right...

Raichu !! babygirl where have you been, good to see ya. I've also been racking my head trying to understand if Goh actually carries that big-old backpack empty on the regular? but he also magically manifested the sprays from within the backpack some moments later?? there’s a hanging pouch at the top??? I’m looking too much into it?? definitely. all in all kudos to his smart mind and his big heart.

was Goh trying to contact Ash here??? Officer Jenny?? my bet is on the former bc, well,,, of course. he sounded so worried, it must’ve been Ash. (Who has a phone for the kicks, it seems, because he never freaking picks it up...)

He literally just captured it, but is already so worried for their well-being, and you dare tell me this boy hasn’t grown?? that he doesn’t care for his Pokémon?? HÁ (also, two Pokémon in a day! kudos on a positive catch day for Goh)

my blood was boiling at watching those poachers attacking Suicune while it was already down. I'm in agreement with everyone else here who noticed how much Goh cared, how worried he was, and how his growth from chapter three until now shines in this moment.

bonus for his surprise/relief the moment he heard his friends to the rescue.

this sequence was power. also, Goh’s mantra count !! (no, but seriously, they are so impossibly well-matched for one another it’s not even funny anymore, I’m just a mess over their relationship).

“ - and don’t worry, I’ll look after Satoshi”

proud husband smile

Shoutout to lil Pikachu saluting Officer Jenny! sweet little thing, you.

IMAGE BEING SO IN SYNC WITH YOUR PARTNER THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO DO, AND HAVE VALUES SO WELL ALIGNED THAT THEY LOOK AT YOU THIS FONDLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW, THEY’VE BEEN HERE AS WEL AND THEY GET IT, AND THEY ARE SO PROUD.

the stuff of soulmates, that.

prolly gonna print this one, too. to remember how proud I am of Goh every single day.

Imagine --- well, you get it.

in case you missed it, Mr. Voiceover reminds us what really happened on this episode, Goh formed a bond with Suicune, he proved himself as a good partner/trainer, and earned Suicune’s trust. that’s what happened. he’s pure and kind and worthy of a legendary Pokémon’s trust, and he’s gonna continue growing and keep working hard towards his dream. he’s been mature and wise and big-hearted, and I love him. and that’s it.

#anipoke #pokemon journeys #goh #satoshi #SatoGou #Firstfriendshipping #journeyshipping #ep 53 #I'm really just so proud of him #this episode was fantastic #Ash Ketchum #ash x gou #satoshi x goh

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daggerandrose · 3 years

Photo

Happy 28th! I’m making this the night before and crossing my fingers that Louis drops something today (a single, a doc, or even a selfie would be a blessing and I would lose my shit). In any case that he doesn’t... have some fics to read!

As always, please leave a kudos/comment on these as I know they fuel writers. Enjoy!

Love, Ever After, 20.7k, by @jacaranda-bloom

One would assume that the charismatic omega in charge of the local matchmaking service would have found a mate and settled down ages ago. His clients, in fact, are always a bit surprised when they come to learn that Louis is still single. But Louis doesn’t mind, not really. His standards are just high; he is happy holding out for his alpha, his soulmate, and chooses to not waste his time with anyone else, despite what his friends might think.

That is, until his best mate from uni drags him out of bed far too early on a Saturday morning after a night of drinking to go to a farmers market, of all places. It’s there that he proceeds to make an utter fool of himself in front of the hottest alpha he has ever laid eyes on. There’s truly no coming back from that, is there?

OR The one where omega Louis makes love matches, alpha Harry makes cheese, and meddling friends might finally make their dreams of finding their soulmate come true.

Like air to the fire I need you to breathe, 4.6k, by CuckooTrooke

"Your nest is very beautiful" Louis says in awe, feeling his chest bubble with love as he watches Harry preen at the compliment.

"You like it?" Harry asks shyly, picking up a lonely sock from the center of his nest and replaces it on the side of his nest. He looks at it thoughtfully until shaking his head at himself, picking up the sock again. Louis watches him at this important task, how the placement of the smallest things in his nest is so important.

"Of course I like it. It's very pretty" Louis praises. Louis was going to do this right. He was going to praise every little effort Harry had made and will still make with his nest, tell him how cozy and well put together it is. And practical, on top of everything. Despite of being situated in Louis’ closet. But it had so many blankets, duvets and pillows that Louis will happily make Harry fall apart in that nest when he goes into heat.

Well. He’ll try.

The thing is, Louis is sort of terrified.

Harry is in preheat and Louis is nervous about his upcoming heat, fearing that he might not be able to fulfill his mate's needs. Lucky for him, Harry knows hot to push the right buttons to get him relaxed.

But If This Ends, 107k, by @absoloutenonsense

Harry’s life as a vampire is routine. He spends his years moving around from place to place, learning as much as he can, and falling in love whenever the universe sees fit. When he tries to move his casual relationship with Louis to something more, it all gets turned on its head. As they navigate confusing thoughts and complex emotions, Harry finds himself torn between the love he feels for Louis and everything he thought he knew.

Counterculture, 6k, by @sadaveniren

It all culminated to this: Harry in the middle of a crowded basement, music blasting from the live show on the far side, shirtless amongst alphas and omegas who all weren’t covering their scents. He took a deep breath of the heavy air and he felt alive.

across city skyline (and straight through my heart), 76.4k, by @halosboat

Louis Tomlinson meets Hollywood Heartthrob, Harry Styles when he walks into Louis' little bakery one day.

Immediately, Louis is charmed by him and Louis thinks Harry might feel the same way, given the fact that Harry has visited the bakery everyday since he'd come to town.

Until one day, Harry walks in with a boyfriend under his arm and a smile on his face.

The one where Louis owns a small bakery that's well known in his town and Harry Styles is an actor who comes to town to film a new movie. Louis is endeared by him, but that doesn’t seem to matter since Harry Styles is already taken.

When The Wolf Comes Out (like a bullet in the dark), 9.8k, by @londonfoginacup

"So Dad was a..." Harry rolls the word around on his tongue, trying it out. "A werewolf?"

"In a sense, you could say that," Anne says. "It's certainly a more correct term than that vampire myth." She looks to Nick. "Grimshaw. Would you please explain exactly what the Madness entails?"

Nick nods. Harry has never been on the receiving end of his business face before, and finds he's more than a little intimidated. “Right, well the first thing you need to know is that, except with freak mutations, the madness only actively infects one individual at a time. Since your grandfather’s death, your father has been dealing with it. Now that he’s gone, it’s presumably moved to you.”

Too Young To Know, 35.4k, by @2tiedships2

Louis blinked awake and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. This was the second morning in a row he had woken up after dreaming about Harry.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Eric asked as he held Louis tighter in his arms. Louis liked being the little spoon, except for when he’d rather be holding someone else. Which were the past two days.

Or the one where Harry doesn’t present as an alpha… until he does.

This Ain’t Red Wine, 9k, by LetTheMusicMoveYou

It’s not until he gets a whiff of the contents of his glass that Louis realizes his grave mistake.

That’s not red wine.

It’s blood.

It’s probably not the most rational, but his first thought is what people are going to think when they discover his body. On the list of stupidest ways for a human to die, accidentally turning up to a Vampire party has to be pretty high up there.

(Or the one where Human Louis accidentally finds himself at a Vampire only party which actually turns out to maybe not be the worst thing).

don’t want no other shade of blue, 43.2k, by @louisisworthit

“I know you’re putting on an act,” says Harry after a moment, and Louis scowls when he realises the prince is actually amused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” says Louis.

“All I’ve heard over the past couple of years are rumours of Prince Louis’ kindness, and generosity, and oh, he’s so handsome I can barely pour his tea without shaking!” says Harry, putting on a silly, high-pitched voice for the last bit. Louis’ scowl deepens. “I would already know if you were just another selfish, bratty omega prince. You can’t fool me, darling, but I admire your efforts.”

“As you said,” Louis grits out, “those are only rumours. I assure you, I’m a terrible person.”

no good unless it’s real, 17k, by @fackinglouis

“Here,” Harry says, pulling a strap off his shoulder so he can dig his phone out of his bag. “We can get each other’s numbers.” Louis shakes his head. “I have the practice’s number already,” he tells him. “And my number is definitely on file somewhere.”

Harry pauses, smile quirking a bit as he stares at Louis. The sun is still in his eyes, though, with his sunglasses pushed up onto his head still, so Louis credits his funny face to that.

“I’m trying to give you my number, Louis,” Harry explains around a breathy laugh.

“Oh,” Louis blinks, processing that. He scratches his temple, moves a piece of longer fringe back behind his ear, and then nods. “Okay.”

Or: Louis is a very busy farmer who’s just trying to make it to his next nap and Harry’s the new hot vet that’s determined to infiltrate every area of his life.

shameless self-promo: take my hand, wreck my plans, 38.1k by me!

Louis meets the man in the center of the room, feeling every eye on him.

“Mr. H,” he whispers.

The man smiles brightly and laughs as if he can’t believe his eyes. “It’s you,” he says breathlessly. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”

“Nor I you, especially under these circumstances.”

“Even so,” Mr H says, his eyes bouncing from Louis’ eyes to his lips. “Will you do me a great honor and join me in leading the first … um…”

“Dance?”

Mr. H laughs and nods. “Yes, that’s the one.”

Louis bites his lips and doesn’t hesitate before whispering, “Yes.”

Mr. H beams and reaches for Louis’ hand. Sparks fly at the touch and a zing of excitement shoots through Louis’ body. His face heats up as he’s afraid his scent would give away his feelings towards the other man.

#mine #fic rec #28th appreciation

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