#she slayed for seventeen minutes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

starseneyes · 1 year

Text

Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 10

"The List" Or, as I like to call it, "Lucy has the giggles".

Y'all, this one SLAYED me, and I can't wait to jump in with you!

SPOILER ALERT: This Meta will spoil every delicious second of this episode and reference past material from the show (and will majorly spoil the end of the film Serenity. Sorry about that). Please proceed with extreme caution... or don't, if you are ready to be spoiled.

Shall we? Let's get things started!

Fashion Barbie Runway Show

Look, I had a couple Barbies growing up. And while they weren't my favorite toys, I understood the draw of dressing up your handsome Ken doll and fashionable Barbie in fun outfits. And, let's be honest, Barbie always had more variety than Ken.

So, it seems fitting that Lucy and Tim are struggling to choose the perfect outfit for their last first date ever.

Yes, I said it. Tim and Lucy are on an Endgame path, and they are completely aware of it.

Anyway, we see Lucy pull up every significant outfit she's ever worn around Tim (special shout out to the costume department for keeping those around and not selling them off, yet). There's the double date dress, the dance dress, and later the green dress from Lopez's wedding. It's a feast for Chenfordians.

SIDE NOTE: And we have to talk about Tim's bedroom. The crew put a lot of thought into it. Remember, Tim's been married before, and got to keep all the furniture. So, everything matches in tasteful, boring beige (as compared to Lucy's flamboyant, color-filled apartment).

I love that Tim has slippers. I don't know why that detail made me so happy (and the clothes sticking a little haphazardly out of his laundry basket in the closet), but those details help paint a side of the man we've never really seen before. Domestic Tim.

Tim's going through a smattering of the exact. same. shirt. in seventeen colors. And, look, I'll give him props that he has some variety in color to match whatever his date's wearing, but it's terribly on-brand to me for Tim to find the shirt that works and run with it.

Plus, this MUSIC!? "I was overthinking. Are we linking?" Tim and Lucy are definitely overthinking.

Side Note: I am LOVING how they are both tossing the discards on the bed rather than re-hanging them. Because they are so indecisive that they can't bring themselves to completely rule something out, even if they tell themselves that's not the one.

And Tim with the store-bought hangers that he never replaced? Because he probably thinks they're, "Perfectly fine hangers"? I was rolling.

Tim's finally had enough and he picks up the phone to dial Lucy.

Watch. Lucy's. Face.

Girlfriend knows she is taking forever to pick her outfit. She opts for the lie.

"Hi. I'm almost there." "No. No, you're not."

Look. At. Her. FACE! Look at that glee on her face. Because he knows her. She doesn't have to lie to him and worry what he'll think or how he'll react.

"No. I'm not. Sorry. Um, are you?" "No! Uh, look, does this restaurant have a dress code?"

See that twinkle in Lucy's eyes? It's the same twinkle when she laid hands on Tim's radio a few episodes back when he was newly single and she was about to be. Lucy's quickly cooking up a plan.

"Uh, no. I mean, you could wear cargo shorts, if you wanted."

Evil, evil girl. But, oh, how I love this. We're seconds into their first conversation of the night, and they are establishing right away that Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy.

Yes, they're adding a layer to their relationship, but the underpinnings that have been so painstakingly stitched together over the past five-ish seasons remain.

"Really?" "Yeah, I mean, what does it matter as long as your comfortable?" "Nice try." *giggles*

Did. You. Hear. Her. GIGGLES?!

I know I'm pausing a lot on this Meta (and we're about a minute seven into screentime), but that's because this is so insanely delicious that I can't help myself.

I'm the girl who watched in agony hoping for Janeway and Chakotay to have an open-ended end to their romance only for the show to hook him up with 7of9 at the eleventh hour. Besides Mulder and Scully, that was my first major ship. And, to be honest, both left me with some serious trust issues.

So, I went into this episode hoping I would be wrong about so many things. And, folks, I was wrong about so many things. But, we'll get to that later.

Right now, our girl Lucy Chen is giggling because she tried a "gotcha" and he called her on it. And she is so relaxed in this moment that she can embrace the giggle without worrying about any of the boundaries.

Though there are physical boundaries in place (we'll get to those later), the emotional boundaries have completely come down. They're flirting. They're teasing. And it's all out in the open (at least between them) without restraint.

This is unhinged, untied, undone Tim and Lucy from an emotional standpoint. And it's f'ing beautiful.

Also, can we talk about Tim Bradford? I mean, we've seen him happy in relationships, before, but have we ever seen him beaming like this? I don't think so.

"That was clearly a test, and you should know better than to test the master."

Lucy's face is pure, "Yup, that's my boyfriend. He thinks he's so fly" and I am here for it!

Also, Tim in Gold Toe Socks?! I'm fairly sure that's what he's wearing, and that little detail of having super durable, super comfortable socks is so bloody Tim. We don't usually get to see his socks, and I LOVE these little details.

"What are you wearing?" "Yeah, uh, I don't know, yet. But I do have a lot of outfits that I am not going to wear. So..." "Look, well, we are running low on time. Traffic's getting ugly."

Oh, Los Angeles, how I detest your traffic. I once flew into LAX and my ride was two miles away when I called them from the street. Two miles.

One hour later they picked me up. I kid you not. Los Angeles traffic is some of the worst I've ever seen. I remember we went into the office (one of my clients) and it was a ten mile trip that took almost two hours. I am not built for LA traffic, and Tim's line sent a shudder of remembrance down my spine.

Lucy, my lady, it's time to pick a damn dress.

"Yeah, totally. I, it's silly, I just need to make a decision... Ah, yes! The green dress. It is decided."

It was the dress she wore the first time he asked her to save a dance... the first time she had the flicker that he was interested in her as anything other than a fellow officer and former boot. This dress holds significance between them, and it'd be lovely to rewrite its history so it's no longer the dress she wore when Jackson was murdered, but the dress she wore the first time she went out on a date with Tim Bradford.

"Great. Well, I'll see you soon."

He's imagining her in that dress. Remembering her in that dress. He couldn't help himself, even back then. He'd drank in every move of her hips, every hug of fabric against her skin as it swished toward her.

You can see that smile, again. The dazzler. He's dazzled by her, and they aren't even in the same room. That's the power this woman has over him. And he's done resisting its pull.

"Okay. Bye."

She hangs up on him and the music is soft, gentle, hopeful.

Then... nope. She yeets another dress onto the pile and we're back to square one.

The Most Romantic Restaurant in Town

Look, I don't know if this was the director or the script, but sweeping in on all those couples, and the flower arrangements, and the hanging, but dimmed lights? This is a couple's place. This isn't where you take your work friend for dinner. This is where you take your future wife.

And Tim's brought his future wife. But, oh, the boy is feeling awkward now that they're finally out together. Tim sneaks a look at Lucy and she chuckles. She can feel his unease.

"It's good bread." "Yeah. It's such a nice assortment."

Y'all. The Rookie team... we see you! We see you calling out the fan-created Crumb-o-Meter that made my first episodes watching this bloody ship all the more delicious. If you wanted us to know you're stalking our psychotic, borderline-obsessive *ahem* tweets and posts... message received. We'll keep up the good work!

But, seriously, in this moment the awkwardness is on point.

Transitions in life are tough. I'll be honest that with most of my boyfriends, I dove in. With Ernie, he asked to kiss me and we dated for two months (before he dumped me on my birthday over the phone the week of prom). With Sean, he said there was something between us and kissed me in his kitchen. That relationship lasted two weeks because he was moving away.

And before the summer ended, I was locking lips with Travis—whom I'd just met—and I dated him for over a year before realizing we had absolutely nothing in common and I was a stooge for jumping in without taking stock of the situation, first.

So when I met Matthew in the middle of my breakup with Travis... I wanted to do it differently. We spent the summer getting to know one another as friends. I took a romantic relationship completely off the table. Through emails (yes, email), AIM messages (I know... totally dating us), and group dates, I got to know him better and better. We had a budding friendship by the time we finally started dating.

Not the three or so years of Lucy and Tim, but I knew there was something different about my relationship with Matthew from the go. We took everything slower. And I'm so glad we did. It gave me time to savor every second.

Lucy and Tim both know that this is different, and there's a level of awkwardness there as two friends attempt the transition.

"Why is this so weird? We've eaten together literally hundreds of times." "Because our other meals only ever had the promise of being shot at afterwards, you know, not naked time."

I have to be honest with y'all, I did not see Tim saying that. This line leaked early via a journalist with an advance copy (so saying that it "leaked" isn't exactly true since it's the journalist's job to hype up the fanbase). But the journalist didn't attribute the line to either of them. I was shocked to find this came from Tim.

But in the face of the awkwardness they're feeling, it makes sense that he would be searching for words and land on the least romantic ones, God bless him. (Yes, this might seem like a variant on "God bless his heart" but, trust me, in the South they are two very different things. I truly feel for the guy!)

"Naked time? Please, I mean, we've seen plenty of naked people after we ate." "That's not what I-" "No. No. No. I know. I know. I know. I feel like I might... I might just need you to reset your expectations a little bit. You're not going to see me naked for... a while."

I have to stop this here for a couple of reasons. One, Lucy touches Tim's arm when she's saying, "I know". We watched in 5x08 where she struggled not to touch him when they were sitting together outside. Here, on their date, she isn't shying away from that. There's an ease between them, even as they're discussing what might be considered a delicate topic.

Two, I love the way that Tim smiles with her after "a while". There's an ease to it. I can see him having some naked time expectations after she bloody invited him in when they were both seeing other people. But he's listening to her, and he's accepting what she wants wholeheartedly, without question.

So, I don't think Tim was unreasonable in his thought process, originally. However, what I love about this is what happens next.

Also, I love the way that Tim reacts the same way he did to Chris saying he wanted Tim's thoughts—surprised, but ready to listen. It's those little details of this reset that mean so much to me.

"I mean, I don't want to rush into that. I wanna take things slow... go on this date, maybe a second date, have our first real kiss. I just don't think we should jump into bed together just because we know each other so well. Right? I mean, do you?" "No, I... Agreed."

I'm puddling on the floor right now. Y'all, you don't know what consent means to me. I have too many stories for this Meta (y'all'd be running away from me so fast because I wouldn't get to the Chenford for another six pages or so if I got started). But, as a victim of abuse, this is so important to me.

Lucy is setting the expectations here for her and Tim. And he's accepting and agreeing to them without question. This is how it should be, people.

Also, Lucy starts with telling Tim that he's not going to see her naked for a while, but she's also simultaneously telling him that someday he will. This isn't a short-term thing for either of them, and she's making that abundantly clear.

The one thing about Tim is that he knows about all of Lucy's previous relationships (save Nolan) that have happened during her time as an Officer. He knows that with Emmett it was all physical, basically. With Chris, they were "great together" but there was no substance. He's seen how she treats relationships, and, honestly, she hasn't done it with the greatest care or eye toward longevity.

In this speech, Lucy isn't only defining parameters for their physical/sexual relationship. She's also subtly communicating to Tim that she wants to put care into this relationship. She wants to build it up together, the same way they have their friendship. Lucy is telling Tim, "I'm in this for the long haul".

Watch his face just before he says, "Agreed". It's about more than just agreeing to what she's saying, and offering her that much-needed affirmation. It's about making their first major decision together as a couple.

She didn't have to ask him to chime in. Her body is her body and her choice. But she wanted to know that they were on the same page, and he had the opportunity to show her that he is.

In a long-term relationship, communication is the most important binder. Romance is great, but sometimes when you have flames coming out of your ears, you're not that interested in stolen kisses. Passion is great, but when you're cowering on the floor, breaking in half over tragedy, it won't get you anywhere.

Solid communication is the most essential building block to a relationship that lasts. And in this scene, Lucy has told Tim that's what she wants with him, and he knows enough to realize what she's saying beneath the words.

Lucy's face is filled with the same consternation as it was on "it's not worth the risk". She's worried how Tim's going to react. And both times, he reassures her.

It's so brief, so brief, but watch Lucy's eyes after he agrees (and this is all Melissa O'Neil). She's relieved.

As soon as they started talking to one another instead of making small talk, they returned to what has made them great all along—their foundation of understanding one another deeply, and not being afraid to call the other out, or reset the expectations.

Watch the awkwardness evaporate with that… It's the lack of communication that put them on edge. Well, almost all the awkwardness.

"Are you worried someone from the station's gonna walk in?" "What?" "You are!" "No, I-" "Wow." "What are the odds?"

I love this so much. Lucy's calling Tim out, and he's actually a little embarrassed. It's adorable. Tim and Lucy have completely gotten over the awkwardness.

Just in time for... I'm sorry. Are you for real? Seriously? I was just enjoying this adorable couple and y'all couldn't wait for the guests to leave for the night before having it out in the kitchen? Yes, the kitchen is a volatile place, but these two are dating here! Ya know?

Fine. Fine. Have your bloody knife fight. But did anyone else notice how Tim really really didn't want to get involved? He kept hoping for an outcome that wouldn't require them, but the second that dude grabbed the knife, Tim whipped out the gun and badge while Lucy went for a cloth napkin for the wound.

Truly, these two are a power couple, already!

"What are the chances someone from the station walks in now?"

And, too fast for real life (but perfect timing for the joke), the blue and red lights catch Tim and Lucy... red and blue handed.

Look, these two have got to stop racking up reports with both of their names on it when they're not supposed to be together. First Lucy's apartment when Chris was bleeding out, now the restaurant attack.

What on earth will Angela have to say to Timothy now!? (please, please let us find out, soon!)

And what is with these two and knife-attacks-to-the-arms ruining their moments? It's not a good trend.

But can we talk about Lucy's dress? YOWZA! When she stood up and I saw all the amazing back cut outs in addition to the front, I just thought, "Wow, Melissa O'Neil is FIT" and "Lucy looks incredible on this date".

Tim's no slouch, either! The patterned shirt he went with was the best thing in his closet we saw, and I'd kill to have a stomach as flat as Eric Winter's. Well, not kill. I don't want to be arrested while commenting on a cop show. That'd be a little too on the nose.

Before We Move On: I have seen a lot of feedback on the interwebs of people accusing Lucy of inconsistency between 5x01's "Do you want to come in?" and 5x10's "I want to take this slow."

First off, a human being can change their mind about a situation at any time and it not be considered a character flaw or "out of character".

Some nights I'll tell my husband, "As soon as the kids go to bed, you are mine" but by the time the kids go down, I'm too tired to move, let alone engage in "naked time". Does my husband accuse me of being an inconsistent character? Hell, no!

Listen, you can always change your mind about wanting or not wanting sex. We need to get rid of the mindset that if you were hot and bothered one time you're supposed to be permanently hot and bothered, or you're a tease or something. It's an insane way to interpret the situation.

Secondly (yes, I'm finally getting back to the Chenford), Lucy in 5x01 didn't know Tim was emotionally invested. She knew he was physically attracted to her, and she decided to take a leap in the moment. To live in that moment based on the information available.

Even when she's confessing in 5x08 that she's afraid of leaving her "safe" relationship for Tim because it could ruin the most important relationship in her life, she didn't know how he felt.

Yes, she is the one who shut down that talk in 5x01, but that's because she was assuming instead of listening and letting him finish. And assumption is when these two get in trouble (see "naked time" above).

So, in the fullness of her new knowledge, Lucy has made a different decision. She knows that this is endgame as much as he does (though I think he's still so surprised to see Lucy so at ease with all of it considering her history of keeping guys at arms-length after her ex cheated on her while she was living with him).

And it's perfectly okay to change your mind. Lucy changed her mind. Tim amended his expectations to match her wishes because when he does make love with her, he wants her to give herself fully with no trace of anxiety or fear holding her back. He wants her to feel completely cherished, and loved, and he'll wait until the moment she is ready. That is the magic of the moment.

Lucy Chen said, "Not, yet" and Tim said, "Understood. I'm not going anywhere" without saying so many words.

Tim went in with the knowledge that she twice jumped him (girl can be thirsty/assertive), and that she once invited him in.

It was definitely a possibility that they were getting naked after this romantic dinner. He was looking forward to peeling that skin-tight dress right off of her.

But the second she said that wasn't the plan, he rolled with it. And that's sexy as hell.

"This is not strange. Coworkers eat together. It's a thing." "At the most romantic restaurant in town?" "Right."

Our intrepid duo is scrambling. Lucy was making fun of Tim's paranoia over them being caught together, and within thirty seconds they were caught together.

And now it's the fallout. Before, there was no obligation to tell anyone anything or come up with a cover story. Now, they have a choice to make.

And I need to shout out to the director and DP for the staging of this scene. I love Tim and Lucy in their little spot, slightly removed from everyone else, and the sweeping shots where the noise picks up of the chatter of their fellow officers.

The fact that they have Tim and Lucy backed against the wall (heh) means that nobody can cross behind them, and the camera's positioned so we don't have people crossing in front of them. It allows us to focus on them singularly as a pair versus everyone else in the mosh-pit of police work.

"Well, I mean, we could come clean."

Watch Tim's face. It's not that Lucy's had to hide her previous relationships (besides Nolan... and I keep hoping Tim knew something at the time and didn't say anything because he doesn't want to talk about personal stuff in the Shop). But, Lucy's not one to bring dates to events and whatnot.

They've been on one half-date that was interrupted by an assault that resulted in an arrest. And Lucy's talking about letting everyone know that they are officially a couple. That's huge.

Tim can't believe what he's hearing. And even if it's not the right decision right now, it says something to him about how Lucy sees this... that she's not letting one botched date get in the way of them. She's not going anywhere. For goodness sake, she was the first to make them a "we" here!

But... still... there are some issues with coming clean.

"Are you ready for that? Are you ready for Smitty's commentary on us dating or the "ohs" every time we walk into the roll call room together?" "Or, we could lie."

Oh, honey, no. Look, you're a killer UC. We know that. But, when it comes to the people you know and love, you are a terrible liar.

My mind immediately flashes back to Season 1. "You're good at a lot of things. Lying isn't one of them." "You think I'm good at things? Can I get that in writing?"

Like, Lucy, honey. Nooooo. Let Tim do the lying for the both of you. He lied to himself for ages about how he felt. He's a much better liar.

And, to clarify, I understand why they feel they need to lie right now, and it's their relationship. But Lucy shouldn't be the one talking when they do it.

"Uh, yeah, we were there, uh, investigating a tip and then this whole other crime popped off." "Yeah, Lucy's C.I. was convinced they were dealing drugs." "What?" "What?" "Nothing."

Maybe neither of you is good at lying. Yikes.

"Boss wants to see you. Have a safe one."

Oh, Nolan, you don't even realize how scared these two are of walking into that office.

And, I must say that I was wrong, again. Look, folks, I admit when I'm wrong. It's hardwired into who I am because of how I grew up. When this scene dropped, I thought something might be missing, but now I see it was the way they edited the two shot to alternating one-shots that made me think I was missing something.

So, The Rookie, 2. Rachel 0. (and I'm going to lose again, at the end. Stay tuned!)

Tim holds the door for Lucy as they make the transition. I saw on Twitter that Eric Winter insisted on this, and looking back at their relationship, there have been several other instances where Tim has held the door for Lucy. So, this is absolutely in character, and I love that EW insisted upon it. Those little details make the character.

"I think you know how I feel about coworkers dating."

Yikes, Grey! Not even letting them settle into their stances before ripping the band-aid off. And, yes, I'm creating this commentary based on my first time watching the pan-and-scan version of this scene from Twitter.

Because, Rachel was not prepared.

Tim and Lucy glance at one another. Here we go.

"When I started, no one thought much of it. But things have changed. We're more aware of how power dynamics can skew things. Even the most innocent of relationships can be a distraction."

Watch Tim's hand slip off his watch as he fidgets. Tim can be very controlled, and very good at hiding his emotions. But I don't think he was ready for this conversation this soon. Lucy resettles over and over, pressing her lips together as the listens.

And this two-shot is so much better than the split screen they had to do for Instagram formatting. I love seeing the two of them together, united, but mirroring one another's positions while facing Grey—the authority figure behind the desk.

Right now, there's an inequality between Grey's position and theirs. Tim and Lucy are unable to sit and he is permitted to sit and lord over them, like royalty. Grey is the final word, and he's staring down at two very nervous officers.

"Hey, trust me, I get it. We spent 12 hours a day together. Feelings are bound to develop."

Tim looks over to Lucy. She feels his gaze and looks back.

"But we can't afford even the hint of impropriety." "We couldn't agree more."

"We". There it is, again. Some people put a lot of weight into this, wondering if Lucy is afraid that Tim is going to break it off. But I don't think that was ever the issue.

They both know eventually they won't be able to work together as they have... it's impossible. But they want this to last as long as it can.

Tim is saying "we" couldn't agree more. Not "I". Lucy doesn't have to worry about him giving up on her. But I think she knows he's willing to do whatever it takes for something he believes in—and he believes in them.

"Good. Look, I don't want to be the old guy interfering with peoples lives, especially their love life, but this whole Aaron and Celina situation has me worried." "The Aaron and Celina situation."

Tim's surprised face is adorable, but Lucy rolls with it fairly well. They turn to look out at Aaron and Celina. As they do, the camera shifts to a three shot, Grey now standing behind them. They're on a more level playing field, here, flowing with the scene.

Gosh, I love Robert Bella's style as a director. He really lets the camera breathe with the script. I haven't been this excited about a television director since Robert Duncan McNeil started working on Chuck after debuting as a director on Star Trek: Voyager.

Lucy sneaks a glance at Tim, trying to gauge his response before they turn around. He finally meets her eyes with a quick, "Well, that was close" look as they turn back to face Grey.

And, look, I think Grey is on to them. He's not a fool. But, he's also outlining a lot of thoughts in this scene, if we try to see it as him sending them a message.

He's not saying don't date. But he does remind them of the power imbalance (Tim's her SO and a Sergeant). Yet, he calls out the need for Aaron to establish his reputation and for Celina to get through her Probationary period without distractions.

Tim and Lucy will have to deal with their power imbalance.

"Oh, the irony." "Are you gonna talk to Aaron?" "About his love life? Can't wait." "When are you gonna talk to Celina?" "I can't tell her not to date a cop. That is so hypocritical. Oh, I'm gonna get Nolan to do it." "That's cheating." *giggle*

This whole exchange makes me so happy. Here are Tim and Lucy operating as a duo, tasked with a job, and Lucy finds a way to get out of the uncomfortable situation. Tim's "That's cheating" hearkens back to every bet they've ever made.

The subtitles have Lucy saying "mm-hmm", but I swear the first time I heard it (first thirty times I re-watched the scene), it was a giggle. I'm going with giggle.

Because this is the episode where Lucy has the giggles.

"You and Celina dating?"

And Tim, with the subtlety of a Rams fan at a 49er's bar on game-day, reminds us why there's no personal talk in the Shop. Tim's really bad at it.

I'm not going to transcribe Aaron's full response, but I love the way it set Tim on edge. I've talked, before, about how Eric Winter is one of those actors who acts through his fingers and toes. Bruce Willis is one of those, too. Just watch his feet in the early scenes of Die Hard. It's beautiful.

So, when Aaron starts talking about direct reports in a not so subtle hint that he knows all about those types of relationships, Tim gets nervous. It's not that he's afraid of being found out. But the more he's reminded of their biggest issue—one of them will have to leave.

And, don't get me wrong, the show'll probably find a way to work around that by taking Tim out of her chain-of-command but keeping him largely tied to the established team. But right now, Tim's fidgeting on the wheel.

And I swear when I watched it live I thought I heard the engine speeding up with Tim's anxiety.

"Remember this morning when dating in secret was our biggest problem?" "That feels like a million years ago."

Excuse me, ma'am, but isn't your camera on your chest recording everything you say!? I've always been worried about what they say near cameras, but Lucy's throwing caution RIGHT out.

"Did you talk to Aaron?" "Yeah." "And?" "He neither confirmed nor denied." "But?" "But he pointed out that it wouldn't be problematic because he's not her superior and doesn't fall in her chain of command." "Oh."

I get why they don't want to face it. Right now, they only see that as a separation. Those 12 hours a day where they've gotten to know one another, and have been able to see one another, and check on one another, and keep tabs on the other's welfare... gone.

It's a lot to lose even if they get to keep each other.

"Are you sure about this?" "I'm sure he's gonna kill her if we don't do something. Where's my distraction?" "It's ready and waiting."

I can hear Lucy in my head, "I don't like Plan B." But she understands that this is what needs to be done, and that this is their job. Sometimes, they have to put themselves in harm's way, and that a tragic occupational hazard.

But I love how this illustrates that they can still work together, even with the new layer to their relationship. Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy.

"That's the signal."

And the trust that Lucy would be the one to hear the signal, and get everyone else ready to go. They've worked side-by-side for years. They have a natural rhythm there that's been earned. I totally understand why they don't want to lose that.

But it's inevitable... that day is coming. And neither can face it just yet.

"We both can't get out at the same time." "Okay, then you go first." "There's only room for one of us to be a hero, here, and I outrank you." "Sir, with all due respect, Lucy will kill me if I let you die, so I'm dead either way." "Get out of the Shop, Aaron!"

We've seen Aaron comment on the Tim/Lucy thing directly and indirectly, but this is flashing neon lights compared to those other times. He's basically saying, "She will literally murder for you, and I know it, and I don't want it to be me."

And I have to stop to applaud Aaron's ingenuity in finding a way to save Tim, too. Tim accepts his fate. He's military-trained, and he's a seasoned cop who understands the risks he takes every day.

But it wasn't his day to die, my friends. Not today.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't die."

This. Transition! I'm salivating over that transition from one scene to the next, through the glass. I'll admit, I'm a big fan of scenes that overlap and allow us to trade from one conversation to the next. It has always made me feel more like the world was real, and we were walking through it rather than bouncing around through non-stop scene-shifts.

No, you can't do this all the time. It'd become tired out. But, I love the choice, here. Again, I don't know if it was the writer, the director, or someone else who saw the opportunity and seized it, but I'm so glad they did!

"You owe me a redo on our date." "It's what gave me the will to live."

He's needling her. He's so needling her and it's so adorable. I know they have a lot of incredible scenes in this episode, but this one gave me all the feels.

This is secret dating era at its finest. Walking side-by-side and speaking words just for the other while knowing there's so much more going on under the surface. And I am here for it!

I love how he looks at her, waiting to see if he's going to get a reaction. Oh, she gives him a reaction!

"In my mind, I'm hitting you right now." "That's good to know."

Heart. Exploding. The cuteness!

PAUSE: Before we get to the end scene, can we talk about Nyla and James choosing Angela and Wesley to raise their daughter!? As soon as the conversation came up I was screaming at the television, "Pick Angela and Wesley!" And I'm so glad they did.

The power couples of The Rookie really got to show up and show out this week, and I wanted to acknowledge these four, too, even if they're not the focus of our Meta.

"I've been falling apart these days," says the music as we transition to a crane shot, establishing twinkle lights in trees (and those hanging bulb-style ones that I've been coveting for my new backyard ever since we moved in).

We sweep past the... is that a food truck!? Was I actually right about one thing in this bloody episode!? My only prediction that came true was that Tim and Lucy would try to have their date, things would go wrong, and they'd end up at a food truck. I'll take the win since everything else's been a loss for me, predictions-wise.

The Rookie 2, Rachel 1.

We sweep over to Tim and Lucy in the most casually-intimate (it's a thing) position with those high stools. Tim's got his let completely wrapped on the other side of Lucy's, and one of hers is crossed with a foot on his chair.

They don't wear fashionable clothes. Lucy's hair isn't styled. The conditions are less structured and more beautifully chaotic, like the twinkle lights dangling just shy of perfection—but no less perfect in that imperfection.

Tim and Lucy are at ease.

This is the heart of Tim and Lucy's transition. Before, they were trying to do it without all the information on the table, and within the confines of what they thought they needed.

Instead, they've found themselves in metal chairs exposed to the elements, facing the less-than-romantic view of a parking lot, and they couldn't be happier.

I must observe that they don't eat or drink a thing during this scene. The props are simply props, and I always find it fascinating when a scene calls for actual eating versus the implication of eating.

"Streets of Vietnam." *giggle* "That's where we ended up."

For some reason, the caption says "Treats of Vietnam" even though Eric Winter clearly emphasizes the "S" on "Streets".

But, if you're following along and hard of hearing or deaf, I wanted to make that clarification. His words, indeed, do match the signage on the food truck.

And Lucy is giggling, again.

"So, I guess this is our official first date." "Mmm, last night was. For sure. I mean, it's a better story for the grandkids."

Watch. Tim's. Face. He dated Ashley for ages before finding out she had no interest in marriage or kids—two things that mean a lot to him.

And Lucy, beautiful Lucy, is telling him on their second date that she can't wait to share this story with their grandkids.

And I've seen people say, "Oh, what happened to taking it slow?" Welp, you can be in an emotional place separate from a physical place, and that's just fine. She wants to savor every second of this.

This relationship is full of "last firsts". Last first date. Last first kiss. Last first time sleeping together.

If you knew that going into a relationship, wouldn't you want to savor every second? Really live in the moments to form lasting memories rather than rushing through?

"We've got grandkids, now." *giggle* "Nice."

Ooooh, the giggling has got me in a chokehold!

And I'm floored by the confidence Lucy has with Tim. Before, we saw so much hesitation from her in taking big steps, especially with Chris. Hell, I don't know that I recall her ever calling him her "boyfriend".

With Tim, none of that exists. Yes, they had some butterflies to get through in the beginning. But part of what makes this relationship work is how it has been earned and built.

They didn't start day one of their Rookie/TO relationship making moony-eyes at one another. They built layers over time, like the most beautiful crepe tower cake.

Yes, I know it's a weird metaphor, but I like baking shows. And the best part about a crepe tower cake is that you make each crepe one at a time before binding it to the others to form a stack. And sometimes the crepes aren't the prettiest. You might burn one a little. But it still goes into the stack, and it still helps build a beautiful finished product.

Tim and Lucy have built this relationship bit by bit. That's why everything rings true so effortlessly, now.

"Do not break into that car."

I. Started. CACKLING. Much as the cold open had me in stitches, this is the line that slays me every time. Crochety, worn-out Tim comes out on that line.

It's like, "Look, do you see this stunningly gorgeous, amazing, tough-as-nails woman beside me? I'd like to have one date, just ONE where I'm not pulling out cuffs for work purposes".

"Hey, moron!"

Foley artist, I love you. Or if it was recorded audio at the scene, I love whoever did that because even the SOUND of the metal clanging as the perp retreats had me in stitches. This was such a beautiful moment for so many reasons.

First of all, Tim is always going to be Tim. Thank God. I abhor when shows destroy the characters the second they get in a relationship (no, I'm not naming names... Metas make you squeel and laugh. We don't need the negativity, here).

Second, Tim just made the choice to be a man instead of a cop in this moment. Now, if it was a dangerous criminal, I'm sure Tim would have done something, as he did on their first date. But, for Tim "Supercop" Bradford to choose the girl... it's such a huge metaphor for what's coming.

Tim's job has seemed like the most important thing for so long, especially since he finally went after Sergeant, and continues to work despite being eligible for Retirement. But some things matter more.

Friends, Lucy matters more.

"You know, he's just going to break into a car in a different neighborhood." "Well, then some other cop can arrest him."

Pause. Just pause right here and look at Tim's face as he gazes upon Lucy. That twinkle is back in his eyes. And, yes, I'm aware it's probably studio lights set up for this shot. Don't ruin my magic!!

But Tim Bradford is finally looking into the eyes of a woman who will love him as much as he will love her. She will call him on his bullshit, care for his wounds, follow him into the fire, and stand by his side through whatever life throws at them.

They both knew that when they took this leap, they could never, ever go back. It's a constant plunge into the unknown, and with every level deeper they go, it only cements their bond.

Tim and Lucy were never going to work as friends-with-benefits, or a casual thing. They're Endgame. And they both know it.

He reaches for her face with his left hand. The same hand that wanted to hold her face the first time they kissed, but hesitated. He's telegraphing his moves and giving her space to pull back, to tell him to stop, to let him know she's not ready.

But Lucy is ready for this next step.

His right hand resting somewhere between her knee and thigh, the other hand tangling in her hair as he gently tugs her toward him, he leans in for their last first kiss—together.

And Lucy smiles before their lips touch, because this is so damn sweet. This is the beginning of yet another phase for them. And as they share that beautiful moment, we fade to black.

And here we have the last thing I was wrong about—the episode didn't end with Lucy covered in blood.

Look, I called the kiss (so I hope that balances things out a little), but I have a lot of ship trauma. For goodness sake, look at Wash and Zoe from Firefly/Serenity. He wasn't a leaf on the wind... he was a corkboard for the world's largest push-pin.

So, I was pleasantly surprised we faded out to black with our favorite couple intact and happy.

One thing that The Rookie has done really well with its core relationships is allowing them to face issues as a couple.

Nyla and James were rockstars at the bank, but they also worked through the very real issue of who should care for their child in the event of their death. That's something all parents grapple with.

And then Wesley and Angela working through the conversations of when (and whether) to add children to their family. I suffer from infertility, so all three of our children were planned for, prayed for, and provided by nice doctors with catheters and egg timers (I wish I was joking about that last part).

So whatever Tim and Lucy are going to face, I have confidence that they will face it together. They aren't going to suddenly stop communicating, break up, and date other people. This is Season 5B and as of yet, there's no assurance of a Season 6. It's the perfect time to cement them as a couple, explore the obstacles they overcome, and allow the fans to bask in the breadsticks (double breadsticks according to the Roll-o-Meter).

Because, y'all, we ATE.

As always, thank you for reading. This one was a lot of fun to watch and write. And, special shout out to my husband who let me squirrel away for the hour (which is right at our kids' bedtime) so I could squeal in real-time!

See y'all on the next!

#Chenford #Tim x Lucy #Lucy x Tim #Tim Bradford #Lucy Chen #The Rookie #Eric Winter #Melissa O'Neil #Chenford Meta #The Rookie Meta

161 notes · View notes

kim-lexie · 2 years

Text

summer 2022.

well fam...has it been a minute or what? i realized i was getting more anxious to upload, because it seemed all too daunting. i have accepted that this will inevitably be a subpar rewind just because oh so much happened. and after this year i hope to get back to more frequent posts. any waayyy...

music.

‘world’ by seventeen. AKA SONG OF THE SUMMER. AKA OWNER OF MY HEART. AKA THE BESTEST TRACK EVER. it literally is full of sunshine and rainbows. it cures any ailment. i freaking love this, fills me for breakfast, lunch and dinner. it is the absolute best track. and it fills my heart. 10 out of 10 recommend.

seventeen. literally their whole discography. i had the immense pleasure to see them live during their north american tour. all i can say is that it was such a unique experience. listening to their music since debut, watching their survival show, and seeing them grow. it was wild to just see them, because when i first got into k-pop i never thought i would be able to experience a live show without going to korea. then to see the first group that got me into k-pop, host an arena tour…i was so emotional seeing them in real life. like we are talking ugly crying level.

‘slam the door’ by ciipher. a complete an utter bop. thank you to ‘yoshified’ on youtube, because dang this person really recommends the best tracks. and i would never have had a complete summer playlist without this.

‘scared’ by p1harmony. let me start by saying this was noisy but it an absurdly good way. like oh my goodness they just came for me like that.

nayeon. our queen. ‘pop’ and ‘no problem’ on repeat. we stan. (p.s. ready for jihyo’s solo)

monsta x. ‘whispers in the dark’ and ‘if with u’ also on repeat. all the time.

onlyoneof. the single tracks that they’ve released. i am in love with ‘be free’ by KB, and ‘begin’ by yu jung. and the music videos and the intertwining storylines, like yes please and thank you.

newjeans. ‘you got me looking for AATTTTEEENNTTTIOOOOON’ catch me screaming their lyrics at the top of my lungs. the way they dropped their singles, like woah hold up. ‘hype boy’ definitely a favorite track. and ‘cookie’ is never played it makes me immensely uncomfy. i hope they stick to chill appropriate concepts, because come on hybe…

blackpink. the queens have returned and this album…controversial opinion….the title tracks were not it, but the B-sides. fammmmm these slayed it. catch me crying in the bathroom, i love them.

‘after like’ by ive. how can they always release bops, and the b-side ‘satisfaction’ like come on stunning.

’24/7’ by DKB. this track. i love that it comes in with the chorus. i freaking love it.

‘my type’ by brb. this is a new group i discovered and love them. technically not k-pop, it’s in english, they are from singapore but i couldn’t not include because the vibes are there. and it sounds heavily influenced by k-r&b and i am here for it.

youtube

‘excuses’ by twlv. another chill bop. like this dude has an incredible voice, and he could sing my grocery list and i would love it.

‘sexy nukim’ feat. RM by balming tiger. FAM. when this song dropped i was like WOOOAHHHHH. these artists’ style and groove, i can’t get over it. thank you namjoon for collaborating with them and putting them on my radar, because they pass the vibe check.

‘us’ by moon jong up. randomly stumbled upon this gem, and i am so sad that there is not more content from this stunning human.

‘mascara’ by XG. it’s a bop, i scream it. ‘baby girl don’t you ever be wasting your good energy’ like amen honey!

‘talk that talk’ by twice. it’s twice you know its gonna be a bop. the dance addicting.

dramas & movies *spoilers ahead*

my mister. i would give this drama a 9 out of 10. we follow dong-hun who is really going through it, like bad. like his wife is having an affair with his boss, and his family is a mess. his brothers live with his mother, and they are kind of subpar not doing the most. he meets ji-an a young girl in a difficult situation, she is being harassed by loan sharks. things get shady when she comes to find out about the affair, and uses it to blackmail the vice president and she has to get dong-hun to leave the company. she obviously doesn’t go through with it, but fates get tangled, and i would be lying if i said i was upset that our main actors didn’t get up together. but i understand why, they learned a lot from each other. it was tragic, raw, and everything you want in a melodramatic drama.

tomorrow. fam i started this drama for rowoon, but i finished it for soohyuk because dang….we follow jun-woong who is struggling to get a job after school but ends up in a coma and meets grim reapers. they come up with a plan to get him back to the world of the living by helping the crisis management team. this team’s goal is to save suicidal people. i loved the dynamics between the team, and i loved the ending of this drama. i would give this drama a 9 out of 10. i loved the style of it, each episode being a new situation and issue to solve. this was a difficult drama to watch at times, it obviously covers the trigger topics of suicide, domestic violence, and depression. the concept was unique and i loved how they offered reasonable ways to overcome and get necessary help. i loved the relationship that was unpacked between koo ryeon and joong-gil because it went so far back, and his choice to completely forget it because the situation pained him so much. but she remembered it all. i recall my heart breaking into a million pieces as their story unfolded towards the end. like there were not enough tissues to rescue all the tears.

like literally look at the way he looks at her. let me weep.

sh**ting stars. this drama was a 10 out of 10 cute fun summer drama. we are in the entertainment world with our girl han-byeol (lee sung kyung) as our leader of the PR team, and she actively manages gong tae-sung (king young-dae). he is the top actor, and their relationship is everything. she starts the drama unable to tolerate him, because she has known him since college. we come to find that he has always had feelings for her, and little misunderstandings had driven them apart. but my goodness you know that by the end of the drama they were together, and sooooo stinking cute. i loved their interactions. i also freaking loved how everyone ended up happy! like our second male lead was no second male lead, he got his own happy ending. and i loved the coworkers that ended up together in this drama too. like yes we stan character development all around! it was great!

sound of magic. i don’t know what i expected, but dang it was a musical and outright wild at times. i gave it a 9 out of 10. yoon a-yi is a high school student working hard to support her sister. she doesn’t have a supportive father because loan sharks drove him out of the home. na il-deung (hwang inyeop) competes with her to be top of the class. he likes her (obviously). our girl stumbles upon an amusement park and meets a magician there. he encourages her to believe in magic, and a quite odd relationship ensues. definitely not going to lie it was on my radar because my hwang inyeop is in it, and literally anything and everything he touches is gold to me. but it was incredible, and i loved all that they did in this drama, though it was short lived, i hope they will continue this story.

yumi’s cells 2. i was hyped fam. really hyped about it. like yes ba-bi (jinyoung), he is our man. we stan, we love. men fail. he failed us, and i’m not going to lie did that bump my rating down to a 7…yes. yess it did. once again we follow our girl yumi, in her life through work, pursuing her dream of writing. achieving her goals. and seeing ba-bi be absolute trash. so yeah. i hate ba-bi and if anyone asks i never liked him. i am ready for season 3 to come through and give us a happy ending. i am deserving of this after surviving this long, only to be betrayed by ba-bi.

dear m. FINALLY i got to see this gem after waiting forever (only) to see it. so sad about the delayed release because it would surely have taken over everything if it was a live drama. i loved the concept of always trying to figure out who ‘M’ was, and it looking like it was anyone and everyone. we follow joo-a who has been besties with min-ho (jaehyun) for forever, and they are at university together. we follow their university struggles as they get through the semester, and we meet their roomates, who are all great. and i loved that we got to see all their personalities develop and grow. there was also immense growth from joo-a, which we love to see. i loved all the characters we got to meet. and seeing jaehyun freaking slay, i stan. i would rate this an 8.5 out of 10.

weathering with you. this was an anime that i watched and it was stunning. i loved the concept. a high schooler runs away from home to tokyo. he befriends a girl who has the power to control the weather. it wrecked me emotionally and i loved it. i would give it a 7

studio ghibli: my neighbor totoro, ponyo, howl’s moving castle, spirited away. not me rewatching these studio ghibli titles. they are always a 10 out of 10 recommend.

why her. once again hwang inyeop. my man coming through with the dramas that will make me cry. in this drama, we follow oh soo-jae a freaking boss lawyer. like the youngest partner at the best law firm in korea. she is driven out and gets demoted to be a professor at a law school. gong chan is a student there and it turns out they had met in the past. he was wrongly accused of murder and she was his public defendant, she was the only one who believed in him. but it turns out that she didn’t give the case her all as the defendant. but he knows her true intentions, and how she was blackmailed by the political moves happening. they all work together along with other students in their law clinic to uncover the truth. it was really frustrating/infuriating at times, because the head of the law firm is absolute utter garbage and the things he did were AWFUL. but overall i loved this drama. a 9 out of 10 recommend.

the uncanny counter. i loved this one. we follow so mun who gets possessed by a spirit that rescues people on the verge of death, to hunt down evil spirits. these fellow counters operate out of a noodle shop. and we meet our crew of unlikely heroes here. i loved how they were a found family, and they all come together in various situations. there were so many hilarious laugh out loud moments imbedded in this quite sad theme. se-jeong is the best and i picked this one for her. i would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.

extraordinary attorney woo. if there was ever a green light drama this would be the one. a 10 out of 10 recommend. it was so precious, and i loved all the characters that we met. we follow woo young-woo an incredible bright individual who happens to be on the autism spectrum. she starts working at a law firm, and this brings about the best and worst in others. each episode was a new case, and we got to see her unique perspective on conquering each case. we also saw her relationships with others in the hanbada office. freaking fell in love with lee jun-ho, and her bestie from university yoon-kyung. they were always looking out. and we loved the character development that happened with their coworker joo jong-hyuk. this one shall get it’s own recap. because i have so many feelings and favorite moments.

alchemy of souls. when i say i didn’t know what to do with my life when this gem of a drama ended, i literally did not know what to do. it was a top tier drama for me. like the characters, the set design, the world building. it has it all. it shall too have its own recap, because dang, too much happened and i am not emotionally ready for december. i would 10 out of 10 recommend. we follow jang-uk from a noble family, rejected by the skilled teachers. he stumbles upon mu-deok, who happens to be naksu an elite warrior/assassian trapped in mu-deok’s physically weak body. she decides to be his master and teach him fighting skills. a lot of crazy nonsense goes down, and so many plot twists happen. and i freaking loved it. i loved the character development especially from out naksu and wanting to put others around her first. like yes queen.

58 notes · View notes

giftedeath · 5 months

Text

verses/about under the cut ! spoilers will be rampant ! but its been twenty years my loves <3

give me back my girlhood / it was mine first › los angeles.

pre - sunnydale buffy. living in la, attending hemery high school. she's popular, she's a cheerleader, she's everything she has always wanted to be. she is the quintessential valley girl. her parents are together, even if they do argue all the time. this is the time in her life that she will constantly refer back to seasons and seasons later ... her girlhood, the thing that is torn from her. her innocence.

she then becomes the vampire slayer.

in every generation there is a chosen one. she alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. she is the slayer.

this verse will be broken up into two parts.

part i - as innocence; the period before becoming the slayer part ii - as the reckoning; she is told one day on the steps of hemery high that she is the chosen one - that she must defeat vampires; slay them ! this is her destiny. she is instilled with what can only be explained as superpowers ! she's faster and stronger than normal girls. her nights of studying long gone as she takes up nights of slaying vampires in cemeteries. school stops mattering, friends turn away from her, and then one day, there is an incident. she accidentally burns down hemery high's gym and is expelled. her and her mother, joyce summers, move to sunnydale california. the beginning of the end

i'm sixteen years old / i don't wanna die › season one.

after her expulsion from hemery high, buffy thinks this will be her chance to get away. no more slayer responsibilities. her move to sunnydale is a blessing in disguise. until she meets sunnydale high's librarian - rupert giles; who also just so happens to be her watcher and it is solidified that not only is she the vampire slayer, but she is now in a town full of vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. things which she is responsible to take care of, for the better of society. a girl of sixteen !

key events for this verse

she meets the core of the scooby gang; willow rosenberg, and xander harris who become and stay her best friends until the end of the show. as well as other important characters, such as cordelia chase, who becomes a very significant figure in her life.

the relationship with her watcher giles begins. their relationship can be described as very father/daughter-esque but also has tumultuous ups and downs; especially in later seasons ( but also in early seasons tbh )

she meets angel ! the vampire who is cursed with a soul ( formerly known as angelus ! ) and she develops a crush on him which eventually turns into her very first serious relationship <3

she learns that sunnydale is situated atop of a 'hellmouth'; she faces multiple different vampires, including a member of the fanged four and angelus' sire - darla !! who is also his former lover. ( he does eventually kill darla during this season )

the major threat of the season however, is the master, who is an ancient and especially threatening vampire, who is trapped underground in the middle of the hellmouth. buffy defeats him with the help of the scoobies, but not without officially dying first. ( she is drowned by the master, and does die for like two minutes before xander harris is able to give her mouth to mouth and save her ! yay xander )

verse. you only get a few more candles › season two.

season two is where things really start to get fun and buffy, as a show, starts to understand what it is really about. buffy is seventeen, now and a junior at sunnydale high. she's deep in her relationship with angel. she passes time by trying to do her best in school, training with giles, as well as going to the bronze for a bit of r&r every now and again ( a lot ! ) all while fighting the forces of evil!

key events for this verse

iconic vampire couple spike <3 & drusilla <3 enter and begin to wreak havoc in sunnydale! they are established as the 'big bads' of the season.

due to buffy's brief death in season one, a new slayer named kendra is introduced ! we love kendra so much

xander and cordelia start dating which causes cordelia to become one of the scoobies, thus growing closer to buffy by association.

oz osbourne is introduced, a senior and later revealed as a werewolf. he begins dating willow and becomes a scooby !!

willow begins to dabble in magic !

jenny calendar, the computer teacher at sunnydale, starts a romantic relationship with giles & we learn that actually ( lots of retconning goes on ) jenny is romani, her true identity is janna of the kalderash, the same people who cursed angelus and gave him his soul back - making him angel ( and if you choose to watch btvs just know that there are a lot of racist elements in this, and slurs are used very frequently, and it's disgusting. )

in s2ep14 'innocence' buffy and angel have just had sex ! yeehaw, buffy loses her virginity. but alas, angel experiences a true moment of happiness ( yeah. ejaculation jdfkjdkf ) and the curse is lifted, he becomes angelus once more; the notorious, blood sucking, evil vampire. which sucks for buffy bc he then starts to treat her like shit !!! it's all a very weird joss whedon metaphor for men pretending they like you so that they can sleep with you, and then change completely right afterwards. blah blah blah. it is deeply traumatizing for buffy!

angelus joins spike and drusilla to destroy the world ! the fanged four is 3/4ths reunited and hell is unleashed upon everyone. angelus kills lots of innocents, including jenny calendar. drusilla kills kendra. ( TRAGIC AND I HATE IT !! btvs stop killing off woc challenge ) and buffy, in the end, teams up with the scoobies + spike ( yes SPIKE ! the big bad ! ) and sends angelus / angel, the man she is in love with ! into a hell dimension, never to be seen again. very traumaizing again, for buffy.

buffy also comes out to her mother this season as a vampire slayer, and joyce doesn't take it well. ( yes more metaphors ) so ... buffy leaves sunnydale.

verse. a begging to be believed › season three.

terrible awful things happened to buffy in season two like what the hell. so she disappears to la for the summer, bc isolation is how she deals with trauma hello ! eventually she does go back to sunnydale and back to the scoobies and is now eighteen, and a senior. yay ! graduation time !!

key events for this verse !

due to deplorable writing choices, kendra's tragic and unjust death means a new slayer is in town. enter faith lehane !!! buffy's shadow, a girl just a bit younger than her, a very important part of buffy, someone who makes her ... her <3 initially, buffy can't help but be a little bit jealous over faith. her friends love her instantly, she's cool and calm and wears a lot of leather, and she's kind of hot ? oops. ... but yeah, she's in sunnydale !! and they start another very tumultuous friendship .. one that starts off on jealousy, later buffy warms up to her and they have some good Bad Girl times ! until faith kills a man ! and suddenly buffy has to think about what it means to be a slayer, slayers aren't killers, am i bad too ? etc.

angel mysteriously comes back from the hell dimension lmao !!! but he's fucked in the head a bit, ok sorry wait. angel is not the same angel that she knew when she fell in love with him i guess ? bc he suffered for who knows how long in the hell dimension that she was forced to send him to. but now he's back, and she helps him regain his sanity and strength. they kind of start their relationship back up again, but by the end of the season, they break up and go their separate ways.

anyanka the vengeance demon enters ! we love her we love herrrr. she loses her vengeance demon powers tho very quickly and becomes a normal girl ! and goes to the prom with xander

buffy turns eighteen and the watcher's council basically has giles perform this ritual called tento di cruciamentum and it's the beginning of buffy and giles' decline. :( giles is fired from the watcher's council & is replaced by new watcher wesley wyndam pryce !!! oh dear wes <3 also buffy decides fuck the watcher's council and stops caring about them ! good for her !

enter big bad of the season, the mayor !! who is on a mission to ascension or becoming a "pure demon" and with faith on his side, he kind of does it ! but buffy and the scoobies and also the sunnydale class of '99 stop him ! yay ! oh the high school gets blown up lol

buffy stabs faith and puts her into a coma eek

angel and cordelia officially leave sunnydale to go start their spinoff show in los angeles ! good for them :) <3 wesley even joins them a lil bit later ! and angel the series ensues. we'll see angel again tho

verse. she is as destructive as a coriolis storm › season four.

it's the college season! buffy and willow both are attending UC sunnydale yay ! buffy's still kind of cut up about her breakup with angel, but its ok and she's healing <3 she meets some cool people. she loses her soul once ! phew. oh and there's this whole thing called the initiative which kind of sucks :/ but lets get into it

buffy's a freshman, nineteen, she likes psychology with professor walsh and her TA riley finn. she's good at it too ! actually, given the opportunity - she's pretty good at school. which is a cool realization that she has.

anya and xander start officially ? dating. willow and oz break up and oz leaves :( but that's okay bc willow's a lesbian and she meets tara who is also a witch !!! and more scoobies are added to the roster!

spike comes back lmaoooo. and uh, a chip is implanted in his head, and it prevents him from harming humans by giving him big bad migraines. but do not fear ! because he can still harm demons! which causes him to join the scoobies! yay !

oh and its put there by "the initiative" which is ( wikipedia ) "a top-secret military installation based beneath the uc sunnydale campus" they experiment on/kill demons idk. riley finn is like the main bunker boy and professor walsh also runs the shit too. the big bad this season is a guy/demon - man made The Creature from frankenstein like thing named adam and he's very smart or whtvr. it's a very uninteresting season overall lol

buffy and riley start dating and its um .. interesting. she definitely learns and realizes things

buffy and her friends defeat adam and the initiative is shut down and buffy starts thinking about the lineage of slayers, a perfect transition into season 5

verse. death is close / but so is life › season five.

DEATH IS YOUR GIFT ! or probably the best season of buffy.

your gaslit into believing that buffy has had a sister named dawn for four seasons. and you believe it too, for like a second. we love dawnie <3 dawn is the most important person ever, actually.

big bad of the season "glory" enters. she's pretty, she has cute outfits, she's also a god ! and she shares a body with this guy named Ben. he's a nurse ! but again, glory is a god ... and she's searching for a key so that she can open a portal to her hell dimension. the problem is, if she gets the key and opens the portal, it essentially blurs the line between hell and earth and it will unleash hell onto earth ! so she really can't get the key

oh and the key is dawn. dawn is the key. she's energy that was made out of buffy and formed into her teenage sister. so yeah, she wasn't buffy's sister for her whole life, she's actually just existed for a few months ! and the fake memories the key makers planted into all of their brains, makes it kind of feel like she's been there forever. buffy loves her. dawn is her. they are the best sister duo relationship i have ever seen. i am very fond of them.

joyce ( buffy's mom ) dies of a brain aneurysm. it is ............... heartbreaking. it changes buffy's life. it changes buffy.

riley and buffy break up. spike realizes he is IN LOVEEEE with buffy. it's kind of iconic but im a little biased ngl. he also really ups the ante by protecting dawn and joyce a lot and buffy really is relying on him to protect her loved ones this season. also .. he kind of becomes one of her loved ones this season as well :')

glory kidnaps dawn and despite the scoobies efforts, dawn's blood opens up the portal, unleashing hell on earth. buffy sacrifices herself and dies and the portal closes. and buffy dies for the second and final time. ugh god. THE GIFT ! DEATH IS HER GIFT !

verse. life is pain / and life is suffering but my god / you're alive › season six.

my favorite season. season six u will always be famous

buffy's dead but not to worry, the scoobies (willow, xander, anya, and tara) are going to bring her back from whatever hell dimension she's in! don't worry! willow knows what she's doing and she won't come back wrong

they do it! but oops they think that they didn't do it and so buffy is forced to claw herself out of her grave. traumatizing

buffy is alive again, she's back and she's .. not wrong, but also .. she's not the buffy that the scoobies have known and loved all these years. ( to them ) and buffy's actually extremely depressed, empty, and feels very very wrong, ultimately; is suicidal. she was pulled out of heaven ! she has bills to pay, she needs to get a job, her mother is still dead, the soulless vampire is still in love with her, there's a very iconic musical episode where she almost basically attempts to off herself but spike is there to tell her that life is worth living, you have to keep on living SO ONE OF US IS LIVINNNNGGG!!!

giles leaves this season bc he thinks that buffy relies on him too much ? weird but ok.

buffy and spike start a 'sexual' relationship... i guess

their relationship is .... it's an incredibly interesting dynamic which explores the theme of the jungian shadow in depth. it's mutually toxic, but it also stands to represent a lot about buffy and spike's characters. there will be tons and tons of metas written about this whole relationship bc it literally is so......... it's just, it makes sense why it happens. but from a basic perspective, it's not something i support or condone. but it serves a very critical narrative purpose and it is pivotal to buffy's character and the way that i write her. also if u have zero basic media literacy, then it's just a toxic relationship. but it stands for so much more. spike is consistently there, someone who she confides in throughout the season. he is her anchor in a lot of ways. she starts having sex with him because she knows that he is in love with her, she feels safe around him, but she is also disgusted with herself bc that is her shadow. he has no soul and it reflects her emptiness and the void that she has felt since being brought back to life. like i said, very interesting dynamic that changes buffy as a character and honestly, helps in her journey to healing !!!

there is a spike and buffy scene in season 6 ep19 'seeing red' which i largely ignore. actually ! yeah .. i don't feel that it is canon. in fact, spike already knew that he wanted to get his soul back prior to /that/ interaction, and so for my portrayal, i look at it as ... he feels he's not a man and not a demon, he's not the man that he needs to be, for her, to be hers, and so based on their relationship throughout s6, he comes to the conclusion that he always had: he goes and he gets his soul back!

oh yeah ... and there's this trio of incels warren, jonothan, and andrew. they try to fuck up buffy's life in "comical" and silly ways. warren gets tired of being beat by buffy so he decides to shoot her. he also manages to kill tara, and this sets willow off and dark willow is unleashed !!!! but don't worry bc xander saves the day and buffy lives because tara dies. it's tragic and terrible

verse. i owe myself an apology › season seven.

bc buffy got resurrected last season, it caused an imbalance between good and evil and something called 'the first evil,' is the big bad of the season

it's killing potential slayers and plans to raise a huge army of these ancient vampires that are practically unkillable

the watcher's council is destroyed ! everybody clap

buffy keeps a whole group of potential slayers in her house to train and protect them. oh and she's working at the high school now as a guidance counselor

spike has his soul back which means buffy can heal and be okay, because he's not empty anymore and neither is she. lots of good moments this season for them. they're married actually.

everyone in sunnydale evacuates bc the hellmouth gets worse!

faith comes back to help buffy's cause <3

there's a preacher called caleb and he's a misogynist. he's safe guarding this weapon - it's a scythe. buffy gets it and kills him with it !

angel comes to sunnydale and gives buffy an amulet that is to be worn by a 'champion' meaning vampire with a soul. so she gives it to spike.

they go down into the hellmouth to fight the ancient vampires as a unit. willow does a spell and it unleashes the potential slayers powers. now there are lots and lots of slayers, and buffy is no longer the only one! she is not alone! she is free!

spike's amulet harnesses the power of the sun and it unleashes onto the vampires, saving the world but also sacrificing himself in the end. also - buffy tells him she loves him and for the first time since angel, she means it :') and then he dies haha !

from wikipedia : in the end "dawn asks, "what are we going to do now?" buffy slowly begins to enigmatically smile as she contemplates the future ahead of her, ending the series on a hopeful note." SHE IS FREEEEEEEEE

verse. meanwhile / the world goes on › goodbye sunnydale.

basically everything after sunnydale. i don't follow the comics bc i haven't read them. i like to think that buffy rests. she has a big giant rest. i'll flesh this out later !

marvel verse: verse. it’s open season on all suckheads › the mcu.

verse. the strange and unexplained › xfiles.

#verse. give me back my girlhood / it was mine first › los angeles.#verse. i'm sixteen years old / i don't wanna die › season one.#verse. you only get a few more candles › season two.#verse. a begging to be believed › season three.#verse. she is as destructive as a coriolis storm › season four.#verse. death is close / but so is life › season five.#verse. life is pain / and life is suffering but my god / you're alive › season six.#verse. i owe myself an apology › season seven.#verse. meanwhile / the world goes on › goodbye sunnydale.#verse. it’s open season on all suckheads › the mcu.#abuse mention /#suicide mention /#depression tw /#death tw /#holy shit why did i just spend like three hours on this #cliff notes version will come eventually

2 notes · View notes

eviltiddyprodnz · 11 months

Text

xo, kitty : episode 1

i love how they're trying to make this about kitty wanting to know about her mom and culture but she literally keeps condensing the entire discussion to : i get to see dae 🤩 (she's just like me fr)

also they're agreeing to it so quickly???

the acting or editing for the first 5 minutes is kinda all over the place like give me something to hold onto, it's just happening ???

i see the author !!!!

help something about the way this show is shot up until this point is making it weird and dull. my girl kitty deserves better but i guess it'll get brighter and better once she gets to Korea.

seventeen hot !!!

although the girl who said wow! and drew our attention to this guy in the first place sounded so disinterested lmaoooo 🤣🤣🤣 stopped looking at him too

the way her dad and his girlfriend (?) did not even show a little bit of emotion like they were just like aaaah okay ! go to Korea babe !!! like omg at least cry, hug and drop her to the airport !!! there was so much emotion in the first movie just to drop Margo at college and them to school. 💀

first kiss at KISS

i love that the title card is super pink and pretty and cherry blossomy because up until this point it has only been BLUE (imagine Halsey singing here)

I'm so easy to bag lmao they played telepathy by BTS and i smiled so wideee

she has so little luggage but honestly slay. how is she doing everything on her own 😭😭😭

ofc she recognises her bus that she's missing right away. not to be realistic but the way i'd just be lost and confused for the first 50 minutes 💀

they're just throwing songs a little too fast at us like woah let every song shine !!!

fully forgot that I had a bowl of ice cream with me and now it's liquid.

transitioned from baam to blackpink but you know what this was actually fun!

also colours !!! finally colours. thankyou Korea 🙏

the way i cannot concentrate on anything but this that pink venom 💃 this that pink venom 💃

the rich girl is not the classic rich kid mean and cold and terrifying like kdramas yet

ofc my girl kitty got hit by a car she's been having a hard day 😭💀

lmfao her lying on the road is a little hilarious, someone paint this

bar is on the floor but the rich girl getting out of the car makes me already feel a little positively about her

lmao the driver being #real. be careful while crossing the roads besties !

she's offering kitty a ride!

Yuri heard the ' i'm here to surprise him and he has no idea i moved here' and is giving her the exact look that we all did when we heard her

my girl kitty has 0 boundaries but she also already has friend so

the songs in this show up until now just play out of NOWHERE

are they both dating Dae

I love how American this show lowkey feels 💀

his eyes are sparkling !!!

this show is straight out of wattapad

my girl Yuri is being interrogated for possibly having a girlfriend. support yuri initiative increases to 100%. she calls her dad daddy, it reduces by 13%.

Yuri's mother serving a little like i love her voice. ofc she's in Kitty's mom's album. KITTY no don't walk over to her already 😭😭😭 oh drama

I am 100% distracted by these beds, WHY do they look so cool 😭😭😭 although I'd be scared of falling off

the voiceover needs to be a little louder for me personally but I think we're about to get a montage !!! (ignore my ramblings a little i keep waiting for the rom com moments to jump out)

KITTY IS THAT A DYSON

she looks so cute !!! the hair !!! let me ignore the neon sleeves

wait is this actually happening or is she in a dream sequence rn this was so random 💀 give me a little blur all eyes focused on you moment

wait that actually happened ??? they weren't even THAT excited

now where did Yuri come from 💀

oh this is deadass not a dream sequence

Yuri is not dating Julianna, Yuri rating now drops to 13%.

she was dating Dae after all

why is no one emoting or being a little serious about this 💀 it is so casual

I mean Kitty is emotionally walking away but this is truly a terrible moment??? heighten the drama a little. the director of this show, when i catch you !!!

Jennifer Arnold bring in some emotions please 😭💀🙏

the pacing has been terrible but we move. second episode here i come

#xo kitty #netflix #the pacing is so off #emotions please join us #i hope kitty fights dae #the nonchalance is so ???#episode 1

3 notes · View notes

macthedrag0n · 1 year

Text

Homecoming

Ship: Garrett Hawke ("Default Hawke") x Inquisitor Ellana Mahariel (OC)

Rating: G

Tags: Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Loss of Limbs, Established Relationship, Hawke in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Homecoming, Kirkwall (Dragon Age), Disbanded Inquisition, Reunions, Divine Leliana, Light Angst, Speeches, Dragon Age II Spoilers, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers

Summary: After the Exalted Council, Ellana returns to Kirkwall.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43646853

“My lady.”

Ellana’s eyes flew open as she instinctively pushed herself up with her right arm. From what her blurry vision could comprehend, there was no natural light coming from the cabin windows; only the still-burning candle sitting in the lantern on the floor beside her bedroll. A couple of more blinks and the blond was able to see the concerned face of her handmaiden Arwyn, who was kneeling beside her with a hand on her shoulder.

“Has something happened, Arwyn?” The Inquisitor asked seriously, already rising to her feet.

“Nothing serious, my lady!” Arwyn quickly assured her employer in an almost-frantic whisper. “But, we are quickly approaching Kirkwall and Charter wished for you to be woken up before our arrival.”

Kirkwall. The word echoed in Ellana’s ears as she stood vigilant for a moment before fully relaxing. Of course.

For about ten days now, the most powerful woman in southern Thedas had been on a ship en route to the infamous City of Chains, operated by a crew made of Divine Victoria’s best elven scouts. While Ellana’s original plan was for her to book passage on a public ship in disguise, what was left of her inner circle insisted on a private vessel instead. It was only when the Viscount of Kirkwall himself sent a ship donning the city’s heraldry that she admitted defeat and accepted this new plan. Even two years after the defeat of Corypheus and with the new threat of Fen’Harel on the horizon, Ellana still didn’t fully comprehend her importance and any reason why she should be under the best protection available.

But how many other blonde one-armed darkspawn-slaying elves were there in Thedas?

It didn’t take long for Arwyn to dress Ellana for their eventual disembarkment. After doing so for four years, the redhead could have her dressed for an audience with a dignitary in ten minutes or less. Arwyn had been sworn into the Inquisitor’s staff the same day she took the position, making her one of Ellana’s closest allies outside of the inner circle. Josephine thought it would be best for her staff to be elves (due to her Dalish background) and Leliana went to long lengths to make sure their backgrounds were as clean as possible. But besides having a clear background, it was decided that even the serving girls in Skyhold should have some sense of self-defense training if an internal threat makes itself known, so Arwyn can not only care for Ellana efficiently, but she can also defend her in a range of different ways.

But besides all of this, Ellana is glad to have Arwyn as a friend.

By the time the two women made their way above deck, the ship was already passing through the black cliffs. Past glimpses of moonlight, Ellana was shrouded by thick shadows cast from the towering bronze statues infused into the cliffs, giving her flashbacks to when she first came to the city. During that time, she was a foolish child of seventeen. Since her sister had died shortly before, she believed that there was no reason for her to stay with the people she had known all her life. So, she used what little gold she had to bribe her way onto a crowded ship heading for Kirkwall. What was she planning to do once she got there? How was she even going to get into the city? In that dark stuffy hold, she didn’t know what to think. All she knew was that she couldn’t go back. She was the last Mahariel in all of Thedas and she was all alone.

But, it was also in that same dark hold that she met him .

“My lady?”

Once again, Arwyn’s voice snapped Ellana back to the present. The ship was now passing the last cliff and she was now staring up at the stone complex of the Gallows. The sight of the old prison made a strange burning feeling form in her stomach and her heart began to pound in her chest.

“Yes, Arwyn?” Ellana asked, her voice having a slight shake to it.

“I’m a bit concerned about us docking so late at night,” Arwyn stated freely, something Ellana enforced into every member of her staff. “Won’t there be bandits and possibly assassins lurking for us here?”

Ellana turned to her handmaiden, offering a comforting smile. She could see her younger self in Arwyn; she had the same nervous stance and fearful eyes the first moment she stared up at those weeping statues. She was confused, believing for a few moments that she ended up bribing herself onto an actual slave ship instead of the human vessel she believed it to be. Looking back on it now, she can’t help but laugh and even reminisce on that moment.

One of her last moments of genuine naivety and innocence.

“The first thing Viscount Tethras did when he was elected was to permanently close the Gallows from public use,” Ellana explained, squeezing Arwyn’s bicep reassuringly. “The only reason we’re docking here at this time of night is to minimize my arrival as much as possible so that no bandits or would-be assassins could plan an ambush.”

Arwyn nodded understandingly, despite the worry lingering in her eyes. Gods bless her, she was a trooper.

Just then, the ship jolted forward slightly before coming to a complete stop. Scouts ran past the pair to help with securing the vessel to port and to drop the ramp for disembarking. Amongst the bustling bodies, an elven woman with orange hair came striding up to them.

“Charter.” Ellana greeted the senior scout warmly. “How are you this evening?”

“Tired, your Worship.” Came the scout’s blunt response, making the Inquisitor chuckle. “But we have safely arrived in Kirkwall. You are free to disembark, but I don’t believe we’ll be unloading the cargo until daybreak.”

Ellana nodded. “I assumed so. The last thing I want is for any of you to be working until you drop out. We aren’t at war anymore so a couple of crates and trunks can wait while you all rest.”

This made Charter and Arwyn share a smile. Since she was dubbed the Herald of Andraste back when the Inquisition was still a start-up set in Haven, Ellana always helped elves whenever she could. Yes, she treated everyone equally and never showed bias when it came to serious matters, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t looking out for her fellow pointed-eared individuals. Just as Cassandra had said when she was offered her position, Ellana was seen as a symbolic underdog to the elves of southern Thedas. While her Dalish kinsmen may have called her a flat-ear for integrating with humans and leading their holy war, to those who needed a sign to rise and rally to the cause, Inquisitor Ellana Lavellan was their beacon.

Even though it was a beacon with the wrong name.

“Ramp is lowered, ser!” A voice rang out from the group of scouts near the bow. The trio looked over and sure enough, a sturdy wooden plank was connecting the ship to the stone floor of the Gallows.

“Well then.” Charter turned back to her former leader with arms folded across her chest. “Will you be heading into the city tonight, Inquisitor?”

“Yes. I can’t wait to see the kind of estate Varric has prepared for me.” She then leaned over to look past Charter at the scouts, who were now standing and chatting amongst themselves. “And perhaps this is the proper time for an announcement.”

Charter and Arwyn share a confused glance as Ellana cupped her right hand around the side of her mouth and called out to the crew, who quickly perked up and made their way to their leader. Once they formed a crescent shape around her, Ellana smiled and placed her arm behind her back.

“I just wanted to thank you all for ensuring our safe passage from Val Royeaux.” She began her speech. “And for your service to the Inquisition. I know these past two years have been stressful and scary, but your hard work has paid off and Thedas is safe.”

Claps and soft murmurs rumbled through the small crowd but they ceased when Charter raised a hand to silence them.

“But as you all know,” Ellana continued. “The Inquisition has been dissolved. I am sure that most of you are disappointed and may even be angry that it is gone, but nothing can last forever. With the Breach gone and Corypheus defeated, there was no other reason for us to go on. Our job is done and we must put our swords down.”

She took this pause to scan the crew. This was a variant of the “farewell” speech she gave in Halamshiral not even an hour after she announced the Inquisition’s disbandment. The crowd of soldiers and onlookers were dead silent as she spoke of loyalty and bravery, of pain and bloodshed, but above all; sacrifice. The sacrifice of their people, of lands, destroyed or yet to be retained, and of those who sacrificed limbs and health for their cause. It was all the more powerful as she stood there with her newly-amputated left arm for everyone to see.

But with this significantly-smaller crowd, she saw the same sadness and frustration. Many of the elves in the Inquisition's ranks came to her call, and now that she was retiring, who knows what was in store for them? How many of them were going to be unemployed and homeless? How many will resort back to the unsafe work they were doing before the Breach?

And how many will fall victim to the Dread Wolf’s calling?

But from their perspective, they have seen this woman rise and fall once more. Her service to the Inquisition seemed to have aged her beyond her twenty-seven years; new scars on her pale skin, lines in her face from sporadic moments of joy and frustration, dark circles under her bright blue eyes, and who knows how many gray hairs are hidden in her platinum-blond locks. But no matter the physical toll the Inquisition has put on her, Ellana never faltered. She rallied those who wished to fight for justice and order, and now the fight is over.

Whatever looms over the horizon, they will be ready for it.

“Take these last words as we part.” Ellana resumed. “While I may be just a Comtesse of Kirkwall after tonight, you are all still loyal scouts of Divine Victoria. Do as you must to serve her well and when the time comes for you to move on, don’t look back. There is a world full of opportunities for you out there.”

Another round of murmurs makes its way through the crew, this time more upbeat.

“But of course,” Ellana concludes with a shrug. “You can always come work for me here. I can always establish a spy network of my own.”

Laughter came from every scout, including a stifled smirk from Charter and a soft giggle from Arwyn.

“To the Inquisition!” A voice cried out.

“To the Inquisition!” The crew cried in return.

“To the Divine!” Another voice called out.

“To the Divine!” Echoed the crew.

“Here here!” An unknown third voice rang out.

Confused looks spread across the crew as they all turned around to see who the voice belonged to. Ellana stretched up to try and look above the heads of the crew.

The moment she caught a glimpse of black hair, her heart stopped.

Standing at the edge of the bow was a tall human man with black hair and a full beard, dressed in a red tunic, patterned breeches, and dark boots. A bright red scar hung loosely around his neck and shoulders, swaying in the late-night breeze. The man was dressed for comfort as if he was just taking a relaxing stroll through the former Circle of Magi.

But Ellana knew this man.

Of course, she knew this man.

Before she could comprehend it, her feet broke out into a full sprint toward the man. The crew quickly parted to evade her while the man immediately opened his arms, welcoming the incoming impact of her body to his. Once she was close enough, Ellana leaped towards him, arms wrapping around his neck and her lips crashing into his. While being thrown off guard by the elf’s actions, the man closed his arms around her torso, holding her off the ground. He also took a couple of steps backward due to the force, but quickly steadied himself and kissed her back. Ellana’s traveling cloak, a large dark garment lined with wolf’s fur and a low hood, fell over her shoulders to cover them both, closing them off from the onlookers around them.

The scouts could only stare in surprise and confusion at this while Arwyn had a knowing smile on her face. Since being sworn into service, she made it a point to learn who the people closest to the Inquisitor were, how to identify them, and how to interact with them. The Inquisition’s advisors and inner circle were easy enough, but the one person who she had difficulty identifying was Garret Hawke. The fabled Champion of Kirkwall had been a prominent player in Ellana’s life since she came to the city during the Fifth Blight. It was the Hawke family who made sure she was able to enter Kirkwall in the first place. She worked with the smuggler Athenril alongside Garret and his apostate sister Bethany, with whom Ellana became very close until she was found by templars and sent to the Gallows. The family matriarch Leandra regarded the elf as one of her own, frequently visiting her in her home in the Lowtown alienage and even insisting she moved in with her and Garret when they obtained their estate in Hightown. Having a mother like Leandra Amell was precious to Ellana, who had lost her parents when she was still a child. So when Leandra was abducted and murdered by a serial killer, to say that Ellana was devastated would be quite an understatement. Stack on the Arishok and the growing tension between mages and templars, it was remarkable that Ellana didn’t just grab whatever she could and flee the city. She could have but made the conscious choice to stay.

After all, she couldn’t just abandon Garret.

Garret, who had suggested that she work with the smugglers with him and Bethany. Garret, who had been there for her when her best friend was taken away by templars. Garret, who had consoled her in her grief while also deeply mourning his mother. Garret, who made it a point to make her laugh and include her whenever their friends made any kind of group plans. After all of these things, how could she have turned her back on him? What kind of friend would she have been to abandon him now when the world was crumbling around them?

But then again, they weren’t just friends anymore.

Once the need for air overruled their need for one another, their lips parted and Hawke slowly returned Ellana to the ground but kept his one hand securely on her hips while the other came up to cup her cheek. Ellana, who had been dreaming of their reunion since he departed Skyhold for Weisshaupt, could only stare unblinking at him, eyes shining with tears yet to spill. Hawke scanned over his lover’s face, taking in any new scars or indentations she had obtained in his absence before his brown eyes met her blue ones.

“Hello,” Ellana said in a soft breathless voice.

This made Hawke chortle and a bright smile broke out across his face. “Why, hello there. It would seem you have missed me.”

“Yes.” Ellana tilted her head to the side, pressing her cheek against Hawke’s hand. “It would seem I had.”

Her action made Hawke instinctively stroke his thumb against the apple of her cheek. “If I had known such a reaction would come from, maybe I would have embarked on life-threatening journeys more often.” He said with a smirk.

Before Ellana could give any kind of response, the sound of someone clearing their throat reminded them of the world around them. The Inquisitor looked over her shoulder to see Charter and Arwyn watching them, alongside the twenty-odd scouts diverting their eyes or smirking at the couple. The revelation came and Ellana’s face was immediately a bright red while Hawke seemed to find the moment (like most others in his life) quite amusing, judging by the laughter emanating from him.

“Apologies.” Ellana stammered. “This was just… a sudden reunion I had not prepared for.”

“Not prepared for?” Hawke questioned with a smirk. “It looked like you were about to jump my bones in front of everyone here!”

Laughter and stifled snickering broke out amongst the crew while Charter facepalmed and Arwyn stood aside awkwardly. This of course added to the already high embarrassment Ellana was feeling at that moment. Her relationship with Garret had been under wraps since its conception ten years prior. Only their closest friends knew of this, especially after he was named Champion of Kirkwall. Ellana was upset at first that they had to keep it all private, but grew to accept it since it meant that she wouldn’t be harassed any more than she already was in those days. She even came to enforce it after obtaining the Anchor and learning how Cassandra went searching for him. By not saying a word about it, she was ensuring the safety of both of them and earning Garret more time for his investigation of the Grey Wardens.

But now, it seems the years of secrecy were over.

“Alright,” Charter called, causing the laughter to stop and everyone to look at her. “No more of that. Her Worship is just like every one of us. She deserves to have someone to love, especially after all she’s done for the world.” She then turned to Ellana. “It seems that Messere Hawke was anticipating your arrival, my lady. Her Holiness will be pleased that your homecoming was received positively.”

“Wait until Bethany finds out you’re here,” Hawke spoke up. “I don’t know if she’ll burst into flames or dissolve into a sobbing mess when she sees you.”

“She must be asleep by now,” Ellana responded, turning to Hawke. “We can go see everyone in the morning.”

As if on cue, a yawn came from Arwyn, which then started the domino effect of everyone else yawning. Ellana, who had been awoken less than an hour ago, was the last to yawn.

“Let’s get you home then,” Hawke concluded. “You’ll sleep like a babe, I guarantee. Varric commissioned a Ferelden four-poster bed that looks exactly like the one you had at Skyhold.”

“How sweet of him.” Ellana turned towards the crew. “Thank you all once again. Do have a good rest.”

Murmurs of “thank you” and “goodnight” came from each scout as they turned and disappeared down the stairs to the crew quarters. Charter was the last to leave, nodding respectfully to the Inquisitor before making her own exit, while Arwyn strolled towards Ellana.

“Garret, you remember my handmaiden Arwyn right?” Ellana asked, motioning her hand toward the redhead.

Hawke smiled. “Of course. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Arwyn.”

Arwyn blushed pink and gave a quick curtsy. “And to you, Messere Hawke. My mistress spoke of you frequently after your departure.”

“Did she?” Hawke inquired with a side glance to his lover, who only yawned again.

“We have all the time in the world to discuss how much I missed you.” Ellana quipped, ending the conversation before it really began. “For now, let us make our way to Hightown, shall we?”

Hawke huffed but soon began leading her down the plank with Arwyn following a step behind. Despite any disappointment he felt at that moment, he couldn’t deny what Ellana had said. Something that brought him great relief and contentment.

They did have all the time in the world.

#inquisitor x hawke #hawke x inquisitor #garrett hawke #da2 hawke #male hawke #inquisitor lavellan #lavellan #mahariel #inquisitor mahariel #ao3 crosspost #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #inquisihawke #macthedrag0n

2 notes · View notes

destinygoldenstar · 10 months

Text

"No matter what, you don’t stop fighting until you give them exactly what they want to see." (Destiny's Burden)

“Charlie?” Sheri comes in to lean on the doorway. She’s back in her purple scarf and blue jacket, which is buttoned up to hide her torso. “Fran and I are ready to go. You want me to take her to breakfast?”

“That’d be great, thank you,” Charlie accepts. “We’ll meet up again there. If you see Astrid, keep her around till I show up.”

Sheri gives him a finger gun and leaves. He can hear her say, “Fran, we’re leaving. Charlie will catch up. You got your ribbons? Priya! When did you become a newspaper girl?”

Charlie finishes up his makeup a few minutes later and puts it away on the shelf below the sink. They each have a shelf for their stuff, but Charlie’s the only one with makeup. He turns around to the door-

“YAK!” He jumps back at the sight of a ghost being face to face with him.

“Good morning, Sue! Did you miss me?” The ghost greets. His voice is dry and grating. He’s a lanky man with a curly white beard.

“I… don’t think I did…” Charlie tries to be nice. It’s hard.

That’s when Mary Sue, from behind him, pushes him to the side. She says, “Ryan, I asked you to wait outside. Leave the room.”

“Can’t I get a greeting like the rest of you? Ouch.” Ryan whines. “You try purgatory.”

He jumps through the floor and disappears, leaving Charlie and Mary Sue alone. She offers him a hand to take him downstairs to the living room. They take a seat on the couch, and she offers him a glass of tea and a small plate of raspberry cakes. Charlie takes the tea, but one sip makes him instantly recognize the flavor. Earl Grey. It’s a flavor he hates, but Mary Sue loves it, so she’s always giving him that flavor. He tries not to touch the cakes, as he doesn’t like cake either.

Charlie drinks it anyway to not be rude, but it’s a bit of a struggle. Seventeen years, and Mary Sue still doesn’t consider what kind of treats her descendant likes.

“How was your sleep?” Mary Sue asks him.

“Perfect.” Charlie gently answers, trying to hide his disgusted face from drinking the tea.

“Is the place okay?” She asks.

Again, he says, “Perfect.”

“I’m glad.” She says with pleasure, her sweet smile she always has never breaking. “By the way, you’re on the front cover of the newspaper today for your speech.”

She offers him the newspaper.

‘Charlie Sue makes a ground breaking speech upon arrival to Hiro’

‘“Hi.”’

“Darn it, Li.” Charlie mutters under his breath.

“Hm?” Mary Sue heard that.

“I-I mean, good for you.” Charlie puts on the act again. “...Me. I mean good for me.”

She asks, “I’m sure you know about the First Action Arc, correct?”

“Correct.”

“I wanted to ask regarding the Rosuto sisters staying with you,” Mary Sue says. “How are they?”

“I bought the elixir for Sheri. Any episodes occur, I’ll tell a doctor.” Charlie answers. “Fran’s doing fine, I don’t think there’s medicine to worry about with her.”

“We did a blood test regarding Fran and her place,” Mary Sue explains. “She wasn’t lying. She is Sheri’s sister.”

“You thought I doubted that?” Charlie raises an eyebrow. There’s a bit of sorrow in that line.

“Jubilee doubted, but she’s quickly proven wrong,” Mary Sue says. “You know I don't make mistakes, right?”

“I know.”

“This First Action Arc is meant to show off the capabilities of Hiro’s Chosen One residency and fill in space for collaboration,” Mary Sue explains. “And my suggestion regarding you is that if the time comes, you will be the star.”

Charlie nearly chokes from the tea. “Pardon? The First Action Arc is for everyone.”

“You’re a Sue,” Mary Sue states. “You must be the center, no matter what.”

She stands up and uses her telekinesis to clean up the tea set. She adds, “In the arena, there will be a real Weekling. Not a hologram one. You will slay it when it reaches the ring of stones, and every Chosen One there will watch. You’ll know where it is.”

“A real Weekling? That’s against the arc’s code.” Charlie calmly argues back. “That’ll put people in danger.”

“Which is why it’s in your hands,” Mary Sue says.

“It’s not fair to everyone else taking the test. Not only would I be cheating, but others could get hurt.”

“A Sue such as yourself cannot die without notice. Chosen Ones don’t die before Destiny is reached.” Mary Sue states. “Nobody will be killed, let alone hurt, so long as no Average sneaks in.”

“With all due respect, I would like to play fair.” Charlie says. “I can be on the same playing field as everyone else.”

“Would ‘fair’ assist you in taking out the final threat of this volume?” Mary Sue asks. Her eyes turn orange from her tense voice.

“Maybe me and the Rosutos can start ahead.” Charlie suggests. “With help from the princess, we could go after the Dark Lords and get the Diamonds back. I don’t see why not.”

Mary Sue claims, “You know, your mother attempted the same thing in her time. Most Sues have tried that, actually. It was always the same results. They got nowhere because Destiny doesn’t give worms to early birds.”

Charlie falls silent. Mary Sue notices. She approaches him and leans to his level, cornering him on the sofa.

“...I know it’s less to ask of you, but the truth is, those Rosuto girls are not on the same level as you, and never will be. They’re never going to be anything more than assistants to you, as without you, they’d fall apart as nobodies. When I fulfilled my Destiny, I lived forever. No one in my time is alive anymore. But I remain. So will you.”

Charlie sinks in what she says. He doesn’t think that way, but she’s trying to dig her mindset into him.

She tells him, as advice, “ Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”

“I don’t understand that,” He says.

“It’s old language, you’ll get it when you’re older,” She brushes off. “What I’m trying to say is, you’re the star. Give the people out there what they want to see in you. What do they want to see? They want to see perfection. They want to see you, from day one, slaying difficult monsters and showing it off that you are the best. Be the hero. Be what they want. Even if it kills you. Even if it empties you out until there’s nothing left but a body of raw power and light. No matter what, you don’t stop fighting until you give them exactly what they want to see. ”

Charlie hugs himself, feeling some uneasy bubbling in his stomach. It must be the tea.

He gives a shy, almost mute, “...okay.”

“Oh. If I may interrupt.” Kopf shows up through the wall.

“Were you listening to us?” Charlie asks.

“...of course I was. Are you kidding?” Kopf says with no shame. “I would like to escort our boy to breakfast before he heads out for the First Action Arc.”

He’s holding a busted fork, and his teeth are crooked and yellow.

“U-uh, I’m okay.” Charlie tries to deny it. He heads for the door. “Really, Kopf, it’s-it’s nothing, I know my way there.”

“Son, are you sure?” He asks. “Don’t you want to give your old man a hug?”

“Please don’t call me son, I’m good, I’m already out as we speak, thank you, goodbye.” Charlie shuts the door behind him.

Thankfully, Kopf doesn’t follow him.

Destiny's Burden: Read now!

#Destiny's Burden #Charlie Sue #Mary Sue #book scenes #read my book

0 notes

drarryruinedme7 · 3 years

Text

Last year I made a post with all my fave Drarry fics from my first year of fandom. Have my second year wrap up! Listed by Rating and then length.

RATING: TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES

Beautiful by @xx-thedarklord-xx (2017; 8.9k)

Summary: With the second task looming closer, Harry escapes to the Black Lake to open the egg, in the hopes of avoiding Myrtle. The Mersong isn't just helpful in figuring out that Mermaids are real, it attracts his very own handsome Merman.

*I didn’t know I love merpeople AUs until I read this one. It was cute and sweet and I’m really glad I read it.

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi (2017; 93.3k)

Summary: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

*What can I say. This is a masterpiece, it absolutely entered my heart to never leave it again. Best AU ever!!!

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered (2018; 153.8k)

Summary: Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

* This has been the turning point of my Drarry passion this year. First, I discovered Lettered (good Lord why hadn’t I before?!) and then, well. This fic brought out so many feelings in me and I’ve already re-read it something like 5 or 6 times in the span of a few months. Amazing.

RATING: MATURE

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018; 20.7k)

Summary: When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

* The angst!! It’s usually not my cuppa, but this was bittersweet and just so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. Find the rec for this one at this post.

RATING: EXPLICIT

Give Me Sweet Oblivion by @tryslora (2012; 4k)

Summary: Italy seems like a long way to go to keep a fetish secret. But the club is exclusive, and the far away location, and Muggle nature, promises anonymity from Wizarding Britain. The only problem is that sometimes, great minds think alike.

*Super hot, I love finding old gems like this one. Plus, Italy. Go, folks!

Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged by @lqtraintracks (2020; 5.3k)

Summary: Harry may not ever have had to see it if McGonagall hadn’t decided it was a good idea to hold a ceremony on the grounds outside before the Sorting in the Hall. And by ‘it’ he’s referring to Draco Malfoy on a motorbike.

*jsklajdksajfa This one! THIS ONE! Slayed me. I read it feverishly and then like, fainted at Draco on a motorbike.... this fic surprised me and I 100% loved it.

A Ghost of Blissful Feelings by @alpha-exodus (2020; 6k)

Summary: Harry hadn't expected to spend his eighth year fucking Draco Malfoy, but it's the only thing that helps him let go.

*Dunno guys, I’m amazed by how much this one hit me. You should read the tags before diving in, but it was darkish in the right way, Harry and Draco suffers and find peace in a ‘’special’’ way, but I stand by it. Hot and intense.

Tell Me (What you Need) by @keyflight790 (2019; 6k)

Summary: Even though Harry was paying for his Dom, there were limits; breaking points in which someone would refuse, no matter how many Galleons were pushed in their direction.

*Okay, I may be biased because this is a gift for me, but Chris never lets down with her amazing writing and this has everything I need and more: Dom!Rentboy!Draco and a perfectly sweet Harry with a Daddy!kink. I mean.

Dangerous by Faith Wood (2014; 6.3k)

Summary: Being trapped in a dungeon with Malfoy — who's a werewolf, a former Death Eater, and a giant git — is definitely dangerous. Harry has no reason to be excited. None at all.

*Y’all know Faith Wood is like my n.1 fave Drarry author. I have no idea why I had never read this one though!!! It’s actually phenomenal, scorching hot and just dsjkafjaks love this werewolf!Draco. OMG.

Scent and Sensibility by aidaninkling (2018; 7.5k)

Summary: [...] Draco's always known he'd be married off as a trophy omega, but suddenly his mother's trying to make him king by promising him to some stupidly good-looking alpha and she just won't stop smiling at him. Does fate's cruelty know no end?!

*This blew my mind. A/B/O AU so hot I melted while reading it and I loved it so much that I re-read it three times IN A ROW. No kidding. Read it.

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered (2012; 12k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

*Back to Lettered. I love Time Travel fics, and this just delivered perfectly. The ending was also enigmatic enough to keep me wandering, which I always appreciate in these kind of stories.

Sex, Lies and Veritaserum by @letteredlettered (2011; 17.9k)

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

*LOL alright, I’ve developed a new obsession this year (clearly). This was ...gosh! Hot but it also gives away a certain level of intimacy and trust between Draco and Harry to be so open about their kinks... it was perfect.

On One’s Knees by pir8fancier (2008; 33.8k)

Summary: The war is over and to the victors go the spoils.

* The fic which made me fall in love with DownAndOut!Draco.

The Pirate and the Prince by @nerdherderette (2019; 49.2k)

Summary: Draco can't believe that fate and circumstance have made him a stowaway on the Master of Death's ship. He doesn't know what's worse: the dread pirate's legendary vendetta against the aristocracy, or the fact that his captor is the most infuriating yet irrefutably fascinating man Draco has ever met.

*Okay y’all. Nerd is a great person and author. She is phenomenal. And this fic shows it so well. The pirate!AU the Drarry fandom both needed and deserved. Sublime.

Unhook the Stars by jad (2016; 70.5k)

Summary: [...] Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

*Again, Dom!Draco and such a beautiful sub!Harry. They stole my heart. In this fic they grow up together through the aftermath of the war and they just... they have this intense Dom/sub relationship, I can’t... explain how much I loved this. Scorpius also makes his appearance and it’s so real and cute!

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015; 93.3k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

*This is one of the last ones I’ve read. Find my rec for it here. Such a cool fic, with a shunned Draco who gets to be so happy in the end, it made me happy too.

Burn The Witch by @lettersbyelise (2019; 95.8)

Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

*I do not have the words to express what this fic means to me. First of all, it’s how I met Elise who’s an amazing person and who I’m glad to call friend. She’s the sweetest. And also incredibly talented. This fic will take your breath away from the first word to the last one. Smol!Scorpius is perfectly characterised and my absolute favourite bit of the fic.

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (2019; 99.7k)

Summary: What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

*Another incredible person who I got to know better thanks to her breathtaking storytelling and her sweetness for sharing it with me. Quick made something amazing with this fic and I urge you to read it. It was my first creature fic ever, first time I read about werewolves and I totally fell in love with it. Sheer perfection.

Freedom to be by @quicksilvermaid (2019; 169.5k)

Summary: Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. 12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends. Only nothing feels perfect. Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

*Well, could I just miss out on another one of Quick’s great works? With, again, Dom!Draco!??? No, I couldn’t! This is such a great exploration of BDSM and what it means and Harry’s path into it.

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later by TheMightyFlynn (2015; 202.8k)

Summary: Five minutes after his happily-ever-after, Harry finds himself locked in the public loos with an angry Draco Malfoy and a need that he has denied for 19 years.

*Find my rec for this fic here. It’s really long and has Ginny bashing, but it’s totally worth it!!

#drarry #drarry squad #drarry fic rec #drarry rec #draco x harry #draco malfoy #harry potter #drarry fics #drarry fanfictions #my recs #two years of drarry #amazing authors #amazing stories

263 notes · View notes

darklydeliciousdesires · 3 years

Text

In The Blood - Chapter Twenty.

Tag list - @modernscarlett @sadiemaeve @aarfyie @helenasmirkedno @jasmindaughteroftheworld @minaofmayhem @brittanyshea25 @suckedintothesupermassive @bhairston @carolina-thiell @criminalyetminimal

(To be added to or removed from the list, please DM at any time)

Previous Chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen

(A/N - Chapter contains actual dialogue from True Blood blended in with my story, which I do not claim to be my own)

Chapter Twenty

Eric's POV.

“So, what did she say when she called you?” Pam asks as the cab speeds through the darkness.

“To basically get my ass back to Fangtasia, pronto. I guess we'll just have to wait as to what she's going to do when I get there,” I reply, looking out of the window blankly.

When we do arrive at the bar, we find out immediately the exact nature of her visit, heading in through the back entrance and walking out into the main part of the bar to see her waiting for me.

“I'm sorry Miss Flanagan, the bar is closed,” I tell her sarcastically upon my entrance, which is the truth. We don't open for another fifteen minutes.

“Thank you, but I already ate. True blood only, of course. You can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you? The VRA is two states away from ratification, I should be kissing asses in Oregon, not cleaning up after you in fucking Louisiana!” she grits with indignance, surrounded by an AVL swat team as she walks closer towards me.

“Oh, I promise. There is nothing amiss in my area,” I begin, before she interrupts.

“Shut up, you're making my head hurt. Officers, silver him,” she then orders the assembled goons. I wait as I hear footsteps behind me, then the sudden and scorching hot pain of silver burns into my shoulder as I drop to the ground in agony.

What transpires after this is me learning that Miss Flanagan visited here tonight to investigate me over the disappearance of the magister, having every inch of my property inspected before coming back up into the bar to tell me that even though she found nothing, her suspicions still remain. I’m then made to give a statement to the authority via a webcam link. Except what I reveal to them is not exactly what I think they were expecting.

I tell them everything, or rather everything they need to know, about trailing Edgington for so many centuries, about his werewolves, the bloodthirsty V addicts who have historically remained loyal to him. I also reveal how he has an extremely visceral reaction to people standing in his way, using the magister and queen Sophie Anne as examples.

I then inform them of exactly what Edgington and his wolves did to my family, stating that the reason I did not report him for his crimes before was that I wanted him to die via my own hand. That statement is as much as I can say in my defence, before Pam and I are put on lockdown, instructed to keep the bar closed and of course, not allowed to step foot out of here until word is given.

After she exits, leaving four of her guards behind to make sure neither Pam nor I try to leave, I quickly send a text message to Tyra, explaining that I will talk to her as soon as possible and that she should stay home tonight. I'm not even sure the guards would let her in for a start and secondly, as I told her and Pam last night, for appearances she's just another member of staff, just the bookkeeper, not someone whom is linked to or involved with me for any other reason.

I'm sure exactly what she is to me, other than the obvious with her being my last living descendant. I must protect her for that reason alone before any other, it is my duty to. I want to keep Tyra as far away from all this as I can, because if Edgington even so much as suspects she's linked to me in any way, she's dead.

I kept that bluntness from her yesterday, but it is the honest truth. He'd slay her in return for my staking of his lover and progeny, so she needs to be held at more than arm's length right now, with the AVL investigating me so closely.

As it turns out, the wait until I can resume life as normal is just twenty-four hours, Nan Flanagan arriving back at the bar at 8pm the following evening, informing me that basically I have the go ahead to rid the world of Russell Edgington, to do it quietly and off the books with only my own resources, since last night my actions - it would seem - made him have somewhat of a meltdown and execute a newscaster live on air.

He stirred an already volatile pot by proclaiming to the whole of America his to be the true face of vampirism, admonishing the AVL as liars for preaching anything to the contrary. It's something that my mind immediately begins to turn over while I go about two necessary tasks, feeding and then asking Tyra if she can reschedule her visit to tonight.

I am still adamant that I will not feed from her until I fully know and understand what she is. To form a blood bond with another supernatural creature for vampires is, for the most part, for the rest of their existence. Of course, this is what I suspect is happening between us. I always feel exponentially closer to her after I’ve fed.

Pursuing anything of that nature further is something that will take careful consideration, regardless of our already existing blood link through ancestry, regardless of any other facet of her that I might find appealing, in fact.

I just do not know if this is something that I'm capable of, regardless of the biggest thing of all. The fact that each time I’m close to her, each time I've engaged in intercourse with her, I've felt myself pulled further and further in, regardless of what is prompted from feeding. Furthermore, I do not like it when she isn't around. Not one bit. I must confess, she’s beginning to become significant to me. Very much so.

I’m shaken from my thoughts by a reply message from her, telling me she wants to finish some more work and will be here at some time around midnight, if she does come at all. This is something else I like about her, she's independent of me completely. I cannot click my fingers and watch her instantly come running to me. She refuses me, she does things in her own time, she tells me no, she stands up to and challenges me as well.

I've never met anyone like her, even the most brutal female woman I ever met, Elizabeth Bathory, whom I was only discussing with Tyra the other night, had a touch of neediness to her. She'd obey my every command, do anything I wanted her to do. Tyra shows me one thing that not many women ever have; restraint. She also has a very steely self-composure.

I cannot manipulate her and as a result of that, I find myself less inclined to do so. As I said to Pam a long time ago, I have respect for her because of this above all. To me, she is the very essence of what a woman should be. Strong, beautiful, clever and still elusive to me in a way as well.

It's also the fact that at first, she wasn't interested in me in the slightest. Women who openly pursue vampires have an air of desperation about them that just doesn't exist with Tyra at all. I enjoyed the challenge of being the one to pursue her, very much so.

Since we decided business should resume as normal, the bar is open and in usual full swing for a Saturday night when Tyra arrives. Sitting in my usual place I can feel her closeness, watching the door until I finally see her walk through it, heading over to the bar first and having Deborah make a beeline for her immediately.

The women talk briefly for a few moments, Tyra receiving a glass of red wine (complimentary, of course, as are all employee drinks as long as the privilege isn’t abused) before she continues through the bar, indicating to me she’ll be a minute before entering the office. When she returns, she’s without her bag and jacket, arriving before me looking as luminous as usual.

“You haven't rested, have you?” These are her first words to me, over the pounding of the music currently playing, some brand of newer metal my ears are not accustomed to, nor particularly fond of.

“Your observation is correct, but I am in no mood to be berated over it,” I reply tetchily, her perplexed face alerting me to the fact that my tiredness wasn’t anything other than a simple observation, rather than hen pecking.

“I wasn’t about to, but if you’re not in the mood to see me, I can always head home? Choice is yours, you cantankerous bastard.” She retorts, scowling a little that her gentle concern was rebuffed so bluntly. I can’t help but smile suddenly, laughing quietly through my nose.

“I’m sorry,” I offer sincerely, Tyra raising an eyebrow at me as she continues to sip her Cabernet.

“I should fucking well hope so, too!”

“Will you promise me one thing?” I then request, entertained by her response.

“Depends on what you're asking for,” she replies quickly.

“Never change.” She eyes me over the top of her wine glass, taking another slow sip, catching a droplet with her tongue from the corner of her mouth as she lowers the glass. Fuck, just that got me hard.

“Not for you, and not for anyone else either, for that matter.” She informs me, holding my gaze before turning to walk back through the bar over and to the exit, no doubt to see Pam, leaving me laughing behind my hand.

“Please, don't become like the rest. You're the most fascinating creature I've met in a thousand years.” I mutter to myself as I watch her walk away, feeling myself grow furtherly aroused by that beautiful feline glide she has, the way she swings her hips when she walks.

She's ensuring that with every step she takes, she's not going to be spending a lot of time out there talking to Pam, that's for sure. Not with how devastating she looks this evening.

Tyra's POV.

After enjoying a catch-up chat with Pam, I head back inside and set my empty glass down on the bar, noticing Eric is absent from the seat I left him in, heading into the office to collect my things and then venturing down another floor, where the door is open for me when I arrive at the entrance to Eric's apartment.

I find him reclining on the couch, dropping my bag down to the side of the bed before sauntering over to him and watching his eyes open slowly, blue grey orbs framed by golden lashes, enticing and beautiful.

“So, what did Nan Flanagan have to say then? Was it regarding Talbot's death?” I ask as he pulls me down onto his lap, stroking my arms.

“No, not at all, in fact. She visited to question me over the magister and his disappearance,” he replies, before telling me how the bar was searched looking for evidence, how he had to give a statement and went on to inform Nan and the AVL authorities of what Russell had been up to, what he had done a thousand years earlier to his (and my very, very distant) family.

“I also have the go ahead to slaughter him, but without any backing or help from the AVL. They just want him dealt with and out of the picture, so they can do sufficient damage control with a no doubt glossy PR campaign while continuing to push the vampire rights bill for ratification.

“I can see how Russell Edgington would be extremely bad for that PR at the moment, especially if he plans on tearing out any further spines from public figures at any point soon,” he explains, his hands wandering to stroke my thighs.

“Do you know how you're going to kill him yet? Did they give you a deadline for you to hand in his fangs, as it were?” I inquire, after absorbing the information he's given

“I'd rather not discuss it right at this moment, if you wouldn't mind. Right now, I'd rather you take my mind off it for a time. Besides, you look as if you could do with the same thing, too. You have a tiny frown line right here; you always get it when you’re pissed off. What is it?” He replies and asks, which I must say is very attentive of him.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Well, I hope it’s nothing. A vampire named Langdon Vernon, the Hot Topic goth guy who owns the equally Hot Topic-esque alternative clothes store about a half mile away from here sent me an email in the early hours of this morning. He’s basically threatening to sue me because I noticed a pattern of discrepancies which will mean he has to declare more earnings to the IRS,” I explain, Eric nodding as he frowns.

“Bleached white, wavy hair and wears more makeup than Elvira?” he questions, my nod confirming that he indeed is the person I’m thinking of. “He’s a fucking troublemaker with ideas above his station. In my capacity of Sherrif, I’ve had to deal with him a couple of times now. He seems to think owning a sizable alternative clothing store makes him some kind of bigshot. He’s just trying to intimidate you.”

“I know, legally he has no leg to stand on unless he cooks up some untruths about me fiddling with his accounts, which I doubt he’d be stupid enough to do. Anyway, shall we take our minds off this by partaking in something a little more pleasurable?” I suggest, being met with a hungry kiss by my vampire lover.

His hands grasp my breasts through the thin silk of the top I’m wearing, spaghetti straps being teased off my shoulders by his inquisitive fingertips, while I lift my arms to facilitate the removal of all that covers my chest.

He arches an approving eyebrow at the fact I’ve forgone wearing a bra, my top slipping from his hand as he leans forward, bracketing my waist as he circles my nipples with his tongue. He lavishes my bare breasts with kisses, fangs prickling them slightly too, adding to the gentle hum of pleasure that starts to run through me from his touch.

“Don't get too comfortable with those in your mouth.” I purr seductively, wriggling free from his grasp and sliding down until my knees hit the floor, my hands undoing the front of his tight, black jeans. I keep eye contact with him and bite his inner thigh hard, making him close his eyes and groan a little, those beautiful, steel blue eyes snapping back open again when I've freed his rock-hard dick.

He watches intently as I take him in my mouth, easing my lips down his shaft slowly, my tongue swirling around the big, thick head that feels so criminally good upon entry; in whatever hole of my body it happens to be sliding into. Right now, it feels very, very nice while gliding in and out of my mouth.

All the veins begin to flood, engorged and swollen with blood, his gorgeous, primal growl filling the air as once again my tongue circles slowly, then quickly over the very tip of his hardness. While I do this, I reach down and unfasten my pants, sliding my hand in and moaning when I touch my silky wetness. I always get so aroused while sucking his cock. It’s the anticipation, imagining it splitting my cunt.

“Where has your other hand suddenly disappeared to?” he questions, sounding entertained. He knows full well what I'm doing, but I play along all the same, taking my hand back out of my pants and reaching up to slide a finger into his mouth.

“You can have a finger rather than a guess,” I tease, feeling his tongue press against the underside of it as he tastes me, smiling wickedly once I pull my finger from his mouth. I attentively go back to his cock while his hands lose themselves in my hair, plunging my mouth down until every inch of it disappears into my throat.

In my diligence, I spend an absolute age working him to orgasm, rubbing myself to a moaning release a couple of times while I get him there, gratified by the shaking of his body as a jet of cum spills into my throat, Eric grunting deeply, his hands fisting my hair.

Before I know it, he's grabbed me tightly around the waist and moved with me, shedding the rest of his clothes after he drops me down on the bed and then rapidly does the same to me.

Pulling my legs open wide as he kneels in front of me, I take a moment his gorgeous rippling physique nicely lit from the slight glow of the candles over in the far corner, shading it in all the muscle creases beautifully. He looks like a work of art.

Taking my leg, he begins stroking it deftly with both hands, planting kisses at the ankle at first before slowly working his way down, making me say a silent prayer of thanks that I had the foresight to actually make sure I'm freshly groomed in the pubic area. I prefer to be hair free.

When his tongue meets my newly smooth apex, I shudder a soft breath, the languid beat of his tongue against my clit enough to make me want to practically howl in total abandon, how incredible it feels. Like I said before, a thousand years' experience makes for the kind of man anyone would want.

They know exactly how to touch you for one thing, they can sense the way your body reacts to it and remember it exactly. You know how no matter how good the man you're in bed is, there's something about your own touch that'll get you off the quickest, because only you really know your own body that way? His touch feels even better, even more precise than that; like he knows things I don't.

The feeling of him suddenly sucking on my clit hard has me in bliss, coupled by the invasion on two thick fingers deep in my heat has me at the peak of my undoing, pushing me over into nirvana. Oh, he’s too good by far.

“Sorry, but there'll be no elongated oral performances from me tonight, I just want to fuck.” He announces, sitting up, pulling my legs up over his shoulders and plunging his dick into me hard. Any other sound of pleasure I’ve murmured tonight is eclipsed immediately by the loudness of the screams, groans and cries I let out as he fucks me mercilessly, driving me headlong into orgasm, after orgasm, after orgasm. By five in the morning, I'm tired and sore, but very content.

“Something I meant to ask you a while ago, that I noticed to be strange. You breathe when you're having sex. Why?” I ask him, feeling him stroking my hair as I lie against his chest.

“It isn’t conscious, it's just my body remembering. Vampires do often start to breathe in moments of exertion. I've often thought it to be quite the strange thing too,” he replies.

“I don't think it's strange. I like it actually,” I state, my finger beginning to draw a small circle on the centre of his chest.

“Why? Does it remind you of being with a human?” he asks, while I move to look down at him, quite perplexed at his question.

“If I wanted to be with a human that's what I'd be with, so now I'm getting accustomed to a vampire, don't rock the boat,” I tell him firmly, watching him frown.

“It was a legitimate question, not an offhand remark,” he replies earnestly, making me feel a little bad. Sometimes, I really can't tell with him. His snarkiness is often delivered thinly veiled.

'We're much too quick to snap at each other, aren't we?' I then tell him, after a few moments of contemplative silence, where I noted this is just one of many instances between us.

'Yes, we are. I suppose that’s something we should work on. Now, lie down and be quiet, you battle axe,” he states playfully, putting his arm around my neck and pulling me back down until my head is resting against his chest once more, making me giggle a little.

“I will not be quiet, because I want you to know one thing for sure. I accept you for whom and what you are, a vampire. I don't want to change you, nor do I long for you to be any more human in demeanour either. Not in life, or in bed. Just so you know. Us both trying to be better for one another is acceptable though,” I tell him, my finger continuing to draw its circle over his cool skin.

“I know, it's one of the things that attracts me to you the most. I know you’ll never try to change me into something I’m not,” he notes, before kissing my forehead and untangling himself from me. He’s back in a nanosecond after extinguishing the candles, wrapping me in his arms once more. “Sleep well.” He murmurs, stroking my back as I become dozy.

There's something about him being there next to me, it makes me fall asleep literally within minutes. Not that I've ever had trouble sleeping in the past, but his presence is something very soothing. Considering for the most part he's six foot five inches of moody vampire, that's quite a feat really. Also, because he doesn't move or breathe, I'm not subjected to any snoring or fidgeting around next to me as I sleep. Everything down here in the bowels of the building is silent and conducive to a very restful sleep.

I wake feeling refreshed at midday, gathering my belongings and using the spare key behind the bar to let myself up and lock up behind me, the bright sun hitting my arms and warming them nicely as I walk across the parking lot to my car and click the locks open.

I always wanted an Alfa Romeo, so last year I decided to spoil myself and trade in my old BMW for the 147 twin spark model in candy apple red. I love it. It's not as fast as Eric's Jag (a brand new XK8, apparently he's never kept a car for longer than twelve months either) but it's fast enough with its 2.0 litre engine, and gets me where I need to go rapidly enough. Right now, that place is to grab some nice, Cajun takeout before heading home to eat and work.

From here on in I slip nicely back into my usual routine, visiting Lafayette later on in the evening before getting a rare early night, my Monday morning beginning early, driving around to drop off accounts with my customers. I manage to fit in meeting Dmitri for lunch, heading home at 2pm to work until midnight, take a long bath and then gratefully climb into bed.

Even though it is nice to have my bed all to myself, I have to say I do miss that big, blonde dead fella that shares it with me sometimes. However - and definitely going back on his 'two nights a week' idea - come 4am in the early hours of Wednesday morning, I miss him no longer.

“So, what can I do for you?” I question after he’s flown in through my open window, stripped naked and climbed into bed with me, curling around my body and kissing my shoulder.

“Nothing, beautiful. Just go back to sleep.” Yes, I think I will.

34 notes · View notes

cruisercrusher · 4 years

Text

Hey, I found your vibe

Hardcase finds out one of his favourite musical artists is a crappy person, so the others cheer him up while suggesting new music for him to listen to

word count: 1244

A clone wars modern au one shot, that fits into the broader modern au but I couldn’t find a place to insert it effectively so here:

“Hey, what’s up?” Ahsoka walks up to the group, noting how Hardcase is lying in the grass, gazing forlornly up at the sky.

“Hardcase is distraught,” Echo says as she sits down with her caf pasta.

“I’m inconsolable.” Hardcase says with a straight face, but doesn’t elaborate, and Ahsoka turns to the rest of the group for clarification.

“He just found out Doja Cat is a really gross person,” Jesse explains. “And now he has no music to vibe to.”

“Oh, that sucks,” Ahsoka says. Hardcase sighs, and Kix reaches over and pats him on the shoulder, one eye still on his textbook.

“We’re all trying to come up with music suggestions for him,” Rex says. Next to him, Anakin is pouting.

“They’re all roasting me for my suggestions.”

“Not everything is about you, Skywalker, but also, your suggestions were all bad.” Fives says. “Try thinking of something less white trash and also something Hardcase would actually listen to.”

Hardcase drapes his arm over his eyes. “What even is a ‘fallout boy’? I don’t know her.”

Anakin puffs up, rising to the bait almost laughably easily. “Fall out boy is literally one of the most—“

“I don’t know her. I’m too pretty.” Hardcase turns his head to look at Ahsoka. “Ahsoka, who’s your favourite artist?”

Ahsoka shrugs. “I like, uh, girl in red?”

Hardcase considers this. “Hm… I don’t think I’m really girl in red’s target demographic.”

“What’s that band Bly loves?” Rex says. “Cavetown?”

“Cavetown does slap a little bit,” Hardcase says. “But it’s not the same vibe… I need music I can dance to but also dissociate to and also just vibe, you know? I have to be able to vibe.”

“What about Britney Spears?” Fives suggests, and Hardcase gives him a look.

“If you think I don’t already listen to Britney then you literally don’t even know me.”

“Yeah, that’s fair. Pretty sure we all listen to Britney.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Anakin says, because even he has at least one Britney song downloaded.

“I love Britney.” Echo pitches in, and Fives nods in agreement.

“Britney is an icon. When I say I hate celebrities Britney is not included in that statement.” Rex says. “What about Todrick Hall? You could make his music your main thing.”

“Hey, yeah,” Hardcase reaches for his phone. “Speaking of gay icons. He put out a new album recently, tons of songs on it, lots of bops, some bangers if you will. I’m upset though, because one of the songs on there that slaps the most is featuring Rupaul, and I hate Rupaul.”

“What’s wrong with Rupaul?” Ahsoka asks.

“He’s one of those people who was progressive in the nineties but have either seriously regressed since then, or have just lost touch and not noticed that the people he paved the way for have completely left him in the dust.” Rex explains. “And won’t or can’t catch up.”

“And also he’s irritating.” Jesse interjects. “I just don’t understand the ego on that man.”

“He wouldn’t last a day on his own show. Did you know Rupaul can’t sew? Clown behaviour.” Hardcase scrolls through something on his phone, then snickers. “Rupaul stopped being a gay icon when he invested in oil fracking.”

“Oil fracking,” Kix mutters with contempt. “I hate his laugh. Like, that laugh he does? Can’t stand it.”

Ahsoka nods. “Ah, I see. Yeah, oil fracking is… not great.”

“So Rupaul isn’t on the table,” Anakin says.

“Rupaul isn’t even in the dining room.”

“Right, what about, uh, that girl who was in fifth harmony but left? Her new music?”

“Ew, Camilla Cabello?” Echo answers for Hardase. “Sorry, I thought we said no more hetero garbage suggestions.”

Anakin looks offended. “No, the other one! Normandy?”

“Normandy is a place in France, idiot, you’re thinking of Normani.” Rex says, and Hardcase’s eyes widen.

“Normani! Yeah! I loved her debut solo single, I should see what else she’s got.”

“Wait,” Jesse says, “I thought Normandy was in the Netherlands?”

“What?” That finally gets Kix to look up from his note taking. “Are you serious? No, Normandy is in France. Remember, invasion of Mormandy, D Day, world war two? We learned this.”

“Mormondy?”

“That’s where the mormons live.”

“That’s where Stephanie Meyer is from.”

“I’m tired, don’t come for me.”

“Normandy does sound like it could be a place in the Netherlands, though.”

“Mr. Kenobi would be disappointed in you.”

“No!” Jesse cries, turning his distraught face to Anakin. “Would Mr. Kenobi be disappointed in me for forgetting Normandy is in France?”

“Probably not.”

“I don’t think he would be.” Ahsoka says. “Obi-Wan is nice. He’d just say something like he’s glad that you’re learning.”

“Phew,” Jesse feigns wiping sweat off his brow. “That was a close one.”

“Fetts be like, seeking the validation from Mr. Kenobi we don’t get from our father noises.” Echo says, and his brothers around him wince.

“Oof, too real, Echo.” Rex says.

“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you can just say it.”

“Wait, oh my gosh, moment of inspiration--” Fives sits forward, look of pure revelation on his face. “Hardcase, you know who I think you would totally vibe with?”

“Who?”

“Jojo Siwa.”

“Jojo Siwa?”

“Jojo Siwa.”

“Jojo Siwa?”

“Jojo Siwa.”

“Hm.” Hardacse considers this.

“Isn’t Jojo Siwa that girl with the glittery bows and shit?” Anakin asks.

“Jojo Siwa is actually really cool.” Ahsoka says. “I follow her on tiktok. She encourages young girls to, I don’t know, let themselves act like the kids they are? She’s like the only person on the planet not telling twelve year old girls to throw it back. And she’s genuinely funny and seems really nice… yeah. Also, her outfits are literally so cool.”

“Oh my gosh, yeah,” Hardcase says, tilting his phone so the rest of the group can see. “Look at this alien costume thing whatever from this music video, I’d go so far as to call this club kid revival. Girl’s got hella style.”

“Wow,” Anakin says, “I can’t believe a twelve year old has way cooler style than all of us.”

“Jojo Siwa is our age.” Rex informs him. Anakin blinks.

“What?”

“Yeah, she’s seventeen.” Fives says. “Anyways, I don’t know why but I really think you’d vibe with Jojo Siwa, Hardcase.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Hardcase says. “Hold on, let’s listen to some of her music.” He pulls up her spotify and queues some of her newest releases, then turns the volume up on his phone and tosses it onto the grass in the middle of their huddle.

An upbeat, funky tune starts playing from the phone’s speaker, and all eight of them lean forward in attentive silence as they listen to the song.

‘Bop bop, twist twist, check it off your checklist, chug chug kick it, move it move it mix it--’

“Wow, Jojo is slaying on this track,” Jesse says after a minute. “Queen icon legend.”

“She’s killing it. Go, Jojo!”

“Yeah, I’m digging this actually.” Hardcase shimmies a little to the beat. “Thanks, Fives!”

“I live to serve.” Fives smiles. “Sorry your favourite artist turned out to be a terrible person.”

Hardcase shrugs. “Eh, it’s alright. I stan Jojo Siwa now. Life is good.”

“To stanning Jojo Siwa!” Ahsoka holds up her milk carton in a toast. Hardcase, who has no drink to toast with, just grins and lightly slaps the carton. They laugh, and the sun smiles down on them, and life is good.

50 notes · View notes

rowan-raven-rogue · 4 years

Text

kirschwein (ch1)

will probably edit later when it’s not 3am but let’s get this posted babey

kirschwein

word count: 2127/2830 part 2/8 rating: general audiences warnings: no warnings apply category: f/m fandom: critical role (web series) relationship: jester lavorre/caleb widogast Characters: jester lavorre, caleb widogast

additional tags: let’s see how matt mercer thrusts the harpoon of canon straight through the heart of this story in like 5 episodes, somewhere between AU and canon-divergent?, established relationship, technically mechanically compliant, we can discuss the meta of greater restoration vs heal if you want

chapter 1

Despite evidence to the contrary, she thinks, Jester really is not suited for healer’s work.

To heal is one thing, certainly; one whisper to the Traveler, and a wound in Beau’s shoulder closes, or a burn on Caduceus’ palm blisters over and cools. But the work of healing - bandaging, applying poultice, splinting - that remains a mystery, even after the morning spent in the red-haired healer woman’s tent. A body really does most of the work by itself, Jester thinks, diligently elevating a young man’s shattered leg all the same, the way the woman had instructed. She croons something low and nonsensical to soothe him, as he half-cries in his half-sleep, and is thankful that her mama taught her at least a bit about the work of consolation.

To be perfectly honest, she might have been of slightly more use on the builder’s crew. Slightly.

“That’s very good, dear,” the red-haired woman smiles, only with the corners of her eyes. She finishes applying delicate-smelling balm to the frizzy side of a dwarf woman’s face, then turns to Jester. “You learn quickly.”

“Not always,” Jester admits. “Only because you showed me. If I had to learn this from a book or something, or if you were just talking me through it I would have no idea what was going on.”

“We learn in different ways,” nods the woman, in her thick, familiar accent. “I learned much of what I know from books, but they do not, ah, always have the full story.” The young man lying next to Jester groans again, and she reflexively lays a hand on his arm and hums something lullsome. “A page cannot teach that,” she says, softer, indicating.

“I could do more,” Jester ponders, “but he seems okay for now, and if anyone else gets brought in that might be worse, I don’t want to… I’d rather save it.”

“More wisdom.”

“But if no one else comes today, I can fix it no problem,” Jester says, and puffs just a touch of green sparks from her fingertips, for effect.

The older woman’s eyes crease, again, the way they had earlier that morning, when Jester first arrived, when she first set her fingertips to the gashes clawed in a half-elf child’s back and asked Please, Traveller, make it stop hurting. Not in a smiling way, and not for longer than an instant, but long enough for Jester to see, and to vanish the green sparks with a small noise like a weasel’s squeak.

“You are talented,” murmurs the red-haired woman, and the rain slowly pattering away at the canvas above them drums a little harder and faster.

“I hope Caduceus is okay,” Jester says, as if she could look through canvas walls and summon him, dripping but cheerful.

“He is allergic to water?” the woman says, unblinking, and it takes Jester seconds to realize she’s joking.

“Yes,” she deadpans back, in her best mimic of Caleb - and there was a pang, she hadn’t seen him all day - but the woman actually laughs, small but full.

“He will be alright,” she says. “I am sure the apothecary is… overworked, today.”

“He’s better at this kind of thing,” Jester says. “Healing without, uh. Cheating. He knows what he’s doing.”

“I am grateful for your help,” the red-haired woman says, firmly, seating herself by the small brazier in the center of the tent. “Normally, they,” with a small circle of the hand, to her patients, “would be cared for at the hospital, but. You saw the state of the hospital, after...” And after a long pause, “I do not think of it as cheating.”

Jester sits, mindful of the patients resting. The woman continues to stare into the glowing coals.

“We simply have different ways of accomplishing the same task,” she says, finally. “You are skilled as you are, dear.”

A blush purples faintly over Jester’s cheeks “You sound like my - friend,” she says. How do I refer to Caleb, exactly?

“Hmm?” says the woman. “She is smart, then.”

“He’s so smart,” says Jester, eagerness creeping in at the edges of her voice. “I meant you sound the same like you have the same accent. He’s Zemnian, too.”

“Is he a healer, also?”

Jester shakes her head. “He usually needs me to like, put his arms and legs back on after a fight or something. But he’s really good at other stuff.”

“A mage, then,” and that same small ghosting look gathers in the corner of her eyes, and dissipates just as quickly. “That will be useful, if your aim is to hunt these creatures. They are quite strong.” There is a small pop from one of the glowing coals. “My husband was a soldier, and he only barely managed to slay one of them, once. I nearly had to put his arms and legs back on myself.” A suggestion of a smile turns at the woman’s mouth. “He is… not in his fighting prime, of course. That was one of the few times I have thanked the gods for his hard-headedness. I think he was simply too stubborn to bleed out.”

“Oh my God, Caleb is so stubborn sometimes,” agreement spills from Jester, and the woman cocks an eyebrow.

“Your - friend?” she says, with a suggestion, lilted and understanding, and Jester takes pause.

“Well - yes, and also - I mean, we’re together, but - it’s so hard, when we’re with this big group, you know, like - you never get any time to yourself as it is, and it hasn’t been that long…” Jester’s words trail off into a small, exasperated sigh.

“My goodness,” the woman laughs again, this time fuller. “I do not miss being young, my dear, it seems just as complicated as I remember.”

“It wouldn’t be, if…” and Jester trails off again. If we weren’t worried about everybody making it weird? or for a shameful instant, if he could let himself be happy for longer than a few minutes at a time? although that one Jester quickly sweeps away.

The woman filled her pause. “Well, I’m sorry to say you signed up for stubbornness with that one, if he’s a Zemnian boy. My husband is this way, and my son.” There is a hitch to her voice, near the end, catching over son in a way Jester can’t miss. The pitched canvas above them thrums harder still beneath the rain. “He was a mage, as well.”

“Your son?” Jester says, carefully.

“Yes,” and the woman’s voice peters out into something like a whisper, carrying something heavy and unmistakable.

“I’m sorry,” Jester says simply.

“Thank you,” the woman replies. The wind and rain somewhat quiet, and eventually she picks up again with the smallest of shakes of her head. “From where in the Zemni Fields is your friend, dear?”

“Oh, uh. I’m not actually sure, he doesn’t really like to talk about it.”

Nodding, “Many lives were difficult, before, after the first war. I cannot blame him. Well, if you are going to be in town for a few days, you are welcome to pay us a visit. Gods know there aren’t enough friendly faces near, especially for strangers.”

“That’s very kind, thank you.”

“And if it helps, you can tell him we’re from Blumenthal. He probably won’t know where that is, it’s such a small village, but. Who knows.”

“I will.”

“I’m back, Miss Una,” the canvas flap at the front of the tent mutters open, and Caduceus ducks inside, stray strands of pink slicked to his otherwise-placid face. “They were out of yarrow, I hope you don’t mind, I asked for comfrey instead. Jester, I saw the weirdest thing,” he says, depositing a large pouch on a nearby work table. “I thought this guy out there was Caleb for a minute, it was freaky.”

“Caduceus,” Jester says, in mock disappointment, hoping the points of her teeth don’t belie the joke, “It wasn’t actually Caleb, right?”

“No, when I got closer it was an older gentleman. One of the guys working on the hospital,” he replies. “They look really similar though. I know everyone’s supposed to have a doppelganger here and there, but. Huh.”

“On the hospital?” Una says, frowning. “The only older man working there would be my husband, I think. Tall, brown hair, short cropped?”

“Yeah! That’s him,” Caduceus says, with seemingly no opinion beyond. He digs through the pouch until he finds a vial of greenish liquid, and turns to crouch over the young woman he had left previously, the one with a deep gash just above her collarbone.

As the glow from the coals dances over the woman’s red hair, something begins to gnaw at Jester.

“Miss Una,” she says finally, drawing closer, as one might draw close to an animal that may bolt. “You said you were from Blumenthal?”

“Yes?”

“How - when did you come to Druvenlode, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh,” she says, drawing out a small tilt of her head. “It’s been seventeen years, soon.”

“Hmm,” Jester says, hoping her nonchalance can pass for acknowledgement rather than processing her thought. She creeps further still. “Miss Una.”

Something begins to be wary about the woman’s eyes. “Yes, Jester?”

“Why did you and your husband come here?”

She tenses into rigid politeness, even as her crest falls:

“I - we. We were moved here, after the death of my son.”

“You were moved here? You didn’t move here yourselves?”

“Well, no, we were - this is really not something I would like to discuss, Jester,” says Una.

“Please, forgive me, but - it’s really, really important. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.”

“We were offered to move, yes. My son was - he died at school. The Academy offered to relocate us, as recompense.” She tightens further, everywhere but her eyes. “It was difficult to leave, at first, but eventually the memories became too - strong, in that house. And so we accepted.”

“The Academy? The Soltryce Academy?”

“What is this about?” Una stands, and Jester sees Caduceus tense as well, before he finishes his work and slowly turns to face them.

“I can explain everything, I promise, I just - need to know. Your son was a mage? And he died - he died seventeen years ago?”

“Uh, Jester…” she hears Caduceus begin, and he approaches, but her focus is trained on the burning brown eyes of the red-haired woman before her. Una stares, stone-faced, calculating.

“Caduceus, this is like, critically important, I need you to trust me,” she says, and perhaps it is because she rarely speaks with such urgency, but he backs down, drawing slowly closer to her instead of between the two women. Jester plays her fingertips over the holy symbol at her belt, and murmurs a plea to the Traveler.

“Please, please forgive me, Miss Una,” she begs, and a shimmering green encircles the woman’s feet. She recoils with a sharp intake of breath. “Please answer my questions, and I promise promise I’ll explain everyhing.”

“Jester…” Caduceus warns again, voice rolling low and docile in an attempt to cool tempers.

“What is your name?” Una is still and silent.

“Please answer me.”

Quietly: “Una Ermendrud.” The white circle at her feet flares white briefly, then shrinks back to green.

“Is there any other name anyone else ever calls you?”

“No.” Another flare of white.

“Is there any other name anyone else has called you before?”

A brief pause before her next answer, “Una Kohler, before I was married.” Yet another white flare.

Jester’s voice quivers. “Your son died seventeen years ago.”

“My son is dead.” The circle burns white.

“Your son Bren. He has your hair.”

Jester feels a whipcrack surge between them as they lock eyes again. Confusion plays across grief plays across anger plays across love plays across guilt on Una’s face. “Please answer me.”

“Yes.” Once more, white.

Pain lodges at the back of Jester’s throat.

“Tell me a lie now, Miss Una.”

“Jester -”

“Please.”

“I - we. We live in R-” and the word rolls and rolls, but she cannot seem to finish it. The circle flares angrily red as she manages “-Rex-xen-trum”, and she stares down, understanding narrowing her eyes as the color fades back to green.

Jester pulls her last question like an arrow from her chest.

“How did he die?”

The whisper cuts over the patter of rain, the reedy keen of the wind:

“A fire. There was a fire.”

The circle momentarily flares white before Jester clenches her fist, and it disappears.

“There were other students, inside,” Una breathes, continuing. “He was - he went back -”

“I’m sorry, Miss Una, I’m sorry,” she says, resisting, “please don’t call the guards or anything, I can explain, I can -”

“You knew my son.”

Jester feels Caduceus’ hand warm her shoulder on her reply.

“I know your son.”

#widojest #liam o'brien don't read me please

17 notes · View notes

kim-lexie · 3 years

Text

january rewind: 2021.

here’s to a new year, and hopefully a more timely me. i thoroughly enjoy looking back at my favorites from each month, and i hope to be able to commit to writing and rewinding my month well in the future. i hope you enjoy this journey with me, here is to january 2021.

music.

junny. this man. i started listening to him last month, and have since dove head first into his discography. 10 out of 10 would recommend. and this man is a blessing and releases so many piano ballad versions which are incredible, and his solid vocals make you weep. ‘by my side’ incredible and stunning. ‘movie’ still a bop. and ‘thank you’ a blessing.

youtube

seventeen. i had the immense pleasure of attending their online concert ‘in-complete’ this month at the early hour of 3 am. and of course, leading up to the event i needed to listen to their entire discography, which has to many gems to name. it was a great time, being able to chat and see everyone reacting to the incredible stages our boys brought to life. it was the first online concert i attended and it was so much fun. i loved it and am thankful that it was seventeen, my OG boys.

‘first love’ by NCT127. my boys never disappoint. our boys are back for 127 day, and i couldn’t be prouder of our multilingual kings. their vocals SLAY. i am expectant for their upcoming japanese comeback. and can we take a moment to appreciate their visuals on the cover art, like thank you irregular/regular era for originally bringing these looks, but thank you to this comeback because dang!

‘easy to love’ by key. an incredible track from a random station on apple music, and it is a VIBE. i love it and am disappointed i only just discovered this track. key’s vocals are no joke, and i love screaming these lyrics driving on the highway.

‘a song easily written’ by oneus. y’all another blessing from this random station. this vibe and beat is everything, it’s a mix of island and edm. 10 out of 10 would recommend. and their vocals incredible. i love their harmonies, and the visuals in the music video INCREDIBLE.

ost. my monthly playlist was accompanied by many ost tracks from the great dramas of this month including ‘true beauty’, ‘run on’ and ’18 again’. i love ost tracks, and the incredible emotions that come with them. i loved the fun cover that yuju brought to ‘i’m in the mood for dancing’. ‘hello’ by sohyang makes me want to weep. and ‘sorry’ by 2F, my goodness i cannot put into words how much i love this song and their vocals, i need more music from this duo!

‘to you my light’ (feat lee raon) by maktub. this one was thanks to our main man seojun from ‘true beauty’. i wish they released hwang inyeop’s version as an ost, but you cannot always get what you want (but i am expectant for his ost to come very soon!!!) nevertheless, this track is beautiful and the lyrics make me want to cry.

dramas & movies *spoilers alert*

private lives. honestly this one took a while for me to get into and then finish. i had major difficultly jumping into this one, and then finishing it was hard because the plot lost me a bit at the end. the characters were interesting and i have not really watched a drama of this mystery action nature. but i loved the actors that portrayed these multi facetted characters, like seriously i have no idea how they played this characters. there was so much plot and character development. it follows the story of a con man’s daughter, joo-eun. she wants to con people so that she can get back at the lady who conned her father when she was younger. in the series of events, she plays a character and becomes involved with jeong-hwan, who surprise is also a fellow con-man (of course she doesn’t know at the time, they just lie and lie). it all becomes a tangled mess, and he disappears and appears to have died *gasp* and then he is alive *gasp agian*. and it just all is tangled and lots of crazy drama. she ends up working with the lady that conned her family years ago to get the ultimate bad man. and everyone teams up to take down the big conglomerate bad guys. i am thankful that i finished it. but the ending was lack luster for me, i don’t know what i wanted but what i got wasn’t it. i love gyung-pyo which is probably why i really wanted to finish it. i would rate it a 7 out of 10.

18 again. jtbc never freaking disappoints in the drama department. i cannot believe it took me this long to watch this drama. it is absolutely incredible. up there in the top drama category. this may have it’s own upcoming post because there were too many aspects that i loved and need to relive and reflect. first and foremost, i must be honest i love hwang in-yeop. 10 out of 10 was the reason in needed to watch it, because i kept seeing his scenes rounding on instagram. and then of course our lee do-hyun is great, and has been fabulous in everything i’ve seen (hello, ‘hotel del luna’). so it was not hard to convince me to start it, and then of course i was drawn in completely by the storyline, the characters, the cinematography. my goodness i love what they did from the basic storyline from ’17 again’. like my goodness it was stunning and an incredible way to draw from one story and create a beautiful new story with more depth. i would 100 out of 10 recommend this incredible one. and it will definitely have it’s own post, as this is just the tip of the iceberg.

live on. this was an interesting short drama. i watched mainly because our boys TXT were on the ost. and i was like yeah a nice high school drama, cute and refreshing let’s watch. it was nice, but like weird though. like our supposed protagonist, baek ho-rang, was interesting to say the least. like she thought it was better to be thought of as a bully than to be seen as a victim. i don’t quite get the logic and neither did those around her, but whatever. like she fell into this weird story that the bully hee-soo formulated and it was wack to say the least. ho-rang was cute with her friends and her relationship with eun-taek was cute. but like when all this went down, and her leaving her friends, weird. it took a minute to finish this one (but i think that was mainly because it took the subbers a while to finish for some reason on viki). must say i loved yoo-shin’s character and would have loved to see more of him and so-hyun. i guess i would rate this a 6 out of 10.

february 2021 rewind is already going to be stellar with such incredible dramas coming to and end, i am not ready...’true beauty’, ‘run on’, ‘mr queen’, etc.

2 notes · View notes

wallyaxiom · 4 years

Text

lose you to love me

t a g g i n g → wally axiom, josh axiom, jim hawkins and him

t i m e f r a m e → present

l o c a t i o n → wally’s apartment

n o t e s → i guess this is sort of therapy for both wally and i to release a lot ??? that’s been held inside for sometime ??? like actually releasing it into the abyss and letting it stay there forever and stop dwelling on it. idk a tik tok told me to let go of things so here we are. anyways i’m in pain as per usual

You p r o m i s e d the world and I fell for it I put you first and you adored it Set fires to my forest And y o u let it burn

Wally had been through a lot in his twenty five years of living on this earth. he had lived through wondering why his birth parents had given him up, believing he had never been good enough. He lived through being not good enough for the Axioms and his own parents at time. He lived through the BNL gang and the abuse Runt subjected him to. They had lived through so much pain and heartache that when he showed up Wally believed that he had finally been gifted their happily ever after. But all his dragons weren’t slayed. in fact, more appeared into his life because of said knight in shining armor.

Wally didn’t allow themselves to think about it. Like most things in life, it was shoved into the back of his mind left there to wilt and eventually fade with everything else they wanted to forget. There was a lot there, perhaps it was too full that this was the reason why these memories in particular kept rearing their ugly head. The night of their fight, their divorce, the day everything he knew for years finally falling apart. Those familiar feelings still lingered within his body, tainting his soul the same way they did back then. Wally felt like he needed to take a bath in that instance or anytime he thought about it but he knew no matter how many times the water washed over skin he couldn’t scrub him out. Wally knew exactly what was spawning these exact thoughts. It was his dreams finally coming true. For the longest time Well felt as though he didn’t deserve to have them. No, he was left to rot in a gilded cage provided by his ex-husband. a cage that was built around false hopes, lies, manipulation and gaslighting.

Their relationship wasn’t always like this. In the beginning it was actually magical. Wally fell head over heels for him. they were so young, naive and so desperate to be loved. He believed he had found a soulmate in this person - a forever. It felt so right. Everyone believed they were the perfect couple and maybe they were for a while but that public image wasn’t the truth behind close doors. even now people ask what went wrong because to someone on the outside looking in everything seemed so fine. if only they knew.

currently, wally was sitting outside smoking a cigarette. He stopped smoking them when he was seventeen. They’d like to say it was for their health but it’s actually because he told him to stop because he didn’t like it. He told Wally to stop doing a lot of things they enjoyed because they didn’t coincided with what he liked or what he wanted wally to be. So, Wally was smoking this one out of spite because he could do it now without being reprimanded or deemed a bad person but fuck did this cigarette taste awful. He couldn’t finish the damn thing and ended up chucking it to the ground, stepping on it afterwards to extinguish it. A little too forcefully at that. Watching the smoke float from the ground, wally was reminded of a old friend. a friend who meant everything to them. they used to do things like this together. this friend was someone who was like a brother to wally and maybe he did develop some romantic feelings for them in the long run. maybe because he could be himself around this person when his boyfriend expected him to be this person he wasn’t. maybe he developed feelings for this person because they knew he hated their friendship. Maybe because there was a lack of trsut from the start so why not do what was being perceived? maybe Wally had been doing this out of spite to this person from the start without even knowing it. He was only seventeen at the time. he was a broken mess recovering from a lot. Honestly, Wally was on a path of self destruction at that age so the feelings could have stemmed from that as well. Regardless of where they came from his outlet was ripped away from him. The friendship wasn't ended on his terms. No, it was out of jealousy. But of course the friendship would still live on in gulting words from his husband. A constant reminder that was held over his head despite it happening years ago. A way to guilt him to get wally to things for his husband. and maybe wally would give him that one. They weren’t exactly in the right there but still the pattern of losing friends was something that continued until the once social butterfly had no one but him to turn to.

❝ You wanna know why I stick around? Because I thought things would change, how many times have to told you I didn’t like how things were going and you didn’t do a damn thing to change any of it, you go and make it worse. ❞

The biggest loss they probably suffered throughout that relationship was Eve. She had been there long before him but she didn’t get the chance to stay in Wally’s life. she was shoved out once the two had gotten together. Her name that once brought so much joy and love was tainted with anger and bitterness that didn’t necessarily stem from him. They were perfectly placed and soon festeresr into something that didn’t belong to wally but him because he expected wally to feel the same way about eve that he did.

❝ Well now that you’ve come out and said it, I’m gonna have to agree with you, this relationship is pointless when you think about it. I want to leave because I just need to get away, I’ve had enough of all the shit that happens here. Yeah, thanks for telling me about Eve coming back, with me gone you can just go back to her like you’ve been wanting to ever since she left. ❞

❝ No I’m pretty sure you broke up with me, you made that painfully obvious by the way you talk. Really, I should be asking you those questions, you shouldn’t be asking me them. ❞

❝ Wally, I should be the one who believes you, but I just can’t, the way you are with her, hell even the way you are with Jafar, I just can’t. If you can remain close friends with an ex you either are still in love with them or never were, and it sure as hell isn’t the second one. I was willing to die for you and I almost did and you repaid me by trying to kill yourself and this. I love you more than you could possibly imagine but it just feels pointless half the time because I know you’re torn. ❞

Wally was never torn. The moment he picked him his heart was set on him. Eve became an ex and old friend but apparently she couldn’t be anything to Wally so that’s when she became nothing. Someone who had been with him for years soon because nonexistent in his life. As for his attempted suicide? Well, that had nothing to do with him either. it came from life leaving him hollowed and broken but of course everything had to revolve around him. Anything that was remotely wally’s always came back to him. Nothing could ever just be his. The moment they said ‘I do’ suddenly they became this morphed being of just one human. Wally wasn’t allowed to be his own entity. they were his husband’s property and at times that’s what he felt like. an object. Their breath hitched in their throat as the phantom touches of him graced his, waist, his hips and then some. The pulling. The grasps. The glares at others whenever someone would get too close. The overprotectiveness that was perceived as love but really it was possessiveness. The way their relationship became too physical that wally felt like a piece of meat at times. objectified. The way he felt used. Their body used. Their entire being used for him. but when wally tried to express themselves he was labeled a slut. he was shamed. their son was brought into it as another guilting factor to hold over wally’s head and god forbid their son ever seen their parent in the light that he did.

Josh.

It was the only good thing that came out of their years together. Joshua Matthew Axiom was the light of Wally’s life. Perhaps the rest of the love they had for one another was used for that sweet little boy. It wasn’t just Wally who was affected by the storm he made. Josh was left in the aftermath as well but Wally didn’t allow his son to feel like he wasn’t good enough or it was his fault. He didn’t blame his son for halting his dreams. He allowed his husband’s dreams to blossom while he waited in the wings waiting for his chance to finally make his own dreams come true but that’s impossible when you’re put in the place of a stay at home parent. Wally refused to let Josh be tainted by him the way he had tainted them. Josh was too pure, too perfect, and too good for this world to ever feel the way Wally had felt. He’d be damned if he allowed it to never happen. Josh was Wally’s one perfect thing. The one thing in life he felt he had gotten right. Being a parent gave them purpose. It gave them hope and a light he thought was long extinguished. He wanted to be better for his son. He needed to be better for his son and by doing that he had to finally face the problems he had buried deep within.

❝ I might always have shit to do, but I’ve always found a way to make time for you, but you never let me do anything that didn’t benefit you outright. ❞

with heavy footsteps, wally led himself back into his apartment

❝ I guess this is all my fault because I tried to spoil my boyfriend and husband. But none of it is ever enough is it? You constantly took me away from my schoolwork and yes sometimes I could multitask, but you should’ve understood that sometimes I have other things that are important too, not just you. ❞.

They stood there in the doorway for a minute. Blinking those long lashes of his against his golden skin. He hadn’t realized he had been crying until he felt the dampness coat his lashes.

❝ We will lose everything if I lose this, but whatever, apparently that’s not important. ❞

In that moment all the pain they had been harboring for a year finally released. he didn’t cry when they fought. he didn’t cry when he filed for divorce. he didn’t cry when he left. but right now a sob wracked through his body that left wally hunching onto the floor, folding into himself as he bawled his eyes out in a way he hadn’t in a long time. For years he believed it was his fault. That all of the problems stemmed from him. Maybe if he had been a better partner things would have been better but it took wally a year to realize there was nothing he could do to change his ex-husband. He needed to fix himself and wally couldn’t do it. Wally wouldn’t do it. He needed to heal himself and that’s what he was doing. Healing.

Wally was covered in scars he did nothing to earn but maybe there was a lesson to be learned. A lesson of self worth, value and love. A much needed lesson that Wally needed to learn. he couldn’t keep being dependent on people and giving all of themselves to people who didn’t care nor deserve his kindness. As much as he wanted to hate him Wally couldn’t. He resented him, sure, but hate is something his tiny body was incapable of. He was someone who was easy to forgive. This time was different though. His ex wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing if he was ever forgiven.

Wally didn’t know how long he had been crying. They were still curled up into themselves when their heard small footsteps pad against the floor in their direction.

“Papa?” the soft, angelic voice called.

Wally’s head lifted instantly, his forearms wiping away any remnants of tears that stained his cheeks. “Hi, honey.” they spoke softly to their son. They opened their arms wide and on cue the five year old ran into their parents arm hugging him tight. Wally buried his nose into the soft tuff of brunette locks before him holding his son close. In that moment it was as if every bad feeling that had erupted from him soon faded into the abyss. He felt lighter holding his son there in his arms.

“Why are you crying?” the child asked, his voice muffled from wally’s embrace.

“Oh, I was just thinking about somethings but i’m okay now. I promise.” Everything was okay now. it had been for a long time and Wally had to remind himself of that. The hard times were long behind him. A new chapter was waiting to be written but it couldn’t be if he kept dwelling in the past.

“Why don’t we watch some movies, huh? i’ll make popcorn, a tent and everything.”

“Can we invite Jim?”

their heart stopped. fluttered even.

“yes, baby. we can invite Jim.”

he became even lighter at that. Wally didn’t jump back into dating. In fact, they were fine being on their own. they had to learn to be fine on their own instead of feeling the need to have someone give them love. He had to find it within himself first before he went searching for it in someone else. they he came skating into his life and flipped his entire world upside down. This solar flare that burned so brightly that left him blinded and breathless. Someone respectful, kind and wonderful. He felt too good to be true but Jim restored Wally’s faith. He didn’t fix wally. No, wally did that on his own. But Jim reminded him that he deserved someone who treated him like human. They weren’t together but Wally would be lying if he said he didn’t feel something for him. It wasn’t love just quite yet. There was no rush to fall in love this time. instead, Wally chose to enjoy every little moment and if it happened then it happened if it didn’t, well, he was happy to have Jim in his life to teach him another valuable lesson about self worth.

They healing wasn’t done. it wouldn’t would end in that moment of release but it was a start. It was a start for Wally to move on and allow themselves to be happy for the opportunity to be given. To feel like they deserved this and so much more. To be happy with themselves in general and look at life with the glass half full again and not empty. The cage that once trapped him was long broken. He felt more integrated with people again. He felt safe to have friends once again and all of it felt all too amazing to even describe. Wally was starting to feel like the person who had stepped foot into Elias seven years ago. A wide-eyed wanderer who, yes, was a little ripped at the edges but still had so much hope and love to give.

He was becoming Wally Axiom again and no one could take that away from them.

Not again.

#sp: intlutlm #tw. manipulation #tw. gaslighting #tw. abuse #tw. suicide mention #this took three hours to write lmfao

7 notes · View notes

wooziuji · 3 years

Text

The Slaying

Word Count: 1.5K

Genre: Angst? Idk it’s a Gang AU lmao

Fandom: Seventeen, Original Characters

“Hey, hey- Look at me. It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay, just look at Daddy.”

His father’s pleading voice was the only thing registering in the boy’s ears; the chaos ensuing down the stairs falling deaf on their ears; the occasional gunshot causing him and his sister to jump. He was shaking, terrified, eyes wide as his gaze stayed trained on the sight before him.

A man had entered the room, powerful and demanding in presence, frightening. He stood impossibly tall, with a fire set ablaze in his eyes. Crass taunts left the man’s lips - foreign to the young boy’s ears but clear in their intentions thanks to his tone alone. With his father now restrained, the children were within the trained sights of the gun's barrel. Tears streamed down Minwoo’s cheeks; he understood far too much of what was happening for a boy barely past 5 years. Growing up in the ever-present dangers of gang life prepared everyone for situations like these, no matter how much his parents attempted to protect him from it. There was nothing he could do. Nothing his father could do. This was it; their finality was loaded into the barrel of a gun.

“Daddy--” his sister cried out beside him, Minwoo immediately tightening his grip on her hand. It all happened so fast…The door burst open, their mother appearing wild-eyed and panicked, autopilot carrying her full speed towards her children.

One shot - and she fell, blood pooling on the floor - his father screaming in protest and struggling in the man’s grip.

A second shot - his sister was ripped from the boy’s hold the second it sounded, crumpling to the ground.

A third shot - the boy’s hearing was nothing more than a shrill ringing, his father’s sobs and cries now deaf to him. A wet substance trickled down his cheek - and intense pain following immediately after. He wanted to cry out, but his mouth only became slack as he, too, fell to the floor.

One last shot - or, the child was sure he had heard one more. His own mind was seizing up; succumbing to the darkness that was unconsciousness.

---

Memories presented themselves as never-ending torture. Memories plagued the boy nearly every waking and sleeping moment of the boy’s life - there was no escape. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was thanks to his father’s struggle that enabled Minwoo’s survival. He was so close to death...it was a miracle in and of itself that he still lived to breathe another day.

Jaw clenching, the boy - now aged 17 - pushed himself out of his bed, feet dragging as they carried him to the bathroom. A deep sigh sounded, deft fingers working to tie the cloth he kept securely over the taught and scarred flesh on the right side of his face.

His eye was gone, a thin layer of skin now covering the bone that had been exposed. His family...was dead, but he survived. Hands shifted, resting on the edge of the sink, gripping until knuckles turned a bright white. Minwoo had learned a lot in the last 12 years.

The man’s name, his family’s killer, was Park Sejin. He worked for a powerful entity known as Leeteuk, was his right hand man...and the whole reason Sejin came that night, was due to Seungcheol. From the information that he had obtained, Leeteuk ran an orphanage. Or, that was how he presented his ‘business’. The man produced super soldiers for the government, training young boys to become blood-thirsty emotionless husks. Seungcheol was Leeteuk’s strongest; his best...and one of the only two to ever escape. Leeteuk wanted him back, and if that involved a merciless killing of innocent lives, so be it.

Minwoo’s ‘uncle’ - one of his father’s closest friends...and the leader of their family’s little gang. The size of the family was plenty - at least 18 including himself, if he remembered correctly, and he reigned the only survivor. Or, that’s what he assumed.

Pushing off the sink, he quickly turned on his heel. A look of determination etched itself onto the boy’s features as he moved to get himself ready. Gun slid comfortably in the holster on his thigh. Blade, nestled in a little sheath attached to the inside of his boot. A second gun, in the holster, strapped to his chest. Backpack pulled on over one shoulder; boots laced, leather jacket zipped.

Leaving the room, Minwoo remained quiet as ever; beginning his journey down the hall and through the headquarters to the exit.

“Min?” a curious voice rang out, calling for him. Stopping him in his tracks as he peered back over his shoulder. “Where are you going?” The concern in her voice was palpable.

It was Mina - his mom’s old friend. Minwoo had recalled hearing his mother mention The Elite several times to his father, before the night that he had lost everything. It was the ‘family’ she had come from; a clustered mix of humans and supernatural beings led by a despicable man...and it was where the boy went, that fateful night, for refuge. Things were different now, though, that the man was gone. If things were different...maybe he even would have liked it here.

Mina was, essentially, the whole reason he was safe. She took him in, raised him with the help of her boyfriend. Their medic - a friendly young male witch - healed him. Different members of The Elite attempted to befriend him, tried to talk to him, but progress was never obtained. People told him stories of his mother, Aneni, and even what they knew of his father, Mingyu. The boy only ever listened, however...but the occasional hint of a smile did sometimes grace his lips. This only ever lasted a few seconds, however. Even the good intentions of these stories proved to be only a painful and grim reminder.

Regardless of Mina’s concern, the boy stayed ever silent, prying his gaze away after a minute and returning to his own quest. She didn’t stop him; she never did. After all, he hadn’t spoken a word in 12 years.

---

12 years.

It had been 12 years since he last stepped foot in his childhood home. The simple action alone of placing his hand on the cool knob of the door caused his heart to race...but he pushed on, twisting the knob and pushing - relieved that it gave way and opened without force.

Overwhelming wasn’t quite the word for the feeling occurring at the moment. A lone eye looked over every last inch of the home that could be seen, but feet would not move. No dust...everything still perfectly in place...almost as if it was still lived in. Pictures hung neatly on the wall, the warmth from the heater licking at his skin. A house once so lively and full of life now silent, but standing as though it had secrets to tell. Brow furrowing, confusion quickly took over - lips pursing.

Steps were forced, walking into the living room and slowly dragging a single finger along the wood of a shelf. Nothing. Not a single spec of dust. Did someone else make it? No...no, everyone was home that night? The boy recalled seeing their faces: Seungkwan, and Seokmin. Minghao, Soonyoung, Wonwoo. Taeyong and Chanwoo. If they had all been home, the rest must have been too.

Everyone...except for Seungcheol. That was why Sejin chose that night, he had thought to himself. Was his father’s superior, and friend, still alive? What had he felt, seeing the slain bodies? What did he do? Where did he go?

Why hadn’t he looked for him?

Confliction reigned true in the boy’s mind: Sadness, relief, anger. Frustration. Frustration was quickly becoming the strongest.

Too much of his time was being spent thinking. Minwoo once more forced himself away. He needed to get to work; time was truly of the essence. Only 2 weeks ago, Sejin had been left a note: the address of this home, a date, and a time were all that was marked on it. Minwoo watched; hidden completely in the shadows and quiet as a dormouse, as the elder male read the scrap piece of paper.

It would have been so easy to take the man out right then and there, but it wouldn’t nearly have been satisfying enough.

Slinging his backpack onto the couch, the boy worked quickly to unzip it and pull out his supplies: tripwire, a doorstop alarm, flash grenades, and a few other miscellaneous supplies. It took only a few minutes - the boy had practiced several times in his own room (sans testing the flashbangs - his stock was limited), and he waited now around the corner.

Anxieties grew as he checked his phone. 7 minutes. There still were 7 long minutes to spare. His posture shifted from one foot to the other when suddenly an ear-piercing sound rang from the hall from the door opening. A bright flash of light emitted as the tripwire was triggered as well and Minwoo moved fast.

Around the corner he went, pulling out his blade and pouncing on the man in one swift movement, knife pushed harshly against the other’s throat.

Only, it wasn’t Sejin. The boy’s eyes widened as he quickly was shoved off with a strength that could only belong to one man, and his voice trembled as he righted himself and spoke the first word since the slaying:

“Uncle?”

#how do yall format these things again #my dumb writing #gang au #tw blood #tw guns #tw blood mention #tw gore mention #tw violence #it's really not that graphic i promise afiuhjdfsauj #if yall want more tho lmk #tw character death #tw death mention #tw death #seventeen au #seventeen gang au

1 note · View note

kazeself · 4 years

Text

#FOLKLORE BRILLIANT LYRICS

so sorry but i am literally a reinvigorated taylor swift stan b/c folklore has been everything i’ve wanted for years so y’all are gonna have to deal with my shit. here’s a collection of some of my absolute favorite lyric segments from each song. i just need everyone to know that the 1, the teenage love triangle, my tears ricochet, exile, and this is me trying slay me so hard. mad woman is a close contender. i am deeply, personally invested in the 1 and the love triangle though...and it’s only a coincidence that betty and my ex’s name are interchangeable syllable wise.

the 1

“i’m doing good i’m on some new shit, been saying yes instead of no.”

“you know the greatest films of all time were never made.”

“and if my wishes came true it would’ve been you. in my defense i have none for never leaving well enough alone. but it would’ve been fun if you would’ve been the 1.”

“we never painted by the numbers baby, but we were making it count. you know the greatest loves of all time are over now.”

“i, i, i persist and resist the temptation to ask you if one thing had been different would everything be different today?”

“it would’ve been sweet if it could’ve been me.”

cardigan (teenage love triangle #1, betty)

“when you are young they assume you know nothing.”

“sequin smile, black lipstick, sensual politics.”

just the whole fucking chorus and all variations there of throughout the song.

“and when i felt like i was an old cardigan under someone’s bed you put me on and said i was your favorite.”

“a friend to all is a friend to none. chase two girls, lose the one.”

“you drew stars around my scars, but now i’m bleeding.”

“i knew you tried to change the ending, peter losing wendy.” (this was BRILLIANT)

“i knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs.”

the last great american dynasty

“who knows if she never showed up what could’ve been. there goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen. she had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

“flew in all the Bitch Pack friends from the city.”

“holiday house sat quietly on that beach. free of women with madness, their men and bad habits, and then it was bought by me.” (queen of meta commentary)

“who knows if i never showed up what could’ve been...I HAD A MARVELOUS TIME RUINING EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!”

exile (ft. Bon Iver)

“i think i’ve seen this film before, and i didn’t like the ending.”

“you’re not my homeland anymore, so what am i defending?”

“second, third, and hundredth chances.”

“there’s no amount of crying i can do for you.”

“you didn’t even hear me out (you didn’t even hear me out.) you never gave a warning sign (i gave so many signs) all this time. i never learned to read your mind (never learned how to read my mind). i couldn’t turn things around (you turned things around). cause you never gave a warning sign (i gave so many signs, so many signs, so many signs, you didn’t even see the signs.)”

my tears ricochet

“if i’m on fire you’ll be made of ashes, too.”

“cause i loved you, i swear i loved you, even till my dying day.”

“if i’m dead to you why are you at the wake, cursing my name, wishing i stayed, look at how my tears ricochet.”

“you had to kill me but it killed you just the same.”

mirrorball

“you’ll find me on my tallest tip toes.” (so fricken adorable)

seven

“please picture me in the trees i hit my peak at seven feet in the swing over the creek.”

“cross your heart, won’t tell no other. and though i can’t recall your face i still got love for you.”

“i’ll love you to the moon and to saturn.”

“and just like a folk song our love will be passed on.”

august (teenage love triangle #2, inez)

“but i can see us lost in memory, august slipped away into a moment of time. cuz it was never mine. and i can see us twisted in bedsheets, august slipped away like a bottle of wine, cuz you were never mine.”

“you weren’t mine to lose.”

“but do you remember? do you remember when i pulled up and said ‘get in the car?’”

“back when i was living for the hope of it all.”

this is me trying

“they told me all my cages were mental, so i got wasted like all my potential.” (slay me six ways to sunday, queen)

“i was so ahead of the curve the curve became a sphere.”

“i just wanted you to know this is me trying...AT LEAST I’M TRYING.”

illicit affairs

“leave the perfume on the shelf that you picked out just for him so you leave no trace behind, like you don’t even exist.”

“a drug that only worked the first few hundred times.”

“don’t call me ‘kid’ don’t call me ‘baby’ look at this godforsaken mess that you made me.”

“you showed me colors you know i can’t see with anyone else.”

“you taught me a secret language that i can’t speak with anyone else. and you know damn well for you i would ruin myself a million little times.”

invisible string

“and isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?”

“time, mystical time, cutting me open then healing me fine.”

“cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart...now i send their babies presents.”

“hell was the journey but it brought me heaven.”

mad woman

“does she smile or does she mouth “fuck you forever?”” (first f bomb of her catalog and it STILL gibs shivers)

“no one likes a mad woman, you made her like that.”

“and women like hunting witches, too. doing your dirtiest work for you.”

“it’s obvious that wanting me dead really brought you two together.”

“the master of spin has a couple side flings, good wives always know.”

epiphany

“keep your helmet, keep your life son. just a flesh wound, here’s your rifle.”

“crawling up the beaches now, ‘sir i think he’s bleeding out,’ and some things you just can’t speak about.”

“with you i serve with you I fall down, down.”

“only twenty minutes to sleep but you dream of some epiphany. just one single glimpse of relief to make some sense of what you’ve seen.”

betty (teenage love triangle #3, james)

“you heard the rumors from inez, you can’t believe a word she says most times but this time it was true. and the worst thing that i ever did was what i did to you.”

“but if i showed up at your party would you have me, would you want me, would you tell me to go fuck myself or lead me to the garden”

just the whole last verse and lead into the bridge talking about how james ended up doing the fling with inez.

“the only thing i wanna do is make it up to you [...] yeah i showed up at your party will you have me, will you love me, will you kiss me on the porch i front of all your stupid friends?”

“i’m only seventeen, i don’t know anything, but i know i miss you.”

“standing in your CARDIGAN. kissin’ in my car again, stopped at a STREETLIGHT. you know i miss you.”

peace

“a coming-of-age has come and gone.”

“all these people think love’s a show, but i would die for you in secret.”

“would it be enough if i could never give you peace?”

“i talk shit with my friends, it's like I'm wasting your honor and you know that I'd swing with you for the fences.”

“give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other.”

“i’d give you my sunshine, give you my best. but the rain is always gonna come if you’re standin’ with me.”

hoax

“stood on the cliffside screaming ‘give me a reason.’ your faithless love is the only hoax i believe in. don’t want no other shade of blue but you. no other sadness in the world would do.”

“you knew the hero died so what’s the movie for?”

“you knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart.”

“my broken drum, you have beaten my heart.”

the lakes (physical bonus track)

WHO KNOWS BITCH I HAVEN’T GOTTEN THE CD DELIVERED YET IT SAYS 2-3 WEEKS!!!!

#folklore #taylor swift

2 notes · View notes

grimmtnykan · 4 years

Text

The Nykan Situation: Episode 1

"Hurry up, Grimm!"

"Ugh...Five more minutes."

"Do you want to go out and play today, or not?"

Grimm opened his eyes to see his older brother, Jacob, looking down on him. School was cancelled due to the heavy snowfall. Jacob made a promise to Grimm that they would play in the snow if they had a snow day, and what better day than today? Little Grimm shot out of bed and scurried to his closet to retrieve his winter attire. He made sure he was bundled up to go play out in the cold, wrapped up in a scarf and other necessary clothing items for the cold. Jacob was wearing his signature black trench coat and could see the excitement through his brother's bright blue eyes. The two ventured off into the snow and ran across the street, laughing on the way, the snow falling upon their pink and chubby faces.

"Wow, it kinda looks dead in the park today. I figured more people would be here." Jacob said as he put his hands into his pockets. Grimm couldn't contain his happiness any longer and just dashed for the park. Grimm was a very happy kid and always found energy inside of him to play with his brother. Jacob was sixteen and spent most of his time in Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Grimm would be going into said school in the next upcoming year. Not only would he get to spend more time with his brother, but he would learn how to harness the powers within magic and go on his own mystical path. Life was good for both of them.

"Well, if it isn't Jacob Nykan. The freak on the block." said a nearby voice. Jacob and Grimm looked up from playing in the snow to see three people. Jacob's had problems with them before. When he attended a muggle school in his hometown, these three people would always bully him. Jacob wasn't exactly a very extroverted person; in fact, he didn't like human contact at all. Unless it regarded family, he could care less about making friends or even holding a stable relationship. Being introverted in their small town wasn't seen as "normal."

"Aw, look! He's with his little brother. Just look at how scared he looks!" cackled one of the other boys. The group walked closer to the two siblings and Jacob stepped in front of Grimm. Grimm wasn't very great at handling confrontation. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was afraid of what their intentions consisted of. Would they hurt him or Jacob? Would they harass them? What did these three want?

"What do you want, Kai? I told you to stay away from me." Jacob said in a stern tone.

"You got another thing coming if you think I'd obey someone like you. I take orders from no one, Nykan!" said Kai, a silver headed boy. He rubbed his hands together as he looked at Grimm. "That's a nice, red scarf you got there. Red is my favorite color." he spat.

"Bet it's pretty valuable." snickered Everett, the tallest one in the group. Jacob tried to shove Grimm behind him, but Everett stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Be a nice thing to have, ain't it?" said Darren, an orange headed, dark skinned boy. He looked at Kai as he cracked his knuckles. Darren and Everett grabbed Jacob and held him back. Kai, on the other hand, grabbed Grimm by his scarf. Grimm could feel himself choking and tried slapping at Kai's hand to make him stop. Tears flooded his eyes and he gasped for air, panicking. Jacob thrashed all around with Darren and Everett.

"Y-You can't have it! My mom made it for me and it's mine to keep!" squealed Grimm. He tried to stand his ground. He thought that perhaps they'd leave them alone if he showed any sign of courage. Kai cackled as he slowly lifted Grimm off the ground, tightening the scarf around his neck. Jacob loosened the grip that Darren and Everett had against him and he launched himself at Kai. The two wrestled with each other, Jacob's clothes being ripped in the process. Grimm got up from the snow and ran behind a tree, hiding. His legs felt weak, his mind raced, and his heart was beating right out of his chest. Grimm peeked his head from behind the tree. Jacob laid on the ground, not moving. The three bullies kicked and cursed at him. They saw Grimm and began to make their way towards him.

"Don't go near him..." Jacob said under his breath. The three bullies stopped in their tracks and began to panic when they felt their bodies being lifted in the air. Jacob was raising his arm up in the air as he got up and struggled to stand. Grimm stared in shock. What was going on? Jacob's eyes began to glow eerie green.

"You can bother me as much as you want...Yet, when you mess with my family, that is where I draw the line!" Jacob spat. He clasped his hand into a fist and the three bullies howled in pain. Green swirls of light wrapped around their bodies slowly, and as the light reached higher, their bodies would disappear. They were being vaporized. Eventually, the light secluded their screams and person. Everything fell silent, Grimm feeling confused and scared. He wondered what he had just witnessed. Jacob walked towards him and got on one knee.

"J-Jacob...What did you do?!" he whimpered.

"I did what I had to do in order to protect you. Listen, Grimm...We are both destined for greatness, and with people like in our way, we need to take them down. Let's keep today between us. Do you understand?" Grimm stared at his brother. He didn't understand what was going on at all, but he trusted Jacob.

"...I understand." the two made their way back home in silence. They had enough playing in the snow today.

----------

Grimm opened his deep, blue eyes to only see a clear sky and shade from the tree he lay under, blocking out the sun. The two strands of hair slightly blew in the wind to give him a better view of his sights. The young man sat up and scratched his head. Grimm was in average shape for a boy his age, seventeen. His hair was a light shade of brown, buzzed all around each side, with a couple bothersome strands resting over his forehead. He had a light stubble across his jawline and chin. He spoke with a southern accent that originated from the depths of Tennessee in the states, but faded slightly over time due to being in a different environment for so long. Of course, he would go back home every summer to his caretaker, Duke Kelling. Duke was a family friend of Grimm's parents who passed away in a house fire when he was eleven, which was the same night Jacob disappeared.

"I fell asleep again, damn. Madam Hooch'll want an explanation." he said to himself. He got up and dusted himself off and walked up the trail that led to the training grounds. He was lucky, he got to his class just in time. As we walked over to the rack of brooms to grab one, he felt a presence developing towards him.

"Hey Grimm!" said a familiar voice. Cesily Eurodite. Cesily is a Norwegian sixth year Gryffindor with hair red as a brick and thick as a shrub. She fixed her glasses as she smiled upon her friend. "How are you? You look dead."

"I actually just woke up. I skipped potions class last period because I honestly just hate that class. Professor Snape is really a pain. Same for that student teacher, Shiro." Grimm replied to Cesily's remark, grabbing a broom and patting Grimm on the back.

"Well, year six is almost over. It's been exhausting and trust me, as soon as this year is over, we'll go to Hogsmeade and drink ourselves silly with butter beer and do...I dunno, maybe watch Full House on repeat."

"We do that everyday already, Cy."

"And we'll do it again!" she chuckled. Grimm used to hate the idea of summer. Not only because it can be ridiculously hot, but because of how he would leave hearing the rumors about him from the past. When word got around about his well known brother disappearing and his family dying, people suspected Grimm to be behind it.

"He is working with he who must not be named!"

"He died discovering a cursed vault!"

"He is on the run from The Ministry of Magic!"

People to this day still speak about it. It doesn't help that Grimm brought attention upon himself after discovering an ice knight in a cursed vault and slaying it, helping organize campaigns and activities for the school, excelling in courageous based classes, and the constant rivalry he causes between Gryffindor and Slytherin. He has done and accomplished a lot in the past years he has been at Hogwarts, yet he felt there was so much more he could do and discover, such as finding Jacob. There is still so much to do, yet so little time.

"Hopefully this summer won't be a pain." said Grimm as he hopped on his broom.

--------

Evelyn, Seraphina, and Tay were hanging out in Hogsmeade. The three of them didn't have class for the rest of the day, so they decided to head to town and screw around. They were currently at The Three Broomsticks enjoying a hot meal and butter beer. Evelyn was dazed, staring out the window and thinking.

"What're you thinking about?" Tay asked. Tay Guinvere is a sixth year Ravenclaw who was quite determined for high marks and obsessed with tea. Her hair was a dark brown and fluffy as can be, though being short to her shoulders. "You look bored."

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Seraphina asked. Seraphina Steinhaur is a Gryffindor in her sixth year. Her skin is pale like her white, snowy hair. Her eyes, amber like peanut brittle. Unlike her two friends, she was more outspoken and loud.

"Oh nothing. I'm just thinking of something that happened yesterday. It isn't important" Evelyn replied. Evelyn Fawley is a Hufflepuff in her sixth year. She has woven blonde hair with emerald green eyes. Freckles danced upon her rosy nose and cheeks. She was quite popular, and not just because she is a part of the sacred pureblood family but because of her charisma and charm. People often labeled her as nice and outgoing, but she wasn't so sure if she could identify with that statement.

"I bet it's boys." Seraphina teased.

"Too bad we can't do that because we're le--" Tay was cut off.

"It's not about that, stop trying to expose me." Evelyn took a sip of her butterbeer. "I said something to Grimm and I think he hates me now."

"You told him that he looks like a wannabe trucker?" Tay chuckled as she chugged her butterbeer.

"No. Not yet anyway. We have to save that for another time." replied Evelyn.

"Well then what's the big deal? You're not exactly a mean person. You're a Hufflepuff! There's no way you could be mean." said Seraphina. Tay looked at her and for a moment and then back at her butterbeer.

"Well...I said something to him a few days ago and I think he's mad at me." Evelyn admitted. "We were both looking through the journal we found in Filch's office that belonged to Jacob, trying to decipher what it said. It was written in this...weird language of some sort. No one we knew could translate it and the library had absolutely nothing to help us. Things got tense later that night."

----------

Grimm groaned loudly and threw the journal down. Inside of it appeared to be scribbles and exotic shapes combined together. That was the only thing in the notebook, this foreign writing. He began to grow frustrated.

"What the hell does this say?! Why would he write his journal in such an awkward manner?" Grimm picked the journal back up and began to study the board he put up in Jacob's room, full of notes and other items that included information about their evidence.

"Grimm, can I say something?" Evelyn said as she put down a book. He looked over at her. "Isn't it possible that perhaps, he doesn't want to be found?" Grimm stared at her.

"And why would he want that?"

"I don't know. Maybe something serious did happen and it caused him to go into hiding. I just know that sometimes, people just want to be left alone." Evelyn replied. Grimm looked over at the door.

"So far we've hardly gotten anywhere with this investigation. We are lucky to even have a ghost or centaur mention him to us, and we're in year six! We've been looking for him since year one. I'll help you in any way I can, but...I think we're getting nowhere once again--"

Before Evelyn could finish, Grimm turned around and stormed out of his room and into the night. He didn't come back for a couple of days. He hasn't even spoken to Evelyn since then. Nor looked at her. Let alone anyone in all of Hogwarts.

----------

"That wasn't cool." Tay blurted out. "I understand he cares for his brother, but he doesn't have to treat you like that."

"I can somewhat understand his reaction. If my only form of close family went missing with no explanation, I'd be concerned and worried too. I'd try to find them. We all have found evidence regarding Jacob's disappearance. Maybe he feels that he's too close to the matter." Seraphina pitched in.

"I don't care how close we are, I just...want him to stop being mad at me. What should I do?" Evelyn asked.

"Apologize?" Seraphina suggested. "Perhaps you could give him some sort of treat."

"Nah, that's lame." blurted Tay.

"You have a better idea?" Seraphina barked.

"No, but it sounds corny." replied Tay.

"It's better than nothing. Maybe it will bring us both some closure." said Evelyn.

"I'm sure it will, even if you bring him a food based treat. You can stab him to death and offer him a sweet roll as an apology and he'd forgive you." said Tay. The three girls laughed and joked for the rest of their visit at The Three Broomsticks. An hour had gone by and Evelyn noticed Grimm sitting in the courtyard reading a book. She approached him with careful steps, hoping to not distract him too obnoxiously.

"Hey Grimm!" said Evelyn cheerfully as she walked up to him. Grimm lifted his head up.

"Oh, hey. What're you doing here?"

"I just wanted to ask you if you could maybe hang out tonight? I don't have any plans and I was hoping you didn't either." replied Evelyn.

"Tsk, well you kinda came at the wrong time. It's Friday and every Friday, Cesily and I binge Full House Well, technically she makes me binge it with her, but it's better than studying." said Grimm. Evelyn's expression went blank for a minute. Was he just saying this because he was upset with her?

"Oh, okay. Maybe another time then." she said before she could turn to walk away.

"Hey, maybe you could join us?" said Grimm.

"Grimm." she clasped her hands. "I am a Hufflepuff. I cannot just enter the Gryffindor common room."

"...I never said it was in the common room." said Grimm as he smiled.

"Oh. Then where are you watching the movie?" Evelyn asked.

"I can't say. Just meet me on the training grounds around 7:00 pm." Grimm closed his book. "I need to get to transfiguration class. I'll see you around?"

"S-Sure! See you until then." Evelyn said as he walked away. She wanted to apologize and say something else to him then and there, but words refused to climb up her vocals and escape. As of lately, it nearly felt impossible to speak to Grimm. Was it because he was disassociating himself from everyone, or was it her own fault for feeling that she was at fault for the little things she has said, done, and thought? Either way, she felt trapped in this communication based wall. She sat down on the same bench he was once sitting at, and just began to think, and imagine herself in a more confident aura. Later that night, Evelyn dressed out of her robes and wore only a casual outfit. She sat outside in the cool breeze as the sun began to sun. It looked as if the fallen wizards and witches were painting the sky. Oranges, yellows, pinks, and even blues flooded the sky like a hurricane. It was absolutely mesmerizing. The freckled blonde wished she could enjoy this sight for all of eternity. Scotland certainly did have a wondrous atmosphere, and golden hour was its peak.

"Hey." said a familiar voice. It was Grimm. Evelyn turned her head around and stood up from the soft, green grass and greeted him.

"Follow me." he said with a blank stare.

She followed close behind him, occasionally looking at the horizon. Grimm only wore a black shirt, cargo shorts, and black tennis shoes. Why was he wearing black on such a warm day? That's a fashion curse, Evelyn thought. His face was unreadable. She stopped eyeing him for a minute only to see they were headed into a small patch of woods. Ahead of them was a short, but thick tree with what appeared to be a tree house at the top. Grimm grabbed the latter and began to climb up on it to enter the small home. Evelyn climbed up after him and viewed the room. There were bean bag chairs, rugs, curtains over windows, cans and bottles of soda and water, some clothes laying about, blankets, and a television with a DVD player.

"Wow, full on man cave, huh?" said Evelyn, jokingly.

"Yeah. We built it a while back. The second years and above were being rude to us as first years, so we first year Gryffindor's built this with the help of Hagrid. We come here when we need to." Grimm said with a smile. "There wasn't a lot of us. So it was just me, Ben, Rowan, Cesily, and Seraphina. But... Now it's just the girls and I."

Evelyn eyed at him with a sombering look. She sympathized with him. During the first half of sixth year, Rowan Khanna had died by the hands of Patricia Rakepick. Grimm, Merula Snyde, and Ben Copper were battling the traitorous witch in the forbidden forest and she had casted one of the unforgivable curses at Ben. The killing curse, Avada Kedavra. But Rowan had followed them in a desperate attempt to protect them, to which he did. But he ended up dying as a sacrifice, pushing Ben out of the way before he could be struck by the evil curse. It put a massive effect on Grimm and everyone around Hogwarts. Due to the massive wave of sheer anger and melancholy, Grimm and Ben had a falling out. They haven't spoken since Rowan's death. Evelyn lifted her head and changed the subject to a more happy matter.

"Wait, there are no outlets. How does the TV work?" Evelyn asked.

"We use Accio. Electricity is expensive. Good thing we can use magic. It's not like we'll get in trouble either since we're still on the campus." Grimm said.

"Smart. So, where is everyone?" asked Evelyn.

"They'll be here later. They went to fetch some snacks for tonight." Grimm answered. He sat down in a red bean bag chair.

"Hey, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Evelyn said as she sat down on one of the rugs. Grimm looked over at her.

"I...I'm sorry for what I said a few days ago. I know how this investigation means to you. I hope I didn't make you too angry." she stated in a sad tone. Evelyn looked up at him. "You looked pretty upset when you stormed off." Grimm sighed and looked at her.

"I'll be honest, I wanted to protest, but I heard something. I heard a familiar voice, it felt haunting, yet calming. I ran out to investigate it and was frustrated when I couldn't see or find anything." Grimm explained.

"Whose voice was it?" Evelyn asked. Grimm looked down and choked on his words, wiping his forehead.

"It was Jacob's."

BREAK

"What?" Evelyn asked, wide eyed.

"I heard Jacob calling my name. It became more intense, more profound. Each minute I got closer, he got louder. That's why I haven't spoken to you or hardly anyone. It's... All I can think about. It gives me chills." Grimm's voice grew shaky and quiet. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just--" Before Grimm could finish, the trap door opened and up came Cesily, Tay, and Seraphina.

"Oops, did we interrupt something?" Taryn teased. Cesily and Seraphina followed up with a chuckle.

"Uh, no. Then again, a notice would've been nice." Grimm sneered.

"Yeah, yeah. So Evelyn, you're joining us for binge night?" Cesily asked.

"I suppose so. I've never done anything like this before. Or at least it has been a very long time since I have. I also had no idea Tay and Sera would be joining us." Evelyn stated as she glared at the two. They just smiled at her and stuck their tongues out.

"Well, why are we still chatting? Let's start the show already before I fall asleep." Seraphina said impatiently. Cesily used Accio to start the television. It has been almost an hour since they watched the first season. Grimm noticed how everyone except for him seemed to be so in depth with the show. It was as if they were hypnotized. Why wasn't he the same way? He had been waiting for tonight all week; but, when he finally got the chance, it felt less exciting. As he thought to himself, he began to wonder if he would feel the same way if he would ever discover the whereabouts of his brother. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light.

"What was that?" Tay asked in a worried tone.

"Was it lightning?" Seraphina said as she sat up and looked around.

Evelyn sat up and poked her head out of the window to see a bright light hanging in the sky, directly above Hogwarts. It got brighter and bigger, combusting and causing the Earth to quake terribly. The group hollered and began to panic. Grimm fell out of the window and landed on his side. He croaked in pain, his vision growing blurry. He could have sworn his ribs were broken. All he could hear the faint voices of his peers call his name as his hearing went from clear and precise to silent and dead. He closed his eyes and he saw nothing but darkness.

"Grimm... Grimm..." said a quiet voice. Grimm couldn't answer. He could hear and see in this vision, but he couldn't speak. It was as if he was in some sort of paralysis. "I've risen, Grimm. The time is now!" the voice roared.

"GRIMM!"

Grimm's eyes shot open and he saw the four girls beside him, helping him up. The earthquake turned into a chaotic storm. Rain poured down immensely. Thunder and lightning cracked and ran throughout the sky like it was a horse race. Wind pushed down on everyone, like a pressure weight.

"Protego!" Cesily yelled as she waved her wand. A large shield of blue grew around the group and they made their way back to Hogwarts. It only took a few minutes, but they eventually made it back in time before the storm worsened. Students gathered around in the main hall. Some students were conversing with each other; other students were in a panic about the situation.

"What's going on?" Seraphina asked.

"It appears as if there is some sort of birthday party going on, Miss Steinhauer." said professor Snape. "There's a storm happening and it's causing destruction and chaos. What else could it be?"

"Guys, please put me down..." Grimm said meekly. He felt his legs fall beneath him and he fell onto his dirty palms, suddenly dry heaving. His eyes were bloodshot as he turned on his back, shaking. He felt hot, boiling, and his skin was flaring a red tint. Grimm's fingers dug into the cement floor.

"Grimm!" Evelyn exclaimed as he fell.

"GUUUUUUUUUURRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHAHAAAAAAAAHHAGGGGHHH!" Grimm howled in pain. His body twisted and turned awkwardly, crunching and popping being heard all throughout his body. Wizards and witches turned their heads to the commotion and rushed over, only to be forced back by the staff.

"What in the world is going on here?!" shouted one of the professors as they made their way through the crowd to get to the scene.

"It's Nykan!" replied professor Hooch.

The Professors that were there at the scene, which consisted of Flitwick, McGonagall, and Hooch. They gathered around to calm down Grimm.

"Don't touch him." boomed a voice as it approached the scene in purple and golden robes.

"STOP THE P A I N!" Grimm screamed. His voice sounded deep and ragged. His ears grew to a pointed arrow head-like shape. His deep blue ocean eyes transitioned into a cyan blue full of electricity, with his pupils turning into slits. He arched his back in pain, immediately punching the ground as an instant reaction. His fist slamming into the ground, causing it to crack and creating a pothole. His clothes began to shred as his body began to stretch, growing from a scrawny teenage boy, to the body of a boulder.. His muscles grew and his veins popped out. This made Grimm begin to cry in anguish. The pain was so surreal. It felt as if he was being impaled by his own spine. To him, this sensation felt as if rocks, pins, and needles were having a race in his body. In the middle of his chest, a bright blue X began to appear. As soon as the light disappeared, the symbol looked like nothing more than a large scar. Grimm stopped freaking out almost immediately and just relaxed onto the floor, panting heavily. The young boy's face was drenched in sweat, tears, mucus, and saliva. Everyone stared at the restless student, jaws dropped at this extraordinary change.

"The race of Apoth." mumbled the once booming voice. It belonged to the one and only, headmaster Dumbledore.

"Sir?" Hooch asked.

"The birth of a lost race. Apothians." Albus Dumbledore stepped closer and got onto one knee, cleaning Grimm's face with a handkerchief and sitting him up.

"The race of Apoth is a long lost collective race of mortals who would be granted powers from higher deities, particularly Norse gods. The race disappeared mysteriously over 5 centuries ago. Not much is known of their race, except the formation of their symbol that is upon their chest. It forms when they have officially been gifted the powers from the deities. That is, if they are seen as worthy." said Dumbledore.

"But why Grimm? What is even going on?" Cesily asked. Truly, no one had any idea what was going on. Their classmate had just gone through what seemed like an ultimately traumatizing event and for what reason? And what was with the mention of gods? Hardly no one in the wizarding world believed in such a concept.

"The Savior's weren't the ones to give him this beauty." said a voice from outside of the grand window. Everyone turned their heads to see the windows suddenly shatter. A bright light poured in, and appeared a tall, fit man. He had coal black hair, pale skin, and wore a jeweled, black robe. He lifted his head to reveal his bright green eyes, and wore half of a white masquerade mask that rested upon the right side of his face.

"I did." said Jacob Harlis Nykan.

"Jacob?" mumbled Grimm. His eyes widened as he wheezed. Dumbledore patted his back to relax him.

"Hello, Grimm. I hear you've been searching for me." Jacob said as he walked towards his younger brother.

"Only for six years." Grimm replied as he attempted to stand up, but McGonagall and Flitwick stopped him.

"How did you get here? Zoro banished you!" Dumbledore stated.

"I figured you'd know that question already, professor." Jacob replied sternly. "I've come for you, Grimm. I've gifted you with 10% of the power the Lost have given me. Eventually, you can become immortal like me, and we'll become gods. We can rule the world! We can avenge our parents. We can have what we have ever wanted! It's your destiny, Grimm! Remember when we were young and I said this to you on the playground? You and I can be one, once again!" said Jacob, as he reached out his hand. Grimm stared at him, confused. Why was Jacob going on about world domination? He had so many questions, but he didn't know where to start.

"W-wait... You disappear for six years, and ask me to help you rule the world? You've been here for hardly a minute! You could have at least bought me dinner first!" Grimm said as he struggled to stand.

"All I ever wanted was to see us become a family again. That's all I ever wanted... even ma and pa." Grimm said, his voice cracking.

"We can, Grimm. Yet, you'd have to agree to rule beside me and bring this cruel world to its knees! We need to show this godforsaken planet that the respect for the gods has been lost, and we as new gods deserve to be worshipped. We deserve the happiness and glory we dreamt about as children." Jacob said.

"I don't want that! That would require me harming those for something I want, and that's not how I roll. You can do what you want, but I won't participate in any of it. Just listen to yourself, Jacob!"

Everyone silenced.

"Stand down, and come home with us. With me, brother." Grimm said as he slowly approached his sibling.

"It seems I've made a mistake. I expected better of you, Grimm. You've disappointed me." Jacob snarled. "You really are pathetic!"

Jacob yelled as he raised his arm and swung it to the side, casting a large wave of green energy to hit Grimm with. Grimm gasped and jumped towards the side. The blast of energy destroyed the main hall's entrance, causing it to explode and create an immaculate hole in its presence. Grimm staggered upward and looked at his brother. Before the professors could cast their wands, Jacob jumped towards Grimm and grabbed him by his throat, punching him in the air and straight through the roof. Jacob launched himself after him, opening his hands and spewing what appeared to be like green lightning from them. He eventually reached up to Grimm before he could fall back down. Jacob grabbed what remained of his shirt and turned him over, back facing the ground.

"Elektrisk slag!" Jacob shouted before the blasts of electricity pushed Grimm down into the ground, creating an impact crater. Grimm could feel himself fading in and out of consciousness, his breath becoming short and rapid. Jacob flew down to face him.

"Tragic. Here you are, a part of a long lost race, and you don't even know how to use your powers. You don't even know how to summon your own våpen. That is something every Apoth knows instantly after transformation. Your instincts should have blocked my attacks." Jacob spat as he kicked Grimm in the face.

"You always were weak, Grimm. I can remember the first time you dealt with that group of bullies. I had to deal with them for you. In the end I ended up killing them. I turned their bodies into dust. And you know what you did? Cry, like a pathetic waste of space!" He shouted as he slammed his foot into Grimm's gut. Grimm cried in pain, too weak to move.

"You are nothing but shit. I don't see how we could ever be in relation. You are not worthy of being my brother or a god. You are my enemy, and I must kill my enemies before they get in my way!" Jacob said before lifting his leg to kick him again. Grimm grabbed his foot and held it, refusing to let Jacob harm him once more. His new biceps and triceps flexed intensely, veins popping slightly.

"I...I AM NOT PATHETIC!" Grimm screamed as he suddenly lifted himself up. The two were suddenly surrounded by blue flames. Grimm pushed Jacob in the air and flew after him, trails of blue flame following behind him. He balled his fist up, reaching it back and nailing him in the face. This force of strength caused Jacob to fly across the sky, creating a sonic boom wave. Jacob used his mass to stop himself from flying any further. He felt at the right side of his face, feeling a thin crack in the center of his mask.

"You'll pay for that." Jacob sneered. "Fare!"

Jacob raised his arm and a long horizontal line of vivid light appeared. What was revealed before Grimm was a long, curved tip sword. Along the blade was glowing green Norwegian lettering that spelled out Fare. The handle had a spike attached to it at the end. Around the saber, waves of green energy produced amongst it. Its power was pressuring Grimm.

"I won't use all of Fare's power on you since there's no point. As soon as this blade touches you, you'll die. After all, it's what you deserve for betraying your only family." said Jacob as he swung his arm to the side, unleashing a blast of energy at Grimm. The energy broke into many parts, spreading like arrow heads. Grimm dove down, but was struck by one of the arrows. It went through his arm and blood began to cascade down his bicep to his finger tips like a river. The new born Apothian cursed and held his arm as he shot his head up to eye his brother. His eyes flashed, glowing furiously. Grimm screamed Jacob's name as he flew towards him. An aura of white formed around him as he aimed his attacks towards his older brother. Grimm punched as fast and as hard as he could, but Jacob dodged every attack. He raised his sword to slice at Grimm, but was stunned to see Grimm grab it. He tried to remove the sword from his grasp, but Grimm held tightly. The saber cut into his skin but he refused to let go.

"What?!" Jacob exclaimed confusingly. Grimm threw his sword to the side, causing Jacob to go flying with it. Grimm didn't throw as far as he anticipated, however. He could feel his body becoming weaker and more exhausted. Jacob turned to laugh at the boy's poor attempts to fight. "It appears your energy is draining, Grimm. It's just as I expected."

"W-What do you mean?" asked Grimm.

"Apothians can only use their max power gifted by the Saviors if they have at least 10,000% of energy. Right now, your energy is only at a measly 10%. My energy is at least a little bit over 9,000%. That's why I haven't even broken a sweat since this battle. I estimate that in about 15 minutes or less, you'll fall right down to the ground and either die or be close to dying." said Jacob. Grimm met his piercing green eyes with hurt and frustration.

"Face it, you won't defeat me in time before you die. I honestly expected a more... exciting fight." said Jacob. "No matter. At least this battle is done and over with. I have more important things to do. But first... "

Jacob turned to shoot a beam of energy from his hand towards the school.

"NOOOOO!" Grimm screamed as he flew in front of the beam. He began to think of his friends and peers, the many lives that could be injured, or even lost, at this beloved school. He pressed his back against the front of the beam, feeling the energy sting and burn his body. He didn't exactly know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it seemed to work. Grimm looked to his side to see Jacob gone. That bastard, he thought. He turned around and used all of his might to turn the beam the opposite way from the school. Grimm shoved his fist through the beam of energy, burning his hand, and threw it like an Olympian would with a spear. It landed in a patch of woods and exploded, causing another crater in the ground. A huge gust of wind blew as an effect. Grimm turned to the school and flew back towards it, becoming weaker as he got lower. He laid himself in front of the main gates to Hogwarts. As soon as he landed, many professors ran to help him.

"Madam Pomfrey, get him in the hospital wing!" ordered Headmaster Dumbledore.

Many professors crowded him, picking him up and carrying him to the wing. It had been several hours since the incident. Everyone was talking about it. Evelyn, Tay, Seraphina, and Cesily sat outside of the hospital wing, waiting for news about Grimm's health.

"So, are we not going to discuss what just happened?" Tay asked.

"What can we talk about? I'm still confused about the whole thing." stated Cesily.

"That battle was... Intense. I feel really worried, guys." said Evelyn, tapping her foot repeatedly.

"Look at this mess! If Nykan had never come here, then none of this would have happened." said a sharp voice, t'was Danie Lopez, a well known Slytherin. She was popular within her house, but still rather very cruel to others. She and Merula Snyde had a lot in common, but even Merula knew when to stop. Danie is a latina girl with skin of a chestnut. Her hair was short, but curly. Glasses rested upon her face, sitting in front of her dark and sharp eyes.

"He's probably dying, or something." said Ismelda Murk, another well known Slytherin. The girl has greasy black hair and a pale freckled face. Bags under her eyes were very existent due to the lack of sleep.

"If he was dying, then it's well deserved. Now, let's head back to our common room. We have work to do for the ball committee." said Danie.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go. If I don't, my inner zen will disappear." Evelyn sighed. "Will you guys let me know about Grimm's health if you hear anything?"

"Yeah, totally." replied Seraphina. The rest ended up going back to their common rooms. Meanwhile, Dumbledore stood at the window inside his office, staring at the moon.

"Headmaster?" said a low voice.

"Come in, Professor Snape." replied Dumbledore.

"I think we should make arrangements to speak about the incident tomorrow morning." Snape stated. "The student body will want some questions answered. As well as our newfound student teacher."

"Perhaps. I will look into it. I am more worried about Jacob Nykan's arrival. We banished him to the spirit realm. How could he have possibly found his way out?" asked Dumbledore.

"It may have to do with the tranquility and overall status of his abilities. Or as what students say these days," Snape raised his hands to move his fingers up and down to form quotation marks, "Who knows."

Dumbledore walked over to his desk and opened up a safe, which contained a journal full of notes inside. He opened it and began to look over a few things held within the book.

"We banished him to keep him safe from destruction. If he was even captured by the Ministry of Magic, then he would have eventually found a way out. Due to his immaculate prowess, I doubt we will be able to do such a thing again." Dumbledore stated.

"What do you suggest we do?" Snape asked. Dumbledore raised his head slowly and closed his eyes.

"Jacob Nykan has strayed too far from the path of holiness, gratitude, and peace. There is only one thing we may be able to do, but it'll be a lot of work." Dumbledore said as he closed his book.

"And what is that?" Snape asked.

"We need to contact Zoro again. Jacob Nykan needs to die." Dumbledore answered.

END OF EPISODE 1

1 note · View note