#well people forget miles has them and make a point of erasing them in their little icon edits so. i’m not surprised lol
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they both have freckles btw . btw they have freckles. both of them actually. yeah. btw. did you know that they both have fr
#milesganke#arachnitech#freckle bfs…. like do people just forget movie ganke has them.#well people forget miles has them and make a point of erasing them in their little icon edits so. i’m not surprised lol#miles morales#spiderman#spider man#ganke lee#m&m posts
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I feel sometimes that I am swimming against the current...a rumination on forgetfulness
there's a lot of things that make me feel this way, but few tendencies of mine seem more contrary to the spirit of the age than my determination that we—the Pnictogen Wing, all of us, and we are many—ought to be able to revisit every single scrap of our collective pasts.
I once did so much. an outsider would say that I did nothing but read library books, but that's my point: I grew up in an isolated, abusive, profoundly unhappy household, a survivor of vile treatment at the hands of a medical professional, yet for a while I was almost happy because my life was filled with books, books on almost every subject. both my older sibling Frisk and I could read advanced material before we were six. we were too young and naïve and sheltered (and dissociated from pain) to retain much true understanding of what we read...but all the same, we filled our brains as best we could, and I want that back. ALL of it, now that we're in a position to make use of the knowledge, rather than simply fill the time with it.
the difficulty is that all those childhood memories of reading, and daydreaming about what we read, are miles deep in a fog of unpleasant memories and lurking monstrosities. the situation is far less grim than it used to be; there was a time when our pasts were completely sealed off. all the same, we've so far succeeded in recovering only some enticing crumbs of past experience. cold fingers clutch at our heart when we try to address ourselves to any subject or topic that's connected in some way with some hateful memory. music, for example, or poetry, or drawing. it feels as though we have to detoxify everything.
I dimly sense that there's another option: simply cutting old parts of ourselves off, forgetting about them—drinking the waters of Lethe. Lethe is the daughter of Eris, which seems somehow appropriate to me: if Eris is the goddess of thermal noise, meaningless randomness in other words, then the forgetfulness of Lethe can be construed as a sort of sinking-back into the realm of noise, and the reduction of all memories and perceptions to mere static, where no one perception means more than any other.
for reasons somewhat obscure to me I've fought back hard against this tendency—I've fought against forgetfulness (and as a result I've become someone who perceives facile forgetfulness in others to be disquieting.) one result has been criticism: "you live too much in the past," is something I've heard from a lot of people. but I can't see it that way: I need my past to have a future, in my own perspective.
I don't trust the social tendency towards embracing oblivion. an opportunistic, doublethinkful embrace of forgetfulness has been a valuable rhetorical weapon in the hands of right-wing ideologues who want everyone to forget the past, who want to erase all responsibility and all guilt for old crimes, because they're zealous to commit some new ones, like the crime of constructing false histories that suit their mythology. argue with these people and you'll eventually hear some smug and self-satisfied talk about willful oblivion: they want "history" to be pictures of statues and schoolbook stories about old heroes, and appealing to actual historical record makes them angry and inclined to spout nonsense about how the past was ever such a long time ago and nobody really knows what happened, and anyway it's time to embrace the future! an Elon-Musk-glittery-Martian-palaces sort of future, which one suspects will never be any realer than a computer simulation, but...well, glittery 3D simulations almost seem to be enough for a lot of people, these days.
I want to stop it, if I can. surely this isn't healthy, this reduction of all society and all history to noise, just because it makes it easier to forget painful things. I'm tired of running from old pains. we've spent almost all our current life running away from trauma and memories of shame and humiliation—trying to ignore them, trying to pretend that we were "over it" or that it was "a phase" or whatever. I don't want to live that way any more.
We refuse to take refuge in oblivion.
~Chara of Pnictogen
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The Perpetual Freak (1/?)
Pairings: Sirius Black x reader, Marauders x reader
Warnings: Mention of bullying,
Word Count: 2,063
The Beginning
“Twitch,
Just 4 days now--like I need to tell you, likely been counting down the days all bloody Holiday, haven’t you? We’ll be there Sept 1st at 10 on the dot, we should make it to King’s Cross by 11 that way. Be ready this time, won’t you? I think Padfoot just might actually hex your grandmother if he has to make small talk with her again, but can you blame him? Anyway, we’ll be there at 10. Don’t forget Jinx this time. I don’t fancy being attacked once he breaks out of your grandmother’s house.
P.S Sirius said he’ll be on his best behavior--does that make you nervous too?
See you soon,
Prongs (& Padfoot)
The letter lay in the same spot on your cracked cherrywood desk since you received it. Though short and to the point, you’d reread it many times, hoping somehow the more you read it, the faster the day would come.
Holidays were hell. Being a muggle-born, there was always a bit of an adjustment period after coming home from Hogwarts for a break--an adjustment period usually aided by parents and family--however, this could not have been further from the truth for you.
“Y/N!” As if on cue, your Grandmother's angry call shot up the stairs. Cringing, you held your breath as you walked down the stairs into the kitchen. She stood with her blue gingham apron covered in flour, as well as most of the floor and countertop.
“If this bloody bird scratches my window one-more-time,” she said the words through clenched teeth, glaring at you from across the room. Her stacked icy grey curls bobbled on her head as she shouted, her fist pressed against her hip. “I’ll have to drown it in the creek.”
Your Snowy Owl, Jinx, sat outside the baby-blue curtained window, his big orange eyes peering at you innocently through the glass.
Piecing together the situation, you’d guessed Jinx had arrived suddenly during your grandmother’s baking and had startled her, causing her to spill much of the contents of her bowl.
Suppressing a smile at the mess, you walked over to the window and opened it. Jinx’s peppered wings stretched out briefly before you felt his talons brush against your collarbone, and he perched onto your shoulder.
“Sorry, Grandmother,” you mumbled, catching your cousin smirking at you. A blush of anger lit up your face, and you made to disappear back into your room before anything got ugly; you’d gone all Holiday without a vicious row, and you weren’t about to start one just before you walked out the door.
“When does that school of yours start again, anyway? Aren’t you normally gone by now? Blakely’s school has already started, he’s been working so hard,” she doted, smoothing his hair as he ate his cereal, milk dribbling from his lips and onto the table. “We could all use a little peace and quiet around here, frankly.” she sniffed.
Jinx gave an annoyed hoot and ruffled his feathers unpleasantly as your grandmother glared at him from across the room.
“Train leaves September 1st at 11am like it always does. I’ll be leaving within the hour,” you said, struggling to control your voice.
“Train? There are enough of you--you, people, for an entire train?” Blakely said, dropping his spoon in his bowl, splattering more milk onto the table, evidently thoroughly shocked.
“Yes, oddly enough, it seems I’m not the only freak in England,” you said, using the word he often threw at you.
“Maybe not the only one, but definitely the biggest,” he said quietly, glaring up at you from his cereal. Grandmother, however, pretended as though she didn’t hear, merely clanged dishes loudly together as she turned back towards the sink.
“One day, I’ll hex you so terribly you’ll be lucky if someone calls you something so kind as freak,” you pushed the thought into his head and promptly stormed out of the kitchen, though savoring the terrified shock on his face.
“She-she did it again!” Blakely called, color draining his face. But you were already halfway up the staircase with Jinx balancing on your shoulder before her angry screech reached you.
You’d almost always been an utter freak in their eyes, and it all started when you were only a baby.
Your mother died while giving birth to you, and your father was never in the picture, so there was no one but your Grandmother to take you in; no one but you to blame for it all. You were, after all, the product of your mother’s insolence--having fallen pregnant at 15 by a man whom she’d never spoken of. And further, you were the reason she’d died; she wouldn’t have bled out if you hadn’t been conceived. To your Grandmother, it was as if you were the cause of every problem she had in life, a walking reminder of where it all went wrong--and she made sure you knew it.
Terrible as things already were, nothing was to be helped by the events that were to unfold. As the story had been told to you, you were a little over a year old, crying incessantly in your crib. You’d evidently been exceptionally whiny that day, crying non-stop, refusing to be consoled, and just when she’d for the first time seriously considered doing you in, you stopped. Relieved yet confused, your grandmother had come in to check on you.
“I’m hungry.”
She had heard the words clear as day, in a voice she didn’t recognize, but the words sounded funny. The voice almost echoed, somehow managing to sound crystal clear but miles away at the same time. Sure she was simply going mad from a lack of sleep, she stood rooted to her spot in shock.
“Did you hear me, Grandmother? I said I’m hungry.”
Seeing your bright Y/E/C eyes boring up into hers, she let out an ear-splitting scream when you grinned as recognition dawned on her face.
Obviously, no Muggle doctor could give any sort of explanation or help. At most, they’d give one of the two of you some kind of a crazy pill and a suggestion of seeing a family counselor.
Soon after, tragedy struck your grandmother’s side once more, and you were landed with a cousin, Blakely. Blakely, however, seemed to adopt a mindset closer to your grandmother’s about it all and would no sooner take a shine to you than get friendly with the rabies-infected alley cat.
But as the years went on, things began to get even stranger.
At the age of 3, your wailing cries caused all the lightbulbs around you to pop inexplicably (costing your grandmother a fortune, as she so loved to remind you).
At 5, you’d managed to levitate a ball Blakely was taunting you with out of his hands and into yours.
However, at age 9 is when it became harder to keep a secret; at age 9 is when your grandmother began truly resenting you.
Being a self-ascribed ‘freak,’ bullying was something you were no stranger to. A comment here, a hair tug there. However, this had been a particularly extreme case. Kylie Kippely and her best friends had backed you into a corner, each shooting off snarky comments at your scared state, and when that wasn’t enough, they began throwing things--anything they could get their hands on--cans, papers, pencils, erasers. All the while yelling how everyone would be much better off without such a freak in their midst, about how all their parents were scared to even send them to school anymore after your last incident.
Then, they began running out of rubbish and started picking up rocks instead. Before a single rock could leave their hands, however, the mulch around you began to shake, then chips slowly started rising into the air behind them. As your face went from scared to full of awe, they turned around to see what you were looking at and simultaneously dropped everything in their hands. The mulch then began pelting at all of them, causing everyone around you to scream and disperse, all batting away the pieces of mulch pelting at their running backsides.
Grandmother had pulled you out of the school before you could receive any other punishment, and from that moment on, you’d been stuck in the house with her.
With no outlet, with nothing but growing rage and resentment inside of you, things began to spiral even worse.
Just when Grandmother began researching distant reform schools, however, you received your Hogwarts letter, and everything made sense.
All the strange things you could do, all the bizarre things you made happen, had an explanation. Sure the explanation was that you were, in fact, a freak--but you weren’t the only freak. There was a whole school’s worth of freaks just like you--well, almost just like you.
Though paper cranes soared around you and magic burst from the tip of hundreds of wands, through your time at Hogwarts, you found you did have one unique gift: it was evidently called Telepathic Impression, a branch of complex magic known as Legillimens--no one else could push thoughts into other people’s heads like you could, not naturally anyway. Nobody could ask a question silently and have the Professor answer for all to hear. After you’d interjected into McGonagall’s head during your first Transfiguration class, she’d had you go straight off to Dumbledore’s office. After a brief discussion, it was found you possessed natural Legilimency skills--something that had only been seen once before. He’d been absolutely transfixed when you told him the first instance had been at the ripe age of 1, in fluent advanced English no less.
You smiled fondly at the memory of his laugh of delight as you’d repeated, ‘Did you hear me, Grandmother? I said I’m hungry.'
Never before had you told that story in any sort of positive light, never got a positive reaction either. Dumbledore had been absolutely enthralled with you from then on.
He had carefully explained the practice of Legilimency, how the mind was a layered thing and could not be ‘read’ simply, like a book. He’d explained how everyone learned it to some advantage of theirs, how no two Legilimens were the same.
After several years of private lessons, it seemed all you’d ever be able to do with your gift was push thoughts, images, and sounds of your own into other’s minds--but this was an incredible feat in itself, a private gift of yours. However, just the year before, it was found that with effort, you could twist the thought to become persuasive, convince the person the thought was their own, and to complete the idea you’d given them. During the first lesson which you found you could do so, you’d been practicing with Dumbledore. Though he was giving no effort at all to resist, you’d silently suggested his tea was abysmal and that he knock it off his desk in disgust. With a twitch of his wrist, the cup shattered onto the floor, shocking you both into silence. It was after this Dumbledore had insisted you promise to never use it for evil, never ever use it with ill intentions--for as a Legilimens himself, he would know. You quickly agreed, of course; you’d never once had the thought to use it with ill motives--aside from maybe having Blakely go for a nice long dip in the creek in the dead of January, but that was a fantasy you kept for yourself to get you through Holidays like these.
Shaking your head of past childhood memories, you turned to your trunk to make sure you did indeed have everything all packed up and ready. You didn’t want to stay a second longer than necessary.
Spotting your cloaks pushed into the depths of your closet, you plucked them from the dark and folded them into your trunk. It wasn’t a moment too soon either, because right as you closed the lid, you heard the boisterous arrival of your best friends as they pulled in the winding driveway driving the enchanted car James’ parents had lent him. You heard an enthusiastic barking whoop and smiled as Sirius’ bright eyes and smile filled your mind.
Your stomach bubbling with excitement, you hastily put Jinx in his cage as he looked around in interest. Picking up his cage, you bounded down the stairs to meet them.
#harry potter x you#harry potter masterlist#harry potter fanfic#harry potter fanfiction#harry potter series#maruaders x reader#marauders masterlist#marauders smut#hp marauders#young marauders#marauders fic#marauders era#the marauders#james potter fanfiction#james potter#remus lupin x reader#remus lupin fanfiction#remus lupin#sirius black x reader#sirius black fic#sirius black series#sirius x reader#sirius black smut#sirius black fanfiction#sirius#young sirius black#hogwarts#gryffindor#ravenclaw#hufflepuff
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Ted Lasso 2x8 thoughts
I am so lucky that the creators of Ted Lasso decided to make this entire show specifically for me. #blessed
If last week felt like a bit of breathing room (albeit tense, poignant, character-progressing breathing room) with distinct narrative lines, this week’s episode was a chaotic yet tightly-written swirl of pain and hope and sadness! No neat subject headers for this one, y’all. Just my brain and heart in the inadequate form of a bulleted list. It is the medium available to me at this time.
I am going to remember the moment when Ted calls Sharon and tells her his father killed himself for the rest of my life.
(I could say a bunch of stuff about his face and what he says and how he tries to hide his tears from Beard right after and how insanely much I adore this character and ahhhhhhhh but I’m just going to leave that scene there in our collective memories.)
Jamie. JAMIE. Higgins has given some great advice about love on this show, but his musings about his up-and-down relationship with his own father were not helpful in the context of Jamie’s dad, who is an abusive piece of shit. I really adore that all of the main AFC Richmond staff members are realistically a bit hit-or-miss with their advice and life philosophies (some are mostly miss this season, of course).
And I am completely in awe of the moment when Jamie punches his father. The way he just stands there after Beard kicks his dad out of the locker room. The way you can hear a pin drop. And Roy—Roy who is learning in so many areas of his life about his influence on people, learning that the things he needs aren’t necessarily the same as the things other people need—is the one to cross the room and hug him. Hold him, really, with the tenderness Ted used when he hugged Rebecca outside the gala in 1x4. God.
I’ve thought a lot about how s1 was about giving people a soft place to land. There’s always an angel there when you need one. There’s always an opportunity to be kind. If you look for someone, you find them. If you look for the good in someone, you find the good. And as everyone works through their individual journeys in s2, that can’t always be the case anymore. But there are still so many moments of angels on this show, and it’s not about chance and serendipity and fate [not that it was about that in s1] but about the effort it takes to become someone who can be there for someone else. Or who can be there for yourself. I’m so proud of Jamie for physically fighting back against his father. I’m so proud of Roy for being the one who recognized what Jamie needed.
I have every feeling in the world about how Ted is almost totally frozen both times (s1 and s2) he witnesses Jamie’s father abusing him. In s1, he was still there for Jamie after, and I have every reason to believe he’ll be there for Jamie after this incident as well, but that frozen stance HURTS. He’s in so deep with his pain about his own father that it’s like he physically cannot snap out of it to act in the moment. It seems entirely outside of his control, and it breaks my heart, because Ted wants so badly to be a good father, a good coach, a good friend, a good partner, a good patient. He’s there for people in all kinds of ways, even in his current less-than-capable state. He takes care of Sharon post-concussion and even gets her a new bike! During the disastrous match at Wembley his coaching is ineffectual and everything is chaos but he’s the last one standing on the pitch! But this really awful thing keeps happening to Jamie and Ted is just…frozen in the face of it. Like one of those nightmares where you’re running in place.
The frozen-in-place nightmare also kind of applies to the way the total separation between Ted and Rebecca feels, too. I have never for a moment doubted the writers’ intentions in setting these characters up as soulmates on parallel journeys, and I’m actually really digging (on a story level) how disconnected they are right now. It is IMPRESSIVE that their absence in each other’s lives feels like such a glaring loss, one we cannot forget even as there are so many other things happening onscreen. It is 100% not just shipper goggles making me process information about Ted while thinking about Rebecca and information about Rebecca while thinking about Ted. I know there are a lot of really angry and frustrated people in the fandom right now (both T/R shippers and T/R antis and non-shipping fans who don’t get why s2 is different from s1) and while I understand being frustrated by choices characters make, and frustrated by the feelings the show makes us feel that we just want to feel more of or less of, I continue to agree with pretty much every narrative choice happening right now.
Agreeing with the narrative like this?! This is such a unique experience for me as a viewer—to feel like I’m on a ride that is at once absolutely wild and incredibly sensible and well-crafted, and to feel simultaneously completely invested and anticipatory and speculative but also totally willing to trust where it goes. I long for Ted and Beard to really talk. I long for Ted and Rebecca to stop missing each other. I long for Roy to have a serious conversation with Ted about what’s happening with him. I long for Keeley to find a vocation, something that drives her beyond her projects. I long for so many things! But I wouldn’t long for them if this show was less good. If the show was less good, I wouldn’t have a wish list a mile long because I wouldn’t be so attuned to the details and potential lurking in every scene. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SHOW, I CANNOT HANDLE IT, I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
(To that end, a great deal of the Ted Lasso tag and so many Twitter reactions reactions to the show feel super stressful right now and I am kind of just trying not to look?! I love this fandom so much because of the amazing conversations that happen and because of brilliant fic and because there are some awesome people I never would have encountered were it not for this show. That little bubble is wonderful and I’d stay in this fandom no matter what in order to keep experiencing those things. But fans’ catastrophic reactions to every little thing that happens, every little choice a character makes that isn’t the “perfect” choice? The takeaway that the writers—on this show of all shows—wake up in the morning ready for another day of torturing shippers rather than another day of writing a beautiful story they genuinely want to write? I do not enjoy those parts at all. I would like to opt out of those parts. I’m having such a magical experience watching this show and talking about this show and listening about this show and writing about this show with a variety of people who feel all kinds of ways. I truly wish I could somehow transfer the energy of this experience onto all the people who are hating it right now. I don’t mind at all that people are having vastly different reactions to this show and are sharing their honest feelings, including the really angry ones (I can appreciate something and disagree with it!), and I get that sometimes the language of fannish reactions is intentionally, ironically hyperbolic. But there feels like this very serious trend of people legitimately thinking writers on this show are targeting shippers and have lost respect for their characters, and I just feel like an alien from another planet when I see that stuff. I guess I just feel like people make art because they want their art to be visible to other people and to themselves, but that doesn’t typically involve specifically catering to or torturing a subset of that audience?)
I am more fascinated by Sharon Fieldstone than ever before. I have been running through every single action with her and Ted so many times. The confirmation that she’s living in club-provided housing (that could not look more different from Ted’s club-provided flat). Ted clearly noticing the many bottles. Sharon’s face while she tries to casually recycle them. (Sharon could legitimately have a more problematic relationship with alcohol than Ted does, and I find that extremely interesting and am very curious to find out what happens there.) Sharon leaving him voice notes while she’s concussed, probably because she’d been thinking about him shortly before the accident. The way Ted calls her and does all the funny voices and it’s not frustrating like all the times he uses his silliness and allusions to deflect during their prior conversations because this time, those behaviors are just a part of him showing care for another person. The way they stretch each other, and Ted is still wrong about the things he’s been wrong about, but they both grow all the same.
While it is pretty much impossible for me to imagine that this show would include an actual romantic relationship between Ted and Sharon (it would be beyond unethical even if they could write it well, and Sharon in particular is so professional and committed to her work, and it would erase so much of the powerful message about the importance of seeking therapy from a professional who is not your friend or partner, and I would totally hate it), watching this episode was the first moment I had this queasy little feeling that it’s possible that Ted could end up developing really complicated feelings about Sharon since, at this point, he’s been honest with her about things he’s hardly spoken about before and you can really form an attachment to people you feel safe with in a new way. (I mean, I’m sure Michelle knows what happened with Ted’s father, but I’m not even certain if Beard does.) He’s so broken right now, and Sharon is such a great person and so different from anyone else in his life (even though Rebecca is also different, and Beard is also different, and Roy is also different, and so on), that I could see things getting really fuzzy for him. I continue to have faith in the way the storylines on this show are handled. I’m just. Putting this here.
(In saying that, though, I also wanna make it really clear that I don’t just automatically assume anytime a new female character is introduced that they’re going to end up becoming a romantic complication. Like, Phoebe is allowed to have a teacher who is an attractive woman and AFC Richmond is allowed to have a sports psychologist who is an attractive woman and Keeley is allowed to talk to Jamie Tartt without it threatening what she has with Roy and all these people can exist as human beings without the introduction of romantic drama.)
Isaac gives every player one haircut per season, OH MY GOD. The JOY during the haircut scene. YES.
KEELEY AND REBECCA. Their text thread. The affirming video call right before Rebecca goes into the restaurant. The way Keeley sits all snuggled up against Rebecca in her office.
I was pretty thoroughly spoiled for the Sam and Rebecca plot through 2x8, and I was bracing for something far more problematic and tortured than what happens in this episode. The words I would use to describe their scenes: awkward, cute, cringy, and understandable. There are a million reasons why this relationship isn’t sustainable, but I felt completely understanding of both their choices here. This show has a lot of thesis statements, but I keep going back to the idea from 2x1 that there are people who enter your life to help you get to the next point, and I think it’s entirely possible that Sam and Rebecca will mutually be that for each other.
I find comparisons between Rupert and Rebecca super upsetting. There are absolutely meaningful things to say about the irony of ending up in a situation with an uncomfortable resemblance to certain taboo elements of an ex’s situation. But that ex is abusive and manipulative and cruel and Rebecca has exhibited NONE of those behaviors, and it makes me really sad to think that people feel that the writers on this show have betrayed Rebecca in giving her this storyline.
As always, I reserve the right to keep blathering about this show. I’ve had a headache for a couple of days, but my head is also so full of 2x8 thoughts that I couldn’t keep them in even if the circumstances for writing this were not ideal. I kind of hate that I’ve included frustrated fandom thoughts within the analysis of what I felt was an absolutely gorgeous, complicated, heartbreaking, near-perfect episode of television, but if ya can’t be a little dramatic on your own tumblr while you’re feeling raw and under the weather, where can ya?
#ted lasso#ted lasso s2 spoilers#meta by me#ted lasso 2x8#a lesbian watches ted lasso#cw: suicide mention#cw: alcohol abuse mention
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Phoenix Wright: The Truth Reborn: Oh No We’re Doing This Again
hi.
Nearly two months ago, I wrote an essay summarizing and making very wild conclusions about the second Takarazuka Musical. I did this about two and a half years after watching the first Takarazuka musical. As such I did not have the full context for many things from the musical and was relying mostly on my memory, which blocked many things from this musical for my own safety. However, just this week, I decided to rewatch it, because I enjoy tormenting myself. I said I wouldn’t write anything on it. Here I am writing something on it.
Here’s the youtube thumbnail so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. And here, of course, is the link. This is the HD version which may be slightly more pleasant to watch. Maybe.
It was not quite as cringe in a funny way as the second musical to me, and therefore this essay may be less funny, but I feel like I’m doing a disservice to people by providing a summary of the second musical while completely neglecting the first. Quite possibly doing this is even more of a disservice. I just eagerly await the day that the third musical is translated because *that* will be the day that I finally shuffle off this mortal coil. Either way, I want to write this stuff down so that I never have to watch the musical again out of curiosity.
The following essay will contain major spoilers for both the first and second Phoenix Wright Takarazuka musicals, as I will be using many points from this musical to argue my thesis of the second musical. ... like you were going to watch them anyways.
This one broke 8k. I’m dead inside.
Introducing The Director
Again another disclaimer that I don’t have anything against the actresses or the theatre troupe. I DO have something against Suzuki Kei, who I recently learned is the writer and director of all three of the Ace Attorney Takarazuka musicals, and is quite possibly my mortal nemesis.
This man is the one who brought this monstrosity into the world.
This man, allegedly, cleared the first four ace attorney games *seven times* before sitting down to write these musicals. He played these goddamn games seven times and did not take in a single word. The man clicked through them mindlessly while watching a badly written legal romance drama in the background and got them completely confused. I genuinely have no idea how this man could have played these games more times than even me and yet managed to get so many characters (MAYA!!!!) completely and utterly wrong. This haunts me every day, truly.
This man played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney seven times. SEVEN TIMES EACH!! and was told to create a musical based on the series. He played these games seven times each and you know what he said?? You know what he said?? “This sucks, I’m getting rid of all of Phoenix’s backstory, butchering half the characters, and writing Phoenix/Lana fanfiction, but also rewriting all of Lana’s backstory so that she was Phoenix’s childhood friend, and you know what, I’m changing her name for good measure.”
I think this man played the games seven times each and then hated it so much and was so sick of it he tried to write something that destroyed as much of the series as possible while still being vaguely recognizable. And then somehow it became a massive hit because people like me see this and go “what the actual hell” and watch it, or people who haven’t played the games see this and go “wow what a great musical!” and then he wrote TWO MORE, destroying EVEN MORE every time in his wake, until finally, finally, he stopped after making Edgeworth straight and time traveling into the past to face off against a corrupt Gregory. I guess that was the last straw.
I have to issue a disclaimer here that for legal reasons this is a joke. I don’t actually hate this man and would not punch him in the face if I met him because that would be rude, and he is entitled to his wrong interpretation of the games. I don’t know what his thought process was. But allegedly he did play the games seven times according to the wiki. This whole essay here is satire and not slander and I don’t want to offend this guy if he somehow stumbles across my nonsense tumblr post. At the same time: Suzuki Kei blink twice if you need help.
Anyways half the reason that I’m making this essay is because I want to share my fake ao3 page for this musical. The other half will become apparent later.
Sorry if that’s illegible because of tumblr quality it’s not really important. All you really need to know is that it’s a fake ao3 screenshot for the musical. Also in the author’s note I said he played the games four times but it was actually seven I just remembered wrong because I didn’t want to believe it.
at this point you may be like “Grace shut up and get to the actual musical” and okay, fine, let’s start this nonsense. Also note that I may be referencing things from my essay on the second musical very frequently; I’m not going to force you to go read that though because the fact that you’re reading this is enough of a torment already.
The Musical Begins
Unlike the second musical, this one opens with some narration from Phoenix.
Transcript:
Phoenix: I’m reviewing a particular case at the moment. To me, this case... is one I’ll never forget.
Immediately I think this is important because it establishes that this whole musical takes place in a flashback that Phoenix is reflecting on. Why is this important? Because we know, by the time of the second musical which takes place three years later, Leona is dead.
Knowing that Leona is inherently doomed to die of her Sad Woman Disease paints this whole musical in a different light. It’s not Phoenix reflecting on how he got back together with his lover; it’s Phoenix dwelling on their past together, and the opportunities they had, before her life was so cruelly and inexplicably taken away. We don’t know if Phoenix’s reminiscing takes place before or after Leona’s death... but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was after.
Phoenix, still in the present, starts to sing. “A wave appears on the horizon like a mirage, it trembles, then vanishes. Your voice, carried upon the waves, fades upon the shore, erasing the splendor of the past.”
This line actually shows up in the second musical, sung by Lucia about her imprisoned fiance quite possibly. It’s kind of hard to tell what the meaning of these songs even are. They’re too abstract for me I think. But this line appears very frequently in the first musical when Phoenix is thinking about Leona.
Then we enter the flashback time.
Phoenix inexplicably yells at a newspaper saleswoman. This is not relevant to anything whatsoever. Then Larry barges in to the office, looking for Maya. Phoenix describes him as “A real trouble maker, but you just can’t hate the guy”, the latter part of which I think many people would disagree with.
Well, afterwards, Maya comes in. Phoenix describes her like this while making exaggerated “can you believe this shit” gestures.
Transcript:
Phoenix: She’s as ditzy as they come. Oh, and about the outfit... Apparently she comes from a family of spirit mediums. Try not to make fun of her, okay?
Suzuki Kei personally has it out for Maya and I can never forgive him for it. Maya in these musicals is here for pure comedic relief but it’s not even comedic because I just get so angry. How can you play the trilogy seven times and think this about her?? The girl who figured out DL-6?? The girl who told Phoenix to sacrifice her life in order to find the truth?? The girl who put on a brave smile in order to try and cheer up her younger cousin even after she saw her own mother murdered right in front of her eyes?? That Maya Fey?? Ditzy as they come??????
Ugh. Moving on.
Maya and Larry run off, leaving Phoenix to watch the American Broadcast.
Important things to note here are the Godot mug, the little line up of what I think are the messed up little ace attorney figurines beneath the screen, and the fact that while this broadcast is supposedly from and to America the screen is actually not at all showing America. Like literally almost everywhere in the world except North and South America.
The broadcast says that Leona Clyde, age 24, was arrested for murdering the senator Robert Cole! Leona Clyde -- that’s Phoenix’s ex-girlfriend! He runs off to the detention center.
She is not happy to see him.
Leona: Mr. Wright... I’m not the woman you once knew.
Let’s Play A Matching Game
Sorry for the abundance of screenshots that are going to be throughout this section. Phoenix convinces Leona to let him defend her. Some of the conversation seems... familiar.
Leona: No one would defend someone who admits to killing a senator. I’m waiting for a court-appointed attorney.
Edgeworth: Every defense attorney I’ve talked to has turned me down.
Phoenix: In that case, let me defend you.
Game Phoenix: Let me defend you.
Leona: Don’t be ridiculous!
Edgeworth: Don’t be ridiculous.
Phoenix: I’ll never accept that you’re a murderer. Let me prove your innocence!
Game Phoenix: Huh? Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to prove that Miles Edgeworth is innocent.
Leona: I’ve already confessed my guilt.
Gumshoe: He confessed that he did it! In court!
Leona: It’s foolish to think you can win this case.
Edgeworth: My case is near hopeless, Wright.
Leona: (in response to phoenix offering to defend her) No you won’t! Don’t ever come here again.
Edgeworth: Look, just go away, and leave me alone!
Phoenix: You of all people should know. Once I decide to do something, I see it through to the end.
Edgeworth: Once you start on something, you always see it through, don’t you?
Leona: I never thought that you’d be representing me.
Phoenix: Ah, who could have guessed this day would come?
Edgeworth: Not me.
Phoenix: You believed in me. You saved me. And this time, I swear... I swear I’ll save you!
Game Phoenix: Edgeworth believed in me, and I believe in him. I’m the only one who knows the real Edgeworth. I’m the only one who can help him.
I could’ve done a few more, but tumblr is already threatening to murder my laptop.
So long story short, Phoenix manages to convince his lover to let him be the defense on the case. Then immediately after swearing to save Leona, he starts singing a song, which I’m not screencapping because this is enough:
“As long as there are people in this world, there’s only one path I will follow! As long as there is love in this world, there’s only one path I will believe in!”
Edgeworth sings this in the second musical after saying that he returned to California because of Phoenix. Phoenix sings it now after swearing to defend Leona. You draw your own conclusions.
And then we finally get the opening credits. Eleven minutes in.
Just Pretend This Is Narumitsu Fanfiction
Following the credits, we see a beautiful beach. Couples (exclusively heterosexual, of course,) dance and embrace in the background for some time, before revealing Phoenix and Leona, in the Even Further Past, before the LSATs or whatever the ace attorney universe’s excuse for law school exams are.
Phoenix establishes his absolute hatred of change, an important characterization moment.
Phoenix: The view here never changes, huh?
Phoenix reminisces on when they were kids. Leona’s parents were both lawyers (they’re both lawyers) and sometimes they would be like lawyers with her when she was a kid. This inspired her to also become a lawyer after their tragic death of Sickness. They never specify what the sickness is that caused two people who must be relatively young to die while Leona was in her early twenties at the latest. It may be whatever sickness claimed Leona’s life later. Sad Woman Disease. (Sad Man Disease for her father, I guess?)
Phoenix also talks about why he’s becoming a lawyer.
Phoenix: Watching you chase your dream inspired me to become a lawyer too.
So, it’s not “my childhood friend looked sad in a newspaper” because I guess that makes no sense or is too gay or something. But this is another important piece of Phoenix characterization. His entire life so far has been focused around Leona. They’ve been friends since they were kids, and then Phoenix decided to become a lawyer solely because Leona was becoming a lawyer. Not even to try and get back into contact with her after she moved away or anything; just because he’s so obsessed with her that he wants to have the same career as her, then they can run a Mom & Pop Law Firm or something, years in the future, after years of happy marriage and a few children or like whatever the hell.
Well, there’s a few steps they’ll need to get to that. At this point Phoenix still hasn’t confessed his feelings for Leona. He does so here, on this beach.
Leona tries to protest.
Leona: But I’m pushy, selfish, and only care about my goals... You’d get fed up with me.
Phoenix: That’s what I’ve always admired about you. That’s who I’ve been chasing all these years. That’s the only person... I love.
Sooo, Phoenix, your type is pushy selfish people who only care about their goals...? In the first, older lower-quality video translation it was “only care about my work”, too. Hm. Things to think about.
They sing a little duet together. Then we go back to present-day of what’s technically still a flashback. Whatever. Murder is happening.
Back To The Murder
So some plot things to establish: Leona is the legal counsel of Governor Miller, who is running for president in the AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. After the flashback so that Phoenix has some time to change clothes, they show an interview of him talking about the murder.
Governor Miller: I vow to forge a peaceful country with my own two hands, and to prepare myself for whatever may lie ahead.
Reporters: Through thick and thin, he’s a friend of the people!
The Takarazuka musicals are not very good at hiding their killers.
Phoenix: Oh yeah... It’s almost time for the presidential election, isn’t it?
NEVER FORGET, WRIGHT. THIS IS AMERICA. LAND OF THE FREE! god what even was that line.
Anyways, we meet Gumshoe, who is incompetent once again. Maya runs around the crime scene, picks up the murder weapon, puts her fingerprints all over everything, moves things around, all while Phoenix is like “lol get a load of the world’s stupidest girl” or whatever. But who cares about that.
It’s time to get to the only valid part of this musical.
Edgeworth’s Gay Little Villain Solo
You may have seen this one before.
Edgeworth arrives, but not really. It’s like Phoenix heard Edgeworth was prosecuting and immediately entered a dream-like state, where Edgeworth is heralded by the sound of trumpets in Great Revival. He’s played by a different actress than in the other two musicals, since I think she retired in between the six or so months from this musical to the second. She still plays the role well, though, or as well as can be when you’re written in an ace attorney Takarazuka musical.
Shrouded in scarlet solitude... it’s Edgeworth.
Yes, those are six Edgeworths. Yes, they pick Phoenix up and carry him around and dance with him. Yes, it was probably not meant to be at all homoerotic.
He sings a song that’s called “My rule”. I only figured this out later, but it’s loosely based on a “catchphrase” of his in the Japanese version - in game 1 he says something along the lines of “All I can do is get every defendant declared guilty! So I make that my policy.” In DD in his dramatic anime introduction before the trial, he says “I intend to question the defendant with all I have. For that is a part of my creed.” “So I make that my policy” and “For that is a part of my creed”, to my understanding, are both translated from the same line, which I think is like, “sore ga watashi no ruru”, “That is my rule.” (If I’m wrong, please correct me.) In this song he sings about how he’ll reduce all criminals to ash and such, basically talks about his game 1 prosecuting strategy as “my rule”.
It’s very fun and probably if you want to only watch one number of this musical, it can be this one. It starts about 26:10 in the video I linked.
Once the musical number is done, Phoenix and Edgeworth stare at each other, and the background fades into the courtroom, so court begins. I feel like I should note that Phoenix has not picked up any evidence or talked to any witnesses in this investigation except for Gumshoe, since Maya just moved some things around and then Phoenix had some weird fever dream about Edgeworth which presumably took up the rest of the day.
The Trial, Day 1
Edgeworth: Consider it a prelude to the poignant Greek tragedy that’s about to unfold.
Maya: The real tragedy’s your pompous attitude!
Those are the only screenshots I took of this trial day. Here’s a summary, though:
The trial starts off with Leona confessing, Phoenix says “no I think she’s innocent”, and since ace attorney doesn’t care about the defendant’s wishes he’s allowed to proceed. For some reason Leona lets him do this without complaint.
Gumshoe is the first witness, he claims to have caught Leona red-handed at the scene of the crime, standing over the corpse. Phoenix tries to claim that since Gumshoe didn’t see Leona committing the crime, he didn’t actually catch her red-handed, to which Edgeworth responds “What do you think being caught red-handed means?”
Once Gumshoe is dismissed, Lotta takes the stand. She has a photo of the actual moment of the crime, where Leona is holding a knife in the air in front of the victim.
The Takarazuka musicals like to do this thing where the image is blurry and zoomed out, but then Phoenix will go “I’VE NOTICED A CONTRADICTION” and it zooms in really far as the resolution increases drastically in order to show you the contradiction that is impossible to spot for yourself, because they don’t want people figuring out the mystery in this musical based off of a video game where you have to solve the mystery yourself. Anyways Phoenix zooms in on this photo and sees that there’s blood on Leona’s hand, presumably before she stabbed the victim. How did it get there?
Edgeworth suggests the victim was stabbed multiple times. Phoenix says the autopsy report contradicts that. Edgeworth, uncharacteristically, does not update it to suit his argument.
Phoenix concludes that this photo is not showing the moment Leona stabbed the victim, but the moment Leona removed the knife! ... Which somehow casts doubt on her having been the one to stab the victim. Because as everyone knows, anyone wanting to kill someone would never remove a knife, it’s not like they’d bleed out faster that way, or anything.
And this whole contradiction is confusing because presumably if the victim was stabbed and then the knife was removed, they’d know that happened, because then the knife would not be found stuck in the victim’s body, since the victim was only stabbed once. So this shouldn’t be news to the prosecution that someone removed the knife after stabbing. But the investigation was headed by the most incompetent version of Gumshoe ever, so. sure. I guess no one knew.
That at least manages to extend the trial another day.
This Totally Has To Be Illegal
After the trial, Phoenix goes to talk to Governor Miller, aka Mr. Totally The Real Killer. Phoenix asks him why he decided to hire Leona as his legal advisor.
Basically, it’s because her parents were both renowned lawyers. Her father was a Chief Prosecutor, and her mother was a defense attorney. ... a prosecutor and a defense attorney couple... who does that remind us of...
Phoenix points out that just because her parents were good lawyers, it doesn’t mean she’d necessarily be one. Miller says that, sure, but she is actually really talented, and her law school marks were spectacular. Phoenix says “WHY WERE YOU LOOKING AT HER LAW SCHOOL MARKS”, like it’s somehow? suspicious? for a government official hiring legal counsel to look at their law school marks?
Apparently it IS suspicious because Governor Miller freaks out and asks if this is an interrogation. Before Phoenix can press much further, he gets a phone call, and leaves Phoenix alone in a big room.
So naturally Phoenix behaves like a fully grown adult running a law firm.
If all he did was sit in the chair, lift up a desk lamp, and poke his finger on a pen, that’s one thing. But then he leans over, OPENS THE GOVERNOR’S DESK DRAWER, and finds a knife that’s just sitting there casually. It looks like a butter knife. It’s not anything major. Maybe the dude just wanted to butter his toast?
I mean I know Phoenix will dig around in stuff whenever in the games, but he has no reason to suspect Governor Miller at all, much less dig through his drawer probably full of confidential government documents to lift up a knife that he thinks is suspicious. It’s not even covered in blood or anything?
Naturally Governor Miller’s assistant comes in just then, and Phoenix puts the knife. in his breast pocket.
bud. It may look like a butter knife, but putting knives up against your chest is not a great idea. Much less stealing a knife from a governor?
Well, in his panic, he accidentally knocks over a bunch of books on the desk. The governor’s assistant helps him pick them up, and they find a photo. Look a little familiar?
The photo has the assistant, the victim Robert Cole, Governor Miller, and the victim’s brother who died in an incident two years ago. He’s the “Neil Marshall” of this musical, and he died in what was essentially the SL-9 incident. Same general premise, except it occurred in the courthouse, and the names are different.
AND FINALLY WE REACH THE END OF ACT 1. They do a musical number here which is a weird sort of mashup of the main opening credits song, Edgeworth’s Villain Solo, and the love duet between Phoenix and Leona. They are all such different songs that it sounds a little weird.
ACT 2, FINALLY
The act begins on a sour note with Maya playing with the knife and showing off her characterization, which is one of the most infuriating Maya characterizations you’ll sometimes see around the fandom by people who don’t like Maya.
Maya: Let me whip up my special spirit channeler hamburgers!
sigh.
But then we’re saved (?) by the arrival of EDGEWORTH, who is presumably just here to chat. He asks Phoenix if he’s defending Leona in hopes of winning her back, then says to keep out of it, since it’s a very important case and he can’t understand the gravity of it.
Then Phoenix says this.
Phoenix: Would you be saying that if you were the one on trial? The defendant is in a dark prison, reaching out for hope... Can you imagine the loneliness and sorrow of being ostracized?
CAN YOU IMAGINE IT, EDGEWORTH? CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU WERE ON TRIAL AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD DEFEND YOU AND BELIEVED IN YOUR INNOCENCE??
Edgeworth responds to this by essentially rehashing his speech in Turnabout Sisters about how he needs to find all defendants guilty because he can’t guarantee their innocence and all that. Maya gets upset and leaves so that Phoenix and Edgeworth can talk about their childhood in private.
Phoenix once again complains about how people change since nine years old.
Phoenix then says that he has something Edgeworth doesn’t: the POWER TO BELIEVE! Then Maya comes in and tries to spike Edgeworth’s coffee, so he leaves.
The Class Trial
Phoenix explains a bit about Edgeworth and his backstory to Maya. Namely, the class trial. Phoenix was accused of stealing lunch money, Edgeworth stood up for him, but instead of Larry, Leona stood up for him. I guess Suzuki Kei thought “oh the class trial, if Leona stood up for him, it would be so romantic, because she’s a woman, and he’s a man”, or something like that.
Edgeworth wanted to become a Great Lawyer Like His Father! But then he turned cold as ice.
Phoenix: His father got too deeply involved in a case... and paid for it with his life. Edgeworth saw him murdered. He was never the same again. I bet he couldn’t forgive the criminal.
Yeah I bet he couldn’t ever forgive the person he thought killed his father all these years, Phoenix. I bet he really hates that person, Phoenix. I bet he has nightmares about that person killing his father or something, Phoenix.
Phoenix: He vanished, then returned without his mercy or compassion. He had become a monster. When he lost his father, he also lost the ability to believe in others.
So like... one of the most chilling things about this musical is that they never actually solve DL-6. This probably roughly takes place 15 years after DL-6, since they were about the same age when the class trial started, and at least Leona is 24 now. The next musical takes place three years from now, and in it, Edgeworth refers to von Karma as his mentor, implying he’s still around and doing things.
So, in addition to everything else going wrong with this musical, DL-6 still happens, but von Karma never frames Edgeworth for it fifteen years later. The statute of limitations runs out, and von Karma forever gets away with his crime. And Edgeworth has no idea.
What changes did they make to DL-6, though, you may ask? I’m desperate to know as well. In the third musical, which I’ve watched because I hate myself but am unable to fully understand because I don’t know much Japanese, there is a scene where Miles flashbacks to DL-6. It’s abstract, but he makes gun-throwing motions at Gregory, followed by a gunshot sound.
Therefore, in this musical’s internal canon, either Miles Edgeworth shot his father, or he believes he did for the rest of his life.
... moving on.
Phoenix: But he still has his humanity. It’s still there, deep down inside!
At least, if nothing else, Phoenix still believes in him. Even this Takarazuka Musical couldn’t touch that.
The Feenie Sweater
Right after this, Larry barges in, and Phoenix leaves him alone with Maya. The musical tries teasing Larry/Maya, but fortunately, Maya’s having none of it.
Maya: You’re barking up the wrong tree.
Props to this musical for not being as bad as it could have been.
After this, the two sit down on the couch, and Maya asks for more gossip on Phoenix and Leona. Larry launches into a story, which turns into a flashback that ends up being narrated by Phoenix halfway through. This one’s about Phoenix and Leona’s relationship.
This is an interesting line in here, “I’ll guide you to the future”, for it loosely referencing the sort of love ballad Phoenix sings with Lucia in the second musical which is about “I’ll take you to that radiant future”, and he later sings to the memory of Leona right around the time of his big spiral into despair.
I’m sorry if you haven’t read my other essay and just said “wait what” to what I just typed.
Leona was getting ready to move to New York to defend the weak “in the big city”. This is rather strange wording because it implies that California does not in fact have a big city. She says some things in her conversation with Phoenix that probably plant some of his later issues.
Leona: This is the first time we’ll be apart since we were kids.
Leona: We promised we’d always be together.
Leona: I’ll be waiting. Waiting for you to come to me.
Haha. Sure would be a shame... if something were to happen... and they wouldn’t be able to be together anymore...
So some dancers wearing black come in and take off their outer jackets, to symbolize the passage of time. They circle around Phoenix and Leona. In this, you can just barely see, Phoenix is wearing a pink sweater beneath his jacket.
“Oh,” I think to myself, “Is that the Feenie sweater? Are they including it here as a reference to the games?”
Then the dancers keep moving.
THAT IS NOT THE FEENIE SWEATER. That is a pink sweater with a sexily drawn woman on it.
This is the other half of the reason why I decided to go through with making this essay.
This is so incredibly funny to me. Suzuki Kei Who Has Played The Games Seven Times has seen the hand-knit bright pink sweater with a giant red heart on it seven times. The sweater Iris, Phoenix’s girlfriend, lovingly knit for him that he wears all the time even though it is one of the tackiest, cheesiest items of clothing to ever exist. And so, when the costume designers were designing the clothes for College Phoenix Wright, they asked themselves: “Should we include the Feenie sweater?”
and “NO,” someone must have shouted, “NO, we can NOT include the Feenie sweater, it is PINK and it has a HEART on it and it’s TOO GIRLY. Phoenix Wright is a MANLY MAN. He would not EVER wear something PINK with a HEART on it.”
“BUT,” someone else said, “it’s a REFERENCE to the original games, where he DID wear a pink sweater with a heart on it! We MUST include it to pander to the fans!”
“WAIT,” a third person interjected. “I have a BRILLIANT IDEA. We can keep the pink... But to make it VERY CLEAR he is a heterosexual, masculine male... we put a sexy woman on it.”
And Person Three Got A Raise.
Thank god we’re finally halfway done this musical.
We Just Have To Go On With Our Lives Now
There’s plot or something happening. Leona breaks up with Phoenix inexplicably over the phone. Probably because of that freaking sweater. Imagine wearing that. God.
Eventually we go back to Phoenix talking to Leona, and he asks about the Jack Lyon case, which is the rip-off version of the Joe Darke case. Leona is pretty cagey about it, but Phoenix proves that she was there in the gallery that day. Leona refuses to answer, claims again that she killed the victim in her case, and leaves.
This makes Phoenix sad, so he starts singing.
Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.
If this sounds familiar, it’s the part where I started absolutely losing my mind in the second musical because this line had never shown up before then, I’d forgotten it was in this musical, and Phoenix was screaming it alone in a red room, so I thought he was like desperately resorting to a necromancy ritual in hopes of bringing Leona back to life.
Instead, this line actually has CONTEXT, though it does just end up enforcing my theory. This is Phoenix mourning what he used to have with Leona, wanting to bring the “old her” back, because he’s devastated that people sometimes change. There are several flashbacks of their college days where he’s wearing his Sexy Woman Sweater. He does succeed in winning her back at the end of this musical. Before she dies, of course.
Phoenix in musical 2 still believes that he can bring back what he used to have with Leona... even beyond death. That’s something affirmed by this musical. I’m very grateful to it for somehow managing to enforce my nonsensical theory.
Doctor Ema
After this, Phoenix returns to his office, and meets with someone new.
That’s right! Only now, halfway through the musical, do we actually get to meet the Ema-equivalent to Leona’s Lana-equivalent. Her name is Monica Clyde. She has little rainbow heart stickers on her briefcase, which is the closest thing this musical has to acknowledging that gay people exist.
But what does this little briefcase contain, you may ask? Scientific investigation tools? No.
A full surgical toolset. Because you never know when someone’ll get sick, or when someone will need an entire operation in front of you. I guess.
So yes, Monica Clyde is not a forensic scientist in training, but a doctor! She decided to become a doctor because of her parents, who passed away of The Sickness, and so became a doctor in order to save lives like theirs.
Once more this has much darker and deeper implications than the musical is even aware of, because Monica is so anxious about treating sick people that she carries a full surgical toolset around with her at all times, scared to lose someone like she lost her parents... and then sometime in the next three years, Leona, her big sister, is going to die.
Of what? The strange Sickness that claimed her parents? A car accident? A botched spur-of-the-moment surgery? Whatever it is, Monica was unable to save her, even when she’d been training her entire life for it.
Monica is not mentioned at all throughout the second musical. It’s as if she does not exist.
Because unlike Ema of Rise From The Ashes, Monica is not at the heart of this story. She is, primarily, a plot device here to make Leona not trust Phoenix so that he can angst about their relationship.
What a mess this world is.
The Trial, Part 2
Rather than try to prove Leona’s innocence, Phoenix wants to link the current case to not-SL-9, the Jack Lyon case. He does this by showing this picture.
Senator Cole, the victim, is in this picture. His younger brother whose name I’ve forgotten, the victim of not-SL-9, is also in this picture. They are brothers. It is apparently novel that they are in the same picture, and somehow makes their cases linked.
As well, Governor Miller is in the picture. I guess you could say like... Governor Miller’s legal counsel is the defendant, so that’s another link? Even though the Governor would presumably know a Senator, so this isn’t an unusual group. Right now Phoenix has absolutely nothing to prove that these two cases are linked other than “hey, these two victims are brothers”, but apparently it works. So they spend a lot of time talking about not-SL-9, since Leona has confessed to the murder on day 1 and there is absolutely nothing indicating that she can’t be immediately declared guilty.
They hid the fact that Monica was a hostage in this not-SL-9, meaning that some of the case records were forged. Here’s Edgeworth’s reaction when this comes out.
Edgeworth: This is an outrage! I’m the most influential prosecutor in America! There’s nothing I don’t know!
In RFTA, when Edgeworth learns he’d been using forged evidence to give a man the death penalty, he is devastated, his entire worldview is shaken, he sees himself as a monster who could end up becoming horribly corrupt if he isn’t stopped.
Musical Edgeworth goes “I DIDN’T KNOW SOMETHING???”
It’s certainly strange characterization, but I guess Edgeworth is further behind in his character arc than in RFTA, so... ugh. Fine.
Phoenix calls Monica out as a witness to prove she was involved in the case. This causes Leona to panic, and try to dismiss Phoenix as her attorney, like Lana in RFTA, but Edgeworth interjects to call Monica in anyways. He and Phoenix have a little moment.
Edgeworth: You said to believe in others. I suppose I’ll try believing in you. Try to keep up.
Phoenix: Edgeworth!
So Monica comes to the stand to testify. We get to see this picture of Monica being held hostage, and not-Joe-Darke’s incredible eyeliner.
Lots of it is very similar to the actual RFTA, except instead of the victim being stabbed on the knight with the giant knife, he’s instead stabbed with a regular old knife. Leona still refuses to admit to what really happened, until Edgeworth convinces her to believe in Phoenix.
Edgeworth: Your attorney is a runaway train with a one-track mind. Yet he placed all of his faith in you. Believe in him. You owe him that much.
Leona testifies, and says that when she found the victim, he was stabbed with a scalpel.
Here is where things get weird.
Scalpels Can’t Kill People
So basically earlier in this trial, they talk about how Leona knew that the knife that stabbed the victim was double-edged despite being buried in his chest. The judge questions if this means Leona killed him, but Phoenix is quick to say no, she was searched when she entered the courthouse and couldn’t have concealed a knife.
Yet, Monica was able to bring in her surgical toolkit which contains several sharp knives, scalpels, scissors, etc.
This is the first major contradiction.
Leona continues to say that when she found Monica, and the scalpel stabbed in the victim, she also ran into Governor Miller, who if you haven’t been able to tell yet is the Gant-equivalent of this musical. He offered to help her with the cover-up, etc.
The next bit goes a lot like RFTA. Phoenix accuses Governor Miller, who barges in, says Phoenix has the decisive evidence in his pocket. This is the “butter knife” that Phoenix took from his office when he dug around in confidential documents and stole it for no particular reason. It has Monica’s fingerprints on it! ... And Phoenix’s and Maya’s too probably because they were handling it without gloves, but they don’t mention that part.
Leona cries about how she shouldn’t have trusted Phoenix because he was apparently now blaming Monica, Monica looks terrified, she and Leona have some good sister moments but it’s not as good as it could be if the story was actually about Leona and Monica like how RFTA was about Lana and Ema. But Phoenix has the decisive piece of evidence that can turn this around.
It is this:
Phoenix: Scalpels are made for medical incisions, not stabbings. So how did it stab the victim?
...
...
...
... What?
So like. Yes, scalpels are made for medical incisions. Medical incisions often involve cutting through flesh, very easily. As a result, they are sharp. Extremely sharp. As in: their purpose is literally to stab people, very specifically.
Yes, they’re easier to control, so that surgeons don’t regularly stab people how they’re not supposed to be stabbed, but it’s not like, impossible to stab someone in a killing way with a scalpel? Admittedly, I have never tried to kill someone using a scalpel. And I do not have experience using a scalpel for surgeries because I am not a surgeon. But I’m pretty sure, if you take a sharp scalpel, and you stab someone in the chest with it with a reasonable amount of force... they die.
Like, is this a particular kind of scalpel that is not very sharp? Is the problem that the blade doesn’t match up with the initial wound? But even then, we don’t have the original unforged autopsy report or even a picture, so how would Phoenix know what the original wound looked like to say it didn’t match up? And even then why wouldn’t Phoenix say that instead of SCALPELS CAN’T STAB PEOPLE???
This is his decisive contradiction and it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME!!!
Well Darn I Guess Scalpels Can’t Kill People
This is such a decisive piece of evidence, that scalpels can’t kill people, coming from the man who thought “caught red-handed” does not involve being caught standing over a corpse with blood on your hands, that it causes Governor Miller to confess.
Unlike Gant, who created the murder with Neil Marshall both to ensure that there was decisive evidence to convict Joe Darke, a serial killer who had not left any decisive evidence behind, and gain control over the prosecutor’s office in order to pull similar stunts to get criminals convicted using false evidence, Governor Miller does not have that as his motive. After all, he’s not a police officer. Instead, he ended up accidentally killing not-Joe-Darke, and then set up the incident in order to get Leona on his side. As her parents were both influential lawyers and very respectable, having her and her parents’ reputation on his side could help him become President of America Where This Takes Place.
So, let’s just take a moment to run over some of the things that made the original Rise From The Ashes great, in my opinion. Just for fun.
1 - The heart of the story between the Skye sisters. Lana closing off to protect Ema, Ema wanting to get through to her sister and get back to the way things used to be. Phoenix, in this story, is more of a bystander to this plotline rather than in the heart of it himself.
2 - Edgeworth’s Character Development. Basically RFTA creates an interesting transition between Turnabout Goodbyes and JFA. It causes Edgeworth to re-evaluate everything he knows about being a prosecutor. So quickly on the heels of Turnabout Goodbyes, it crushes the last bit of hope in him. It compares him to Gant, who also hates criminals, and forces him to wonder if his hatred of crime will one day lead to him being a criminal himself. He’s already convicted one person on forged evidence; how many others could there be?
3 - The Ends Justify The Means. ... wait come back, don’t leave. What I found neat about this case was also Gant’s motive. At one point he was presumably an honest person who hated crime and wanted to stop criminals. But over time in the police force, he became corrupted. He wanted to have all criminals convicted. So what do you do when you don’t have the evidence to convict them? Joe Darke was a serial killer who has killed several people and may have killed more if he’d gone free. The only way to stop and convict him was by using forged evidence. Other criminals could hide evidence to get away with their crimes, so people like Gant would make it up to catch them; but then when do you stop? What happens if there’s no evidence because someone is truly innocent? When does the line between “this person is a criminal and I want to stop them” and “I just want to convict everyone I’m dealing with” become blurred? This is also something he shares with Edgeworth and helps to advance his character.
All three of these things are either lessened or outright ignored in this musical. Leona and Monica’s story takes a backseat to Phoenix and Leona’s Love Story, with Monica only showing up halfway through, and mainly as an excuse as to why Leona is withdrawn. Edgeworth doesn’t seem to blame himself for the forged evidence he used, and doesn’t have a crisis questioning his morality over it. And Governor Miller’s motive is purely power. Unlike Gant, who would have become Chief of Police whether he solved SL-9 or not, Miller needed Leona to win the presidency. And instead of asking her to help him with his campaign like a normal person, he just blackmailed her instead.
... How do you play the games seven times and miss this much?
The Case Finally Ends
god. we’re almost there.
The case ends, Leona is declared not guilty but will still face trial for covering up murders and such. Probably less of a sentence than Lana because she was not involved in ongoing police corruption? Either way she’s dead in three years, so she’s got something a bit more concerning coming up.
She’s led away. Phoenix sings a bit about Leona before being interrupted by Edgeworth... who has something important to tell him.
Edgeworth: You awakened within me those once-cherished emotions I had discarded. I see visions of a distant, nostalgic past.
So basically this is the unnecessary feelings of the musical. Something along the lines of “seeing you again and fighting for my former ideals is making me question many things about myself.”
How does Phoenix respond?
Phoenix: Edgeworth... Try talking normally for a chance.
Sure, we were all thinking it, but that’s a little cold, Phoenix.
Edgeworth tries a smooth recovery.
Edgeworth: I don’t do... idle chit-chat.
This doesn’t accomplish much. So he leaves to allow Leona to visit with Phoenix alone. He’s got to go change for something more important coming up.
Leona and Phoenix decide that they’re going to get back together once Leona is done her sentence! They make a promise that is very funny if you know she’ll be dead in three years.
Phoenix: I’ll be waiting. For you.
There are a lot of hugs here, I’m not screencapping them all. There are also several moments where their faces get very close together and like, their nose brushes the other’s cheek or something, but they never actually kiss. Is it because the actresses weren’t comfortable with it (valid), or they thought kissing would be too much for the musical (sure, whatever), or since both characters are played by women the show staff did not want two women kissing on stage (probably the real answer)? I don’t like watching kisses, but I kept bracing myself for one and then it never happened, so.
Phoenix ends the main part of the musical with one last musical number starring my personal favourite piece:
Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.
I like to think that at this point, this is present-day Phoenix, after finishing his reminiscing, still desperately wishing he could bring Leona back from death.
But alas, he cannot. And so, after one last daydream of them dancing together on the beaches of California, singing about their love, the musical ends.
Dance Time!
This starts at exactly the two hour mark, if you’re interested in watching what is, once again, one of the only fun parts of this musical.
Seriously, Edgeworth’s actress kills it here, when I first saw this I went “oh, this is why I saw so many people being gay for her on twitter.”
Edgeworth’s song is an encore of “My Rule”, so it’s lots of fun. Afterwards Phoenix gets another fun piece.
Then we get to the love ballad part, which I can probably overanalyze, I feel like I haven’t done enough ridiculous over-analyzing in this essay in comparison to the other.
Uhhh so the fog represents how Phoenix feels lost in this world without Leona. You can see it in the second screenshot separating the two of them, representing the barrier of death between the two of them. Idk it’s midnight I’m getting worn out from having to think about this musical for so long.
But his mourning over Leona’s death becomes even more apparent in the credits, where Phoenix sings that one line again:
Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.
I’m not fixing that screenshot, I think it’s oddly fitting, in a way. That’s me right now.
Then at the very end, he sings this song.
Phoenix: I’ll spend... this eternal life... soaring through... the heavens!
Technically, this refers to his name Phoenix, but let’s dig a little deeper. He spends the rest of his life soaring through the heavens... the heavens that Leona went to after her untimely death, perhaps?
Overall, the musical becomes much more interesting when you just see it as a prequel to the second musical. This musical establishes many core concepts of Phoenix’s character: his refusal to believe in the concept of things changing, for one, and also his extreme dependency on Leona who he was never separated from since they were kids and where he based his entire life around her dreams and ideals. All he can think about is her. And in the end, he promises to wait for her in California.
Yet, to paraphrase Miles Edgeworth, all that is waiting for him is her death. Their dream of opening up a Mom & Pop Law Firm will never come true.
Thanks again for bearing with me even though this wasn’t as funny!
#ace attorney#phoenix wright the truth reborn#idk maybe someone wanted to know what the first musical was like without actually watching it?#my essays#my posts#i'm TIRED i'm going to BED goodNIGHT#this is less funny jokes and more actually criticizing the musical#because so much of this is like. wow. you really thought that was a good idea huh#just skip to the feenie sweater part honestly that's the funniest part of this musical
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THE DRABBLES ARE IN! COME READ THEM AND VOTE!
GUYS, WE HAVE 15 AWESOME DRABBLES FOR YOU!
Our writers did an excellent job. All of them wrote 100-word drabbles based on this picture:
READ THEM ALL BELOW THE LINE AND WHEN YOU’VE PICKED YOUR TOP THREE FAVOURITES COME >>VOTE HERE<<
But how do?
anyone can vote (read the fics, pick your top 3 favourites and put that in the google form)
yes, even the writers can vote (they should, however, vote for someone other than themselves)
please, while you vote: also give anonymous feedback to the drabbles. we will send this to the writers after voting ends
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READ&VOTE UNTIL SUNDAY 11.59PM Eastern, 4:59AM UTC!
Now, here are the drabbles!
#1
Title: Arson
Author: artsytarts / Misha
Warnings: None
Summary: If there is one talent James Bond has, it’s to give his Quartermaster a headache.
“Can I ask you a question, 007?”
“Not like you’d respect my wishes if I said no, Q. Go ahead.”
“Why is it that you always, without fail, find some way to cause an explosion? I’m starting to believe you have an arsonist streak.”
“I don’t do it on purpose, it just… happens.”
“You do know that you’re supposed to keep things quiet, right? ‘Secret’. It’s in the job description.”
“Not my fault their base lay beneath a firework factory.”
“Wouldn’t have been a problem if you didn’t blow it up!”
“Debatable.”
“I’m sure you mean ‘yes, Q’.”
“Yes, Q.”
#2
Title: Occupational Hazards
Author: storm-of-sharp-things
Warnings: none
Summary: Q would willingly pay extra for the option to have a boring vacation…
Q sat back against James in the little rowboat and stared across the lake as bright jets of sparks shot up from the island. The fiery glow amid the trees was beautiful in the reflection of the dark water. James settled the blanket more comfortably around them, keeping the chill off their bare skin.
“I liked that cabin,” Q finally said.
James sighed. “What’s the probability that our rental cabin would be a hidden entrance to a secret arsenal of explosives?”
With a splash, Alec finally surfaced next to the boat, grinning wickedly.
Q scowled. “One hundred percent, I’d say.”
#3
Title: Postcard
Author: sunaddicted
Warnings: none
Summary: Bond stops in the middle of a mission for a view Q shouldn’t absolutely miss.
“Bond, stop dallying”
“Look, Q”
He sighed, squinting at the screen broadcasting the grainy images coming from the small camera that he had managed to disguise as a lapel pin “What exactly am I looking at?”
“Wait for it”
“Bond, need I to remind you that you’re on- Oh”
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Q was enraptured in the blue fire shooting up towards the dark of night: he couldn’t remember the last time he had looked up at the sky, eyes full of awe “Yes, it really is” he admitted “Thank you, James. Move along now: your contact is waiting”
“Yessir”
#4
Title:Flare
Author: Hexiva
Warnings: Angst
Summary: Alec and James on a stakeout. One moment of hope.
What James remembers from that night in Canada is the fireworks. Fireworks reflecting off the lake as he sat in the dark waiting for morning when their target would walk by. Fireworks reflecting in Alec’s eyes, a manic gleam as he leaned in to adjust Bond’s hand on his rifle. And in the darkness between displays, they looked at each other, the instruments of their bloody work forgotten.
Years later, after everything, after the betrayal, James doesn’t remember who reached out first. All he remembers is the sound of fireworks as they kissed, clinging to each other in the darkness.
#5
Title: Rest & Relaxation
Author: SouffleGirl91
Warnings: None
Summary: James and Q kiss goodbye to yet another security deposit.
“This was fun. We should do it more often.”
James watched an explosion illuminate the sky, showering white sparks on the carnage below.
“Did you hit your head?”
“What?” Q frowned. “No! Why?”
“You want to do this-” James gestured at the flames, “more often?”
Another loud crack, and the cabin roof collapsed, sending up a plume of smoke.
“Well, maybe not the part where your ex-boyfriend tries to burn us to death in our sleep…”
“So just the murder, then?”
“Pillock.”
James laughed. “If this is what holidays with you are like, I’d love to do it more often.”
#6
Title: Efficiency
Author: Anyawen
Warnings: None
Summary: Bond appreciates competence, whatever it wears.
James ignores the cold of the Canadian spring night, attention focused on the far side of the lake.
“I can get closer,” he offers quietly over comms.
“Stay where you are, Bond. I’ve got this,” Q answers.
Q’s frenzied typing stills, and James hears satisfaction in the silence a moment before an explosion rocks the lodge. He watches, bemused, as stray fireworks streak into the sky.
“The security on their firework storage facility needs work,” Q remarks dryly before utterly failing to stifle a yawn.
Another firework explodes, illuminating James’ fond smile.
“Not bad for a man in his pyjamas.”
#7
Title: Isle of Bond
Author:
Warnings: none
Summary: No man is an island.
They say, “no man is an island,” and they’re right.
Bond would disagree; would claim the title for himself.
He would say that he is a man for himself, as he trusts his life in the hands of friends. He would build a fortress of solitude, only to fly from it in a blaze of glory. He would fence his heart with spikes, spark, smirks, and sex. Until someone is unafraid to get stung.
Bond would lay life, death, heart, and gun at the feet of true love.
“They say, no man is an island, and they’re right,” Bond says.
#8
Title: forget the past
Author: scarytheory
Warnings: none
Summary: In the woods, in the middle of the night, two friends are trying to make peace with everything.
“This is ridiculous,” says Q, looking at Moneypenny. “It’s not New Year’s. Also, do you know how harmful it is to animals?”
She gives him the side-eye: “Your complaining already scared everything within ten miles of here. And it’s symbolic, actually. Because he’s not coming back, not to me, not to you. We need to start over, with a bang. Help me set this off.”
With a sigh, he does.
And here they are, watching fireworks in the middle of March, both feeling lost.
But as she slips her hand in his, he thinks that maybe they will be alright.
#9
Title: Inferno
Author: oldestcharm
Warnings: fire
Summary: Q appreciates the scenery. Bond isn’t pleased.
Q’s eyes are glued to the live feed from the helicopter. “This is very scenic,” he comments. Bond huffs. “Are you talking about the forest fire, the flare guns, or the volcano that’s about to burst now that I obliterated this guy’s lair?” Q hums, considering. “All of the above.” “I’m pleased to know you care so much for my safety.” “You’re just fine, 007,” Q assures him. “I’m standing in the middle of burning debris,” Bond points out. “There is a lake right beside you. Grab a bucket.” “You didn’t equip me with a bucket.” “Maybe next time then.”
#10
Title: Birthday Celebration
Author: Nana-41175
Warnings: n/a
Summary: Q is gifted with spectacular fireworks for his birthday by Bond
Q was sure he would dislike camping. He did not feel kindly toward the idea of a million insects descending upon him while they roughed it out in the woods. Plus, no internet. Hideous.
But he liked fireworks at dusk, especially when viewed over water. He was touched that Bond wanted him to see this: the lake, the dark circle of trees surrounding the warm, cheery glow of a campfire, the slender strands of bright light as they shot up toward the night sky.
Most of all he adored being in Bond’s arms as his boyfriend whispered, “Happy birthday, darling.”
#11
Title: In the End
Author: Venstar
Warnings: none
Summary: One last goodbye.
Bond stared as the island of Mr. White burned away in a final fiery glow. So many things had been set in place there. Thoughts of Vesper slid through his mind, like a dark oil slick on water. Never to truly be erased. He felt something slide into his hand. A weapon. Something strong and flexible. He squeezed and felt bones move. Q. Something else that had been set in place. A gift, from one madman to another. Silva’s little cogwheel in the bigger scheme of things had inadvertently delivered Q to MI6…and James. He kissed those fingers. His weapon.
#12
Title: Miscalculation
Author: Merc/moon_of_mercury
Warnings: none
Summary: Bond makes a strategic mistake. Q improvises to save the day.
“Gorgeous, aren’t they?”
“No, not really. They’re an unnecessary waste of money, spread heavy metals and other contaminants in the environment, cause noise pollution, not to mention the stress to animals and people who don’t like them–”
“Alright! Fine. I should have asked you first.”
“Or used your head for once. I told you; the cats and I are a package deal. If you plan for me you plan for them. I’m not having fun when my darlings are terrified.”
Before the mood sours, Q pulls James into a kiss.
“But we can always stay in. I’ll show you fireworks.”
#13
Title: How Does He Do That?
Author: IrishWitch58
Warnings: Things blowing up, Canon typical violence, 006 and explody stuff Summary: Bond and Q watching the end of a 006 mission
Bond watched intently as Q focused on the terse commentary from the extraction team. Trust 006 to find one of the few primary forests left in Europe to play hide and seek with terrorists. Injured, bleeding but in possession of valued intel he’d been sent after, Trevelyan was being sought by both sides. One of the drone cameras blazed with light, flaring streamers rising from a central explosion. Q blinked, eyes watering before the screen dimmed.
“How does he do that every bloody time? I never issued him any explosives.”
Bond just shrugged, grinning. “When has that ever stopped Alec?”
#14
Title: Beacon
Author: solarmorrigan
Warnings: None
Summary: Q is very good at reading even the smallest signs.
“Come on,” Q murmured.
Images flashed by on his screens: satellite feeds, CCTV stills, personal security system hacks, social media posts – anything he could think of. Windows overlapped, flashed, jockeyed for space and called for attention as new information poured in. Then, at last, a filter-covered photograph from one website or another, a tiny island lit up by a few explosive columns of light, drew Q’s notice.
Unexpected fireworks off the coast, the caption read.
Q checked the location. He checked the time. He smiled.
“There you are,” he sighed, and began the work of piecing together Bond’s trail.
#15
Title: We Don’t Need Fireworks
Author: MrKsan / starrboned
Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence
Summary: Bond makes things explode. Q watches from afar.
The skies were ablaze with stardust and fire. It could’ve been beautiful, Q thought, had it not been his job to clean up the mess after.
Damn Bond and his dramatics.
Footsteps approached from behind, and Q couldn’t help but smile as an arm looped around his waist.
“007,” Gareth sighed. Q snorted, leaning into the warmth. Something exploded in the distance.
“Wish you could join him?” Gareth asked. “Share the action?”
Q turned his head, watching the fireworks reflect in his eyes.
“I got all the fire I need right here,” Q smiled, and leaned in for a kiss.
Go vote!
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5 Great Movies Without a Forward Linear Time Line
Not all great movies have a clear linear story line. The standard kind of story has a forward moving timeline and things progress forward in time from point A to point B. There might be jumps in time to convey age, growth, or decay or there might be montages that demonstrate learning or development without showing every second of the process. The point is that the viewer is not shown the past in something like a flashback or a second telling of the same event. Some movies try to use these techniques to add to the story when in fact it makes things more convoluted. Some movies use jumping around in time as a major plot point like in Looper or Back to the Future. Some movies are almost completely in flash back like The Green Mile and Citizen Kane. This a list of some fine films (in my humble opinion) that use time in interesting ways and are great because they steer far away from a standard time line.
Rashomon (1950); multiple unreliable narrator flash backs to same event
This film strays out of my specialty of American cinema, but it is a masterpiece that is often ranked in the top 10 films ever made. The movie is directed by the absolute genius Akira Kurosawa, who was way ahead of his time. A horrible crime is committed in feudal Japan and different people involved all relate their memory of the incident. Each witness adds information to the story but changes small aspects to make them sound better. Each account is subjective, self-serving, and contradictory. It is such a great example of the human condition that there is a phenomena in psychology called the Rashomon effect in which people will relate a story in a way that paints themselves in the best light, especially if they believe there are no other reliable witnesses. Again, the film is extraordinary as far as the screenwriting and directing and has set the standard for storytelling through unreliable flash back. I consider it a textbook example since I saw the film four times in college: twice in film classes and twice in psychology classes. This is my favorite Kurosawa film, but all of his movies utilize the visual medium to the fullest and I would recommend checking out any one of his films for a cinematic treat.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984); jumps between 3 time frames in a non-linear fashion
There are two versions of this movie and it proves that a story can be better if time is altered to reveal information in a specific order to the audience. The film was originally going to be a pair of 3 hour movies but was cut down to a single 4 hour film that jumped around the Jewish ghettos of New York in the 20s, the 40s, and the 60s. It is a crime drama that follows mobsters in this area and reveals motivation for actions by jumping freely between the three time settings. This long version of the movie is highly praised by critics and considered to be the best work of Italian director Sergio Leone. A severely cut and chronologically reordered version was created by an American studio that was released in the U.S. This version was panned by critics and was a total flop in theaters since it revealed information out of order during the film run time. Some actions at the beginning of the movie seemed pointless while some revelations towards the end had already been spoiled or hadn’t been referenced. The entire value of the film was lost since any skillful directing and editing was completely removed. The complicated nature of how the story unraveled in an anachronistic fashion is what makes the movie great.
Pulp Fiction (1994); series of events over 2 days told out of order
This movie is so much fun and tells just unbelievably crazy stories that occur to low level thugs over a two day period. Many people when first seeing this film did not realize that the stories are out of order, only that character stories cross over into each other. The complicated timelines make the movie great to watch over and over again because you see new things each time. I have actually seen a cut of the film that plays in chronological order and it is no where near as good. The way the film is cut makes fun little vignettes that all have intensely complicated plot structures while simultaneously supporting an overall plot line. Truly a great film and one of my favorites to rewatch.
Memento (2000); scenes played forward in time but in reverse order
Christopher Nolan is famous for his non-linear films like Batman Begins, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet. This movie, Memento, stands out as the most non-linear (least linear...non-linearist...whatever) and one of the most interesting concepts ever attempted using the film medium. The story follows a man with a brain injury that makes him unable to make new memories. He writes notes in ink on his body to remind him of his mission to find the man that killed his wife. Each scene is played forward in time, but in reverse order. This means that you see the last scene first and the first scene last with a time jump backwards every time the lead character has a memory reset. It doesn’t seem possible to have a good movie this way, but it works exceptionally well and the viewer really experiences each event with fresh eyes much like the protagonist. One of the few movies I watched and then immediately rewatched to see all the things that I missed.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); recounts a man’s life and relationship in seemingly random order through his subconscious
The story was written by Charlie Kaufman so it is kind of a weird one. A man wants to forget about a girl so he goes in for a procedure in which a machine is used to scan through his subconscious to erase all memories involving his ex. The viewer jumps from the real world to childhood memories to nightmares and eventually all experiences with this girl. As the patient reviews everything, he realizes that he doesn’t want to forget her so he starts fighting the process causing everything to blend together. This film stands out for me because the events on screen are all in the lead character’s head so the time frame does not matter. It makes the movie a little difficult to follow at times, but it is still satisfying at the end. The plot line is just less of a line and more of a web.
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There are a lot of great movies that aren’t straight forward besides these five. What are your favorites?
#rashomon#eternal sunshine of the spotless mind#memento#pulp fiction#once upon a time in america#non linear narrative#akira kurosawa#christopher nolan#charlie kaufman#introvert#movie list#top 5
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It’s finally time I sat down and just wrote this whole thing so I can get it off my chest and maybe help flesh things out for the majority of the fanbase.
Black Widow Spoilers are upcoming, scroll past if ya don’t wanna be spoiled.
Let’s start with “Hello, I am a Tony Masters fan, I adore him and his personality and generally everything about him, of course I am going to be upset that his character suffered such poor writing and adaptation, because it was insulting and gut punching to see a character you love be poorly executed.“
continue reading please because I’m trying to be reasonable here and share what a majority felt when viewing Black Widow (it may differ from yours but I hope it enlightens a few who may be confused or whatnot about this topic, generally it’s how I feel the fanbase as a whole had been handling it poorly)
quick side note, no one wants to feel their opinion doesn‘t matter, so be mindful the next time you fight someone just because you disagree, I love debating and talking so you can come at me if you disagree, I like educating myself on these things too in case someone can bring up actual arguments that prove their side and reasoning, on the other hand if I hear one more “it’s because she’s a girl huh?” I might very well scream.
Is it bad because he turned out to be a woman? Why is this the first thing that gets debated??
Let me explain just how annoying it is that this is the debate whenever it cuts down to it.
The answer is yes and no, I will explain why, because I don’t believe the gender should always matter to a character.
Although everything great about Tony was stripped from him, all of it, only the title “Taskmaster“ and I guess the color scheme if you will, stayed the same, it would’ve been the same trash written character even if he wasn’t a girl, because they had no personality no resemblance of the beloved character in the first place, which is why it is a bad idea to have changed him into a woman, why you may ask?
it’s the image, it creates an idea that women cannot be as great as men, that a female version of Taskmaster would just suck, be terrible and useless, it paints Antonia to be bland plot device character to show Black Widow‘s pain and suffering. The character herself has no substantial personality or drive, nothing, she’s just a victim. And yeah it is a tragic story I won’t say it isn‘t but it didn‘t work for me, and for a lot of fans as I’ve witnessed.
It would’ve been more effective to had foreshadowed the possibility of her being alive only to find that she had died and Natasha would then have to live with the fact that she murdered her for ”nothing” but no instead we decided that she would survive, only she was brainwashed, so there’s no real vendetta or motive as to why she tried to kill Natasha, it would’ve been more impactful if Antonia was angry with her attempt to kill her, wanting to show she could best her in every well possible. Like trying to tarnish her Avenger status.
There were variables on how to make Taskmaster a better written character, there is potential but I personally would like the Mandarin effect (which I love the comic Mandarin I was so mad in IM3 so I can’t believe they did it x2)
On top of it the fact that the plot twist you could see coming a mile away also felt like the biggest after thought in the whole movie, it felt like they had a different direction they were originally going to go, but they took the easy bait of “we need a big twist” which Marvel has suffered for years on, always with some twist and it’s getting sickening to see it happen every movie.
Besides the point, it doesn’t go over well a lot of the fanbase is conflicted, angry and there are actual debates, which it happens we have differing opinions, its hard to find a thing we all agree on… and yet the only defense I’m seeing is “it’s because she’s a girl now?“ “you just hate women.” I’m tired of being told it’s sexism when it’s not, this version of Taskmaster was already doomed, they didn’t wanna go a comic accurate to begin with, you can tell by how ugly the suit was. (no cape?? not even the mask was cool)
I had already suspected from the beginning of the first trailer that was NOT Tony Masters, something about it just felt like Blindstrike from Stretch Armstrong to me (they kept making it seem like a dude only to reveal it was a woman, although they executed that perfectly please give it a watch)
I had already called it, we barely even met Taskmaster yet I knew it from the trailer, I didn’t enjoy the movie it played out exactly how I expected (which my expectations were low)
I found it insulting for a few reasons, it made it seem like Black Widow is either too good or not good enough to fight a man, it felt like they wanted to push how powerful women are, which I’m all for, women are very powerful I would know because I am one.
But it rubbed me the wrong way that she can’t have an enemy go toe to toe with her unless it’s a woman?? It didn’t sit right with me, is this meaning she can’t have a rival that’s a man because men or stronger or weaker… that’s where my head went, the gender shouldn’t matter to her ever, we know Natasha can take out anyone, so why the sudden change of a character whose always been a male?
I understand the MCU wants to be diverse, but there are more female characters than a lot of the fanbase realize, the MCU has barely scratched the surface, instead of changing other characters drastically in the name of “diversity” they should just pull actual diverse characters, or create some, this version of Taskmaster doesn’t feel anything like Tony Masters, they lacked all flair, the fact that it’s just Winter Soldier and Ghost from AMATW 2.0 is just lacking.
it’s something we have seen before, and this wasn’t needed to “full circle” Natasha‘s story.
It’s not because Taskmaster is a girl that is the problem it’s the general writing that felt like they didn’t really care about the character and changing it to be a girl was like leading a lamb to the slaughter, so many fans were going to be enraged because they ruined everything about the character, so you should be mad they put the actress in this position, they chose to do that to the character and it feels like it was done on purpose, just for the reaction.
The character was already bad making it a girl just made it worse because it just felt bad. It gave me the impression that a female version of Anthony Masters is just boring, that is not what we should think but so many are, and yes a lot of people are mad just because it’s a woman because they might get the idea that the character would’ve been better if he was written to be a male, but what we all really want is just a good adaption of the character, that’s all, he very well could’ve been a woman and everyone might’ve been alright (some might be iffy or mad you cannot avoid this) but I know with good writing I would’ve been fine if it was Toni Masters, not this Antonia Dreykov.
And that is what I really could not tolerate and handle with what they did to Taskmaster.
It didn’t feel like they had plans to flesh the character out they were just marking boxes on “what comic character can we use for Black Widow” checklist.
I freaking love Tony Masters and he (and she) deserved better writing all around than what the MCU gave them (and us)
There was more I was going to add on but in my frustration I began to forget where I was going with this and didn’t get to properly express my feelings.
Now next time you see someone complaining over Taskmaster don’t just assume they are sexist, there’s so much more depth to the character which is why we’re so angry over this iteration, and the fact that people defend the character just because it’s a girl doesn’t go well for me, that’s a poor excuse for people who had more pressing reasons why the character was a failure, not because they’re a woman but because it feels like we can’t dislike them because they’re a woman.
Imagine if your favorite suffered the poor writing just for a different characters development, it is a terrible feeling and having people tell you not to be upset or say you’re sexist for being upset is so invalidating.
Not to mention that the MCU continues to erase many traits and personalities of characters and on top of that, their sexualities (where is that diversity??) is already frustrating but it’s starting to feel like the writers don’t even value the characters they have.
#marvel mcu#mcu#black widow#bw#natasha romanoff#taskmaster#tony masters#tony#black widow spoilers#marvel rant#rant#I’m just really upset#Sad
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Think of Me (Waiting series - part 2 of 3)
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey and f!MC (Luz Beltrán) | Category: angst | Rating: T | Warnings: depression | Word Count: 2.1k | Ao3 link | Part 1 | Part 3
summary: There are thousands of miles between Ethan and Luz—which begs the question: does absence really make the heart grow fonder?
He feels his chest constrict at the fleeting thought of her, and he shuts his eyes to let the darkness encompass him. But he knows no amount of darkness can overshadow the light that seeps in when she crosses his mind. The past seven weeks have kept him preoccupied, which is exactly what he wanted. Fighting an epidemic was front and center in his mind, but that didn’t mean he was completely void of certain memories.
His body aches from standing long hours and attending to every last patient, and he remembers one instance in which she rubbed his shoulders one night after a long shift. She sat him down between her legs and used her magic touch to massage the ache away; it was unlike anything he’d experienced. He’d argue that any professional masseuse couldn’t hold a candle to Luz. How he would give anything to feel her intoxicatingly soothing caresses...
No. Snap out of it.
If anyone was there to physically slap the thoughts away, he would certainly allow it. Raking his hand through his hair, he bolts for the bathroom to splash cold water over his face. A chill runs through him as the coolness hits his face, and he slouches over, holding both sides of the sink as he takes in deep breaths. His shoulders rise and fall with each breath, and he looks up into the mirror.
The shadows under his eyes are darker than ever, his frown lines are deeper, his stubble has grown. It’s a reflection he’s grown accustomed to in the past month. He rarely wants to sleep, there’s no time for that when people need him. But it’s no wonder his colleagues forced him to take the day off. He finally realized they were right in that he needed to take a recess if he wanted to be in tip-top shape for the ongoing battle they were up against. Doctors need breaks too, he was just often too stubborn to recognize that.
He wonders if she knows where he is—if Naveen’s shared the news by now. If she’s thinking of him like he is thinking of her. Whether she hates him now for not saying goodbye.
This is the exact reason why he protested his colleagues’ advice; he’s become his own worst enemy. Any time he’s alone with his thoughts, there’s only one name, one face, and one voice that invades his mind.
No amount of distraction, time, or distance can erase the memories of her, and it’s a realization that scares him to death. He’s fallen—he’s fallen deep, and he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to get out. He had to be honest with himself; the main reason he left had to do with her.
The loud groan that escapes him is the only sound in the room, and beyond, it seems. It’s been a quiet night for the most part. The droplets of water continue falling down his face, his now-dampened shirt, and onto the floor. He catches his reflection again; it’s a depressing sight. How pathetic has he become? His resolve comes back at once.
Of course he’ll get out of it. He won’t let anything—especially anyone—affect his psyche. Any intimate feelings are just neurochemical responses to heightened stress and frequent exposure to each other. It’s what he’s always told himself. It makes perfect sense.
Everything he’s been through with Luz, and how she got involved with Naveen’s case is further evidence that supports his theory. It’s no surprise they grew close. She was there during his worst...and never gave up on him. It’s not something he’s used to...she saw him for who he was...she got to know parts of him he never dared show anyone...and she accepted him...
He suddenly, and forcefully, grabs the towel beside him to dry himself and the small puddle that has formed by his feet. His knees ache as he bends down, but he ignores the pain. After shutting the bathroom light off, he sits on the edge of the bed again. The night is silent and still, it’s an atmosphere so foreign to him now. It’s been anything but silent from the moment he arrived in the Amazon and got ready to work.
The pen from the patient file he’d been working on lays next to the alarm clock on the nightstand. Another thought soon rushes its way into his head again, and without thinking twice, he grabs it and opens the drawer for the notebook inside.
He opens the notebook to an empty page. He slips his glasses on and fiddles with the pen, almost building up the courage for what he’s about to write. She’s waiting to hear from you...give her an explanation.
He shakes the uncertainty away and begins writing.
‘Dear Luz,
I know what you’re thinking. Why now? Why this way? What a coward. Even if you don’t think so, it’s the only word that adequately sums up how I’ve been feeling since I left. Nothing I say will ever be enough to eradicate the hurt I know I’ve caused you. And I will never forgive myself for that. I couldn’t face you. I’m used to running, but you know me well enough by now that you’ve probably already figured that out.
Without you, I don’t know where Naveen would be. Or where I would be. You were, no, you are nothing short of incredible. Naveen’s revitalized health is proof of the amazing doctor that you are. And that brings me to my next point.
I don’t regret what we had. I care about you, please don’t believe otherwise. Which is why we both know this can’t continue. We can’t let anything hinder your full potential. Your career is too important. You matter too much. I won’t be the burden that gets in the way of that. We need to restart. Perhaps I’m going about this the wrong way, but I just couldn’t say goodbye.
You deserve all the happiness in the world. I’m sorry that can’t be with me. I hope you understand. I never thought I’d meet someone like you, but I don’t deserve you. Someone who won’t run will be worthy of you. Thank you for all you’ve done, I won’t ever forget it. Continue being the amazing woman that you are. Thank you for the time we had. I’ll cherish it.’
His hand halts, and he rubs his stinging eyes. The words on the paper appear blurry, his eyes refusing to allow them to come into focus. He adjusts his glasses on again, and the first word his gaze lands on is ‘coward’. He lets out a humorless laugh. ‘Damn right I am’, he thinks to himself.
The word embodies him further as he suddenly tears the page out of the notebook and rips it in half, before haphazardly tossing the crumpled paper across the room.
‘And that’s all I’ll ever be.’
•
Nearly 5,000 miles away, Luz sits in the once-familiar living room. She turns to the smiling face beside her, taking in the smile she’s missed so much. It’s been a long time since she’s seen him. Too long, and she feels so much contentment being near him. Her heart is full; there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
This is what she needed. To move past everything she’s been through this past month. And to do that, there was no better place than California. The place she used to call home. And to surround herself with the people whom she’s missed beyond belief since moving to Boston.
He puts his arm around her just before the camera flashes. Their smiles are wide and sincere. It’s a perfect moment to capture the happy Beltrán reunion.
"Okay, ahora it’s our turn!" Elena Beltrán chirps before rushing over to sit in between her two kids. "Ven, mi amor. Siéntate con nosotros. (Come here, my love, and sit with us) We need a picture. All four of us," she calls out to her husband, Jorge.
He places the phone on the fireplace mantel and comes to sit on the couch for another impromptu picture. He sits next to his youngest, who’s come home for the weekend from Boston just to see them. He and his wife couldn’t contain their joy that she’d be visiting just before their son, Sebastián, was to move to Oregon. It meant they’d all be together—a rare occurrence since Luz moved to the East Coast.
The camera flashes again. Luz’s cheeks feel like they’re about ready to burst from the permanent smile that’s been planted on her face since the moment she rushed into her family’s arms.
They’re just glad to see her content. From what they understood, she had been going through some things in her personal life that she needed to get away from for a while. She was open with them regarding her involvement with her colleague and boss Ethan Ramsey. They were aware that they’d grown close while working on a case together.
For years, he was someone she admired. So much so, that his research was the reason she applied to medical school. Ethan had made an important impact on her life. She never divulged just how close they’d grown, but if he was the reason she needed to get away from Boston, they knew it had probably become a close relationship. They never judged her for it. She was a smart woman. But sometimes you can’t help what your heart feels.
"Now, you two kids prepare for a feast. Mami and I will be in the kitchen, you two just make yourselves comfortable," Jorge says as he and Elena make their way to the kitchen.
Luz makes to stand. "Dad, no way. I’m helping—"
"Mija, sit down. We got this. You just got home from a long flight. I won’t take no for an answer," he says sternly, but with a warm expression on his face.
She slumps down on the couch, watching her dad gesturing for her and Sebastián to stay put. She can’t help but smile at his insistence to take care of them. It’s always been this way when she and her brother are home.
Sebastián turns to her, grinning from ear to ear. "It’s good to see you, sis. I didn’t think we’d see you till December."
"I didn’t either. But, really, I’m just here to annoy you," she jokes, though the smile doesn’t fully reach her eyes. Bash knows his little sister is trying to distract herself from whatever went down between her and that Ramsey guy. He can’t help but feel some resentment toward him for breaking her heart.
"Want me to kick his ass?"
"No, Bash. I’m better, I promise. I just needed a little break." She sighs, though she quickly covers it and stands on her feet. "Come on, let’s sneak up on mami and papi!"
Sebastián watches her tiptoe her way toward the kitchen and lift a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. He huffs out a laugh and decides to follow her. This quickly takes them back to the time they would sneak around every Christmas night to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus.
Jorge and Elena are too preoccupied getting the champurrado just right to notice their two kids crouched down behind the island.
"I see you," Jorge calls out with a soft laugh and a shake of his head.
"Dammit," Luz mumbles.
"Not as stealthy as once before, sis." Sebastián chortles, and they spring up from behind their hiding place.
"Anyway, I thought I told you kids to stay away," Jorge reminds them.
"Well, I’m helping anyway. Bash can laze about, but I’m helping, whether you like it or not." Luz remains adamant and takes the spoon from her mom to begin stirring the champurrado.
"Mom, dad, why don’t Luz and I take over. You two go sit down this time—"
"Yeah, go make-out or something. We got this." Her lips curve into a beaming smile
Sebastián grimaces in disgust, and Elena and Jorge laugh to themselves before stepping aside to allow them space. He begins shooing them away. "Go, go. We won’t poison you, we promise. Or at least I won’t. Can’t say the same about Luz."
"Hey!" she retorts with a frown before playfully giving him a shove.
"We trust you kids," Elena says as they make their retreat. And with a tender smile, she stares back at the comforting scene of her two kids together under the same roof, bickering like old times.
"And don’t you forget it! Come on, Bash, help me with the lemon bars while I continue stirring this," Luz instructs, and they get to work.
Being in the kitchen she grew up in fills her heart with the joy she’s missed these past few weeks. She’ll open up to her family eventually, all she wants to do right now is focus on the here and now.
It’s true what they always say: there’s no place like home.
•
Thanks for reading! Ily💗
•
@openheartfanfics
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IT'S SPOOKY SEASON! How would Aizawa, Vlad King, Midnight and Present Mic feel about a small Seamstress S/O who LOVES Halloween, like the MOMENT August moves to September and the weather starts getting cooler they bring out the pumpkin spice candles, big comfy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween decor, bonus points if they bake pumpkin treats :3
HALLOWEEN TIME!! Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos >:3
Aizawa:
He’s pretty indifferent to seasonal stuff, his wardrobe is usually ever unchanging and his favorite foods are mostly year-round things, though all the black cat decorations are enjoyable and he likes seeing his kids get excited about the season so he’s no scrooge about it.
He’s more than happy to let you decorate your living space if you share it, and if you don’t he’ll even let you decorate his too, he’ll probably even ask you to come with him to get things for his students to decorate as well.
He’s probably a disastrous baker but he’ll linger around you if you’re baking, especially if you ask him to keep you company while you do.
Put him to work on the easy stuff, melting butter, chopping nuts, oiling pans etc.. measuring isn’t really his forte.
Despite your initial disbelief, he’d do a couple costume is you asked him incredibly nicely (you’ll probably owe him a favor...or five) despite how he may act though he probably enjoys it.
Not a huge fan of sweet drinks himself but he’ll surprise you with them if he has the extra time, out on patrol, if he knows you’re working late, etc.. if you work together you can expect one on your desk once or twice a week, exactly how you like it even if you don’t remember ever telling him your order.
Scary movies don’t bother him so feel free to drag him into a marathon of them, he’ll lay back on the couch and watch with you when you’ve got the downtime. Be wary though, if you get scared he’s probably gonna make fun of you just a little.
His favorite thing about the season is for sure the smells, nutmegs, gingers, pumpkin etc...he likes the sharp scent of fall and the neutral colors are also pretty enjoyable for him.
But on top of that, he just likes seeing other people be excited about it, even if he acts like a stick in the mud sometimes but you know just like everyone else he’s pretty soft where it matters.
He always gives himself away by coming to you and talking about how Mina scares Denki every morning without fail for the ‘spirit of the season’ or the running list of what to dress Bakugou up as for the holiday (top contender is currently: q-tip).
get a sexy cat costume
Sekijiro:
Come on his hero name is a vampire joke
He probably likes it much more than he lets on, and like Aizawa, he loves watching his kids get excited about it. He probably lets them pick a costume for him every year (it’s usually some type of vampire)
He’d be overjoyed to decorate with you, and will definitely leave up the decorations until it’s time to change for the winter season.
He loves seeing all the foliage change color too, go on a few walks with him before it gets too cold (even after, he’ll just wrap an arm around you, but he’ll say he feels bad keeping you outside in the cold).
I feel like he really loves fall seasonal drinks and stuff, maybe not the signature pumpkin spice but something akin to it may be slightly less sweet. But he’ll try anything you offer him and pretend to like it even if he doesn’t for the sake of not killing your excitement.
He always makes a mental note of the things you like to surprise you every so often.
He likes baking with you even if he’s not always great at it, but he’s a pro at kneading dough, for obvious reasons, he’s also good for hand-mixing, and eating batter (”You’re setting such a bad example for your students! Stop you’ll get sick!” “They can’t even see me!”)
Also totally down for a couples costume, he’ll think it’s funny and cute of you to want to match with him so he’ll definitely do it, and if his students don’t already know about you and suggest one he’ll even let them know he’s got to be able to match with someone this year.
Super loves scary movies, classic monster stuff Dracula, The Blob, anything Junji Ito, he doesn't mind newer stuff but sometimes its a hair too gorey/sexual to be tasteful for him.
They don’t scare him, for the most part, there’s just one very specific thing that bothers him (It’s Teke Teke, even just mentioning it is enough to send a shiver up his spine, seriously don’t even joke about it he’ll cry and be mad at you for at least two days or until you give him a heartfelt apology without laughing because it’s “seriously not funny babe come on”)
If you have made the mistake of making a Teke Teke joke at him in the past and he discovers even a single thing you are afraid of he will hold it over your head, don’t think he’s not that petty.
But he’ll only do it as payback. If you're nice about Teke Teke he will promise to protect you from whatever awful movie monster scares you.
If you aren’t well then you’ll just have to face Tomie yourself, unfortunately, “sorry babe but it’s about time to shape up, looks like it’s just you and Tomie now, alright well, goodnight” *clicks off lamp* (of course, he will cave in mere minutes and promise to protect you especially if you actually look scared and his joke didn’t calm you down at all) Don’t worry no evil movie monsters will get to you with Vlad around.
get a sexy vampire costume
Nemuri:
Loves Halloween, please fall is this woman’s bread and butter, the fashion is impeccable it smells great and Halloween costumes are so much fun.
She’ll 1000% try to rope you into some overtly sexy costume for her own enjoyment even if that sort of thing isn’t your speed, she’s gonna beg, just for one night.
Loves decorating probably has the 12-foot skeleton from home depot.
Her and Hizashi probably scare the crap out of their students at least once a year, some insane grand scheme that Aizawa and Vlad both know in and out but won't bother tell tell their students if they are unlucky enough to be the targets of it. If you work at UA with her and even think about ratting her out she’ll sniff it out from a mile away and then you’ll be at the top of the duo’s hit list.
Put simply...there is no option but a couple's costume. You will be matching if its the last thing she does.
Loves the seasonal drinks, pumpkin spice is her jam, whenever you pick one up get her one too she’ll thank you generously, and she’ll always have one for you too.
She’s pretty good at baking but not nearly patient enough for it, she’ll distract you halfway through and by the end of the night, all you’ll have is a half made batter, a preheated oven, and some hickeys.
Serial candle lighter and buyer. It’s an addiction, honestly, the smell of nutmeg may be so overpowering that you have to blow one out. At least the mood lighting is nice.
Also loves scary movies and will watch as many as you want, she may jump during them but they’re quick to leave her mind after so if you’re a scaredy-cat she’ll tease you but in the end she’s got a few pretty good methods for distracting you.
She loves the season herself but she loves watching you get excited about it, seeing you hobble in the door with arms full of decorations and baking goods just brings her so much joy.
The first time you break out a classic fall sweater she’ll compliment you for hours and steal it to wear the next day.
get a sexy devil costume
Hizashi:
Also loves the season and Halloween, hates all the spiders though, eugh. Not so bad if they’re all fake which normally they are.
Aizawa is on his shit list for leaving a huge fake one on his desk chair one day, he tied a string to it and when Hizashi pulled his chair out started tugging the string, seriously he screamed so loud Nemuri thought someone was being abducted.
Though he’s usually good at getting people back on those sorts of things, but Aizawa is notoriously hard to scare so it’s just been festering for years.
As mentioned for Nemuri, they definitely pair up and come up with some huge scheme to scare like at least 10 kids at once, ideally a whole class. It takes weeks of planning, usually happens somewhere around the middle of the month, anyone who has had the misfortune of being part of the target group before always gets tense around that time of year as they are very effective (Tamaki and Mirio have been scared three years in a row, Mirio handles it very well but Tamaki does not come to school for two days after).
He loves to bake, he’s probably decent at it too but he makes a huge mess, and he gets distracted too easily if you kiss him or touch him at all you will (similar to with Nemuri) just be left with a half-finished recipe and slightly sore thighs. It’s not his fault. it is
Couple costume or Halloween simply does not happen. That's the law! The cheesier and sillier the better, please.
He can either love pumpkin spice or hate it depending on the cafe, but he’s addicted to surprising you with little fall treats so expect plenty.
Big apple cider guy though.
He’ll watch a horror movie with you sure. he’s not afraid of most, but the really good ones will get him, slashers don’t bother him, ghosts are fine, home invasions are nothing, but demons? Eugh. Also bugs of course. An over the top gore makes him squirm. If it’s one of those maybe invite Eraser to deal with his quirk because of the screaming. Your neighbors will think you’re trying to murder the poor man, though you’re probably no better.
He likes getting scared with you though so don’t worry about it, and like Nemuri he usually forgets about it afterward.
if he finds it to be a slow, boring movie expect to get sidetracked, especially if you’re jumpy, he’ll put an arm around you and pull out all the classic cheesy moves and lines until he can coax you over.
Loves carving pumpkins, seriously loves it so much probably dedicates a class period to it. Will carve a matching set with you if you ask (in his eyes it’s something akin to a marriage proposal so be mindful when you do ask).
get a sexy maid costume
#aizawa shouta x reader#hizashi yamada x reader#nemuri kayama x reader#kan sekijiro x reader#bnha x reader#bnha request
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35,000 ft
pairing: mark tuan x reader
genre: smut, angst, some fluff?, exes to lovers
warnings: 18+, language, dirty talk, cheating, oral sex (female receiving), unprotected sex, public sex (mile high club ALERT)
word count: 9,800+
summary: two years have passed since you last saw your ex-boyfriend. when you’ve thought about running into him again, it certainly wasn’t at 35,000 ft and it certainly wasn’t like this.
a/n: wow my longest one shot yet... UMMM it’s a little messy and all over the place but don’t hesitate to let me know what you think or if anyone wants to cry over the photos of Mark at home playing in the pool sMH. also i do not CONDONE cheating fyI
part 2: 125 ft
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“Yes, yes, yes I’ll call you when I land…” You mumbled through the phone, half paying attention and half trying to decide which sandwich would best suit your needs.
“Okay but seriously… call me. I hate it when you’re over there enough so not getting a call freaks me out even more.”
You wanted to roll your eyes and gag, but you stopped yourself knowing that it wasn’t what a typical girlfriend would do when on the phone with her boyfriend. You two were supposed to still be in the honeymoon phase, not the “he gives me the ick” phase already.
Then again, you had never even been in the “he gives me the ick” phase before. Yay for new experiences you guessed.
“Brian, it’s so fine. It’s one of the safest cities in the world, I’ve been so many times I don’t even need a map to tell me where I’m going.”
“I hope you still do though… Use a map. I don’t want you to get lost and I know that’s easy to do in those modern, technologically advanced smart cities.”
Being with Brian sometimes felt like there wasn’t even a fourth wave of feminism.
You weren’t sure why you were sticking around. Part of you felt pressured because you hadn’t had any actual relationships in… well awhile and your mom was constantly asking when you were finally going to get a ring on your finger and give her a grandchild.
Judging by all the outside influences that were currently controlling your life, it felt like maybe there isn’t a fourth wave of feminism. You were setting everyone back just based on your own sad life. Maybe it was best to just dump Brian and go back to your hook up days, the year and a half before him that was just endless amounts of sex with random guys trying to fix a piece of you that would never be put back together.
“Y/n? Are you still there?”
“Yup, still here Brian.”
Even after being together for almost 6 months you couldn’t bring it in you to call him something besides his name. It was always Brian this, Brian that. Calling him a pet name made you cringe.
Yeah… Maybe it was definitely time to break up with him.
“Listen… I should go. I want to get something to eat before they start boarding since it’s a long one and all.”
But you’ll just do it later.
“Okay… sounds good. Get a small sandwich or something so you’ll feel full enough before they actually feed you on the plane.”
Suddenly you didn’t want a sandwich.
“Got it… Bye.”
“Love you, bye.”
You hear a noise letting you know the call has been disconnected and drop your hand, gripping the device at your side.
That was another thing. Brian had told you only 3 months of dating that he loved you – to which you had responded with “oh wow… that’s- that’s… so nice of you.” Being the nice guy, he was completely fine with you not saying it back, because he felt so sure that one day you would. He understood that you had issues with a past relationship that you weren’t quite ready to let go of yet, therefore your heart wasn’t completely available. He felt with time you would give in and love him too.
As of now you weren’t too sure… Especially if you did end up breaking up with him. At a later date and time of course. Maybe when you came back?
Your mind went blank as you looked at the shelves of the poorly made airport food in front of you. The sandwiches that had once looked good and enticing suddenly lost their luster and the last thing you wanted to do was waste money on one. Sighing, you glanced back down at the phone in your hand. The object felt more like a heavy weight and a burden rather than just a phone. It wasn’t due to work or family; it was just all because of Brian.
You’re startled when your phone comes to life once again under your gaze, buzzing softly.
Brian. Remember don’t forget to text me when you board!
It was like he had a sixth sense for whenever you were thinking of him. And to be honest it wasn’t that often.
A couple of weeks ago you were out to lunch with a few friends from college and when updating those who you hadn’t seen in a while on the goings-on of your life, you had at first redacted the fact that you had a boyfriend completely.
“Anyone romantic in your life?” Your friend Alice had asked you.
Without thinking you had begun telling her how he was in game design and was from LA just like you, but soon cut yourself off before you could talk about how cute his dog was. That’s when you realized you weren’t talking about Brian. Brian was in fucking accounting, not game design and was 100% allergic to any kind of animal. When your friend asked about your love life, you had him in mind and not Brian even though so much time had gone by.
You were starting to believe that you weren’t ready for a relationship at all.
Sighing, you figured that maybe chips would be a better and less smelly option for the plane ride. Knowing yourself you would probably dig into them within the first thirty minutes of the thirteen-hour trip.
You whip around to find wherever your newly desired snack choice could be when you catch a glimpse of someone out of the corner of your eye. The goosebumps that make their way to the surface of your skin and the hair on the back of your neck standing up so eagerly causes your entire body to freeze with fear. There was only one person who made you feel this way, one person who made your blood run cold. The person you had just indirectly been thinking of.
No, no it couldn’t be.
You’re afraid to turn around, because more than anything you don’t want to be right. If you felt stressed thinking about Brian, you were going to have a panic attack from seeing him. Pivoting yourself to the left, you bite your lip anxiously unsure of how you’re supposed to react if you are right. Taking in the sight behind you, you’re met with a father and daughter selecting candy from the shelves of the store. The individual causing your anxiety nowhere in sight. Your entire body relaxes.
The last thing you wanted was a fiasco in the international terminal at LAX. It certainly wouldn’t do you, your family and your company any good to make headlines. It especially wouldn’t have made Brian happy; he probably would have called you a hundred times in worry.
“I can’t fucking believe it.”
And just like that you’re snapped out of your daze, your false security vanished, goosebumps emerging once again. This time there were no questions. That voice. It was him.
Turning back around you find yourself under the gaze of your ex-boyfriend. Your ex-boyfriend who you haven’t seen in over two years.
You wish you could say that time hadn’t been good to Mark, but that would be a bold-faced lie. He had somehow become even more attractive in the last two years and the only real thing that seemed different about him was his hair color. The last time you had seen him he had been blonde, but now he had opted for a dark brown color. As much as you hated thinking it, it definitely suited him.
The last two years felt like a long blur of trying to forget him and everything or everyone associated with him. Those were of course difficult things to do, many of the people in your shared three-year life with Mark becoming some of your closest allies and the fact that Mark wasn’t an easy person to erase. Since the two of you met – even when you were just friends – you had a magnetic like pull to one another that couldn’t just be forgotten and dismissed. You were even feeling it right now after everything.
He’s wearing a tight smile, almost as if he too can’t believe you’re standing here in front of him. It was as though you were the one inconveniencing him, when he had been the one to even say something to you. If you had seen him first, you would have turned around and ran the other way pretending like it never happened. For some reason he was willing to acknowledge you.
“I didn’t think I’d see you here,” his tight smile soon fades away and his voice is smooth as ice, a nonchalance to it that makes you question whether he even cares about this run in.
“Me either. Good to see you… Now if you’ll excuse me…” You replied pushing past him to continue your previous task of looking for chips. Much to your dislike, he follows you as you embark on one of the aisles, your eyes scanning the items placed out oh so carefully.
“Aren’t you going to ask me how I’ve been? What I’ve been up to?”
The last you had heard of Mark was that he had moved to Beijing after being given a position at a video game development company. At first you had been surprised at Mark taking a job overseas, he had always expressed to you how even over his own dead body he would never leave LA, but ultimately him in China relieved you. No longer did you have to avoid your favorite spots in the city for boba or the park bench where you got most of you best thinking done. You didn’t even have to be worried about getting invited to a party or dinner with a friend, wondering if Mark was going to show up. With Mark gone you could freely have your life back and not walk around with the fear of running into him. But you guessed that it could only have lasted so long before fate – as cruel as she was – brought you two together again.
“No that’s okay. I’m good,” you go down another aisle, he still follows suit.
Where were those damn chips?
“If you’re looking for the chips, they’re over there,” he said pointing behind you to the back wall in a location that you should have noticed sooner, “and if you want your favorite brand of salt & vinegar chips, they’re on the bottom shelf.”
Your stomach churned, he thought after all this time he would be able to still just know you like the back of his hand? What snack you’re looking for? What chips you like? No way.
Wordlessly you march to the back and stare at the shelves in front of you. You felt your hand dangerously moving forward to the bottom to grab the salt & vinegar chips Mark mentioned, but you control yourself and pull back not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Instead you opt for plainly salted kettle chips.
“Thanks… you’ve been a big help. See you never,” you scoffed turning around to face him and pushing past him to pay for your item, leaving Mark in the dust behind you.
“What you’re not going to even pretend that it’s nice to see me?”
“What the fuck do you want me to say?” you practically spat at him, the father and daughter from earlier staring at the two you, the father particularly appalled for your colorful choice of language.
Mark’s silent and you turn back to the self-checkout to scan your chips, hopeful to not think about your ex-boyfriend for the next thirteen hours. He watches you carefully as you take out your wallet to pay and tap your card against the reader. It isn’t difficult for him to sense the tension in your body, he can see it just from you performing the simple and mundane task of paying. The worst part is that he knows he’s the cause.
Grabbing your snack, you exit the small store and Mark follows you, grabbing your wrist, he tries again, “you could say something nice? Like you care? It’s been two years y/n… Can’t we just be normal people with each other?”
At this you feel something in you snap, “I don’t care how much time has fucking passed Mark… I’m never going to get over you just completely throwing our relationship out the window. I can’t believe I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with you… I was so fucking dumb to think you cared about me for even one minute. So, to answer your question… no we can’t just be normal people with each other. We were never normal people with each other to begin with.”
The two of you had started off as friends, just friends. It was something new for Mark, being just friends with a girl and not having sex attached. Many people in your life warned you not to get close to him, that he was just a fuckboy who didn’t care about the emotional – it was only the physical with him. Ultimately you ignored him, becoming his friend and finding that you two just worked together. First you worked together as friends and soon you fell under his Mark Tuan spell, working together as lovers.
Throughout your entire relationship you did your best to trust Mark, which you accomplished for the most part, but in the back of your head you would constantly hear the voices of everyone around you. You would hear the stories of the girls he had before you and how terribly he treated them, but you ignored it all. After a while you started to think of it all a little less, people even congratulating you on lasting so long with Mark – something that tended to annoy you. You knew that they didn’t see the Mark that you knew, the Mark that wanted to be something else for you, the best for you. Then after three years together, almost a month after your anniversary, you found out he had been with someone else.
The old Mark had perhaps never truly vanished, but was just immensely good at hiding.
Now here you were in front of him and you couldn’t tell who this Mark was.
Mark scoffed, “you haven’t changed at all…” Now he was mad at you? “It’s probably better we just say goodbye here.”
You rolled your eyes, “That’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time.”
He wanted to say more, but looking at how annoyed you were at merely being close to him, he let it go. It was hard for him to understand how he was feeling. He longed for you, but he also felt a lot of anger towards you that he wasn’t sure how to control.
Both of you stare at one another, neither of you wanting to be the first one to walk off. Without a word, you both collect yourselves and assumedly prepare to embark on your respective gates. Mark gives you a final glance with his fists now clenched in frustration and turns to walk toward his flight.
You realize he’s going the same direction as you and you follow awkwardly behind. After a moment – as if he can sense you’re still there – he turns around and scowls at you.
“Why are you following me?”
You snorted, the actual audacity of Mark Tuan. This is an airport for fuckssake, you can’t control where your flight is, “as if I would ever follow you! I’m going to my gate! I think the better question is why are you following me?”
“I’m going to my gate!”
“Okay!” You yell a little too loud, “Okay!” he repeated, matching your volume. You can sense that people are starting to stare at the two of you for your truly unprompted yelling.
Mark looks back at you once again, rolling his eyes. The two of you may have gates in the same area, but you can’t stand to look at him any longer – much less his back which you couldn’t help but notice has become much broader. Not that you would admit it to him… or anyone.
You pick up your pace, passing Mark and causing him to trail behind. You expect him to say some snarky remark or rude comment when you go in front of him, but instead all you hear is an annoyed groan. It’s when you finally reach your gate and sit down in the waiting area that you feel Mark is no longer right behind you, but instead frozen in the main concourse, in front of the space you’re seated in. He feels his mouth go dry and he wants to scream. All he wants is to just be rid of you, to not be forced to think of you when you’re right in front of him. He wanted to wipe his brain clean.
It suddenly dawns you on the reason why Mark is frozen as if he can’t comprehend what he’s seeing. You stand up abruptly, “this can’t be happening.”
He snaps out of his trance with your words and comes closer to the gate, approaching where you’re seated. You’re just about to wave your hands, warning him not to come any closer when he huffs and sits down on a chair only few away from your own.
“You’re going to Seoul?” He says it as if you being allowed in the Korean peninsula is a disgusting idea.
“I’ve been traveling between LA and Seoul every 2 months for the last year and a half, so yes I am. Aren’t you supposed to be going to Beijing or something?”
He smirked, “I thought you didn’t care about what I was up to?”
“I only care if it assures that you’re as far away from me as humanely possible.”
Your ex looks at his watch and at the screen of the gate alerting passengers that boarding would begin in a few minutes, “well since you’re so curious. I didn’t like Beijing, so I found a job in Seoul that I like much better.
“Didn’t want to come back to LA?”
He looks back to you and you almost wish he hadn’t, “there’s not really a lot left in LA for me anymore.”
Both of you stare at one another for a moment, and you feel your stomach flip. Does he mean what I think he means? Your eyes drift down to your lap and you feel yourself pulling out your phone, not needing any more Mark.
You manage to pass 10 minutes this way, aimlessly refreshing your emails and ignoring Brian’s latest text asking if you’ve boarded yet. Being so engrossed in your phone, you didn’t even notice Mark’s constant glances up at you, wondering what you were looking at or who you were talking to.
There it is again, he thought to himself, Do I care? Do I not care? What the fuck, make up your mind dude.
When the call for First-Class boarding comes to your dismay, both you and Mark stand up. You try to just tell yourself that it’s not important, you would probably both be seated aisles apart, not having to spend any more unwarranted time together.
Even when you’re finally on the plane and find yourself behind him once again in the aisle, you tell yourself that this will be the last moment you have to see Mark Tuan.
“Here’s your seat sir, can I get you any drinks or snacks before take-off?” the flight attendant asked Mark when she shows him his seat. He gives this shit eating grin that makes you want to slap it off his face, you couldn’t believe he was doing this in front of you. What? Did he think he was going to get to fuck the flight attendant as an extra First-Class amenity?
“Ah no thank you, I’m fine for now, but I’ll let you know if anything changes,” you feel awkward standing in the aisle watching this unfold, especially since you can see the attendant is giving in, blush creeping up on her face from Mark’s smooth gaze. You clear your throat, reminding her that you too are there and she quickly turns to you, an apologetic look on her face.
“And here's your seat Miss,” she graciously steps back to let you slide into your seat and you don’t move.
This had to be a joke.
You looked from your seat, to Mark’s and then to the flight attendant.
“I can’t sit here... I’m sorry but there has to be another seat available.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but there are no other openings in First Class. We only have seats available back in economy.”
This couldn’t be happening. You had been saving all of your miles for a First-Class upgrade for forever, there was no way you were going to give it up, “Mark move to coach.”
“Huh? Are you joking? My company paid for this; I’m not moving back there! You move!”
How were you supposed to sit in front of Mark Tuan for the next thirteen hours? The man who had loved you so deeply, but also caused you the most pain.
Just as people had stared at the two of you in the terminal, the other passengers in your surrounding area were also beginning to look. Maybe if the two of you got into one of your notorious screaming matches, someone would feel bad enough and offer to trade. You couldn’t do that to someone, you wouldn’t wish being stuck next to Mark Tuan on a long-haul flight on your worst enemy. Well… Mark was your worst enemy.
Smiling, you turn back to the flight attendant, “It’s fine… I’ll just stay here. Thank you though.” She gives you a smile, but you can sense some annoyance behind her eyes. You can’t blame her.
Mark looks at you wide eyed, previously caught up in organizing his space, but snapping out his activities when he hears your dismissal about moving seats, “uh… what are you doing? Are you seriously going to sit here?”
“Yes Mark. Unlike you, I paid for my seat so I’m not moving anywhere.”
He scoffed, “Fine.”
“Fine!”
--
hour one
“Ma’am could you tell the gentleman in 3A to stop chewing so loudly?” You asked the flight attendant, putting on the sweetest voice possible. Mark was driving you up the wall and you were only an hour into the flight.
It was almost as though you could hear every single cough, every shifting in his seat and it was all driving you up the wall. Just knowing he was there irked you.
The flight attendant looks clueless and as she opens her mouth slowly, unsure of how to respond. You hear Mark’s low voice grumble from behind you, also addressing the attendant, “uh ma’am can you tell the lady in 2A to mind her own business, pop a xanny and just go to sleep?”
She clearly wasn’t expecting to deal with any difficult passengers this early on in a thirteen-hour flight. For her sake you wish you could deal with Mark and be more civil, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen.
hour three
“Y/n…”
Be strong, you tell yourself, don’t look back, you can get through this.
“Y/n?”
It’s probably not important… He just wants to annoy you.
“Y/n!”
Screw being strong.
“What the fuck do you want?” Being in semi-pods in First-Class it was difficult to just whip around and face Mark, to show him your annoyance under the lights beginning to dim.
“Do you have any extra AirPods?”
“Why the fuck would I just carry around extra Airpods around with me? Are you an idiot?” You sneered.
“Jesus Christ I was just asking. You don’t have to be so vicious. Maybe someone should fuck the tension out of you,” he said, mumbling the last part. He says it so quietly and so half assed that you almost think that you misheard him.
“Choke on a dick Mark,” you replied quietly, not wanting the other passengers to hear or disturb the few who had already drifted asleep.
He scoffed, “maybe you should be.”
You were wrong, the Mark that you had reunited with was just the same old fuckboy Mark who didn’t give a fuck about anyone.
Placing your AirPods in your ears, you close your eyes and ignore the rest of Mark’s efforts to speak to you, just wanting nothing more than to fall asleep and wake up in your hotel room in Seoul.
hour seven
You pop your headphones out of your ears in frustration, feeling as though you hadn’t managed to get any real sleep during the hours that had passed. You look behind you to Mark’s seat, and feel relieved to see his eyes closed and a slow, shallow breath coming from his mouth.
It felt weird to gaze at Mark and know you were no longer apart of his life. Sure, it had been two years, but you hadn’t seen him or had to deal with the reality that there was now a separate you and a separate Mark. Two entities that had nothing to do with one another anymore. Although sometimes it felt like you were still anchored to him.
Suddenly he shifted over onto his side, mumbling incoherent words in his sleep. The only thing you could make out was your own name. It made you feel uncomfortable, not because he was clearly dreaming about you, but you felt as though you were invading his private space, infiltrating an intimate moment.
“y/n… please…” he mumbled.
You felt like you’d heard enough. The flight was making you restless and you weren’t sure what you would do if you kept listening to Mark’s breathless calls for you. Standing up, you decide it’s probably best now to stretch and go to the bathroom, before you embark on your further slumber.
When you finish up in the bathroom, you almost have a heart attack pulling back the door to be met with Mark’s tall figure.
“Oh my god you scared me,” you said placing your hand on your chest. You shake your head, stepping out of the bathroom with the door closing firmly behind you. Attempting to go back to your seat, you position yourself to move past him, but he moves along with you to keep you from leaving.
“What are you doing?”
Mark doesn’t know what’s taken over him, he had woken up in a frenzy, his dreams not doing anything to help his mental state. He hadn’t dreamt about you in months, but of course as soon as you’re back in his life he has to have fantasies of you wrapped around him once again. It was torturous, especially with you only a few feet away from him. He dreamed about having you every way and any way, feeling like he was going crazy. When he saw you missing from your seat, he immediately got up almost as if in a sleep induced haze unable to control his actions.
"When are you going to stop pretending that you don’t want to be under me again?” he purred.
Your blood goes cold. Was he drunk? His words make you nervous, scared that someone could hear, but looking around the dark cabin it seemed as though everyone in First-Class was fast asleep.
“Mark…” you begin, your tone clearly frustrated, but also weakening a bit, clearly evident that his words are affecting you. It had been so long since someone talked to you like this, and you felt that the hours you had spent on the plane already altering your sanity.
“You were always such a good girl for me, what changed? When did you become so stubborn? What happened to my girl who was always so willing and sweet?”
“I was screwed over by an asshole, that’s what happened,” you mumbled trying to avert his gaze and prayed that maybe if you weren’t to look at him you could pretend that there wasn’t a part of you hanging on his every word.
“That was in the past. I’ve changed now… But I’m still your boy. Even after two fucking years, I’m still yours.”
You want to fight with him, say that if he was always your boy and still is then he would have never cheated on you. He would have never spent a night with someone else.
“Let me fuck the anger out of you.”
“What?” Okay he had to be drunk.
“You and I have too much sexual tension, and we’re both angry so let’s just fuck to relieve the tension.”
“You’ve said some pretty fucking dumb things before, but this is… this is…” you drift unsure of what exactly you think it is.
“A good idea?”
“Mark I’m not having sex with you in an airplane bathroom.”
“What? Like that’s bothered you before?”
When you were with Mark, the two of you would have sex in the riskiest places, so you weren’t a stranger to the kind of sex where you could be caught at any moment, but you had never joined the mile-high club before.
“We’re not together. I hate you and you hate me… for some reason.” You never understood why exactly Mark had been mad at you all of these years and acted as though you were the devil himself when he had been the one that ruined the two of you. Maybe it was because you hadn’t given him a second chance? Maybe it was from the influence of you hating him? Or maybe it was because you had never been enough for him, otherwise what would have caused him to spend the night with another woman?
Mark clicked his tongue and it causes you to bring your attention to his mouth. It almost makes you lose focus completely. “So what if we’re not together anymore? Does that matter?”
Does that matter?
His words make you remember something. Something very important.
Brian.
“Yes, it matters. I-I have a boyfriend,” for some reason the word “boyfriend” seems to be hard to get out. It was always weird to associate Brian as your boyfriend or your “partner,” but saying it to Mark felt like the weight of a ton of bricks.
In the dark lighting of the cabin you can just make out the frown that spreads across Mark’s face. Just as quickly as it appears, it’s gone and the cocky façade is back.
“And that’s a problem?” your ex asked.
As you’re about to protest and tell him that commitment in relationships is important to you, Mark reaches his hand out to rest on your bare shoulder, running it softly up and down your arms in a soothing pattern. It was a common gesture between the two of you, something Mark would constantly do whenever you were telling a story or the times you would fall asleep at night. It puts you at ease and you feel yourself close your eyes at his touch.
Mark would be lying if he said the word “boyfriend” coming out of your mouth didn’t disappoint him. In fact, he felt a similar pain to the one he felt two years ago when you had broken up with him. Mark wasn’t daft, he knew what you thought of him – a player, a fuckboy and someone who never cared about you in the first place. It hurt him to know that you were just like everyone else around him who had a preconceived notion of who he was or what he did. At one point in time he thought you were different.
But now looking at you and having you back in his life – even for only a thirteen-hour plane ride, he just wanted you back in his arms, back under his touch. He knew he should have felt guilty for not giving one fuck about this “boyfriend” you had acquired at some point during your two years apart, but he didn’t care. If he was going to have to be that cocky fuckboy who paid no mind to any consequences to get you, then so be it.
“Come on… it’s been two years… let me feel that pussy that I’ve missed so so much,” he whispered seductively against the shell of your ear, “let me fuck into it so good, because I know no one’s filled it up so well since me. Especially not that boyfriend.”
His words cause you to moan involuntarily and the noise awakens both you and him. You immediately shoot your hand up to cover your mouth, unsure of what’s getting into you. You were supposed to hate Mark, you had spent the last two years training yourself to hate him just in case a moment like this were ever to arise. But maybe that was an easier thing to imagine when you hadn’t seen him, because now with his hands gently caressing you and his request to be inside of you once again, you feel anything but hate. You feel want.
“Fuck Mark…”
“Just say the word baby, and you have me,” he whispered, delicately placing an open mouth kiss on your wrist, slowly continuing up your arm.
What were the pros and cons of this? If you were in any other difficult situation you would take a pause and list all of the good and bad things that could come from this. The big con was Brian… Even if you had been feeling strange about where your relationship with him was going and found him to be suffocating, you couldn’t do to him what Mark had done to you. Another negative factor emerged in your mind… you didn’t want to be put under Mark’s spell again, you couldn’t. Even being this close to him made you feel things that you had been trying to forget for two years, sleeping with him after all this time would only make it worse. That worried you. But judging on the primal way your body was reacting to Mark – your wet core being a clear sign – you knew this wasn’t going to be a logical decision where the cons outweigh the pros.
“I-” you’re about to do it, you’re about to gain enough strength to tell him you don’t want him anymore, but when he pushes your hair away from where it lays on your shoulder and attaches his lips to the side of your neck, any willpower you had vanishing. His gentle sucking on the sweet spot of your neck that he knows oh too well causes you to let out a whimper and he smiles against your skin, knowing he has you.
“Do it,” you mumbled, eyes still closed.
Mark brings his lips back to your ear, “do what baby?” His cocky tone makes you want to roll you eyes. He had always done this – torture you until you were begging to feel his touch.
You open your eyes and give yourself a moment to readjust to the dark lighting of the plane and focus on Mark’s face in the small space in front of the bathroom. You want to see his gaze when you make your non-logical decision.
“Fuck me.”
The corner of his mouth turns upwards as he brings his arm forward and behind you to pull open the bathroom door, pushing you backwards into the cramped space.
It’s when he’s pressed up against you and locks the door behind him that the reality of what you’re doing sets in. Just as you feel yourself get used to the harsh lighting, you freeze at Mark’s intense stare.
“What are you looking at?” You asked.
He smiled and glanced down at the floor shyly, then back up at you, “You.”
For the first time since seeing him again at the airport store you feel those feelings in your stomach. No hate, no indifference and no bitterness towards Mark - not even just lust. Instead you felt a warmth for him that reminded you of the good days, not the bad ones. The swell in your heart worried you and you didn’t want to feel or dwell on it so you lean forward and kiss him.
Mark’s lips on yours doesn’t do anything to eliminate the softness you felt for him moments before, if anything it only intensifies it. It feels as though no time has passed for the two of you and the missing piece of the puzzle that you had been searching for has finally found its way back to you.
A low growl comes from Mark’s throat and it sends your hands to find shelter in his hair. When you were together you had always had a weird thing for Mark’s hair. You loved running your fingers through it, gently massaging his scalp and tugging at the roots. Mark would always joke that you would probably break up with him if he ever shaved his head, which you didn’t exactly argue with. And now it just felt so good to have your hands where they belong. It’s almost as though Mark’s read your mind and he smiles against you lips when he feels your hands, “pull as hard as you want.”
You feel his tongue at the seam of your lips, urging itself through to deepen the kiss and you tell yourself that it’s not too late, this can be the moment that you opt out for what a mistake this would be. With his hands drifting down from your hips to your ass, you feel yourself part your mouth voluntarily, realizing that you don’t want to stop this. You want to make this mistake; you want nothing more than to let him feel you and taste you even more.
“I want to taste you so bad,” Mark whispered against your lips, “see if you taste as good as I remember.”
You want that more than anything. Mark had always been so good with his tongue and just thinking about the hours he had spent between your thighs in the past made you even wetter than when you were having sex with Brian. Judging however, on the space you were both in, you didn’t know if it was physically possible. He can sense your hesitancy by the way your lips begin to still against his.
He breaks apart from you and gently rubs his thumb along your jawline and lips, “don’t think too much.” In an instant Mark’s crouched down in the very small space in the bathroom and you immediately find yourself worried about his comfort level, “are you sure you’re okay?”
He looked up at you, a dark look in his eyes and waved you off, “don’t worry about me babe, I’m about to have the best meal of my life.” At the end of his sentence he reaches up to the hem of your leggings and pulls them, along with your panties down in one sweep, pushing them aside. You’re almost surprised at his loftiness, but you remind yourself that it’s Mark. He moves a hand around to the back of your knee, hoisting one of your legs up onto the closed toilet seat, pushing the rest of your body up against the small sink counter. Although the space was already limited as it was, the position brought your core closer to his face and as you looked down to see the way his tongue stroked across his lips, you felt yourself already get lightheaded.
He began with leaving open mouth kisses along the inside of your lifted thigh and another on the top of your pubic mound. It was enough to make you feel shaky, as though the one leg that was supporting your weight would give out at any moment. You found yourself unfazed, you knew Mark would be there to catch you if you fell.
Mark leaned in further, his tongue delving between you folds to gather up as much of your wetness as he could, giving you a noisy taste that had him groaning, head pulling back and licking his lips after his first taste in two years.
“You taste even better than I remember, how the fuck could you get sweeter? I don’t even want to go back to my seat after tasting you, I could sit in this bathroom with my mouth on you till the end of the flight.”
You found yourself wanting nothing more than to be stuck in this crammed bathroom with Mark for as long as you both could get away with. The person who was contemplating whether or not this was a bad idea didn’t even exist to you anymore. One lap of his tongue on you and you were reminded of all the ways he could make you fall apart.
He tongued your clit slowly at first, every stroke almost teasing – as if he was making up for the years you two spent a part. His tongue would slip lower, working its way along your gushing entrance to remind you how much he relished your flavor before returning to your clit, the wet sounds of Mark’s sucking not even embarrassing to you. It was when Mark began to groan against you and swirl his tongue and suck that you felt your hands go back to his hair, roughly pulling him closer.
“Mark, I-I can’t… I’m gonna – fuck,” you moaned out unable to form a functional and coherent thought. As you feel your orgasm on the horizon and just around the corner, you tug at Mark’s roots further, which encourages him to pick up the pace of his tongue, wanting you to cum on his face just like you had many times before. He wanted to drive you to the brink of pleasure, but he also wanted to prove to himself that he could still bring you to the edge with just his tongue.
Any delicacy he had been exhibiting before is completely gone, the way he laps at your clit and swirls his tongue around your sensitive bundle of nerves causes your chest to heave and sweat on your brow. You’re so caught up in Mark that you barely notice your foot beginning to slip from its security on the toilet. Mark swiftly acknowledges your pending loss of balance and tugs the leg up onto his shoulder, not removing himself from you for even a moment.
You could feel yourself twitch and the arching of your hips towards his face, “come on baby I know how close you are, I need you to cum for me. Cum for me like all the times before, all over my face. I want it so bad.”
Mark’s muffled words against you and the final groans he emits from how much he loves your taste is the last straw as you finally let go and the waves of release crash over you. He doesn’t give way as you buck yourself further into him one final time, his back practically hitting the wall of the bathroom. Your body comes down from your climax and you look to see Mark gratefully clean up the release he caused. When he takes his mouth away, you feel your core wavering against the emptiness and loss of warmth it had felt, almost as though it wanted Mark to be a permanent attachment to you. You’re breathless, head falling back to the mirror behind you as Mark stands up, wiping the back of his mouth and jawline which had become messy and shiny with your juices.
“I knew you were still my little slut,” he pushes the hair that had fallen in front of your face behind you, “letting me have you in a fucking bathroom at 35,000 feet. How else will you let me have you?” He asked attaching his lips back to that spot on your neck.
It dawns on you that there’s no winning. You once again are completely under the spell and at the mercy of Mark Tuan, willing to let him do whatever he wants to you. “M-Mark whatever you want.” At your response he simply smirked, quickly pulling his joggers and boxers down, his painfully hard cock slapping against his lower stomach.
“Fuck I’ve been waiting so long to have you around me again. I never thought I would, and I’m going to make every second count.”
He positions himself in between your legs, gripping your hips and pauses for a moment, clearly contemplating something. Mark hadn’t planned on having sex on the plane, nor did he plan on even seeing you again.
“Mark if it’s about the condom, it’s fine… I don’t care, I’m still on the pill and I-I trust you.”
At your trust in him, something he had so deeply been wanting all these years, he doesn’t hesitant another moment at placing himself at your entrance. His teasingly slow rubbing against your slit causes you to let out almost a growl at how much you needed him to be inside of you.
“How much do you want it y/n?”
“So bad.”
He pushes into you suddenly, “you’re still my cockslut, huh?” The feeling is too good and too great to answer him, but he’s not satisfied with your nonresponse.
“Answer me.” He sunk himself inside of you further and you do your best to let out the smallest and most inaudible “yes” you’ve ever heard, which thankfully seems to be enough for him.
“God,” he groaned, “you’re still so tight.” He looks down at the space where your bodies meet, fixating his gaze at the visual of his cock slipping inside your sensitive and swollen folds. Mark waited for a moment for your pussy to get used to having him inside you again, to get reintroduced to his length and girth which it had been so accustomed to in the past. Despite the time that had passed, you felt no discomfort except for the mental discomfort in your head that just wanted him to fuck into you quickly and harshly.
“Taking me so well, squeezing every inch of me. This pussy knows who it belongs to, who it deserves to be fucked by.”
“M-Mark,” a final moan of his name is all it takes for him to begin his first real thrust into you, pulling himself out almost entirely. You feel so sensitive and overworked from your earlier orgasm that you aren’t sure how long you can last with the way your walls are clenching around Mark.
His pace soon became brutal and you’re thankful the loud sound of the engine could cover up the whimpers coming from your mouth and the sounds of skin slapping against skin. Mark’s fingers press into your hips so firmly that you know there will be bruises that you’ll have to explain later, but for now the only thing you can focus on is how full Mark is making you feel. He removes his hand from your side and brings it down between the two of you, fixating on your clit, rubbing until it ached. It caused your body to clench on him further, the continual touch and his fucking into you making you roll your eyes into the back of your head.
Mark groaned at how snug you felt and how deep you were taking him, his head falling into the crook of your neck and against the bathroom mirror, “whose are you?”
You know what he wants you to say, but you don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, even in the heat of the moment. It could lead to misunderstandings and a more complex outcome than just that of having sex with him in a fucking airplane bathroom.
“Whose are you?” He repeated, this time a little bit softer and removing his head from your shoulder to look at you with worrisome eyes. Mark knows that if you say you’re his it’d most likely be untrue, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to hear it one more time, even if it’s a complete and utter lie. He wants to know he has you, even if it’s for this one moment.
“Yours, I’m all yours,” you breathe out. It comes out on its own, without any time for you to process or comprehend what you’re saying. It surprises you so much that you aren’t even sure if it’s a lie or not.
That’s all he needed and he thrusts into you even harder, hitting the spot inside of you that makes you want to completely fall apart and combust. You’re too caught up in the pleasure of him ramming into you that you don’t even feel the pain that comes with your backside being continually pushed into small counter of the sink.
“Cum for me baby, I’m close and I need us to do this together. It’s all I want,” Mark said. His tone perplexes you. It’s forceful and authoritative something that you were no stranger to when it came to sex with Mark, but there was a clear tenderness to it that had you second guessing everything. Maybe this wasn’t just sex.
It’s one more strum of his cock against your g-spot and the pinching of your clit with his thumb and index finger that has you climaxing around him. The almost violent pulse from your pussy around him due to your orgasm has Mark following close behind, spilling himself deep inside of you. The ecstasy coursing through you causes your entire body to shake and twitch, wanting to collapse completely onto the bathroom floor. You fall against Mark’s body and in his own exhausted state he holds you close, protectively wrapping his arms around you making you feel secure.
You should want to get out of the situation immediately as a one-time thing, but somehow you can’t bring it in you to remove yourself from his grasp. You felt at home with Mark’s arms around you and him still inside of you. It was a comfort a sense of normalcy you hadn’t felt with anyone since Mark. He softly strokes your hair, placing gentle kisses on the top of your head remembering how much you liked it after a tiring session of sex.
It feels as though no time has passed, but soon you find yourself out of Mark’s hold. He removes his now soft cock from you and you can feel yours and his cum leaking from your core, down to your thighs. It’s almost as though this movement has finally woken you up. You delicately collapse onto the toilet, making sure to take extra care with your now jelly-like legs. With your head in your hands in disbelief at the actions you had just willingly followed through on, Mark stares at you.
“Fuck… I’m so mad at myself.”
With the small amount of space, he has, Mark shifts his weight from one foot to the other, “why? That was so fucking great.”
You looked up at him in a scolding manner, he still had no perception of reality, but apparently now you were one and the same. “Because now I did the same thing to Brian that you did to me.”
There’s a pause and Mark avoids all eye contact with you. He had imagined this talk so many times – the talk the two of you never got to have and he really didn’t want it to be here, like this. But by some strike of luck, fate had brought you back to him, even for a short period of time and he may never get the opportunity to come clean again.
Choosing to continue to avert your gaze, Mark sighs deeply and busies himself with pulling up his joggers.
“I didn’t cheat on you.”
You feel like ice and your whole body goes numb, “W-what?”
He sighs again, looking down, “I never cheated on you.”
You think there’s no way you could have heard him correctly. Your entire break up, the reason you ended your passionate love story with the one person you saw a future with came from his cheating. It couldn’t be a lie… Could it?
One thing was for certain, you knew Mark so well and judging by the fidgeting and fiddling with his fingers you can tell you still do. And he was telling the truth. Your stomach flipped.
“Then why did you let me believe that you did?”
“You were the only person in my life who didn’t believe all those stupid rumors about me, the only person who didn’t believe I was a fuckboy like everyone thought… but then the moment someone tells you they think they saw me with someone, you pack your bags. I figured you wouldn’t believe me, just like everyone else.”
It’s ridiculous. The words coming out of his mouth are ridiculous, but part of you understands what he’s saying. Maybe you had been too quick to judge, too quick to believe everyone else’s preconceived notions regarding your own boyfriend, but what were you supposed to do when he didn’t even defend himself?
“You know… even after all this time, I still don’t know why I hated you. I really don’t know if it was because I thought you cheated or because you never went after me when I left.”
Mark’s silent, and the weight of the situation continues to hit the two of you like a bus. Part of you feels betrayed by him. More betrayal then when you first heard the rumors. The two of you could have been together this whole time, saved each other from years of pain, sorrow and longing, but instead it’s almost as though he forced it upon you both.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Jesus fuck Mark we’re not Marianne and Connell from Normal People, we can talk to each other.”
He furrowed his eyebrows, “Who?”
“I’ve been watching a lot of TV since we broke up.”
There’s another silence between the two of you and in the small space it feels deafening and suffocating. You want nothing more than to go back to your seat and forget this even happened. Weirdly enough, the sex part you were fine with. It was this conversation that left you feeling like you couldn’t get a proper breath of air into your lungs, almost as if you were drowning.
You take a piece of toilet paper from the roll beside you and use it to attempt to clean up the mess that had already begun drying on your legs. Mark watches you mindlessly, unsure of what to say himself. He knows he made a mistake from not telling you and effectively keeping the two of you apart, but every time he would reach for the phone to dial your number he would be reminded of the pain he felt and all the things you had called him that day.
Everyone was right! Why didn’t I just fucking listen to them? Does a three year relationship mean nothing to you? I thought you changed… were different… but now I just feel like I wasted my time.
“I-I really don’t know what to say if I’m honest,” you finally stuttered out, grabbing your discarded leggings and pulling them on, “did you want me to leave you?”
Mark shakes his head vigorously, completely taken aback at you even thinking that, “no... Not at all... I just- it was complicated.”
“Right and you don’t do complicated. Got it.” You stand up and move to unlock the door, but Mark moves in front of you as he did earlier.
“Y/n... Can we just talk about this? When we land can we just go to a cafe and talk about everything? I still- I mean... even after all this time I-” He begins, but you’re too scared to hear him finish the sentence.
“Mark we’ve had a lot of time to talk. Just please let me go back to my seat.”
This time he makes no effort to stop you from leaving and you quickly slip out of the bathroom, fearful someone might see you. Luckily, everyone is still fast asleep and you walk back down the aisle to your seat wanting to forget about what Mark had said.
You couldn’t deal with the what ifs, you couldn’t get lost in a fantasy of imagining that maybe you and Mark could be married already if he would have just said something. You couldn’t be that cruel to yourself.
After a few moments, you notice the bathroom occupied sign go away, signaling Mark’s arrival back to his seat.
He knows he could just sit down and go back to sleep, falling back in to the way things were. But he had already not tried to go after you once before and he had been regretting it ever since. He had to say fuck that to all of the fears he had of being judged and put trust back into someone again. He wanted you.
Your eyes which had drifted closed soon shot open as you felt a movement at the side of your chair, turning to see Mark crouched down next you
“What are you doing?” You asked.
“I already let go of you once, I’m not doing it again. If I have to spend the next,” he brings his watch up to look at the time, “six hours convincing you, then so be it. I’m not letting walk away from me this time.” At his final word he moves his hand to brush a strand of hair behind your ear and goes to sit down. His eyes piercing into the back of your seat.
You felt Mark’s words, you felt them deeply in every part of you and it made you think that the Mark you love was still in there.
Love.
You still loved him.
The beating of your heart made it difficult to fall asleep, but when you finally did you had a decision made and a smile on your face.
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My Green Signal Samurai Girlfriend ~ Miles Edgeworth/Mitsurugi Reiji
(( This GIF was called WAIFU and this cracks me up so much- ))
(( Also, this is going to be part of a 2 parts series, the other one, a Sequel, being called My Green Signal Samurai Fiancee, that I’ll hopefully write...And finish soon enough~! Edgey deserves some love ~ <3 ))
“Ehhhh?! Sis, you never told me you were friends with Nick!! How come?! When?!” Maya jumped up an down in shock, her big, sparkly eyes boring into her elder sister’s amused eyes.
“Really? Phoenix never bothered to mention me? At all? Nix, I’m hurt, what about this?!” the elder girl mocked being hurt and taking out the Green Signal Samurai keychain.
“What’s with that thing and why do you all seem to have it?” she asked again, admiring it closely.
“A-Ahhh...W-Well, I’m sorry, Y/N, I guess it didn’t cross my mind that Maya didn’t know about our friendship. We’ve been friends since we were little, in school. Larry and Miles have one too, it’s a symbol of our friendship. Y/N had green, I had blue, Larry yellow and Miles red.” Phoenix explained, taking out the keychain from his drawer.
“You keep it hidden away in a drawer, while I’ve had it attached to my keys since then. You truly are cruel, Nix!” she laughed, ruffling his spiky hair.
“How did you become friends anyway? You 4 are so different...It sounds so weird!” Maya asks again, sitting on the opposite arm rest of the sofa her sister was on, while Phoenix sat in the middle, a nostalgic smile on his face.
“Well, you see...It all started one day...” and so, Nix began narrating the story of the 4 Signal Samurais.
It was a normal school day like any other, with Miles studying, Y/N doodling and passing notes with Larry, who fell asleep mid-class, and Phoenix who looked cluelessly at the blackboard, since math was never his subject, so he had to ask the girl for help all the time.
That day, however, Phoenix wasn’t feeling well, so he skipped P.E., preferring to do some homework in class, which is when he found an envelope that was supposed to have money in it...But it was empty.
As he was holding the envelope, looking at it curiously, realising that the owner must be missing it, the door suddenly got opened, and a girly gasp was heard, which created chaos among all the other kids coming in.
Phoenix Wright was accused of being a thief.
The teacher made everyone get in a half-circle around him, making them point their fingers accusatory at him, saying ‘THIEF!’, while the teacher was watching with an almost satisfied expression on her face, seeing the kid cry, not being able to defend himself.
“Tell the truth, Phoenix.” she’d say, not even caring to hear his end of the story.
“But I didn’t do it!” he tried to say, which made the teacher sigh and shake her head.
“Now, Phoenix, apologise to Miles.” she said again, which made one of the girls that leaned on the wall, away from the commotion, get out of the shadows, standing in a defending T-pose in front of her friend.
“THAT’S ENOUGH! If Nix said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it! Look at him, he’s a whiny cry-baby, do you really think he’s capable of thievery?! You should all be ashamed of you for being such bullies! SHAME ON YOU!” she screamed at everyone, even the teacher, not caring about any repercussion.
“OBJECTION!” a loud and stern voice boomed from behind them, just as Larry was about to get up.
“Miles...!” the girl’s eyes widened in shock and appreciation as she saw the boy point at the wave of kids with a determined and firm expression on his face.
“Edgeworth...?” Phoenix’s bottom lip quivered as he clenched the back of the girl’s Tshirt, watching the boy shine.
“It’s as Fey said. It wasn’t you who stole my money, was it?” Miles asked, as the boy was merely able to nod. “Then hold your head high. Everyone’s been shouting that you did it, but no one has any proof.” he continued, looking sure of himself.
“Wh-What are you saying?!” one of the boys asked in confusion.
“It was your money that was stolen.” another girl pointed out.
“We don’t need proof.” a new boy shrugged uncaringly.
“In a court of law, evidence tells all.” Miles slammed his hands on a desk, as if he was a true lawyer, like his dad. “Before you have the pretension to hold a class trial, at least realise that!” he scolded everyone.
“Yeah, knock it of already! He said he didn’t do it!” Larry stepped on the desk, yelling at the others.
“Larry...!” Phoenix looked at the chestnut haired boy with shock.
“This is always how it is, everybody ganging up picking on one person. Aren’t you guys ashamed of yourselves?” Larry continued defending his friend.
“The defendant has pled not guilty. Without evidence to prove his guilt...Your Honor, this boy is innocent! I rest my case. This trial is over. Court is adjourned!” Miles ended this whole charade, and the teacher could only agree and dismiss the class.
Phoenix ran after Miles, and Larry ran after them, which made Y/N rush to get to them as well, grinning at how cool that was, as the brunet boy thanked all of them.
“Always help the ones in need! That’s the Signal Samurai’s signal motto.” Larry said walking ahead, holding a bag of dog food in his arms.
“Oh, you like Signal Samurai too?! I watch it every week!” Phoenix gasped in glee.
“I’m totally Yellow!” Larry grinned, turning around to look at the others.
“And I’m Blue!” Nix counted in.
“Good choice, that guy is sharp!” Larry praised his choice.
“Oh, oh, can I be Green?! Pretty please?!” the girl smiled timidly, clasping her hands together.
“Ah, yes, of course! That gal is so cool!” Larry nodded his head vigorously.
“Ultimate Move: Sally Forth!” Nix got the Blue Samurai’s pose.
“What about you, Miles?” the girl asked the boy who seemed so confused.
“Why are you three getting worked up? You aren’t kids.” the boy in cause rolled his eyes, as if he was an adult.
“But we are kids!” Phoenix grinned at him.
Then, Miles asked about the dog and why Larry had dog food on him, and as soon as the girl looked down, she started squealing and picked up the puppy, cuddling and nuzzling her face in its extra fluffy fur, as the pup started licking her face.
As soon as it was done with licking her face, it started looking intently at Miles, struggling a bit to get the boy to pet it. That’s when they found out that Larry found the pup in an adoption carton box, which pissed off the girl big time.
But then...They realised that nobody could keep it, so they started looking for the owner, and thankfully, Miles was smart enough to deduce the place from the almost erased address on the cardboard box.
During the walk there, the dog kept trying to get Miles to acknowledge its presence, as the boy only did the Hansel and Gretel trick, but with dog treats instead...
And every time to puppy would make a cute sound, the girl would squeal at how adorable it was, hugging it more.
“Like I said, I’ve never seen this dog before.” the woman from apartment 2202 said.
“Really? Because he’s so happy to see you!” the girl gave her a suspicious look.
“Look, we don’t care anymore.” the woman scoffed in annoyance.
“Abandoning small animals is a crime. If you’re reported, not only will you be investigated, you may also be fined.” Miles spoke in an almost business-like tone.
“Oh? Let’s see you try! I’ll pay as much as it takes!” the woman yelled at them, scaring Miles.
“So you have the money to pay for fines, but not for taking care of a small dog? Why did you even get it in the first place, huh? How can you be so cruel and abandon a living being who loves you more than it loves itself?! Are you sure you even have a heart at all, you stone cold heartless bitch?!” the got in the woman’s face, yelling at her loudly.
“Who do you think you are?! A little snotty brat, threatening an adult?!” the woman glared down at Y/N.
“Don’t you feel any ounce of sadness or pity for him?! Would you throw your own child on the streets when you get bored of him too?!” the girl refuted instantly.
“Sh-Shut up already! G-Give it a rest, or I’ll call the cops!” the woman started stuttering, realising how much of a jerk she was.
“Forget it! This dog deserves better! It deserves a place where people genuinely love him and show him affection, not this...This! Not you! You don’t deserve any kind of love for being so cruel!” the girl had tears welling up in her eyes, as she picked up the dog and rushed away from there, not wanting to let those tears spill.
As soon as she got down from the building, walking in the park, she quickly wiped her tears with the sleeve of her dress and hugged the dog, kissing his head and nose.
“You were so cool, Y/N!” Larry praised the girl, who only looked down.
“I just...Can’t stand injustice against animals who can’t speak or defend themselves...” she muttered softly.
“All right, but didn’t you say you couldn’t keep that animal?” Miles asked in curiosity.
“...That’s right. I’ll...I’ll...I’ll try to buy him food...And I’ll make a little bed for him from my old clothes...And I’ll try to train him to stay in front of the house so I can take care of him....” she spoke, not even once raising her head to meet their eyes.
“Then I shall take him. You can come help me raise him, if you want. I shall ask my father.” he spoke nonchalantly.
“R-Really?! You’re the best, Miles! Promise I’ll come every day to help!” the girl threw her arms around the boy, the dog in between them, licking his face, as he couldn’t help but blush like crazy.
“You’re so cool, Miles!” Phoenix grinned at him.
“You’re kind of a bro, Edgey!” Larry fist pumped the air.
“D-Don’t be so ridiculous! And y-you’re too close! ...Let’s just go home.” he started walking ahead of everyone, revealing the trick he made as the dog started following the treats, and when they got to the crossroads, everyone convinced the red clothed boy to watch Signal Samurai.
Of course, his dad was incredibly understanding, no matter how stiff he appeared, and thus, blossomed a beautiful friendship that would last for ages in their hearts...
- - -
“EHHHHH?! Nick, you can’t be serious! Y/N sounds much too excitable than now!! Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?!” Maya gasped, shaking Phoenix by his shoulders.
“H-Hey, Maya, I was a kid too, you know?” her elder sister sweat dropped.
“At least we know Larry didn’t change too much, huh?” Nix chuckled in amusement as he turned on the TV...
And saw that Miles Edgeworth was accused of murder.
Fantastic.
The girl gasped and rushed out of the place before anyone could even blink, and go to the Detention Center, asking to see Miles in the Visitor’s room.
“You’re the last person I was expecting to see.” he said, not daring to look at the woman in front of him.
“What in the world happened, Miley? I know you are not a murderer...So...Please tell me the truth.” she finally managed to take a deep breath and sit down in the chair opposite of him, on the other end of the glass.
“Don’t call me that, we’re not 9 anymore.” he scoffed, a faint blush of embarrassment on his face.
“The blush on your face says otherwise. Besides...You will always be my dear Miley, no matter what you say.” she smiled softly at him.
“Give it a rest. I have no way of getting out of it, even though I didn’t do it. There’s too much evidence that points against me.” he shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning back on the chair.
“That doesn’t mean that you did it! Justice always prevails, Miles Edgeworth! Don’t think that I or Nix are going to let you be taken away from us again!” the girl smirked in a cruel and dead-set determination.
“What does Wright have to do with anything?” Miles tried to ask, but the door was slammed open, revealing the person in cause, along with the woman’s younger sister.
“I’ve never seen you run so fast, Y/N.” Nix panted, catching his breath.
“I only run like that when in danger or when responsibilities are chasing me.” she giggled in amusement.
“What are you doing here?” Miles asked with a condescending voice.
“Edgeworth, tell us what happened.” Phoenix demanded in a strict voice.
“What are you going to do about it?” he shot back.
“Let me defend you.” the lawyer said, but the prosecutor chuckled in mock amusement.
“Defend me? You? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a novice who’s only been in 3 trials. Yes, you’ve got lucky and won all 3, but your luck’s bound to run out some day. You need real skill. Experience. And regardless, I don’t want either of you involved in this. Leave.” Miles got up to leave, which made the woman shot up from her chair, making it fall from the sudden burst.
“Are you crazy, Miles Edgeworth?! You think that after all this time, I’m going to allow you to walk away from me...From us...Again? Let us help you for once, damn it! You’re not alone in this world!” the h/c woman slammed her hands on the table in front of her, making the man stop dead in his tracks, not saying anything.
“Let me just ask you one thing, Edgeworth. You didn’t do it, right? Right?” Phoenix asked again, but Miles only hung his head.
“Stay out of this case.” he muttered, before leaving completely.
“...I’m gonna kill this guy. I’ll go investigate some place...And I’ll try to get him to accept your defense. See you later.” the woman’s voice was dry, almost deadpan, which confused her younger sister.
“Why is Y/N so upset over this thing with Edgeworth? Isn’t he a total jerk?” she asked, which made Nix look down with a small smile.
“Miles Edgeworth and Y/N Fey hold a...Much stronger bond than we ever did, and I’ll leave it at that. Let’s go investigate too, Maya.” he explained, leaving the girl more confused than ever.
There were many places to investigate in just a few mere hours, but when they were done, they all returned to the same place, yet this time, Phoenix and Maya got there faster than Y/N.
“Hmmm....? Phoenix, don’t try to steal Miley from me.” she tried to stifle her laugh with her hand.
“Wh-What?! N-No, Y/N, this is not-” Nix’s eyes widened with panic, as Edgey could only look away with a soft blush.
“So, on a grim note, if Phoenix is here, I’m sure this means he realised this relates to the DL-6 incident, huh? Did you get over the details, Miles?” she asked, leaning on Phoenix, who was sitting.
“You’re incurable, Y/N Fey, but you’re not wrong, of course. That night, Hammond asked to see me for the first time in 15 years. He said he had something to tell me about the case. We set out by boat, but before he told me anything, I heard gunfire, and the next thing I knew, I was alone on the boat.” Miles explained what happened.
“Any clue who shot?” she asked, paying attention to every word.
“No, I didn’t see anyone. I picked up the pistol without thinking...I really...Don’t want you involved in this case. It’s my problem and mine alone.” Miles looked down again, making the woman tsk in annoyance.
“Yours and yours alone? First of all, what about my mother, Misty Fey, who disappeared after people started threatening her and calling her a fraud? I’m sure that I and Maya deserve to know the truth behind the DL-6 incident. And...Honestly, Miles? I said it once, and I’m going to say it again, for the last time. I’m not letting you face your problems alone anymore.” she glared down at him with fire in her eyes.
“It’s exactly as my sister said...No matter how painful it is, we have to know the truth! And not only that, but Y/N, Nick and Gumtree believe in you from the bottom of their hearts! So please, place your faith in us, too! Let Nick defend you and let Y/N support you!” Maya raised her voice to get Miles to accept.
“Very well. It pains me to ask this now, but...Would you please defend me?” he asked, almost embarrassed.
“Say no more. We were going to defend you, even if you didn’t accept.” Y/N shrugged with an obvious smirk on her face.
“You can count on us!” Nix smiled at his friend.
“Who could have guessed this day would come?” Miles closed his eyes in disdain.
“This is my chance to finally repay you." Nix spoke with enthusiasm.
“Repay me...?” Edgey blinked in confusion.
“Never mind. It’s okay if you’ve forgotten.” Nix shook his head dismissively.
“This is going to be an uphill battle.” Miles warns them.
“Yes, I know-” Nix tries to agree, but is quickly cut off.
“No, you don’t. You don’t know how terrifying the God of prosecutors, Manfred von Karma, is.” Miles says, making all of them gasp in disbelief.
“Karma’s going against you?!” Y/N bit her lip in worry.
“In his 40 year career, he has not lost a single case. He is truly a miracle prosecutor. Manfred von Karma...A frightening man who will do anything and everything it takes to win.” Miles muttered, his voice holding a tint of worry.
“...And we have the Miracle of Christmas on our side. And the Four Signal Samurais. Not even Hurricane Karma can go against us.” Y/N scoffed condescendingly, making the man in cause chuckle softly.
“Hurricane Y/N, rather.” Edgeworth chuckled softly, barely audible, making the girl grin widely.
“That’s the Miley I know and love!” Y/N almost seemed to be glowing with determination and fire.
The next day, they had to walk to the courtroom, and everyone seemed nervous...Anxious for the trial to come.
“Manfred von Karma is 10 times as vicious as I.” Miles gave Phoenix a heads up, and he seemed to gulp.
“They say that the biggest threat in the world is a scorned woman. Karma won’t know what hit him.” she smirked, flipping her long hair back.
“Don’t take him lightly, Y/N.” the silver haired man gave her a warning look.
But before she could reply, they noticed Karma waiting in the middle of the corridor, no doubt waiting for them, just so he could shame his adoptive son.
Giving the elderly man the stink eye, before taking Edgeworth by the arm and guiding him to the court room, not before giving his hand a reassuring squeeze and winking at him.
December 26, 10 AM
District Court - Courtroom No. 3
Prosecutor: Manfred von Karma
“Court is now in session.” the judge hit his hammer to make everyone silent.
“The defense is ready, Your Honour.” Phoenix spoke out, loud and clear.
“Is the prosecution ready?” the judge asked Karma, but he sketched no gesture.
“Uhh...Prosecutor Karma?” the judge pressed on, only for the lawyer to snap his finger and point one of them towards us, the defense, with a patronosing look on his face.
“Fool! You seriously think I would stand here, were I not completely prepared?” Karma snapped his head.
“R-Right, my apologies!” the judge hid his face behind the hammer.
“What a pushover!” the Fey sisters, along with Phoenix, were jaw-dropped at how stupid the judge is.
And so, Karma called the first witness to stand before us and testify.
Witness: District Police - Detective Dick Gumshoe
“This is a map of Gourd Lake, the crime scene. At 12:10 AM, a woman heard a gunshot and looked at the lake, where she saw 2 men on a boat. The next instant, another gunshot rang out, and one of the men fell into the lake. The night of the murder, the lake was covered by fog-” the detective explained in detail, until he was rudely interrupted by the prosecutor.
“That’s enough! Next, testify to the court about your arrest.” Karma ordered the policeman.
“Actually, I’m the one who’s supposed to handle these proceedings...” the judge tried to say, but was once again stopped by the jerk.
“Wrong. There is only one thing you need to do here. You will slam down your gravel and say the world “Guilty”.” he pointed towards the judge, who once again, hid behind his judge hammer.
“Don’t get too hasty, throwing such accusations, unless the trial is over! You’re going to influence the jury and the judge!” Y/N yelled accusatory at the prosecutor, who only smirked at her in victory.
“The police got a call after 12:30 AM and arrived at the scene 5 minutes later and apprehended Mr. Edgeworth, whom they found nearby.” GumDick explained further.
“Did they find anything at the time?” Karma asked professionally.
“Yes, sir. The pistol thought to be the murder weapon...” the detective said, looking a bit unsure.
“Were there any fingerprints on it?” Karma pressed the policeman, until it was confirmed that Miles’s fingerprints were on the gun.
“The next morning, a man’s body was found in the lake. Estimated time of death was around midnight. He was shot once through the heart...Fatally.” Gumtree continued his testimony.
After that, Karma brought forth the bullet and had the detective confirm it was the matching bullet...
Only to have Nix stupidly asked again what “ballistic markings” means, which made both Fey sisters and the detective fall to the ground at the idiotic question.
Then, we found out that Mr. Hammond summoned Edgeworth to the scene...And since Miles refused to explain why he was summoned...
Karma used all the evidence provided so far to use them to proclaim Miles as the culprit...
And called the next witness, who heard the gunfire, and he asked her to describe what she saw on the night of the murder.
Witness: Self-Proclaimed Journalist - Lotta Hart
“It was Christmas Eve, just after midnight, I reckon. I was asleep in my tent, when I heard this bang comin’ from the lake. I looked toward the lake and faintly saw two gents in the fog. Then, there was another bang.” Lotta explained in a very dramatic way.
“She happened to take a photo of the moment.” Karma snapped his fingers, showing a picture of tho people standing in a boat. “It was the victim and the defendant on the boat, ergo, it couldn’t have been anyone but Miles Edgeworth who fired! There we have it, this trial is over.” Karma pointed accusatory towards Phoenix, making him hit his back on the wood wall behind him.
“OBJECTION! That picture is clearly much too foggy to be certain that one of the person is surely Miles, while the other is surely the victim! You can’t give a verdict so soon! The defense hasn’t even cross-examined your statement!” the girl glared, slamming her hands on the table in front of her.
“Very well. You may ask one, and only one, question.” Karma scoffed condescendingly.
“You have no right to asses limits to our question limits!” she refuted immediately.
“If it changes nothing, we will proceed to the verdict.” the prosecutor smirked at us.
“The judge gas already found the prosecution’s evidence decisive. We have no choice but to accept his terms.” Miles frowned, closing his eyes, accepting his fate.
“To hell with that, Miles Edgeworth! I’m not leaving this place until we’ve declared you innocent! Karma, we accept your conditions. Phoenix, I’m sure you realised the plot hole in Lotta’s testimony!” the girl spoke with such a strong sense of justice that it made Miles snap his eyes open, looking at her in awe.
“Plot hole...? Hmm....Hmmmmm....Ah! Yes, you’re right, Y/N! Ms. Hart, when you heard the second...” Nix began, making the woman continue.
“There was a loud bang, and then another.” she turned around, throwing her arms in the air.
“Did you clearly see the boat or the two men?” Nix asked, making the girl sweat drop awkwardly.
“J-Just look at the photo. Clear enough for you?” she tried to defend her testimony.
“I wasn’t asking about the photo, I was asking if you saw-” Phoenix corrected her, only to be interrupted by Karma, which in turn made the judge end the cross-examination.
“Then give your verdict, judge!” Karma smirked in victory, only for the woman to yell at him.
“OBJECTION! Lotta, your testimony isn’t 100% true as you claim it is. I clearly said before, but it seems nobody wants to listen, being prejudiced against Miles Edgeworth. The fog makes the photograph unclear, so nobody can be certain who the two people actually are. In addition, you refuse to elaborate whether you saw the two man or not, which makes me believe you didn’t, which is why you’re trying to evade this question. Tell us the truth, Lotta Hart! This is a matter of life or death! We are talking about the innocence of a man here, this is not just some game or a silly journalistic sensation you put in a newspaper! It’s the life and future of a person!” Y/N L/N had tears welling up in her eyes, her heart hurting so much, that she was afraid it would burst...Miles Edgeworth...Miley...He didn’t deserve something so cruel.
“Why’re you makin’ me out to be the bad guy?! I-I saw him! I clearly saw Edgeworth!” Lotta stuttered, pointing towards Miles, who couldn’t keep his eyes away from the woman defending him so fiercely.
“Judge! Declare the defense in contempt of court.” Karma pointed towards the defending table.
“Escord Mr. Wright out of the court-” the judge cleared his throat, making the woman sigh and hang her head.
“Wait! I was the one who made the outburst and spoke out of line. Phoenix Wright did nothing improper. It should be me taken out of here, not him. I’m not a lawyer, I’m a doctor, and I act on emotions and try to bring justice and save the people I care about. If you want to give a punishment, I’ll take it, but Phoenix Wright is innocent...However, did you hear what Lotta Hart said? She said she clearly saw Miles Edgeworth. THAT was not in the testimony!” the woman pointed towards the witness, only to make the prosecutor growl in irritation, obviously feeling called out.
“Judge, throw this woman out of the court!” Karma accused her, making several policemen burst in and escort Y/N outside of the place.
“I have faith in you, Phoenix! Save Miles, I know you and Maya can do it!” were her last words before being thrown out of the courtroom.
Miles couldn’t even concentrate on his own case - His eyes were fixated on the door, the very door through which Y/N was dragged out, just because she had too much fire wanting to defend him.
His thoughts...Y/N...Why would she go through so much trouble just for him?
She was never one to want to stand out or embarrass herself...She was always a shy and cute kid, not wanting to bother anyone...
And yet, this is just as before, when she defended Phoenix.
It was then and only then...And that time with the puppy...That he ever saw her so angry, so thirsty for justice...
She was always passive when it came to anyone else but the people around her.
No, it wasn’t the people around her...
It was the people dear to her.
There weren’t many - It was only him, Phoenix, Larry and any animal on this world.
She truly had a heart of gold...
And cared for him endlessly.
More than he ever deserved.
Y/N L/N was Miles Edgeworth’s angel, his light in the darkness, the one being that would remind him of his humanity...
And he didn’t deserve her in the least.
That is not to say, however, that he wouldn’t bail her out of the courtroom jail...After all, her intentions were purely addressed to him.
Miles truly accrued an unpayable, infinite debt towards this girl.
He couldn’t understand why was she chasing after him, a mere shadow, so much, almost as if clinging to dear life.
She’s not after his money, power or glory...
So what is she seeking so dearly?
What does he hold that she needs so much?
Of course...Miles Edgeworth knew...He wasn’t stupid and nor was he blind...
But he didn’t deserve her, and she doesn’t deserve all the hurt he put her through, nor the one that he could potentially bestow upon her by merely being around her.
For the rest of the day, Phoenix, Maya and Y/N went to the lake to investigate, and the things they found out were to be taken into account...
Especially the parrot reminding the old man about the DL-6 incident...
---
Witness - ???
The witness was kinda sleeping - Is he narcoleptic?!
Karma brought him here...Why, they wondered? It’s a great mystery...
The witness, the old man, allegedly doesn’t remember his name, nor anything beyond the last few years...And yet, he runs a noodle shop and rents boats by the lake.
The woman could only wonder how the parrot is going to come into the equation and if the old man was truly as amnesiac as he claims to be.
“It was the night of the 24th, just after midnight, ayup. I was lying down in my room when I heard a loud bang. When I ooked out of the window, I saw a boat just a’floating on the lake, then I heard another bang. A while later, the boat returned to shore, and a man walked by my window. That’s about all I saw.” the witness explained everything he saw.
“Defense, you may begin your cross-examination.” the judge expressed.
“Are you sure you heard the gunshots after midnight?” the man had to be awakened, just to throw a semi-certain answer. “But when I spoke to you yesterday, you said you didn’t remember. How are you so sure about it now?” Nix asked, needing clarity.
“I remembered it while talking to the prosecutor.” the witness declared nonchalantly.
“Wouldn’t that mean Mr. Von Karma manipulated your testimony?” Nix asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Objection! That is a baseless accusation, kid.” Karma growled at him.
“Then, I’ll change my question.” Nix nodded in understanding.
“From the lake, when I heard a bang, I looked out the window and saw the shape of a boat. And then I heard another bang.” the witness explained again.
“It was the sound of gunfire, correct?” Karma asked, which the witness confirmed.
“Who was in the boat at the time?” Nix asked, and after some amnesiac-idiocy from the old man, he answered properly.
“Well, it was pretty far away and it was all covered in fog.” the old man stated, making Nix ask the fated question...But the answer was surprising.
“Later, someone passed by the window of the boat shack?” Karma asked, making the old man claim it was the murderer...Miles. He saw Miles.
As soon as he mentioned Miles’s name, he fell asleep...And on the floor.
Y/N slapped her hand to her mouth in desperation, trying to clear her head to think properly.
She knew Miles wasn’t a killer, so what was she missing?!
“The testimony just now is decisive evidence that prove the defendant’s guilt-” the judge was about to pass the verdict, only for Phoenix to jump in.
“Wait a second! We already proved that my client didn’t fire that gun! The murderer fired with his left hand, but the fingerprints on the gun were from the defendant’s right hand!” Phoenix objected the statement.
“That’s easy to explain! He could have worn gloves during the act and carelessly left his prints on it later.That is probably what happened. Everything is crystal clear now. The defendant is guilty! In a court of law, the evidence tells all! Haven’t you realised that, you damned amateur?! Judge, I demand you declare the verdict!” Karma pointed towards the judge.
“Therefore, I shall pass the verdict towards Mr. Miles Edgeworth.”
G U I L T Y
What?
Guilty?
Are you kidding?
This judge is such a moronic pushover...!
But just as Y/N was about to throw another rage fit, The Yellow Signal Samurai, Larry, jumped from the jury seats to stay by his friends’ side.
“That’s right! You were there on the night of the murder!” Y/N gaped at her stupid friend.
“Yeeees! The murder occurred on Christmas Eve, right? I was there, and I heard it. I heard the gunshot. The old man’s testimony didn’t quite sit right with me, so I can’t just sit here and let you call Edgey a murderer.” Larry spoke loud and clear.
“The verdict has been decided already. I call for adjournment.” Karma frowned, seeing his plans being ruined, and the judge on their side.
“This is it, Nick! Larry’s given us one final chance at this!” Maya tried to cheer Phoenix up.
“Your Honour, if there is another witness, it is our duty to hear him speak!” Nix spoke out.
“In all court proceedings, it is our duty to prevent an inaccurate verdict, therefore, we must examine every piece of evidence and listen to each witness! I withdraw my previous verdict of GUILTY! Now, testify to the court about what you saw on the night of the murder.” the judge hit the gravel to let Larry speak.
“Finally, some sense to this trial.” Y/N muttered, stealing a glance at The Red Signal Samurai from the corner of her eyes.
“That night, I was in a boat out on the lake, I was looking for the Steel Samurai.” this made the judge confused, making Nix explain what happened with the mascot. “So I went, uh, looking for it. I finally found it and returned the boat at the dock. That’s when I heard this BANG. Naturally, I looked out over the lake, but I didn’t see a boat. After that, I dragged the Steel Samurai back to the stall.” was Larry’s testimony, which let the defense begin the cross-examination.
“When did you hear the noise?” Phoenix asked his friend.
“Oh, it was around 11:00 PM when I went out in the boat and I was out searching for about an hour. I guess I heard the gunshot at around midnight.” Larry answered, which made Karma avert his attention to them.
“That matches the other witness testimonies. This is pointless.” Karma flicked his fingers towards Larry, making him fall to the ground, silent.
“But when he heard the shot, there wasn’t a boat with the victim and the defendant on the lake. Isn’t that right, Larry?” Phoenix asked, making Maya speak out.
“Besides, you only heard one shot, right?” she asked, making Larry agree again.
“Two witnesses have already testified that they heard 2 gunshots. This man’s testimony is hogwash!” but before Larry could yell at him, Karma flicked him again effortlessly.
“Larry, you sure you only heard one shot that night?” but a little friendly feud came between them, making Y/N slam her head on the table in exasperation on their antics.
“I’m not sure...You know I always listen to the radio at night! Headphones on, I was listening to Auralia’s Midnight Lovey-Dovey Rendez-vous! Hey, it’s almost Christmas! All you lone wolves, your aural lover, Auralia, wishes you a Merry Christmas!” Larry spoke enthusiastically.
“Wait, so that was barely before Midnight, but everyone else mentioned hearing 2 gunshots AFTER midnight. That means there was a total of 3 gunshots that night?!” Y/N’s head shot up in realisation.
“When this picture was taken, it was 12:10 AM on December 25th.” the judge nodded.
“That means the other photograph that Lotta Hart’s camera took, it was the first gunshot that Larry heard! Sure, there is nothing but fog and water depicted, but look at the time on the back. December 24th, 11:50 PM. This confirms Larry’s testimony!” Y/N smirked, knowing they had the upper hand, for once.
“Mr. Butz heard it 20 minutes before the other witnesses Ms. Hart’s camera too the other picture at 12:10Am...That means Y/N’s deduction is correct, 3 shots were fired that night. One at 11:50 PM and Two at 12:10 AM.” Phoenix explained in further detail for the judge and jury.
“Oh, please, that man probably sneezed and triggered the camera.” Karma accused Larry.
“Yeah, a sneeze as loud as a gunshot, huh?” Y/N rolled her eyes in disgust.
“I did not!...But I did yawn and fart.” Larry admitted, making the woman facepalm.
“Regardless, this evidence isn’t enough to overturn the verdict. End these proceedings at once!” Karma yelled at the judge, only for him to ask the defense if they have any objections.
“Miles Edgeworth is innocent and this whole case was meant to frame him and throw him in jail. Everything is much clearer now...Phoenix, explain the case, you are his official lawyer. Be The Blue Signal Samurai you’re supposed to be.” Y/N crossed her arms, leaning on the wood wall behind her, listening to the story.
“10 minutes after midnight, gunshots were heard from the boat on the lake. One shot. And another. And then, the victim fell into the lake, leaving the defendant, Miles Edgeworth, alone on the boat.” Phoenix explained the beginning.
“The victim was shot from a meter or so away. Only the defendant could have done it!” Karma defended his case.
“But what if that wasn’t the time the victim was shot?” Y/N butted in. “What if the shot that actually took Hammond’s life was the one from 11:50 PM, that Larry Butz heard?” she continued in a cheeky tone.
“Don’t be stupid! This photo doesn’t even show a boat on a lake!” Karma shouted accusatory.
“Yes, that means Hammond was murdered somewhere else.” Phoenix explained.
“Which means the two people from the boat were Miles Edgeworth and the actual culprit who framed him, who faked being the victim and then jumped in the lake!” Y/N explained, making everyone gasp and talk between themselves.
“Framed? Explain!” the judge hit the gravel, making everyone silent.
“After the murderer killed Hammon at 11:50 PM, he wore his coat and assumed his guise to meet the defendant whom he’d summoned to the lake beforehand. The two of them set out on a boat...And then, the murderer fired 2 shots on the boat. The first was to make anyone near the lake to look at the boat. He probably fired into the water. Once he grabbed their attention, he fired the second shot. Due to the fog, anyone looking at a distance wouldn’t be able to tell who’d fired. That means the shooter wasn’t Miles Edgeworth, but the real murderer, disguised as the victim!” Phoenix explain in great detail everything that happened.
“It’s just as I stated previously. The murderer pretended to be shot and jumped into the lake. To someone watching from the shore, it would appear that a murder had taken place before them. They would think they saw Miles Edgeworth who’d been left on the boat, murder the man with him. The murderer then swam back to the shore, put the coat on the corpse and threw it into the lake. It was all done to frame Miles Edgeworth for murder!” Y/N spoke confidently and loud, being clearly heard by everyone.
Miles could only look at her dazzling smirk, that confident expression that only appeared whenever she was 100% certain of herself and her deductions.
She was a doctor after all, not just a mere kind soul, and it was moments like this one that reminded him that he was, after all, just a human.
Because his heart was beating faster than ever whenever she was around him...
And that scared him..And more than than, it scared his past self so much that he felt the need to run away for the first time in his life.
Now, Miles Edgeworth realised that he had no reason to run away, and that her aura was a pure and benevolent, and it was all addressed to him.
He was a fool for running away from her.
But now, a greater crisis arose for Miles Edgeworth.
Who was he anyway?!
“If you are this confident, then I assume you know the murderer’s name?” Karma chimed in with a gremlin smirk.
“No, I don’t know his name. I don’t know...Because he never told us. Please bring forward to the stand the caretaker of the boat shop!” Phoenix told the judge, whose bottom lip quivered in realisation.
But as if on cue, a policeman burst through the doors, saying that the very man in cause disappeared without a any notice.
The old man fled.
That was guilt.
The court was adjourned and the trial will continue the tomorrow.
That night, back in the cell, Miles looked out of little window and pondered about his past.
Long ago, before his father died, and he wanted to become a defense prosecutor...And yet, there he is, a filthy, evil prosecutor, just like the man who took him under his wing.
How vile, and yet, there’s no turning back from that.
He cannot atone for the way he treated his only friends so long ago...Fifteen years ago...Has it really been that long? It must be.
And yet, somehow, he stumbled into the girl once, when he had to take Pocky to the vet, and she was working there as a Vet student.
He can still remember so vividly her beautiful eyes, filled with so much shock and emotions once he told her his name to write in the register and the pen fell from her hands.
He didn’t understand it at first, until she rose up and stared into his eyes.
There was no more need for words, for he remembered. And more, she showed him the Green Signal Samurai keychain she had attached to her keys. He couldn’t believe his eyes...
Y/N was right there, in front of him, and he had the chance to rekindle their relationship, after so long.
He could do that. He really wanted to. His heart was yelling at him to ask for her phone number, to give him her address, to at least let him take her out for dinner or walk her home - At least as a thank you pretext for taking care of his dog...THEIR dog...
But he couldn’t.
Inside, he was still a broken man who was afraid to approach the people he cared so much about.
But she was brave, and he knew she missed him endlessly, and she did the first step to ask for HIS phone number and ask him to accompany her to lunch for some ramen and sushi.
The ‘date’ was really great, and they had fun, they laughed and shared old memories, as well as recent things happening...And he was happy.
He truly was happy around her, he knew that, and yet...He didn’t deserve this happiness, and he didn’t want to taint her angel heart, so after this, he decided to ghost her, step by step, no matter how much his own heart was breaking, and he knew hers was as well.
Miles Edgeworth, you god damn jerk, you are vile. You are the worst of the worst. How could you be such a terrible terrible jackass with someone who cares so much about you, even after all these years? Why do you have to hide behind that invisible wall of loneliness you created because of your pent up emotions and unresolved family issues? Why can’t you just accept that you are a human and have emotions? Why can’t you just accept people in your life and learn how to live again?
You truly are a fool, Miles Edgeworth.
He regret the day he met her again, and more, he regretted that he left her...Abandoned her...Just like that old hag abandoned Pocky before.
He truly was the worst, without a doubt.
So why...Why...Is she still here, heart and soul, completely sold, working night and day along with Phoenix and her little sister to get him out of this mess that he created?
He doesn’t deserve it...But she deserves better. No matter what he does, he only brings her misfortune and pain.
But one thing alone was certain, and for that, he knew that his sinoatrial node was still continuing to make his heart pump at a rapid pace, thanks to his ridiculous sympathetic system that hasn’t worked properly since 15 years ago.
Miles Edgeworth was completely enamoured with Y/N Fey.
- - -
Detective Gumdick managed to capture the fleeing suspect again and confirmed that no crime happened on the boat, the real crime most likely having happened in the old rental shack, and with the help of Polly the Parrot, they managed to open the safe.
1228
And a letter was there, with no sender.
“Get revenge on Miles Edgeworth. This is your last chance. Now is the time to get revenge on the two men who ruined your life.”
This message was obviously the plan to murder Hammond and frame poor Miley...But the mastermind...The sender...And how is this connected to DL-6...?
Her suspicions have always been Karma, otherwise she couldn’t understand why in the world would he want to incriminate his own adoptive son...With such hatred and condescence nonetheless.
The DL-6 incident...When Miles, a poor little kid stuck in an elevator with his father and a stranger...
And he shot his own father in an attempt to protect him.
How stupid of him.
He shouldn’t get out of this mess...
- - -
December 28, 10 AM
District Court - Courtroom No. 3
“Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Miles Edgeworth. Your opening statement, Mr. von Karma.” the judge declared, making everyone stay silent so we could begin.
And so, Karma got the old man to testify once again...This should be interesting.
Witness - ???
“Er, I’m really sorry about just leaving yesterday like I did. I, uh, went to buy Polly some food, see. My partner, you see.” the witness said, which made me raise by eyebrow in confusion, while Karma clarified it was a parrot.
But...Polly is a girl name...Albeit, also a very popular Parrot name...And yet, the way he referred to the Parrot as a partner...Could it be he named his pet after a potential old girlfriend of his?!
“Yesterday, you claimed that you’ve lost your memory. Is that true?” Nix asked the old man, who defended himself quickly.
“What’s with that scary face, Keith? You’re making Dad very sad.” he claimed, making the girl roll her eyes at his absurd behaviour.
“If we consider that you killed Hammond, you should remember committing the murder!” Nix accused the man, with a more serious face.
“Objection! That is a baseless accusation! If you say the witness does, in fact, remember his past, then show us proof of it!” Karma smirked triumphantly, making the elder girl match his expression.
“I was waiting for you to say that! You want proof, have this!” she chuckled, taking out the letter and presenting it as evidence. “This is a letter we found in his room, inside the safe! This letter has detailed instructions on how to exact that revenge.” the girl continued her explanation to the judge, who nodded in understanding.
“Dear me...It details the exact same process the defense explained yesterday.” the judge rubbed his beard like an old wizard.
“The witness carried out this plan and tried to frame my client. That means he had a motive to seek revenge! And this letter is irrefutable proof of his guilt!” Phoenix explained the evidence he held.
“Then, let me ask you a question. That letter does not contain the names of the sender or recipient, does it? It is a mere scrap that anyone could have sent to anyone. We can hardly call it proof. The defense’s claims are still only unfounded speculations. In the first place, nothing links this witness to the defendant!” the prosecutor thought he won it all, but clearly, he was 1 step behind the defense.
“Objection! The victim, Hammond, and Edgeworth shared a connection. The DL--6 incident! The case in which the defendant’s father was murdered. And Hammond was the one who defended the suspect!” Phoenix looked at the judge with a fierce expression.
“Clearly, the DL-6 incident, which occurred 15 years ago, is at the root of this murder. There is one man who knows what happened back then.” the elder Fey girl sat on the defense table with her legs crossed, wearing a knowing smirk.
“The defense would like to call Marvin Grossberg to testify!” her and Phoenix called out at the same time with perfect sync.
Witness - Marvin Grossberg
“I am Marvin Grossberg, an attorney. The victim in this trial, Hammond, once worked for me. The DL-6 incident happened 15 years ago, on December 28th. Coincidentally, that is also today’s date. It occurred here, in the district courthouse. That day, there was a majour blackout and 3 people were trapped in an elevator. Hours later, when the rescue team got in, they found Gregory Edgeworth dead inside. He had died instantly after being shot through the heart. There were two others in the elevator with him - Miles, who was 10 years old at the time, and a court bailiff...Yanni Yogi, I think his name was. At first, it was considered an open-and-shut case, that Yogi had shot the victim in a panic. However, he plead not guilty. The investigation hit a dead end, and the police turned to a spirit medium for help. The victim’s spirit said that Yogi killed him. The medium’s name was Misty Fey. Her overwhelming power left all who witnessed it speechless. The defense admitted that he might have fired the gun, but added that, due to severe lack of oxygen, in the elevator, Yogi hadn’t been of sound mind and couldn’t be held responsible. With that claim, Hammond forced a verdict of not guilty. Because of that, despite his acquittal, Yogi was socially vilified.” the attorney explained in detail everything that happened so long ago.
“So an acquittal wasn’t enough to truly save Yogi?” Nix asked for confirmation.
“Due to Hammond’s defense, he lost everything - His work and his family. One year after the trial, Yogi’s fiancee committed suicide.” this statement made the girl ponder for a few seconds...
Yogi’s fiancee...Could that have been...Polly? It would make sense...And it would mean why Yogi would hate Hammond - And if he truly was innocent, which she doubted, he must also resent Miles’s dad’s spirit for accusing him of murder.
Phoenix then accused the old man of being Yanni Yogi, saying he could compare the fingertips, but surprise surprise, he burned his fingers in an ‘accident’ years ago. What a pleasant coincidence.
It was obvious that the defense attorney was thinking over and over how he could prove the witness was Yanni, making the girl scoff.
“The defense would like to cross-examine the witness’s pet parrot, Polly. If my theory is correct, based on the word-slip of the old man, who claimed Polly is his ‘Partner’, perhaps he named the Parrot after his deceased fiancee. Who else would he trust with the combination of the same that held such an incriminatory letter in his own shack?” the Fey girl snapped her fingers with a knowing smirk towards the judge.
Witness - Polly
“Sis, I’m counting on you. Polly loves you more than she loves us.” she chuckled at her sister, tilting her head for her to go ahead.
Maya began with a simple question, asking the parrot what its name is, and it answered clearly - Polly - Amazing the judge.
Then, Maya asked for the combination to the safe, and just as easily, came the answer - 1228
Next, she asked if there was anything we’ve forgotten...Which was met with silence as an answer...
Karma clearly expected this...But Phoenix took out the DL-6 file, and searching through it, Y/N found Yanni’s profile, and there, “Polly Jenkins” was written as his fiancee’s name.
“Ha! Karma, you think you’ve bested us? You are wrong! Your Honour, look what’s written here! Polly Jenkins, Yanni Yogi’s fiance! The parrot is clearly named after his fiancee, as I suspected! And if we look into it, the cobination for the safe! 1228...12-28! December 28th! That is the date of the DL-6 incident!” the Fey girl jumped from the defense table and showed the judge Yanni’s profile so he could be convinced as well.
“Judge, get rid of this bird already! These are mere coincidences!” Karma tried to desperately get rid of the important witness, but Y/N was pissed off.
“No! A wise man once said - In a crime case there is no room for coincidences! If there are, it’s clearly a pattern, not a mistake! That means that you, witness - Your name is truly Yanni Yogi, isn’t it?! Stop hiding and reveal the truth already!” Fey shouted at the man who was feigning his sleep.
The courtroom became a huge calamity with everyone screaming, until the witness yelled for everyone to shut the hell up and raised to his feet, his expression no longer lost, but sharp and sure of himself.
“Enough. I’ve accomplished what I wanted. I’m done. As the defense said, my name is Yanni Yogi. I used to serve as a bailiff in this very court.” the old man admitted, after so long.
“Th-Then...You admit to killing Hammond and trying to frame Miles Edgeworth?” the judge gaped at the change in behaviour.
“Yes, I admit it. Fifteen years ago, that attorney paid absolutely no heed to my words. I didn’t shoot that man, however, that attorney made me admit to it, saying it was the only way to acquit me...But my release didn’t change a thing. Everyone continued to treat me like a murderer...I couldn’t do a thing...And Polly...She said she was sick and tired of it all...Ever since, I’ve lived my life away from the public eye, dreaming of the day I’d get my revenge!” the old man had tears in his eyes, and rightfully so.
“I understand your motive for wanting revenge. It is humane...However...Why did you have to go to the lengths of framing Miles, who was a mere 10 year old at the time, and the child of the murdered person? He went through enough trauma as it is, you didn’t have to add more, y’know?” the Fey girl crossed her arms, looking at the man with slight pity, but also anger in her eyes.
“Why don’t you ask him?” Yanni muttered, looking at her with a sharp expression, which made her widen her eyes in realisation at the implication of his words.
“Your Honour! The boat shop owner, Yanni Yogi,has just confessed to the crime! The defense asks that you declare the defendant not guilty!” Phoenix shouted to the judge with fire in his voice.
“What do you say, prosecutor von Karma?” the judge asked, waiting to see if there was any more refuting from his side.
“I suppose he is innocent...In this case, at least.” Karma scoffed, looking away with a devilish expression...This isn’t over...Not even close...
“I shall hereby hand down the verdict for Mr. Miles Edgeworth.”
NOT GUILTY
“YES! Finally, we did it, Nix! Miles is safe!” the elder Fey girl jumped happily in her spot, only for the man who was once so silent to speak up, loud enough to silence everyone.
“OBJECTION! Your Honour...I confess my guilt. The true culprit in the DL-6 incident...It was I!” Miles admitted, and it felt like the sky fell on the girl.
Why...? How...?!
Even if that was the truth, who cares? You were a kid trying to protect your dad, Miley, stop with this idiocy!
“For 15 years, I have had a recurring dream. I’m in the dark, and it’s hard to breathe...Eventually, I hear a gunshot and a terrible scream. A blood-curdling scream that I still hear to this day. It’s only a nightmare - That is what I’ve always told myself - But if Yogi didn’t actually kill my father, the nightmare points to a horrifying truth, that I was the one who killed my father that day!” Miles’s confession came, and the judge asked for a 15 minute recess to think things over.
Miles, along with Phoenix and the two Fey sisters went to the lounge to look over the files, but the elder girl was pacing left and right, trying to calm down her unstoppable running thoughts from her already overthinking brain.
She was never a violent person, but she knew that, despite the stoic facade she always kept, her heart was soft and overly-emotional, and now, she was barely restraining herself from breaking down to weep and punch the silver haired man repeatedly.
“I’m sorry Wright, I’ve just wasted all your efforts.” the man in cause spoke from the corner of the room.
“Is that truly what you should be saying right now, Miles Edgeworth?” the girl’s voice was sharp, dripping with acid, as she glared at him harshly.
“I am sorry, Y/N. I know you wanted nothing more but to get me out of there, but-” he kept speaking, but his voice only grated the girl’s mind.
“Shut the hell up, Edgeworth. Your voice pisses me off. Me sensible for once, read the fucking room. You’re an idiot, and I’m never, in this life, or any life, going to forgive you for the stupidity you just pulled there. If you wanted to confess, you could have gone to a priest, not a judge! But of course, you are Miles Fucking Edgeworth, and you HAVE to be extra and cause everyone around you an exorbitant amount of problems! Do me a favour and stop opening that mouth of yours before I break it for you.” he was shocked, he had to admit, since he never thought she would snap like that at him, but by Phoenix’s reaction, and Maya’s alike, they were expecting that.
“Leave her alone, Edgeworth. If you annoy Y/N when she’s already stressed, nothing good will come out of it.” Nix muttered, still focused on his files.
the silver haired man nodded, not daring to say anything anymore, and just watched with sad eyes as the girl he loved kept having her heart stabbed continuously by his own selfish actions.
Looking out of the window, he pondered to that horrible night when Karma came to pick him up from home, and Karma threw the Red Signal Samurai keychain on the trash bin cap, before getting him inside the car, accompanied by his daughter.
Before he stepped into the car, Y/N, Phoenix and Larry ran to him, calling out his name, so they could at least have a proper goodbye...
But he just left, without a word.
He wasn’t sure, for many years, what happened while he was gone, until he met that day with Y/N and she told him everything in precise detail.
Larry was pissed off when he found the Red Signal Samurai keychain on the trash cap, threw it on the ground, wanting to stomp on it, but Y/N threw herself at him, making the both of them fall to the ground, while Phoenix put his hands over the keychain to protect it.
Then, the former threw his own Yellow keychain to the ground, saying their friendship is no more, and then left.
On the way to his new home, Miles did the Hansel and Gretel trick, just like before, and let dog food on the ground, so he could return and get his keychain.
She told Miles that she knew he wasn’t a jerk and the keychain left there was a sign he will return, and so, she was the first to notice the dog good on the ground.
When he returned, however, he wasn’t greeted by his keychain, but by Y/N and Phoenix, wearing soft smiles on their faces.
“How did you know I would return?” Miles asked, his face so innocent and shocked.
“I just knew. When I saw the keychain there, I started looking for dog food, and when I did...Well, here we are, waiting for you. You’re a smart boy, and you deeply care about our friendship...So, here, this is yours.” Y/N grinned at him, putting his red keychain in his palm, holding his clenched fist in her hands.
“We knew you’d never throw it away. We’re gonna be friends forever! Take care, Edgeworth.” Nix shook Miles’s hand, which made the girl giggle.
“I will miss you, Miley. I hope we will meet each other again very soon!” she smiled softly, and it seemed like the rain and dark clouds were illuminated by a Goddess, if not, only by a split second.
“...Y-Yes...I hope so too...Fey.” he muttered, looking down, embarrassed.
“Call me Y/N, silly! We are friends, and Pocky’s parents!” she giggled, hugging him and kissing his cheek, which made his face erupt in a violent blush.
“D-Don’t do that...I-It’s improper...” the poor boy stumbled over his words, which only made the girl laugh at how cute he was being.
At that exact moment, Pocky started barking oh-so-cutely and Larry, carrying three umbrellas, cleared his throat awkwardly, came in, feigning to look for something.
“Where could it be? I dropped something around here, too...” Larry spoke, not daring to look at them yet.
“You’re such a dork, Larry!” the girl chuckled, holding Miles’s arm.
“I’ve got it right here, Larry! Look, your Yellow Signal Samurai!” Nix handed him his keychain, making him cheer in glee.
“Why do you have three umbrellas?” Nix asked in confusion.
“Oh, uh, you know...Y/N always shares with Miles...B-But the rain already stopped...” he played it off cool, making the rest chuckle at his great intentions. “Anyway, Edgey...From what I can see, he ate all your markers. How are you gonna get back?”
This simple statement was enough to make the whole gang laugh at the funny mistake, and put their keychains together, as a way to show that their friendship will truly last forever.
But he screwed up...He was the first to screw up. Things could have been so different. Maybe he could have actually been a nice Defense Attorney like his dad was...Maybe this friendship would have helped him heal, and having Y/N by his side would have mellowed his heart that got frozen by Karma so cruelly.
His life was filled with unanswerable questions, dilemmas and uncertainties, but at least he knew that there was a weird sense of security whenever he saw her smile.
He felt the warmth of home, and he didn’t want to lose it again.
If he got his life back, he wanted to let in the past all those uncertainties, the guilt, the hatred and everything that had him stuck in the past, and try, with help, to move into the present and learn how to live life once again.
But then...He was disturbed from his thoughts by Maya, who told him Phoenix’s reason for becoming an attorney - It was him - He wanted to find out what happened to him, and why he became the abominable, heartless wretch in front of him.
Miles knew that - Yes - he stepped on his dreams, he was blinded by revenge and hatred, and chose the path of the Prosecutor, of Karma, because he hated defense attorneys. He hated Hammond and his shady acquittal. It was Karma who taught him that justice should be perfect and cold-hearted. A merciless hammer to be used upon all. He wanted to make as many criminals as he could atone for his sins.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Ma’at? Anubis? You are just a human with too much imagination who got swept off by guilt and manipulated by that bastard. I’m a doctor, I know my stuff, and listen to me. You think you became a prosecutor to escape the in you committed? But...You did nothing. You keep talking about that nightmare, how you killed your dad, but you were 10 years old! You’ve been living in trauma all this life, and from your guilt formed that nightmare. You are trying to justify a reality that never happened, just so you could have some sort of answer. You, Miles Edgeworth, are a damned idiot, that’s what you are.” Y/N shook her head at him, which made him, once again, widen his eyes in shock and ponder over her words. “...But we’ve got this far...And I’m not giving up on you. You deserve being given up upon! You really do! I’m pissed off at you, you understand that, right? Even so, my pride as a doctor doesn’t allow me to give up, especially not on you. You’re more helpless than you believe, no matter how much power you think you have.” she scoffed looking out of the window.
What if what she said was true? What if that nightmare was what he believed happened? A fabricated answer to an unsolvable riddle? A fake answer that trauma created over the years.
Did he just destroy his future because of guilt? Is he still the innocent and scared little boy from that elevator, even now?
“But I’ve admitted by guilt! I’ve admitted that I was the one who killed my father, Gregory Edgeworth! There’s no way to back down from my confession.” Miles replied to her, his face betraying the hopelessness he harboured in his heart.
“Do you remember the 31st episode of the Signal Samurais?” Y/N asked in a low voice, her nails digging into her arms, trying to contain the smirk threatening to creep on her face.
“Huh...? What’s this about...?” Miles raised his eyebrow in confusion.
“Ah, I know! It’s the episode where the Red Signal Samurai gets kidnapped, and the Green Signal Samurai Goes to rescue him, while the Blue and Yellow help her out, right?!” Phoenix raised to his feet, speaking a bit too loudly, for it caused the girl to burst into that gorgeous, confident, condescending smirk of hers.
“Yes, Nix, you’ve got that right! Miles’ nightmare is bullshit, and even if he doesn’t believe in his innocence, I do! I, the Green Signal Samurai, am going to save the idiotic Red Signal Samurai from his demise!” she took out her keys, letting her keychain dangle proudly, leaving the man in front of her jaw dropped.
He was so in love with her. God damn it, his chest hurt so much, and all he wanted was to hold her tightly to his chest and cry out all his emotions for the rest of the day.
But he couldn’t.
He had to stay strong and fight for his freedom. He owed her at least that much.
“Phoenix, look at this picture. There’s this bullet hole here...And there is the corpse here...Then, that means...!” were the girl’s last words of wonder before they were summoned back to the court.
December 28, 3:30 PM
District Court - Courtroom No. 3
The judge recapped what happened, allowing the defense to begin the cross-examination.
The reason for Miles being there was to observe his dad’s trials. He didn’t remember what the case involved, only that, coincidentally, he was against Karma.
That clears up a lot of things...
Karma was afraid of the competition, not wanting to tarnish his perfect record, and killed the best Defense attorney.
What a joke...
Help didn’t come for hours, and gradually, the air within the elevator began to thin, making Yogi panic and attack Miles’s dad. From then, his memories are jumbled, and all he remembers is a shot and a terrible scream, just like in his nightmare. He lost consciousness and when he woke up, he was in a hospital bed.
“There’s no room for doubt.” Karma smirked victoriously.
“I wouldn’t be so hasty saying that, Karma. Look at this photograph of the crime scene. It contradicts Miles’s testimony. There is a bullet hole in the door, but Miles said he only heard one single gunshot. But in the picture, there are two bullet holes! One in the body and one in the door!” the girl went to the TV, pointing to the obvious contradiction.
“The bullet that killed the victim could have pierced his body and hit the door.” Karma snapped his fingers confidently.
“You’re wrong. The data from the files say the pistol was fired twice. The evidence contradicts Miles’s testimony.” the girl clapped her hands together, shrugging nonchalantly.
“But there’s no proof that the second shot was fired at the time of the murder.” Karma wagged his finger at her to deny her statement.
“The pistol was fired twice, and there were two bullet holes at the crime scene. It’s natural to assume these facts are related. The defendant was still a child back then, and he lost consciousness after the first shot, which means, the someone else was at the crime scene to shoot the second shot! The actual murderer!” she shouted, and for Miles, it seemed as if she was enveloped in a divine aura of justice and light.
“OBJECTION! Unfortunately, there’s something you seem to have overlooked! Look at the file, only one bullet was found at the crime scene! The bullet that claimed the victim’s life was lodged in his body. No other bullets were found at the scene! That means the second shot was never fired. Ergo, your claims are unfounded!” Karma refuted with a perfect argument, making the defense frown in panic, trying to think of what happened.
In the background, Maya was trying to channel the spirit of her sister, while the judge was confirming whether or not Miles truly threw the pistol in an attempt to save his father, which then resulted in an unexpected tragedy, that the idiotic prosecutor confirmed without a second of doubt.
Thanks to Mia Fey’s guiding words, Phoenix was able to regain his confidence and stop the verdict from being spoken.
“A second shot really was fired at the scene that day! The second bullet disappeared, and there is but one possible reason why! The murderer took it from the scene!” Phoenix spoke, continuing his trail of thoughts.
“Objections! Why would he do something so pointless?” Karma sniggered at the defense attorney.
“The only possibility is that the other bullet hit the murderer! If the murderer was also shot at the time of the crime, he would’ve been forced to take the bullet, which is why there is no second bullet at the scene of the crime!” the elder Fey girl spoke up in a firm tone, trying to lead the conversation towards her own deductions.
“OBJECTIONS! There is no record of anyone else shot at the courthouse that day! So long as we have no suspect, we are finished here!” Karma snapped his fingers at the judge, making the girl gasp, then laugh.
“HA! I knew it! I KNEW it! Karma, you are wrong! There is one suspect and one suspect alone! Marvin Grossberg claims that after Gregory Edgeworth’s death, you took a day off, out of respect for your rival, is that correct? The ONLY day off in your entire career! What if that day off was, in fact, for you to heal, not because of respect? You have respect for no one! Fifteen years ago, the murderer who took a bullet before killing the victim and vanishing from the scene was YOU, Karma!” Y/N shouted loudly, her voice dripping with righteousness and rage, but above all, she was smug and confident - Miles realised then that she suspected Karma all along, and she was right, once again.
Her explanation was so powerful that it shook Karma, hitting him on the jury stand behind him, making him glare at her with an almost demonic look.
“How dare you?! Do you think you’ll get away with such an outrageous claim?!” Karma yelled at the girl, who could only smirk and cross her arms in victory.
“It’s as Y/N said. On that day, fifteen years ago, you took on Gregory Edgeworth in court. You won, but your victory wasn’t a perfect one, for you’d submitted falsified evidence. You’re a prosecutor who strives for perfection, and Gregory Edgeworth tainted your perfect record. That could have been your motive for murder!” Phoenix continued the girl’s argument, and they were truly in sync.
“Judge, stop them from spouting any more baseless slander!” Karma growled at the judge.
“You’d think it was from the shock of having his rival murdered, but think otherwise, what if he was forced to take the day off? The ONLY day off in his 40 year career? Perhaps...To extract the bullet that hit him during the murder?” the girl pressed on assertively.
“But it’s impossible to recover from surgery to extract a bullet in one day.” the judge pointed out, making the girl nod.
“Obviously, I know that, I’m a doctor, which is why I present you with another possibility. The murderer never took out the bullet from his body. And to see if that’s correct or not...Maya, give me that metal detector.” Y/N took the metal detector from her little sister’s hands and went to Karma. “It’s the moment of truth! The defense requests permission to examine Karma’s body!” the girl shouted, smirking with intense confidence at the elder man in front of her.
“Ridiculous! I refuse!” Karma growled, gripping his right shoulder.
“But if you’re innocent, you should have no reason to refuse.” the judge said something good, for the first time in the whole trial.
And so, the girl approached the metal detector to the prosecutor’s shoulder, and as soon as it reached the bullet, it started beeping loudly, the meter going to maximum, making the girl yell in satisfaction.
“This makes it clear! The bullet fired fifteen years ago still rests in Karma’s shoulder!” Phoenix pointed towards the evil prosecutor, only for him to laugh cruelly, pointing right back and snapping his fingers.
“Indeed, there is a bullet in my shoulder, I will admit that much, but it has nothing to do with this incident. A few years ago, I accidentally shot myself while examining a pistol to be used as evidence.” he spoke so innocently with the tongue of the devil.
“Stop bullshitting, it’s getting annoying! Admit to your sins, Karma!” the girl gritted her teeth at him in rage.
“Can you prove it?” the older man provoked the girl, who nodded nonchalantly.
“Let’s compare the ballistic makings of the two bullets.” the girl opened the box in which the bullet was resting...”WHAT?! H-How did you...?!” a wave of dread and panic splashed the girl away from this reality as she realised nothing good was going to come out of this mess.
“It appears this is as far as your delusions go! Now, end this trial!” Karma shouted, looking at the Judge.
No...This can’t be happening...They were so close to the truth...How could he let it slip past his fingers like that?
They worked too much for this to be over, in vain...SHE threw away her heart and soul for him, and this happens now...? No...No way...He had to do something...Something flashy, that will attract attention and will give them some time off to think...
And he knew just what.
Fake a heart attack.
He gripped tightly at his shirt, falling over the table and grunting in pain, earning gasps from everyone, yet only the girl in cause had quick reactions, as any doctor would, and ran to him in a split-second, checking on him.
“Judge, we need a time off! He’s having a possible heart attack!” the girl shouted frantically, and with the help of Phoenix, they carried him into the lobby, laying him down on the red couch.
“That was close...” Miles muttered, opening his eyes as soon as he knew they were safe.
“Can you PLEASE stop making me worry about you for just ONE SINGLE FUCKING SECOND?! I don’t know how much more my heart can take, damn it.” the glared at him, and his heart melted, realising she was barely keeping her facade on.
“It was the only way to stop the verdict.” he spoke, looking down.
“...You really are something else, Miley...What can we do, though? The data is gone...” she pouted, looking down.
“Detective Gumshoe. If the data is gone, there’s only one thing we can do. Someone has to sneak into Karma’s office. He always hides disadvantageous evidence in his office. Listening to your defense finally made me realise that I...I want to believe in myself. I will accompany you partway. Only prosecutors can enter the offices. The doors use retinal identification. ” Miles began to explain the plan, making the girl giggle at him.
“You’re more trouble than you’re worth, Miley. Let’s get this clown fiesta started.” the elder Fey smirked mischievously, rubbing her palms together, imitating a generic villain from cartoons.
I will accompany you partway. Only prosecutors can enter the offices. The doors use retinal identification.
“You look like the villain from the Signal Samurai show.” the silver haired man pointed out, with a hint of a smile on his face, making the girl chuckle and nod in approval.
“Yes, indeed. After all, I am going to do something rather villainous, aren’t I?” she winked, walking to the Prosecutors’ Office.
Since the recess was only 5 minutes, and Miles would be back in 10, the plan was to fool everyone by dressing up Larry as Miles.
Flawless plan.
December 28, 3:55 PM
Public Prosecutors’ Office
“Leave the rest to me and rush to the court.” the girl spoke boldly, in a shushed voice, holding eye contact to reassure him.
“I’m...I’m very sorry to make you do this...And everything...For me, Y/N. I swear I will make it up to you.” he spoke in a gentle, yet guilty voice.
“You’re taking me out on a date once this is over, clear? Now go back...My faith in Larry is close to null.” the girl winked at him, pushing him away.
“Crystal clear.” with a faint smile, Miles left back to the courtroom, leaving the girl on her villainous plight.
Of course, in the courtroom, nobody was fooled by Larry’s terrible impersonation, but in Karma’s office, the girl managed to find the secret button to unlock the locked shelf, and she found the pistol and bullet right there, as Miles predicted, and quickly took them.
She wasn’t expecting to get tasered and to fall unconscious for a split second by some corrupt bailiff who worked for Karma, but the idiot didn’t bother taking the bullet too, only the pistol, so she snatched it and quickly ran back to the court, thanking whatever deity above from having enough stamina and speed, while also wearing light sneakers, as she arrived fairly quickly to the courtroom, with a flashy entrance.
“OBJECTIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!” she panted for air, holding the bag with the bullet up, in the air, for everyone to see. “Karma, you’re a true shitbag! I have the defense’s fresh evidence!” she yelled triumphantly, feeling incredibly satisfied seeing Karma’s crestfallen expression. “This is the bullet that killed Miles’s dad! To think you would go to such lengths to hide this, along with the pistol, in your office, and more, to have some bailiff bribed to taser anyone who got in! You are a true criminal, Karma!” she shouted loud and clear, glaring with confidence at the man, her power making him completely drop his prosecutor facade.
“Extract the bullet in Mr. von Karma’s shoulder at once and compare the ballistic markings of the two bulets!” Phoenix also pointed towards the villain, yelling with righteousness.
“If they match, that will mean they were fired from the same pistol...” Miles continued the trio incrimination monologue.
“AND PROVE THAT YOU WERE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME! PERFECTLY!” the trio shouted sternly, in perfect synchronisation, making the prosecutor glare and grit his teeth, realising there was no getting out of this, and let out a shrill shriek, that Miles recognised as the scream from his nightmares.
“Miles Edgeworth! You and your father are my curse! You both dare defy me?!” he tried to snap his fingers, but it was useless, just like him.
“You will be judged by the law. That is all there is to it.” Miles spoke, regaining his composure and confidence, making the girl look at him with pride.
“That day, 15 years ago, I was in the court records room. The elevators had ceased functioning due to the blackout. That’s when it happened - I felt a horrible, burning pain in my shoulder. Just then, the elevator door opened before my eyes and I saw three people inside, lying unconscious, one of them being Gregory Edgeworth, the attorney who had tainted my perfect record. A pistol lay at my feet and I knew then that it was destiny! Yes, he died, never knowing who had shot him!” the jerk explained, almost hysterical.
“So wonder his spirit said Yogi shot him. And to think it’s all your fault for everything that’s been happening so far...Miles’s dad’s death and his childhood ruined, my, Maya’s and Mia’s mother fleeing the village because of all the backlash and us never knowing what and why our world was turned upside down...Phoenix and Larry losing their best friend...You truly are the worst, Karma. And your name suits you well, as a reminder, that if you do bad, you will receive bad.” the elder Fey girl glared at him with disgust.
“I never imagined the bulled from the past would pierce me a second time. Is that also destiny?” the villain muttered in desperation.
“It wasn’t the bullet that shot you, Karma. It was truth and justice brought upon you by a scorned woman!” Y/N yelled at him, and this time, his cane broke, making him fall to the knees truly defeated.
And with that, Karma was sent to jail, and the 5 friends went to the lobby to recover from all the mess that happened in the courtroom.
“I’M SO STOOOKED! You guys are seriously the greatest!” Larry cheered loudly, flailing his arms randomly into the air.
“I always believed you were innocent, Mr. Edgeworth!” Dickgum spoke, crying rivers.
“We did it, Y/N, Nick! Oh, and, thank you! That was from my sister!” Maya yapped cheerfully, as always.
“Wright...” Miles got his attention, as he grabbed his arm and looked away with slight embarrassment, just like when he was young.
“So, it’s finally over, Edgeworth.” Nix smiled at his friend, turning to him and pushing Larry away.
“You have my gratitude...Uhmmm...Thank you for all your help.” Miles smiled at him, and they shook hands, as a sign of solidarity and friendship.
“Finally, something good happened. About time.” the girl chuckled, looking away to hide the happiness on her face.
“Hey, you’re being so gracious today! Nice, nice!” Larry grinned widely.
“I hope with this I managed to repay you a little.” Nix spoke, confusing Miles.
“Repay...?” he muttered, raising his eyebrow questioningly.
“I know, I know! The case of the missing lunch money, right?” Maya butted in, making her sister smirk.
“Yes. You defended me that day. That made me who I am, it’s why I’m here now.” Nix explained, making his friend blink.
“When is my turn to be repaid, hmmm~? After all, I was the first one to step in and defend you, riiiight, Nix~?” the girl leaned forward, teasing her old friend.
“Ahhhhh, I thought- But, I- W-Wait, Y/N - !” Nix stumbled over his words, making the girl chuckle mockingly.
“You’re so easy to tease, Blue Signal Samurai! I have to say, the Green Signal Samurai truly was the best character from the show!” the girl boasted, taking out her keys and rotating them with her finger in the keychain.
“Remember this?” Nix asked, taking out his own keychain.
“You guys truly still have that? I have no idea where it went.” he gaped, seeing the two samurais.
“Shut up, you still have yours too. I’m sure that, if it’s not at your keys, it’s somewhere on your desk.” the girl teased her crush, making him close his eyes and blush.
“I wonder who really stole the money though...” Maya pondered softly.
“Yeah, that’s a good question.” Gumtree nodded in agreement, only for Larry to look away and hand Miles some money.
“The lunch money was 38 dollars, right?” Larry asked sheepishly.
“U-Uh...Larry...?” Maya blinked at him in disbelief.
“You didn’t...” Miles sweat-dropped, frowning slightly.
“You must be kidding me-” the elder Fey girl’s jaw dropped, looking at him with a crestfallen expression.
“LARRY, IT WAS YOU?!” Phoenix yelled in irritation at his best friend.
“Y-YOU’VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!!!” Larry tried vehemently to defend himself. “I had a good reason for what I did!!”
“I’LL SUE YOU AND PUT YOU ON TRIAL!! I’ll become a prosecutor to make perfectly sure you’re punished!” Phoenix pointed angrily at his friend.
“I WILL SUE YOU FOR MALPRACTICE AND LONG-TERM CHILDHOOD TRAUMA!” Y/N shouted at him with the same fire as her friend.
“EDGEY, YOU DEFEND ME!” Larry shouted, pleading for his friend’s help.
“Well...I suppose I’ll have to.” Miles looked away with a smile, joining in the chaos.
“You’re the victim! Why would you defend the culprit?!” Phoenix yelled at Miles while him and Larry were pulling on each other’s ears.
“...You guys are truly hopeless.” the girl got over the shock of the news, allowing herself to enjoy this rare moment of peace together.
“We’re having a party tonight! Yaaaaay!!” Maya cheered, jumping up and down, making her sister and Miles share a look.
“Perhaps we can leave that for another time.” he muttered, looking away and stepping towards the exit.
“Ehhhhhh?! Why don’t you want to celebrate your innocence?!” Maya gaped at him, only for him to blush furiously.
“Ohhhhh! About time!” Phoenix grinned at his two best friend, as the girl winked at him.
“Tell me about it.” Y/N chuckled, going to take Miles’s arm and waving at her friends. “Laters~!”
The two went to the same restaurant as before, where they got some ramen and sushi, but it was clear the man was still clinging to his past regrets.
“Doesn’t this scene look pretty familiar?” the girl jabbed at him playfully with a maki sushi between her chopsticks.
“A bit.” he muttered, biting his lip.
“Is it going to be followed by the same outcome?” she asked, taking a bite of the maki, watching him attentively.
“No, it won’t. I promised I’ll make it up to you, and I will keep that promise.” he shook his head, daring to hold her hand.
“Good. I was getting pretty tired of chasing ghosts.” she smiled, intertwining her fingers with his.
“Since I saw you again, I kept thinking about you...About us. I kept thinking what I should do to break the shackles holding me in the past...And I think I need a to go on a journey of self-recognition. To discover again who I am, because clearly, I’ve forgotten everything I used to stand for. The person I’ve become isn’t the Miles Edgeworth that deserves you, and I want to become again that person.” he spoke, squeezing her hand gently.
“And I will be there to support and cheer on you with every step you take, holding your hand and encouraging you, just as I’ve always done. Because you’re not alone in this world, Miley. You have all of us. We all love you, and that will never change. Don’t forget that this time too, okay?” she winked at him with a smug, kitten-like smile.
“I promise I won’t make the same mistakes I’ve done before. Would you...Would you...Join me? I know it’s a lot to ask, that your life is here, and I would be taking you away from your career and passion...But...I would love it if you were by my side.” he asked in a low, timid tone, making the girl smile at how sweet he was being.
“Bold of you to assume I would temporarily leave everything I’ve build to be with you...” she teased him, grinning at his solemn face. “And bold of me to even insinuate that I wouldn’t join you. I’ve been waiting for you for 15 years, Miley. There’s nothing in this world, except for yourself, that could keep me away from you. So...This time, when you leave, you better tell me so I can walk by your side. To the Moon and back.” she confessed softly, turning on her chair to look at him with a gentle expression.
“Just like my love for you. The Moon and back. I promise you won’t regret it.” he caressed her face with the back of his hand, before boldly cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her, all the pent up love and emotions that were once caged inside their hearts bursting out, released into this act of intimacy they’ve been craving for ages.
“I will never regret choosing you, Miley. I love you more than you can even dream of.” she chuckled softly looking at him with content and peace.
“Thank you, my dear Y/N. I’m happy. I truly am.”
#ace attorney#miles edgeworth x reader#miles edgeworth imagine#miles edgeworth#phoenix wright#Mitsurugi Reiji#naruhodo ryuichi#Larry Butz#Yahari Masashi#maya fey#mia fey#misty fey#Ayasato Mayoi#Ayasato Chihiro#richard gumshoe#detective gumshoe#dick gumshoe
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In the Bond-Chapter 5
Summary: Lilah often wished she’d never said yes to working with the Gecko brothers—usually while dodging gunfire. At no time was she regretting that decision more than when she’s hanging upside down from the ceiling, staring down a group of hungry culebras and one (1) extremely powerful sun god.
Word Count: ~3,700
Warnings: None
A/N: This is an AU of my Story In the Blood, which can be read here. Basically, this fic explores what would have happened if Lilah had met up with Geckos before she met Brasa.
Taglist: @symbiont13
Start from the beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Read on AO3 Masterlist
Lilah sat at a conference table, hands at her temples, groaning. The meeting was going nowhere. There had been so much goddamned bickering in the last hour that Lilah was tempted just to get up and walk out to see if they would even notice. The fucking testosterone in this room was thick enough to choke her.
They’d been arguing on and off for hours, save for a few breaks that Lilah had mandated when the urge to either bludgeon them to death or to pee arose. Every little thing had to be discussed, debated, twisted every which way. Nothing was simple, especially not when it came to the territory assigned to each side.
“Alright!” She yelled, finally having had enough. “Let’s just go over this again.”
Standing, Lilah leaned over the map. The surface was covered by solid, clear plastic, onto which they were outlining territories with dry erase markers. The current argument centered around the delineation of land around a fertile riverbed.
“Okay,” she grunted, “We aren’t planting crops, we’re just trying to figure out what land we’re going to be responsible for.” She put her hand over the area on the map, giving her friend a meaningful look, “We don’t need it, Seth.”
Making a derisive sound, Seth held up his hand, “Hold your horses. This river cuts through our liquor supply chain. We need access to the highway over there.”
Brasa shrugged, having leaned back from the table, “No one is saying you can’t import your liquor. Your horses will be safe.”
Lilah felt her eyes roll, couldn’t keep the sigh from escaping her lips, “He wasn’t talking about literal horses.”
Acting as if he hadn’t heard her, Seth barreled forward, “Yeah, but let’s say things get tense between us. You could cut off our supply just like that.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. “No, we’re going to extend out past the river and over the road.”
“An extra fifty miles,” Brasa drawled, “For an uninterrupted supply chain.”
“Correct,” Seth answered, a smug little smirk on his mouth.
As he eyed Seth, Lilah could feel the barest brush of warmth across her hands. Reflexively, she drew them back, closer to the safety of her body. The heat dissipated as Brasa stood, leaning his weight into his palms as he braced them on the table.
Like the rest of him, Brasa’s hands were large, the fingers spreading wide over the wood. Lilah noted how the gloves he was wearing stretched tight across the backs of them. She wondered, not for the first time, why he wore them.
“Then, I want the desert land here,” he pointed to a swath of empty land, “And here.”
Seth considered it before giving a nod. Lilah marked it out on the map with the coordinated colors she’d chosen before the meeting began.
“Wait,” Seth said, and Lilah’s jaw clenched, “What would you want with a couple hundred square miles of empty land?”
Brasa lifted a brow, “Are we holding more horses?”
“Forget the horses,” Seth bit out with a wave of his hand, “No one willingly chooses to own land like this.”
“Is that so?”
Lilah did not like the way he said that. A question wrapped around a veiled barb, wrapped in ridicule. She glanced at Seth to see if he caught the undertones in the words. He hadn’t. She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved.
“There is a group of my people who have made camp there,” Brasa explained lightly.
Seth looked unmoved, “You don’t want us going out there and doing population control.”
Lip curling, Brasa replied, “Is that what you call what you were doing? Looked a lot like chaos to me.”
Without blinking, Seth shot back, “Well, its not our main bag, alright? This shit is new to us, since your people came along and infected my brother.”
And, there they were, talking in circles around the thing that made negotiating such an arduous task. Seth would never forgive Brasa for the hell he’d put them through, for the uncrossable gulf that now existed between him and his brother. Fighting with Richie about it only made things worse, and Seth was resorting to striking out at the only other available target.
“This isn’t the time for this,” Lilah edged, fingers tightening on the marker.
“When is the time?” Seth nearly yelled, “We started out killing them and now we’re marking out territories and writing fucking policies and procedures together.”
Lilah drew in a calming breath, “This is business, Seth.”
She’d explained it to him several times over. They needed the cooperation of Brasa and his people. There were just too many factions, too many rogue culebras to hunt down all by themselves. It would take scouring the land every day for years to make that happen. Brasa had already assured them that anyone getting blood at their sites was vetted intensely. Anyone who broke the primary rule and killed humans without regard for the safety of the group was eliminated.
Seth looked at her with ire, “Fuck business.”
“Yes,” Lilah countered with a sneer, “Fuck business. Fuck ending a war. Fuck peace.” She sat back in her chair with a huff, “You want to keep fighting forever? Guess what? You don’t have forever. He does.” She pointed at Brasa, “He has all the time in the world to wait you out, and he’s offering a solution—now, not later.”
Seth went quiet, jaw working. His fingers drummed on the table, eyes cutting.
Lilah saw the crack in his resolve and kept talking, “This sucks. It all sucks. Ironing out details fucking sucks.” She tapped her fingers on the map, “But these details are going to save lives. Possibly yours and mine. Let’s just get this done so we can get back to shit we used to do, the fun shit.”
There was a heaviness in the air as she trailed off, her expression urging Seth for some sort of compromise. She was being honest when she said she wanted to get back to what she was good at. Lilah had been itching for a job for months, had actually stooped low enough to snag a pair of sunglasses at the gas station just to satisfy the restlessness in her hands. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to end out figuring out who the richest person in the country was and rob them blind.
Brasa spoke, his voice piqued with interest, “What did you do before...population control?”
Seth cut a look at him that was both suspicious and angry, “We’re thieves. I run point, Richie is the box man, Lilah monitors with tech.”
“That is fortunate,” Brasa said as he sat, with a little smile that was far too easy for Lilah’s taste, “I happen to need a few items stolen for me.”
Lilah leaned her head on her head, motioning for him to continue. She was intrigued by the idea that he would be interested in contracting with them. A job was a tasty idea, at the moment, and found that she didn’t much care that it would be Brasa that would be directing them.
“As you might be aware, relics are often stolen from indigenous people and either put on display in a museum or kept in a private collection. I’d like some of those relics back.”
Lilah’s brows lifted. That was certainly not what she had expected him to say. The idea had some merit, though. Lilah’s favorite jobs were museums. So many pretty things that definitely needed a new home.
Seth considered it, “We’re not a cheap crew.”
True.
Nodding, Brasa simply said, “I have money.”
Definitely true. Every inch of Brasa’s office and the bar adjacent screamed money at her in an understated way. As old as he was, there was no denying that he likely had a cache of assets squirreled away.
Lilah looked back and forth between them, already calculating cost, labor, and expenses. Depending on what he wanted, she could potentially negotiate a hefty profit. And, if there happened to be something else in the museum that caught her fancy—bonus.
“Say we do this job,” Seth began, slouching in his seat, “And you pay us—and, we iron out all these details,” he gestured to the map. “Is that going to be it?”
“It?”
“Yeah. Or, are we going to have a dual relationship, here. Both contractor and partner.”
Lilah was actually a little impressed that Seth not only knew how dual relationships worked, but also applied it to their unique situation. She turned her attention to Brasa, curious to hear his response.
“I can contract others, if you like. But, I like to work with people I know, people that I...trust to have a stake in things going well for them.”
Logical. Practical. Efficient. Lilah was quickly learning how skilled Brasa could be when he wanted something done. He might want whatever these relics were back in his possession, but she wasn’t stupid enough to dismiss the fact that he was creating yet another tie between them, anchoring her nearby with every task they agreed to take on. It wasn’t possible to deny his motivations any longer. Denial wouldn’t do her any good. She was undecided on how she felt about it.
Seth remained silent, watching, waiting. Lilah was holding her breath.
Brasa’s eyes narrowed, “I will give you the river, and the connecting highway from here,” he pointed, “to here. In lieu of payment, of course. You make take your horses wherever you like within that boundary.”
Mildly offended, Lilah cut in, “In lieu of payment, but you will cover expenses. Air fare, hotel stays, food, and equipment.”
His attention, when it turned to her, was keen. Though his expression did not change, there was a twinkle of laughter in his eyes, possibly pride, as well, “Done.”
“What if,” Seth began, “We took this deal, and our horses, and added this area, too.”
He pointed to the desert Brasa had originally bargained for. It was surrounded by enemy territory, across the river they’d just gained, with no inherent resources. Lilah glared at him, knowing he was needling his opponent. The man just couldn’t help it, consequences be damned.
“Well,” Brasa responded levelly, “I’d say that you might have your horses, but you’d be isolated, alone, and on the wrong side of the river.”
Seth conceded the point with a nod of his head, “Not a fan of sand, anyways. Unless its a beach. Beaches, I can do.”
Unmoved by the sentiment, Brasa simply replied, “I will keep the desert.”
Lilah blinked slowly, and when Seth made no move to argue, she asked “So its settled, then?”
Both of them indicated in the positive, with Seth saying, “There’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“One thing?” Lilah commented, though she didn’t expect him to respond. He’d started on a tangent, and getting him back on track would be difficult. Better to let him roll through his thought process.
“You’ve got a whole group of culebras that you’re feeding, right?”
Brasa nodded, though his expression had shuttered.
“How are you doing that?”
A valid question that she had figured out not longer after these meetings had started. Lilah cut in, trying to head off any insult he might inadvertently blurt out, “He’s having it shipped in.”
“From where?” Seth asked, hands gesturing widely. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re in kind of a food desert, here. Literally and figuratively.”
Without an answer to his question, Lilah looked to Brasa, brows lifted. She was curious enough about his process to let the question stand.
Cocking his head to the side, Brasa licked his lips, “I run a rather complex medical supplies company. We ship all over the country. Part of that business is blood donation.”
Seth’s mouth thinned, “You’re stealing blood.”
Brasa huffed, “We transport most of it to where it needs to go. Call it a finder’s fee.”
“What about the sick people who need it?”
Where was all this compassion coming from? Lilah wondered. Although far from heartless, Seth didn’t usually care this much about the people he ripped off. Why should this be any different?
“Would you rather we feed on the humans in the area?” Brasa’s voice was low, dangerous. Lilah could feel the offense, as if it were her own.
“No.”
“Alright, then.”
Sensing that the conversation had come to an impass, Lilah gathered up her paperwork, “I’m going to get this all formatted and polished for both of your signatures. Shouldn’t take more than a few days.”
“Great,” Seth muttered as he rose, “Let’s get out of here.”
***
Later, when her eyes started crossing from staring at the computer too long, Lilah shut down her laptop and sat it on her nightstand. Rubbing at her face, she yawned and settled against the headboard. Furtively, she glanced to the side, her hand already reaching for the candle she’d tucked away. After checking that the door was closed (despite having closed and locked it a few hours before), Lilah lifted the lid and inhaled deeply.
Coffee. Caramel.
A little too quickly, Lilah replaced the lid and set it back in its little hideaway. Embarrassed, she crossed her arms and stared at the ceiling. Lilah was feeling things she hadn’t really ever felt, not since she’d been in high school. And, even then, it was never this intense. She managed to get through their meetings solely because there was always something else to focus on. Every one on one interaction with him left her feeling frazzled and lightheaded. She’d stolen rare artifacts with less trouble.
In this business, Lilah had what most would call a late start. She’d had a normal childhood, had gone through high school and done the work thing for a bit. Lilah had even sat in a cubicle, bored out of her mind. It wasn’t until she’d met a chop shop owner named Chewie that she’d been introduced to theft. First, cars, then she’d set her eyes on higher things—art, diamonds, one time she managed to steal a yacht.
It had been a steady rotation of teams that were well-established in their own right, but never did more than a few jobs together before they split to keep the heat down. Lilah had spent almost a decade running in those circles before she’d run into Seth at a dive bar south of the border. He’d hit on her, laughed when she’d knocked him off his barstool, and offered her a job.
And, here she sat. Hip deep in a relationship she didn’t understand and brokering a deal between her friends and the people they’d taught her to fear. Sneering at the course of her own thoughts, Lilah pushed her feet under the covers and turned off the light. It took longer than she wanted to get to sleep.
***
Oh, fuck, the bed was comfortable. Lilah turned over, burying her nose in the pillow and kicking out her legs. With a sigh, she settled back into the mattress that she was pretty sure was more expensive than her car. So comfortable was she that Lilah could be forgiven for taking a little longer than normal to become aware of another body in the bed with her.
She took a few seconds to assess and decide on what she was going to do, which was pretty much nothing. Eyes opening, she waited for them to adjust to the warm light emanating from the lamp sitting on the nightstand. Cast in shadow, Lilah recognized the slope of Brasa’s profile. His eyes were closed, but she couldn’t tell if he was sleeping.
Her fingers curled with the urge to reach out and touch, her brain a little foggy from sleep. Lips parting, she breathed, lids falling to half mast Lilah let it roll over her tongue. She had to clench her jaw to stifle a pleased moan.
Lashes fluttering, Brasa opened his eyes, his head rolling to the side on the pillow. He looked her over calmly, unsurprised that she’d somehow ended up in his bed. Lilah, however, had questions.
“Is this real?”
His mouth quirked, “Does it have to be?”
She started to answer, and then stopped. Did it have to be? Lilah wasn’t sure which she preferred. When they were together, she felt excited and eager, even when she was outwardly annoyed. When they were apart, she struggled to reconcile the two versions of him that she knew to be true. With barely a thought, he’d eviscerated his opponents, hands tearing them into literal pieces. And then there was the way he was looking at her right now—all softness, all quiet affection.
Lilah’s silence continued, the space between them spreading thin with her indecision. Brasa shifted slowly to his side, lifting up onto his elbow so that he was looking down at her. His body was cut in half by lamplight, eyes too bright to be merely natural reflection.
Lilah’s skin drew up tight around the curves of her body as she worked to keep her gaze on his. Every inch of her seemed to be viscerally aware of him, responding to the smallest movement. Her nerves sizzled with his nearness.
He tilted his head to the side, eyes tracing the contours of her cheekbones, her neck, and shoulders. Lilah swallowed, disconcerted by the scrutiny, but unable to think of any way to break it. He studied her as if he’d never look at her again, memorizing details with tender care.
Finally, when she couldn’t take the silence anymore, she said, “How am I here?”
Brasa lifted a shoulder, “We had so little time together last night. Perhaps we needed more.”
She didn’t know what to do with that. Next question, then.
“You sleep during the day.”
Not really a question, more of a statement, but she waited for his answer nonetheless.
“Sometimes,” he replied, taking her change in subject in stride, “I need less sleep than most.”
“Why?”
He smiled, “I am very old. We need to sleep less, to feed less, as we age.”
Lilah had heard a little about this from Richie, who’d lamented that it took so long to build up a tolerance to going long periods without feeding. And, she knew Richie only slept a few hours a night. She wondered just how often Brasa would need to sleep, given how much older he was. Lilah was no longer surprised at his efficiency with getting his projects together. If she could miss a few meals or miss a few night’s sleep every once in a while, she could get a hell of a lot done.
“That’s a nice perk,” she commented lightly, “When I go too long without eating, I get grumpy.”
Nodding, Brasa reached out and traced the pad of a finger over her shoulder and down her arm to her wrist, “I will keep this in mind and endeavor to keep you well fed.”
Would she do the same? He hadn’t mentioned that she had taken his blood without giving any in return. Whenever Lilah thought about it too deeply, she always came back to the same line of thought—his bite. She had tried to do a little covert research about the venom, but only found a few vague references to ‘donors’ seeking it out. Venom, it seemed, could be a popular drug in certain circles.
“I’m sorry that we left so quickly,” Lilah murmured rolling her wrist to place her hand over his, “I know that I didn’t...fulfill my end of our agreement.”
Twice. Two interactions in a row, she hadn’t. He hadn’t brought it up, but the disparity between what she’d promised and what she’d done nagged at her. She didn’t like to be made a liar.
Brasa’s brows lifted, “Are you afraid I’ll tell them?”
“No,” she replied quickly, “I just don’t want you to think I’m avoiding it.”
He smiled flirtatiously, “Are you offering now?”
Eyes widening, Lilah’s mouth parted, voice silent as her brain stumbled over forming a reply, “This is a dream. Is—is that even possible?”
He laughed, a real laugh. It made his face, so predisposed to severity, brighten in such a way that he fairly glowed in the dim light. Lilah felt her breath catch in the back of her throat, struck by just how goddamned pretty he was to look at.
“I don’t know,” he breathed, when he was able, “Would you like to try?”
The word ‘okay’ was out of her mouth before Lilah could stop it, her eyes wide, her heart beating hard. Brasa’s smile faded, his eyes focusing on her, the pupils bleeding out into the whites until there was nothing but blackness looking down at her. She drew in a shuddering breath, her fingers curling over his.
Sliding closer to her, Brasa cupped her jaw, tilting it back just a little. He glanced at her face again, checking for her consent. She gave the smallest nod, licking her lips. The motion drew his eyes to her mouth, his body growing hot against her. He leaned down, but instead of hovering over the thin skin of her neck, he moved to the side. The realization that he intended to kiss her came to Lilah in a slow, honeyed wave.
“Yes?” He asked, his breath fanning over her mouth.
“Yes.”
It was so, so slow, this kiss. Light pressure that grew heavier in the smallest increments. Lilah gripped his bicep, trying to ground herself as every nerve in her body screamed to life, reaching out desperately to get more stimulation. He drew back, changed the angle, and kissed her again—deeper, hungrier, tongue running along her bottom lip.
She was too hot, her skin seared by the heat emanating from him. Sweat rose and pooled in the hollows of her arms, beneath her breasts, the crease between her hip and thigh. She heard herself moan, felt her muscles relax as he rolled her beneath him. Brasa pulled away, nosing along her jaw and down to her neck. Lilah surprised herself when her lifted her chin, giving him more access.
The sharp press of his teeth snapped her awake. She sat up, breathing as if she’d been sprinting. Her entire body was shaking, her sheets damp with sweat.
“Well,” she croaked, “That’s new.”
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What Is And What Should Never Be Pt 4
Summary: After what was supposed to be a week-long mission (but stretched on for over a month), during which she found out more about their "little stranger", the reader is more than happy to welcome Bucky home.
Also, I suck at summaries.
Pairings: Bucky Barnes x fem! enhanced! Super-soldier Reader
(Reader can see pieces of the future in visions as well as speak every language)
Warnings: Language, pregnancy, smut, fluff
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
Series masterlist
--------------------------‐----------
“They should be calling me back soon.”
It’s not the ideal way of communicating with your husband while you’re waiting impatiently for an ultrasound in your OB-GYN’s office, but texting is all she has, so it’ll have to do. A week long mission has stretched into four and a half weeks, and although they can’t share phone calls (anyone could be listening in), texting has received the all-clear. She’s grateful that, for the sake of this doctor’s appointment, it’s nighttime in his part of the world, so he’s tucked safely away and can at least somewhat experience this with her.
“I’m gonna give these guys hell for making me miss the chance to spy on our girl.” She chuckles at the message on her screen before typing back her own.
“What are you going to do if it turns out we’re having a boy?” Since the day she told him she was pregnant, Bucky’s been convinced this baby is a girl, but they don’t know for sure. Despite trying her best to concentrate on anything her visions can tell her, she’s come up blank. For all they know, the “little miss” they’ve been talking to for the past few months is really a little mister.
“Teach him how to treat a lady instead of teaching her how to throw a punch.” She snickers. It’s a good response. Still-
“You do realize she’s the child of two super soldiers. She could have the worst right hook in the world, and the other person would still walk away with a black eye.”
“Barnes?” That jerks her attention away from her phone. The nurse is standing just outside the waiting area, eyes searching the room. On instinct, she glances around her, making sure no one has reacted to her last name. She’s not the most recognizable of the Avengers, but still, she’d rather not have the world know she visited the obstetrician today. If anyone has put two and two together, they’re doing a good job of hiding it so, readjusting her shirt in an attempt to hide her bump, she stands and follows the nurse out of the room.
For what feels like the millionth time, she gives her full name and date of birth. The nurse’s eyes widen in recognition, but other than that, she keeps it professional.
“Just wait in here, hon. Someone will be right with you, okay?”
“Thank you.”
The ultrasound room is small, barely more than a broom closet, but at least she’s away from prying eyes. So, she hops up on the table in preparation and takes advantage of the time alone to read the latest message.
“It’s still a valuable life skill. If she takes after her Mom, she’ll be a looker. I want her to be able to make people think twice before they forget their manners around her.” The message brings a smile to her face, but also makes tears prick at her vision.
“I wish you were here.” As quickly as she types the sentence, she erases it. He’s simply not able to be here, and that’s all there is to it. No need to make him feel bad about something he’s already beating himself up over.
The door opens, this time revealing the same ultrasound tech she met at her first appointment. There’s another round of name and date of birth, then settling onto her stool next to the machine, the tech asks,
“Did you want to know the gender if we’re able to tell today?” When they discussed it, she spent a solid fifteen minutes convincing Bucky that yes, this is a thing they can tell just from those black and white pictures, no she’s not pulling a prank on him, they can find out if they’re having a boy or a girl before the baby’s born. Ultimately they decided-
“Yes.”
It’s only the second time she’s been in this position, so everything is still relatively new. A warning about the gel being cold, the pressure of the ultrasound wand against her, and then the screen coming to life. This time around, the baby actually looks more like a baby instead of a blob, and as she watches, she sees a hand go up.
“You’re feeling movements at this point, right?” She nods. “Good.”
Starting at the head that still looks far too large, they work their way down the body, different images being captured over every organ. Then-
“Are you ready to find out if you’ve got a little boy or a little girl in there?”
She pulls up her phone and rapidly types, “About to find out he or she.” then answers.
“Yes.”
There’s a momentary pause, then-
“Congratulations. Looks like you have a little girl.” This time there’s no stopping it. The tears spill over.
“Sorry.” She swipes at her cheeks. The tech offers her a sympathetic smile and offers her a few tissues, which she readily accepts.
The scan goes on for a few more minutes, picture after picture being filed away. Finally, the wand is removed and the tech informs her,
“I’ll have to confirm with the doctor, but everything looks good. Did you want some pictures to take with you?”
“Yes, thank you. That would be great.”
The machine spits out a few images which are torn off and handed to her.
“I’ll give you some privacy to get cleaned up. Someone will be with you shortly to take you to an exam room, okay?”
“Thanks.”
The tech stands and starts towards the door. Hesitating just outside it, she turns.
“By the way, I couldn’t help but recognize the name on the file.” Oh. Here it goes. “I just wanted to say we really appreciate all you’ve done. The other Avengers too. My little girl loves to pretend that she’s the Soothsayer and runs around telling me, “Mom, I had a vision.” “
She laughs, a mental picture forming in her mind of a smaller version of the woman in front of her wearing a Halloween costume version of the Soothsayer uniform.
“That’s good to hear. I’ll pass the word along to the team.”
The tech disappears down the hall and she cleans herself up. Holding up the clearest ultrasound image, she snaps a picture and attaching it, texts, “It’s a girl.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
He’s been staring at his phone for the better part of the last four hours but still, Bucky can’t bear to look away. The picture isn’t the best, a little blurry around the edges, but it still has his full attention. That, and the text attached: “It’s a girl.”
“That thing’s gonna die on you if you don’t put it away soon.” He chuckles in response to Sam’s words.
“We’re only half an hour out. Somehow, I think I’ll make it.”
“What’re you staring at anyway?” He hesitates for a moment. Sam knows their big secret, as does Wanda, but so far no one else has caught on. Is it okay for him to share this? His gut tells him that it is, so he holds up his phone, careful to tip the screen so that only Sam can see it.
“Oh.” Immediate recognition blooms on his partner’s face. “That a recent one?”
“Yesterday.”
Not looking away, Sam continues.
“You know, I sorta thought you were joking before, trying to throw me off what’s really going on, but I guess it’s true.” His eyes narrow, and it’s obvious when he reads the text on the bottom. “A girl?”
Bucky couldn’t hold back his smile if he tried.
“A girl.” He would’ve been okay if his hunch turned out to be wrong, but now that he knows for sure that they have a daughter on the way, he’s excited. Excited… and terrified.
“Damn.” Sam chuckles. “It’s too bad you got rid of the long seventies hair. She could’ve put flowers in it when you play tea party with her.” He snickers. If this baby, his daughter, does indeed want him to have a tea party with her in a few years’ time, he’ll do it, and do it gladly. Hell, he’ll even wear a feather boa and funny hat if that’s what she wants. The world may think that his job is to be an Avenger, but he knows that his real job is at home, taking care of his two girls.
Eventually the never-ending flight home does indeed end and, after bidding Sam and the rest of their squad goodbye, he climbs into his car and starts the engine. He thinks about shooting her a text letting her know he’s on his way, but the clock on the dash reads four a.m., and he decides it’s best to let her sleep. She’ll more than likely wake up when he crawls into bed next to her anyway since she’s such a light sleeper.
As the miles pass, his weariness from the mission fades with them, quickly replaced with anticipation. During the war, when his buddies would hang onto the hope of receiving a letter from their sweethearts or wives and once the letter did arrive, keep it close to them, often inside their jacket pressed close against their hearts, he didn’t get it. Sure, there were people at home he missed, and even a few girls he’d had dates with who sent the occasional note, but these guys were so attached to that scrap of paper and the words scrawled across it that they’d read so often, they could recite them at the drop of a hat, and that it just didn’t make sense to him. Well, now it does. Instead of letters, he has texts and voicemails, a few pictures taken over the years of them together (or the occasional snapshot he’s sneaked when she wasn’t paying attention because really, it would be a crime not to capture how perfect she looked right then for all eternity), and most recently, the image of his unborn daughter. Whatever he’s had to do that day, whatever is weighing him down, he knows that it’s all for them, and that makes the load seem bearable.
Finally, he pulls into his driveway. Killing the engine, he climbs out, leaving his duffle bag full of dirty (and smelly) clothes to be dealt with tomorrow. Right now, he’s on a mission; infiltrate the house quietly, shower covertly, and then crawl into bed with his two girls.
Parts one and two of his plan go easily enough. He removes his shoes at the door to decrease the chances that she’ll hear his footsteps and takes the stairs agonizingly slowly. The guest bathroom is missing a few key items (like razors; god, he needs a shave), but it has soap and shampoo, so he’s able to shower. The one key element he forgot about is that he doesn’t have any clothes located in this part of the house but, as he tiptoes into their bedroom, he realizes he’s in luck. The closet door is open and- he stifles a chuckle- a pair of his pajamas is laid out on his side of the bed. Looks like she had a vision that he’d be coming home tonight. At least she didn’t wait up.
After tugging on the bottoms (he disregards the shirt; somehow, they always end up migrating towards the center of the bed, and with her so close to him, he’ll be more than warm enough), he pulls back the covers and eases into bed. Sure enough, she immediately snuggles closer, pressing her back against his chest. He’s not sure if she’s awake until-
“Welcome home, stranger.” Her voice is rough with sleep, but he can still hear the smile in it.
“Thanks, Doll. It’s good to be back.” He readjusts his flesh arm to wrap around her waist, his hand instinctively falling to caress the swell of her middle (much larger now than it was four weeks ago), and he’s just about to close his eyes in hopes of getting a few winks when he feels it.
At first, he thinks he’s imagining things it’s so soft, but then it happens again. A nudge against his palm, harder this time. It takes a moment for him to realize what’s happening, and when he does, he can’t help the shaky breath he exhales against her neck.
“You okay?” He means to reassure her that he’s fine, but instead what comes out is-
“She’s moving.” As if in response, he receives another kick.
“Yeah. She’s saying hello to her dad.” He knew that she was feeling the baby move thanks to a text sent two weeks back, but this is the first time he’s been able to feel it himself. And it’s… unbelievable.
“Does it hurt you at all, sweetheart? Is it uncomfortable?” She chuckles softly.
“No, it doesn’t hurt. The only time it’s uncomfortable is if she gets my kidneys, or if I’m trying to sleep.” Which is what she should be doing now.
Without thinking, he sits up and, leaning over so that his cheek is pressed against the bump, he murmurs,
“Hey, little miss. This is your Dad. I can’t wait to meet you.” Her hand comes down to cart through his still-damp hair. “Tomorrow, we’ll talk again and you can kick me some more, but right now you need to calm down so your Mom can get some rest. She’s got a big job, looking after me and growing you all at the same time. So why don’t you settle back in and go to sleep, and me and Mom will try to do that too?” He receives one more kick for his efforts and then… stillness.
“I’m never going to hear the end of this am I? How she already listens to you?”
He chuckles and eases back down on the bed, pulling her against him once more.
“Never.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
“… Mom told me to run, and then took off. Didn’t know if she was crazy or an enemy agent or what, so I ran after her.” The words are barely above a whisper, so quiet that she wonders if she’s still dreaming. However, a stirring in her middle settles the matter. She’s awake. This is real.
“I know. Looking back on it, I probably didn’t make the best first impression, but cut me some slack. It’s not every day the woman you just walked into thirty seconds ago tells you there’s an ambush waiting for you on the next street up. And you should be glad I chased her down. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.” Is he-
“Not that I’d recommend going up to strange men and saving their lives, Little Miss. It’s a good way for someone to get hurt. Probably not you if Banner’s right about the serum being passed down from parent to child, but still. Not a smart idea.” Yes, it’s exactly what she thought. He’s talking to the baby. “Of course, if anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, I’ll kick their ass. Or Mom will. One of us. The other one will stage the scene so it looks like an accident. And, that’s probably something I shouldn’t be telling you on the off chance you’re hearing any of this.”
“She has ears now.” Her voice is hoarse from disuse, and she grimaces at the sound of it. “Week eighteen’s when they start to work. She can hear us.”
Blue eyes peer up at her, startled, before melting into the familiar, soft expression he usually wears around her. “Hey, Doll. Did I wake you up?”
Shaking her head, she reaches out, covering his metal hand still resting on her middle, with her own. “No. She did.” As if in reply, there’s a bump against their palms, and a smile spreads across his face.
“Yeah. I felt her kicking when I woke up, so I thought I’d try to calm her down for you. Looks like it did just the opposite.”
“No, you succeeded.” With a yawn, she stretches. “Usually she’s ready to rumble at six a.m. This is an improvement.”
A mock frown crosses Bucky’s face. “Now listen here, Little Miss. There’s a limited amount of driving your mom crazy that can happen in a twenty-four hour period, and since I’ve known her longer, I’ve got seniority. You’re gonna have to dial it back by an hour, thirty minutes at least in the mornings. It’s not a smart idea to piss off your landlady.” Apparently, their little one doesn’t agree. His eyes go wide at the sudden, strong movement. “What-”
“She rolled over.” And, that brilliant, genuinely happy smile is back
“That’s…” He searches for the right word. “...amazing.” It is, but if she focuses on it, she’ll start tearing up, and now’s not the time for a hormone-fueled crying jag.
“She’s usually active in the morning. Settles down after breakfast.”
He chuckles. “Is that your way of saying you’d like me to get you something to eat?” Oh, that sounds good. She has some fresh fruit in the refrigerator, but there’s also mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer, and then there’s ramen noodles, which she kind of wants to eat raw for some reason… but no.
“I’ve got it.” She starts to sit up, but doesn’t get very far before he’s easing her back down.
“No you don’t. I’m home now, so I can get back to my real job.” Pecking her forehead, he stands. “Taking care of my girls.”
“Get back here.” It comes out more petulant than she meant it to, which is probably why he pauses just outside the doorway and turns back around to look at her. He didn’t bother with a shirt last night, did he? And those sweatpants… she shakes her head to clear it. “You need your rest.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I think that’s my line, Doll.”
How many days worth of scruff is that, she wonders. The last time he’d let it grow out that long was when they were on that mission in Siberia. It was cold as fuck, and even with their enhancements making them more resilient to the weather, when they finally got back to their hotel room that night, they were nearly frozen solid. The heat wasn’t doing a great job, and so the only logical way to stay warm was to completely undress and lie as close as humanly possible in bed under all the blankets they could get their hands on. Of course, naked cuddling usually leads to naked making out, which lead to what is now a very vivid memory of exactly how that stubble felt between her thighs-
“Which one of us is growing a human right now?” The question snaps her out of her lecherous daydreams. The hormones. That has to be what’s causing this sudden boost in libido.
Clearing her throat, she shoots back, “Which one of us just spent a month getting shot at?” A month. It’s been a whole month since the last time they did anything in this bed other than sleep. She’s fully capable of getting off by herself, but her fingers are a poor replacement for-
“Forget it, solnyshka. You’re not gonna win this one. You’re staying in bed. That’s final.” She’d have something to say about him telling her what to do, but that commanding voice… it’s probably best that she stay in bed. At this point, she’s not sure her legs would hold her up.
“Fine.” It comes out shaky, but it doesn’t appear that he notices.
“Anything in particular you want?” Yeah, she can think of a few things. “Are you still having food aversions-” Oh. He’s talking about food. “-or has that cleared up?”
Grabbing hold of her last shred of sanity, she gasps out, “Anything’s fine.”
He smirks. “Great. Sauerkraut and pickled pig’s feet it is.”
She’s not sure if she manages a laugh, too busy staring as he walks away. Dammit. She needs to take a few deep breaths, get a hold of herself. With a frustrated groan, she pushes back the covers and climbs out of bed. She needs to splash some cold water on her face. Oh, and pee. She’s constantly peeing.
The vision hits her just as she’s dabbing her face with a hand towel. He’s leaning over the stove, cooking… are those pancakes? It’s domestic and sweet and infuriatingly, it riles her up even more. Muttering curses in several languages under her breath, she returns to bed and pulls the covers over her head. Maybe if she concentrates on her slight annoyance that he’s cooking shirtless, which is a damn good way to get yourself burned (of course, they heal fast, so it’s not a huge concern), it’ll help her ignore the ache between her thighs.
Fifteen minutes later when she hears his footsteps on the stairs, she feels like she’s about to spontaneously combust. With a huff, she sits up and attempts to appear normal. As soon as the door opens, she knows it’s a lost cause.
“Here you go. Pancakes, bacon, and tea.” Setting the tray on the nightstand, he climbs back in bed next to her.
“Thanks.” It’s nothing out of the ordinary, him leaning towards her, cradling the back of her head with one hand as he kisses her. It’s not unusual for her to wrap her arms around him, nearly pulling him on top of her as she probes his lips with her tongue, begging for entrance. It’s not even odd for the kiss to go from innocent to filthy, his teeth teasing her bottom lip, making her gasp and tug at his hair. What is odd is that, with a chuckle, he pulls away.
“You’d better eat before it goes cold.”
Smirking, she hooks the chain holding his dog tags (and his wedding ring, still hidden safely from his mission) around her finger and gives a tug. “You know, there’s this amazing new device called a microwave…”
His lips curl up into a knowing smirk. “Oh, so that’s what you’re after, huh?” She feels heat rise to her cheeks as she nods. Luckily, she doesn’t have long to feel embarrassed before his lips are on hers once more.
She can’t contain her gasp as he pushes aside her panties, fingers trailing over her heat. “Sweetheart, you’re drenched.” A moan escapes her as the tip of one cool, metal finger enters her. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed this earlier? I’d be more than happy to help you out.” His palm grinds against her clit as, slowly, he begins to thrust his fingers into her.
Her hand clamps down on his wrist. “Fuck! Bucky-”
He shushes her, lips trailing wet kisses across her jaw. “Just relax. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
That’s all well and good, but as he eases a second finger into her, the thin, cotton tshirt that’s covering her upper half feels far too restraining. “Please-” She gasps out. “-don’t tease.”
“I’m not.” A peck to her nose. “I’m not teasing you.”
“Yes you-” A shudder passes through her as his fingers nudge against her g-spot. “-you are.”
A sigh fans over her exposed collar bone. “I don’t want to hurt you, Doll.”
Gathering all her willpower, she tugs his head down to her level. “James Buchanan Barnes, I am not made of glass. If you don’t get inside of me right now-” A particularly well-aimed thrust of his fingers makes her gasp.
“Alright.” She suppresses a whimper at the sudden emptiness. “How do you want it?”
Her gut screams to tell him, “Anything! Just get on with it!” but a lazy movement in her middle jogs her memory. She can’t comfortably be on her back at this point, and it’s been a month, so she wants to see him…
“I could ride you.” His eyes turn a shade darker at her words, pupils blown with lust.
“Well, I’m not gonna say no to that.”
She’s briefly apprehensive as, after kicking off his bottoms, he eases the t-shirt from her body. She looks a lot different than the last time they did this. What if he doesn’t like-
“Fuck.” His bottom lip slips between his teeth. “Yeah, you’re definitely on top so I can look at you.” And just like that, any residual fear melts away and she can’t push the final offending garment from her body fast enough.
Once he’s resting propped up against the headboard, she takes him in her hand, making him hiss, and slowly, carefully, settles on top of him.
“Oh, fuck.” She’s not sure which one of them moans, too overwhelmed by the sensation of once again, having him inside of her. Finally. Getting used to the feeling, she circles her hips.
“Shit.” At any other time, she’d make a joke about how desperate he sounds, but right now… grasping his shoulders for leverage, she gives an experimental rock against him… she’s beyond teasing.
In the beginning, she sets an easy pace, but with one of his hands grasping her hips, the other one trailing over her middle towards her breasts to tease at the swollen flesh, it doesn’t take long until she’s completely lost, moving against him like her life depends on it.
“That’s it. Take what you need.” She’s not sure if it’s the words or his thump passing over one sensitive nipple that drives her over the edge, but before she can so much as utter a warning, her orgasm crashes over her.
When she opens her eyes, she realizes that he’s staring at her, awestruck. “That’s the first time you’ve been able to cum without-” Oh. She didn’t realize, but neither of them have so much as brushed a thumb against her clit. Her surprise must show on her face, because he grins. “Oh, we’re definitely gonna have fun with this.”
After that, she loses count of how many times she hits her peak, too lost in the feeling of their bodies moving together. One of the advantages of the serum is that they both have incredible endurance, but this is different. It’s something primal, a need she didn’t realize she had being met. Finally, after coming down once again, she wilts against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Tired, solnyshka?” She nods, not lifting her head. His chest rumbles with a quiet chuckle, one she doesn’t have time to understand before she’s being lifted off of his cock and placed gently on her side. A whine escapes her at the momentary loss of contact. “Don’t worry, Doll. I’m not going anywhere.” His body curled around her, he eases back into her, making her hum contentedly.
After doing all the work so far, she can’t help but think to herself that it’s nice to just lay back and let him take her, his hips snapping against hers as his cock nudges against her g-spot.
“Do you think you’ve got one more for me, Doll?” His voice is gruff with effort. He’s close, she can tell.
No sooner has she murmured a quiet “yes” than his hand is between her thighs, fingers toying with the bundle of nerves. Her walls contract, and with a strangled cry, he follows her over the edge.
It takes a few minutes for her to come back to herself, for the murmured words of approval and “I love you”s to have any meaning, but eventually she does recover and, offering him a lazy smile, she whispers, “Welcome home, Barnes.”
#bucky barnes#marvel#the avengers#the winter soldier#captain america#bucky x female reader#bucky x y/n#smut#fluff#bucky x reader#bucky fic
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I think it's fantastic news
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Banished (Part 37)
*Not my Gif*
~Banished Master~
Summary: When the 100 was sent to the ground, Y/N Y/L/N was one of them. Having been locked up for almost 8 years, how will she react to surviving on Earth? Especially when she gets banished…
Post Date: 3-4-20
Paring: Bellamy Blake x Reader
Word Count: 4.8K
~Master~
~The 100 Master~
*Based off episode 3x08 of the 100, Terms and Conditions*
Bellamy and Pike made their way up the lookout tower to where Hannah was stationed, looking out over the wall. “Sir, we lost contact with one of the recon teams.” She told them when they were up. Bellamy shook his head, sighing deeply.
“There were four men.” He reminded Pike who spared him a glance before Hannah continued talking. She explained what she believed was happening, the blockage being established as well as the missing recon team engaging in the grounders, they found less than a mile outside the camp.
Another man on lookout interrupted their conversation, getting the three to look out at 2 grounders approaching in the distance. “They have a message; I’ve seen this before.” Bellamy told Pike who stood confused before shouting to the men below him to open the gate.
The grounders arrived at the gate, Bellamy on the ground to greet them. Their masks sat heavy on their faces, covering their mouths as they directed their horses into place. “We seek the one you call Pike.” One of them said as Bellamy stared them down. “An army has fallen, blood soaking the earth where he took their lives.”
“Welcome to the war against Skaikru.” Bellamy told them bitterly. The grounders demanded justice, telling them their justice came in the form of Pike’s death. But Pike wasn’t going to give his life up to some grounders.
“By order of the Commander, you have been surrounded by an army of the 12 clans. If anyone attempts to cross the blockade, warriors wait to kill.” As if to prove their point, they dropped a sack, inside the heads of the missing recon team following out. “We’ll greet them as we did those we caught today.”
Bellamy’s eyes were somewhat wide as he looked between the grounders and the heads by their feet. Pike tried to get Bellamy to fall back inside the walls, weary of the fate that currently affected the two of them speaking to the grounders, but Bellamy just shook his head. “They won’t leave.”
“Choose the side that’s best for your people!” One of the grounders spoke solidly as Bellamy took a second, his hand resting on top his gun.
“I do that everyday.” He mumbled seconds before shooting two bullets, each one going in a grounders head. They fell against the back of their horses with a thud as the animals took off, the recently deceased bodies laying on top of them. “Close the gate!” Bellamy yelled to the men operating the door when he turned around, heading back inside.
The mess hall was fairly empty as you sat there, running your finger over the rim of a glass when Raven took the seat across from you. She didn’t say anything, just sitting there with a content smile, making you uncomfortable. “What can I do for you Raven?”
“More like what can I do for you.” She replied as you raised a brow, taking another swig of the drink in front of you. She just sat there, that same look on her face despite your apparent discomfort. “Do you still have that chip Jaha gave you?”
Your eyes widened before you narrowed them, leaning onto the table to get closer to her. “How did you know about that?” She just shrugged, scooting forward in her seat.
“Have you thought about taking it?” She asked rather innocently, trying to move past your question.
“I haven’t.” You told her, stretching out the words with curiosity before the smile on her face finally made sense. “Raven, for the love of god please tell me you didn’t take it.”
Her grin only widened as she nodded. “I did.” You fell silent, not sure what to do before clearing your throat. You asked her, making sure no one could hear, how she felt. “Amazing. The pain in my leg is gone, Y/N. I feel unstoppable.”
In all honesty, she made it sound comforting. Jaha said it would erase your pain, and now if she truly took the chip you could ask her. Maybe you erase the recent pain of knowing Lexa was gone. You opened your mouth to speak, but instead of words coming out, you heard two gunshots coming from the front gate. “What the hell?” you asked, glancing to where a few people were leaving as you stood up. Raven just stayed put when you turned back to her. “Are you coming?” you asked as she shook her head. You shuddered before leaving her at the metal table alone and heading out of the mess hall.
Raven watched you race out as she tapped her fingers against the surface. A presence, unseen to the rest, hovered over her, watching you as well. “Keep trying.” A.L.I.E. said. “She’ll join eventually.” Raven nodded, getting up and heading out of the mess hall using the other door.
The sun hit your eyes as you blocked it, finding a crowd of people talking frantically. You only heard bits and piece of their conversation, but from the sound of it, a blockade was put around the camp and Bellamy shot two grounders.
“Y/N!” You heard shouted behind you as you spun around seeing Kane motioning for you from the Ark ship. You took one last listen to the group before jogging to catch up to Kane. “Do you know what happened?” you told him what you knew as he chewed on his nail, his pace increasing momentarily before realizing he was gaining unwanted attention.
You entered Kane’s room, taking a seat on his bed as if it was normal. Kane sat at the table, his leg bouncing. In the silence, you couldn’t help as your thoughts wondered, and of course the first place they went was to Bellamy. You didn’t know if you regretted sleeping with him. It all happened so fast and you weren’t at all expecting it. Kane glanced up at you, seeing you taut brows.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked, rubbing his beard with his hand. You groaned lightly, the crease in your forehead never leaving.
“Nothing… Everything?” you admitted.
Kane took a shot in the dark. “Bellamy?”
You groaned louder, pressing the palm of your hands against your eyes. “I’m not having this talk right now.” You told him as you sat up onto your elbows, glaring at him playfully. Kane just chuckled at you, raising his hands in the air. “It doesn’t matter, there are more important things to worry about.” You believed your words truly. Bellamy just signed the blockade death order and here you were worried about sleeping with him.
“That’s not true. Come on, tell me what’s on your mind.” He seemed genuine as you hesitated, moving to sit up.
“I don’t want to have the dad talk, okay? But I will tell you.” He felt a weight in his stomach at your words, seeing the way this was affecting you. He nodded, letting you take the floor. “I slept with Bellamy.”
“Oh.” He went into shock. He didn’t know how to reply to that at all.
You rubbed your arm gingerly, already ready for a change in conversation as the door swung open, Miller and Harper rushing in. Harper looked between the two of you, seeing the look on your faces. “Did we interrupt something?” she asked kindly.
Kane wanted to say yes, he felt protective of you when he heard of you and Bellamy, despite the knowledge you wouldn’t want him to feel like this.
“No, you didn’t.” you almost shouted as you scurried off the bed, happy the two came in at that moment. Miller didn’t see anything wrong as he sat next to Kane, pulling out the radio.
“Pike’s in another meeting.” You and Harper exchanged glances, moving to sit on the bed together. Miller turned the radio on and right away you could hear Pike’s voice, making you roll your eyes. They were talking about trust, not being able to trust anyone outside of the room they’re in. You listened as Pike put Monroe and Lacroix’s deaths on you all, unknowingly of course. He wanted you all pay, no matter how.
The meeting ended as the listening device was turned off. “If they’re gonna play that game, we’ll play too.” Kane said as you bit your lip, your brows taking permanent residence in a furrowed position.
“What do you mean?”
Kane turned to look at you. “We don’t meet here anymore. We change patterns, forget habits. Assume there are eyes on us at all times.”
Harper scoffed. “Why don’t we just shock-lash Pike’s fascist ass then give him to the grounders?” Harper suggested. You found yourself chuckling and nudged Harper, getting her to grin slightly.
Kane glared at you as your smile fade like a kid being chastised. “Because that would be murder, not to mention treason. That’s not who we are.” Your eyes slowly pulled up, feeling that last sentence was meant specifically for you, and by the way Kane was looking at you, it was.
“Maybe it’s who we need to be.” You whispered sharply, Harper and Miller looking between the two of you as Kane said not yet. “Fine. Then I assume you have a plan?”
You spent the rest of the afternoon in a different room waiting for Octavia to radio in, switching channels every so often in case she was on those. Kane came in after a while of you being alone, seeing you seated crisscross on a table. Your eyes were somewhat closed as you absentmindedly scanned through the channels, just waiting for some sign Octavia was out there. Kane pulled a blanket around your shoulders, and you gave him a lazy smile, leaning your elbow onto your knee and pressing your chin in your palm.
“Any luck?” he asked as you shook your head, pushing the radio away.
“If she’s out there, she’s not on.” He nodded as you curled into the blanket.
“So, do you want to talk about earlier?” he seemed uncomfortable as you tilted your head, unsure of what he was talking about. “Bellamy?” You made an ‘o’ shape with your mouth as you realized what he was getting at. He didn’t know how to begin this conversation and by the awkward look on your face, neither did you. But he needed to know how to protect you. “So, you slept with him.”
“Yeah?” You didn’t mean for it to come out as a question, but that didn’t change the fac it did.
“… Do you have feelings for him?” This was as awkward for you as it was for Kane and you knew it.
“I said I didn’t want to have the dad talk.” You reminded him as he nodded.
“I know, but for me?” He almost pouted his lip as you groaned.
“I don’t know Kane. Right now, it’s complicated. I just want to get past this whole thing with Pike. Then I’ll discuss the fact I’m in love with him.”
Well shit. You’re in love with him.
You hoped Kane didn’t catch your words but by the way the color drained from his face, he heard you. There was a knock on the door before it swung open, Harper and Miller entering to yet another awkward conversation.
“Anyone followed?” Kane asked, seeing the gears in your mind turning and the crisis in your eyes. Miller said he was fine before everyone took a seat, hearing Pike in another meeting.
They were planning a plan B, the ammo they have not being enough for many fights. Their new plan consisted of an assault team doing damage to a grounder encampment not far away from you all. Your heart sped up in fear as you listened, knowing that the retaliation of this attack would be stronger than you’ve ever experienced.
“We need to disable that rover. It doesn’t matter how many Grounders they kill, 10 times that will attack on Arkadia. No one will survive.” Kane told you all as the radio cut out. Harper spoke up, asking him if he had any idea what to do. Kane paused, thinking for a second before an idea came to mind.
Little did you know, Pike found your bug.
You took a walk through the hangar, coming to a stop and leaning against the wall. From across the room you saw Kane sitting in a chair, thumbing through a book as he glanced up at you. You pressed the com in your ear, turning it on and sending a soft nod towards Kane before focusing on Sinclair. He had just slid under a car, beginning his fake job when you saw Bellamy walk into the room. He started towards Sinclair as you spoke into the com.
“Sinclair, Bellamy’s coming your way.” Sinclair quickly pulled the com out of his ear, shoving it into his pocket. Bellamy caught your eyes from across the room as you ducked away, making him pause when he realized you where in on whatever was happening. He took a look around the room, seeing Kane reading his book before stopping at Sinclair.
“Sinclair, what are you up to?” He asked as Sinclair slid out from the rover and came to stand on his feet. Sinclair lied to him, telling Bellamy Raven told him the solenoid was acting up. Bellamy nodded, pretending to listen. “You got a work order for that?”
You watched from behind a stack of shelves, on alert as Bellamy glanced over Sinclair’s shoulders, seeing you worried. “Sure I think it’s on my desk.” Not a moment later, Sinclair took off running. In your head, you told yourself it was all part of the plan, but deep down something felt off. Almost like something was going to go wrong.
As you watched Sinclair run off, you tried to get a guess on the amount of people Pike had working for him before you realized you lost track of Bellamy. You were about to make a move to find him before you heard Kane’s shouts coming from his side of the room. You eyes shot to the predicament, seeing Kane holding back some new guard who tried to stop Sinclair with his shock baton.
No one expected that to happen for the moment his arms was in the arm to strike Sinclair, Kane was on him, holding him back. But unfortunately for Kane, that put him in the crossfire. He was going to get arrested.
Now that was not part of the plan.
You watched the men grab Kane and Sinclair’s hands, pulling them behind their backs as Hannah conducted the arrest. You needed to help him. You didn’t know how or what you were going to do but you needed to help him. The plan relied on him not being incarcerated.
You barely got your first step in before a hand grabbed your upper arm, pulling you back. Worried it was someone meant to arrest you, you spun around with your fist in the air to punch them. Yet when you turned around it was just Bellamy and he caught your fist.
“Don’t.” He told you, glaring into your eyes. You didn’t know what he was talking about until his eyes flickered. You followed them, seeing Kane glance back at you briefly as he was being led away.
That’s when realization dawned on you. “You know.” You whispered barely loud enough for it to be coherent. Bellamy was unfazed, his grip on you not faltering in the utmost. You turned slowly, making Bellamy slightly uneasy by the way you looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You know.” You repeated.
He swallowed back his nerves, pulling you to the side and out of anyone’s line of sight. “Y/N, just listen.”
You tried to pull your arm from him, ripping his fingers away from your skin. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you fucking touch me!” You didn’t care if Bellamy was trying to help you, you wanted to help Kane and Bellamy was making that hard.
“Y/N, I couldn’t-“
“You know what happens when they arrest Kane!” You interrupted him, pushing against his chest to separate yourself from him. “You know what’s going to happen to Sinclair! You know Lincoln is gonna be killed!” Bellamy didn’t fight back your pushes, but he didn’t let you go so easily, making you look into his eyes. Bellamy couldn’t tell if you were crying or just shouting at him, but either way it hurt him. Your pushes slowed to a stop, and Bellamy loosened his grip, see your E/C eyes moving up to look at him. “You knew I would be…”
Arrested? Sentenced to death for treason? Why not, it’s what they did on the Ark.
Bellamy nodded. “I wasn’t going to let you get arrested again.” His hands moved down your arms until he could hold your hands, your fingers lazily entangling his.
You took a deep breath, looking at your hands. The sight put you into a trance before reality snapped you back and you tore your hands away, taking a few steps back with a shake of your head. “Well hooray for you Bellamy, saving the damsel. There’s just one problem. I don’t need you to save me.”
Bellamy watched you stormed off; your eyes locked on the ground with the extra pound in your step. Bellamy didn’t know how to handle this. He knew there were no winners here. And he knew you weren’t going to give up that easily. Without a second thought, he slammed his hand against the wall, the noise attracted some people’s stares, but he paid them no mind, walking straight past them.
Miller and Harper met back in the room. Harper was pacing around the room as Miller sat on the couch, leaning forward onto his knees. “Did you see Y/N?” Harper asked, looking to the door every few seconds in hopes you’d walk in.
“After everything, I didn’t. She get arrested?” Miller asked after the 10th minute of you not showing up.
“Oh god!” Harper’s eyes went wide as she stopped pacing, falling into a chair. You finally reached the door, knocking once before throwing the door open. Both teens were on their feet as you busted inside, out of breath and leaning against the door.
“It’s just me!” You told them, putting your hands out. Harper pulled you in for a hug, a surprise for you as you hugged back. Miller gave you one as well, a even more shock as you regained your breath. “I kept feeling like someone was following me.” You told them, running your hand through your hair.
“What happened?” Harper asked.
“They got Kane too.” They both stood silent, contemplating what to do before Miller looked to you.
“So, what now?” They both looked towards you, it was as if they expected you to just hop into Kane’s position. But you weren’t Kane.
You had no idea what to do.
You took a second and a breath. “We keep going. Do the plan. It’s on us now.”
Meanwhile, Bellamy took to questioning Kane, but he wasn’t getting very far. “Come on Kane. Talk.” Kane stayed silent, cocking his brow at Bellamy who sighed, falling into a chair. “Then do it for Y/N. Think of Y/N.” It seemed to catch Kane’s attention as he shifted in his seat, his arms crossing in front of him and his jaw setting. After Kane’s silence stretched, Bellamy slammed his hand down on the table, standing up and leaving the room. Kane waited for the door to slam behind him before he took a deep breath.
Think of Y/N? That’s all ever does nowadays.
Bellamy stormed out of the room, Pike and Hannah talking as he approached them. “Any luck?” Pike asked but Bellamy denied such luck, saying that both Sinclair, who similar to Kane wouldn’t say a word, and Kane would speak soon and to put them both in lock up.
“On the ark, we would’ve floated traitors.” Hannah spoke up, gaining both men’s attentions. Bellamy gulped was Pike cut her off.
“We’re not on the ark.” He said before demanding the men be locked up.
Monty took it upon himself to check over the river, noting that there wasn’t a thing wrong with it. His mom watched him, listening to his grief about everything before telling him the only right choice is the one that helps you survive.
Bryan was used as a spy in his own room as he opened the door, seeing Miller staying there. They talked, shared a lot of kisses, but Bryan’s mind was elsewhere. Instead of being focused on his boyfriend, all he could think about was how he was going to be betraying him. They fought about Pike, as usual before Bryan set off, tossing Miller his coat with the planted bug before leaving.
“The bug’s in place?” Bellamy asked Bryan as he walked into the room him and Monty were sat in. Bryan averted his eyes, nodding solemnly as he thought of his boyfriend.
“It’s in his jacket. I don’t think he knows.” Bellamy pulled his lips into a thin line of a smile, sending it towards Bryan when he called him a good man. Bryan just furrowed his brows. “Am I? Is this worth lying to someone I love?”
“It is if you’re protecting him.” Bellamy countered but Bryan just shook his head, meeting his harsh gaze.
“Unless I’m the one he needs protection from.” Bryan mumbled he tugged on the sleeve of his jacket. “I assume you put a bug on your girlfriend then?” Monty who stood by silently through the whole ordeal saw Bellamy clench his jaw at the mention of you in such tone.
“Let’s go tell Pike.” Monty suggested, pulling the two men out of their staring contest and Bryan and Monty turned to leave. Bellamy though, took a second, beginning to reconsider his side momentarily. He could never put a bug on you, no matter who’s side he’s on. So maybe he knew he was on the wrong side.
Tensions in lock up were high with Sinclair, Kane and Lincoln as well many grounders. Sinclair walked along the wall to where Kane was before settling onto the ground next to him. “You weren’t supposed to be in here.” He mumbled quietly.
“No, my good friend, I was not.” Kane eyed the guards, seeing them switch their shifts as he rested his head back against the cold wall behind him.
“So, what now?” Sinclair asked him. Kane thought about it, seeing Bellamy leave the room and sighing.
“We keep going.”
When time came, the one you decided earlier, Sinclair called Bellamy back into the cell telling him Sinclair was ready to talk. As for you, you went searching for Pike, finding him in the Hangar bay.
“Thanks for meeting me.” You told him, standing in front of him. Pike nodded, a small surprised look on his face.
“I’ll be honest, I thought Kane would’ve spoken to me first.”
You scoffed, biting the inside of your cheek. “Well, he’s kind of arrested. Guess I’ll have to do.”
“I hope you’re ready to negotiate the terms of your surrender.” You had to hold back another scoff as you looked at the chancellor.
Bellamy approached the bars to lock up, coming to where Sinclair stood. “You’re ready you talk?” He asked Sinclair who agreed, questioning what Bellamy wanted to know. “Everything.”
You crossed your arms in front of you. “Kane told me a little about you.” You said, referring to conversations you’ve had to set your plan in place, really you just needed to remember the points Kane was going to make to stall time. “He said on the ark you were a teacher telling kids about our future. The responsibility of being on the ground. So why, Pike, are you taking this side?”
“We didn’t start this war, but we will damn sure finish it.” He started to walk past you but you stopped him.
“You should’ve lost that vote, Chancellor.” Pike didn’t miss your use of venom in his title. You were angry, a chancellors job is protect their people not sign their death certificates.
“But I didn’t. Because I know what’s best for us.”
“You’re gonna get everyone killed. Can’t you see that?”
“What do you know? You’re a child.” He finally pushed past you but you weren’t letting up, yelling after him.
“And yet I know more about surviving down here than you do. Than any of you do.” You knew the time was coming if Sinclair had succeeded so as you yelled at him, you ran after, standing only a feet away.
Sinclair began bargaining with Bellamy, asking for immunity as Lincoln began pacing behind him. “The cowards make a deal to save their own skins.” He muttered, eying Sinclair and Bellamy’s conversation. Bellamy taking a more authoritative stance told him to be quiet, but he didn’t listen. “Can’t defeat the enemy at the gate so you turn on your own people.” Bellamy ordered him to be silent one more time but Lincoln came closer to Sinclair, pressing his chest to his back. “I’m not the one who needs to be silent. You’ll tell them nothing.”
Bellamy yelled Lincoln’s name as the man threw Sinclair to the ground, standing over him. “Cover me!” Bellamy told the other guard as he jumped into lockup, trying to diffuse the situation. Only, as soon as he was inside, he heard Lincoln scream at the other grounders.
They were escaping, and Bellamy fell for it.
Pike was about to speak before the P.A. system butted in. “All units to Lockup!” The man’s voice said as Pike raised a brow at you.
“I don’t suppose you have anything to do with this?” His question was rhetorical as he knew you did.
You smirked at him. “Actually, I do.” You pulled out the shock lash you stored in your pocket and struck Pike with it, sending him to the ground unconscious.
“It worked! You’re all clear, the guards have their hands full.” Harper spoke into the comm in your ear as you let out a shaky breath. If you had known Monty was listening in, that sigh wouldn’t have been as relieving. “The gate’s open Y/N. It’s all you.”
You put Pike in the back of a rover, hoping in the front. You had never driven before but Miller gave you an overview and soon you were off. You hit a couple boxes, sending them flying but pushed on until the open gate was in your view.
You were home free.
Until Bellamy stepped in front of the gate. You slammed on the brakes, coming quite close to Bellamy but not hitting him. Bellamy’s face fell when he saw you driving, not Miller or Harper, but you.
“Get out of the way Blake!” You shouted at him. He just stood there, staring at you before Pike stirred in the back.
“Should’ve killed me when you could.” His laugh was filled with spite at your defeat, but you didn’t react, only looking at Bellamy’s disappointed face.
“Don’t think I won’t.” You mumbled as you saw guns being pointed at you, but not from Bellamy. You put your hands in the air and the back of the Rover opened, a pair of guards helping Pike out. Your door opened as Bellamy helped you out.
He pulled you close to him as he whispered in your ear. “What are doing?”
You looked up at him, the closeness having such familiarity, but this time you didn’t kiss him. “You can’t save me Bellamy.”
You were led to the interrogation room, your hands pulled behind your back. It felt like the first time you were arrested. Only this time you didn’t kill a man, but you should’ve.
Pike stood in front of you, his feet spread apart with his arms crossed. “As you know, the terms of martial law and of the Exodus Charter give me both latitude and ultimate authority in determining your punishment.” Your eyes met Bellamy who stood against the wall, a hand covering his mouth and worried breaths. Pike spared Bellamy a glance before focusing back on you, sat in a chair. Your face was emotionless, not a frown nor smile on your face as Pike went on.
“I hope you believe that if I thought for one minute that turning myself over to the enemy would secure the safety of our people, I would do it, but only a deluded man would believe that.” Bellamy watched him, the man he believed was right, but right now as Bellamy listened to this speech tell of your future, he felt his whole-body shake. And yet you showed no reaction and let Pike move on with his words. Bellamy didn’t know what Pike was going to do with you, but he hoped it wasn’t what he assumed. “Y/N YL/N, for the crimes of treason, kidnapping, and attempted murder,” Bellamy found himself standing straighter, his hands falling to his sides fast when he took a step forward, mentally pleading that Pike wouldn’t finished his sentence. That you’d get one more chance. That this wasn’t the end for you. “I hereby sentence you to death.”
Bellamy couldn’t breathe.
A/N: So, yeah! Tell me what you think! For those of you not in my little loop on here, I’m taking a break for a little while so THE NEXT CHAPTER WON’T BE POSTED NEXT WEEK! Even though I’m not going to be on, I love asks, so feel free to drop some in my ask box! Love you all! Hope you enjoy! Sorry this is so freaking long lol
What did you think?
*Reblogging with Banished tags*
Permanent: @literal-fand0m-trash @just4muggles @saturn-aka-six @nathaliabakes @whyamihere-bro @colored-confetti @wiseeggspickleslime @btsiguess-kpop @galacticstxrdust @independentgirl @wellhellotherelovey @hollymac79 @delicately-important-trash @emcchi @rauwz @herondalescecilys
Bellamy: @jodiereedus22 @nyxxxwtp @danielabetancourth
#bellamy blake x reader#bellamy blake series#bellamy blake imagine#bellamy blake the 100#bellamy blake#banished#banished part 37#the 100 x reader#the 100 fic#the 100 imagine#the 100 series#the 100#charles pike#nate miller#harper mcintyre#marcus kane#monty green
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