#they will do a lot of sightseeing which I am reasonably sure I am not expected to join
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Please send me strength for the next few days, my sister's American host family from last year has been here for an hour and I'm already so uncomfortable I locked myself in the bathroom while my sister is cooking.
#personal#don't get me wrong they're not bad people or anything#nothing against them#i just dislike having strangers in my personal space#and I just do not belong in this goup#i am neither my sister nor am I percieved as an adult#so I'm just kinda awkwardly standing around hoping no one is gonna accuse me of being rude#they're staying with us for four days#they will do a lot of sightseeing which I am reasonably sure I am not expected to join#most of it anyway#i do have to join dinner out tomorrow but I'll deal#i'll figure out something for the rest of the time#there's a playground not far from here maybe I'll just take a walk for a while#i could maybe even get to some writing then#we'll see
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guys should i have this as a side project apart from the merciless siren let me know lol (this is related to my only other pjo work)
The stories of the Greek gods, yeah, they’re real.
If you’re reading this right now thinking this sentence is all one big joke, good for you, continue reading as you please. In fact, I envy you if you’re able to think this is all fiction.
If you’re reading this because you’re starting to believe that the myths you were told as a kid are real, or you’re experiencing experiences science can’t quite explain, my advice is to close this book right now.
If you ever see yourself or relate to anything in these pages and feel something weird stirring inside– stop immediately. Because, as soon as you realise you’re one of us– and chances are, you probably are, they can sense it as well. And they’ll come for you.
You’re doing this at your own risk. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
My name is Laila Lim.
I’m twelve years old and until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at College La Victoire in Romandie, Switzerland; the french speaking part. I’m originally from Surrey, England, although my mother is Chinese and Thai.
Why am I in boarding school?
I’m not sure.
Sometimes I think it’s because my mother found me too troublesome and chose to ship me off. But, regardless, I had a good time there. I’m good at sports, music and academics– not to brag, but you can call me an all-rounder. But at the same time I guess you could say I’m a troubled kid.
I could start at any point of time in my short life but things only really started to go south last July when I visited New York City for the first time.
I know– it sounds exciting. Most of my trips overseas with my mother are and this would be my first time heading to the States, so I had expectations.
My mother is in her late thirties– thirty-six, to be exact. She has long black hair and brown eyes. When she was younger, she was a model, that’s how beautiful she is, although now she is a CEO of some big law firm with the biggest obsession over Greek mythology. My father? I have no idea. But I do know that he’s the reason I have blue eyes. That is really the only trait I inherited from him.
Well, back to the trip. Everyone has heard of New York City. ‘New York or nowhere’ as some say. I was really looking forward to this trip because first, it would be my first time in the States and it’d be in New York City out of all places. Second, it’s close to where my mother had met my father.
She doesn’t talk about him a lot but I know she met him in the outskirts of New York.
Anyways, it wasn’t until I stepped into New York that the hallucinations I’d get from time to time really worsened. And I mean it was really bad. I kept seeing strange things, strange creatures that looked scarily close to the pictures in the books my mother used to read to me. I tried my best to enjoy my trip, I really did, but the hallucinations just kept getting worse and worse.
I still had a good time, though. My mother had to meet up with all her supermodel and celebrity friends and, must I say, the presents they give are extravagant. I’m talking designer bags and fancy jewellery. I knew they were rich but man, I didn’t expect getting things like those, although I’m not complaining. I’m guessing my mother must’ve sent my ‘super unrealistic wish list for your super duper child’ slideshow because everything I had been given was on that wish list.
Anyway, back to New York City.
We spent most of our time shopping and sightseeing. If you exclude my hallucinations, the trip was going absolutely fine. In fact, I was having a lot of fun. That was until we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek stuff; as I said, my mother is huge on ancient Greece and its mythologies.
I guessed some school was having their field trip there because there were a bunch of kids my age as well, which I have to be honest, really scared me. This one girl kept giving me judgemental looks for whatever reason, but I couldn’t care less to be honest. Why is this important? Because when one of the teachers had brought this kid in to, what I assume, scold him, she started making this weird growling noise.
At this point of time, I was alone looking at one of the other statues as they must have not noticed me but I certainly did notice them.
‘You’ve been giving us problems, honey,” she said in her weird voice.
‘Yes, ma’am,” the boy my age says.
‘Did you really think you would get away with it?’ She says.
‘I’ll – I’ll try harder ma’am.’
Now, this is the part where it gets weird because it felt as though thunder shook the building,
‘We are not fools, Percy Jackson. It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain.’
I know eavesdropping is wrong but, look, I couldn’t help it. First, what kind of name is Percy? Like Percy Pig? The pig mascot for Marks and Spencers? Second, confess, pain? Find out what? Look, I knew stuff in New York City would be different, but I didn’t think it’d be that different.
‘Well?’ she demands.
‘Ma’am, I don’t…’ the boy says
‘Your time is up,’ the woman hissed. Then, you’re not going to believe what happened because it’s the weirdest thing in the world. I was scared, even hiding behind the statue I was originally looking at. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons and I could tell that her eyes were glowing.
At first I thought I was seeing things, that it was all a big hallucination, but based on the reaction from the other boy, he was seeing them as well.
Her jacket melted into these large wings and she didn’t look one bit human. She had bat wings and claws and yellow fangs.
And just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, well, they did.
This man in a wheelchair tossed a pen to the boy right before the monster woman thing lunged at him. Then, the next thing I see is that the pen had turned into this bronze sword.
‘Die, honey!’ she snarls, flying straight at him.
I’m as still as a statue watching what is going on. Because what is going on?
The boy swings the sword at her and then it passes through her body and a loud hissing sound was made before the woman exploded into yellow powder and seemed to vaporise on the spot, leaving nothing but the weird smell of sulphur you would only typically get in the science labs of my school as a dying screech fills the air.
Then, the boy spots me. ‘Did you see that?
‘Yeah?’ I nod, looking at him strangely as I wonder how on earth he had managed to spot me before he went back outside.
Then, my mother returns and I tell her all about it and she looks at me as if I’m saying some foreign language.
‘Whatever,’ she brushes it off. ‘I’ll book an appointment with Dr Clark when we get back, alright?’
I nod. My hallucinations must be getting worse.
#percy jackson#pjo#pjo tv show#pjo series#percy jackson x reader#percy jackson fanfic#percy jackson fic#percy jackson and the olympians#percy jackson x oc#luke castellan#annabeth chase#pjo fic
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🔥 a character the fandom is loving wrong
Not to be all "I'm the best at Duck" about it, but frankly I am.
A thing I see a lot of people do with him is focus on his rigidity. That is, his unwavering devotion to the Great Western Way. And by extension, I think a lot people relate to this and project that Duck's comfort zone lies in strict adherence to schedules and routes and plans and all of those things being immutable and unchanging.
But the thing is, Duck's not actually rigid that way at all. A TTTE character who more aptly fits that description is Bruno, from the reboot series. (Which, I've only seen two episodes of thus far, but it gets the same kinda heat the CGI does so I am looking at haters askance the same way...)
Duck's quite willing to yield to new ideas and shift to new plans. Like, "School of Duck" is pretty much about this idea that Duck can be given one task and spend his time trying to accomplish it, only to switch to a better and more efficient plan when presented with one or when one occurs to him. A truly rigid character would never have thought of turning Dexter into a temporary schoolhouse because a truly rigid character wouldn't think outside and beyond the given perimeters of the task at hand.
And in "The Thomas Way", he acquiesces to Thomas heading up the train, even though Hatt's order was for Duck to, once he knows Thomas isn't bullshitting him again. It wasn't that Thomas wanted to deviate from the plan originally that Duck was so against; it's that the deviation was just Thomas wanting to fuck around while Harold was in disrepair. Once Thomas was leading the way with the purpose of avoiding bridges and tunnels, which is in line with the Great Western way of delivering Harold directly and promptly to the Search and Rescue, they probably ended up doing all kindsa incidental sightseeing.
The premise of "The Thomas Way" itself is that the day's plans have changed unexpectedly. Duck was surely supposed to be doing something else when he was asked to report to Callan Castle. He is not bothered a bit by this change in plans though; indeed, he's even reassuring Harold that everything will be set right shortly.
The reason Duck is so up and on about the Great Western Way is simply that his old railway worked out how shit should be done most efficiently and to do it any other way is just to waste of time reinventing wheels. In that regard, Duck's very flexible so long as the overarching Way is being observed.
Also, speaking of wasting time, I sometimes see Duck as being characterized chronically late for things and rushing about. I thiiink this comes from the line "Duck liked to bustle about", which does not mean he's harriedly scurrying about all the time, but that he likes to be busy and do his work at a lively 45 mph clip. I don't think Duck's ever rushed anywhere outside of "A Clean Shave". This is a guy who's got his shit on lock; he literally knows exactly when all his trains are leaving the station and how long they'll take to arrive and how much time in between jobs that he has to chill in the shed telling Henry about all the tenders he's accumulated (and how many tenders that is and also casually allotting time in his schedule to make sure they're shunted and coupled up for Henry when he arrives that evening to collect them).
Duck's never late for anything unless he runs himself into a puddle.
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hi there!! i was hoping i could ask for a mystic messenger matchup please OP :D
- i go by she/her and i’m bi - so i’m open to any of the (adult) characters from the game.
- in my spare time, i like playing my flute/piano. and reading - i really love a lot of classic lit (with fanfic being my guilty pleasure lol) . if i’m not doing either of those things, it’s games (i think i enjoy getting lost in worlds other than my own). i love coffee and would really love to go sightseeing/travelling once i’m out of uni!
- i want to like insects - but i don’t because a lot of them jumpscare me (lol). i also don’t like the taste of cooked mushrooms,, i don’t know why. and i can’t stand untidy or messy places - i’ll tidy for you lol.
- personality wise i’m a little reserved - but i’m cheerful and can be quite the goof when i feel comfortable. i’m always thinking of others and little things i can do for them, or help them in any way possible. i have a strong sense of morality and loyalty towards others. however, i’m stubborn, and honestly somewhat bossy. i don’t know when to give up, which i think is a bit of a double edged sword tbh ^^;;
- for extra info - i’m pretty tall (5’9”) so i feel like a little bit of a giant. my sleep schedule is in shambles, i have a pet cat and my favourite colour is pink 🌸
on a side note - i am so so happy to see the mystic messenger fandom alive and well. and i hope i haven’t written too much for you OP <3
It's funny you mentioned the fandom - I have mostly mysme requests this round! it's definitely still thriving :)
Your matchup is.....................................................
JUMIN HAN !!
"Did you see that new magazine cover? Oh, you know - the one with the C&R heir and his wife? Wasn't it stunning?! Oh, to have someone look at me the way he looks at her..."
When searching for information online about Jumin Han and his recent marriage, comments such as these are rampant. But for good reason - after all, a proposal as sensational as theirs was sure to drive up public interest on the two. Nonetheless, information about Jumin Han's wife, in particular, is rather scarce. But it's evident to anyone who looks that Jumin Han has everything he needs to know about her - and that whatever it is he knows, it's only made him love her more with each passing day.
Fun details:
Your pursuits of the classical arts are noble indeed, and Jumin values your efforts. You'll have access to the finest tutors and lessons the world can offer, should you desire them. If you are already loyal to certain teachers or methods, he will invest in them to ensure your continued learning and growth. He would be delighted if you chose to give a private recital just for the RFA, and very proud of the work you put in to your instruments.
Funny enough, your new beta reader is Jumin. He became curious about what you spent your evenings on in the comfort of the luxurious living room, and when you finally showed him some of your fanfiction, he was unsurprised that your love of reading transferred to writing, too. Still, he admires all of your interests and efforts, and will support you by beta reading your works, bringing his critical eye to your fics. (And if you spend a long time explaining the nuances of the characters and fandoms to him, well, that's just icing on the cake for him, because he gets to hear your beautiful voice and see the sparks of passion in your eyes.)
You get along with Yoosung pretty well. Jumin Han isn't much of a gamer, but at some point he will become intrigued by the two-person (or more) games you play with Yoosung online sometimes. He'll never be as good as either of you at games, but he's good enough to play the cute stereotypical couples games together with - and he'll be quite enthusiastic about doing so with you!
You want to travel the world? He's got the private jet ready to go when you are! During breaks in university, he'll show you around the world, to all the places he's been before, and then to exciting new locations for the two of you to make wonderful new memories together.
He will have the best of the best coffee beans imported for you. If you have a favorite brand or store, he'll get a whole franchise installed in the C&R building just for you. (And the employees, of course, but mostly for you.) If you prefer Jaehee's coffee brewing skills over his, expect him to be pestering her to teach him in exact details in the RFA groupchat (much to Jaehee's eternal annoyance).
No bugs allowed in the penthouse!! If you care about the bugs being kept alive, he will ensure that each bug that does wander inside the building is escorted safely outside the entire perimeter before being set free. Luckily for you, there are two cats on the hunt for any stray bugs, so you likely won't have any trouble with them either way! And speaking of the cats - Elizabeth the 3rd will have a matching collar with yours. Jumin makes sure they're introduced properly so they get along with one another! And they will both be spoiled rotten - don't be surprised if Jumin manages to charm your little baby quickly.
Jumin will be the voice of reason when you've looked out for others to your own detriment, or when you're being overly stubborn. This may lead to a few fights - but as logical as Jumin can be, he's most spineless when it comes to you, so you'll typically get your way, or at least a compromise that's to your liking.
You may worry about your height sometimes, but whenever you put those thoughts to voice, Jumin will remind you that you're the perfect height for him to rest his cheek against your head. (Because this man is taller than everyone.) If you enjoy wearing high heels or platforms, he will adore looking straight-on into your eyes.
Jumin Han was instantly smitten with you when you met in person - and with every day, he learns something new in your mannerisms. They're small things - how you bookmark your page in a story, the shape your hand makes when you reach for one of the cats, which new pink wardrobe item you're favoring. Each and every one of these new details, when he comes across them, never fails to take his breath away, because it is you silhouetted in the lamplight, holding the book he got for your birthday - your hands, which he knows the feel of so well by now - your form, standing in the doorway, face lit up with a smile to greet him. With every new detail, he falls deeper in love with you. And he will always find new details, because to him, you are fathomless, and so is his love for you.
~~I hope you enjoyed this! I did seriously consider Jaehee for you as well - you seem the type to be able to match with multiple members very easily, to be honest!!
PS AHHHHH I THOUGHT I QUEUED THIS UP IM SORRY!! Publishing it a bit late oops--
PPS IM A MESS I FORGOT THE DIVIDERS LOOOOL should be fixed now
#mystic messenger#mysme#mystic messenger matchups#mysme matchups#Jumin Han#jumin han x mc#jumin han x reader
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ahhh no worries! in all truth I don't mind posting through my non-anonymous identity but I feel like this is just so much more fun! although it might be silly!
ahahahahaha, thank you, sweetie! pls, I am definitely feeling like it'd be all people above our age + a whole lot of academics so... it'll be fun, but you know... you can say everything about me but not that I am not determined to a cause (and that cause is getting my own irl aemond. even if I have to make them wear a platinum blonde wig).
and yeah, I am honestly looking forward to this above everything, as it is the end of a long journey.
(although sadly I don't think that there'll be much sightseeing because we have conferences each day but we shall try to make the most of the free time!).
also I just wanted to say that I got to treat myself (because the bag I wanted to originally buy was too expensive) and bought two books: 'carmilla' and 'lady chatterley's lover' although I do believe that I shall read the latter later on but I am probably going to make 'carmilla' my next reading!).
I do get all too well the struggle about reading as an adult (and 'dracula daily' DID seem cool, so I am checking it out as I have always wanted to read 'dracula' but never had the time). there's never enough time or energy and as if this isn't enough, in here, books have become so FREAKING expensive.
like I am not going to lie but I wanted to buy 'electric girls' in the Italian edition and it was 18 euros FOR A PAPERBACK.
I haven't had the chance of reading any Eddie smut and I am using this as a way to remember myself to bookmark some of them, so I shall remember to check them out (my brain is silly like that). also I get it all about Eddie. in all truth, when he first got introduced I wasn't that much into him but then I watched the series AND HE WAS SO LOVEABLE, ALRIGHT?!
AND YEAH 'if not for love' IT'S VERY AEMOND CODED. so glad, we can all agree on it and it isn't just my silly thought. (also can I just say that the whole makeup! reader and museum curator! aemond is even further maneskin-coded in my head? why? vibes).
bestie I SAW THAT SET OF GIFS OF JACK (you know which one) BUT YEAH I AM CONVINCED. also because he has very feminine energy of like somebody who is nurturing (permits the small traditional gender roles thought) and sweet and indeed matches the person that elaena would need as she is instead the protector. but also he gives me the idea that he won't hesitate to throw a punch. AND TO THINK ABOUT ELAENA AND VAELLA TALKING ABOUT THEIR HUSBAND I LIVE FOR THAT.
PLS AEMOND LOSING COMMON DECENCY AND HIS OBSESSICE NEED FOR CLEAN BECAUSE HE IS IN LOVE? that's so... flattering, but yeah, he'd definitely ask what was your perfume... for reasons or gift it to you as we said so he spray a bit in his daily clothes and he is the sole one that perceives him so that when he is nervous/angry/sad, he can just calms himself down.
as for burlesque reader, he'd just relent and once ask reader what she uses and she just gives him this generic brand and he is like 'IT WAS THAT EASY'. he is still obsessed.
btw, thank you bestie for your encouragement about this series, I truly appreciate it!
I hope your weekend went well and again congratulations for your photography being showcased! that seems so cool and I am truly happy for you! (and do treat yourself!).
have a lovely week!
-🌗
Not silly at all, dear! I enjoy the itty bitty mystery of the messages!
LMAO and no totally get you!! it was also lowkey one of my goals when I went to Canada even though I failed miserably at it skljgdlkfjg so I'm totally gonna send you all the vibes that it will happen to you! and also that you'll get the chance to sight-see! Do you have conferences the entire day? cause if there are conferences in the morning I'm sure you could escape for a little while during the evenings (at least that's what would be ideal) but anyway I'm really happy to hear you're excited about it and that it's the closing of a chapter for you. I hope that the trip will be everything you want it to be and more and that you thoroughly enjoy yourself, dear!
YASSSSS LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER! when you do read it I'll wanna know all about what you thought of it! and Carmilla was well, honestly. it might give me an excuse to finally read it when it's been gathering digital dust in my phone's library app lol! Also I googled what the equivalent of 18 euros was in Mexican pesos and ohhhh bestie, I get it! that's what books are worth here as well, that would be like 380 MXN and that's for sure a price that makes me kinda hesitate on buying a book. It's ideal if books are around 99 - 150-ish MXN. The last time I went to the bookstore I saw this amazing book on the Bauhaus school of art that I wanted BADLY, but it was 800 MXN and I was like, nope. Which is so sad! And mostly why I love it when I find used books! (on a totally unrelated note, I'm surprised at how cheaper the conversion is between euro to mxn peso, than mxn to US dollar lmao. I always thought it would be more).
About Eddie, AHH YAY I saw you read 'Keep It Warm'!! I'm so thrilled because it's the first smut fic I wrote for Eddie!! thank you so much for reading it, dear! and I'm so with you. On my first viewing of the series I didn't pay much attention to him, and my first reaction of him was that he was a bit of an annoying nerd. But then I saw a promotional pic of him in the Hellfire room, a shot where he's kinda grabbing his arms and looking over his shoulders with the warm lighting surrounding him and I was like, HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE. HE'S HOT! I GOTTA REWATCH. And the rest is history. He hits differently for me, he's my #1 silly man fictional boyfriend.
I laughed so hard with the, ´why? vibes´ for makeup artist!reader x museum curator!aemond a;lkdjfslkjfg no but it does make sense. Kudos to my big-brained anon who brought it up because I'm living for it! But also can I just say how happy I am at all the aus that are born from conversations in ye old inbox? we got the burlesque one, the makeup one, the museum curator one, and even a time-traveling one way back. I LOVE THIS so much and I'm truly honored that Aemond besties come here for all the au madness!
THOSE JACK GIFS, OMG BESTIE. RIGHT!? RIGHT!? I'm obsessed, I'm properly obsessed with him now. I've been binging all his films and series lmao. Literally, all I think about these days is that Elaena and Vaella scored some freaking hot husbands (Jack and Arnas) and I love that for them. And I giggle internally when I ponder about all the embarrassing things they do that they then tell each other.
"It was that easy!?" Aemond you silly, silly, man. I love you. He's like, all this time I could've just asked? Yes, Aemond. Yes you could have. LMAO I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! And also something about him spraying a little bit on his clothes or maybe like, a handkerchief to keep with him at all times when he's feeling nervous? gosh, that hits deep! if only he was real, you bet I'd be doing the same to feel at ease with his cologne.
Thank you for the photography festival dear! I'm really happy about it, and I'm hoping I can actually go to Chile. That would be the dream, but with life right now, I'm taking it day by day. Hope you have a lovely week, my dear, and as always, hoping you find time to relax and indulge with whatever treat you feel like!
lots of love! x
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Gee Sarah how come your mom let you have TWO Hawkeye dying fics
(Seriously I am looking what is the other one 👀👀👀👀)
The other one is pretty different. Ghost AU is a WIP with a detailed outline; this one is at this stage still mostly a vaguely-defined daydream. Also, Hawkeye won't die until the end. I think it needs to end with him dying but I can't envision that until I cleanse the finale of Showtime's The Big C from my brain (I do recommend one episode of that show because there is a recurring joke about Alan Alda's character being great at oral sex for no reason).
In this one, Hawkeye has some kind of terminal illness. I haven't decided what it is, because I have to research what would give me a narratively workable life expectancy and set of symptoms. It's set a few years after the end of the show; I'm not sure how many exactly but probably between 5 and 15. The status quo is that everyone is still friends and still in touch, but they're all busy with their lives, so just not hearing from somebody for a couple of months is not in and of itself a cause for alarm. Daniel Pierce is gone. I'm not sure about Potter, that really depends on how long it's been (they're around the same age).
So Hawkeye gets diagnosed with whatever. He sells the house in Crabapple Cove. He doesn't tell anyone there why, but they just assume it's because it reminds me of his dad. A local buys it. Then he goes to Europe. He never went after the war, so he decides to go now. And he buys a one-way ticket, on a ship.
He's not planning on coming back from Europe, because he's planning on checking out before his disease catches up to him. He even starts making stupid, overly-romantic plans. He kicks around Europe for a while sightseeing.
And then he changes his mind.
He buys a ticket back (and if it's the mid-60s by now he could fly back, but I haven't decided yet if he flies or takes a ship) and he turns up at Margaret's door. He has his charts and all his test results; he had those in Europe with him too because he's weird. He tells Margaret everything and shows her the charts so she can't argue with him. He says he doesn't want anyone else to know and explains the only reason he's telling her now is because, having made the decision to stick it out until his natural end, he's going to need someone to take care of him once it gets bad, and he asks her to do it.
She says yes, of course, and he tries to leave, like great, see ya when I'm on death's door, and she's like hold on. Do you even have a place to live? And moves him into her guest room.
Lots of Hawkeye Margaret friendship at this point but also the main conflict which is that he is still refusing to tell anyone else. She wants him to tell everyone, but she especially wants him to tell BJ, and they fight about it. Eventually she convinces him to go to California and the express purpose of this visit is for Hawkeye to tell him. They have a great time and at the end Hawkeye is planning to tell him, but then BJ says something like "This was so great, we should do this more often!" And Hawkeye's just like "yep :)" and goes home without saying anything.
When Margaret finds out she's livid and he's like I just couldn't bear to break his heart and Margaret's like "you're going to break his heart either way, you're just putting it off so you won't have to see it. If you don't tell him, I'm going to have to do it after you're gone" and Hawkeye's like. Oh. So then he invites BJ to come visit and BJ's like "wow okay I didn't exactly mean right away, but sure!" and he assumes he's going to Maine and Hawkeye's like no actually I'm at Margaret's but he doesn't tell him he's living there, he kind of just implies he's visiting her and turning this into a group hang and BJ's like weird but okay. And then he gets there and Hawkeye tells him the truth and there's a lot of ugly crying.
He definitely tells at least some of the others too but I don't have them all worked out in detail yet. With Trapper, they just sort of hang out occasionally (I may have Margaret living in New England to facilitate this) and at one point they're having a drink and Hawkeye is really going to town on the booze and Trapper--who's mellowed and slowed down a bit since coming home--comments on it (gently and non-judgmentally) and Hawkeye's just casually like "don't worry, my other organs are going to give up on me before my liver gets a chance" and Trapper's like What. So he explains and Trapper takes it pretty well, he's teary and stuff but he keeps it together.
Charles finds out because Hawkeye went to a specialist in Boston when he got diagnosed who has a big mouth and Charles yells at this doctor for talking about patients (I think this was actually allowed but I like giving "takes patient privacy extra seriously" to Charles as a character beat) but then he figures out where Hawkeye is and shows up at Margaret's house like what the hell man.
And then I think it's just a rotating cast of everybody spending time with Hawkeye as he starts getting sicker. I may try to stretch the timespan by saying he got diagnosed early because he noticed an early sign, being a doctor. I think it has to end with him dying but I don't know what that looks like yet.
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Twisty wonder glorious masks event
thoughts thus far (up to part 4) and just a little speculation for part 5
Thoughts:
-that escalated fast
-the pacing on this one has been pretty good... they didn’t waste my time with a lot of random sightseeing/omiyage talk as in kelkarot and... there were a bunch of battles in part 4 but they didn’t make us fight ramshackle ghost reskins every single episode of every part for no reason like in scary monsters. thank u yanasensei
-i’m not really yume but malleus definitely has Something going on with kantokusei and this event has given me a lot of chances to make my little isekai kid (ryouka, she/her, baffled that she has been so unquestioningly accepted into this otherwise all-boys school even though she is not trying to present herself as a boy) flirt with him so i’m grateful www when rollo dropped us into the underground and malleus yelled her name.... i love this for him.
-additionally, when malleus was about to blow the whole cité des fleurs or w/e up bc he was so angry about the “invitation” being fake and kantokusei’s reaction was just “TSUNOTAROU. BE COOL.” otp
-i felt so bad for malleus after he realized the invitation wasn’t real that after i got his event ssr (in just 53 pulls, bless) i invited him to my guest room right away w and then his line was like “i am so, so grateful to you for this invitation ;~;” the poor baby.... as soon as i get my omekashi jamil to 110 maybe i’ll invite you next...
-malleus and the gargoyle.... he’s so cute. how can maleficent’s great-grandson or whatever he is be so pure. i love him.
-based on his vargas camp 2 look i thought crewel sensei was a shoo-in for this masquerade event. and trein’s been great in this event so i’m not too disappointed he’s not here but i do hope we get a follow-up with him and lucius www
-when idia was like “FF外から失礼します”. pls
-i love riddlechan but he really only has one pattern... go too hard too early on, be the first one taken out, have to be saved by the guy that got paired up with him... (ghost marriage, main story ch 1, main story ch 6...) the game is pretty consistent in-story about 3rd years > 2nd years > 1st years which objectively makes sense but please let riddlechan be cool for once. he became the dorm leader in just a week which is better than anyone except malleus (implied)! please just let him cause massive amounts of property damage and survive the experience without relying on anybody else! ...maybe when he gets a proper event to himself, since scary monsters and tsumutsumu were both group affairs 🙄 (don’t talk to me about tsumutsumu)
-as jamil oshi i was initially disappointed that he and ruggie dropped out of the main party 2nd after riddlechan+epel BUT what they did with them made up for it wwwww everyone else is like “we will make a stand here and destroy as many flowers as we can to help our friends uwu”. meanwhile these two kids are running around NBC spreading flowers and dragging down as many other people as they can. top marks in villainy.
-maybe it’s bc it’s a pretty chill group (his sr even has a homescreen line like “so glad neither [kalim] nor [floyd] were chosen for this trip... finally i can live my best life”) but jami has been SO SPICY this event... hasn’t missed a single chance to take the piss out of azul.... love that for him.
-but also the contrast in the setup chapter of jamil “kalim your shampoo is here and your blankets are here. do you understand me. i will tell you again. this is where all the things you will need for the next 2.5 days are. do you understand me. whatever you do do not get yourself assassinated while i am gone Do You Understand Me” viper vs. azul “sure, go ahead and wreck the place while i’m gone, what do i care, i won the lottery for this great networking opportunity and you didn’t so SUCK IT EELS” ashengrotto.
-my two best boys are jami and riddle so i was hoping they would have a chance to hang out... and when we split into teams that one time they were all in malleus’s group... they didn’t talk much except for lovingly teasing bekky together but they were on the same screen a lot... thank u for these crumbs ig but they’re 2nd year overblot virgo buddies and they both get So many interactions with azul so why not with each other.... why’d you give union birthday riddlechan a SECOND azul duo when omekashi jami is still waiting for a riddle who wants to duo with him.... please....
-one joke that never gets old is nobody outside of diasomnia knowing that lilia is silver’s dad. i hope that kantokusei and maybe ignihyde (idia: how can you be my gamer buddy muscle crimson and also this kid’s dad i’m cryin) figure it out when main story ch 7 comes out but i would so happy if nobody else ever ever ever learned the truth.
-also very funny: rsa (chenya, neige, etc) sacrificing themselves to save us and everyone going “ok... that’s on them... none of my business if these evil flowers suck out all their magic, bye ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯”
-not event-related but actually if twisted wonderland is a place where all these disney villains explicitly won in their stories and are revered for it, how come the heroes still always win every time? they beat us in the dance competition, in the plushy iditarod, etc, and the conversation between rsa’s headmaster and crowley implied that Yes, This Happens Every Time. we know kantokusei’s seeing the “real” versions of all these disney movies in dreams and that something’s going on there. but how do we reconcile “everyone loves these villain guys who created the lands we are living in today” with “villains always lose”........ chapter 7 早う....
Speculation:
-kantokusei’s definitely going to roll up at the end leading an army of goats to eat up all the nasty flowers, right. right.
-rollo overblot??? i feel like most of the overblots in the main story have got to be the calculated result of some evil mastermind’s secret plot or something... some guy trying to farm those evil magic rocks our stupid cat keeps eating.... but this guy might have gone off the deep end all on his own which would be very funny. and i want to see his ob design.....
-so annoying that the ssr 3 read rollo’s diary and learned his tragic backstory but didn’t tell us about it onscreen bc they’re saving it for part 5 zzzzz but the way that esp. idia reacted (or that azul reacted to idia reading it) makes me think some magic went wrong and killed/hurt/disfigured his brother (or somebody, quasimoto equivalent?) and that’s why he wants to destroy all magic...
-how in the world are azul and idia going to stop malleus from straight-up murdering this dude lol
-what are they going to do for masks part 2 next year wwww a lot more rambunctious bunch is going to the masquerade.... and who will be the ssrs.... leona? treypai? kalim? i’d be grateful if lilia and cater appeared only as r cards uwu with diasomnia dorm ssrs coming out soon who knows how many gems i’ll have at this time next year...
btw if anyone wants to add me it’s player id CkN5E8V7 on jp (currently event malleus support [magic 5/5 sry], will change to omekashi jamil lvl 105+ after the event probably)
or id BzR8YBZk on en, level 90 dorm riddlechan support (magic 7/8 SORRY I’M SO LAZY) altho i might change to level 95 dorm jamil after i level his magic some more... once i raise his buddy levels since he finally just came home from that scarabia bait banner...
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Apparition coast
/ Visions / First thing I have to notice while listening to Apparition Coasts’ new album Visions is the amazing production with a crisp acoustic riff and muted background that builds up and explodes into a powerful intro. For me unfortunately something that keeps me from ever giving Alternative and or Pop-Punk bands a chance is a whining voice. It’s just personal taste. However I do enjoy the lead vocals here. A beautiful voice, enough said. Ringtone is a catchy opening song and this is carried throughout the album very nicely! I would mention in passing to Josh and DJ (I had the privilege of playing in CSUCI ensemble with them and worked with Josh for a while) to tell me when they would play live so I could go check them out without having really heard their music. After hearing this album now I really am looking forward to it! Everything about these songs is solid. If you are an Alternative or Pop-Punk fan you will feel right at home here; I am reminded of Four year Strong and Paramore at times. There is so much depth here. You get a short and sweet guitar solo on the second track and the harmonies makes one want to learn the songs and sing along. Listening to the title track Visions one has to appreciate the intricate riff that sound like a Yvette young riff at the beginning. In Vision you get a back and forth between atmospheric soundscape and heavy rock which is jarring but in a good way. The subject matter of visions sounds like things we all go through from time to time so it’s not like the lyrics were just churned out without a thought or feeling. It seems slightly open to interpretation as well in my opinion which will let the listeners look at the same song in different lights. I’m very impressed how modern these songs sound as well, several could honest to god sound natural on a popular radio station. That’s not to say they don’t pay respect to the influences that shine through their playing. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see this band blow up! I’m not sure who the main songwriter or writers are but I am extremely impressed. This album may be talking about serious subject matter but it’s lifting me up and energizing me out of my lethargy of staying up too late last night. “Trigger” gives you a classic rock sounding riff hear which just affirms that there’s a little something here for everyone. That has to be DJ the guitar player shredding on his Les Paul because I know he really enjoys classic rock. Some albums I lose interest partway through for various reasons. Here that is definitely not the case. I’m grateful for this album because it’s really showing me how much of a lack of Alternative and Pop-Punk I’ve had these last couple of years. So wholesome, so true. I also heard a twinge of country on one or two of the tracks. This is just a testament to the eclectic music tastes of the members and the result is that they have a lot to say. Don’t get me wrong though this band is unique as any. Speaking of unique: California, PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), and Malibu are mentioned in the song “Getaway” which are beautiful sightseeing areas that you have to see if you’re in California ever. There’s something about a song or band that mentions or represents a place or thing that you love. It makes it more relatable or special I suppose. I may be a bit biased since I know two of these guys who are the nicest musicians you could hope to meet but I don’t care. The production value, songwriting, and instrumentation is just too good; I gotta give this album 10/10 Pizzas
Suggested tracks: Visions, Solve, Your reflection
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5 MUST-VISIT ANCIENT TEMPLES IN CHENNAI
Temples are one of the most visited sightseeing spots in Chennai. Not only in Chennai, but people who visit southern states also visit temples without fail.
The reason is not only because of the ancient tradition and heritage. It is because of the art and craftwork it possesses. Each temple holds the history and values it teaches people who visit it.
I am not exaggerating. Most of the temples in the southern state hold their history and cultural values. They taught people values through statues, paintings on the walls, or in the form of Vedic songs.
WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?
Why do temples have pandits preaching Vedas and Upanishads?
Most Siva or Vishnu temples will have pandit sitting in a familiar place to explain human values during festival time. In some areas, every evening, we can see pandits seated in an open space preaching about human values through Vedas or Upanishads
After adopting modern technology, pandits got replaced with recorded voices. Every evening most of the temples will have such preaching.
In another view, the statues carved out of granite stones hold the history of human values and in silent preach behaviors.
Why do temples have sculptures on the wall and in gopuras?
I am not sure which one it was long ago, either through word of mouth or an article. I came to know the reason for sculpture carving outside the temples.
Temple is a place not only for the educated. It is a place for everyone in society. So, an educated person might understand values through the stories taught by a pandit. What about the people who had lesser opportunities to study and understand.
What if a person is a non-believer and hates visiting temples? He should also know the values, and he should also get the knowledge of values. So, they built gopuras and their walls with sculptures.
Logically speaking, applying this method makes a person who had lesser opportunity to learn Vedas or Upanishads could still learn human values through these carvings.
Also, if there is a person who is an Atheist can still see the sculptures on the temple walls and gopuras and gain value through them. Such statues narrate stories based on the deity.
Most temples follow the same method in the southern part of India.
In Chennai, we have a lot of temples with rich values and heritage elements. Let me highlight the "5 Must-Visit Temples In Chennai With Historic And Traditional Values".
Parthasarathi Temple
One of the oldest temples built by the Pallavas. Between the 6th – 8th centuries. During the 6th Century, King Narasimha Varman made it. Later during the 8th century, King Nandi Varman constructed the remains.
It is one of the Dravidian architectural marvels. Their millennium-old traditions and their spiritual elements cascaded to pandits. These traditions are still active and practiced in this temple.
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, "Parthasarathi" means "Charioteer of Arjuna." Highly inspired by Mahabharata, where Lord Vishnu is the Charioteer for Arjuna during the war of Kurukshetra.
Kapaleeshwarar Temple
The Pallava king built another ancient temple and another wonder of Dravidian Architecture marvels during the 7th century.
There are a lot of Puranas around this temple. It means it has a lot of mythology around it. It involves Brahma the (God of birth), Parvathi (wife of Siva), and Murugan (son of Siva).
Each mythology is interesting to hear and has values, as mentioned earlier in this post. Among other Gods in Hinduism, Siva is the only god who became a beggar after marriage. He is a man of simplicity.
Where ever you see his picture, you can see him wearing a simple costume. A tiger skin around his waist and some Rudraksha Malai, and his face is always calm and composed.
I once mentioned to my friend that this god had a photogenic face, which made him laugh. But genuinely, I wonder how this image came into our present world.
Marundheeswarar Temple
Most predominant saints are involved in this temple heritage, built during the 7th century by the Chola empire.
Saint Agastya was involved in this temple; this is where Lord Siva, the temple's deity, met Agastyar and imparted all the curative properties of herbs and other medicinal value plants to him.
People believe Saint Valmiki had visited this place and worshiped Siva in this temple. Because of his presence, this place got the name "Thiruvalmikiyur," which later became "Thiruvanmiyur."
Kalikambal Temple
During the fort's construction under the British East India Company in 1640, this temple was moved to its current location and became active by 1678.
This temple has a lot of interesting historical facts attached to it. During the British regime, the fierce known Maratha warrior Chatrapathi Sivaji visited this temple during his visit to South India. Still, the information's there in this temple.
The great poet Mahakavi Bharathiyar used to visit this temple daily.
Another fact that is a little interesting, the song "Ullam Uruguthada" was initially conceived and composed on this premise. It is interesting because the verse is for Lord Muruga, and the deity is Lord Kamakshi.
Kandaswami Temple aka Kandhakottam
Kandhakottam is for Lord Murugan, son of Lord Siva & Parvathi.
This temple was founded during the 1670s by merchant Mr. Mari Chettiar who lived in George town and did trading with the East Indian Company. Mr. Mari Chettiar built this temple with the help of Muthiyalu Naicken.
He was so devoted that he had to pawn his wife's jewel to construct this temple. I wonder what made him do that? The story doesn't stop there. It gets interesting after that.
When Mari Chettiar tried to purchase the land, he pawned his wife's jewel. A wealthy gentleman, Mr. Muthiyalu Naicken involved in it and gifted the ground as it is for a good cause. I hope Mr. Mari Chettiar retrieved his wife's jewels.
5 FAMOUS SHOPPING MALLS IN CHENNAI
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feysand blind date
Loving Every Second of It
Fluff//3010 words
Feyre wasn’t sure what she was expecting tonight.
Lucien had set her up on a blind date with a friend of a friend and there was no way it wasn’t going to end miserably. Maybe Feyre would say something stupid and he would think she was weird. Maybe he would decide she wasn’t pretty enough or her clothes weren’t nice or she was just boring. Maybe some other woman who was everything she would never be would catch his eye. Maybe—
���I really hope you’re not still imagining ways this will end poorly.”
Feyre frowned. “Seriously, Lu, this is a bad idea.”
Lucien elbowed her. “You said, and I quote, “I’m done being a lonely spinster who’s too busy regretting my life choices to get laid.” Therefore I, as the good friend I am, decided to get you a date. And consequently, laid. So stop being a bitch. If it doesn’t end well, at least you put yourself out there, right?”
She sighed. “If it doesn’t end well, I will have to endure the long-lasting humiliation and despair for the rest of my life. That’s not something I’m inclined to want.”
“The only reason I’m still here listening to your self-pity is because I know if I leave you’ll chicken out.”
“And because I’m your best friend?”
“Yeah, that too.”
Feyre scowled and crossed her arms. “You don’t say that very convincingly.”
Lucien just smiled and gave Feyre a peck on the cheek. “You’ll have a good time tonight. Just be yourself.”
“But what if he doesn’t like myself?”
“He will. Azriel has good taste in people, as evidenced by the fact that he’s dating me,” Lucien stated matter-of-factly.
Feyre rolled her eyes but allowed a small smile to cross her features. Azriel had only started dated Feyre’s best friend a couple weeks ago, and she’d met the man a handful of times. It was his friend, Rhys, she thought he’d said, that she would be going on a date with tonight.
“It’s time to go,” Lu told her.
Feyre blinked. “Already?”
“Yes, don’t pretend you haven’t been counting the seconds. You’re such a bullshitter.”
A mournful sigh was all she gave Lucien before heading to the door. They had agreed to meet at the restaurant, a fancy, but also homey, little place downtown.
“Wait.”
Feyre almost growled out loud. If Lucien kept distracting her, she was going to lose her nerve.
“I’m driving you to the restaurant.”
Feyre spun around. “What do you mean you’re driving me? I was about to walk out the door.”
Lucien crossed his arms. “Yes, but that still leaves you with dozens of opportunities to turn back around. I won’t risk it.”
Feyre narrowed her eyes, but reluctantly allowed him to take her. The drive was unpleasant—Feyre would never admit it to him, but Lucien had been right. Had she had the option, she would have turned around by the time they pulled up at the restaurant. Feyre’s hands were clenched into fists to keep them from shaking.
She tried to think when she had become so nervous about dates. It probably had something to do with Tamlin. Tamlin was a bastard who had ridiculed and scorned Feyre subtly enough during their relationship that Feyre had begun to think of herself as worthless, entirely unaware it was his fault. She’d dumped his sorry ass after she caught him in Feyre’s own fucking bed with Ianthe, a “friend.”
Yes, that was definitely the cause of Feyre’s anxiety. She was never excessively social or flirty, but she had at least been cool and collected, as many guys noticed. Or they used to, anyway. Now she was scared to go on a single gods-damn date.
“Are you going to get out of the car, or are we going to sit here all night?” Lucien’s dry voice cut into her thoughts.
Feyre glared at him, not deigning to give a response other than a raised finger (try and guess which one) and getting out. She closed the door and turned around, checking her phone for the time before turning it on silent. It was only a few minutes before six-thirty, so he may or may not be there already.
Taking a moment—and making sure Lucien had already driven off—Feyre smoothed out her dress apprehensively. She was wearing a plain blue dress suited for a special occasion, but still simple enough not to be too flashy. Had she misjudged what to wear? Should she have with something more stylish? Or maybe more revealing, showing off more of her legs or breasts?
And her makeup—was it too plain? Should she have chosen better earrings? Should she be wearing more jewelry? Were her flats too drab?
Feyre almost wished Lucien had stayed to make sure she made it in the restaurant. Steeling herself for the inevitable letdown that tonight would be, Feyre went inside.
Before she had a chance to look around, she nearly ran into a man waiting at the entrance.
“Oh, you’re pretty.”
The man raised an eyebrow.
Feyre blinked. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” She was blushing and cursing herself for her lack of a filter.
Although, who could blame her? The man was dark-skinned, violet-eyed, and muscled, with dark, tousled hair and strong cheekbones. He was wearing an insanely hot dress shirt with the sleeves—the fucking sleeves—rolled up, revealing tattooed forearms. Pretty was a bit of an understatement.
The man was grinning now. The bastard probably had a lot of women telling him he was pretty. Feyre kicked herself internally.
“Well, if it makes it better, I think you’re pretty too.”
Feyre’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Um, thanks. I should… I have a date… with um…” She trailed off, the man smirking all the while. And then she thought of something.
“You’re Rhys, aren’t you? I mean sure, there are plenty of other people here who could be Rhys, but I have the worst luck, and telling my date he’s pretty totally qualifies as bad luck. Fuck, I thought we’d at least make it to the table before I scared you away. Oh shit, I’m just making it worse now, aren’t I?”
Rhys, or the random guy Feyre was assuming to be Rhys, smiled. Not condescendingly or rudely in any way, just more of an amused expression. “I am Rhys. Which I think makes you Feyre?”
Feyre nodded sullenly.
“It takes more than a beautiful woman complimenting me to scare me away, don’t worry. Why don’t we sit down?”
Feyre’s face was crimson, she was sure of it. She hadn’t expected a compliment from him after that little incident. She tried to think of what Lucien would say right now. Don’t worry, it’ll be a fun story to tell your kids. Okay, not helping.
Trying to turn off her brain, admittedly without much success, Feyre nodded once more and let Rhys lead her over to a table by the window. It was mostly dark outside, so the choice of seating only allowed to give them some privacy as opposed to being in the middle of the room. Probably not a conscious choice on Rhys’ choice, but Feyre quite liked it.
He also pulled the chair out for Feyre to sit. What a gentleman.
Feyre awkwardly fumbled with the menu, trying not to stare at Rhys’ beautiful face.
“Have you been here before, Feyre?” So much for that.
She looked up. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’ve been a couple times. Of course you can get whatever you like, but I would recommend the braised pork. It was delicious.”
Feyre bit her lip. “It sounds good.”
The waiter came over just then and Rhys asked for the braised pork for himself, then Feyre said to make it two orders.
He left, and the pair was left in silence once more. “So, Rhys,” Feyre said, making an effort not to be entirely silent. “Tell me about yourself.”
He smiled. “I work as an architect. I like reading, sightseeing, and talking to interesting ladies. How about you?”
Feyre snorted. “I’m an artist. I like, well, painting I guess. And jogging. And talking to handsome men, I suppose I should say.”
Rhys full-on grinned. “Tell me about your work. Is it just paint, or other types of art?”
Feyre answered his question, and then a few more. She tried not to talk too much, not wanting to take over the conversation, but Rhys showed such a genuine interest in her passion that Feyre could help opening up. By the time the food arrived, he knew her style, her favorite colors to use, her methods of gaining inspiration, and her opinions on some classic pieces that Rhys seemed to know more than the average person about.
Then the waiter interrupted with their meal. Once everything was served and Feyre had already dug into the pork, which was even more delectable then Rhys had let on, he asked another question.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to try out a blind date?”
Feyre finished chewing, using the time to think about how to answer his question properly. “I ended a bad relationship a few months ago, and I’ve been a bit lacking in confidence since then. I guess I’m just sick of spending my weekends alone. What about you?”
“I’ve been searching for a relationship for a while. I’m interested in the idea of spending my future with someone, so when Azriel suggested a date with you, I jumped at the chance.” Rhys seemed to reconsider his words. “Not that I would be spending my future with you, necessarily.” He paused. “I mean—”
“No, I get it,” Feyre cut in, not wanting to hear any more of this. “I’m not the type of person you want to be in a serious relationship with.” She had known all along. Rhys was charming and handsome and smart and funny and there was no reason he would want to spend his life with her of all people.
Rhys’ eyes widened. “No, not at all!” he exclaimed. “That came out wrong. I was only trying to take it back so as not to pressure you. I didn’t know how much you’d be okay with hearing me tell you how interested I was in you after saying I’m looking for a relationship.”
Feyre blinked, surprised to find that it hadn’t been a dismissal. Surprised at more than that. “Oh.”
Rhys smiled, the first signs of nervousness shining through his calm demeanor. “I like you, Feyre. We’ve only been talking for fifteen minutes, and already I like you. And I’m not getting too ahead of myself by claiming you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Not nearly this soon; hell, I just met you. But I do think you should know what I’m looking for so we can end this before it goes too far. If you’re not ready for something like that, I mean.”
Feyre was stunned. Rhys not only liked her, but enough to tell her something like that?
“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but I like you too,” she replied. And she meant it. Rhys was really nice, and very intriguing. She hadn’t considered what she wanted past a date. After all, she had been positive he would diss her by the end of it. But Feyre sure as hell wanted something with this man.
Rhys almost seemed surprised. “I’m not asking for commitment or anything like that. Certainly not on the first date. But maybe you can think over that later, and we can finish dinner now?”
Feyre smiled, still processing his words. “Okay.”
They dug in. There was less conversation than before, both because Feyre was too busy letting out content groans at the taste of the food and from the lingering awkwardness. But they did start talking more toward the end, Feyre snorting into her hand as she heard the end of some ridiculous story Rhys was telling her. By the time the waiter came over and let them know the restaurant was closing now, they’d returned to an animated conversation.
From everything to Rhys’ work as an architect to gossip about Azriel and Lucien to current events and old movies and bad jokes, it had crossed the discussion. Rhys was an exceptional conversationalist.
Rhys pulled out a wallet, but Feyre said, “We can split it.”
He glanced over. “I’ve got it, darling. Consider it my treat.”
Trying to suppress a shiver at the new nickname, Feyre said, “Really, I can help out.”
“Persistent, aren’t you? Maybe I’ll let you buy me coffee next time.”
Feyre knew he was teasing; there was no doubt he would refuse to let her pay next time. He seemed like the kind of guy to insist. Still, Feyre was more than satisfied with hearing that there would be a next time.
Disappointed with the fact they had to leave, but definitely pleased with how the date had gone, Feyre stood. Rhys walked Feyre out in silence, the latter surprised to find how long they’d been chatting. The restaurant was almost empty.
Feyre pulled her phone out of her purse.
“No ride, darling?” Rhys had raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“No, my friend dropped me off. He was worried I would flee if he didn’t actually bring me here himself.”
Rhys grinned. “Would you have fled?”
“Probably,” Feyre admitted.
“Let me drive you home. No expectations,” he added hastily at Feyre’s expression. “Just so you don’t have to wait out here. It’s getting cold.”
“Alright,” she agreed, very appreciative.
She’d sent Lucien a text and he had shot back a message letting her know he would be on the way. Feyre swiftly sent another text.
nvm rhys is dropping me off
Then she followed Rhys over to his car, laughing when he opened the door for her with a bow. Feyre wished she was the one driving; it would have been easier to keep her eyes off of him if she had something to focus on.
“Am I really that pretty?” So he’d noticed.
Feyre scowled. “Shut up.”
Rhys chuckled and glanced over, then turned his eyes back to the road. “I had a really nice time tonight, Feyre.”
“Me too,” she said.
The only words passed between them after that were directions on how to find Feyre’s apartment, fairly close to the restaurant. They were a street over when Feyre pulled a scrap of a receipt out of her purse, as well as a pen—Lucien often made fun of her having everything in her purse, but it was useful—and wrote down her number. They parked and Rhys looked over.
“So you don’t have to contact me through Lucien next time,” she clarified, handing him the paper.
Rhys smiled and put the paper in his pocket.
“Thank you for the ride, Rhys.”
He frowned mockingly. “What kind of person do you think I am, darling? Didn’t you know the good guys walk their dates to the door?”
Feyre laughed and mumbled something, getting out. Rhys stepped out of the car as well. But Feyre was starting to get nervous that Rhys was expecting something from her. Tamlin always had, after all.
They reached Feyre’s door and she stopped. But before she could say goodnight, Rhys seemed to realize why she was so anxious. He was too observant for his own good.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, Feyre. I didn’t walk you here because I required anything of you.”
She flushed. “It’s not that I thought you would, exactly, I guess it just… been a while since I’ve met a nice guy.”
Rhys looked very sympathetic. “I understand. And for you, Feyre, I couldn’t care less if you wanted to drag me in your apartment and have your way with me now or wait a year to so much as kiss me. You’re worth it.”
There was no way Feyre’s face at all resembled a normal color. Or her ears. Or her neck. Gods, she was positively reeling.
“Really?”
“I had fun with you,” was all Rhys said.
Feyre barely noticed herself leaning closer. “Maybe a goodnight kiss wouldn’t be so bad.”
Rhys’ lips twitched and he assessed the sincerity of the statement. He leaned in slowly, giving Feyre every chance to back away, before planting his lips softly on hers.
Feyre melted into the kiss, obsessed with the soft feel of his mouth. It only last a few seconds, and Rhys’ touch remained featherlight. He pulled back, grinning.
“Goodnight, Feyre.”
She leaned against the wall for support. She was probably swooning. “Goodnight.”
One last smirk was all she got before he turned and walked down the hall.
Making it into her apartment, Feyre tried to process what had happened.
She’d met the man and made a fool of herself. Still, he had been nice and showed an interest in her. Then he had said he desired a serious relationship with someone, and she was a good candidate. There had been some more startled deer-like behavior on her part and some more suaveness from him. Then he had been super gentlemanly about not expecting her to sleep with him.
Basically, he was all Feyre could have wished for—and then some.
Feyre groaned loudly, throwing one of her flats at the wall. Then the other. She wasn’t sure why she was angry. Probably just because she’d been so ridiculous tonight. Or maybe it was the pent-up up hormones.
Feyre glanced at her phone, saw about a dozen messages from Lucien telling her to have fun and “be safe.” She threw her phone on the couch and grumbled about what a nosy little asshole her best friend was.
Then she slumped to the floor.
Feyre was going to spend the rest of her life mooning over Rhys and making a fool of herself, she already knew it. And she was going to love every second of it.
Oh, she was screwed.
———
Tag List:
@aelin-bitch-queen // @feysand-loml // @infernoqueen19 // @live-the-fangirl-life // @midsizewitch // @sleeping-and-books // @story-scribbler // @thebonecarver
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Breaking down Hunter and Omega’s relationship: pt 4.
Hi everybody. My biggest apologies for the delay on this series over the past two weeks, I’ve had a lot of medical issues going on, alongside a big decision in my life I had to make before the end of September taking precedence. However, with a little more time on my hands and a new team of proof readers behind me, I’m hoping to be back on track soon enough! I hope you enjoy my analysis of ‘Cornered’, and please always feel free to reply/reblog/send an ask with your opinions and discussions! I love to hear and reply to them! 💛
(Pasted paragraphs: I would just like to add a disclaimer here. I am, in no way whatsoever, slating the other batchers for having differing relationships with Omega. I absolutely adore everything single one of the boys, and I think they all have wonderful and unique interrelations with her. Although I may point out these different approaches in comparison to Hunter’s, I am not stating these engages are wrong, just different is all!
I’m going to separate this into a little series- covering each episode in a separate post, which I’ll have tagged as the series progresses. Once I’ve tackled these two, as they’re my favourites, I’m going to move on to each individual Batcher and perhaps a few other dynamics such and Hunter and Crosshair, or Wrecker and Omega! Let me know what you guys would like to see!)
(Thank you to this weeks proof-reader: @very-depressing-waffel 💛)
Cornered: S1/E4
Although minimal, I absolutely love the small interaction between these two in the opening scene of this episode. While it would make sense for Hunter to take the chair, as he is navigating co-ordinates, instead he allows Omega to sit down and rest, the pure affection between them is particularly radiant in these moments. I’d also like to note that it is Hunter’s order to originally send them to Idaflor, where we can only assume he is heeding Cut’s previous advice given on the subject of ‘disappearing to start a new life’. By connotation, this essentially means Hunter was extremely ready to settle down with his brothers and both raise and protect his newly found little one. However this clearly becomes an evident concern of Hunter’s as Omega begins to whine, claiming she desperately wants to explore the galaxy instead of hiding away on an uninhabited planet. Although appreciating her enthusiasm, he insists they cannot risk it, not right now, showing he has all further plans to take her to see the universe whenever it may be safe to do so. Her safety has become his priority.
Also, another little mimic on Omega’s part is mentioned after Tech’s evaluates their situation- “Well, Pantora it is.” “Pantora it is :)”. This angel, she steals my heart.
Moving on slightly to the arrival of Pantora, Hunter’s civvies and Omega carrying his backpack for him, which is as big as her little torso might I add, makes the world spin. Notice too how her eyes never leave him for a moment, it’s a typical child trait when wanting to catch an adult’s attention for good behaviour. After Wrecker mentions the implications of sightseeing, which ultimately peaks Omega’s interest, Hunter is quick to diffuse the situation by insisting this is only a quick supply run. I strongly believe this is because although he intends to take Omega into the city with him, most likely recognising her desperation to explore, his main intention is to keep her safe and protected, I personally spy a compromise here. Finally, regarding this little interaction, when inviting Omega to join them, he calls her ‘Mega, ‘MEGA!!! Hunter is the first member of the batch to nickname her affectionately, and her little excited cheer in response says it all!
When strolling through the busy marketplace, I noticed that alongside drinking up all sights she can set her eyes on, Omega continues to perform the aforementioned ‘smile at parent because I am both well behaved and very excited’ technique, breaking away from her awestruck staring to give Hunter a cute grin, which he affectionately returns under the realisation that her purity and innocence has erupted through something as simple as a marketplace, another endearing trait his charge has displayed. I’d also like to shed light on the protective hand-on-shoulder movement Hunter uses after the squad of troopers pass by him, Omega, and Echo. His wary stare and protectiveness is an extreme diversion from his usual headstrong attitude, which we know is correlated to his need to protect his charge. (Hand-on-shoulder, AGAIN. Comforting Dad alert!!)
When offering to trade with the Gran merchant, I noticed that whenever Omega picked up a new item to inspect or show off to Echo, Hunter glances over his shoulder to observe her. I have reason to believe he might not only be watching her explore, but keeping an eye on her after the incident on Cut’s farm. I can practically see Suu’s words of advice ringing in his ears, and he wants to make sure she stays out of trouble. And after she does inevitably knock something over, although he scowls a little in her direction (as any parent would), Hunter swiftly turns his look of annoyance towards the Gran as he begins to scold Omega, once again showing his protectiveness in her regard, and in all honesty, he has every right to respond this way, we’ve already established this salesman is stubborn and conceited.
The entire plot of this episode is centred around Omega’s inevitable separation from Hunter and Echo as she ends up running off to chase a voorpak, who has stolen her new doll. We cannot fault Omega for her behaviour, it was a little juvenile at most, but we must take into account this would be her first time in such a situation, and she has never been taught otherwise. Hunter’s immediate faltering smile as he realises Omega is missing is honestly gut wrenching. He has just received 3,000 credits, a hefty sum for what they’re in need of, and now he’s lost his ward, and the pain and concern is fully mirrored through his halting eyes.
I’m moving ahead slightly to add a little character-action comparison! Now, this may just be me nitpicking, and I mean no hate to Fennec Shand (I actually ADORE her), but did anybody else notice the difference between her hold on Omega and how Hunter holds her? Fennec’s fingers lay beneath the nape of Omega’s neck, almost curling into her tunic’s collar, and so while it may seem protective, it actually holds very possessive and controlling connotations. Whereas when Hunter places a hand to Omega’s shoulder, his fingers are quite loose, and it only ever rests up her upper shoulder, allowing the girl freedom if she so much as wishes it. It’s extremely docile. Furthermore, I wanted to briefly comment on Hunter’s tenderness when retrieving Omega’s new doll, most likely using it to track her recent movement. His hold is very gentle, considering he is now clinging to the last piece of Omega he has contact with, and a noticeable shred of panic holds his upper body rigid for good measure. It’s very nicely animated.
Coming ahead swiftly to the brief ‘positive’ interaction between Omega and Fennec, I haven’t seen this mentioned before but I personally see the discussion concerning the need for protection when travelling the galaxy as a small nod to Omega’s newly found connection to the boys, and Hunter specifically. Omega insists it’s a good thing she has her ‘friends’. Noticeably, she is still very hesitant to label them as her brothers, as she most likely feels excluded to an extent (bearing in mind the boys were raised together with the exclusion of Echo, no matter her previous ties to them, Omega was always going to feel isolated to some extent), but not enough to deny she has an attachment to them, and vice versa. Hunter has already shown on multiple occasions (Kamino, Saleucami, the moon from episode 3) that he would do whatever it takes to protect her, but it’s nice to see Omega’s perspective on the newly found emotions too.
Finally, Hunter is able to catch up to both Omega and Fennec, and the sudden change in his demeanour and her aura of innocence is extremely present here. Hunter drops the worrisome parental act fairly quickly, and it’s replaced with the familiar soldier we all know and recognise, he needs to exhibit such strengths to assert the extent he is willing to go to protect Omega. Equally, upon realising Fennec doesn’t quite have her best interest at heart, Omega wastes no time jumping (recklessly) into action to save both herself and Hunter anymore trouble. Of course, being a weightless little girl, she isn’t able to do much, and Hunter ends up in a physical altercation with Shand, where he actually ends up taking his eyes off the assassin to address Omega directly, insisting she run. This not only shows just how much he cares about her, but how desperate he was to ensure her safety by putting himself at risk by not only getting into a fight, but exposing a vulnerability by taking his eyes off of her. (Her worried little face as she flees too, poor girl 😔)
(This point doesn’t have much to do with the relationship between these two, so feel free to skip over it if you want, but I did want to briefly comment on Omega’s timid exterior as she runs to Wrecker in the maintenance tunnels. It truly helps to perceive her genuine age and immaturity, the way she cowers into his neck and sits in his arms especially.)
After Tech informs Hunter of Omega’s current predicament involving the maintenance tower, it’s easily noticeable that when questioning Tech’s information, his voice mirrors the exact tone and edge it held when berating both the former and Echo after their ship was impounded in Saleucami. To me, this shows a clear connotation between the dire situations, and how quickly Hunter has taken to his new role in Omega’s life, and his job as her primary carer. Not to mention, she is literally hanging mid-traffic lane, and in desperate need of assistance. Alongside this, we see previously in this episode that not only was Hunter worried about attracting unwanted attention, after receiving such a thing and accidentally allowing Omega to hang in the balance (pun unintended), he actually steals somebody’s hoverbike in an attempt to rescue the little one, seeming to not care he is attracting even more unwanted attention. There is no hesitation on his end.
The look of absolutely HORROR that crosses this man’s face as Omega drops from the tower and just about hits the hovertruck below. We haven’t seen a look like that cross Hunter’s features since Crosshair’s ‘betrayal’, another indication to his immense worry for the newest member of his family. Equally, this is mirrored by Omega’s wide eyed, petrified stare as she momentarily watches Fennec shoot straight for Hunter’s bike, realising both she and the closest thing she has to a parent are still in serious peril. We need to take into account that this little girl has never experienced something this grim before, and the internal panic is evident for both herself, and Hunter especially.
This brings us down to the “HUNTER!!” comment from Omega as she dangles from the hovertruck. I personally believe her first initial thoughts were not to warn Hunter of the oncoming Shand, but instead a desperation to cry out for help from her guardian. This escalated as she notices Fennec approaching, and her eyes even widen as she calls out for Hunter to watch out, giving further evidence that her first thoughts might not have correlated to her eventual dialogue. It’s also important to note that despite her incredibly tragic situation, Omega is still much more worried about Hunter’s predicament than her own.
(Slightly unimportant, but I love the way Hunter leans in to take Omega in his arm before Shand knocks him out of the way. It’s very parental.)
I never noticed this before, but as Hunter catches Omega’s hand and hauls her onto the bike, he actually scans her over briefly to check for any injuries, before insisting she hold on tight. Notice how his voice isn’t scolding or harsh, he’s very calm despite the dire situation, doing his best to remain neutral for Omega’s sake, especially considering the day she’s had. It’s also important to note that this is further improvement from the situation on Saleucami, another example of their ever-growing relationship.
The WAVE of relief that rolls from Hunter’s entire demeanour as he places the backpack down in the Marauder cockpit, knowing he can finally rest now that Omega is safe, while simultaneously anticipating the flurry of issues about to storm their already hectic lives with a bounty hunter after the kid. His eyes are exhausted, his shoulders are only slightly slacked to insinuate his rough exterior, and yet he still does his absolute best to comfort Omega as she begins to get upset over the prior events and the unknown future.
And, finally, a small action but important nonetheless. I noticed that Omega’s eyes quiver slightly as she begins to get upset, and in her final moments on screen, they direct towards Hunter. This may seem unimportant, but it provides further evidence to the notion that she seeks him out for protection specifically. She’s upset and frightened, so she looks to him because he protects her. It is set up as if she’s about to toss herself into his arms, because she needs him right now.
I hope you liked my analysis of Hunter and Omega’s relationship in episode four of The Bad Batch! Of course, I’d love to discuss these two with anybody who might be interested, so please feel free to drop me an ask or a DM, and if you’re captivated enough I’d totally recommend looking out for my future posts on the topic!
As always, much love to our ‘Megs and Hunter, thank you for reading! 💛
Part One: Aftermath
Part Two: Cut and Run
Part Three: Replacements
#the bad batch#star wars#Star Wars tbb#star wars animated series#the clone wars#hunter tbb#omega tbb#omega bad batch#father daughter space duo#clone force 99#tbb#echo tbb#tech tbb#wrecker tbb#Crosshair tbb#arc trooper echo#sergeant hunter#clone troopers#fennec Shand#Pantora#saleucami#cut lawquane#suu lawquane#clink#hunter and omega’s relationship#omega and hunter#parental relationships#hunter and omega analysis
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Golden Boy
summary - Its been a long, long time.
word count - 3033
Warnings - smut, fluff, maybe angst if you squint?
Notes - Hi! I cannot write smut, so I’m deeply sorry about that. I just wanted to try my hand at it. However, if you do have any requests for future works please let me know ! I’d be more than happy to write it.
________________________________________________________________
Two years.
It's been two years since the incident in Lagos. Two years since the team split. Two years since you've seen him.
You run your palms nervously up and down your thighs, the friction doing little to subside your nerves. Your mind was spinning, thinking of everything that could happen. Everything that could go wrong. You were pissed, sure, but just the thought of seeing him again made you cram whatever petty thing you wanted to say to him in the far corner of your mind.
‘What if he doesn't want to see me too? What if we can't put this past us? What if-’
“We're here.”
Your debilitating thoughts stop at once. You stand, forcing yourself over to the window. Everything was so beautiful. So advanced. You can't wrap your head around it all. You thought pointing out everything you saw was a good way to ground yourself and quell the anxiety, but once you felt the jet lowering to the ground, your nervous habits got to you again, and you have to will yourself to not wring your hands raw.
“It's going to be okay, Lady Y/N.” A firm hand was placed on your shoulder as Thor offered you a few words of encouragement. You smile up at him, tight lipped and nostrils flared, still not convinced.
“Yeah, what's the worst that could happen? They call you a traitor, turning their backs on you and never speak to you again?”
You turned to face the talking raccoon, scrunching up your face in confusion. “I really should've skinned you a long time ago.” You retorted, tugging at his ears as he pawed at you in protest. “Cut it out, you're gonna give me tetanus, you rat.” You giggle, briefly forgetting about your impending thoughts.
“I am groot.”
“Yeah, what he said. Suck it, Y/N.” Rocket hisses, pulling away from your assault. You went to reply, but before you could you felt the ground shudder below you. ‘We've landed.’ You realize. You quickly smooth down your suit, going over yourself one last time. ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ you reason with yourself. You felt a gush of wind rush past you as the doors of the ship opened, revealing tall, eccentric buildings, complemented with a deep blue sky.
You hold your breath as you step out of the ship, unsure of what to expect. You let out your breath when the palace came into view. Your heart thudded in your chest when you made out a huddle of people right in front, no doubt waiting for you. Taking it a step at a time, you made your way over. As you neared the group you could make out Rhodey, Bruce, Natasha, Bucky, and Steve.
“Two fossils in one place? I didn't know this was a paleontologist convention.”
As if on cue, they all turned to face you and you could've sworn the world stopped for just a second. You didn't know what to do so you just stood there, offering a meek smile.
“Who you calling fossil, dollface?”
Bucky was the first to approach you, his arms open and a grin you missed so much on his face. You threw your arms around his neck as he encased you with his, squeezing nearly all you had left in you out. The hug ended all too soon as another pair of hands was pulling you two apart.
“Share some with the rest of us, hog.”
It was Nat. Your smile only grew upon seeing her. She pulled you into her, her hand going to cradle your head. “It's been too long,” she mumbled into your ear. You nodded against her, pulling back slightly to take in her face.
“Hey, Y/N.”
A small but unmistakable voice called from behind you. You pull away from Natasha's embrace to greet Bruce. He looked as nervous as you felt. “Now here's a face I haven't seen in a while. How you doing, big man?” You attempted to ease him as you took him in your arms.
“I've had better days,” he said, the reply muffled by your shoulder. He patted your back as a friendly gesture after you escape from his hold. His expression became softer, as if he were more sure of himself now.
“I hope you weren't thinking you could skip me.”
You turned to Rhodey to see his smug grin. You grabbed his hand in yours as he clasped a hand on your back. “Now why would I have such a thought,” you chuckle as he stepped back.
This left one person. The one person you haven't heard speak since you set foot in Wakanda. You knew he wanted to say something, to scoop you into his arms and say sorry, how he wished it'd never had happened, how he shouldn't have let you go. You could feel his eyes burning a hole into your head. Mustering all the courage you had, you turn to face him. But before you could say anything, a booming voice sounded from behind you.
“Bruce and friends! Come look at my ship!”
You could hear Rocket bickering with Thor about how it was his ship, not Thor's, and how he was just some homeless pirate who needed to take a hike. You roll your eyes as everyone made their way over to take a closer look. Everyone but Steve. You two stood there, neither one of you making a move to speak. The silence wasn't normal for you two, uncomfortable even, so you said the first thing that came to your mind when looking at his face.
“So, did you just not have razors, or were you going for a new look?”
Steve breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a chuckle soon after. He stood up taller before he spoke, “You know, I thought I'd look cool, but now, I just feel.. old.” It was nice falling back into your silly exchanges, especially after such a time apart. The ache in your heart slowly dissipated as you looked into his eyes. You grin, tilting your head to the side, “Well, it's about time. You're only 70 years too late.”
Steve threw his head back as laughter erupted from his throat. As his laughter came to a stop, he was the one to pull you into a hug. You melt into his arms, taking in his scent as you bury your nose into his chest. You missed this. You missed him.
You held each other in silence for what seemed to be an eternity until he said it first.
“I missed you.”
“Getting all sentimental on me now, old man?”
“Y/N..” he chuckled at your attempt to minimize your feelings, though, by his eyes, you could tell it was no joke to him.
“I know, I know. I.. I missed you too, Steve. Man, I have thought about this moment for a long, long while. I-I don’t even remember everything that I wanted to say.” You were stumbling over your words, emotions getting too thick, it’s evident in your voice.
“Hey,” Steve ran his hands up and down your arms to soothe you, “we don’t have to talk about this. Not right now, at least. Let’s just catch up. Enjoy being back.” He smiles, and this time you could see the genuine happiness and relief in his eyes. He was gorgeous without even trying, and you’d punch him later for it.
“I’d like that. Thank you, Steve.” Your breathing finally evened and your words flowed once again. He never pushed you, and for that, you were grateful.
“But I do have to ask..”
“Steeeeve..”
“I know, I’m sorry, but it’s just been eating at the back of my mind. According to Rhodey, you left a note on the fridge six months ago saying ‘brb’?” He used air quotes to punctuate your silly informalities.
You laugh softly, looking down, “I called up some old friends, told them I needed a getaway, traveled the galaxies for a bit..”
“And Thor?”
“You know, we just got him a whole, I don’t know, two hours ago, but man has he eaten literally everything in the ship.”
You two share a laugh as you looked over to see Bucky berating the raccoon as he tried to pry his metal arm from his body.
“Should we leave them to it?” Steve looked back to you. His eyes fluttered over your face, taking in every detail. He left deliberate glances to your lips with no attempt to act on anything. You roll your eyes playfully, “Yeah, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
—————————————————————
“It’s so beautiful.”
You and Steve had made your way into the palace, now standing in a room high above the colony. You were looking out of the windows, which touched from floor to ceiling, still stunned by the advancement of Wakanda.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
You could feel Steve’s presence behind you now. Even from behind, you could feel his eyes rake over your body. He was trying to memorize every curve, every muscle, every ripple in your skin.
You turned to face him, as he didn’t seem as infatuated with sightseeing, more so interested in you. You tilted your head to the side as you caught the longing look in his eyes. “I was talking about this place. Wakanda.” You quirk an eyebrow at him.
“That may be what you’re talking about, sweetheart, but I was talking about something twice as stunning.”
“Always such a charmer, Steven?” You rolled your eyes at his sickeningly sweet attempt to woo you. You didn't want to admit it, but even after all this time he still had hold of your heart.
The wind was pulled from your lungs as he grabbed a hold of your waist and pulled you flush against his body. Your eyes found his as he studied you more intently now. His grip on you not letting up, as if he was afraid you’d run or disappear.
His face was closer now, his breath fanning your face as he spoke, “I miss you. I want you.” His voice came out as a low grumble, vibrating your entire body.
“And as much as I miss you, I think I want the old cap back. What do you say we get rid of that bear growing on your face? Don’t get me wrong, it’s sexy, but..”
“I get it, I get.” Steve chuckled as he pulled back, but not before placing a faint kiss to your lips, the feeling lingering just a little longer as he turned away, making his way to the bathroom.
You stood there for a second, watching him disappear into the bathroom as you contemplate your next move. Once you realized he wasn’t going to come back for you, you hastily made your way after him, eager to be close to him again.
Steve’s body hovers over the bathtub, adjusting the temperature of the steady flow pouring into the tub. You move to stand behind him, your fingers running up his sides and he shivers, leaning into your touch a bit. Your lips find their way to his neck, placing careful kisses along the curve of it, all the way down to his shoulder.
“You gonna let me take care of you, Cap?” Your voice comes out soft, and you’re almost embarrassed because of it. But you knew it didn’t really matter, because you knew he loved it. He turns to face you, grinning like the cocky shit he’d become as he caged you in against the bathroom sink.
“S’that what you want, sweetheart? To take care of your captain?” You shiver as his hands slide their way up your shirt, caressing your skin lightly. You roll your eyes, biting down on your bottom lip, trying to hide the smirk that desperately wanted to escape. You knew what he was getting at, and honestly, two could play that game.
“Yes, captain.” Your response doesn’t take any thought, and neither does his next move as he pulls your shirt over your head, flinging it into the corner of the room. You give his shirt the same treatment, and he chuckles as you struggle to pull it over his broad shoulders. He gives you some help, taking it off the rest of the way. You let your eyes travel down his chest while your hands go up it, and his hands find their way to the clip of your bra. Your back arches as he unclips your bra, letting it slip down your arms and onto the floor. He audibly growls and you laugh, pushing him back a little. You begin to wiggle your way out of your pants, never breaking eye contact with him. “Come on, Steve. I’ve never known you to be this slow. You can keep up, can’t you?” You tease him, giggling as you watch his eyes grow darker. Stepping out of your pants, your panties are the next to go. You can feel the nerves bubble in your chest, but it just makes this moment all the more exciting.
You saunter over to the bathtub, stepping in and lowering yourself down slowly. You quirk an eyebrow up at him, silently telling him to get on with it. You settle yourself into the water, hissing at the feeling of the warmth that covered your aching body. Before you know it, the water was rippling once again as his much larger body made its way into the tub with you. You watched him for a second before scooting down towards him, and he didn’t hesitate to pull you into his lap.
“Missed your pretty face..” Steve nuzzles his nose into your neck and you giggle, bringing your hands up to run your fingers through his hair. You shift so you’re straddling his lap, your hands resting on his broad shoulders, pushing him back gently to rest against the wall. You let your hands travel to his beard, smirking as your fingers tangle themselves in it. You reach for the clippers resting on the side of the bathtub, tilting your head as you eye him, curiously.
“I don’t know if I actually want it gone so soon.. It’s startin’ to grow on me. Maybe just a little trim.”
“Maybe… Maybe you let me take what's mine first.”
“Just as impatient as always.. Relax, golden boy.” He snorts at that, letting his fingers run up your sides, occasionally dipping below the water. You just hum, running the razor carefully over the hairs of his face. Before you could make a move, you felt his hands on your hips, hoisting you out of the water. Your yelp of surprise turned into a quiet whimper when you felt his hardening member graze the inside of your thigh. “S-Steve..” He shushes you, his half lidded eyes running over your form, causing you to shiver in his hold. “It can wait. I need you, babydoll.” His voice comes out in a thick, slurred drawl. You roll your eyes, setting down the blade.
“You’re lucky I don’t knick you with that.” Your threats are empty, of course, and he knew that too. It was all in good fun. The fun was cut short when the breath was knocked out of your lungs as he thrusts into you with no warning. You whimper, hands flying up to his shoulders as your nails dig into his skin. You bite your lip to hold in a moan as he slowly pulls back out.
“Nuh-uh, none of that. Want to hear you. Hear how much you missed me.” his thumb comes up to your mouth, pulling on your lip until you release it. He then takes that as a go ahead to resume, lifting his hips up and pushing back into you. He lets his head fall back against the wall with a thud, his mouth falling open. “Fuck, baby. You’re so tight. You been savin’ this pussy for me?” he growls, taking on a brutal pace, making the water slosh up and over the side of the tub.
You nod vigorously in response, nails raking down his chest. “Yes, sir. Waited for you.” You whine, bouncing up and down to meet the powerful thrusts of his cock. “That’s right, babydoll. This pussy is mine. And mine only.” his eyes are dark as he watches where you connect.
His mouth goes to your neck, kissing you gently, a nice contrast to everything else. Bringing your hands up to his face, you pull him away from your neck and up to your face, capturing his lips in a deep kiss. He wastes no time sliding his tongue past your lips, yours immediately submitting to him.
Suddenly, you cry out into his mouth as you feel his thumb on your clit, flicking harshly. “Steve, steve please.” your hand goes to his wrist, holding it in place to chase that feeling. He smirks against your lips, pulling away.
“Use your words, princess. What do you want, huh?”
He’s driving you mad, and in any other instance you’d leave to finish off yourself just to spite him, but you need him. “Please let me cum, steve. M’so close.” you pant, grinding against him. He gives you what you want, pushing on your clit just a little bit harder, sending you over the edge. You squeeze around his cock, taking him with you. He moans, holding you in place as he cums deep inside of you and you squeal.
“Steven! You know i don’t use birth control, you dumbass!” You quickly pull off of him, stepping out of the tub. You grab a towel, wrapping it around yourself. You turn around to glare at him, head tilted as if to wait for an explanation.
He laughs, stepping out after you. “Just doing what I should've done a long time ago, doll. Gotta make you mine. We’ll work out the details as time goes, but I want this with you. I don’t want to leave again.”
Your face softens as you nod, walking into his arms, laying your head on his chest. “I want it too. Whatever it is. Promise we’ll stick together this time? No matter what?”
“I promise.”
#steve rogers x reader angst#steve rogers x reader#steve rogers x reader fluff#steve rogers x reader smut#smut#marvel#avenger#bucky barnes x reader#bruce banner#steve rogers fanfiction#captain america x reader#nomad steve
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Kiro’s Work Visit Date (探班之约) Translation [CN]
Hi! Just a couple of notes before you begin reading...
This fluffy and wholesome date was just released (March 11, 2021) in the CN server and will eventually be released in the ENG server sometime next year.
I also don’t know any Chinese myself so all of this translation was done through the power of Google Translate and with help from the lovely @keliosyfan .
You can read his Couch Potato call that comes with this date here!
Hope you enjoy!~
*Spoilers ahead for future content!*
[First Part]
MC: So now the question is….
Kiro: Wait a minute! I didn’t seem to understand too much of what was said. Let me take a look!
During the video call, Kiro suddenly moved his face close to the screen with excitement.
Kiro: Miss Chips, do you mean that….you’re going to go in person and be a host on the show?
MC: Pretty much….
Some time ago, I did a variety show about a certain European town called “Cloud Tourism”.
The reason it’s called “Cloud Tourism” is because I’ve never been to this small town before. I only got a preliminary understanding of the traditional customs there through a novel.
Out of an abundance of interest, I consulted a lot of relevant sources and finally released a program with the concept of “seeing words as faces”.
Originally it was just an experiment inspired by an idea that didn’t really make any big splashes in China.
Unexpectedly, an internet celebrity from the small town recommended this program on his personal blog which led to it becoming popular very quickly.
Kiro: Oh….slowly but surely, I figured it out. Not only has this show received great praise, the local TV station also sincerely invited you to come and do some interviews. Even in the form of a reality show, I must say that Miss Chips is amazing!
MC: ......
MC: I think you understand it pretty clearly but some parts are exaggerated….
Kiro: Congratulations, MC!~
Kiro: If I wasn’t shooting abroad, I would definitely take you there to celebrate! But we can celebrate like we did before….
MC: Wait! Wait a minute! I haven’t decided whether to go or not yet….
Kiro: This is a great opportunity to promote the company. Why are you so hesitant?
MC: Although I have previous experience, this would be my first time shooting as the host….
MC: What if I’m too nervous in front of the camera? It’ll affect the shoot.
Kiro: Miss Chips.
On the screen, Kiro sat upright and pushed his glasses up that were nonexistent.
Kiro: It seems that you’ve forgotten that there’s an experienced acting teacher right in front of you.
MC: Pff….I would like to ask Mr. Kiro how I can act natural in front of the camera.
Kiro: It is very simple. Step one is to do the warm-up exercises in advance. Your shoulders should also be really relaxed. Then imagine the camera as a friend who can’t speak and has big eyes….
A few minutes later, Kiro was still “teaching” very professional acting techniques on the phone screen.
Kiro: Hello, MC, are you still listening?
MC: Um….I don’t think I can do this.
His bright eyes suddenly crinkled upwards, hiding a triumphant smile.
Kiro: I’m just teasing you. In fact, you only need to remember the first few steps.
MC: But I’m worried that if I get nervous, I’ll forget those first few steps. I hope that I can become Kiro that day!
Kiro curled his lips up again when he heard those words.
Kiro: Then close your eyes and hypnotize yourself….
Kiro: “I am the superstar Kiro!”
[Second Part]
At five o’clock in the morning in the dressing room at the local TV station.
I tilted my head to face the makeup artist and held back yet another yawn.
The makeup artist whispered a few words to the accompanying translator and then left the dressing room.
Translator: Miss MC, the makeup artist has finished your makeup. The director will be here shortly. You can rest for a while.
I nodded gratefully. This country’s language is one that I’m not familiar with so the TV station specifically hired an interpreter.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt my phone vibrate.
Kiro: MC, are you still in makeup?
MC: Just finished. Are you ready to start work too?
Kiro: I’ve already been working for an hour.
MC: Why so early? It’s only five o’clock where you are!
Kiro: Don’t worry, I’m used to this kind of shooting routine.
Although I’ve known before that Kiro started almost every filming session in the morning, this was the first time experiencing it for myself. It’s hard work getting up early and putting on makeup.
What’s more, he often works overtime to catch up on his other stuff and rarely has enough time to rest.
MC: Then you must take time to rest!
Kiro: It’s okay. If I’m tired, I just close my eyes and think of Miss Chips’ smile.
Kiro seemed to take a deep breath on the other end.
Kiro: Hmm~ Charging is complete!
I seemed to see him being content and I couldn’t help being amused by him.
Kiro: By the way, what is your shooting schedule today?
MC: It’s sightseeing shooting. The director arranged to take me to several local attractions and I can also choose places of interest.
MC: The first stop on the agenda is to explore the shop on the pedestrian street.
Kiro: Great! I heard from the crew that there is a famous cake shop on the pedestrian street of that small town. I will send you the address.
Kiro: Only by filling up your stomach and replenishing your energy can you be in the best state!
(Cut to the street)
MC: Well….
I watched my stiff expression and rigid body in the video replay. I couldn’t help but curl my toes and pick at the ground.
Director: Take it easy, alright?
I nodded slowly.
The director looked at me with sympathy and discussed some things with the translator for a while.
Translator: The director wants to know if you have anything you want to do. He suggested that if we start with one of your interests first, you’ll get into the right state of mind faster.
MC: Well, there is one place….
I almost immediately thought of the cake shop that Kiro had mentioned.
(Cut to cake shop)
Because of how early it was in the morning when we arrived at this cake shop called “Flipped”, the first batch of pastries had just come out of the oven.
I was standing in front of the shop window outside the store while the director was preparing for shooting and I made adjustments for myself.
Shoulders down, jaw relaxed, a smile appeared on my face. I recalled the formula Kiro taught me.
Close your eyes. Look into your heart.
“I’m the “not afraid of anything” Kiro!”
A burst of mellow sweetness lingered wantonly in the air. I opened my eyes and focused on the window again.
A pair of bright and familiar smiling eyes appeared in the window. The owner of these smiling eyes waved to me.
I felt my heart jump out of my chest.
Kiro: Hello, Miss Chips~
Looking at the two intersecting faces on the window glass, I finally couldn’t help but smile.
Oops, I really did become Kiro.
[Third Part]
I didn’t expect Kiro to have secretly been planning to see me on set. I was pleasantly surprised and realized that I was deceived by him during the morning call.
I made a “follow me” gesture to him through the glass.
(Cut to alleyway)
In the alleyway next to the cake shop, I wiped away the shock in my heart and checked, again and again, to make sure that no one else had followed us.
Kiro: Don’t worry, MC. Almost all the folks in this small town will have no idea who I am. And….
He pointed proudly to the sunglasses on his nose.
Kiro: I also came prepared.
I looked around and around and deliberately put on a face of worry.
MC: Why are you here? Weren’t you filming in another country?
Kiro: Actually, I don’t have any shooting arrangements today. It only takes an hour and a half to fly to this country from the shooting location. And it only takes two hours to take the train from the town’s airport.
MC: No matter how easy you make it sound, that was no easy journey….
MC: And with this time off, you should be resting in the hotel.
He pulled down his sunglasses aggrievedly.
Kiro: But I really wanted to visit you at work for once, and give you encouragement at your side, just like what you did for me last time.
Kiro: And more importantly, I really missed you….
(Here’s a cute little clip of this dialogue uploaded by @cheri-translates !)
MC: Kiro….
All of my pretentious arrogance dissipated in an instant and I was about to reach out and hug him. But, he crossed his arms in front of him.
Kiro: But speaking of shooting, I just observed it secretly and your performance does have some small flaws.
Kiro: Your expressions are small and stiff, your movements are rigid and tiny, and your eye contact flutters from time to time….
Kiro: Also, you can walk without looking at the camera…. If I look at the camera while walking, [robot noises] don’t I look like a robot?
The more he talked about it, the more he assumed the coach position. He made a great show of it too.
I was so embarrassed that I nodded my head to accept the criticism with shame.
Kiro: Hahahaha--I’ll stop teasing you.
He leaned over and squished my cheek and curled his lips again.
Kiro: Although, I can see that you are a bit nervous. I’m used to seeing your confident working style as a producer on set….
Kiro: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you this nervous. You can do it, love! *Did my own interpretation of what he said here cause I had no clue what Google was trying to say lol.*
He opened his arms and the morning sun fell on his shoulders.
Kiro: Come on, Miss Chips.
Kiro: Thank you for your hard work. For that, you get a rechargeable hug from Kiro.
I nodded my head hard and as soon as I took a step of joy, the director poked his head out of the alley.
Director: Stand by, sweety!
I slammed the brakes and took out my phone, pretending to take a call. I shook my head slightly at Kiro.
He immediately showed me an aggrieved expression and I gave him a wink.
MC: It’s okay, I’ve already learned a recharging trick from Teacher Kiro.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, sketching a picture of bright, smiling eyes on the pitch-black canvas.
When I opened my eyes, those smiling eyes gradually merged with Kiro’s in front of me.
MC: Charging is complete~
(Cut to inside cake shop)
Under the guidance of Kiro, “the super professional”, I calmed down and tried to get into the shooting state.
However, in order to not affect my shooting state, Kiro pretended to be a stranger and waited silently near the shooting location.
When I don’t know which dessert to choose, he would raise his voice and give me a hint.
With pastry crumbs hanging on the corner of my mouth, he pointed at the corner of his mouth and winked at me until I understood what he meant.
During the filming, there were children running around noisily, so he used the tablecloth on the table to do some tricks to attract their attention.
Perhaps because of his “invisible” companionship, I really became more natural before I knew it.
Translator: The shooting in the store is OK! The director said that we are going to shoot some scenes on the pedestrian street next. Miss MC just needs to walk around the street casually.
After checking the route with the director in the cake shop, I realized that the table where Kiro was sitting was empty.
(Cut to the street)
I walked out of the cake shop and looked around but did not find him.
Without giving me too much time to think, the director shouted to start behind the camera.
I tried to walk the streets with peace of mind but my eyes subconsciously looked for Kiro.
Although the sun is shining in the early spring, there is still a bit of a chill in the air that has just warmed up.
Inexplicably, my heart is a little empty.
There was hustle and bustle on the other side of the street and my gaze followed the prestige in the center surrounded by a group of local children. The familiar blonde hair was dazzling and shining.
Kiro was holding a few yellow balloons in his hand with the children cheering around him as if he had helped them stop the balloons from flying away.
He squatted down and handed them the balloons one by one.
As if he could feel my gaze, he turned around and gave me an unreserved smile.
The empty part of my heart instantly filled up at this moment.
I retracted my gaze and found that the director was gesturing at me to continue walking. I quickly continued to walk.
When I pretended to spontaneously look to the other side of the road, I found Kiro with his hands in his pockets walking at the same pace as me.
Although separated by the road, he walked with me in such a special way.
The approaching noon sunshine finally had the temperature as spring.
[Fourth Part]
The shooting had finally come to an end before dusk came.
But Kiro disappeared when I was filming the last scenic spot.
As soon as I had finished work, I took out my phone to check it and found that Kiro had sent me two text messages half an hour ago.
Kiro: MC, I will have filming tomorrow so I have to rush to take the last train.
Kiro: Also, you performed well. I know my MC is the best.
I hurriedly called Kiro but the call informed me that his phone was turned off.
I took a look at the time and it was about 20 minutes away from the shooting location to the train station in town.
Maybe Kiro has boarded the return train and even arrived at the airport….
However, before I could think rationally, I didn’t hesitate to reach out and stop a taxi.
(Cut to the train station)
Due to the small population of the town, the train station at dusk is deserted.
I couldn’t understand the local language on the big screen at the station so I stood on tiptoe and looking into the waiting area in the hall.
Benches in the waiting area, a window for manual ticket purchases, on both sides of the platform, beside the vending machine.
Kiro wasn’t there.
My shoulders drooped in disappointment and I walked slowly towards the station gate.
The setting sun gives off the last bit of its light and the half-curved dome clouds shroud half the station hall in the shadows.
A slender figure stepped out of the shadow and looked at the phone in his hand, his face was as disappointed and lonely as mine.
The sunset gradually kept coming down for another minute but it just happened to pass through the windows around the station, covering the entire lobby with a layer of gold.
I looked at the young man illuminated by the golden light and couldn’t help but shout.
MC: Kiro!!!
He raised his head with a surprised expression.
Kiro: MC?
I waved at him frantically and ran in his direction.
He regained his senses after a brief moment of disbelief and then opened his arms wide like everytime he hugs me.
The moment his breath came to my face, my heart was filled with contentment.
Kiro put a hand around my waist tightly, lowered his head, and rubbed my forehead.
Kiro: Why are you here?
MC: I remembered that I borrowed something from you today, so I ran to pay you back.
Kiro: What’s that?
I tightened my arms around his neck.
MC: Isn’t this for you?
His breathing seemed to be slightly stagnant. He slid his hand on my waist to my hair.
Kiro: Then I’ll gladly take it.
MC: I….
He bowed his head slightly, and put the words that I was eager to confide in between his lips.
.
.
.
Trains in foreign towns are always prone to delays. Thanks to this, Kiro has been at the station until now so we now have the opportunity to be alone outside of our schedules.
As soon as the setting sun fell, the stars scrambled to fill the sky.
We were dressed in starlight, sitting side-by-side on the benches outside of the station, waiting for the late train.
Kiro: How was the last scenic shoot? Did it go well?
MC: OK! But when I was eating a snack, I poured all the ingredients inside by accident.
MC: But in fact, you’re just supposed to pick a flavour and eat it as a dip. The director laughed and shouted “CUT”....
Kiro: Pff….hahahahaha! Fortunately, I wasn’t there or I would’ve been laughing even louder!
MC: And there was….
I counted all the interesting things about today’s shooting, and laughed happily with Kiro.
Kiro: I’m glad I was able to come to the shoot today. Otherwise, I would have missed so many interesting things about MC.
MC: Kiro, do you feel that our current conversations seem to have the roles reversed?
MC: I used to visit you at your shoots, and you talked with me about all the interesting things that happened during them.
MC: Today, we “swapped” identities, and I feel a little delicate.
Kiro: Can I interview the delicate mood of Miss Chips?
He held his hand out to me as if he were holding a microphone and placed it in front of my mouth.
MC: Well, when I was shooting before, I could always feel your gaze. I felt it a lot today.
MC: It turned out to be difficult to stop myself from gazing back.
MC: Obviously, I saw you all day, but I had to hold back from looking at you.
MC: Obviously, you are by my side, but I have to resist the urge to hug you….
My cheeks were slightly hot and I avoided Kiro’s gaze. I lifted my head to look at the stars in the sky when I heard a “click”.
I turned my head and found that Kiro was taking pictures of me with his phone, the power bank that I had given him was still hanging from it.
MC: !
I took a look at the phone in his hand and saw the picture.
MC: It’s ugly! Delete it quickly!
Kiro: How is it ugly? The most natural MC is obviously the most lovely MC!
MC: I’m not letting you keep the power bank to charge your phone as revenge. Delete it quickly!
I struggled to snatch the phone from him, only to find that all the pictures he had taken today were of me.
I randomly clicked on a picture Kiro had taken of me eating a grilled sausage with an exaggerated expression, with me nervously facing the table in the background.
MC: You little….!
I glared at him angrily then clicked on other photos.
I frowned and watched the replay. I was stubbornly asking for another shot and I looked at him in the distance.
Kiro: Miss Chips….
He prolonged the ending, slowly coming closer to me.
Kiro: Don’t delete them. They’re all my precious memories of you. I want to keep them.
MC: No wonder your phone is out of power. You took too many photos!
He heard the relaxation in my tone and happily took the phone from me.
Kiro: Is this really too much? Compared to all of the photos of me on your phone, this is nothing out of the ordinary.
I blushed and tried to retort.
MC: Well, that’s because you are Kiro!
Kiro: But to me, you are MC.
He said this in a sincere tone.
Kiro: Just like you said, I also felt MC’s unusual mood today.
Kiro: I was worried whether you would be thirsty after talking for so long. And worried that you’d be tired after shooting for so long.
Kiro: You did well. I'm proud of you.
Kiro: The most important is….
He slowly came closer to me. I was the only thing in the reflection of his eyes.
Kiro: Although the scenery of this small town is beautiful, your shooting content is also very rich.
Kiro: But just like this moment….
Kiro: Under the starry sky, I can only see you.
Kiro: You are the unique star in my world.
[END]
#mlqc#mr love queen's choice#mr love game#mr love kiro#mlqc kiro#date translation#mlqc spoilers#zhou qiluo#AAAAAAAAAA#HE IS SO PRECIOUS#I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!#WHY ISN'T HE REAL?!?!?!#周棋洛
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Callisto (Part Six - Rescue Site)
Prologue
1. Incident - Bit 1 | Bit 2
2. Fallout - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3
3. Voyage - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3
4. Arrival - Bit 1 | Bit 2
5. Orientation
6. Rescue Site
This fic seems to be taking forever, but I hope it isn’t reading that way. I had so much fun over the weekend and I still have some fun ahead of me writing one of the core scenes I had planned. I hope you are enjoying reading this.
As always, many thanks to the amazing @tsarinatorment @scribbles97 @janetm74 and @vegetacide as well for all the read throughs and support. Wonderful science officer @onereyofstarlight this bit has one of the places we talked about extensively and wouldn’t exist without your help :D
Again, thank you to all the wonderful peeps who have been reading along and commenting despite the once a week posting schedule. You help keep my enthusiasm alive and you have no idea how much I appreciate every word of encouragement ::hugs you all::
Have a Tracy boy or two on the job :D
-o-o-o-
Scott rolled his shoulders and tried to stretch out the tension that was slowly giving him a headache.
At least now they were moving. This rescue felt like it was taking forever.
Hell, it was the same with most space recues, if even more with this one. The distances involved just went on and on and no matter how fast the Thunderbird, it was slow.
It rankled Scott just a little. The fact that the environment could not be influenced by his impatience.
And Dad…
He shunted the thought aside. Perhaps that was why he scorned the time needed. It gave him far too much time to think.
The tunnel stretched out before him as it had for some time now. The life signs were nearly seven hundred kilometres away from Callisto Base. Usually, this was not a problem. There wasn’t a Thunderbird that couldn’t cover that distance in a short period of time. Even Four could do it at velocities no other underwater craft had ever managed.
But this location was at least two kilometres underground, and while the molepod was always an option, Virgil had vetoed it with the option of travelling via dragonfly through the tunnels. Scott had to agree. They needed far more information before barrelling into an unknown situation, not to mention the difficulties of deploying the molepod in these conditions.
But by this point he was almost ready to jump out and blast a hole in the damned moon to get where they needed to go.
Time. So much damned time.
Too much to think.
His hands shifted on the Dragonfly’s controls spinning her into a dive as the tunnel dipped suddenly. The brilliance of the pod’s forward lights lit up the never-ending cave as clear as daylight.
It sparkled back at him in sharp, stabbing needle-like reflections off the walls that did nothing to improve his headache. He had already set his helmet to shade to protect himself. It was ridiculous to be needing sunglasses this far underground.
Behind him, Virgil was following him at a short distance in Dragonfly Two, his lights just bright enough to light up the red of Scott’s pod.
For some irrational reason Scott wanted his pod to be blue.
The blue of the sky he was currently missing.
He sighed.
Again, too much time to think.
“Another five hundred metres.” Alan’s voice from behind him was the reassurance it always was. Why he felt comforted when his littlest brother was nearby and within reach was something he did not want to examine too much.
A twist of his wrists as the tunnel backed around on itself in a hairpin of a turn and he had to dodge another nest of those weird deformed ice stalactite formations sticking out into their path. “What are we looking at?”
“Looks like another cavern. A big one.”
They had flown through several of those enormous caverns on the way out here already. They acted like junctions, some having multiple tunnels converging on them, every single one a home for more ice formations and that damned reflective rock. It had taken John to get them out of the last one. This place was a damned maze.
Virgil had fortunately come prepared, as always. He was leaving a trail of comms-support beacons behind them as a clear path to return to Callisto Base.
Scott fought the urge to duck as the tunnel suddenly shrunk by several metres and took another swerving turn. Scott spun the pod over one-eighty degrees on her longitudinal axis as her wings nearly scraped the ceiling.
Righting them finally, he couldn’t help but check his monitor to make sure Virgil took the turn safely.
He almost smiled as the green pod behind them flipped in a manoeuvre that no doubt had Gordon yelping in the back seat. He couldn’t help but be proud for just a self-indulgent moment.
But his attention was torn away as his pod suddenly shot into a large open space and the light reflecting off the walls suddenly blinded him.
Alan’s gasp behind him only echoed his own.
Their forward lights were being shot at them in blinding brilliance off the ceiling of the new cave.
That brightness only increased as Virgil’s pod spun into a hover beside them.
Oh god.
Whatever had been in the walls of the tunnels was obviously concentrated here.
He redirected the lamps away from the ceiling only to have the brilliance follow them all the way down the closest wall until he was able to turn the pod towards the most distant wall.
Crystal.
There was crystal everywhere.
The cave walls were covered in spikes of the stuff as it they were inside a giant geode. He had to acknowledge that it was stunningly amazing when it wasn’t ripping his eyeballs out.
But that wasn’t what took his breath away.
As their lamps lowered, they caught the edges of something else.
He turned the lights down towards the floor only to discover he couldn’t see it.
Because it was covered in water.
Fluid, liquid water, the dragonflies causing the faintest of ripples to dance across its surface.
A lake.
Scott’s jaw dropped as he tipped the pod to peer down into the dark water only to have more crystal attempt to stab him in the eye from the depths.
“What the hell?”
Water wasn’t supposed to be able to exist in this environment. He poked at his scanners. Atmospheric levels were the same, ever so thin, providing little to no air pressure or heat to keep the water in this state.
“John? What am I seeing?”
Thunderbird Five did not answer immediately, but the data transmission rate on comms doubled as his space brother reached his fingers into the cave through the pod’s sensors.
“Impossible.”
“That was my thought. Virgil?”
“It’s beautiful.”
Scott’s lips thinned. “Scientific explanation? Gordon?”
“You got me here, bro. But I’m more concerned about those lifesigns.”
Scott frowned and double checked his readout. The two dots registered, glowing strongly at him.
From under the water.
-o-o-o-
Virgil frowned as Scott spun his dragonfly around and returned to the entrance of the cavern. His forward lights lit up only what could be considered a beach where the original tunnel swooped in and connected with the crystal cave. At the base there was only a few scattered crystal formations and Virgil watched as his brother expertly put down without touching a single one.
“Are we going to take a look at the lake?”
Typical. Nearby water body and his fish brother wanted in it.
But Virgil needed more reconnaissance.
And if he was honest with himself, there was just a dash of sightseeing involved. Not much, because of the urgency of the mission, but enough curiosity to send him off on a scout around the cavern.
Crystals that had to be the length of an arm or a leg stuck out from the walls in haphazard directions. Most reflected back clear, but in streaks, as if seeping up a localised mineral, there were ribbons of colour in places – reds, greys, golds, pinks. His scanners spat back that it was simply quartz, silicon dioxide, but he had never seen a formation like this.
Which was understandable as this was an alien landscape with vastly different environs to those of Earth. The artist in him was literally stunned, while the scientist valiantly fought for a reason.
He swooped around the edges of the cavern, his lamps lighting up brilliance as he went. The cave proved to be roughly circular, approximately four hundred metres in diameter and about a hundred metres high. He came across two more tunnels leading off it, but all were as dry as the one they had used to enter the cave. Towards the centre, but not quite, the ceiling arched down and what appeared to be a stalactite met a stalagmite to form a column of swirling crystal that looked like something straight out of an art glass exhibition. The ribbons of colour were here too, but this time mostly in a rose pink and a startling blue.
Virgil didn’t have words.
The light playing among the crystals just touched every artistic sense he had and froze them solid.
But there was a mission and those two glowing red dots glared at him from beneath the surface of the lake.
He ran scans of the water. For it was water, mostly, though, certainly not any he would want to drink.
For one thing it was salty, a definite brine solution with a number of minerals including silica in concentrations that defied as much logic as the water’s existence did in the first place.
The difficulty was that the lifesigns weren’t clear. They were in the water, but resolution faded at a very shallow depth and there was a lot of deep depth in places.
“John, can you get any more resolution on these scans? I can’t pinpoint the lifesigns.”
There was a muttered curse on comms that had Virgil arching an eyebrow. “No, I’m sorry, Virgil. Interference is particularly strong in that cavern. We’re working on it, but I don’t have any great hopes.”
“What about a probe? Would that improve the signal?” Virgil blinked as his headache suddenly flared. Ow. Damn. The controls in front of him blurred a moment. Shit!
But then everything righted itself, just leaving an echo of the pain in his head as the headache droned on as it had before.
Maybe his painkillers were wearing off. A glance at the time proved that was far from the case.
He dreaded to think what that would have felt like without them.
“Virg?”
“What?!” Okay, so he was abrupt, but he was busy.
“Hey, hey, calm down. You didn’t answer John. Just checking on you.”
“Virgil, you there?” John’s voice dripped concern.
Shit.
“Sorry. Just got a headache. Need some sleep.”
“I feel you, bro. Want me to pilot?”
“No. No. I’m fine.” He swallowed bile and mentally shook himself. “John, you were saying?”
He could feel Gordon’s eyes on the back of his neck.
“Probe deployed. Target is Burr Crater, which you are directly under at the moment.”
Virgil’s display reported the probe entering Callisto’s atmosphere. He hoped it would give them enough information to act.
Time was ticking.
He spun the pod around and tried to ignore the rainbow of light that was his forward lamps. The flicker, while beautiful, was doing nothing good for his headache at all.
“You sure you’re okay, Virg?”
He pressed his lips together and considered ignoring the question from Gordon. But he knew if he did, his brother would only worry more.
It was a Tracy trait.
“Let’s just get this mission done. We have people who need saving.”
Gordon’s grunt wasn’t a happy one and the chances of Scott being called in on his headache were increasing by the moment.
“I’m fine, Gordon.” He cut the conversation off by dropping the pod rapidly towards the beach where Scott had climbed out and was walking to the water’s edge. Another spin mid-air and Virgil lowered into a rather delicate landing, keeping the pod’s feet away from the crystal formations sticking out of the rock.
Virgil swallowed again before climbing out of the pod. His boots hit solid but glittering rock, damp in the darkness.
Scott and Alan were standing at the water’s edge staring out at the spectacle that the pod lights lit up.
Gordon clambered out behind Virgil and together they both walked over to stand beside their brothers.
“This is so cool!” Alan was obviously excited.
He said it on external comms and the sound travelled across the cavern only to bounce back in so many perfect ‘ool’s Virgil’s eyes widened.
On the spur of that, as the ‘ool’s slowly faded away, he activated his own external comm and sung a single pure C note.
It came back at him from so many different directions it was like a chorus.
“Oh, wow.”
‘Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow…’ It went on, the faint atmosphere sporting just enough density to carry the sound waves.
“That is something, isn’t it?” Scott’s voice was quiet. “The dragonflies made one hell of a racket. We’re going to have to be careful. Wouldn’t want to set up a harmonic that could bring the roof down on us.”
Virgil was still processing. The thought of playing his piano in this cave was just mind boggling.
“Dad says the Base scientists are having some kind of scientific fit over this place.” A grunt. “I’m more concerned about those two lifesigns.” He paused. “John, any luck with the probe?”
“Unfortunately, no. The interference is just too thick. I can read the water, but very little in it or below it. I’ll keep trying.”
Scott sighed. “Keep us updated. Looks like this will have to be more hands on.” He turned to Gordon. “We need Thunderbird Four.”
-o-o-o-
Next
#thunderbirds are go#thunderbirds#thunderbirds fanfiction#Scott Tracy#Virgil Tracy#John Tracy#Gordon Tracy#Alan Tracy#callisto
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I’ll be forever young (with you)
For #dbhcolorsofdeviancy, prompt:
June 13th: Forever young
@connor-sent-by-cyberlife
Rating: Teen
Characters: Connor, Hank Anderson, Sumo
Relationships: Connor & Hank Anderson, Connor & Hank Anderson & Sumo
Additional Tags: Fluff, Birthday, First birthday, Presents, Detroit bridge, Swearing, Hank is the best dad
Summary: August 15th, 2039. Connor’s first birthday.
He doesn’t think Hank will do anything that big for his birthday…
And is proven very wrong.
(The final prompt for this event! I’ve enjoyed it very much :) )
Story below! Or, read it on AO3
AUGUST 15th, 2039
TIME
AM 07:40:02
Connor awoke to a ball of brown and white fur catapulting itself onto his bed.
Opening his eyes and fully coming out of the stasis, he realised that this was Sumo.
He ran his hands over his soft fur, receiving the wet slobbery kisses over his face, smiling. The Saint Bernard seemed particularly affectionate and excitable, the reason why eluding him as he was distracted by the fluffy cuddles.
But then, finally pulling himself away from the great dog and scanning his surroundings, he found out the reason pretty quickly.
Loosely strapped upon Sumo’s head was a colourful party hat, the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ printed on it in bold letters. Deducing that it wasn’t Hank’s birthday, it wasn’t Sumo’s…
The only other person in the house was him.
He chuckled, moving to pull the hat off the dog but he grumbled and jumped off the bed before he could do so.
“I didn’t think you’d find that comfortable, Sumo.”
The only reply he was given was a snort as the dog sniffed at the floor, nosing slowly out of his bedroom.
Connor shrugged. It made sense. It was a year since his activation day. Strangely… he did recall Hank paying extra attention and asking questions when he had mentioned he was almost a year old since being activated.
But he hadn’t viewed it as a birthday. Merely the day after his testing was complete and he was finally activated and shipped out on the same day for his first mission.
Of course, with the development of android rights, birthdays had been allowed for androids, even encouraged. Markus had celebrated his, he remembered, as he’d created a painting for him as a gift. So had various other members of Jericho.
Still, it felt… different to view this as a human celebration, of him turning a year old. The body he was in was technically not even a year old because he’d fallen off the rooftop on his first mission. He shuddered. It hadn’t been a brilliant day of birth, if humans called it that, that was for sure.
However, with help from people like Hank and Markus, he was beginning to accept his new humanity. Perhaps embracing his birthday would allow him to really move into the next stage of his life.
Besides, it wasn’t like Hank would do anything massive for the day, right?
He walked out of his room and was met with balloons tied to the curtain poles, a banner proclaiming ‘Happy birthday/activation day, Connor!’, presents piled up on the living room table and Hank standing at the kitchen counter, a birthday hat askew on his head.
“Here comes the birthday boy.” Hank chuckled as he walked in, taking in his bewildered expression. “I know I probably went a bit… a lot extreme on this, but it’s your first birthday. You got to have a nice first birthday.”
Connor continued to scan over the room. “It’s…”
“I know.” He took a step towards him. “I know you’re still getting used to all your new-fangled emotions. But this doesn’t have to be big and stressful. Just a nice day where you can open some gifts and eat cake.”
He quirked a brow. “Did someone buy me a biological stomach, Lieutenant?”
“Smartass. Fine, I’ll eat cake. You can watch and drink a thirium pouch.”
Connor nodded. That didn’t sound too different. He followed Hank into the living room, sitting beside him on the couch.
“Alright…” Hank hummed as he looked over the gifts. “We’ve got a few things- a lot of things- from your friends at Jericho. One or two from the guys at the DPD… and me and Sumo piled some stuff together.”
Connor looked over it all with confusion, hands reaching out before pausing, reassessing. Eventually, he looked over to Hank for help.
“What… exactly do I do?”
Hank smiled. “They’re for you. Open whichever you want, but make sure Sumo doesn’t eat the wrapping paper.” He threw a slightly dirty look at the dog who was laying in front of the table, waiting. Sumo glared back at him.
Connor nodded. That sounded reasonable. Picking up the first gift, which was from Markus, he found even the tingle of excitement building in his chest, wondering with gratitude what his loved ones had chosen for him.
Markus had gotten him a book about fish, along with a selection of classical piano sheet music for him to play. Seeing the care put in, the thought about what he was interested in… was touching.
Tearing through the next few gifts elicited the same feeling. Everything was so thoughtful, even the Saint Bernard plush Sumo had ‘bought’ for him.
“Full of himself.” Hank jerked a thumb fondly at the dog when he opened the gift.
“It is very sweet, Sumo. Perhaps not as good as the real deal…” He bent down to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “But very cute, thank you.”
After everything was placed neatly back on the table, he thought they were finished. But Hank looked to him and proclaimed:
“Okay. I have one last gift for you…”
Connor tilted his head. “But I appreciated the things you have already gotten for me, Lieutenant. They were very generous.”
“This isn’t a thing.” He replied, getting up off the chair. “Come on, follow me.”
The android was intrigued as he was led out to the car. Sumo was put in the back, so he assumed it couldn’t be another vacation or they would have left him with the neighbours.
Still, it seemed like Hank wished this to be a surprise, so he looked down at the mini Sumo plush he had brought with him, stroking his fingers over the soft fabric. He chuckled to hear Sumo whining with jealousy from the back.
Connor managed to distract himself as such until the car pulled to a stop. Looking up, he found they were in the park.
Hank strode ahead of him once Sumo was on the leash, and he hurried to catch up. It didn���t seem like they were in the mood for sightseeing today, the scenery rushing by as Hank continued on.
But, just as Connor was about to inquire where they were going, he found himself at a familiar place. Looking out over the Detroit bridge.
Hank sat down on the bench, holding Sumo’s leash and patting the spot beside him for the dog to hop up.
“I remember this place.” Connor mused, standing beside the bench. Earlier in the day now, he didn’t look out at the stars twinkling overhead but instead the crisp summer sky. “You almost shot me here.”
Hank laughed. “If that’s what you’re asking; no, I’m not going to shoot you. That would be a shit birthday present.”
“It would indeed be rather unpleasant.”
“And illegal.” Hank added. “But… that is partly the reason I brought you here. Not the almost shooting thing. Maybe just the… almost.” He sighed.
“I wasn’t even gonna think about it; you were getting on my nerves, there was too much going on in my head… I was just going to shoot you. But then- you didn’t kill those tracis. And you stood there and told me you were afraid to die. This was the first place I realised that you were actually alive… and all the better for it, otherwise, where would we be now?”
Connor mulled it over. If Hank had shot him, it would have… well, severely halted the growth of their relationship.
“But I don’t want to think about that.” Hank continued on. “I didn’t shoot you. You had a heart. And now it’s your first birthday. In that year, you helped the leader of the android revolution… You pulled me out of whatever rut I’d fallen into. And honestly? I couldn’t see my life without you right now, son.”
Connor glanced to Hank as he paused. He didn’t comment on the way his voice had choked up, instead placing a hand gently on his shoulder, a sign of comfort.
“It’s really helped me, living not on my own again—no offense, Sumo. But just having someone in the house, you… Even if you are a pain in my ass sometimes.” He chuckled.
“What I’m trying to say is… Well, I know you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. A long life. A life where you’ll always look like that, where you’ll be forever young- and a while from now, you’ll be living a new life, without—” he looked up to Connor. “But right now, where we are? I like that. I don’t want it to go away. So that’s why…”
It appeared Hank had hit his quota for sappiness, as he simply held out a piece of paper to Connor wordlessly.
Connor took it off him, quickly scanning over it. It was a form. Official looking, with Hank’s signature at the bottom, and room for his…
“An adoption form?”
“If it’s too much, just tell me. I don’t want you thinking I’m some clingy old man but—”
He handed it back to Hank, his signature printed on it. “Thank you… dad.” The word was strange. It wasn’t likely he’d always use it- but the meaning then, the feeling it brought… it was the best birthday present he could have asked for.
Hank smiled back to him. “Great. Now, what about we get out of here? The view’s pretty, but it’s gonna get hot as hell later in the day and that cake back at home isn’t going to eat itself.”
Connor followed after him, back to the car. “Of course. I have heard, however, about this new android update which can install human mechanics such as eating…”
“I’m not saving you any fuckin’ cake, Connor. It’ll go old.”
“Like you?”
Connor wouldn’t have it any other way. The small moments of genuine affection and feelings let out into the air… The regular day-to-day life of working at the DPD and bantering with Hank… Being forever young, one day, that all might end. But for now, he would live in the moment, and he would embrace it. All the emotions that would come with deviancy, whether good or bad, or even a mixture of both… He couldn’t ask for a better Lieutenant turned father-figure to help him through it.
#dbhcolorsofdeviancy#dbh#detroit become human#dbh connor#dbh hank#dbh connor and hank#dbh fanfic#fanfic
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Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 19: Lying Hearts
“How can anyone stand to live in a city like this?” Nami grumbled as the light glinted off of yet another painfully white building. True, the setting sun had lessened the glare slightly, but after an entire afternoon of it, she was developing quite the headache, even with the sunglasses.
Law shrugged and continued walking at a leisurely pace, still unaffected. “I’m sure if you’re born somewhere like this it’s easier, but people can learn to tolerate almost anything given enough time, I suppose.”
“Do you think you’d be able to learn to tolerate bread?”
“I said almost. I’d sooner die of starvation.”
She shook her head with a chuckle but kept pace, following his lead. Instead of heading straight back to the submarine, Law had insisted on a few detours through Atifakuto—partially in case anyone had grown suspicious and decided to follow them, but also to scope out potential escape routes under the guise of sightseeing. Nami, for her part, had been exceedingly helpful in this, mapping out in her head which stairways lead where and pointing out various places to hide. If Law found her compliance suspicious, he didn’t say anything; it was in their best interest to work together, especially with some potentially valuable goods on the line, so her behavior was easily rationalized.
For her, however, there was more than artifacts or even belli at stake. This heist had to go well. She needed Law to trust her enough to open up about why he was so obsessed with Amber Lead. Perhaps if he could do that, she wouldn’t even have to sneak into his quarters to take a look at the ledgers. She could just ask and he’d let her in like a rational human being.
Of course, in order for either of their plans to succeed they needed to know where the vase was. Luckily, the rest of the Hearts hadn’t been sitting idle on the submarine. They’d been investigating every possible gallery, art collector, museum, and auction house their prize could possibly be at. The second they had a lead, they’d call on the mini Den Den Mushi.
Until then, though, Law and Nami were forced to meander about the city, planning and killing time.
“So, while we wait for some intel, what else are you going to buy me?” she asked as they wandered the fourth level. They’d passed quite a few shops, and while most had stocked dull business suits similar to the last store, Nami felt her bags were tragically light. They were in a beautiful-if-blinding city, and she was walking away with only one outfit? What a travesty.
Snorting dismissively, Law glanced down at her with a clear look of are you kidding me? on his face. “Nothing. I told you I was only getting you one outfit. I’m your captain, not your sugar daddy.”
“You know, for a man who wants this little job to go well, you’re not putting in nearly the effort you should,” she quipped, a sly smile on her lips, eyelashes fluttering prettily. “I’m supposed to look professional and put together if I’m gonna pull off being your lovely assistant. That means I need matching shoes and accessories. Maybe a cute leather purse or briefcase to really sell it.”
“If you want those so badly then buy them yourself. Or,” he smirked, halting his pace to turn around and catch her chin between his fingers, tilting her head up towards him as he stepped in close enough so she could feel his body heat, “you earn them by doing certain favors for daddy.”
Her cheeks only pinkened a little at his innuendos while she stuck out her tongue and shoved him away. Last night’s dream wasn’t quite as close to the forefront of her mind anymore, but that didn’t mean his smirk didn’t do things to her she’d rather ignore. “Pass. You should know by now that it takes more than clothes for me to play nice.”
“Mmm, I do. That’s what makes it so much fun,” he purred, gold eyes glinting in wicked amusement. One gloved hand was shoved into his pocket while his free arm slung itself casually over her shoulder as he continued stalking along the fastidiously clean road. “But since you’re currently insisting on being a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man to provide for her, you can instead borrow some shoes from Ikkaku, and she might still have a pair of glasses or something from the time she pretended to be a receptionist at a Naval base.”
Brown eyes widened at his statement. Not because he was suggesting that she borrow clothes or anything, but the bombshell he’d just casually dropped in light of her recent discovery.
“Was this for one of your plans?” she asked, shoulders stiffening.
He shrugged like it was no big deal, though he did give her a curious glance at the way she tensed beneath him. “Yeah. We needed someone on the inside, and they’d put out an advertisement for an attractive female in her early twenties. It’s not like Uni or Penguin could do it.”
“But…holy shit, Law, are you serious?” she hissed, dragging him over to an unoccupied part of the street behind a solitary gated tree so she could scold him in private. There weren’t too many people about, but the last thing they need was to get unwanted attention because they’d caused a scene, even if Law totally deserved to get chewed out at the top of her lungs for being such an asshole. “Ikkaku has Marine brothers who want her dead and you sent her into the lion’s den? What the fuck?!”
Caught off-guard by her anger, Law’s eyebrows shot up briefly before furrowing. “She told you about them?”
Damn. In her shock and anger on her friend’s behalf, she’d forgotten that this was a subject she wasn’t technically supposed to know. But instead of admitting guilt, she doubled down and threw on her best poker face.
“Yeah. She told me,” she lied easily. Too easily. It came as naturally as it had back in the days she’d been working under Arlong, getting close to pirates by lying through her teeth and then robbing them blind. How many crews and captains had she deceived before Luffy? Nami had honestly lost count, but once she’d joined up with the Straw Hats, lying to a supposed ally hadn’t been quite as instinctual.
But this isn’t Luffy, and Law’s keeping way more secrets than I am, she rationalized. It’s just a little white lie anyway. He’d be way more pissed at Shachi and Penguin for telling me. I’m looking after those guys.
Law’s expression hardened, and for a moment she wondered if he’d seen through her bluff. She didn’t think she’d gotten too rusty in the lying department, but Law was smart and distrusting in general, so she couldn’t quite tell. Trepidation hung heavy in the air as she waited for him to speak, mind going a mile a minute coming up with new lies and explanations to appease him. Worse came to worst, she could throw the guys under the bus, even if she didn’t really want to, but they were his best friends, so Law would doubtlessly be more forgiving towards them, right?
Thankfully, it seemed his anger came from a completely different place, as he snarled quietly through clenched teeth, “Nami-ya, I am, as you have pointed out rather frequently in the past, a control freak. Do you really think I would devise a plan that required sending my top mechanic into a Marine base if there was even a chance she could be recognized? Especially by her utter shit of a brother?”
She flinched at the vitriol in his voice. It seemed she’d touched a nerve, and unless she wanted to lose all the progress she’d worked for, she knew it was best to back down. “Sorry. You’re right.”
“I’ll accept your apology if you tell me what prompted her to tell you,” he stated, crossing his arms. “It’s not information she makes widely known, even to those who are permanent members of my crew.”
Well. At least this was easy enough to justify, and she’d be doing both Law and Ikkaku a favor, right? Sure, the guys would obviously tell him later, but being the first to warn him might earn her a few more crumbs of trust. “There was an article in the paper about Marine reinforcements coming to the Grand Line. Ushi was interviewed. He seemed pretty intent on taking down the Heart Pirates.”
Law froze, his frown deepening into a dark sneer. The tic in his jaw and the way his fists clenched reminded her of his reaction to Ikkaku having been attacked on Grimm. “That fucker will stay away from Ikkaku if he’s got any brains in him.”
“You’re pretty protective of her,” she said. Sure, he’d perhaps phrased his defense in a way that implied his priority was the plan, it was clear from the hiss in his voice that Ikkaku’s safety had been genuinely considered.
The brim of his hat hid his eyes as he stated, “I’m protective of all my crew. She’s just…it’s hard to find submarine engineers, let alone ones as skilled as her. Ikkaku’s hard to replace.”
Well that stinks to high heaven of bullshit, she thought. Sure, the Surgeon of Death had a rightly-earned cruel reputation, but he’d shown time and again his crew meant a lot to him. Stepping in close, she used her finger to lift his hat enough to see his expression unobstructed. “Is that why you let her sass you? Because if she walked you’d be dead in the water?”
The gold orbs glared down at her, though the held no heat. “Everyone on the crew is a vital component. Like gears in a well-oiled machine. You’ve gotta take care of them to make sure they don’t break.”
When Nami merely raised a disbelieving eyebrow, he sighed, body deflating slightly. “Look, Nami-ya, everyone on my crew, we’ve all got shit in our pasts. Some have overcome it. Some still carry the scars. Ikkaku…hers is one of the few that’s actively still trying to get her. So yeah, maybe I’m a bit more protective, but it’s for a damn good reason.”
Ok, now that was a fair point. “I’m surprised you haven’t just killed him.”
“Oh, I want to,” he snarled. “No brother should try to hurt their siblings. They’re supposed to look after them. The only reason Ushi-ya still draws breath is because Ikkaku begged me to spare his pathetic life.”
It suddenly dawned on Nami that, despite his criticizing Luffy for not being more bloodthirsty, Law was…surprisingly merciful in his own ways, too. He didn’t murder Ikkaku’s brother, despite having clear reason to, just because she asked. He rescued Jean Bart from a life of slavery despite not knowing him. And while she didn’t fully understand the Ope Ope no Mi’s powers, she wondered if his cuts didn’t draw blood because he didn’t want them to?
She wasn’t sure if he had a complexity addiction or if he genuinely wanted to minimize bloodshed, but once again another side of the incredibly fascinating man had been revealed.
Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he gave Nami a sadistic smile. “Doesn’t mean I let him off the hook with a sternly-worded warning, though. Wanna know what I did to him the last time we met?”
Nami turned a bit green as she remembered Jinzo’s still-beating heart in his hands. Complex and caring towards his crew or not, he was still a twisted bastard. “Fuck no!”
Briefly he pouted at not getting to regale her with the gory details before shrugging. “Pity. It was quite the eventful evening. In fact, it was also the night of mine and Drake-ya’s first kiss.”
“How the hell are those two things connected?!”
“Well, I had to distract him somehow. He was guarding my poor mechanic like a dragon would a virtuous princess.”
Before she could demand more details, or even snort at the idea of Ikkaku being virtuous, the sound of the mini Den Den Mushi reached their ears, interrupting the conversation.
Looking around to make sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers, Law pulled out the little snail phone and clicked down on the top. “Guessing you’ve got something for me?”
“I do,” the snail answered, and Nami recognized the faint accent that indicated they were speaking to Cousteau. “Only one place that specializes in North Blue history. Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. It’s an auction house and gallery on the fifth level, a block away from the Elevate Deliverer Restoration Church.”
“Well that’s a needlessly long name,” he quipped, rolling his eyes. Mentally, Nami had to agree, though it also sounded vaguely familiar. “At least that makes it easier to find. Anything else I should know? Other landmarks, nearby guard stations, that sort of thing?”
There was a moment of hesitation before Cousteau replied, “No station, though there would probably be at least a few guards wandering around at night. It’s, uh, right by a fountain. Blessings from the White City.”
Nami’s eyes widened a little. Oh. Now she remembered. That had been the church with the huge stained-glass windows. The one in her book, by the tribute to Flevance.
“…I see.”
The little snail chewed its lip, clearly concerned. “Captain, if you want, I can do all the surveillance—”
“It’s fine,” he cut in, tone sharp before smoothing out, “I saw it earlier. In fact, I’m glad it’s so close. Nami-ya and I will check out the gallery. We’re nearby and I’d rather see it with my own eyes to get the lay of the land. Unless anyone else has a better lead, you and the others can head back to the ship.”
“Understood, sir. Anything else you need?” he asked, sounding relieved.
“Just tell Clione I might have a job for him later on, so don’t make any evening plans.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
The call ended, and Nami peered up at Law, expecting signs of the same darkness that had crossed his face when they’d visited the fountain earlier. Instead, his face was totally blank, staring down at the tiny snail, expressionless.
Somehow, that was far, far more unnerving.
“Law?” she asked, touching his arm hesitantly.
As if awoken from a trance he shook his head before smirking down at her. “Well, hope you don’t mind one last detour before heading back to the ship? I know it’s more stairs but look on the bright side; at this rate, the definition of your calf muscles will be a thing of beauty.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond, turning on his heels and heading towards the direction of the stairs to the next level. Frowning, she began to doubt whether or not this was all a good idea. She didn’t know exactly what his deal was, but she really felt like he was too close to this. But she had the feeling trying to talk him out of it would be an exercise in futility, and would set her back far more than any lie she might spin.
Oh well, she sighed internally, jogging to catch up, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid. He’s sensible enough to keep a cool head, no matter what his problem is. It’ll be fine.
While it wasn’t far, it took longer than either of them would have expected to actually find Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. Mainly because it was a surprisingly nondescript building compared to the opulent churches and museums nearby. Honestly, based on the exterior, one could easily have passed it by. Like everything else the building was pristinely white, the windows boasting small arches over them and flower boxes containing white impatiens. Really, the most impressive thing about it was the marble plaque out front boasting the company’s name in gold leaf.
But the two pirates didn’t really care about the appearance; it was what was inside that counted. That, and the information board out front, which stated in bold, black letters that there would be a showing and auction of North Blue artworks at 8pm that evening.
“Why don’t you just Scan the place, grab the vase, and walk away? Seems like that would be easy compared to putting on this charade?” Nami asked, eyeing the building. It was hardly Harpin’s mansion; it would take almost no effort for Law to use his powers to steal every item of value inside it, replacing artifacts, paintings, and money with pebbles and potted plants with a mere flick of his fingers, then teleporting them away to safety.
Really, if he weren’t such an ass, Trafalgar Law would be a thief’s dream partner.
Of course, he was an ass, so he gave her a look that implied he considered her question to be phenomenally stupid. “Because there’s no guarantee that the vase is even in there—for all I know it’s being kept in a secondary location until the actual event for security or health reasons. It is a relic from a city that suffered a notorious death toll both before and after the World Government had quarantined it,” he explained lowly. “On top of that, my Room would draw too much attention, so if it’s not in there, we’ll have blown our whole cover and probably the operation.”
Though disappointed that they couldn’t just whisk it away with his powers, she conceded that he had a point. Versatile and useful as they were, the Ope Ope no Mi’s abilities did have their drawbacks. Actually infiltrating the auction house was a safer move.
Yet for a moment, she saw Law glare at the building, as if he were equally frustrated that they couldn’t just grab their prize and go. Perhaps even a great mastermind like him sometimes wished to take the direct path. “At least we can be sure it’ll be presented at this auction,” he reassured, almost as much to himself as her as his hand rested on Nami’s lower back while he escorted her away. “Makes it easier to come up with a plan and contingencies when I actually know the target. My crew did good.”
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger in thought. She supposed he was right, and the pride in his voice when he mentioned the Hearts’ contribution…well, she knew better than to argue with that. Seemed the lesson he learned on the last island was sticking. “Still too bad we don’t have blueprints like Harpin’s house, though.”
“It can’t be helped. That was a job I’d been planning for months. This is more…spontaneous. Why? Scared and looking to back out?” he asked, glancing down at her with a challenging grin.
Nami scoffed. She was a thief that specialized in robbing pirates. Sure, she was a scaredy-cat, but when treasure of some kind was at stake, there were few risks she wouldn’t take. “Not a chance. Just pointing out that we’re going in more blind than last time.”
“Maybe, but at least our prize will be out in the open and not in the home of a former Marine with tentacles. Hell, we might even get it legally.”
“Law,” she started, brow furrowing. She wasn’t scared, but she did have a reasonable concern, especially with how intent he seemed on this one item. “What are we going to do if we don’t win the vase?”
The pair stopped by the Flevance fountain, Law taking a long moment to stare solemnly at the beautiful white angels. Without a word he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin, pressing it to his lips before flipping it into the water.
When he turned back to her, his gold eyes were as hard as the statues’ and twice as cold.
“Simple; we take it from whoever did.”
XXX
Hidden in a small cove on an unpopulated section of Atifakuto’s coast, the sight of the Polar Tang’s sunny yellow hull was a welcome relief after a whole day of the city’s stark white walls. Law seemed to agree as his tense posture relaxed into a comfortable slouch, even giving a few of the guys a small grin when they called out to them. To Nami, of course, the submarine was still far from the Sunny and thus would never be home, but she couldn’t help but smile at Law’s reaction. The Dark Doctor really did have some softness deep down.
Of course, that didn’t last long, as the moment they were within the safety of the cargo bay he was once more all business. “Dinner is in an hour. Rest up, brush up on your notes, do whatever you need to prepare for the auction tonight; I’ve got a few more dominoes to put in place,” Law stated. He’d been silent for most of the walk back, though Nami attributed that to him mentally filing through all the information they now had and formulating his plan. Much as she missed and loved Luffy, having a captain who didn’t just go rushing in like an idiot was a nice change of pace.
That didn’t mean she appreciated his tone, though. “Say please,” she quipped, hip jutting out. She might have decided to be more compliant for the sake of gaining his trust, but that didn’t mean she was going to let him boss her around.
Besides, if she were too accommodating, he’d probably grow suspicious and then she’d be right back at square one.
He scowled but apparently decided it would be a waste of time to argue. They were on a tight schedule, after all, so her attitude would have to be tolerated. For now. “Please,” he grumbled before marching off, beckoning Clione to follow him. The biologist glanced between the two, bewildered, but smartly said nothing before chasing after his captain.
Flashing a self-satisfied grin at Law’s retreating back, Nami practically skipped to her quarters. Even though they weren’t as prepared as she’d like, so far, things were going well. Perhaps they couldn’t just use Law’s powers to swipe the vase, but by obtaining it through legal means, they wouldn’t have the authorities after them, which would be nice. Besides, it wasn’t her money that would be spent at the auction.
Her research of the North Blue had taught her a few things, including just how valuable things from Flevance were. After all, things made from the white ore had been in high-demand during the city’s heyday; now that it was in ruins, any remaining artifacts would surely triple in price. And, admittedly, if that fountain had been anything to go by, the vase could very well be extremely beautiful. Something any art collector or historian might want for themselves.
Once more, she wondered why the hell Law wanted it. He collected coins, not art, so she doubted it would be something he wanted just for the heck of it. What was his obsession with Flevance—
That train of thought was derailed when Nami walked into her room. She blinked then rubbed her eyes, certain her vision was still messed up from the sun, because Ikkaku was still sitting at her desk, working on some little device, practically in the same position as that morning. Really, the only difference was the lack of towel around her head, though her curly hair was a tangled bird’s nest.
“Have you even moved today?” Nami exclaimed loudly, flabbergasted.
The mechanic jumped a few inches out of her chair, a pen cartwheeling through the air before falling back onto the surface of the desk with a clatter. Apparently since she’d had the room to herself, she hadn’t felt the need to put the earplugs back in, leaving her vulnerable to Nami’s loud voice. “Damn, girl, you scared me,” Ikkaku said with a breathy laugh. She glanced around, noticing the time on the clock and the fact that her hair had dried completely. “Guess I was in the zone.”
“You haven’t been working all day, have you?” Nami asked, plopping her shopping bag on her bed. “At least tell me you had lunch.”
“Sounding an awful lot like Law there,” she teased, pushing away from her desk to stretch. There was an audible pop from her back, and her dark eyes closed in relief. “Like me, too. The boys and I are always bugging a certain workaholic captain to eat something and not subsist solely on coffee and aspirin. But to answer your question, yes, I did have lunch.” She pointed at an empty plate that had been shoved into the far corner of the desk, a few grains of rice stuck to the surface. “Bepo brought me some onigiri.”
“Good. If you didn’t, I’d be dragging you into the galley and force-feeding you a sandwich, then charging you a cooking and inconvenience fee.”
Snorting, Ikkaku cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, further releasing the tension sitting hunched over in one spot for hours had built up. “Dinner’s soon enough; even if I hadn’t eaten, I could have waited. And good luck making a sandwich with no bread on board.” Despite her dismissal tone, though, she gave a wry grin. “But thanks for caring, I guess, even if it does come with a price tag.”
“What are friends for?” Nami shrugged with a smile that was a little forced. It was such an alien feeling, this sudden awkwardness. Since first arriving on the Tang, she and Ikkaku had gotten on like a house on fire. It was almost inevitable, being the two women on the ship surrounded by men dealing with that insanity together. Hell, even if that hadn’t been the case, Ikkaku had practically sacrificed herself for her back at the club on Grimm. A companion like that was more than she’d even dared to dream of before she’d met Luffy.
Was it really right for Nami to act like she didn’t know about her brother? Should she just tell her that the guys told her about Ushi? Really, what was the point of keeping it a secret? It wasn’t that Nami thought she’d slip up and spill the beans—lying was her specialty, after all—but Ikkaku wasn’t some mark or stranger. She was her friend.
Hell, even if they were on opposite crews, she’d even dare to call her nakama.
The issue resolved itself, however, when the other woman’s expression turned a little melancholy. Ikkaku sighed as she rested her cheek on her fist, her other hand idly playing with the pen. “Heh. Funny, I used to ask myself that question a lot when I was younger. I didn’t really have friends back on my home island. I lived with my Gramps in a lighthouse, so besides the occasional trip to town, it was a pretty isolated life.”
“What about your brothers?” Nami asked, masking her interest by taking her purchases out of the bag so they wouldn’t wrinkle before the auction. A swell of relief surged through her. If Ikkaku talked about Ushi herself, the whole charade of pretending not to know about him wouldn’t even be necessary! She just had to carefully press for the right crumbs of information, maybe even offer up a couple tidbits about her own life in exchange. No big deal. Tit for tat, right? “Nojiko was my best friend growing up. Hell, probably my only friend until Luffy came along.”
A dark look crossed Ikkaku’s face. “Yeah, well, Nojiko on her worst day was probably a way better sibling than all of them combined.”
“I don’t think you’ve talked about them much. I basically just know that they exist and said you wouldn’t really make it as an engineer because you’re a girl.”
A long sigh escaped her lips. “That’s…the nice version. Didn’t want to unload my shitty childhood on you, especially since yours sounded worse. I mean, my island was never taken over by pirates, and I didn’t work for the guy who murdered my mom.”
Well, that was certainly true, but then again, people with healthy, normal childhoods seldom became pirates. Or at least, those that did rarely lasted long on such cutthroat seas. Nami should have realized there was more to the mechanic’s past than some run-of-the-mill misogyny. “Maybe, but I don’t mind. We’ve all gone through some rough shit, right? We wouldn’t be in this line of work otherwise.”
“True. I just…I guess I just like to pretend he doesn’t exist most of the time.”
“He?” she asked as if she didn’t already know.
Ikkaku’s calloused hand dropped the pen to instead clench into a tight fist, and there was a haunted look in her dark eyes as she stared off into space. “Ushi. He’s the oldest. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid of him. Spent our childhood making our other brothers use me as a punching bag. When he wasn’t doing that, he gave me almost hourly reminders that I was a burden on the family, that no one really loved me, that I’d never amount to anything.” There was a hitch in her breath and a pause, and Nami noticed her close her eyes tightly for a moment. As if she were fighting back tears. It was a look she’d never expected to see on the tough, vibrant woman’s face. “Then, when I was seven, he tried to kill me.”
“What?!” Nami exclaimed, dropping her blazer to the floor in shock.
“Yeah. Joras had a huge fucking forest, and he led me into it to look for mushrooms or some shit. Can’t remember. Next thing I know, he’s shoved me into a pit, and by the time I’d climbed out, he was long gone and it was night. I think…I think it was supposed to be my grave, ‘cause it was really fucking deep. Or at least it seemed that way. Maybe I’m misremembering.”
Somehow, Nami doubted that. Sure, memories could get warped with age and fear, but some details remained solid for the rest of a person’s life. “But, you got out, right? And I’m sure your parents must have been worried sick!” She could almost picture it. A young Ikkaku, sticks and leaves caught in her messy curls, knees and elbows scraped, face covered in dirt and tears, frightened but once more able to smile when she was finally found, her mother and father scooping her into their arms, scolding her for worrying them but just so relieved she was safe…
At least, that’s what Bellemere or Mister Genzo would have done if Nami had gone missing.
From the bitter laugh that escaped her throat, Ikkaku hadn’t been so fortunate. “I spent three days wandering around those fucking woods, scared and cold and wondering if I was gonna die out there. My parents didn’t even notice I was gone.” After a long moment of silence, her fist unclenched and some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. “Gramps found me, though. When I didn’t come home after two days and a storm rolled in, my brothers Nausagi and Fukuro ran two miles to the lighthouse to tell him what Ushi had done. Maybe they realized he’d gone too far. Or they were scared I’d come back as a vengeful zombie. Either way, Gramps rescued me and demanded custody. Mama and Pops were glad to hand me over. One less mouth to feed, and I wouldn’t be causing their Future Marine Hero any more trouble.”
“That’s…that’s horrible.” And yet Nami could tell she was getting the abridged version of the story. “Tell me your grandfather was a better guardian.”
Despite the childhood trauma she’d just confessed to, Ikkaku merely shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. He was. Gramps was crazy, but he loved me and taught me how to fight. Told me to never lose my smile, ‘cause that’s my best protection against a world that’ll try to break me.”
“Bellemere said something similar to me and Nojiko. ‘Whatever happens, never lose your ability to laugh. If you can survive, happy times, lots of ‘em, will come your way’.”
“Smart lady.” She tried to casually run her fingers through her hair, only to find them caught in the tangled knots. She let out a light chuckle at her predicament and added, “I think she and Gramps would have gotten along pretty well. Well, assuming she liked salty former smugglers who had the gumption to threaten Law with a shot gun. Not that he didn’t deserve it a little.”
Nami had to smile at that, and she could only imagine what he’d said that had nearly gotten him shot. It was definitely something snarky, a shit-eating grin on his face while he provoked a protective grandfather just because he could.
Noticing Ikkaku’s hair situation, she abandoned her suit to instead pick up a wide-toothed comb. “Well, I’m not sure about Bellmere, but I’d certainly love to meet him.”
“Of course you would.” Leaning back in the chair, she allowed Nami to carefully put her thick curls to rights. “How was shopping? Boss show you the blinding sights of the city?”
“It was…enlightening,” she said cautiously. There was still so much to sort out, and every time she thought she had an answer to one of her questions, four more popped up in its place.
Grabbing the pen she’d been playing with earlier, Ikkaku handed it to her over her shoulder. “Here; I made you something, since I doubt you’ll be able to bring your Clima-Tact with you. Kinda why I was so focused—I wanted it to be ready by tonight.”
Curious, Nami inspected the item. It was a plain black ballpoint pen maybe a bit longer than her hand. There was an almost unnoticeable jolly roger engraved into the middle, and she ran her thumb over it idly. “You spent the whole afternoon making me a pen? I could have just as easily brought my stylus.”
“Oh, but a stylus is only good for writing. This is so much more useful. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’, right? Click the top.”
She did so, and instead of an ink-filled nub, a small syringe, similar to an epi-pen, popped out. Her eyes widened in realization as Ikkaku explained, “Inside’s a powerful tranquilizer. Should knock any fool out in minutes if injected into the bloodstream. Takes longer if it’s ingested. It’s non-lethal to humans, so it should be safe to use on anyone you’re looking to knock out. Assuming they aren’t really Fishmen in disguise.”
“Why? Does it react differently for them?”
She grimaced. “Yeah. Severe allergic reaction. Anaphylactic shock typically. So, unless you want that on your conscience, humans only.”
Tucking the pen away for later, Nami nodded in understanding and went back to combing her hair. “Gotcha. Doubt it’ll be a problem, though. Jean Bart said this place is pretty humans-only.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s impossible for someone to have that kind of bloodline. If it’s diluted through a few generations, a lot of the time you can hide it and pass for human.”
“Hmmm, hadn’t thought of that.”
There was a moment where Nami could tell she was mulling something over. Even faced away from her, Ikkaku wasn’t hard to read, and it was only a matter of time before she voiced whatever question was on her mind.
While she waited, the ginger took the time to appreciate the texture of Ikkaku’s hair, combing out each curl individually so it wouldn’t frizz. The thick, black locks were coarser than her own, yet surprisingly soft despite her hard life at sea. Hair maintenance was extremely difficult living on the ocean, the salt and fluctuating weather of the Grand Line wreaking havoc on Nami’s much finer strands. And while Ikkaku was far more feminine than one would expect upon first meeting her, in the time they’d roomed together, she didn’t seem to put much more extensive care into her shiny locks than some leave-in conditioner.
Guess she’s just got some good genetics, Nami thought appreciatively. Either that or she’s hiding some amazing shampoo formula, and damn if she is I’ll never forgive her!
When Ikkaku at last broke her silence, the hesitation in her voice was palpable. “Hey, it was a Fishman who held you prisoner all those years, right? You ever…blame all Fishmen for what he did?”
It was an unexpected question, but a fair one, Nami supposed. Arlong had committed a crime so heinous she knew she’d never forgive him, and she knew there were plenty of people, especially ones who spent years abused by such a monster, who would project that hatred onto an entire race. But why even ask?
“I…not really. I mean, I can’t say I never lumped them all together in my head, since Arlong and his crew were my only baseline for Fishmen for a long time.” She bit her lip, thinking. “But that was when I was a kid. My view of things was a lot more black-and-white, mostly because I was bitter at my situation. As I got older, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was stupid to think all Fishmen were like him. He was the one who hurt me, so he’s the only one who should get my hate.”
“So, you don’t hate them all?”
She shook her head. “Nah. Hell, I was even able to forgive a member of his crew. I’m sure you heard about how Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon?”
Ikkaku craned her neck up to look at her, dark eyes widening in shocked understanding. “Yeah? You saying the Fishman he defended—”
“One of Arlong’s crew. Hatchi. Like all of them, he hurt me too, but it was on his captain’s orders, and he clearly regretted it.” Well, it had been a bit more complex than that. Hell, when they’d first encountered him again, she’d nearly gone back on her promise to Camie to rescue him. Even if he hadn’t abused her like the others, he’d still been complacent in it. Still destroyed villagers homes, held her hostage, attacked the Navy ships that tried to come to the rescue. He hadn’t been blameless in the least. She would have had every right to demand that he be left to be killed or enslaved. That it was karma come to bite him in the ass.
Yet what had swayed her, apart from Camie’s determination to save him, was her own friends’ reactions to seeing him again. Those who knew her past had immediately been ready to turn the ship around and leave Hatchi to his fate. Of course she’d expected Sanji to be her knight in shining armor and want nothing to do with someone who had abused a lady, even by proxy. Zoro and Usopp had been a bit more surprising, though perhaps it shouldn’t have been. They knew what she’d been put through. Had fought and bled for her. Despite their sometimes heated disagreements, Nami knew she could count on them to always have her back.
The one who shocked her the most was Luffy. He might have flip-flopped between reason and his stomach, but the fact was, her loving, forgiving captain had actually held a grudge on her behalf. Hatchi and Arlong hadn’t done anything to him personally, but his nakama had suffered, and that wasn’t something he’d easily set aside. That genuine show of solidarity and loyalty to her had melted what ice had still been around her heart, which allowed her to truly forgive the octopus Fishman.
Yes, Hatchi had hurt her, but her hatred was solely reserved for Arlong, not his underlings who genuinely felt remorse.
“I’m not a saint or anything but hating Hatchi…it seemed pointless. He wasn’t the one who killed my mother. And blaming all Fishmen for the actions of one seemed pretty shitty. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t kill Arlong if I had the chance, though.”
Nami could practically feel the tension drain from Ikkaku’s shoulders, and she couldn’t hide her smile before she looked away. “That’s good to know. That asshole deserves it, from what you’ve told me. He and my brother should meet, then get sacrificed to some kind of horrible sea monster. Plenty of hungry Sea Kings out there to feed.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer pair of guys,” Nami giggled as she ran the comb through the last strand of hair. “Though, that might be cruel to the Sea King. Poor thing deserves a better meal than shit like them.”
“True. We’ll just have to think of something else then. We can ask Law; he’s always got great suggestions.”
A shudder ran down her spine, though she had to admit, it wasn’t as horrified as she’d like. She justified it with the fact that Arlong was scum who deserved whatever painful death the likes of Law might propose. So did Ushi, from the sounds of things. Though, Law had said Ikkaku had begged him not to kill her brother. Why? Did she still care about Ushi due to their familial ties? Or was there something else?
Maybe she just doesn’t want her brother’s death on her conscience, Nami thought, putting the comb away and proceeding to raid the closet for shoes. I just hope that doesn’t come back to bite her someday.
XXX
Dinner on the Tang was certainly livelier and noisier than breakfast. Mainly because the crew didn’t have to walk on eggshells while waiting for Law to get his caffeine hit. Most of the time about a dozen different conversations could be heard, utensils clattered against plates, insults were tossed about, and laughter filled the air. But at the moment, the whole galley was silent save for Nami, who was telling the Heart Pirates—save for a few who’d been sent out on last-minute errands—all about her crew’s wild adventure on Skypiea.
“…so, after Luffy beat the crap out of him, Enel flew off to the moon in his gold airship, and we escaped the island with the help of an octopus balloon, our ship loaded with treasure!”
There was a pregnant pause as the Hearts stared at her in a mix of awe and disbelief. She’d had their undivided attention ever since Law announced that the Straw Hats had found Noland’s lost city of gold, all but demanding she tell the tale and not skimp on the details.
Naturally, those details made the story even more bizarre, practically unbelievable, but she gave them what they asked for, so they couldn’t complain. Even Law’s jaw had dropped once or twice in incredulity. Mostly at the part where Luffy’d been eaten by a giant snake and thus been hidden from Enel’s senses.
Finally, a few of the crew managed to find their voices.
“An orangutan nearly wrecked your ship with singing?” Shachi asked, face utterly baffled.
Penguin grabbed his hat and smacked him over the head with it. “That’s what you’re stuck on? That’s from way back in the beginning of the story!”
The ginger punched him in the shoulder in retaliation, which quickly devolved into a childish slap fight. “Well it’s weird, ok?”
“Weirder than Straw Hat punching Kami or the knock-up stream business or the ship that flew to the moon?”
“Yeah! You ever met an orangutan that could sing?!”
“No, but that’s not the point!”
“You met Monte Blac Cricket?” Ermine interrupted, eyes so wide the whites could be seen even under the rim of their hat, though their mouth quickly split into a smile. “Holy shit, I’d wondered what had happened to him!”
“Wasn’t he your friend or something?” Seiuchi asked through a mouth full of rice.
They shook their head, looking a little wistful, a faint blush rising to their cheeks. “Just a neighbor. The people of Lvneel were dicks to his family and anyone who associated with them didn’t get treated much better. But I always thought there had to be some truth to Noland’s story.”
“Because a city of gold is so fantastical it’s gotta be real?” Nami asked, amused. She’d half-expected everyone to laugh at her like the people on Jaya when she’d asked about Sky Island—she’d even glossed over that part, finding no reason to recap such a blow to her pride. Yet instead, they’d been respectful, even entranced by her tale. It seemed to help that she’d been able to fill in a few blanks with what she remembered from Noland’s ledger, thus adding credibility to the man himself instead of just imagining the lying fool the king’s slander had reduced him to.
Usopp would probably love these guys, she thought fondly. Not that they’d likely believe his fantastical lies, but they’d probably at least let him spin his yarns to his heart’s content.
“Because you don’t tell a king about a city of gold unless you’ve got something to show for it,” Uni interjected wisely, ladling some more curry onto her plate. He paused to smile at her with his eyes, the bottom half of his face still distinctly covered by his bandana despite it being dinnertime. This close, Nami couldn’t help but try to subtly look for signs of scarring, and in fact could spot a line of slightly-paler skin peeking out just over the edge. “That, and history’s rarely all that accurate. Full of lies and twisted to suit a certain narrative.”
“That’s the World Government way. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of it tonight,” Law stated, leaning back in his chair as he munched on some onigiri. The bulge in his cheek might have been comical, but the glint in his eye was humorless. “Can’t wait to hear the dumbass assumptions people make about us Northerners.”
Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the room, though an angry tic formed on Nami’s forehead.
“Are you saying the stuff you had me study is going to be a load of crap?” she demanded, pointing her finger accusingly. Of course she knew history was skewed at best, but she’d spent days cramming! Had weird sexual dreams about him because of it!
Yes she was blaming the book for that and no one could stop her.
He shrugged and took another bite of rice, unbothered by her irritation. “It’s the information you’ll need to be able to regurgitate if anyone asks you about the North.”
“Yeah,” Penguin chimed in, nodding sagely. He and Shachi had finally been pulled apart by Jean Bart and had resumed eating like nothing had happened. “These people aren’t interested in the truth. They just want to feel superior to the ‘uneducated masses’.”
“Buncha pretentious pricks,” Shachi sniggered, balancing a spoon on his upper lip. “Bet they’d have a fucking fit if they found out El Dorodo’s not only real, but in the fucking sky!”
“I mean, can’t say I’d blame them,” Jude grumbled, playing a bit with his food like a grumpy child. “I figured we’d be the ones to find it, but this whole time we’ve been sailing around in a submarine for nothing!”
“You got something to say about my ship?” Ikkaku snapped, glaring at her crewmate. Behind her, Crozier, Cousteau, and Ermine made slashing motions across their throats, silently reminding him that disparaging the Polar Tang in any way in front of its chief engineer was a sure death sentence.
Before he could say anything, Uni thwapped him on the forehead with the spoon, apparently taking just as much offense. “How can you say it’s been for nothing—we’ve found tons of cool shit down here! May not have been El Dorado, but there have been some amazing sunken cities. And fish! We’ve discovered more aquatic animals than any other ocean explorer,” he pointed out excitedly, Cousteau nodding in agreement. “I mean, we’ve seen deep-sea fish not recorded in any book! Extracted hallucinogenic venom from puffer fish! Taken samples of bioluminescent plankton! We’ve seen octopi punch fish!”
“You ever figure out why they do that?” Shachi asked, cocking his head.
“Best I can figure? Spite.”
As weird as this little tangent was, Nami found herself giggling a bit at how excited Uni was. She didn’t know him too well, given how he was one of the quieter, more reserved members of the crew, but it was endearing to see him so animated and giddy as he discussed marine life.
“Plus, it’s cool to study navigational currents and everything, and underwater topography. The maps I can make from that kind of intel are really good,” Bepo added, twiddling his claws a bit beside her.
“Right! And if that’s still not enough to convince you, who needs a city of gold when you can get your hands on more sunken treasure than most pirates see in their lifetimes?” Uni asked, puffing out his chest.
She couldn’t help it—Nami’s eyes lit up with belli signs at the thought of how many sunken ships the submarine probably came across, all that gold theirs for the taking. Most treasure was basically lost once it hit the bottom of the ocean, but the Hearts’ ship and diving equipment turned the ocean floor into their personal piggy bank.
It seemed Jude had the same thought. “You’re right, you’re right,” he conceded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, it’s a great ship, and we’ve definitely found more than a city’s worth of loot—and yes the fish are cool Uni put the spoon away—but it’s still annoying to find out that we’ve been searching the wrong place this whole time.”
“Eh, happens to every pirate crew,” Jean Bart said, sipping his drink. “You find a treasure map only to discover the gold’s already dug up. Same with legends of lost cities. The fact that the Straw Hats actually found El Dorado and came away with a profit just means they’ve got the Devil’s luck on their side.”
“Or the favor of some god. Probably not that Enel guy, though,” Shachi said with a smirk. “And hopefully nothing from Joras, either.”
There was a murmur of agreement among the crew at that, though Ikkaku looked more uncomfortable than amused. Nami wasn’t the only one to catch that, though, as Uni reproachfully smacked the side of his head with the spoon.
“Dude. Don’t joke about the eldritch horror gods, yeah?”
“Sorry,” the ginger said, blushing slightly as he wiped away the curry splattered across his face.
“Eldritch horror gods?” Nami asked, recoiling at the thought. What the fuck?! Joras sounded vaguely familiar and given the context she guessed it had to be someplace in the North Blue, but she sure as hell didn’t recall reading anything about that! Was this something related to Northern culture, or were the guys just fucking with her?
“Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, Nami-ya,” Law stated with a smirk, though she didn’t miss the glare he sent Shachi’s way. “We’ve been sailing under the ocean for over five years and I’ve yet to see a sleeping god who can turn you mad with terror.”
“No, just an underwater ruin or two that talks about him,” Ikkaku muttered, picking at her food.
Underwater ruins with tales of sleeping gods? Sounds like something Robin would be interested in, Nami thought, nervous sweat running down her neck. Not that she’d be able to blame her. Sure, the archeologist was macabre as hell, but Nami could appreciate her thirst for knowledge, creepy or not. Who knew what history and cultures had been lost to the seas? Maybe there were even Poneglyphs down at the bottom of the ocean!
Damn. Robin and Law would probably get along great. She wasn’t sure if she was frightened or comforted by this thought.
Uni seemed to notice her unease and patted her shoulder. “We’ve seen some strange stuff down there, but nothing more dangerous than Sea Kings. Which, I mean, aren’t exactly friendly guppies, but they’ll leave us be. The Tang’s Seastone coating and electrical defenses ensure that.”
Though she still found the whole concept horrifying, she was appreciated how hard Uni was trying to keep the peace and not make things needlessly frightening for her. The whole crew had a morbid sense of humor, but while she’d mostly adapted, she still found this whole conversation creepy. It made her feel a little guilty for wanting to pry into his business. Yeah, it was annoying to know the crew was hiding stuff from her, but Uni deserved a little privacy, right?
“Yeah, and if there were anything more, Uni’s fish buddies would warn us ahead of time!” Malamute added.
“Fish buddies?” Nami asked, eyebrows lifting to her hairline in surprise. So much for respecting his privacy. “Wait, can you talk to fish?”
The man in question stiffened beside her. “I, uh, I can understand fish a little,” he said, looking nervous. His large hands twisted the napkin in his lap, and he refused to look at her. “It’s a Haki thing.”
“Haki can do that?” she asked, surprised.
“Observation Haki can do a lot of things, and Uni’s the best at it on the ship,” Law cut in harshly, glare brokering no argument. “It’s a skill that’s saved our asses plenty of times.”
Nami blanched at his defensive tone. “Hey, I’ll take your word for it, but you don’t have to act like I insulted his mother or something.”
“It’s ok, Law,” Uni said, shrugging a bit, though his face seemed to sink a little further into his bandana. “I know she didn’t mean anything by it. It’s a fair question, and it is a weird talent.”
“It’s not weird. It’s fucking useful as hell and I won’t hear anyone belittling my crew.”
“I’d never belittle him—” Nami snapped, starting to stand up to give Law a piece of her mind before Bepo’s heavy paws fell on her shoulders, gently but firmly keeping her seated.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly. “Law doesn’t mean you. It’s just…the last person outside the crew that found out, he was extremely cruel about it. Beat Uni to a pulp and even threatened to sell him as a freak show attraction before Captain found them.”
“Oh my god,” she replied, anger cooling quickly as she covered her mouth in horror, imagining Uni bruised and bloody on the ground at the hands of some bastard. Well, that would sure as hell explain why Law had taken such offense. If such a thing had happened to Chopper because he could speak to animals, she’d likely be just as pissed. From the scowls on the rest of the Hearts’ faces, the whole crew felt similar. Her gaze flicked to the fuming captain. “I’m guessing he ended up on your operating table?”
“I wish,” he growled, gold eyes glinting in fury as he crossed his arms. “Marines showed up before I could cut out his heart. Must have been his lucky day, but luck won’t be enough to save him if I ever run into Hyena-ya again.”
“Hyena?” she asked, the name not ringing any bells.
“Bellamy the Hyena,” Bepo explained, snout wrinkling in distaste. “He’s also from the North.”
Oh. My. God, Nami thought, wondering if the world was really so small. “You said Bellamy, right? Blonde hair? Spring powers? Asshole with a stupid grin?”
Law cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Seems you’ve encountered him before.”
She ground her teeth as she remembered the way he’d mocked Luffy’s dreams in the bar. “Yeah. On Jaya. His crew laughed at me for asking about Sky Island and his first mate tried to buy me. Later he stole Cricket’s gold, so Luffy went after him. I didn’t see the fight but given what an ass that guy was…yeah, Luffy wiped that stupid smile off his face.”
Once more the room fell silent, but quickly broke out into thunderous applause.
“Hah! I would have paid good money to see that!” Ikkaku laughed, spirits lifted.
“If he hurt Cricket, I’m glad he got the beating he deserved,” Ermine said with a grin.
Uni smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily. “When you see Straw Hat again, shake his hand for me! That guy’s a dick.”
Even Law was put in a better mood, though there was still a malicious edge to his smirk. “Good on Mugiwara-ya. Still wouldn’t mind doing some permanent damage to the fucker myself, though. Bad enough he insulted my crew, but that bastard should pick his idols more carefully.”
Nami’s brow furrowed at that. His idols? The hell did that mean?
She didn’t have time to vocalizing that question, though. Sweat ran down her neck when said smirk then took a more lecherous edge as he rested his chin on his fist, eyes glinting with mischief. “But Sarquiss-ya tried to buy you? I might have prioritize kicking his ass, then. I’m the only one who gets to be your sugar daddy.”
“Oh shut up! You didn’t even buy me new shoes!”
“You got her a suit but no shoes? For shame, Boss,” Ikkaku giggled, getting up to help Seiuchi and Jude clear the tables. “I thought you were supposed to be a ladies’ man.”
“I’m a cruel bastard who doesn’t do something for nothing. She can borrow yours.”
Sauntering over, she playfully poked him in the forehead. “Says who?”
Law snorted and childishly poked her right back. “Me. Your captain. The guy who pays your salary.”
“You pay me to keep the submarine running and sass you when you’re being an idiot.”
“I don’t pay you for that.”
“Mmmm, you’re right; that’s a service I provide for free.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say those two were siblings,” Nami chuckled under her breath.
“Right? When I was first recruited I was convinced they were secretly related,” Uni agreed.
Bepo gave them both a smile and said quietly, “I think it’s good for them. Especially Law. I think he secretly likes having a little sister again.”
Brown eyes widened at that little tidbit. Law had a sister? What happened to her? Bepo had stated the past tense, so there was either some kind of falling out or…
…oh no, she thought, turning to watch Law continue to bicker good-naturedly with Ikkaku, his expression annoyed but the glimmer in his eyes belying that he was enjoying himself. Another piece of the puzzle that was the Surgeon of Death had fallen into her lap, but it wasn’t a particularly happy one. Sure, people died or were killed all the time, but Nami couldn’t imagine what she’d be like if she’d lost Nojiko. And depending on how young they’d been or how she’d died, that could really fuck with a guy.
“Nami-ya.”
Her attention was yanked from her musing as Law called her name. He was on his feet, plate clean and smirk dangerous as he regarded her. Nami wondered whether this would be the last time she’d see him in a genuinely good mood for the rest of the evening. “It’s seven o’clock. Time to get ready to watch history be defiled by pretentious morons. And for your obnoxious thunder god’s sake, make sure you’re wearing shoes you can actually run in.”
( @ninhaoma-ya, @awesomi, @vannahfanfics)
#Fic: Welcome to the Heart Pirates#lawna#trafalgar law x nami#Trafalgar D. Water Law#lawnami#op fanfiction#op fanfic#heart pirates#heart pirate nami#ikkaku one piece#one piece ikkaku#uni one piece#law x nami#cat burglar nami#one piece nami#nami
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