These Bloody Paws AU

First off this is an alt to my original superheroes au and at the moment the one I’m more interested in, fair warning this one is rather dark and more so full of angst compared to my original au even tho that one gets dark as well!

(fair warning lots of talk about experimentation) 

Vax aka Champion: excellent at stealth, lock picking, daggers, reading people's body language, and gymnastics, used to be a thief and has worked before with an organized crime organization called ‘The Clasp’ which he later left due to digging too deep into things. Him and his sister were later confronted and in a sense blackmailed into working for a secret government run superhero agency called ‘The council’, their handler/boss is Allura.

Vex aka The Huntress: A master with a bow, excellent at tracking, fantastic at reading animal behavior and great at animal handling. Like her brother she originally was a thief but had the tendency to sometimes play vigilante which is what originally caught ‘The Council’s eye.

Trinket aka Trapper (lowkey based off of bear trap): Trinket used to be a regular dog but was caught with his mother by a group set on animal experimentation, Trinkets mother did not handle the mutation well but Trinket did due to a young age properly had his dna altered leading to him being able to spontaneously mutate and turn into a odd cross between a bear and dog, at some point while he was young, Vex followed her brother trying to figure out what he was doing when he snuck off by pure accident she ended up find Trinket. Once seeing what the place was doing to these animals she got Vax to help her sabotage the place, keeping Trinket.

Grog aka Barbarian: Grogs family worked on and created a serum that made them insanely strong. They would terrorize the locals, rob and murder as they please, till Grog wouldn’t kill an elder that he found causing him to have to run away from his family in fear of being killed. Thus he was adopted into the Trickfoot family, later joining Pike in willing joining “The Council'

Percy aka Orthax aka Retort: When the Briarwoods took over his family home, they kept him to run experiments on causing him to gain the ability to turn into smoke as well as being able to handle extreme temperatures better than most others, so he was able to make his escape. Currently he is hunting down those who helped the Briarwoods, stealing data on them as well to help him figure out how to get to them. At one point one of his raids goes wrong, this is when he meets Keyleth or well a form of Keyleth. She had been caught and was currently held captive, though looking back at it Percys decision to release a what seemed to be a blood thirsty monstrosity wasn’t the smartest thing, he’d never regret it being able to escape with the data he wanted and a new best friend to boot. During his rage filled haunts he went by Orthax a living demon to those he despised but later on after a lot of tough choices and key choices he is convinced by Vex to join up with everyone else and work for ‘The Council’ under the name Retort.

Keyleth aka The Tempest: As much as she tries to be good the world will not let her, at least thats how she’s felt for a long time. Her mother disappeared at a young age leaving her and her father alone. Unfortunately Keyleth never made any proper friends, her father also being a bit of a recluse as well, meaning her father was the only one who noticed and cared when she went missing. Keyleth was kidnapped to be used as the test subject for a thing called ‘Project: Aramante’ causing her DNA to be massively mutated, giving her the ability to turn into a grutest mutated beast with control of various elements and other such abilities, some helping some hindering. A side effect the criminal scientists didn’t account for was if put under too much stress Keyleth will burst into her beast form with a mindless hunger and purely instinctual rageful fear, though this helped her flee her captures it has also lead her to killing others. She’s been lucky and most of those she’s killed have been criminals, she has killed a few innocents as well. Her beast form can be compared to a lycanthrope at times, the head of a saber tooth, antlers of a deer, massive clawed hands, an extra set of arms more akin to that of a regular saber tooths (meaning they are not humanized), a long flexible lizard like tail, and a pair of dark wings upon her back. For a long time she wandered alone till she met Percy and later she is convinced to join “The Council” by Vax and Vex.

Pike aka Lightbearer: At an early age Pike was discovered to be gifted in mysterious magic bestowed upon her by her goddess, as she grew she tried to help those in need in secret. But eventually word reached ‘The Council’ who contacted Pike about their idea for a secretly government funded hero organization/group, seeing as to how this would help her grandfather a great deal and let her be able to help a lot more people she agreed, taking Grog with her.

Scanlan aka Meatman aka The Performer: Scanlan even tho he inherited the same kind of magic his mother had works as a journalist for the most part. But he has the tendency to get walled by red tape, people not letting him look further into issues, issues that actually need to be solved and not just some celebrity gossip. This is what leads to him becoming the Meatman a mysterious online blogger/persona that leaks information about the criminal going ons within the city. Eventually he was able to figure out Grog and Pikes secret identities, meaning he now had the emails to hero to whom he can give time sensitive information too, this lead to ‘The Council” creating a email for him to send the information too and later recruit Scanlan not as the Meatman but as The Performer.

Main romantic ships: Vaxleth and Percahlia (a little bit of pikelan)

Main platonic ships: all of them, always all of the platonic ships

just watched hamilton

lemme summarize to ppl who don't have 2 hours to spare

hamilton born bastard, orphan, son of a whore, dad left at 10, mom died at 12, at 17 goes to the US, and meets aaorn burr and some other revolutionaries whens he's 19

he then meets GEORGE FUCKING WASHINGTON and becomes his right-hand man

he also meet eliza who is amazing

he marries her, but then one of his friends john laurens (gay lover maybe bc love letters) dies trying to set up an all black army

his efforts were in vain at that time

so hamilton thinks death is catching up to him so he starts working more and more

thomas jefferson's coming home!!!

and he and him become rivals that would prob murder each other

so he then has a FUCKING AFFAIR THATS ALL HIS FAULT

when eliza and her sister go upstate

bc he was "working"

so he gets blackmailed

but tjeff and aaron burr and madison (jeffersons friend) find him paying money and think he's taking money form the government

so they go to visit him

and this dumbass goes "oh no lol i'm not taking money i'mjust cheating on my wife lmao ^^"

and they're like "what the fuck" but promise not to say anything

but hamilton says "yknow what, lemme just fuking PUBLISH my affair for everyone to read"

so comes the reynolds pamplhet

leading to one of the most batshit insane songs ever

and eliza burns his lettersbc shes heartbroken, and she has a right to be

but she forgives him when their son philip dies bc duel

time for the PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

and hamilton sees aaron burr and tjeff running and he's like OH SHIT THIS COUNTRY IS SO FUCKING FUCKED"

so he chooses his rival tjeff bc AT LEAST he has ideals

and aaron burr is very fucking pissed

so burr challenges him to a duel

and hamilton aims his guns UPWARDS

so aaoron burr kills him

so eliza spends the rest of her life never marrying again and protecting her husband's legacy

WE DONT FUCKING DESERVE ELIZA

anyway thats the end

*bows*

I did a Capture the Flag AU called "From the Moon to Saturn" in which the events take place after the main antagonists have failed and now have to rehabilitate themselves and try not to go to jail, aided by a married psychiatrist and her assistant. Anyway, I have it all spelled out in my Twitter (if any of you are reading this)... But so-so, if you haven't seen it, I'll leave a description of it all here:

Anyway: The events take place after the main events of the cartoon. Steve and his Boss return to Earth on the remaining charger (which is about to go down), after which they are both fixed (well, one is fixed, the other is given psychological treatment after the spacewalk).

So now the government is watching him closely, and they want to give him some time, but that decision can change at any moment, because Carson may become sane after his rehabilitation and not have to cough up some fucked-up shit. Actually, Carson continues to work and develop his oil company, but with a psychiatrist, Helen Palmer, assigned to him, whom Carson simply hires afterwards, since a psychiatrist is always a good thing and she will also record the condition of the workers.

Helen is assigned an assistant, Irene Robitaille, who assists her in her work and psychiatric sessions.

And on top of that, Helen has a husband, Daniel Palmer, who is a detective sent by the government to watch Carson's affairs and, if any illegal shit is announced, to report to the government so that they can put Carson behind bars in time.

Everything seems to be going fine, but there are some things that make it hard for Helen to work:

First of all, Carson himself is hitting on her, which Helen is not fucking happy about; Secondly, this idiot sometimes cannot control himself and has outbursts of aggression, and Helen has prescribed him sedatives, which he occasionally forgets to take, so she periodically has to remind this cunt about them; Thirdly, Danielle has been prying information from her about large-scale projects to keep the government informed, but there is such a thing as "official secrecy", and Helen follows this rule to the letter, so she tells her husband only laughs from work, trying to keep everything secret about what's going on (but at some point she just gets as tired of everything as possible and spills all the information she knows about the oil company and the shady dealings within it, but adds that if this gets out, she will be fired and have her license or work certificate revoked, and everything will go to shit. Like, she's not scared of blackmail, but she's worried about her and her husband going down, and she won't forgive herself at all if she sits on his neck. Daniel is no slouch, he shoots for the family and the yard at point-blank range, so he decides that he won't give her up and everything will remain a secret between the two of them); Fourth, despite the fact that Carson and Steve are in a near-romantic relationship, this does not prevent Richard from hitting on the married woman psychiatrist (Steve has already come to terms with this prank and therefore simply observes what is happening with his face, still remaining his faithful assistant and deputy).

And then there are such moments in our characters' biographies as: 1) Helen used to work in a psychiatric clinic, which was attached to a state prison, where maniacs and murderers were brought in to find out the cause of their atrocities, and to make a more detailed record of them and give them proper medical and psychiatric help. And while working with patients (criminals who were considered especially insane), there were acts of attack that were immediately stopped by the guards at the door of her office. So after these incidents Helen began to carry a knife with her. In addition, her husband was very worried about her and taught her some very important self-defense techniques so that she would not go to work with fear in her eyes and could keep herself alive. Therefore, in case of danger, Helen always threatens to "stab her 28 times" (bc no way).

2) Irene is married to Dan Robitaille, a beekeeper who has had a history of crime and debauchery, but now everything is fine and they both live in peace, and Irene herself is happy.

3) Daniel has experience in undercover surveillance, so he's good at disguises, and one day he decided to follow Carson, but his brilliant plan was ruined because his wife has a diamond eye and she quietly removed all the cameras behind his back and took them to the bathroom of the house (to make fun of him and show that back surveillance is a bad idea).

4) During his college years Richard was addicted to drugs, but was not too hung up on them (he only used them 3-5 times, after which his father found out about everything and gave him a good beating).

5) Steve is charged partly like a normal smartphone - from a wire, but if this wire breaks, he is placed in a capsule-bed, equipped with a special connection tube, which transmits energy by electric waves.

6) Richard does not like to talk about his mother, as she ruined his life (she drank a lot and often beat him while intoxicated, and raised her voice at everyone, due to which his father divorced her).

And finally, a couple of headcanons: 1) Helen, like Richard, does not deny herself the pleasure of smoking a pipe, but she does it once a week or if she feels pressure from all sides. 2) Irene has experience with hypnotic sessions (her husband taught her that). 3) When Richard began to experience bisexual panic, he asked Steve directly what it was and how to get rid of it, to which the answer was "you love both men and women and there's nothing you can do about it but move on. 4) Helen has a separate sheet where she counts Richard's fuck-ups and then trolls him with it. 5) Daniel sees right through his wife and when she tries to lie, he is bound to say something that Helen can find no explanation for. He only does this out of love for her and concern for her health (which she appreciates, by the way). 6) Helen often threatens Richard with a knife when he starts coming on to her, but very soon it became a kind of "thing" of their communication.

That's all

Vengeance = Repentance

PART 1: VENGEANCE

Summary: Reader had bullied Todoroki throughout all his time in high school. Years later, after a reconnection during an after-work drinking session, she goes back to his place, naively unaware of the payback he has planned for her…

Words: 4.1k

Rating: Explicit, Smut (in part 2)

Warnings: bullying by reader in beginning, murderous thoughts by Todoroki, Dark!Todoroki, drugging

(no smut in the first part, just immense build-up)

Notes: I could not for the life of me think of an interesting Todo fic to write. Until...THIS baby popped into my mind. It was actually really challenging and fun to write what goes on in the mind of Dark!Todoroki. I hope I did it justice.

~~~

He hated you.

Sometimes the only reason he had for living was simply to see the day that you’d be six feet under a cold batch of dirt. You’d be all alone down there with no one to control. No one to manipulate. No one to blackmail or threaten.

You’d have no lackey to run around and get you sweet bread from the convenience store. No lookout to make sure any teachers came to catch the abominable acts you committed in the bathroom stall or behind the gymnasium. No rich father to make sure that whatever horrible deeds you committed that were reported were swept gracefully under a rug.

And most importantly, you wouldn’t have him. The target of all your psychological and physical abuse. The one person who constantly fulfilled your insatiably engorged sadistic ego.

“Heyyy~ Shou, can you come here for a sec?” You had called out to your bi-colored haired classmate from the threshold of the class’ door. The twitch in his shoulders in reaction to your voice made you chuckle. Todoroki slowly slid his chair back, making a scratching noise against the tiled floor, and got up. He walked up towards you with his eyes trailing the floor.

“Yes?”

“Ohh! So obedient today, aren’t we? Hehe- It was only a matter of time I suppose.” You smiled your disgustingly innocent smile at him. “I need you to check something for me. It’s important, okay?”

He stayed silent as he watched you move the hand that was behind your back out forward. You had a carton of milk in your hand, and it seemed to have already been open. He saw you put the carton to your nose and sniff harshly from where the opening was before shoving the carton into his chest. A bit of milk spilled out and dripped onto his uniform.

“This milk. It smells kinda funky. I want you to check it for me.”

“…If it smells funny then it’s probably-“

“Did I ask for your cheap opinion? Just do the favor, alright?” You frustratingly squeezed the carton in your hand which made even more milk spurt out and land on your hand as well as Todoroki’s uniform again. “Ugh! Shit! Look what you made me do! From being so obstinate.”

“Sorry…” He took the carton from your hand. It was practically half full now so he wondered why you even still cared so much. But he didn’t ask. He put the carton to his nose and sniffed to try and find a rotten smell to it. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Are you stupid? Not like that, idiot. You’ll never know if its bad if you check like that.” You quickly took the milk from him and raised it in the air. “You have to check like this~” You began to slowly pour the rest of the carton’s contents onto his head, completely soaking his silky hair and ruining his uniform even more. The milk drenched into his shirt and he could feel its cool wetness trickle his skin. “Ahaha! Weeell?? Is it bad or not, Shouutoo??”

There was a loud commotion of hoots and hollers from the other classmates as they watched your tormenting of Todoroki.

“Uwaah!! Milk boy got dunked on again!!”

“Gross! He’s gonna smell so bad later…”

“Dude! Go wash up! You’re gonna make the whole class smell like milk!”

“Krrgh..” Todoroki choked up in frustration, his hands balled into a fist. The fact he couldn’t just punch you right now could drive him to a point of enraged insanity.

The fact he had to let you get away with this over and over again just because of your father’s notorious connections with various government and business groups. He sometimes thought about just killing you anyway and dealing with the consequences. Prison would be more manageable than continuing to live in this same physical plane as you.

He thought about how he’d do it, too. If he would try to do it inconspicuously with poison, or conspicuously with his hands wrapped around your slender little throat. The former lead to more chances of him getting away with it. He could have the pleasure of your death along with his freedom. But the latter…the latter was just too enticing to pass up. Being able to hear your gargled whimpers attempting to beg for your life. Your legs that would try to kick and pry him off your weak body. Your face losing its color as your body is abruptly deprived of oxygen. And finally, his personal favorite, your bloodshot eyes that would be pleading for him to give you mercy before finally greying out.

Yes…the latter would have to do. Time in prison would be a beautiful cost to pay to see you perish under his fingers. The world would thank him later, for getting rid of their waste. Your death would serve as your repentance

But he was weak. Scared. He couldn’t find the conviction he needed to actually go through with it. It made him feel even worse. Maybe you were never wrong, and he was truly as spineless as you treated him.

But he’d get stronger. He had to. He needed to. He craved to.

-------------------------9 YEARS LATER-------------------------

“Good job on closing the deal, Todo!”

Todoroki had felt a harsh pat on his back before a heavy arm was slung over his shoulder by his spikey red haired coworker as he was grabbing his blazer off the chair.

“It was nothing, Kirishima.” He replied coolly but not without a small twinge of a smile.

“Ha! ‘It was nothing’ he says!” The energetic man turned his head around to face everyone else in the office. “Hey! Everyone! Pay attention to this guy right here! You might become the most successful businessman this country has to offer!”

The office chuckled and gave soft cheers for Todoroki, some of them poking fun at Kirishima’s exuberant display of comradery.

“Todo! Kiri! You guys are coming out for drinks, right!” Another one of Todoroki’s energetic co-workers, this time with bright yellow hair, briskly jogged up towards them. “I already invited the ladies!”

“Totally, dude! Where are we supposed to be going?”

“Heights Alliance! That bar has the best drinks and food a guy could ask for. Not to mention cute girls!

Todoroki softly brushed off the arm of Kirishima before putting his jacket on. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Aw! Come on dude!” This time, the yellow-haired co-worker placing his arm around Todoroki’s shoulder. “You alllways bail on us! Come with us this time! Drinks on Kiri!”

“Hey, Kaminari! Don’t decide that for yourself!” Kirishima retorted. “But yeah, man. You should come out. We miss you sometimes, dude.”

Todoroki hesitated as he contemplated his fellow workers’ requests. Honestly, he had never gone out to just...have fun. He would clog his mind with work which was probably why he was successful anyways. He didn’t even know why he was so disciplined when it came to his career. Not knowing what his goals even were. Focusing primarily on work, but for what? To just deny any moments of pleasure or belonging?

Maybe it was time for a change.

“…Alright.”

“Wooo!!! Todo is officially on board!”

The loudness of the cheers of his coworkers rang stingingly through his eardrums but he couldn’t suppress the smile that stemmed on his face.

As he had the feeling tonight would be an unforgettable night.

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

Todoroki sighed as he sipped the last of his drink and placed it softly on the counter in front of him. He sat alone as he thought about what he was even doing there. The entire evening basically constituting to watching his co-workers ramble on about various subjects that he could not get the meaning behind. After a while of heavy drinking, that he did not participate in, everyone either went bar-hopping or went home passed out in a taxi. He truly did not understand the purpose of such gatherings and he started to wonder how he’d even fit into society.  

As he thought to himself, the sudden words from the bartender disrupted his thoughts.

“Oh hey, Y/N. Long time, no see.”

The abrupt sound of your name made him widen his eyes and his body unconsciously jolt in the barstool. Was it really the same Y/N? No, it couldn’t be. Surely there were a bountiful amount of people with names that were similar to yours. But he had to check for himself, so he looked up from his empty glass and-

“Haha…Shinsou. Looking as gorgeously sleepy as ever. How are you?”

The sounds of your conversation with the bartender drowned out with the rest of the bustled atmosphere as he glared upon you. Without a doubt, it was you. He could never forget that figure. That figure that towered over him menacingly even though he was taller than you. That figure that just watched from a distance as you sent your delinquent underlings to pummel him into the cold cement. That figure who would bow respectfully to teachers when they dismissed any reports of your lechery. And now that same figure was only a few feet away from him, sitting gracefully at the bar counter as you talked to the unknowing bartender.

His glare locked long enough onto your figure for you to finally meet his eyes. And before he could look away, you had called out to him.

“Eh..? To…Todoroki?” You had softly called out to him. Using his name in a way that he had never heard from you before. Using a voice that harshly contradicted the patronizing tone you barked commands at him with. “It’s really you, isn’t it?”. You were smiling at him. Smiling at him as if he were a longtime friend that you missed connections with due to one of you going abroad.

You had hopped out of the barstool and approached your old classmate, taking a new seat beside him. He looked over at the wall of drinks displayed in front him, avoiding your gazing. “Wow…you’re all grown up now, huh?” You looked over to the bartender raising your hand at him. “Shinsou~ A refill on whatever he had, okay? Make it two actually.” The bartender simply nodded at you before mixing up various alcohol and flavors behind the counter.

“I..I don’t want to drink.” Todoroki shivered at his own statement as he was reminded of the times you’d scream at him for not doing something you’d ask.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s on me, okay? Don’t worry about it.” You had inched your head more over the counter trying to get a better look at him. “Your hair…I always thought it was dyed. But I guess its real, huh.” You reached your hand out to run your fingertips through his silky bi-colored bangs. He twitched at your touch.

What exactly were you doing? Acting so innocent with him like this. Were you just going to pretend like the three-year long trauma you subjected him to was a fable? An illusion? Or perhaps you had minimized the damage you’d done in your mind in order to preserve your own sanity as you took over a new life.

“...Y/N. What are you doing?”

You quirked your eyebrows in confusion at his question. “What do you mean? I just…I just think your hair is really pretty is all.”

Were you faking it? Was this another one of your atrocious jokes? Perhaps within the next minute you’d start cackling at him, asking him how he could be stupid enough to believe he deserved such niceties from the likes of you.

Todoroki looked down and squeezed the empty glass on the counter. “Don’t you…don’t you remember? What you did to me?”

“Todoroki…” You lowered your eyebrows in sorrow. “I-I’m sorry for what I did to you back then. I was indeed…a cruel person. I know you probably won’t accept that…but I still want to tell you. You at least deserve my apology. As cheap as it is.”

He looked over to you, surprised at your apologetic tone. He gazed into your e/c eyes. The very e/c eyes that captured the hearts of everyone around you, yet seethed supremacy and calamity toward him. He had learned to distrust anyone with eyes that resembled yours. The eyes that were now looking at him with…

Remorse. Your eyes were burdening in remorse. As soon as Todoroki saw the guilt that dwelled in your eyes he knew that this wasn’t a joke. That you weren’t pretending to feel these things. The look in your eyes unquestionably conveyed the apology you had stated earlier.

And it was that same look that would ascend an unusual beast that lurked within the visceral regions of his body. An unfamiliar thirst that stayed submerged within him, never needing to be satisfied until now. It gurgled within the depths of his gut, practically wanting to vomit out of his esophagus.

A beast that went by the name of revenge. And it would be so easy to pursue it right now with the plague of repentance beating in your heart.

Todoroki placed one of his hands on yours and squeezed tightly. Your skin was so soft, so smooth. He could never take the time to feel how delicate your skin was when the only touch of yours he knew before was the stinging slaps you’d deliver on his face. But tonight, he’d be able to feel something more, and the touch of his hands on yours only made the beast inside of him grow more and more unruly.

“I forgive you, Y/N.” He tried to state it in the softest way possible, making sure the feigning of the line wouldn’t be discovered. However, he knew you believed him by the twinkle in your eye, signifying an immense weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

“Todoroki…” A warm tear dropped from your cheek to his hand. “Thank you, Todoroki… thank you.” More tears would soon follow and drop onto his hand. He would’ve let go of you if he wasn’t so encapsulated by the feeling of your salty waters dropping onto his skin. As your tears cooled and dried up into his hand, he couldn’t have felt more enthused.

It was only then that Todoroki could take in the beauty that was your face. You looked so elegant like that, with pools of emotions trailing down your cheeks. Maybe if he’d seen this site of you in high school he’d had instantly fell in love. But such feelings didn’t reside in him anymore. They’d been evicted by the lurking beast of revenge, and that beast was craving more of this site from you.

“Two Vieux Carre cocktails” The bartender had placed the drinks on the counter in front of each of you before grabbing something under the counter. “…and a tissue”. He handed the soft fabric to you which made you giggle a bit.

“Thank you, Shinsou.”

He simply hummed a reply at you and returned to making drinks for other patrons that had walked in.

While you wiped away the allure that was your tears, Todoroki sat there, thinking of prolific strategies of how to get you under his grip. Should he just ask you to come home with him? Wouldn’t that be too straight forward? He didn’t know much about social interactions, but he knew asking a woman at a bar to come home with him had its underlying implications. And its not that he was undesired by women; he knew of the colleagues in his office that held romantic feelings for him. He just never followed through with any of them, never feeling anything close to the desires that were brought for him.

He also couldn’t help but feel subconscious about asking you to come home with him. You were the person that so incredibly ridiculed him for three years. You were still the same person who made him believe that no sane person would ever look twice at him. That he was too weak and monotonous to ever make someone feel happy.

Or were you? It seemed that whatever life change you went through caused you to redevelop your entire personality. Maybe you’d be like most the women he encountered in his life and become attracted to him? After-all, he also wasn’t the same person as he was in high school. He’d become stronger mentally and physically as well as much more confident about himself.

“Y/N, would you like to…finish drinking at my home?”

You stopped drying your tears at the suddenness of the question. “Huh?...You actually want me in your home?”

“Only if you want to.” Todoroki squeezed your hand again attempting to signal the desire to have you with him in private.

Blood rose to your nose and you looked away in embarrassment. “…Okay.”

Todoroki couldn’t stop the widening of his eyes at your acceptance. A part of him truly believed you’d call him disgusting before jumping up and delivering one of your characteristic slaps to his face. The heavens knew just how badly that needed to happen. If you’d rejected him, the beast of revenge may have gone right back to where it resided, deep in the subconscious of his mind.

But no, you’d accepted him. And with that, you’d accept your punishment. If you were truly ready to take on a new life, you would need to repent for your old one.

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

Todoroki couldn’t stop the erratic beating of his heart as the two of you walked over the threshold into his house. He was closer and closer to fulfilling the dream of having you within his grips. But he couldn’t be too impatient as this would be the part where he would need to tread carefully. As the two of you took off your shoes, he would continue to watch your every move, like a jaguar stalking its prey.

“Woww!” Your eyes wandered around Todoroki’s living room, amazed at how expansive and beautifully designed it was. “Your house is so luxurious! And polished!” You looked back at Todoroki. “It suits you.”

Todoroki was a bit taken aback by your statement. As far as he knew, you had a rich father who catered to everything your callous heart desired. He was partly the reason behind his suffering seeing as that your father made sure any unpleasantry brought against you was hushed behind a closed door. “You aren’t used to this?” He stepped over to the mini-bar area and reached up to grab a specific bottle of wine.

“Huh?” You followed behind him and leaned against the bar counter, grazing your finger over the refined marble surface.  

“This…kind of house. You aren’t used to it?” He grabbed a corkscrew from the drawer and began to pry off the wine bottle’s cork. “Your father was a rich businessman was he not?”

You scoffed as you rested your elbow on the marble. “My father was in the yakuza. Rich in some aspects, but no businessman.” Your eyes fell from Todoroki to the counter. “And we never got to live in a place anywhere this grand. Especially after he was taken down by the cops…”

“I see.” It made perfect sense honestly. Your yakuza connections would explain the lackeys, the apathy of the teachers towards your lechery, the strange approval of your actions by the entire class. It must’ve been hard behind the scenes having to be the daughter of a yakuza member, but nonetheless it wouldn’t your crimes against his humanity. Todoroki poured two glasses of wine and placed one on the counter next to you.

“Should we…sit on the couch?” You looked towards to main part of the living room, eyes landing on Todoroki’s expensive sectional. “I-I mean…if you want to…”

Todoroki noticed the flustering of your face and couldn’t help but think that if the two of you had met under different pretexts he would surely have made you his wife. But marriage is not what this affair is about. This affair is about satisfying the demon that grew expansively inside of him.

He grabbed your hand and intertwined his fingers between yours as he picked up both glasses with his other hand. “I’d love to, Y/N”.

He walked the two of you over to the couch, waiting until you sat down to hand you your glass and sit closely beside you. He carefully watched as you took sips from the glass, mesmerized by the shape of lips and how you’d glossed them for your night out. They looked so soft and delicate and perfectly matched the dimensions of your face.

But your naivety obviously outmatched your beauty Todoroki thought. How could you so easily drink from the hands of someone who would so obviously want to get revenge on you? Did your newfound personality make you oblivious to the dangers of life? Maybe after wanting to permanently discard the remains of the yakuza from your brain, you decided to look at people in a new light. Maybe you wanted to just see the good in everyone and learn that most people aren’t out to destroy you. It is indeed a true thought; most people don’t want to destroy you.

But most people also don’t subject those around them to abhorrent acts of malice. And for that, your naivety would prove to be one of the worst decisions you’d made in your small existence.

“Your wine…it tastes very good.” You had swirled what left of it you had before drinking it all within a couple more gulps.

Probably the best compliment you could have said in your life. Todoroki had taken the time to make sure every speckle of power was completely dissolved into the wine. He couldn’t taste it himself or get a taste tester of course, so he would have just had to wait until your ultimate encountering to test it. And it worked.

“It was a gift from a friend abroad.” A lie. But a believable lie. “I’m glad you like it.”

You quizzingly looked at his still full glass of wine in his hand. “Why didn’t you drink any?”

“Oh...I- well I guess I am already a bit tipsy from the bar so further consumption would be ill-advised.” He smoothy stated before placing the glass on the coffee table in front of the couch.

You giggled at the statement as Todoroki internally cackled at your gullibility.

“You know, Todoroki…” Your eyes strayed to your lap. “I know this must mean nothing coming from me but…I liked you a lot in high school.” You twirled your index finger in circles on your skirt. “And I know I was mean to you but…I believe that our encounter must have been fate because, well…I still like you.”

Todoroki smiled, a cover-up for the guttural laughter that wanted to burst out of him. He let go of your hand and traced his fingers across your cheek before holding the side of your face delicately in his hand. “That…means more than you’d ever know, Y/N.”

“Shouto…”

He leaned over to give you a peck on the cheek before pressing his lips against yours. Your lips were just as soft as they looked and the gloss you wore provided a sweet vanilla taste. You sunk your hand into the red side of his hair before slipping your tongue in between his lips. Your tongue felt hot in his mouth and Todoroki grabbed your head to pull you deeper into the kiss. He tasted every part of your mouth that he could with his tongue. Your teeth, your gums, the inside of your cheeks. He made sure to leave his mark everywhere in your mouth, foreboding to the marks that would soon be left on your body.

As his kiss got deeper, yours became shallower and lazier. Eventually you pressed your hand against his chest to softly get him to back up.

“I’m sorry, Shouto…” You pressed your hand to your forehead. “It seems…I have a headache…and I’m kinda sleepy.” Your eyelids drooped heavily as sleep seemed to overcome you. “I…should go home.”

Shouto grabbed your head and leaned you down on the couch, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Ssshh…its okay Y/N. You can just sleep here for tonight. I’ll drive you back in the morning.”

“Okay…thankyou, Shouto.” You quickly drifted off to sleep at the finish of your sentence.

When Todoroki felt the heaves of your chest raise higher and lower at deeper levels, he picked you up into his arms, carrying you gently to make sure you wouldn’t wake up. Though that was a rare chance seeing as how he put a little extra power in the wine to make sure it would subdue you. He carried you down the corridor to the door that would lead to your demise. Before he walked down the stairs, he whispered into your non-listening ear.

“This encounter is indeed special, Y/N. But it will be more special to you than it will for me…because tonight will mark my vengeance. And tonight will also mark…your repentance.”

welcome to svt (pt. 21)

w.c. 767 (very short one, TO SET UP LAST COUPLE PARTS FOLKS)

ch. 1 | ch. 2 | ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5 | ch. 6 | ch. 7 | ch. 8 | ch. 9 | ch. 10 | ch. 11 | ch. 12 | ch. 13 | ch. 14 | ch. 15 | ch. 16 | ch. 17 | ch. 18 | ch. 19 | ch. 20 | ch. 21

Because she’s going insane in the spare room, Joshua finds her a wheelchair to use for a day.

‘I told you I was going to have you try walking on it tomorrow,’ Joshua had insisted.

‘I’m getting bored now.’

Jihoon rolls into the living room. The boys are all sat at the dining table. It’s nearly a week late, but it’s debrief day. They decided to push it while she was healing, though she had insisted that they just debrief without her.

‘They don’t want to do it without you there,’ Jihoon had relayed.

Luckily for them, Seungcheol and Jeonghan are upstairs working on something else.

Jihoon rolls her to her usual spot at the center of the table, facing the window, and takes her right side.

Hansol and Seungkwan start.

‘The Jardinier files indicate that whoever Cheol hyung is communicating with blackmails large spenders. They ask for large sums and are always paid.’

‘Can you tell why?’ She adjusts her leg so it’s a little more comfortable.

Seungkwan tips his head. ‘Too much for it to be a single hit. Some of the payees are like “FBI” or “Brit gov”. So, Hansollie and I assumed they’re blackmailing governments for information that they have. It’s hard to tell though, what exactly Jardinier is doing in order to demand so much.’

She tips her head at that before turning to Soonyoung and Seokmin.

‘Alright, a few theories,’ Soonyoung says.

None of the theories seem particularly plausible except for the last one. ‘Cop Guy was a dirty cop. Seungcheol told us that LT is apparently the leader of a drug ring too, right? So, what if our cop smuggled drugs or helped LT do that? Or maybe just looked the other way?’

‘And then Cop Guy turned, got a conscience or didn’t like that he wasn’t getting paid enough for risking his skin and reputation,’ Seokmin continues. ‘It wouldn’t be good for LT. Cop Guy would know too much.’

‘So, LT offs him,’ Soonyoung finishes.

There’s a pause as everyone soaks this in.

She hums. ‘Did you confirm that one?’

‘I talked to one of my cop sources.’ Soonyoung leans forward on his elbows. ‘She said that the narcotics division had suspicions that a dirty cop was helping the drugs get through the country. She didn’t confirm any names.’

She turns to Seokmin.

‘I managed to get access to her phone. She connected to the Wi-Fi at the station.’

Then she turns to Minghao.

‘And I got them in.’

Her gaze falls to her hands as she presses them together and then looks between the three of them. ‘And?’ Sometimes these boys like their build up too much.

Seokmin finishes their presentation. ‘Cop Guy was being looked into. Case was never closed since they couldn’t gather enough evidence to confirm his involvement. Other than the fact that he got murdered.’

‘That means LT has connections to the police though. Which I don’t like.’ She turns to Wonwoo and Minghao.

‘We actually found a leak,’ Wonwoo says.

The boys help push Wonwoo’s laptop across the table to her.

She reads through the file. Payments, messages. ‘Someone ordered a hitman on the hitman.’

‘But,’ Minghao continues, ‘we don’t think that that guy was actually killed. We think Taeyong just told Seungcheol hyung that he was.’

‘Well, if that was happening then—’

Seungcheol hurries down the steps from his office. ‘Hey, have you guys seen Jeonghan?’

The team exchange looks.

‘We thought he was upstairs with you,’ Jihoon says.

Seungcheol’s hands go to his hair. ‘He said he was going to pick up some new accessories and parts that you guys asked him for.’

She pulls Wonwoo’s computer towards her and goes to their tracing program. She tries tracing all of Jeonghan’s phone numbers. None of them are on. ‘That’s not good,’ she murmurs. She turns the computer to face everyone so they can see before kicking Jihoon under the table.

Jihoon gets to his feet and grabs Seungcheol’s arm. ‘Sit down. We’ll figure this out.’

She closes the laptop before Seungcheol can see it. ‘Where was he supposed to go?’

‘He just said he was going to run errands!’

‘Cheol, take a breath. We,’ Jihoon looks around the table, ‘we don’t know what you need us to do.’

Seungcheol takes a shaky breath, his hands running through his hair. He presses his hands together, his eyes down on the floor. When he speaks again, his voice is clear and even. ‘You’ve all been doing your research.’ He lifts his head, catches her eye and her nod. ‘What do you know?’

AA7 thoughts

So I just finished Spirit of Justice and then I heard about Ace Attorney 7 apparently in the works, so my brain decided this is the time to make up potential plot twists to be excited about that don’t actually exist. I know this is divergent from my usual fanart posting but here’s a very long text dump of some new stuff I’d be interested in seeing but will probably not happen because it is all very specific and caters to my own desires, probably not the fandom’s in general:

Phoenix is still there, but not as active as an acting defense attorney, though he’s still key to the plot (as a mentor, or to be used as emotional blackmail). He’s not playable (or if he is, it’s not for long), but more there as a plot point in a Maya sort of way (oh the turntables). This time, he’s the one under threat or danger. Instead of switching around from lawyer to lawyer, I think that Athena should undergo some more development as a main character this time around since Phoenix and Apollo have had their time to shine. The removal of Phoenix and being all alone, I think, would also be interesting in her character development

On that note, bring on the major character angst!! Having a big tragedy occur, with a fairly major character. Usually the tragedy pulled is a murder/death, but how about a different sort of tragedy-- a fate worse than death/on par with it to someone who is still alive? Someone is severely incapacitated, a psychological injury (classic old memory loss, or perhaps a genius who is reduced to a very limited mental capacity), coma, or even a temporary death (like with Petenshy, Edgeworth), or perhaps a kidnapping (not Maya this time, please). If it happens to a major character, it’ll have greater impact, BUT there’ll be fan riots if it’s not reversible. So have the tragedy with the character get resolved, but not in a deus ex machina way-- recovery is slow and angsty but filled with hope.

There’s often a focus on the past haunting you-- let’s try shifting this to the present! Building suspense on a case that is happening in real time-- I am fond of the idea of a serial killer on the loose in the present and the dread of suspense in present time throughout trials as they continue to kill and hinder key advances in solving the mystery.

Very often, there are personal ties in court-- both the prosecution and defense are tied together in some way in the past, resolving their own personal backstory. Instead of oneself, maybe let’s have some focus on a client instead? It might be interesting to see a lawyer get so deep into protecting a single client-- instead of a new client for every case, protecting a single person over multiple cases-- that they get roped into an outsider’s story instead. A little idea in my head is of playing around with maybe witness protection, or say (off the serial killer idea) someone is expected to be the next target for a murder and you are tasked with trying to protect them in real time (and then a tragedy happens to them that moves plot forward, bonus if players gets to build an emotional connection between you and the client).

In SOJ and DGS, the stakes were big on “saving the masses” and government reform-- the stakes can still be high, but instead of something lofty like reforming the world or community, instead it could focus on the relationships with the people immediately around you, protecting them, or just some good old self-preservation.

Newer characters like Athena being really fleshed out! Whether there are new or old characters, really build and explore the depth of their character beyond that of a plot point. Not just slapping on relationship labels that immediately trigger emotion but have no context beyond it (like the killing off “my best friend” Clay in DD, or the classic parental death). I thought the fleshing out of Dhurke and building an emotional relation to him in SOJ was a lot more effective in making it really feel like a tragedy than with Clay in DD.

For introducing any old characters, please show some personality changes due to age. Or, maybe! Even a 180 change from the personality from the original trilogy for intrigue-- what happened to the old person I knew (and have it be integral to the plot)? I know I griped about the old “ah That Event 5/7/10 years ago” past plot thing being used but I wouldn’t mind this being used as a part of plot development either

Maybe try to bridge the feeling of separation between the old trilogy and newer characters’ worlds by, instead of kind of sequestering them into their separate spheres of interaction to preserve nostalgia (like in Turnabout Time Traveler, where the old gang is all together in the same dynamic, Maya and Phoenix and Edgeworth, etc), have old trilogy characters interact with newer ones in significant ways and build their own unique bond. So, not just a passing mention where the old encounters the new, having the old interact with the new and build a bond through going through significant conflicts together (for example, this has already been mentioned but if Athena is the main focus of the next game, there could be an opportunity to explore this if she confronts Franziska in court!).

I know there’s already so many gimmicks added (Apollo’s perceive, Athena’s widget) but if there has to be something new added, instead of making it individual-specific, maybe have be similar to spirit channeling as a concept-- have it be a broad phenomenon in the world that plays a key part in causing a case, rather than a tool for discerning the truth of a case.

Or, if we’re sticking with the same gadgets/tricks, instead choosing to tamper more with the tools of the trade that were supposed to never lead you astray-- this has already been seen in DD, where Apollo’s bracelet led him to the wrong conclusion about Athena, and AA4, where evidence was tampered with. Perhaps instead of adding new gadgets, let’s manipulate, tamper with, lose, have it used against them in new ways!

The use of a civil case in SOJ was very much unexpected but in my opinion a very interesting one! Would be very interesting to see more in-fighting among the prosecutor group or within the defense attorney group and see how that moves the plot along. Messing more with the court system instead of adding new gadgets would also be interesting.

More threats during investigation, not just in court! Remember when von Karma tased you in the evidence room? Let’s have suspense in AND out of the courtroom.

I’m sure there’s plenty of interesting psychological phenomena that could be used to complicate court cases (for example, that use of Justice Minister Inga’s cognitive disorder in recognizing faces coming into play)!

Different approaches for moral ambiguity for clients using psychology-- we’ve seen this with defending clients who are actually guilty, or being blackmailed. I’d be interested in seeing a Jekyll and Hyde situation where 2 different sides of one person commit a crime, but one side is unaware of it-- and how a defense lawyer would handle this!

Exploring the plea for insanity in court! Double jeopardy! Escaped convicts! A murder whose trial to find a good jury has been delayed for a long time and is forced to find its resolution outside of court due to the murderer striking again!

Also, to pull in some stuff I read about elsewhere, after reading about moral psychology in Jonathan Haidt’s book The Righteous Mind and moral triggers that typically pull strong reactions (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity), I was also thinking about how ace attorney manages to build emotionally compelling cases in relation to this model. Ace Attorney imo so far has done pretty alright at hitting most of these triggers at some point to hype the emotion, but for the final case, it ends up being played in what I see as generally the same way (ex: character development starts from from my duty as a lawyer is my role as the defense/prosecutor into that of my duty is to find the truth, authority corrupt and that is bad, justice should be served fairly, I am loyal to my group of prosecutor/defense, also played with loyalty and betrayal in DD with Apollo and Athena splitting, also triggered sanctity a bit in SOJ with the religion, lots of other examples probably but that’s a few). I’d be interested in seeing these same moral triggers played upon in different manner for some variety! Maybe even pursuing some different themes than justice and truth and duty and all that jazz, but idk what else could be alright to explore cause the courts kinda embody all that and deviating to make a statement about other themes might not fit as well in the courts hmm

Also part 2, I wonder if there’ll be romantic undertone somewhere (or heavily implied) for any new or old major characters. Romantic love isn’t usually used with major characters as a plot point (usually platonic stuff, friendship, family, or duty to the truth is instead) but I’d think it’d be interesting if romance was used this time around as an emotional motivator to drive the plot

The Fire Nation becomes a democracy (maybe the real political restructuring was the friends we made along the way)

I have no impulse control so I wrote a thing based on my own post 

Tagging @dreyri-infinity-aldranaris because they commented on my original post and it gave me two years of serotonin 

———

“The war’s over.”

Katara blinked. “What?”

“War’s over,” Sokka repeated blankly.

“What?” Her voice cracked a little, but he just held up the piece of paper in his hand, looking a little dazed.

“People were yelling about it when I went to buy food. Apparently someone beat us to taking down Ozai.”

“Who?” Aang cut in before she could ask, disbelief clear on his face.

Sokka took a deep breath, then reread the paper in his hands like he needed to double check. “Zuko.”

Katara laughed, and she was aware it sounded a little unhinged. “No way.”

With a small shrug, he passed her the paper. ‘Firelord Ozai was removed from power by his son, the banished crown prince Zuko. The new Firelord ordered the removal of Fire Nation troops from all foreign territories and has started peace negotiations. There have been discussions of a large scale change to the Fire Nation’s governance.”

“This... This is... What?”

“This...” Aang hesitated, then glanced up almost hopefully. “This is good? I think?”

“So what do we do?” Katara asked.

“We could go talk to him?” Aang suggested, far too optimistically for her taste.

“Aang, he hunted us! This could be a trap!”

“But what if it isn’t?”

“Either way,” Sokka cut in, “I want to know what in La’s name is happening.”

•••

“We’re making it a democracy,” Zuko said for what felt like the millionth time. The advisors were still staring at him like he had two heads.

“But- but your majesty, we can’t ju- just do that!”

“Why?”

There was more spluttering, but no one seemed to have an answer. One of the advisors buried his head in his hands.

“Well, if no one has any more objections, that’s sorted then.”

•••

Sokka was honestly still expecting this to be a huge joke and/or trap, but no one started shooting fire when they landed in one of the gardens. The gardens of the Fire Nation royal palace. In the Fire Nation. Which was inhabited by firebenders.

But no fire yet, so that was at least a plus.

There was a very high-pitched “hi!” and then a blur of pink was cartwheeling towards them, followed much more slowly by a girl in black, who seemed far less enthused to see them.

“You must be the avatar, the waterbender and the asshole with a boomerang,” the girl in black said, a tiny trace of a smirk on her lips.

“The asshole with a boomerang?” Sokka asked, half offended half amused.

“Nice to meet you!” The pink blur announced, stopping in front of Appa. She was a girl, looking around the same age as the other, but radiating excitement and enthusiasm like her life depended on it. “I’m Ty Lee, and this is Mai!”

She slung an arm around Mai’s shoulder ignoring the other’s glower.

“Hi,” Katara said, a little faintly. “Uh, Katara, Sokka and Aang. We came to talk to Zuko. Sorry, who are you?”

“The royal guards,” Mai deadpanned.

“Cool,” Aang said after a beat. “Um, is Zuko here?”

Ty Lee shook her head, braid swinging around wildly. “He’s in a meeting right now, but you could come have tea with us while you wait!”

“What she means,” Mai drawled, “is that she wants you to get off the bison so she can pet it.”

———

As it turned out, there didn’t appear to be a trap. Ty Lee seemed way too enamoured with Appa to attack them, and Mai didn’t seem inclined to do much at all. The two girls led them to a table in an alcove and even sipped their tea own tea first; Sokka was fairly sure that meant it wasn’t poisoned. If it was, that was some serious dedication to killing them.

“Would you like some coffee?” Ty Lee asked.

“What’s coffee?”

“No idea, but Zuko’s been drinking it and he hasn’t slept in two days. It’s pretty good!”

“No thanks,” Sokka said quickly, before Aang could respond. He was hyperactive enough on good old fashioned sugar in his tea.

“So...” Katara said after an awkward pause. “Zuko’s the Fire Lord now.”

“Yep!” Ty Lee said brightly.

“Okay. Right. Cool. But... how? And why?” Sokka possibly sounded a little frenzied, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

“I believe,” Mai said evenly, “his exact words were ‘fuck it, I’m ending the war’.”

Aang blinked. “So he... just did that?”

“I thought you of all people would know that Zuko never gives up.” Mai shrugged. “When we were kids, I asked him for a knife and he spent three weeks making one from scratch.”

Ty Lee giggled. “We still haven’t told him she just wanted him to pass her a knife at dinner.”

Sokka was having a hard time reconciling the image of Angry Jerk Zuko with the absolute dork being described to him.

“You grew up with him?” He asked, mostly to have something else to think about. And also for the possibility of blackmail worthy information.

“We were best friends!” Ty Lee chirped.

“-with his sister,” Mai finished dryly. “Actually, you’re probably lucky she’s out at the moment.”

“Is she worse than him?” Katara asked, then seemed to remember she probably shouldn’t be insulting the new Fire Lord in the Fire Palace of the Fire Nation. Did Sokka mention the fire?

Ty Lee laughed again. “Azula’s great, as long as you don’t do, say or be anything that annoys her. Like talking to her too much. Or breathing too loud. Or standing too close to her. Or not telling her that she’s the best, smartest, most amazing person ever enough.”

“She’s a bitch,” Mai said blankly. “I like her so much.”

Was everyone in the Fire Nation insane? Was Zuko actually the most normal Fire Nation person they knew?

“She sounds nice,” Aang said, a little awkwardly.

“She is!” Ty Lee agreed. “She only threatened to kill me once today! That’s a record!”

He caught Katara’s eye across the table, and tried to silently communicate ‘what the actual fuck is happening?’. She sent back a helpless shrug.

Sokka had never been happier to see Zuko.

The new Fire Lord appeared a moment later, and Sokka almost didn’t recognise him. Thank the spririts, the ponytail was gone. Well, not really, but there was more hair around it. Looking at it no longer made Sokka want to pin him down and fix that spirits forsaken hairstyle. He was wearing what was probably Fire Nation royal clothing, but it looked like it had been at least a two days since he last slept.

“It’s a democracy now,” he said, and then seemed to process the three new people in front of him. “Oh, fuck.”

Aang gave a little wave.

“Uh, I’m really sorry? For hunting you and all that?” Zuko looked like he was expecting someone to kill him, and wasn’t strongly opposed to the idea.

“What do you mean it’s a democracy?” Sokka cut in, as the last few seconds started being processed in his brain.

“Oh,” Zuko blinked. “The Fire Nation. I made it a democracy.”

“Wait, you can do that?” Katara asked.

Zuko gave a small shrug. “Well there’s nothing to say I can’t.”

Sokka considered himself to be very eloquent. He was a smart guy, a hobbyist in poetry, and generally great with words. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“Do you have a problem with democracy?” For a second, Angry Jerk Zuko was back.

“No!” Sokka almost yelled. “Democracy is great, but what the fuck is happening?”

“I... made the Fire Nation a democracy?”

“No. We gathered that much. How in La’s name are you even the Fire Lord?”

“I’m not the Fire Lord,” Zuko said slowly. “I’m the head of a democratic government.”

Sokka briefly considered screaming, then shelved that thought for a later date.

“How did you become leader of a democratic government?”

“Oh, I fought my dad.”

His head was starting to hurt. He had a feeling that wouldn’t be going away any time soon.

“Why did you just switch sides? You were yelling at us about honour like, last week.”

“Well I kind of realised that hunting the avatar was kind of stupid, and that I may have been misinterpreting the message my dad was trying to send.”

“Which was?”

“Well, he said ‘you’re banished until you find the avatar’ but apparently that means ‘I’m hoping you die on this suicide mission and I never see you again so I can make your sister crown princess’.”

And that... that was a lot to process. There was a beat of silence, then Aang chimed in. “Are you currently in the market for a friend?”

“A what?”

If Sokka had known all it took was a hug from a tiny airbender to render Zuko completely nonfunctional, the past few months could have been a lot easier. Aang practically vaulted over the table and caught Zuko in a hug, and the firebender looked rapidly between him and the others with a look of abject confusion.

“Great,” Mai sighed, “you broke him.”

Ty Lee perked up almost immediately. “Are we allowed to hug Zuko now?”

“No!” Zuko managed to get out, a little strangled.

“I’m your dad now,” Aang declared, clinging on staunchly even when Zuko tried to shake him off.

“No one is my dad!”

“Then I’ll be your grandad!”

“My grandfather also tried to kill me!”

“I’ll be your great grandfather!”

“That was Sozin!”

“Your other great grandfather-“

“Please let go of me.”

“Respect your elders, young man!”

“You’re, like, ten!”

Sokka glanced over to Katara again, but to his horror, he recognised the look on her face. “Katara, no-“

“Katara, yes-“

“Please, don’t-“

“We’re-“

“No, we’re not!”

“We’re keeping him, Sokka.”

When George Orwell returned to Barcelona for the third time, on June 20th, 1937, he discovered that the Spanish secret police were after him. He had been forced to return to the front in order to have his discharge papers countersigned and, in his absence, the Communists had initiated a purge of their perceived enemies. Orwell was on the list. As he arrived in the lobby of the Hotel Continental, Eileen approached him calmly, placed her arm around his neck, and smiled for the benefit of anyone watching. Once they were close enough she hissed in his ear:

“Get out!”

“What?”

“Get out at once.”

“What?”

“Don’t keep standing here! You must get outside quickly!”

Eileen guided a bewildered Orwell toward the hotel exit. Marceau Pivert, a French friend of Orwell’s who was just entering the lobby, seemed distressed to see him and told him he needed to hide before the hotel called the police. A sympathetic member of the staff joined in, urging Orwell to leave in his broken English. Eileen managed to get him to a café on a discreet side street, where she explained the seriousness of the situation.

*

David Crook, a young Englishman working for the Independent Labour Party’s (ILP) Barcelona office, had become friends with both Orwell and his wife over the last few months. He was not what he seemed. He had arrived in Spain in January 1937, the month after Orwell, eager to join up with the International Brigades and fight the Fascists. He was descended from Russian-Jewish immigrants and grew up in Hampstead, attending the prestigious Cheltenham College.

Like many young men who grew up after the First World War, he was attracted to left-wing causes. He moved to New York City, where he attended Columbia University and embraced radical politics, joining the Young Communist League. As a student delegate he traveled down to Kentucky to support the famous miners’ strike in Harlan County, witnessing its brutal suppression by the National Guard. On his return to London he became a member of the British Communist Party. At one meeting, the doomed poet John Cornford spoke about the Republican cause in Spain, and Crook was inspired to enlist.

Like Hyndman, Crook was thrust straight into the action at the Battle of Jarama, taking three bullets to the leg. Recovering in Madrid, he socialized with the literary set, including the brilliant war correspondent Martha Gellhorn, her lover Ernest Hemingway, Mulk Raj Anand, and Spender. At this point he came to the attention of Soviet intelligence agents. After recruiting him, the NKVD sent him to a training camp in Albacete, where he was given a crash course in sabotage and surveillance techniques.

There he became a Communist spy. Crook’s mission was to infiltrate the ILP and report on all their activities. The Soviets already had one agent in place, David Wickes, who volunteered as an interpreter with the ILP and passed what information he found on to his handlers. Now Crook was to infiltrate deeper and get hold of documents. Orwell was his most prestigious target.

Orwell knew it was pointless to remain in Spain; he could no longer serve the cause to which he had committed himself.

As cover Crook pretended to be a stringer for a British newspaper, with credentials on headed paper secured from “a comrade in London.” The NKVD arranged for him to be discharged from the International Brigade with “lung trouble.” The day after Orwell returned from the front for the first time, before the outbreak of the May fighting, Crook installed himself at the Continental, befriended Eileen, and insinuated his way into the ILP office.

During the long Spanish lunch breaks, when the office was deserted, he took documents to a safe house on Calle Muntaner and photographed them. He compiled reports on the Orwells, Kopp, and McNair and, at meetings in a local café, delivered them folded up in a newspaper to his handler, Hugh O’Donnell (code name “Sean O’Brien”). Sometimes he secreted the reports in the hotel bathroom if more discretion was needed. Crook reported that Kopp and Eileen were having an affair, the kind of information the NKVD valued for blackmail purposes.

Kopp professed to be in love with Eileen, and while Orwell recuperated from his wound, their “association” developed “in little leaps” (these are her words; Orwell and Eileen had an unconventional relationship, and she was clear with Kopp that he could never replace his friend and rival). Also among the documents Crook apparently lifted was a report from Orwell’s doctor about his neck wound, which ended up in Orwell’s KGB file in Moscow. He was compiling evidence that could be used as justification for the coming purge.

Nobody suspected Crook, but there were plenty of other reasons to be fearful. Orwell knew it was pointless to remain in Spain; he could no longer serve the cause to which he had committed himself. Any foreign fighters seeking to leave the country were considered deserters, so it was important that Orwell got his discharge papers in order. For that, he needed to return to the front one last time. It took him five days. Time was running out.

*

The raid on Eileen’s room came early in the hours of June 16th, the same day that the Communist-controlled Republican government declared the POUM [the Worker’s Party of Marxist Unification] an illegal organization. The NKVD and the Spanish secret police (the SIM) moved swiftly on their targets. The NKVD assassin Iosif Grigulevich led the hit squad. Nin, POUM’s leader, had previously served as Trotsky’s private secretary in Moscow and, even though the two had split over political differences, argued that Catalonia should have given Trotsky asylum.

Those associations proved fatal. He was “arrested, brutally tortured, then flayed alive when he refused to confess to imaginary crimes.” Irwin Wolf, another of Trotsky’s former secretaries, was kidnapped and executed. Kurt Landau, a prominent Austrian Trotskyist, went into hiding, but thanks to information gathered by Crook, the death squad kidnapped and murdered him, too. Landau’s wife spent five months in prison, all the while vainly trying to discover what had happened to her husband.

Kopp was arrested at the Continental and thrown in prison. Crook, in order to maintain the integrity of his cover and to continue his spying, was “arrested” by two plainclothes policemen and thrown into the same jail as Kopp.

In the raid on Eileen’s room agents of the SIM confiscated every piece of paper they could find, including Orwell’s diaries, papers, and photographs. They also seized Orwell’s books, including his French edition of Hitler’s Mein Kampf and, ironically, Stalin’s Ways of Liquidating Trotskyists and Other Double Dealers. For two hours the policemen sounded the walls, checked behind the radiators, sifted through the trash, and held every item of clothing up to the light, searching for hidden letters or pamphlets.

They went through every single one of Orwell’s cigarette papers looking for hidden messages, yet for some reason, perhaps a perverse sense of decency, they failed to search the bed in which Eileen had concealed their passports and checkbooks. “The Spanish secret police had some of the spirit of the Gestapo, but not much of its competence,” he wrote.

Orwell arrived back in Barcelona on June 20th, having secured his discharge papers. It became clear he needed to get out quickly if he were to avoid the same fate as others associated with the POUM. Eileen told him McNair and an 18-year-old ILP volunteer, Stafford Cottman, were already in hiding. Eileen feared the only reason she remained free was as bait for her husband. She told him to destroy his militia card and incriminating photographs.

On no account could he return to the hotel. He would have to go into hiding, as there was almost certainly a warrant out for his arrest. Orwell suddenly felt like “a hunted fugitive.” The Orwells now had to find a way to get out of Barcelona and across the French border undetected. This was easier said than done. Suspicious as Orwell was, he had no idea just how closely the Communists were having him watched.

Eileen arranged for them all to meet the following morning at the British Consulate. Orwell spent the night in the ruins of an old church. After learning that it would take the consulate three days to get their passports ready, he and his friends did their best to remain inconspicuous. That night, in the bitter cold, Orwell, McNair, and Cottman slept, or at least tried to, “in some long grass at the edge of a derelict building lot.”

They spent the following morning restless for the cafés to open so that they could revive themselves with a coffee. After that Orwell went to the barber for a shave and then for a shoeshine. He took care to avoid any of the hotels or cafés associated with the POUM. Instead he began frequenting the city’s most exclusive restaurants, where no one knew him. Orwell took care not to be stopped as the streets “were thronged by local and Valencia assault guards, Carabineros and ordinary police, besides God knows how many spies in plain clothes.”

The morning after going into hiding, Orwell learned that Smillie, the young journalist alongside whom he had fought on the front, had died in a Valencia prison. The official verdict was appendicitis, but Smillie was only 22, and Orwell had seen just how tough he was. At best, Orwell thought, Smillie had been allowed to die “like a neglected animal.” Kopp later claimed he saw a police file that said Smillie had died from heavy kicks to the stomach. Orwell never forgave Smillie’s death.

By day the Englishmen pretended to be in the city on business, by night they slept rough. To get some respite, Orwell spent one day at the public baths. “It was an extraordinary, insane existence we were leading,” he wrote. “By night we were criminals, but by day we were prosperous English visitors—that was our pose, anyway.”

Needing an outlet, Orwell took the opportunity of an unobserved moment to scrawl political slogans on the walls. While on the run, Orwell persisted in the “ineradicable English belief that ‘they’ cannot arrest you unless you have broken the law,” even though “practically everyone we knew was in jail by this time.” He tried to do something for his friend Kopp, taking a great risk of his own arrest in twice visiting him in the filthy, overcrowded prison. Eileen offered to help Crook by smuggling letters out. But in the end there was nothing they could do for Kopp, and he spent the next year and a half being shuttled from prison to prison, from interrogation to interrogation, from prison ship to labor camp.

Even years later, Orwell kept among his papers a report detailing how when Kopp refused to sign a confession he was “put in a coal bin without light, air, or food where enormous rats ran in and out of his legs.” The use of rats in torture stuck with Orwell and became the subject of an iconic scene in Nineteen Eighty-Four. When Kopp was finally released 18 months later, he had lost 98 pounds in weight, and was suffering from scurvy and blood poisoning.

In the prison, Orwell had also seen Milton, who had tried to leave the country only to be arrested at the frontier despite having all his papers in order. The American had helped carry Orwell to the ambulance when he was wounded, and they had served together for months on the front line. But fearful of discovery, they “walked past each other as though [they] had been total strangers.” Milton’s failure to get out was a warning to Orwell and his friends: even jumping through the right hoops was no guarantee of a successful escape.

Orwell needed to tell the world, and most importantly his fellow left-wingers, the truth about what was going on in Spain.

Finally Orwell discovered his papers were ready. The group hatched an escape plan. A train was leaving for Port Bou, on the French border, at half past eight in the evening. It was important the secret police did not get wind of their planned escape. Eileen was to give no indication that she was leaving or they would pounce. They would order a taxi ahead of time but Eileen should pack her bags and pay the bill only at the last possible moment. To his horror, when Orwell arrived at the station he discovered that the train had left early. Fortunately, it had done so in time for him to warn his wife. It was a close call.

Orwell managed to ascertain that the manager of a local restaurant was an Anarchist and therefore sympathetic to their cause. He put Orwell and his two friends up in a spare room, a great relief after sleeping rough. A train left early the next morning, June 23rd, and, joined by Eileen, the group took seats in the dining car. “Two detectives came round the train taking the names of foreigners,” he wrote, “but when they saw us in the dining-car they seemed satisfied that we were respectable.”

At the border crossing the guards looked up their names in a card index of suspects. It was a tense moment, but for some reason their names were not listed. (Orwell suspected police inefficiency.) Everyone was searched thoroughly, but nothing incriminating was found. The guards pored over Orwell’s discharge papers and, in another stroke of luck, failed to make the connection that the Twenty-Ninth Division was in fact the POUM.

The Orwells and their friends made it to France and safety (the first newspaper they read contained a premature report announcing McNair’s arrest for espionage). A secret police file, dated July 13th and prepared for the Tribunal for Espionage and High Treason in Valencia, denounced Orwell and Eileen as “confirmed Trotskyists.” The report was compiled with information from Wickes (and almost certainly Crook). Orwell had fled just in time.

Orwell’s tenure in Spain, he later wrote, “was a queer business. We started off by being heroic defenders of democracy and ended by slipping over the border with the police panting on our heels.” His wounds hurt and his health, as always, was poor. He needed time to recover. But when his strength returned he knew what he needed to do: he needed to tell the world, and most importantly his fellow left-wingers, the truth about what was going on in Spain.

The Communists had perhaps mistaken Orwell for another naive volunteer, there to be pushed around, but they had in fact made a powerful enemy, an enemy who now prepared to fight back with his trusted weapons, the typewriter and the pen.

Cheshire

“You can wait to kill each other when this is over.” - Cheshire

Real Name: Jade Nguyen

Aliases:

Jade Chaumont

Gender: Female

Height: 5′ 9″

Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg)

Eyes: Green

Hair: Black

Abilities:

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Acrobatics

Poison Specialist

Driving

Equipment:

Poisons

Sai

Universe:

Earth-One

New Earth

Citizenship: Vietnamese

Parents:

Andre Chaumont; father

Anna Nguyen ; mother

Marital Status: Widowed (Kruen Musenda; husband)

Occupation: 

Assassin

Mercenary

First Appearance: New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August, 1983)

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Cheshire excels at hand-to-hand combat, and is proficient in various acrobatic and martial arts skills.

Martial Arts

Acrobatics: Her joints are extremely flexible, making her a skilled acrobat.

Poison Specialist: In addition, she is also an expert on poisons, preferring to douse her fingernails into a vast variety of deadly chemicals.

Driving

Equipment

Poisons

Sai

Origin

Born to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, Jade Nguyen had an unhappy childhood and was sold into slavery. This trauma ultimately drove her insane, and paved her way into becoming one of the world's most ruthless mercenaries.

After killing her master, Jade was informally adopted by Chinese freedom fighter Weng Chan, who taught her all he knew about guerrilla fighting. She acquired knowledge of poisons from Kruen Musenda, a famed African assassin known as the "Spitting Cobra" and to whom she was married for the two years prior to his death.

Teen Titans

She was a long-standing rival of the superhero team the Teen Titans. However, when Roy Harper, a.k.a. the archer Arsenal, went undercover for the government in a mission to get her confidence and turn her over, the two fell passionately in love. Knowing he would not be able to turn her in, he walked out; Cheshire would not learn his true identity until years later. The result of their romance was a daughter, Lian, whom Roy is raising. Despite her own shortcomings, Jade loves her daughter.

Deathstroke and Ravens

Returning to her mercenary ways after leaving Lian behind for Roy, Jade saved Deathstroke's life so he could help her in stealing nuclear weapons from Russia in an attempt to blackmail the world. To prove she was not bluffing, she obliterated the Middle Eastern nation of Qurac, reasoning that since Qurac was a stronghold for Muslim terrorists, the Western countries would secretly be grateful. Cheshire's plans were foiled when her base came under attack and she was forced to flee. She later created her own team, The Ravens.

Tartarus

Cheshire volunteered to join Tartarus, a group created by Vandal Savage with the objective of destroying the Titans. During a confrontation with the Titans and the H.I.V.E, Savage shot Cheshire to distract Arsenal. She recovered, but was taken into custody for her crimes including the devastation of Qurac. Sentenced to life imprisonment, she was broken out by the Ravens. Arsenal, however, forced her back into custody.

Secret Six

She later escaped custody and became a member of the Secret Six. At this time, she developed a relationship with Thomas Blake, a.k.a. Catman, and became pregnant. She later betrayed the Secret Six to their archenemies, "The Society." However, she was shot and critically wounded by Deathstroke shortly afterwards, who did not think the Society needed traitors like her in their ranks. Though apparently killed, she later resurfaced, living in a mansion in the Himalayan Mountains with her new son. Working with Vandal Savage again, she put out hits on the other members of the Secret Six except for Blake. Taking matters into her own hands, she stabbed The Mad Hatter, who was working with the Six. Her blade was poisoned and she later bartered the antidote to the poison to Catman in exchange for her safety.

She was later sent back to prison, but she received visits from Roy Harper and Lian occasionally. Her incarceration was only temporary however, and Cheshire was soon back out on the streets as a member of the new Injustice League. She was among the villains deported to the prison planet during the events of Salvation Run.

Brightest Day

Cheshire returned as a member of a small army of villains attempting to collect massive bounties on the heads of the Secret Six. She manages to poison the meals of her targets, but is defeated by Jeannette. Later, Star City is destroyed by Prometheus, and Lian is apparently killed. Jade had joined Deathstroke's new team of Titans and was later seen fighting Atom and kills him. After finding out about her daughter's death; Cheshire attacks Roy, outraged at not keeping Lian safe: injuring him and threatening to do worse as revenge.

Titans

At some point after the death of Lian, Cheshire took a job to assassinate a cult leader, but was unsuccessful. Her target began to pursue her. Slade told her that she had lost her edge after her daughter's death. He offered to take care of her pursuer and help her get her edge back. She accepted membership in Deathstroke's new team of Titans.

Their first assignment was murdering Ryan Choi. She later contacted Roy, forcing him into joining Deathstroke's team so the two of them can kill Deathstroke. Cheshire rationalizes that Roy "owes" her for Lian's death, but while it appears Roy double-crossed her, it is part of Cheshire's plan. Afterward, Deathstroke and his team arrived at South Pacific Island to kill cult leader Drago over the arena production of blind warriors; however, his team, Cheshire, and Roy betray him, revealing that they had been working with Drago. Cheshire and Roy's plan backfired, as Drago never intended to give Cheshire her freedom back. Their attempt to defeat Drago and escape failed miserably. Later, Drago explained to Cheshire that he needs an heir, and she was going to provide him with one. Drago tries to convince Cheshire to succumb to him, but Drago was reading her mind and using her thoughts against her, but she is ultimately rescued by Slade and his Titans. Drago was defeated, Deathstroke allows him to live and the Titans then leave from his island but Cheshire and Roy choose to re-join the Titans. Upon returning to the labyrinth, Deathstroke reveals to them that his proceeding items were used to create a healing machine called "Methuselah Device" for his dying son, Jericho. After healing Jericho, Deathstroke claims the machine can also resurrect the dead, offering Cheshire and Roy the chance to revive Lian. Cheshire accepts, but Roy refuses, tells that he has punishing himself for his daughter's death and that Lian is in a better place. Joined by Tattooed Man and Cinder, Cheshire and Arsenal fought the other Titans to destroy the Methuselah Device.

Fun Facts

Black Canary once called her "the second most deadly assassin in the world", only topped by Lady Shiva.

Jade routinely poisons her nails.

While on an assassination mission, Cheshire contemplated her relationship with Roy Harper, who was getting in the way of her mission as Speedy. While she decided she should probably kill him, Jade noted that it would be a shame since he was "so, so good" of a lover.

Inktober prompt 2019: Ring

Inktober prompt 2019: Ring

A land of the hidden away from human eyes, filled to the brim with monsters and beings beyond mortal imagination. Dangerous, beautiful, otherworldly and every second of this fucking hell hole sucked for Rafael Zahm. From the moment the rescue team had stepped from the frozen docks in Philadelphia there had been something wrong with this place. ‘Fuck’, Raf thought to himself, ‘Ever since we’d been trapped inside that weird ass apartment building things have been wrong.’ This, however, was more like shoes on the wrong feet and someone watching you all the time type of rather than world has been flipped upside down and nothing really matters anymore. The past few months had been time in former Master Sergeant Rafael Zahm’s life. Being stuck in an apartment building that had turned from a fun night of beer and poker to a horror filled night of hippie wizard ghosts, possessed tenants, and a flaming fucking demon on the rooftop had just been the start of this shitshow. Of course a show starter is flashy, but not nearly as flashy as the follow up of a strange mind controlling Hive minded supernatural mother fucker, or the reveal that werewolves were real and killed his late wife, or some random ass fucking white collared security hacker trying to blackmail his friends for removing said hive minded with a .556 rifle round.  Hell, it just got weirder once that bastard was removed. Alex, who had been his partner on the Philly police force for the last two years, had flipped her shit without even finding out what had really happened and basically shunned him for protecting their friends by doing what he did best. This was about the midpoint for Raf. Everything was falling apart, his wife’s suspected murder suddenly became confirmed to have been by a fucking mythical furry. His job felt more and more like a leash hindering him from doing his job, protecting those he cared for rather than an opportunity to do the same. His partner had screamed in his face, threatened him, and then stormed off with an air of pure disappointment aimed directly at him. Ah right, let’s not forget about the adulterer slaying widow/bride ghost who killed people with a sword that came not long after this. Needless to say things were pretty fucked and would have pushed Raf into a darker place then he had been when he had lost his wife had it not been for three very important parts. Firstly, while his job as a police officer felt like a choke collar keeping him from actually doing good; he had been approached by government type that seemed to appreciate Raf’s ‘particular set of skills’ when they seemed to also have access to his sealed military records, his want to protect people from these strange happenings, and were willing to open up their armory and pockets to him if he needed them to.. They were just his type of people, too shady for his own good and very likely to lead him down a darker path. Secondly, what he was doing at night was a thrill he hadn’t had since his deployment. A dark, twisted thrill that should have been locked away, but a thrill nonetheless. Investigating, following, destroying, all while protecting people he cared for? That and college had been why he had joined the military right out of high school, fuck yeah Raf loved this part far more than he would ever let on to anyone besides Beef. Thirdly, and most important to Raf was the small Romanian college woman who had been crashing at his place since the apartment incident. She’d apparently always had been fascinated by the supernatural to such an extent that she had created a small niche as a youtube paranormal investigator even if she had been fighting off nightmares of the rooftop demon. She’d been unwilling to leave Raf’s small New Jersey house as their lives delved further into the insanity around them. The unwillingness to be separated was shared by Raf as well who had began to rely on the always cheery and quirky personality of his house guest. Unwillingness grew into affection, affection into tension, and tension that snapped into full on feelings that could only be understood as love. She’d become his light in the darkness of his life. One he could not have done without. It was this light which had kept Raf pushing forward through the worn winter path of this strange world that people kept referring to as Arcadia. He honestly hadn’t given a rat’s ass what it was called, they had a mission to complete. Someone to rescue. Someone who had questions to answer. A week before Alex had seemingly sacrificed her life to save Beef during the murder wife bitch mission, but she hadn’t died. She’d been captured by a fairy, and not one of those Tinkerbell motherfuckers either. A true fae that seemed to have some type of connection to people within the group.. Raf owed Alex the attempt from saving his love from certain death, beyond that he wasn’t sure. He owed her and that was enough, or had been until they made it to their destination only to find her as a big mystical fucking furry. The next day was a hazed of realizations for Raf. How much he hated this fucking place, how much people around him had lied to him. Alex had been the one to kill his wife. Alex, who had placed herself at his side in some twisted, self driven martyrdom. God damn he hated this place, he hated everything to do with fairies, goblins, dragons, werewolves, ghosts, and the supernatural in general. He had hated it from the moment he stood in front of their host and was given a ring as a gift of peace. He hated it in their lavish rooms with a servant on call. He hated it as the sound of a ball began down stairs. He hated it until he saw her step out from behind the dressing screen.  The ball gown hugging all the right places and hanging in just the right way. He’d always thought Beef was beautiful. From the times he’d woken up beside her to when they were covered in sweat from chasing or being chased by some monster or another. She stole the air from the room, but now, in that dress, he knew. He Knew. Standing up from the bed, his own gifted ballroom attire sitting neglected on the blankets, and with two powerful stride he was in front of her. The world crisper than it had been in months, he knew what he wanted. Lifting the ring he had been given as a peace gift he knelt in front of her. “This is not the ring I want to give…” He began, flustered as the words came out. With a clearing shake of the head, he began again, “Elizabeth Dawson. Beef. There is no one, living or dead, I wish to share my life with.” He lifted the ring that would be replaced as soon as the got back to their world in front of them both. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

newfragile yellows [552]

“There’s got to be something weird about the guy if he’s dating someone like you,” Herah says.

“That’s hurtful. You dated me for a while.”

“That’s different,” Herah replies. “I’m at least your level of weird, if not more so on a slightly different horizontal axis.”

“Please don’t bring graphs into this,” Kaaras says, nudging both women forward into the armory so he can get out of the busy hallway. He has no idea why, but summer always seems to pick up with the assignments and the whole business. “Why do you have graphs for weirdness?”

“The more interesting question is why don’t you,” Ellana replies, “Mister scientist.”

“Doctor, scientist, to you,” Kaaras teases lightly. “Come on, I have less than an hour to outfit you and make sure your gear is calibrated correctly before you have to leave on your flight.”

“That’s one hour for me to talk about your weird boyfriend,” Herah says. “Are you sure his background check came up clean?”

“I ran him through Leliana, I ran him through Edric, I ran him through Sera, I ran him through Josephine, I ran him through Cullen, I ran him through you, I ran him through Maxwell, I ran him through Dorian,” Ellana says, “I ran him through my brother, I ran him through Neria Surana. I had Surana run him through Sten. I ran him through Zevran. I ran him through Garrett Hawke, I ran him through Varric. And just for the fun of it, I ran him through Blackwall. If he’s something at least one of these people would’ve hit on it. I mean, sure, he’s got a record — “

“I knew it.”

“But most of the time he comes out looking worse for wear with justification, and he’s an acknowledged pillar of his community,” Ellana continues.

“She’s found herself a contributing member of society,” Herah muses. “What, he does bake sales with the PTA?”

Ellana’s lips purse together and she quickens her stride to catch up to Kaaras as he pulls down cases of ammunition, locking the ammo case with his key card.

“What’s his best seller?” Kaaras asks.

Ellana looks visibly torn between keeping it mum, and proudly expounding upon her newfound boyfriends several domestic talents.

“He makes the fluffiest donut I’ve ever eaten in my life and I don’t like donuts,” Ellana admits.

Herah whistles. Ellana’s distaste for donuts is notorious. To say that she doesn’t like donuts is a severe understatement. She’s thrown up from even eating a single crumb off of a donut. It’s not even an allergy. Her body just fundamentally hates dough that’s been fried and sugared. She can’t even tolerate a donut hole. Danishes are pushing it.

Kaaras smiles, “I think that’s nice.”

“Something’s got to be off about him,” Herah says. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be dating you.”

“That’s hurtful,” Ellana repeats.

Kaaras gives his sister a half-hearted glare. Just to mess with him, Herah smiles, “Kaaras agrees with me.”

Ellana rounds onto her brother who busies himself with pulling out some carry cases for the ammo and various extra gun parts they’ll be needing.

“Kaaras,” Ellana says, sounding petulant. “You gave me dating tips and everything.”

“I didn’t think they’d work,” Kaaras admits. “Ellana, you have to admit it is a little…unusual. He’s a civilian. And you’re…you.”

“What about me!”

“One of the top assassins for the Inquisition, the boogeyman that most government fixers won’t even think to cross,” Herah answers. “So clandestine that even the Crows hesitate when our name gets thrown around.”

“It’s not like I talk shop with him,” Ellana says. “My entire life isn’t assassinations and rigging governments and blackmailing billion dollar corporations.”

Kaaras and Herah decide not to comment on that, because, honestly, for a while it was her entire life until she met this guy.

“He looks like he should belong to someone,” Herah says. “Tell me at least one of those background check sources of yours admitted that.”

Ellana huffs, snatching the bag Kaaras holds out to her.

“They all nodded, said something along the lines of they’ll get to the bottom of it, and then came back a week or so later looking embarrassed and admitting they couldn’t find anything.”

“He has one eye,” Kaaras says, “He’s missing fingers. He’s as tall as Herah and almost twice as wide as I am. He’s covered in scars. Could you blame them for thinking he was something?”

“He is something,” Ellana says, “Hecka cute with a great boot…y.”

“This has to be Maxwell’s influence,” Herah decides.

“He knows you’re ace, right?” Kaaras says. “I just. I just want to make sure. You’re okay?”

Ellana pats Kaaras’ arm. “I’m okay. Don’t worry. I know that’s kind of counter to everything about you, because you’re just one big constant, ongoing worry machine. But on this one thing I can promise you it isn’t a problem.”

“Okay,” Kaaras says, obviously unconvinced, but letting the subject drop. “Are we done talking about it yet? I really do need to make sure you guys are outfitted properly. I don’t want you guys to get in trouble in the field.”

“It’s a seven day trip,” Herah says, “And four of it is just transit. Relax, Kaaras. Besides, Ellana and I are masters of improv.”

“This isn’t prop comedy, Herah,” Kaaras says. “This is sabotaging an enemy state’s database.”

“I can’t think of anything more suitable to prop comedy than that,” Ellana says.

Both Adaar siblings give her fond looks.

“And that’s why it’s weird that your boyfriend is a civilian,” Herah says, pinching Ellana’s cheek. “Man, am I lucky that we didn’t work out as a couple. I think we’d have driven the rest of the world absolutely insane if we did.”

“Can you imagine?” Ellana muses. “The wailing in the streets? The river of tears? The echoing and droning, perpetual chant of cries for mercy?”

“You disturb me,” Kaaras says, “Please.”

“There it is,” Ellana says, “I can hear it as if it really did happen. Speak, spirits of futures that have not passed. Speak!”

Cruel Angel’s Thesis Chapter 12

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: F/M Fandom: Mystic Messenger (Video Game) Relationship:707 | Luciel Choi/Main Character Characters:707 | Luciel Choi, V | Jihyun Kim Mary, Vanderwood 3rd, Jumin Han, Zen | Hyun Ryu, Yoosung Kim, Jaehee Kang, Main Character, Rika, Saeran ChoiUnknown | Ray

Nari stood there looking over her very convincing new birth certificate, passport, and photo ID trying to tell whether it was actually forged. Nari knew her boyfriend too well to know he wouldn't just forge a document, no he had gone all out. Now she was Lois Lane, and him Clark Kent which given any other situation she'd laugh at the humor. Nari pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled sharply before shooting a scolding look at Saeyoung, who visibly flinched, and lowered his eyes. "So basically you committed identity theft... Saeyoung what the literal fuck?" Nari sighed tossing the passport back to him. "I can't use that!"

"Look, we are trying to stay three steps ahead of Saeran, and we have my agency to worry about. I wouldn't ask this of you if there was another way to keep you safe." Saeyoung tried to reason looping his arms around Nari's frame pulling her close. She sighed resting her forehead on his collarbone deeply inhaling his scent.

"Just how legitimate is this identification?" Nari mumbled and he let out a breathless chuckle. Saeyoung rubbed his nose into her head in slow circles as his hold on her relaxed. He breathed in her cherry scent for a moment.

"I might have hacked into some government systems I shouldn't have." He admits causing her to whack him upside the head and glare daggers at him.

"Jesus, Saeyoung!" Nari hissed as he smiled at her causing her to frown. "Don't look so impressed with yourself! My god!" Nari scolded and his grin widened.

"I love you," Saeyoung told her pulling her tight against him. "I've never been scolded about hacking before." He then explained and Nari snorted.

"That explains why you're such a brat about it." She teased and he took a dramatic inhale of breath.

"Take that back!" He demanded to blow a raspberry into her neck causing her to wiggle and squeal.

"NEVER!" Nari declared and he started to assault her side with his fingers.

"I don't even want to know..." a third parties voice spoke up halting the couple's actions.

"Madam, what do we owe the pleasure!" Saeyoung basically sang to the older man releasing Nari from his grasp. Nari stumbled for a second to the amusement to the others, glaring at her boyfriend.

"I'm here to pick up that passport, so I can catch my plane." Vanderwood sighed as Saeyoung nodded walking into his workroom. "Look, Nari, are you positive about this. I will not go easy on you. I'll work you until you can't move, and possibly vomit."

"I'm positive. I'm tired of being a damsel in distress." Nari assured the older agent who nodded.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Vanderwood nodded as Luciel waltzed into the room.

"Here you go, Max. E Pad from Baltimore! Seven grinned handing Vanderwood his new birth certificate, photo ID, and passport. Vanderwood cocked an eyebrow reading the identification over before sighing.

"What kind of name is Max. E Pad? Don’t you have any sense of maturity Zero Seven?" Vanderwood complained causing Nari to smile and bit her tongue to hold back her laughter.

"If you want a say in you're next name, you hack into the government yourself." Saeyoung shrugged and Vanderwood scowled.

"Wait, just how legitimate are these?" Vanderwood questioned and Saeyoung beamed a smile.

"100% legitimate because I plan on taking down the agency while we are away." Saeyoung's tone was serious even if the shit eating grin never left his face. Nari looked at the men and saw the scowl on Vanderwood's face deepen.

"You're a damn fool... But do you think we could do it?" Vanderwood questioned and Saeyoung nodded.

"Are you saying you'll help Vandy?" Seven was beaming and bouncing in place.

“You realize if our lives will be in danger if the agency catches wind of this,” Vanderwood informed the younger agent and Nari frowned.

“Is it hard to leave the agency?” Nari questioned and both agents turned to her.

“Usually the only way out is death.” Seven explained and her frown deepened.

“what makes you want to take down the agency anyway?” Vanderwood inquired.

“The reason I joined was that of a lie. I have no reason to stay. Plus the longer I dick around with the agency the more danger I put Nari in.” Seven explained as Nari rested her forehead on his shoulder. He smiled sadly brushing his fingers along the length of her hair. Vanderwood looked the pair up and down contemplating his options.

“What’s the plan?” Vanderwood finally agreed and Seven chuckled slightly.

“It'll take time for me to hack into the mainframe and gather evidence to blackmail the boss with for our release. If he still refuses after that I make every detail public with would mean the end of the entire agency. So either he lets us go quite or we make a fuss. Either way, I fully intend to walk away smiling.” Seven explained to Vanderwood.

“And what do you need from me? No way are you offering me a new identity without some sort of payment.” Vanderwood accused and Seven nodded beaming his shit eating grin toward the older agent.

“You’re going to deal with the boss, and cover for me. You’re also going to make sure he does not find out about Nari. I do the hard work and all you have to do is tell a couple lies.” Seven explained and Vanderwood looked at him in a deadpan kind of way.

“If that’s all it’s a deal. If we fail…” Vanderwood trailed off looking toward the woman latched to Sevens side. “We are as good as dead, her too…”

“I’m not scared of death Vanderwood. In my profession, I probably witness more death than either of you. I could be an asset if things go south given my medical training.” Nari informed the oldest male.

“see, isn’t she cool. All geared up and ready to go down fighting!” Seven chimed planting a kiss on her head.

“As long as you know what you’re getting yourself into Lady. Let's hope Seven doesn’t fuck up until I have a chance to properly train you.” Vanderwood sighed. “Seven, marry her. You won’t find another woman as insane as her. Well, I have a flight to catch. I’ll be waiting for you Nari.” With that Vanderwood didn’t wait for the others to speak and made a hasty exit.

“right I have a flight in twelve hours,” Nari mumbled.

“And I catch my flight five hours after that. I'll be right behind you.” Saeyoung assured her wrapping himself around her. She hummed pressing herself close to him feeling content.

“I love you, Saeyoung,” Nari whispered and his arms tightened around her.

“I love you like the moon loves the stars,” Saeyoung assured her placing a kiss on her forehead and her giggles as he continued to kiss every inch of her face.

“You know…” Nari started and Saeyoung hummed urging her to continue. “If we do end up being killed, I can honestly say I died to have no regrets.” Saeyoung looked over her face locking his eyes with hers.

“I’m already too deep into you. My one and only love. I love you. I love you.” Saeyoung felt his tears escape him as Nari smiled up at him wiping her fingers under his glasses to catch the drops.

“I feel like we will have a happy ending, so no more tears until than, okay.” Nari chimed offering him an assured smile. He nodded leaning in to capture her mouth under his. Nari returned his affections enthusiastically.

He was the first one to pull away and looked shyly of to the side as he cleared his throat. Nari smiled at him finding his shy side too cute. “Are you done packing?” He changed the subject.

“other than the things I need to survive the next twelve hours,” Nari assured him.

“If you forget anything we can just pick it up once we get settled…” Saeyoung assured her looking at her softly.

“So where are we going?” Nari inquired and he smiled with a shrug.

“I own a place in the states, it pretty secluded up in the mountains.” He informed her and she chewed on her cheek thinking.

“Just how soundproof is it, are we going to bother Vanderwood?” Nari than have him a sly grin and he choked on his spit.

“How can you say things like that so easily. You have no shame.” His cheeks were tinted pink as he glanced at his lover from under his eyelashes.

“It’s amusing how shy you are about the subject, but when it comes to actually doing the deed you’re so confident,” Nari explained and he placed his hands in his jean pockets and chuckled.

“It's just weird hearing a girl be so open about it… it's not like… erm, I’ve never talked or joked about it, but it’s usually with Zen or Yoosung. You know boy talk.” He explained as his ears started to feel warm.

“Girls talk and joke about it too. Everybody likes sex, and I could tell you every physical and psychological benefit of it if you’d like. Use big doctor terms and such.” Nari continued to tease him and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m feeling a little warm… I’m going to go get a drink, would you like anything?” Saeyoung offered to change the subject.

“I’m good.” Nari beamed a knowing grin as he made haste toward the kitchen.

Nari raised an eyebrow as her phone pinged from the couch. She walked over and gathered it seeing a chat room had been open while they were talking with Vanderwood. Nari opened the chat room and read it thoughtfully as Saeyoung wonder back into the room completely composed again.

“V's moving and the rest of the RFA is headed over to help pack. Wanna go?” Nari asked and Saeyoung thought it over.

“Uh, yeah! Let’s get this show on the road!” Saeyoung cheered walking toward the garage.

Nari found herself leaning against V’s kitchen counter chatting ideally with Jumin and Jaehee while sipping at some fancy red wine that had been offered to her. Her eyes kept drifting toward the living area cluttered with convinces where her boyfriend was chatting admittedly with Zen and Yoosung while V was the only one doing what this little RFA meeting was for. Packing. Nari sighed placing her near empty glass on the counter and walked toward V.

“Put me to work.” Nari smiled helping V place various items into the current vox he was packing.

“Could you start wrapping and packing the kitchen?” V asked with a grateful smiled.

“Sure. Want me to get the rest of them to work?” Nari suggested eyeing her cheeky hacker across the room teasing Yoosung.

“Naw, let them be. It’s been a long time since we've all been together in such a relaxed atmosphere.” V informed her and she smiled.

“I BETTER SEE YOU ALL HAULING ASS AND HELPING PACK IN THE NEXT THIRTY SECONDS!” Nari yelled startling everyone. They all gaped at her except Saeyoung who smiled fondly at her. “DID I STUTTER? GET YOUR ASSES INTO GEAR!”Even Jumin didn’t waste any time collecting a box to pack item within. Nari smiled looking at a baffled V and winked.

“Man, Nari’s actually scary!” Yoosung whispered to Seven who snickered working on bubble wrapping objects.

“You haven’t seen scary yet Yoosung,” Nari warned walking by stopping for a second to place a kiss on the Saeyoung head and ruffled his hair before continuing to the kitchen. Zen made a gagged sound that was silenced by Nari's glare and Seven smirked at Zen earning his own glare from the rising starlet.

Jumin and Jaehee where wrapping up the dishes as Nari waltzed in as placed a stack of boxes beside them. Jumin smirked at her while she grabbed the items he wrapped and placed them in a box neatly.

“I must say I’m impressed.” Jaehee giggled dealing with the silverware.

“This is the reason we all came here in the first place. V’s too nice say anything.” Nari shrugged eyeing the three in the living room as they whispered to one another while hasty packing boxes as if a fire was lit under their asses.

Much later that evening Nari found herself curled up in a ball on the corner of V's couch. She could feel the tears escape the corner of her eyes as her body shook uncontrollably.

“I think I broke my girlfriend?” Saeyoung yelled out the other watching Nari snort as her laughter doubled.

“She's not broken, she’s drunk,” Jaehee assured the redhead.

“I'm not even sure how I got this drunk. Gah! What is life, what is my life.” Nari whined between giggles wiping her eyes looking at Saeyoung with watery eyes and a drunk blush across her features.

“She’s cute even when drunk.” Zen assessed and Nari snorted rolling her eyes.

“Yoosung's passed out in the bathtub,” V informed the group walking back into the room.

“Well, now we all have a pee buddy!” Nari chimed before focusing on her half-empty glass. “why does this taste so good!”

“You see my sweet darling drunk girlfriend, Jumin heard that I the great god Seven-“

“PRAISE GOD SEVEN!” Nari cheered nearly spilling her drink. Everyone laughed as Seven carefully took the wine glass from her and set it down out of her reach.

“Boo! Whatcha do that for?” Nari pouted as her already glassy eyes watered.

“I believe Luciel, of all people, just cut you off,” Jumin explained with a slight chuckle.

“Man, let her drink she’s having fun.” Zen protested slightly slurred himself.

“You're not the one going home with her,” Lucile explained and watched Jaehee blush and look down at her own wine as if it was the fascinating thing in the world. “Jaehee where the hell DID your mind just go!” Luciel gasp in mock shock before chuckling at her fiercely blushing face.

“Places it shouldn’t have,” Jaehee admitted anyway still staring at her wine as the group hooped with laughter.

“What no way! You'll do something shady. Nari, babe listen men are wolves!” Zen gasped dramatically while Nari mumbles out “it's not like I'm little red riding hood." and Luciel rolled his eyes having fun being the only sober one in the room. He kept watching Nari carefully studying her as she became more and more intoxicated.

“Sounds like your jealous Zen.” Jumin mocked him earning a glare from the actor and some protests and some back and forth name calling.

“play nice children.” V actually said it which sent Luciel into a fit as Jumin gaped at his friend slightly scandalized.

“Can’t I just finish what’s left in the glass?” Nari ignored the goings around her, eyes still fixated on the half-empty glass.

“Sure if you describe me in three words!” Luciel teased and Nari frowned at him.

“An utter Annoyance.” Zen barked out and Seven covered his heart as if it was the greatest compliment while making kissy faces at the starlit.

“Not that Helpful.” Jaehee than chimed in and Seven gasped.

“I god SEVEN defender of justice keeper of the peace is always Helpful!” He protested.

“Absolute Cat Abuser.” Jumin than added taking a sip of his wine cocking an eyebrow at the hacker.

“I asked her, not for the entire room to roast me.” Seven half whined with a chuckle.

“Imaginative self-expression.” V than add and everyone made a sound of agreement.

“Clearly there are many words to describe you, Saeyoung Choi. But if I had to pick three-“ Nari paused making a stupid drunk face and held up four fingers which earned another round of laughter. “My three words would be ‘my beautiful disaster’”

Saeyoung looked at her slightly mystified as the room went quiet. Once he processed her words he felt his face heat up and he swallowed thickly as he let out an awkward chuckle. “Nari, baby, you’re way too drunk. We should be going. Being the defender of justice that I am I cannot allow a lady to make such a fool of herself hahaha.” Saeyoung babbled out scooping her up in his shoulder and made haste to the door despite her protest and attempts to free herself from him. “catch the rest of you on the flip side.” He offered a peace sign and shut the door.

Saeyoung practically threw her into the passenger's seat. “who lit your ass on fire?” Nari asked now slightly pissed. Saeyoung slipped into the driver's seat and hit his forehead off the wheel.

“Whoa! Careful are you trying to give yourself a concussion?” Nari barked and Saeyoung turned his eyes toward the woman seated beside him. Her glassy honey brown eyes, dilated pupils, the alcohol in her system causing her face to adore such a pretty blush.

“I love you,” Saeyoung told her and she stopped her fussing and looked at him. He smiled as he saw her cheeks pick up more color and a smile slowly spread across her face. She leaned in toward him and a grin spread across his features as he finished closing the space between them.

Nari was drunk, she tasted sweet like the wine she had been downing all night. Her usually shy kiss was sloppy and her fingers curled into his unruly red mop of hair. Saeyoung groaned finding this kiss intoxicating none the less as he leaned on to her and half crawl a top of her as his tongue licked her lips. She gasped out a tiny moan that sent a shiver down his spine as he invaded her mouth. She was sweet and the kiss was wet and desperate.

Then there was a knock on the window. The two over them parted and looked at one another wide-eyed as there was another tap on his tinted glass window. Nari giggled looking above herself at the window in question.

“what are you guys, sixteen. Jeez, stop making out!” Zen yelled at the car causing both of them to crack up. Saeyoung shifted himself slightly to start the car and roll down the window.

“Is there something you needed Zen?” Seven asked still atop of Nari who was hiding her head in his should laughing.

Zen sighed looking in on the scene “I was wondering if you’d give me a lift home.” Zen explained averting his eyes from the couple with a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Now why would I give a drive to an absolute cock block?” Seven questioned the actor who gaped at him and Nari smacked him on the head earning a protest and chuckle from the hacker.

“He’s drunk too. Zen get in we'll take you home.” Nari decided to earn a pout from the man above her as she wiggled trying to push him off despite the hackers protest about being a taxi. “You’re the only sober one, which means you drive drunks home!”

“fine dude, get in.” Seven agreed sitting himself back behind the wheel. Nari righted herself giggling as Zen slide himself into the backseat.

“I drank too much. My skin is going to suffer tomorrow.” Zen complained as Seven put the car in drive and pulled away from V's loft out in the middle of nowhere.

“actually wine is good for your skin. Actually, the wine has a lot of health benefits! Actually, it can help your immune system!” Both men looked at her. “what I am actually a doctor!” both men chuckled muttering Actually at her and she stuck out her tongue.

“Than why does liquor make you so hot?” Zen inquired removing his jacket and Nari laughed.

“It’s normal to feel warm because liquor stimulates a part of your brain called the hypothalamus.” Nari trailed off.

“And the Himalayas, is what now?” Zen asked mispronouncing the word

“hypothalamus,” Nari repeated the word. “It’s a part of the brain regulates basic human functions, like your body temperature, hunger, hormone levels, and of course, your sex drive,” Nari explained.

“You’re wasted yet yammering out doctor lingo?” Saeyoung asked in disbelief.

“I was drunk most of the college. I wrote many exams still drunk from the night before.” Nari explained as she sat back in her seat yawning. “but I'm sobering up.” And her eyes drifted close.

“It’s your stop,” Saeyoung informed the half-asleep actor after what felt like a few minutes. Both Zen And Nari sat up blinking a few times. Zen yawned and hawked around for another moment before removing him from the back seat.

“thanks for the ride Seven, let her get some sleep yeah?” Zen smiled and winked closing the door and stumbling toward his front door. The two left in the car waited and mocked as Zen struggled to unlock his door. Once he did and it opened he flashed them his middle finger before staggering inside.

“T minus five hours until I have to be at the airport,” Nari mumbled looking at the time and turning on the radio. Saeyoung smiled and swatted her fingers away, connecting to his blue tooth playing his most current playlist on his phone.

“And five hours after that I’ll be on a plane. Less than twenty-four hours we'll be together again if there are no delays.” He assured her and she hummed relaxing against the leather seat.

“It’s just going to be so weird being alone with Vanderwood. I mean he barely makes eye contact with me, let allow the five times he actually talked to me directly. I get the feeling he doesn’t like me, but tolerated me because of you.” Nari half complained to Sevens amusement.

“He likes you, don’t worry. As for the eye contact, you’re beautiful and he is rather shy when it comes to women believe or not.” Saeyoung reassured her and she hummed and drifted off to sleep.

( freddie highmore, he/him, 23 ) — have you seen casper summers , the medicine student around oxford yet? i hear they can be cruel and amoral, but those who know them insist that they are intelligent and polite. rumour has it that he has covered up crimes by tampering with bodies in the morgue and other evidence. is it true? only time will tell.

AKA casper zachary summers - ur resident psychOH :) 

hi it s me hollie bringing u this problematic fave because y’all are getting too soft these days. we need to Spice Things Up

the,,,,stuff about him and stuff:

objective: casper is here to make ur mans look like a Pussy.

he is a bit small, a bit skinny, but BOI he will chop you down until you reach his height :) literally :) he knows how to use a medical saw :)

he does NOT have a soft spot. he is NOT loving to anyone. and no, he does NOT have a conscience

his mum, lily summers, was a nice woman. she was super religious and was an older sister to ollie and tavia’s mum. the two sisters were inseparable until they met and married their respective partners. lily never approved of her younger sister’s choice and always suspected there was something fishy going on. she wanted to stick around to protect her, but had to leave because her hot shot international relations legal business man husband was constantly moving around... so they moved to switzerland and all was good...until her baby sis contacted her and said ‘i need to get away from my abusive mob husband’!!!! so lily organised to meet up with her sis and help her escape with the kids but BAM the mob husband found out, killed her sister and convinced everyone that lily was crazy as shit because she kept accusing the “mob” of her sisters murder. after her sister’s death she went highkey crazy. she blamed herself for not protecting her youngest sister from the dangers of the Mob Life. she would often try to hunt down mob members and organise some kind of killing spree to get back at the aASSHOLE who killed her baby sis. she also wanted to find her niece and nephew!!!!who she knew and loved and cared about a lot- honestly she would be devastated to hear what happened to them. she would’ve felt like it was her fault she didn’t work hard enough to find them and save them from the dirty mob life (why am i developing his mum this much??? bECAUSE I CAN THATS WHY)

anyway so while that tom fuckEry was going on whats going on with my sweet summer sunshine not at all psycho baby casper??? well he was being neglected by his mumma. he never had a stable life or home because they were always moving around because of his dad’s job, but they were living it up rich as FUCK so it didn’t really matter. but anyway, being separated from his mother and isolated from his father meant he didnt really have a role model growing up??? he was also an incessantly evil child like really fucking evil for no reason (think the kevin from ‘we need to talk about kevin but he’s a bitch to the dad and not the mum). and his mum going crazy only made it worse tbh because he saw her and it just scarred him for life. his mother told him what happened and so is totally aware of the truth behind ollie and tavia’s mums death. aND he TOTALLY BLAMES OCTAVIA AND OLLIE AND THEIR MUM for his mother going crazy BECAUSE “my mother wasn’t crazy when she left Switzerland to save your hopeless asses and when she came back? she was a fucking nut case” (see: it’s all your fault rachel vine) 

he took his mumma’s last name because he is a muMMA’s BOY OK FUCK U NOT MY DAD (if u get the vine reference good job)

his papa was rich as FUCK though and was the executive of many flashy named big businesses and international relations and moved all around the world. he also worked in government for a stint of time. he is basically ur typical corrupt business man. think like,,,,,, don draper?????? rip me i lov mad men.

cas doesn’t really like his dad at all and barely knows him tbh but will be nice to him for appearances sake :)

they had to hide his mothers’ insanity and crazy actions from tabloids and what not and it got to a point where eventually she just faded into oblivion and they pretended she was dead but she was really just hidden away in an institution

anyway,,,, back to this bitch,,, he has an IMPECCABLE reputation - i’m talking clean as an underage church girl on christmas eve, and he doesn’t plan on having that change anytime soon :)))

yeah he totally uses lots of passive aggressive smiley faces and i love him for it

he has amazing manners please thank you, the works - he will open the damn door for u and hold her purse

he’s so smart too :) my baby a genius :) and so he got accelerated into med school so he could specialise in FORENSIC PATHOLOGY early - you hear that? my baby cuts dead people open :) (probably was there when jennie got cut open oOOPS my bad). he’s basically been morbid and dark all his life and often discusses more taboo subjects openly and without restraint. 

SECRET: he covers up a fuck tonne of crimes man, including crimes he’s committed but he’s so meticulous and careful you would never know. he has covered up his own crimes and the crimes of others (for a hefty fee, of course) because his degree gives him access to the morgue and also the forensic labs where they sort through any evidence from a crime scene. 

doesn’t smoke, drink or take drugs - but u best believe everyone thinks he does because he’s always at those parties schemin’

nobody’s friend but everyone sucks the fuck up to him because Please do not get on his Bad Side

people tend to trust him with everything including their secrets so he gets to totter around town with his bag of goodies and when someone pisses him off? BlackMail :))))))))))))))))

those nudes u sent ur ex? he has them. witness testimony of u cheating on an exam? he has it. those drugs u hid to smoke post-swimming practice? he knows where it is. that teacher you had an affair with? he filmed it. killed a man? he saw it. told a lie? he heard it. you havin’ an affair with a girl who’s dating the captain of the athletics team? he tasted you on that girl’s tongue. you crapped your pants at 5:04pm on Tuesday the 3rd of January? he smelt it in the air. 

but seriously - if u havent been blackmailed by casper r u even relevant???

does that fucking Wave where he articulates every finger one by one and u just know u bout to die.

if he hates u: messes up your name always, probably threatens you lowkey (so highkey), gets creepily close

if he likes u: he wi- SIKE u thought :)

but for reals, he does have sOME close friends who are his “ride or dies” but more like “ride then bye” because he is not loyal to anyone except himself and he doesn’t feel bad about it

probably has quite a few girls who are Charmed by him but is he interested??? no. is he interested in anyone??? no. probably has casual sex though for info lbr.

rip y’all :))))))

those wanted connections tho ;) :

fwb (the benefits being information about people he’s trying to take down (tm) ) , enemies, fake friends, rich kids club, that one sweet darling he ALMOST feels bad about leading on, partner in crime, that unholy trio, classmates and buddies, people he’s blackmailing, a roommate who’s really suspicious of him tbh 

im basically up for anything so like this if u wanna plot and i’ll hit u up!!

Out Breath (Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byer Fic)

(Is there a Tumblr-standard format for fan fiction? My blog, my rules. Disclaimer, disclaimer, mid-episode 2x06, spoilers, adventures of the doubter and the liar, enjoy)

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A few steps inside the flimsy excuse for a door, he stops kissing her with the equal and opposite force he'd used to pull her into that kiss in the first place. His back is up against the wall and she's standing off balance, alone, in the middle of the room, sense of touch still a few seconds behind. She can feel everywhere his hands were on her a moment ago like her skin had bunched up as easily as the fabric of her shirt and was coming unwrinkled slowly, snapping with the static of frustration.

“What the hell?” She says indignantly, heart so loud she thinks for a second Murray is knocking on the door and she whips around to look at it with rage. She only just registers the new steel in her voice, the certainty, grown over a year of horrors that didn't beat her, that she wants him and she's earned this. “What the hell, Jonathan?” She's says, louder still, angry before he has a chance to answer at the fact that he's not a coward in anything but this.

Jonathan breathes fast and deep. His eyes cast around wildly like he's chalking and erasing numbers in the air, doing the math of self control. Each breath out is a propulsive force, anchoring his resolve to the wall at his back. His shoulders don't fall in on themselves. He's not afraid anymore. Not of her, not of the way she looks at him and what she must see.

“Steve,” he says like the name means regret. “I don't hate the guy enough to….I know how I'd feel if I had someone like you and lost her just because...because the world was ending.”

She too tries to catch her breath, feeling her own eyes dart around the dim, low room in panic. No, no. Anger. “That's really patronizing, you know. I don't get to make choices for myself now because of Steve?”

“No,” he says and his shoulders really are the straightest she's ever seen them, like he's holding up the wall and the world and he's never been afraid to kiss her he's just saying no. “You can do whatever you want but I get to make choices too, Nancy. If I get to be with you, I don't want it to be because we snuck off to hide in some nowhere place.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh, come on. It's exactly like that. It's so much like that that everyone on this mission to Bizarro-Ville has been telling us so for the last two days. It's like our lives are this insane play with monsters and mysterious labs and we just walked off stage left where nothing counts toward the plot.” He’d been looking her dead in the eye but now he looks away for the first time and she finds herself wondering, against reason, if he'd kissed her with his eyes open, taking it all in be a use he never meant to do it again.

“You’re right, Nancy. We're only friends when there’s a monster to fight and it’s great...it's great being your friend. But this is going to fuck up our regular lives, the ones we're trying to get back. Yours with Steve and mine with...well, with any other girl for a really long time because I'll compare them all to you. Maybe forever. Pick Steve, Nancy. Even if you just like him. Because the world won’t be ending forever, not if we do this right.”

She runs a hand through her hair angrily and clenches her jaw so hard something creaks. She thinks about shouting at him, screaming about how he's passing up his one chance and that this will be the pattern of his pretentious, self-righteous, lonely existence if he doesn't get his head out of his ass. But that would make the third lie of the night.

She lets the tension drain from her face, feels the anger and vindication go with a sting of loss. Life was chaos and it felt good to explode but he's standing across from her in a spare room in the middle of nowhere and he has trust issues and straight shoulders and a kind heart her misplaced rage could shred to pieces like a blow from a baseball bat studded with nails.

“I don't pick Steve,” she says. “It's okay if you don't believe me right now because I won't pick Steve tomorrow or the day after or the day after we save the world again. You got it?”

He meets her eyes steadily, not trying to hide a small smile until a passing car’s headlights force him to blink and squint. “So...when we're not busy blackmailing a murderous government agency, you're planning to woo me.”

“Woo.” She can't stop a giggle of absurdity at the whole thing. But then she takes a steadying breath. “I like you. Everyone has known that for a year but me and everyone has believed it for a year but you. Lies and trust issues, right?”

His shoulders sag for the first time. “I appreciate the continuity,” he says like he's analyzing a novel, a sure sign he's going to shut down, redirect, “but it's not as simple as, 'you think you like me so everything is fine now'.”

“Jonathan,” she says and it sounds like "Idiot". “I think I love you but I need time to be sure that's true and so do you and that's fine but only if you'll let me have it. So will you? Please?”

He tugs at his shirt where it's rucked up halfway to his ribs on one side, smoothing the thin cotton. His eyebrows knit and purl, like he's trying on reactions, trying out the consequences of his next words. He puffs a cheek out with a resigned shy, nodding quick, sharp nods at the ground and swallowing compulsively. “Okay,” he says finally, so simply she has to fight back the adrenaline of the moment to make sure he's answering the question she thinks he is.

“...Okay?” She’s smiling and shaking her head in confusion. “Okay...go away and never speak of this again? Or okay, okay and I can have the rest of my kiss now, please.”

He grins and nods and breathes in.

Random but I'm still peeved about the Alex/Kara argument in 2.02. Especially the part where Alex claims to have given up a career in medicine to protect Kara. I mean, I'm not sure if that's bad writing or Alex IC blatantly ignoring reality because Alex was not gonna graduate due to academic probation plus she was in jail for at least public intoxication if not a DUI (I can't remember if she got arrested before putting the keys in the ignition or not). 1/

She wasn’t exactly ‘days away’ from graduating med school or anything. Now Alex may have taken the job with J'onn to protect Kara but I’m pretty sure J'onn made the offer to throw a lifeline to a drowning Alex not to protect Kara. But the whole protect-Kara angle really doesn’t hold water since Alex didn’t give Kara even an ounce of potentially life-saving information that she learned at the DEO. Nothing about Kryptonite or secret anti-alien agencies who could blackbag her. 2/

It feels more like Alex enjoyed the leverage of knowledge even while Kara expressed dissatisfaction with her own life. (Did she like lying to her sister? Probably not. Was there a selfish satisfaction to knowing more the Kara, to being part of something bigger? Yeah, I think there was a bit.) 3/

But outside of the influences of redK Kara would never pick apart an argument like that IC but IDK it seems like a very significant character flaw that fandom tends to ignore which is disappointing because the selfishness plays so well off Alex’s deepseated guilt and sense of duty. Alex!Discourse usually focuses on her relationship with Eliza or making her a martyr for her sister which does as much disservice to the nuance of her character as it does to write Kara only as a space puppy. 4/4

This ask made me so happy.

I just finished my S2 talk time project a few days ago and then went back and rewatched the pilot, and let me tell you it is very easy to forget just how much progress Alex and Kara have made, because wow is it jarring to see them at the start of S1 where Alex is so much worse at emotional vulnerability and amped up on passive-aggressive snark.

I really loved that scene in 2x02, which I have written about before, because it highlights all of those flaws without taking away from the fact that Alex still makes a valid point that Kara needed to hear.

Nobody is perfectly consistent in how they express themselves. Ever. People are chaotic and messy and complicated, and they find ways to rationalize bad choices to themselves. They find ways to rationalize good choices, too. They forget about the emotions that motivated a decision over time, or their relationships change and suddenly a memory is recolored into something that isn’t quite reality anymore. A person’s internal logic or truth is not always *the* truth. But none of that means they are “out of character” the second there is a mismatch. 

It just means they’re human.

And you hit the nail on the head: Alex was not telling the objective truth in 2x02, but she might well have been telling a truth she believed. Alex has spent years inventing excuses to justify her life choices and coming up with lies to tell her sister and her mother to keep them off her back. At some point the truth and the fiction are going to start blurring in her mind, at least a little. That’s just how our brains work.

Plus, we’re talking about a woman who was so confident she could beat a polygraph that she didn’t even break a sweat about having no time to prepare. The mental self-trickery that requires is insane. Alex Danvers is good at lying to others, but she’s even better at lying to herself.

So, when it comes to Kara and the complicated relationship they have as siblings? Alex can absolutely be petty, and mean, and hurttful. That doesn’t mean she loves Kara any less. It doesn’t negate all the things she does that are generous or compassionate or selfless.

What it does is make her a well-rounded character. Just like how Kara is more well-rounded  for being impulsive and self-centered and stubborn in addition to all of her good qualities.

To return to your point about that period in Alex’s life where she was struggling and J’onn pulled her out: yes, she was absolutely giving Kara a revised interpretation of events. Alex’s memories from 1x17 were not actually things she spoke out loud during that interrogation. (At least, I am 99% confident she was not sharing all of her personal failings in explicit detail, especially since long-winded rambling is not part of a polygraph.) So Kara, as far as we know, still remains in the dark about the exact depth of her sister’s issues. And Alex clearly doesn’t ever want her to find out, because that would be damaging on a wayyyyy worse level than her occasionally being an asshole when they fight.

But, within that scene from 2x02, do we know for sure that Alex is lying? We can’t see into her head, after all. Maybe she genuinely believes she would’ve clawed her way out of her funk eventually and gone into medicine if J’onn hadn’t intervened. Maybe she legitimately wanted to be a doctor even though she was a depressed, self-loathing mess and on the verge of failing out. Maybe she only said yes to the DEO because she was afraid Henshaw would blackmail her or her family, or get Kara carted off to some creepy government lab if she turned him down.

All of that, however, does not negate your point, which is that once she got to the DEO, that choice became about her. Not her family, not her sister. Just her.

For possibly the first time in her adult life.

That had to be powerfully liberating. And I agree, it probably gave Alex some immense satisfaction to know that while she might not have Kara’s superpowers, she could still be out there in the world kicking alien ass anyway. We also know she felt good about the fact that her coworkers and her boss recognized her efforts and her talents, and that she was happy to find a space where that was even possible. Those were not things she’d ever had before. And yeah, she guarded them rather selfishly.

I am iffy, however, on criticizing Alex for not telling Kara about Kryptonite and such, because it’s one of the very first things she and J’onn explain to Kara in the pilot ep. (I’m also iffy because Clark knew Kryptonite existed for way longer than Alex did, and he never told her about it either!) And I don’t think Kara would’ve needed a warning about “secret anti-alien agencies,” at least not prior to her decision to start superheroing. Given that strange men showed up at their house when she was a kid and her foster dad changed jobs almost immediately thereafter and her family was constantly afraid she’d be taken away, I have a feeling Kara was already aware of that risk, at least on some level. You’ll note that she never questions the motivation behind Alex’s “never do something like that again” in 1x01, even though Alex is extremely harsh and hurts Kara’s feelings.

tl;dr: Alex, like the rest of us, has her flaws. She has a nasty tendency toward repressing or hiding negativity at her own expense, in part because she’s afraid to disappoint her loved ones, but also because her sense of empathy runs deep and she doesn’t like seeing others suffer. She can be passive-aggressive. She loses her temper in immature, ugly ways.

None of this means she’s a bad person. She’s usually a very good person! But it also doesn’t mean that we get to handwave the ugliness away as “shitty writing” just because it presents a challenge as far as understanding her character.

I think I saw a post before saying that you didn’t agree with Clarice in the gun fight at the beginning of Hannibal. How come? I thought she was in the right to shoot since she gave her a chance, and got shot herself? This isn’t an attack, I’m honestly wondering if I got the wrong end of the stick?

A lot of it has to do with how ineloquete and insensitive Thomas Harris was. There’s also this underlying theme throughout the book, starting with this scene, about how Clarice is a super duper good judge of morality and how SHE shouldn’t have to answer to like higher authorities when she kills whomever she believes deserves it. Which is just a super dangerous slippery slope given how an insane amount of domestic (white) terrorism has been committed by people following very similar trains of thought. There’s also how post shoot out the novel focuses exclusively on how it has affected Clarice emotionally and how absolutely everyone who thinks Clarice was in any way at fault are completely wrong and probably sexist (this is another reoccurring theme in this book), which in itself could be seen as racist since a black woman was killed and a black family was destroyed but the novel prioritizes the feelings of Clarice in the situation, a white woman. Now of course the novel is going to have a greater focus on Clarice because she’s the main character but there’s absolutely nothing in the writing that indicates that Clarice is wrong for placing her emotions ahead of any other concerns anyone else may be having. Which also just makes Clarice super unlikable. Then you also have the context of the FBI’s incredibly long history of racist atrocities, especially in relation to drug crimes, how POC have often lost their lives over incidents and charges that a white person would never (and in some cases walk off with a warning cause they seem like such a good kid). And how the American government itself distributed cocaine throughout poor urban (predominantly black) communities throughout the 80’s. You also have how Clarice was explicitly told a number of times not to fucking shoot by her higher ups (tying into the whole ‘white vigilante above the law’ I mentioned earlier) and afterwards there’s an incredibly uncomfortable scene where Clarice goes to the hospital to see the baby because CLEARLY she is entitled to disturb this family like the week she fucking broke them up. She is then completely shocked when they take offense to this and chalks it up to THEM being too insensitive towards how she feels. AND THEN we get ANOTHER uncomfortable scene where Clarice is chilling out at home and basically asks Ardelia’s permission to shoot black criminals, and for reassurance that she personally isn’t racist. The ol’ ‘I can say the N word I have a black friend’ card. Even Ardelia comes across as not completely comfortable with Clarice. And just in case you had any doubts that Clarice isn’t violently racist, when she meets with Barney to discuss Hannibal (who surprising acts incredibly realistically in this scene, being very nervous about meeting with this lady who has made it clear she will shoot without a care, especially seeing as historically large black men has been perceived as incredibly dangerous towards small white women), we discover how she has shifted through all of his personal information in the hopes of digging up some past crime to blackmail him with, because as a black man Barney clearly should have a criminal past, and the only reason he lives a happy carefree life is because he’s so sneaky he’s been able to hide it from everyone. And Clarice does find something! Barney has been selling things that used to belong to Dr Lecter to rich collectors for insane amounts of money. And idk seeing as Barney knew and understood Hannibal probably more than anyone else in the old cannibal’s adult life, and seeing as Hannibal has tried in vein to gift Barney large sums of money, which Barney has refused on the grounds that as a nurse and friend it was always just his duty to be kind towards Hannibal, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY HANNIBAL WOULD PROBABLY BE OKAY WITH THIS IF HE DIDNT ALREADY KNOW. But this is then taken by the narrative and used to justify Clarice’s incredibly horrible behavior because she was RIGHT, Barney is criminal SCUM (let’s totally ignore that fact that Barney has been laid off and this is his only source of income/staying alive) and so Barney is penalized MORE by the narrative voice for selling like Hannibal’s hairs to the rich and eccentric, than Clarice is for asserting that she is above the law.