#which slowly became ''but who IS he. behind the legend. behind the personas. Who Is He really?'' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ellana-ravenwood · 4 years

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“You...have kids ? AND A WIFE ?!” - Fem!Reader (Batmom) x Bruce Wayne x Justice League

Synopsis : No one in the Justice League would’ve ever guessed that the stoic Batman had kids nor that he was...married ?!

Just a lighthearted shorter fic (I know, must be surprising, haven’t posted one of those in ages hahaha) because I need it. Slowly getting back into a regular writing funk. And ya know I’m here to write the League interact with Batmom and co haha. Hope you’ll like it :

My master list blog : @ella-ravenwood-archives

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The Big Bad Bat that never smiles.

That’s the picture Barry had in his head when thinking of him...

It had been a few months now, since this “Justice League” had become an actual thing. And Flash was still not sure if it was reality or just a fever dream.

Of course, before they truly decided to gather all together to protect this Earth, Barry knew about his “colleagues”. Duh. Who, in America, never heard about the mighty Superman ? The Goddess of Truth Wonder Woman ? The fearless, and fear inducing Batman ?

And here he was, amongst those legends. Was it making him a legend too, to have been selected to be one of the founder of this “little” team ?

Barry just couldn’t admit that. What he could admit, though, was that it felt very nice to be part of something like this initiative !

It also felt nice that he wasn’t alone anymore. He had the support of people who were like him. “Different”, and with a purpose to make the world a better and safer place !

Well, up until now Barry was mainly focusing on Central City, but hey, some of his colleagues only had one city too !

And now, they took it further, leveled up in the protective business, and became, Barry would like to say, kind of like a family !

Ok, maybe not just yet, but at least they were all good friends.

Well, “all”. Not quite.

There was one who still refused to partake in their gaming nights for example, or in any discussions that weren’t work related. There was one whom Barry never saw smile, not even a little twitch at the corner of his mouth ! One who, it seemed, had no intention to bond with his new partners.

Yes. Batman kept himself guarded from everyone else, which was odd to Barry because he heard that the bat sort of was the one who had the idea for this little world saving team.

Flash just couldn’t figure out what was the deal with that man ! And Batman wasn’t letting him come close at all. Not reacting to his jokes or anything. While they were hilarious ! The only time Batman seemed to care about what Barry had to say, was when he was starting to speak forensics.

There was one person though, who seemed closer to the bat than all the others. Well, actually make that two. Two persons.

Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Almost as if they knew who Batman really was. Maybe they did ? After all, they’re really the one that started this little hero club.

And so one day, Flash, sitting in the common room of their brand new space headquarters, was staring at Batman (who was making himself a cup of coffee) and without giving much context, he turned to Clark and Diana (who were...arm wrestling ?) and asked :

"Have you ever seen him, ya know, smile ?"

“Huh ?”

Superman turned his head toward Barry, and this two second loss of focus allowed Diana to throw him down.

Quite literally. For a split moment, unfocused because Flash addressed him and his Ma’ always told him that ignoring people was impolite, Clark released a little pressure in his arm, and of course Diana took advantage of this to strategically put all her force in, and slam the mighty Superman down.

Barry gave a worried look towards Batman. The last thing he wanted, was for him to come over and see what the ruckus was about. But, still at the coffee station, he just looked at both meta humans, frowned, shook his head, and left the room, visibly grumbling something under his breath.

With a sigh of relief, Barry turned back towards them, and as Clark was getting back up, giving an annoyed (and slightly vexed) look at Diana, who was showing him her most beautiful smug expression, he asked again :

“I was wondering, have you ever seen him smile ?”

Massaging his wrist, still a little sour about his defeat, Clark asked, a little absentmindedly :

“Who ?”

Flash, looking around, lowered his voice and said :

“You know...his name rhymes with cancan ?”

There was a short pause, before Diana says :

“...A lot of our names rhyme with Cancan.”

“But only one of you never smiles !”

“Oooooh, you’re talking about Batman ?”

Flash shook his head positively, looking around nervously one more time to make sure said Batman wasn’t there. Diana smiled widely (not a rare occurence in her case) and turned to look at Clark knowingly. And Superman laughed heartily, of his clear and a little childish laugh, and said :

“No. No I don’t think I ever did...Wait, actually, there was that one time when-"

"Wonder Woman. Superman. Flash. Hello."

The big bad Bat himself was right next to them, and Barry couldn’t help but wonder how the hell did he arrive so fast ?!

Bruce was looking straight at Clark, staring intently at him, and why was he ? It made the man of steel uncomfortable, especially when- Oh. Oh but of course. That one time Clark saw Batman smile was when...

After a short awkward silence, Clark spoke up again :

“No. No I never saw what, um, what you asked me I saw. Diana ?”

“Nope, never.”

Batman nodded, which mortified Barry as he realized that he knew what they were talking about, and left once again. And from this day on, The Flash couldn’t help but wonder...What was it, that made the Batman smile ?

Because given the “trinity”’s reaction, it was clear both meta-humans saw him do that once...His curiosity intensely piqued, Barry kept this info about Clark and Diana knowing in the corner of his mind.

************

Of course, no one would expect such a thing from the Batman. Who, in their right mind, could guess that the stoic, always so serious and harsh hero had a...

Yes.

Even now, faced with the fact this was reality, Barry couldn’t quite believe his eyes ! It was just so surreal ! And he had a costume, too !!

Out of nowhere, the man he had tried to make laugh or smile for years came out of the zeta tube with a little boy, who couldn’t be more than nine years old, and acted as if nothing happened !!

Understandingly so, everyone but Superman and Wonder Woman, stopped what they were doing and stared at them.

Green Lantern is the one that said what everyone was thinking but didn’t dare to ask :

“What the...Who’s that, Batman ?!”

The sudden exclamation didn’t seem to phase Bruce much, but the little boy stiffened and sort of hid behind Batman’s cape, looking shyly at everyone from behind it. They were all staring at them. It was a little scary.

Bruce turned to Hal, and calmly and matter of factly said :

“My son. D-Robin.”

Which made everyone but Clark and Diana unable to stop their : “WHAT ?!”. And to little Dick, it was quite something to witness all his favorite heroes freak out like that, and looking in total shock.

That’s when Bruce, clearly annoyed, and a little mad as he noticed his usual extroverted boy looking unsure and shy, and hiding behind him (and no one made his kiddo feel like that without repercussions !), said :

“Get a grip, everyone. You’re making him think you’re all completely nuts. It’s embarrassing, I brought him up here because he was excited to meet all of you, and now you’re acting like mad men.”

The big bad bat then squatted down to put himself at the boy’s level and asked, his voice taking a complete different tone, one that Barry never heard him have.

“Are you ok, buddy ?"

No one was quite sure what was the most shocking. That Batman had a kid, or that he just took the softest voice ever to talk to said kid, and showed an entirely different persona ?

The young boy nodded, and Bruce turned back towards everyone, putting a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Please, handle yourself better in his presence. You’re intimidating him.”

Barry had a thought about how odd it was, that this kid was intimidated by him and his friends, while apparently totally ok with Batman. Because in his eyes, Batman was the most intimidating guy he ever met ! Yet that boy seemed to cling to his cape for dear life, as everyone kept staring at him.

The worry in the boy’s look, and the “mama goose” stance Batman suddenly took, made Barry snap out of it first and, smiling, he said :

“Well, welcome to the Justice League of America’s headquarters, Robin ! Want a tour of it ?”

And this warm feeling that irradiated from Flash seemed to unlock something in the boy, and, smiling widely, he shook his head yes enthusiastically and slowly walked out of his father’s shadow.

That’s when the zeta tube emitted the sound it does when someone comes through, and someone nobody saw before came from it. She was wearing an unknown costume, and her sudden appearance and the fact she was a stranger made everyone take a fighting stance ! Everyone, but Batman and his son.

“Hey mom ! Flash is gonna show me around ! It’s Flash !! The real one !”

Wait...”mom” ? Did that...mean...SOMEONE ACTUALLY MARRIED THE BATMAN ?!

************

It was quit a shock, the day everyone discovered that Bruce had a family.

Granted, it was all fairly recent as he only met you a few years back, and Dick had been adopted only a little bit more than a year ago (he only recently started to call you mom, after certain events happening (you can read about it in this story : clickclickclick), and wasn’t quite yet calling Bruce “dad” but it was just a matter of time, really. In Bruce’s eyes, the boy was most definitely his son, now).

But what was the most shocking of all, was how whenever you or the boy would be around, it felt like they were discovering another Batman !

Whenever Dick said something smart, he would praise him. Whenever his look would cross yours, his expression would become incredibly soft (”lovesick puppy” was not words Barry thought he’d ever associate with “Batman”). It wasn’t particularly a noticeable difference for the untrained eyes, but it was most definitely there.

His “soft” expressions were all very fleeting. But someone like Flash ? He definitely saw them.

The Batman was still this serious, stoic and unwavering man, but as soon as they all discovered he had a family, he became a little more human.

His “legend” wasn’t broken by the fact he could feel emotions, on the contrary. Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Green ARrow, Black Canary...Everyone. They just realized what Superman and Wonder Woman discovered a while ago now.

There was two Batman.

The working one, the superhero, the unforgiving one, who was strategic and pragmatic.

And the family man.

And as he observed those two Batmen, Barry realized more and more that they weren’t actually two different persons like it could seem to certain people. They were just different facets of the same man. Two sides of the same coin.

Of course, Flash should’ve known. Just like in his day time work, just like in forensics and such...Things weren’t always that simple. People, weren’t that simple. Real people weren’t “one dimensional”.

His theory was confirmed one day when you said that Batman could most definitely be a total jerk towards you or your son (or Alfred), in his “dark moments”. And that you fully accepted it, because you did not love him conditionally.

Because you understood him, and that in your opinion, nobody was perfect. Hell, you admitted, with a little laugh, that you could be very obnoxious at times...And if he could forgive your bitchy moments, then you could most definitely forgive his dark ones.

Especially when you knew why he was like that.

Sometimes, Barry felt jealous, that Batman found such an understanding and loving wife. But then he just had to take one look at how said Batman was looking at you, and he realized that both of you were lucky.

************

It turned out that Dick wasn’t a shy kid at all. He just got a little overwhelmed at first, to be stared at by Earth’s mightiest hero. But as soon as he relaxed himself and finally opened up, he was a rather talkative little dude.

Full of energy. And all of a sudden, Barry truly understood why Batman could look so fondly at his boy, or at you.

The kid clearly was a little ray of sunshine. Although, if we believed you and Bruce, he could sometimes throw terrible fits of anger and...Well, once again, people were more complicated that they can first appear to be. It’s not because you have mostly a joyful nature, that you’re always that way. And Barry could see this whenever Dick would partake in missions.

The boy was serious too, and resembled his father a lot in those moments.

However, he was still mostly very extroverted and curious while at the League’s headquarter, and Barry could see how the arrival of such a burst of light in Batman’s life could brighten him indeed.

It was difficult, to look at you and Dick and not smile.

Barry wondered, if neither you nor Dick came into his life, how Batman would be now. Probably still cold and seeming unemotional. Maybe even worst than what they experienced so far ?

There actually wasn’t a doubt in Barry’s mind, that you and your son’s presence in the Big Bad Bat’s life radically changed him.

************

Flash could see there was something wrong with Bruce when he came up the League’s headquarter that day.

He was much grumpier than usual. And when Barry joked :

“Gee, where’s your boy, I think you need to cheer up.”

Batman gave him the most murderous look he ever saw, stood up, and quietly left the room, leaving behind him a very cold and scary atmosphere.

You got up from the zeta tube barely two minutes later, looking both distressed and annoyed, and ask Flash where Bruce was.

Still sort of in shock, Barry gave a timid gesture towards where the Bat went, and watched as you went there in a hurry.

Later on, Barry would learn that Bruce and his son got in a fight, which resulted in his beloved boy leaving to join the Teen Titans, and ah, all of a sudden, everything made sense to The Flash.

************

Jason’s first introduction to the League was quite different from his older brother’s. The Leaguers were less surprised, and therefor more welcoming immediately.

Jason was a shy kid, who would often whisper things in his dad’s ear before doing it.

Like for example, the boy didn’t dare, at first, asking Flash how fast he could truly run. So he went to Bruce, and asked him, murmuring in his ear and hiding his mouth. Which made Batman, THE Batman, stand up from the computer on which he worked on, and walk with his son towards Barry.

“Go ahead, ask him, don’t worry, I’m here.”

He said, pushing Jason a little forward. And the boy was playing with his hands nervously, before he dared to ask :

“Howfastcanyoureallygo?”

And the fond smile Batman had as he stood there, behind his son, silently encouraging him, made Barry feel like he was understanding him more and more. Smiling, The Flash answered :

“Well, what’s sure is that I’m not going as fast as you asked this question !”

Which made little Jay widely smile and chuckle. Just like Bruce discovered, Jason could be a little “wild” yet “reserved” at first, but it only took a little push for him to become an overly enthusiastic little boy, eager to please and to learn.

It was obvious Jason had a tough childhood, which make him afraid to bother people and be in their way. Which sometimes made him want to be fiercely independent. It was obvious that Jason didn’t have an easy life up until now...

And that he was embracing fully this new chance at being happy and having a family. He’d follow Bruce like he was his shadow. He’d cling to you often. He’d talk about his older brother Dick regularly.

Little Jason was home with you all, and it was a heartfelt thing to witness for each members of the League.

It was yet another proof that Batman most definitely had a heart.

************

Years passed, and nothing much changed.

Batman was still good old himself, with that softer change when you or his sons were around (fortunately, things with the first Robin, or “Nightwing” now, as he called himself, greatly improved, and although Dick stayed with the Teens Titans still, him and Bruce were speaking again. Of course they were).

He was still that man who had difficulties to say “thank you” (yet he improved on that front), who was strategic and pragmatic, but now, the members of the League knew better than to judge him just for that.

His children came from times to times to the League’s headquarter, mainly to hang out with their dad, as it was extremely rare they’d take part in League’s mission (Batman was surprisingly protective of his children).

You’d come up too, a little more often, actively participating in monitoring the universe. And you and the Leaguers became fast friends (he’d never admit it, but the Bat surely wasn’t always happy about that).

And whenever you or/and your kids were present, Batman most definitely seemed to be in a better mood.

And things seemed to go normally, albeit for, you know, the moments they had to save the World and sometimes almost died during so !

But yes. Everything as more or less normal up until...

************

For months, the League didn’t see much of neither you nor Bruce.

When Bruce came back up, the news he lost youngest his son was known by all of them, but of course, they knew better than to mention it.

Barry knew he wouldn’t smile again in a long time, if he could ever even smile again.

You and Dick were still there. But you lost a son too. Dick lost his little brother. And if the only people that could always turn Batman’s frown upside down were sad and hurt too, how could he get out of that dark pit ?

It didn’t feel right, to not see your nor Dick ever smiling either.

It felt, when Jason died, that this nice and warm new family Bruce build for himself, that his new chance at being happy, sort of crumbled.

Yes. You, him and Dick were still here and alive. Were still supporting each others. But there was nothing worst than to lose a child. A brother.

Once again, it became clear to Barry that the Batman moods truly became tied to his family. And it didn’t surprise Flash when the man threw himself, mind and body, into his vigilante activities even more...

For a long time, they did not see you, nor Bruce.

And when Bruce finally came back to League’s affair, it didn’t seem like you’d ever come up again...Or like he would smile ever again.

************

And then one day, a while after Jason’s disappearance, Batman came up accompanied once more.

It was neither you nor Dick, but someone they never saw before.

A little boy, who claimed to be “Robin”. One more that the Batman adopted.

And once again, Barry could see a slow shift in Bruce’s mood.

Ever since Jason died, it felt like something irreparable broke in the man. It felt like he was regretting ever coming close to people again, putting you, his children, in danger.

As if he thought he was cursed to lose everything he loved...

Ever since Jason died, things have been very difficult, in your family. You and Bruce had each others, but the pain was often too grand to handle and it was difficult to mourn your lost son...

Bruce felt it was his fault, you felt it was your fault, neither of you blamed the other...It was a vicious circle. In those years, you almost broke up because of how everything was tough.

But in the end, your love got only stronger, and you realized that without the other, you could’ve never come back from this dark times.

The arrival of a new kid most definitely helped, too.

The first that came out of this sad funk that surrounded everything was Dick. Nightwing. Barry noticed, he went back to be a little more cheerful again, and didn’t fully turn like Batman was.

It was thanks to Tim. Thanks to being a big brother again, and having to set an example. Something he didn’t quite do in the beginning, with Jason, as he felt jealous at times...One of his greatest regret. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

The first time Tim came up the tower, he ran into it and started to ramble about everything, asking questions faster than anyone could answer, and touching everything on his way !

“Wooooow look at that it’s the best telescope I’ve ever seen !! Hey Green Lantern is it true my dad beat you multiple time and that without your ring you’re nothing ? It’s what he said...OH HEY ! Uncle Superman, how are you today ? WOOOOOW you guys have cookies here ?! -bites into a cookie- Mm, not as good as Alfred’s...AH WHAT’S THAT ?! Hey hey, Black Canary, how high can your voice get ? Oh wow what is that, what does it do ? OH HI AUNT DIANA !! Can you breathe in space ? If I went in space without a spacesuit I would freeze and all my blood vessels would explose. Sounds like a painful death right ? Woooow daaaad look at that !!”

And that was it. Right there. The first smile Flash saw the Batman have in a very long time, as the man looked at his son running everywhere and be excited about everything.

It was very easy to understand that this new Robin, little Tim, was an extremely smart child. Curious of everything in a way his brothers weren’t, as he needed detailed explanations about stuffs, not just a simple answer.

It appeared as he was understanding even complicated notions, and would even give his opinion in the matters !

Later on, Flash would learn that at first, Bruce refused to take Tim as the new Robin. Because he still had parents (albeit shitty ones), because he didn’t want another Jason to happen, because...Because he couldn’t have his broken once more.

But the boy was persistant. And he crawled his way in in Dick’s heart first. Then yours. And finally Bruce’s, who just couldn’t resist. Especially when the boy lost his biological parents too...

When Tim was on the Space Station, you’d be most often there too. It seemed like ever since you lost Jason, you became even more protective of your sons. Like you had difficulties letting them out of your sight.

Tim didn’t seem to mind. His parents never cared enough about him...So it felt nice, to be loved in that way.

Quickly, this new little Robin brought back a certain balance to his new family. Of course, no one would ever forget Jason. That’s one of the reason why there was a glass case filled with his costume throning in the midle of the Batcave.

Jason was unforgettable. The love you all had for him, even now that he was gone, would never die. But the mourning was finally reaching its last step.

Acceptance.

And in big part, it was because of that young and smart new Robin, whom the League immediately loved. And were quite thankful for.

After all, they were Batman’s friends. His pain and struggles, over the years, reached them too. They could understand the pain of losing a loved one. Martian Manhunter, who lost his family, for example, truly was empathetic.

And slowly, without realizing, all of them sort of got used to dark, cold and harsh Batman being soft around his family ! It didn’t feel right, that he would only be dark, cold and harsh...

That day, that first day Tim got up the Headquarter and got overly excited about everything. That day Batman was again seen with a small smile on his face. A smile he couldn’t hush or hide...

It felt right again.

************

Cassandra emerged from the zeta tube, getting a piggy back ride from her older brother Dick, a calm day at the League’s headquarter.

She wasn’t very talkative, but she had an aura that was both impressive and sweet. Just like Jason, Barry could see that this young child went through a lot...But it didn’t seem to dim her light.

It didn’t take a genius to know she went through years of abuse. That her life most definitely hadn't been easy. Maybe even worst than young Jason’s...

Later, Barry would indeed discover the reason why she didn’t speak much, and would be heartbroken for her...Except.

Except he slowly witnessed her evolution.

How having a family, a loving and caring and protective one, made her bloom.

From that first time she came through the zeta tube, on the back of her brother, who then proceeded to give her a piggy back ride all across the Headquarter, to now...

Flash slowly witnessed her change.

She was quiet at first, but interested in everything. She would listen to whatever ramblings her brothers would tell her, or to her father explaining things.

She was probably the one that they sheltered all the most, even you, who were usually a rather chill mother. It felt like you all tried to catch up for the lost years where all she felt was pain, mental and physical, and fear.

“You. Flash.”

She once said to Barry, and it was the first time he heard her spoke, so he got a little excited and exclaimed :

“Yes I am !”

Before going on on rambles about things, of which Cass’ reply was pointing at him, laughing, and saying :

“Funny.”

When her father came to tell her it was time to leave, Cass pointed at Flash again and repeated “funny”, which made Bruce...Laugh ?!

Sure, Barry saw him smile and he thought that once, he heard him chuckle at a joke you made (but he wasn’t certain), but to hear him full on laugh like so ?

Once more, Flash was faced with the fact that Batman really was a man. Whose family would uncover the best part of him. The kind and warm part. Barry would only wish though, that this confirmation in his feelings wouldn’t be at his depend.

Because clearly, Batman was mocking him, right now. But at the same time, the Big Bad Bat turned to him, smiled at him, and...winked ?

That day, Barry felt that Bruce truly was warming up to him. That maybe, just maybe, he was letting more than just his family in.

And when he ruffled his daughter’s hair, and confirmed Flash was one of the only funny one, it took Barry a while to come back from it.

************

Cass made incredible progress in her speech, helped by her family. She loved to come up the tower and often asked anyone who was up there too to tell her stories of their missions.

She loved stories.

She’d listen and give them detailed feedbacks about their way of telling stories, and every single time, it’d warm everyone’s heart. But the heart her presence warmed the most was definitely the Batman’s.

************

One day, a man wearing a red helmet and a leather jacket came up with Batman. He walked in, looked around as people were sort of staring at him, wondering if Batman had adopted yet another kid (who was grown ass man..), and he said :

“Wow, didn’t change one bit. Lame.”

When he took his helmet off, he still had a mask under, and...

“Jason ?”

Clark is the first one that recognized him. And as Barry turned around, looking curiously at this person he thought to be a stranger, he realized...It was most definitely little Jason Todd ! Except, he wasn’t so little anymore.

Actually, he was taller than his older brother, Dick.

Barry recognized that slightly mischievous spark Jason always had in his eyes, as if he knew something you didn’t (Jason was the one most similar to you, always quick to have a sassy come back and make clever jokes).

“I’m back bitches.”

The shift in Jason’s personality was quite an obvious one, but somehow, Barry knew it was all for show. That deep down, the man was still that little boy full of enthusiasm and curiosity that worshipped his father and mother.

In fact, Barry quickly understood that Jason’s reason for this so called shift in his personality, was how much he loved his parents, how much he trusted them, and how Bruce not killing the Joker felt like a betrayal. How much it hurt him.

Yet. Yet “Red Hood” was back in his family now.

Barry couldn’t help but think about how incredibly strong that boy (man) was. Able to overcome such pain and feeling of betrayal, to forgive his father. To try and understand his point of view, and why he did what he did.

The Flash was certain that you were for something in this new recovery Jason went through, but also the Bat himself...It was clear Bruce had lived years feeling guilty and regretful. And now he had another chance, and he wouldn’t let it go.

His persistance in showing what Jason meant is what brought him back. The love you gave him, is what brought him back.

Jason was finally home again.

************

When Damian first came up the Justice League’s watchtower, he seemed unimpressed and like he did not care about whatever was happening.

But Barry hung out with Batman long enough to now “feel” when someone was protecting themselves behind a shield of arrogance.

And that little boy ? That little boy clearly took this trait after his father. And Barry wasn’t fooled anymore, by this icy sort of exterior.

Behind Damian’s eyes, he could see curiosity, and wanting to ask many questions, but not asking in fear of appearing too childish. Behind Damian’s eyes, eyes that clearly already saw too much for their age, Flash could still see the kid he wanted to be.

Barry’s first impression of Damian was right. As confirmed when you emerged from the zeta tube, and the boy rushed to you to give you a hug, and then excitedly tell you everything he saw on the Space Station.

When Damian took your hand and made you run along with him because he wanted to show you something, which triggered this small and fleeting smile Batman would have whenever his family would be around, Barry knew.

He knew that there was more to Damian than that pesky arrogant child who acted like nothing touched him personally. And he was right.

Damian had an odd and painful childhood, raised by people who warped his vision of the World. But with yours and Bruce’s love, with the protection and love his siblings gave him, he “healed”. There was, often, a glimpse at the child he was supposed to be.

And just like with his father, this “glimpse” would only be triggered by him being with his family.

************

Barry’s suspicions where confirmed the day Superman brought his son, Jon, up with him. Here was another proof Damian was, in the end, just a kid.

He first took a smug look because he came up there first, but then excitedly showed his friend around, and the two boys went off and had typical kids’ conversations.

Like wether the mega-computer could play video games, or who was the strongest in the League (at first they didn’t agree, both saying it was their fathers...until they settled on “Aunt Diana” being the best).

Damian could still, sometimes, be a little arrogant and such (just like his father), but there was a clear shift when he was surrounded by his loving family.

************

Barry might’ve never realize how you were truly the corner stone of the family up until tragedy took you away from them (in this quite old story : clickclickclick).

Batman quitted the League, and your children were lost.

It’s only when you disappeared, that he could truly have a grasp of the importance you had in this family. Without you, things could be drastically different for sure. And your loss was felt by everyone.

The League’s members were your friends.

Diana, Clark, Hal, Barry himself, J’onn, Dinah, Oliver...

They all felt the loss.

You had also became a vital member of the League.

And when you were gone.....

Barry felt his heart regain color, when he heard about what your sons’ went through to get you back. And when you came up to the Headquarters, a warm welcome is what greeted you.

Batman didn’t even try to hide his smile, or, for the first time since everyone discovered he was married, didn’t shy away from PDA.

Flash does not think that there was one moment when Bruce didn’t at least hold your hand. And when at least one of your children would cling to you. No matter how old.

Yes. It became truly apparent that day, that you were the center of it all. The sun around which they all gravitated. But without them, you also had no purpose but to burn out all alone. You were all linked, forever.

There was no you without them, and them without you.

************

It was clear Duke wasn’t quite used yet to all the craziness that came with becoming a vigilante.

When he arrived at the League’s headquarters, he was rather shy and reserved, and Barry saw his “what the fuck ?” face often as Damian and Cass showed him around headquarters.

Both Damian and Cassandra were born in a specific environment which made it easy for them to assimilate how everything was absolutely nuts. It was the same with Dick, Tim and Jason. From a very early age they were thrown into that world !

But Duke ? Sure, he was used to all the shenanigans that happened in Gotham. But he had a pretty normal childhood. So things could often appear completely crazy or him ! He really tried though, to slowly get used to it.

It was actually quite adorable, to see both Cass and Damian explaining things carefully to a Duke who was trying to assimilate everything. Their bond was obviously strong, it didn’t take a genius to realize that.

Bruce had brought Duke up for a particular reason, which was : getting to know other meta-humans and talk to people who went through the same things he did.

His talks with Superman and Flash himself seemed to help the boy a lot, to grasp and understand his feelings. It wasn’t easy, to suddenly discover you were different. To suddenly have to control abilities you never had before.

From afar, you and Bruce kept a close eye on what was happening, making sure Duke was alright and comfortable. And clearly, the boy was actually having a really good time here, finally able to talk with people who truly understood the struggle and loneliness that could come with being a meta human.

It seemed to Barry, that this newest member of “who manages to make Batman smiles without trying or realizing it” club was on the right track to become quite the hero.

************

Sometimes, Barry would notice that, when he wasn’t doing something “work” related, Batman’s face would suddenly soften and relax, and a small smirk would appear.

The big bad bat, in moments of calm, not working on the computer or anything, for example as he made himself a cup of coffee, would suddenly let go of that icy marble-carved expression, and give place for a brief expression full of fondness. Of course, it would always be very fleeting, but it was definitely there.

Barry liked to think that in those short moments, Bruce was thinking of his family. That he would catch a glimpse of the loving and sensitive man hid under the scary costume.

And Barry was right.

************

The big bad Bat that never smiles (unless with family).

That’s the picture Barry has now when he thinks of him.

As he was looking at the baby Batman was holding in his arms, and proudly showing the League members, Flash was reminisced of his first impression of the man, years and years ago.

Cold, harsh, arrogant, “need no help and doesn’t say thank you”. How Barry was almost sure that “The Batman” wasn’t actually a real man at all. He never showed emotions, never showed weakness or anything, was entirely focused on his work.

But the truth was, and it was clear at the expression of his face was one full of fondness and love as the baby cooed at him, that Bruce was actually like any other man.

It’s just that, in the League’s early days, he didn’t have another chance at having a family yet. In the League’s early days, he was wary of making strong connections, new friends and what not, afraid to lose them and feel the pain to continue on leaving without a loved one.

However, as the years’ went by, Flash saw the changes. Thanks to you, to his children. How he trusted his friends of the League’s more. To the point of bringing up his one month old son to present him to them.

When there was a time Bruce used to scold little Dick for using his real name at times, it was difficult to imagine what things would become.

Yes. Over the years, Barry realize he greatly misjudge the Batman.

He was not that cold, unfeeling and unemotional man. He was the opposite. It just took him taking a chance at being happy again to show it. It just took a loving family once more, for him to smile.

Of course, when they weren’t there, Batman still had that scary persona. But now. Now Barry new better. Because he saw the fondness and love on his face.

The softness that even the Bat himself, didn’t realize was painting his every feature.

The End.

__________________________________________________

Here we are, a new story haha. Sorry if it’s meh, I’m really slowly getting in a new writing rhythm, and writing about the Bats again. I hope you still liked it ! :) I honestly have no idea why I ended up going with writing mostly in sort-of Barry’s POV ! But I hope you liked that...Haha I posted it RIGHT in time, it’s 11:53 pm, I said I’d post it at the latest on Monday, pfffeew what a ride.

As usual, feedbacks and reblogs are extremely welcomed. Like, really beyond appreciated. Thanks in advance, and see you soon with a new story <3.

PS : In case you’re wondering, the baby mentioned at the end of the story is the one appearing in those fics : The Great Mall adventure, Master of Diaper, Shaky steps and bad teaching, Polichinelle, “Go away, you’re confusing my baby”, How do you make babies ?, What it means to be a big brother, Wild Child 2, “We want them back” and After Batmom’s death

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eirist · 3 years

Text

Winter Whimsies ❄️

CUSTOM MADE

Vignette #: 3

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T

Note: Vignette for the ZoNa Holiday 2020 at @zonamievents in Tumblr. December 18 theme: Ornaments / Traditions. Well, I honestly don’t think it’s a vignette anymore. And I’m still aiming to finish all themes even if the event has ended. It’s still holidays after all.

Summary: All in all… they pretty much started a weird tree decorating tradition. And Zoro, as usual, doesn’t want to be a part of it.

The Mugiwara Christmas tree stood in all its glory inside the Sunny’s library.

It was the crew’s first time in two years to put one up. Luffy was enthusiastic with the idea. And with Chopper who was just as excited at the prospect of enjoying the festivity that comes along with the said tree… there was no room to say no.

So off Zoro went—along with Franky—to scour the island for a suitable tree to cut down and use. Brook and Jinbei undertook the task of preparing the library. Nami and Robin headed to town to buy decorations and do some more shopping while Sanji busied himself preparing the Christmas dinner. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper took turns stealing some of the cookie dough whenever the chef’s back was turned.

Trimming the tree was chaos unfolding. The moment Zoro was able to situate it in the library, an argument started on what ornaments to adorn the tree as all of them wanted to have their own specific contribution dangling from the evergreen branches—ranging from normal festive baubles, edible confections to weird knick-knacks.

And that is how Nami and Robin found them when they arrived back on the ship. The navigator immediately hit the roof and the boys (including the older ones), trembled in fear.

When she stared at them with blazing eyes and stated in a tone as cold as the winter island that they all better stop because tree trimming was her and Robin’s job... Usopp immediately volunteered that he and the boys would be the ones to decorate the outside of their ship... far away from the fuming map maker.

He high-tailed it out of the library, miraculously dragging the others with him while Nami threatened that if they do an awful job… she will charged them with all the shopping expenses plus interest.

So the two girls busied themselves with the Christmas tree as the others hang wreaths, garlands and boughs of holly in the library, galley and other parts of the Sunny. Franky and Jinbei then suspended some ice lights on the decks and yellow string lights in the rooms, giving the whole area a more festive ambience.

As more and more Christmas ornaments and decorations were put up on the Sunny… the more excited the crew became.

When Nami and Robin finished decorating the tree, Franky added some string lights to it as well. They all hold off placing the star on the top as they reserved that honor for Luffy and Chopper.

They were putting some finishing touches in the tree and fixing the presents underneath it when Brook walked up to them, humming as he nonchalanty hung additional ornaments on the branches that looked like miniature pirates wearing little red, Santa hats—with hair colors oddly similar to the crews’.

“Brook that is cute!” Nami gushed as she stared at a familiar orange-haired pirate. “Where did you get them?”

“Yohohoho! It’s a secret Nami-san.”

“Fine. Keep it to yourself!”

“Perhaps if you show me your—”

“Not in this life or the next!”

“It’s really charming Brook,” Robin interjected as she studied the mini pirates while Nami smacked the musician with her Clima-tact. “Good find.” She touched one that looks just like her.

“Yohohoho! Thank you Robin-san!”

The sound of Sanji’s voice, crooning for his beloved ladies pulled their attention away. He had baked some Christmas cookies and prepared tea for the girls’ snack time.

With the Christmas tree done and decked out they decided it was time for a break.

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

When Nami stepped inside the library later that afternoon she was surprised to see that the Straw Hats’ Christmas tree got additional decorations.

Aside from the mini pirates Brook has placed earlier, there were also the cardboard drawings of their faces that Usopp made back in Punk Hazard when Trafalgar Law shambled half of the crew and some flowers from Robin’s flower bed. There intricately-made trinkets obviously made by Franky and transparent Christmas balls with little sea kings inside which looks like Jinbei’s.

Nami’s lips twitched a little. She had just left Luffy and Chopper stringing popcorns and cranberries under the direction of Sanji. Aside from the candy canes they wanted to place on the tree, the blond cook also suggested they make an edible garland to circle it… much to the reindeer and rubber man’s delight.

And since pretty much everything eatable hung on the tree will not go to waste—thanks to Luffy—Nami decided to affix some of her precious mikans on it. She carefully wrapped red ribbons around them so she can string it on the branches for all to enjoy after tonight’s dinner.

A loud snore interrupted her as she was beginning to hang the fruits.

With brows furrowed, she slowly peered behind the tree and was surprised to find their swordsman snoozing against the wall, hidden behind the all that green, without a care in the world.

Was he here all the time?!

Damn the man unwittingly camouflaged himself using the Christmas tree!

She stared at him for a good few seconds, pondering if she should wake him up.

But she remembered that it was Christmas and that she promised to play nice and that Zoro was the one reason why they currently have a tree on display.

“Tch! Guess this is your contribution then, you lazy ass,” she muttered as she continued with what she was doing.

There was silence. Before she heard a ‘hmph’ and grumble.

“Yeah… you try lugging that back here while your idiot companion decides to play in the snow.”

Nami rolled her eyes even if he cannot see her. “Fine,” she groused. “I’m letting you off the hook since you did a good job with this tree.”

“Tch.”

She tilted her head slightly to peer at him again. “Just so you know. Everyone have something distinctively theirs in this tree.”

Zoro studied the tree for a moment before scoffing. “That’s overkill.”

Nami glared at him. “It’s called Christmas spirit idiot!” She frowned as she hung the last two of her mikans. “If it’s not too much for you, maybe YOU can also join us in this activity!”

“Maybe it is too much for me.”

“Ugh,” she groaned out in frustration. With her hands on her hips she glowered at him. “Really Zoro?”

“Yeah.”

Nami scowled. Sometimes his lone wolf persona grates her nerves. Especially at times like these when the whole crew is involved and he’s acting like he doesn’t give any rat’s ass about it.

Still she doesn't wanna start a fight with him today of all days. Instead, she just sighed and settled on glowering at him. “Just get your dumb self in the galley in half an hour. If it's not too much for you to join your crew for dinner."

There was a bite in her tone. Then she swiveled around to leave him, ignoring the wondering gaze he was now giving her.

All in all… they pretty much started a weird tree decorating tradition. And Zoro, as usual, doesn’t want to be a part of it.

And that makes her feel a bit disappointed.

Yet when he didn't appear when they started the Christmas dinner, she was the one who went to check if he was still snoring in the library.

Why her? The hell she even knows.

Maybe because the others are already busy celebrating in the galley that she was the only who noticed that he wasn't there?

She opened the library door. The lights on the tree were already lit. Franky or Usopp may have switched it on. It looks more beautiful even if it was decorated with random trinkets, baubles and food the crew decided to hang on it.

Yet the star still needs to be placed on the top—which Luffy and Chopper will do after dinner and before they start exchanging presents.

To her surprise, Zoro was still where she had left him earlier.

She strode towards him to wake him, when she accidentally snagged something from the tree, causing it to fall.

She stared at the object quietly sitting on the floor. It looked like paper folded into a shape of...

She picked it up and studied it.

A bird?

"Paper crane."

She spun around and saw Robin standing in the doorway.

"In Wano, it means good luck," Robin explained as she approached her, lightly touching it with one finger. She smiled at Nami. "It also means a wish for someone to get their heart's desire."

Nami just stared back at her amazed.

"And there are ten of them." Robin observed, eyes crinkling with mirth at the tree before returning her gaze at her. "One for each of us."

Nami's eyes settled back at the crane in her hand.

Robin chuckled. "Thoughtful isn't it Nami?"

"I guess..."

The older woman gave her shoulder an affectionate pat. "See you two at the galley." She nodded at the still sleeping Zoro.

Nami watched her leave before shifting her attention again at the green-haired man, still slumbering peacefully against the wall, the red scarf she wrapped around his neck earlier hiding the lower part of his face.

He may appear cold and uncaring, but sometimes looks can be deceiving.

She crouched down beside him. Leaning forward she kissed his exposed nose.

"Not bad Zoro. Not bad."

Addendum: I went and tweaked the paper crane legend a bit. Though I honestly think it’s not really that far from the original one.

#zoro x nami #ZoNa #zonami #zonalove #zona vignettes #zoro nami fanfiction #ZoNaHoliday2020

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shadow-scenarios · 4 years

Note

Hello~ may I ask for something slightly specific? I wanted to ask about a scenario in which the reader recently obtains the Meta-Nav but instead of the PT finding out first, Goro does. See, the reader and Goro have recently become acquaintances and reader thinks that the Meta-Nav is something related to illegal activity so she goes to consult their detective friend on this mysterious app! Haha, sorry if this is too specific ;-;

Hey there simulationone, this isn’t too specific!! I like creative ideas that change the plot & this has been my favourite request to write so far.

However, I did change the request slightly. I made it so that the Reader awakened to their Persona & gains the MetaNav!! I hope that’s alright with you. If not, feel free to message me again and I can rewrite it.

{ Post Writing Note: Well, I wrote way too much!! Sorry if there’s less Akechi content than you thought, I got hyperfixated on how it would affect the plot. I’d love to write a Part 2 full of angst with this, so feel free to request it!! }

- Nexus.

Dance with Justice | Goro Akechi

Life at Kosei High was predictable. Like a metronome. Constant pressure to be the best & high achievement boundaries, it was a wonder how she was ever accepted without some sort of moonlighting as a prodigy. These stories of mental shutdowns & psychotic breakdowns made the world look grim & everyone seemed desperate to escape it all.

Comfort was found in the Phantom Thieves and how they manipulated hearts. Dancing the line between immoral & illegal, it was a grey area where the who was less significant than the how. Society grasped onto them as miraculous saviours as they solved cases faster than regular forces ever could: Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Medjed. The world was taken by storm, these renegade rogues looking to change the world & it seemed they were no longer an urban legend.

Their downfall was unexpected, to say the least. Okumura was murdered in cold blood, his mental shutdown playing onscreen during an important meeting where he was about to reveal an important factor in solving this buck-wild case. A calling card was found at the residence, the sigil of their misdeeds. Just when the mystery was about to unravel, the threads gave way to a bigger problem: Did the Phantom Thieves cause the very shutdowns everyone was trying to escape?

Swiftly, the media capitalised. Labelling them as criminals, demanding their arrest. Everything shifted so quickly & she was caught up by the egregious claims of both sides. There was one thing for certain: The Phantoms Thieves had killed someone and regardless of their previous deeds, they needed to be brought to justice.

Naturally, the first viable suspect she found was Yusuke Kitagawa.

He was of the eccentric sort, gaining a scholarship through art. Everything the strange man did was usually for the sake of ‘ Finding true beauty! ’, which was slightly melodramatic. Before Madarame’s case, he was fixated on art singularly. Now? He seemed to have other priorities. Whenever someone would discuss the Phantom Thieves in an art lesson, there was a glimmer in his eye & the paintbrush that had been on the canvas stopped in order to listen in.

A victim of Madarame’s plagiarism, which gave a plausible motive. Despite this, nothing was concrete. She thought about her friend, Akechi. Was this how he solved crimes?

Obviously, the next step was to follow Yusuke around. Sneaking around was rather easy, all she had ever been known as by the student populace was ‘ the girl who was friends with Akechi! ’, so standing out was not much of a problem. There was not much abnormal. Despite being somewhat of a social outcast, he had a small circle of friends. Six in total.

Five of them were clearly wearing the Shujin Academy uniform on the day she spotted them. One was tall in stature with fluffy black hair & thick framed glasses. Reserved in nature but he always appeared to have some sort of witty comeback. Soon he became known as Akira.

Another one was a blonde, around the same height. He wore the uniform much like a delinquent alongside a yellow graphic tee. Obnoxiously loud, as it was never difficult to hear what he was saying even from far away. The person closest to him was Ann. She had platinum blonde hair tied back into pigtails & features of an American.

Makoto was next. Clearly more of a calculating type, she wore the uniform immaculately. Wearing her hair in a French-braid styled headband, she had maroon coloured eyes & was around average height. Most of the time, she was commenting on the boy’s behaviour.

Haru Okumura was someone recognisable due to the news about her father’s death, which was saddening. In her uniform, she wore a fluffy pink turtleneck alongside white tights with flower patterns.

Futaba was just as strange as Yusuke. She used a mixture of gamer jargon whenever she spoke and was never seen in a uniform. About middle school age, she carried around a set of headphones everywhere that regularly rested atop her maple coloured hair.

Stuffed inside of Akira’s bag was also a cat that they tried to hide. Key word: Tried. Six of them & a cat.

They frequented a local cafe in Shibuya, LeBlanc. It was a nice location & she had even gone in there once to listen in. Boss was kind, to say the least. He served coffee with a warm smile & the curry combined perfectly enough to encourage a smile out of her.

On a Friday, the cafe was busy. They had gathered at one table & chatted casually. Most of them looked forelorn. Akira eventually gestured for them to take the conversation outside, where they would disturb fewer people.

Following behind them, she paid Boss & followed, attempting to seem casual. They never noticed. Conspicuously trailing into an alleyway, Ryuji pulled out his phone. Listening in was difficult so she opted to pull out her own phone and record. One of them, presumably Akira, simply said “ Mementos. ”.

Mementos. That singular word triggered something & changed everything. As the world began to violently shift in a strange phenomena, hues of vermillion & mauve dotted her vision. It was hypnotic. Eventually, she snapped out of the trance.

Concealed by masks & flashy outfits were the suspicious group she had been following. It was blatantly obvious by their hair colours. However, the animated cat creature was a surprise. It was reminiscent of the cat Akira carried around but even stranger was that it talked. Then it turned into a bus. Which did not seem all that strange.

Inherently familiar with their environment, they sped off down the escalator, leaving her alone with her thoughts. There were so many reds & greys. Thick red veins ran through the sides in mangled forms. The wall behind her was dilapidated & the only way to proceed was the escalator in front of her.

A fatal mistake, really.

Recalling the details of the awakening are fuzzy at best. These lumbering creatures formed entirely out of shadow began to take notice of her unwanted presence. Cornered, desperate and alone. Insurmountable pain; the voice of someone almost familiar; then freedom & rebellion.

With the pact of her Persona, everything was clearer. Life had previously moved in rhetorical patterns, it was now a whimsical dance. Eliminating the so called enemies with a weapon in hand, she eventually found a way back to the surface. The door at the beginning looked to be a way out, so she threw caution to the wind & took the chance.

Fatigue came first in this dingy alleyway. Adrenaline had been fuelling the push to leave alongside her newly granted power and once that was gone, nothing would spare her from raw exhaustion. Checking her phone in the hopes of finding evidence, the video taken was still there, though it cut off as soon as anyone disappeared.

Even without evidence, she knew that this group was doing something illicit. So she texted the one person she trusted with this secret: Goro Akechi. He was a detective, surely he would have answers.

;; I must speak with you in person as soon as possible. It’s regarding the Phantom Thieves, I have some evidence for you. You’re investigating them, correct?

Knowing full well that Akechi lived a busy life, she did not expect a response for a while. After gathering the strength to stand once again, she headed home. It was the most exhausting experience ever, physically & emotionally. A few minutes after returning home, there was a response from Akechi.

I am indeed investigating them. If you have any evidence regarding them, would it not be more convenient for me to receive it via text? ;;

;; Yes, it would be, but I can barely even believe the evidence presented to me. It’s better for you to see it for yourself. Are you attending school tomorrow?

Indeed I am. Pulling away from the public eye has benefits. If you are free during lunch, we can meet on the rooftop and discuss the supposed evidence that you have found. Does that sound like a compromise? ;;

;; Alright. I’ll see you on the rooftop tomorrow.

The next day was filled with trepidation. Everyone seemed to be mulling about & with how slowly the clock was moving, it was if the school was in a state of chronostasis. Although she did not share many classes with Akechi, there had been a moment where she saw a mop of hazelnut brown hair amongst a crowd, so he was likely to be there.

Sitting on the rooftop alone was slightly boring but she understood why he was late. Every time lunch began, Akechi would be surrounded by people who wanted his attention. It must have been rather annoying.

5. 10. 15. Minutes ticked by. During the winter, it was exceptionally cold so not a single soul came up. The chilly winter breeze nipped at her skin & for a moment she wondered if it was Akechi that she had seen. The brown hair easily could have been mistaken—

The creak of the door announced his presence. With a formal apology, he recalled how his teachers were intent on swarming him with catch up work that he would inevitably never complete. Dismissing it all & moving along with the subject, Akechi got straight to the point:

“ What was it you wished to speak to me about? ”, he asked.

“ I believe I have ascertained the identities of the Phantom Thieves, ” was the only reply she gave.

Looking astounded, he shifted his glove via force of habit & looked directly at her.

“ That’s quite the bold claim, ” he returned to a neutral expression as the mask of the Detective Prince slipped back on, “ Do you have any evidence? ”.

Recalling the story to the best of her ability was tedious. From the suspicious behaviour Yusuke had been demonstrating to the video evidence taken from her phone. Throughout the entire story, he maintained a neutral expression so she was never quite sure what to think.

“ Usually, I would disregard such stories as a strange dream or a vision you had & declare your footage as edited. However, I have... also had an encounter in this strange phenomena as well. ”

Everything began to make more sense as it was explained. Akechi rattled off about the cognitive world, Palaces, Personas & even how ‘ stealing someone’s heart ’ was possible. He explained that his plan was to lend the Phantom Thieves a hand in their next assignment & catch them in the very act. Specifically, their leader.

“ That explains a lot. Let me help you. I have a Persona as well & I can fight in that other world. I want to bring the Phantom Thieves to justice. They killed Okumura & many others if they are the ones behind the mental shutdowns. Tampering with the heart of another is wrong... ”

“... Alright. I suppose it will make things easier if it is the two of us. I hope you are a very good actor,” Akechi extended a reluctant hand for her to shake. His gaze was calculated, cold. Much different from his tone of voice. However, she took his hand & shook it.

With that, a contract was signed. Both herself & the detective would bring about the end of the Phantom Thieves.

Word Count: 1.9k

Publish Date: 27.09.20

#{ crow }#{ you don’t know how much i loved this request }#{ specific requests are always the best ones because you know they care }#{ turns out i’m actually an akechi stan in disguise }#{ i hand out akechi content like i hand out drugs }#goro akechi #akechi x reader #persona 5 royal #persona 5 royal x reader #persona 5 x reader #persona 5 imagines

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askpokemoncrossover · 3 years

Text

Shin's Acceptance

As Shin sat alone in the middle of the red fog, he recalled a story that he heard when he was still a Riolu. In ancient Japanese times, legends had it that two gods, Izanagi and his wife Izanami had created many of the islands and deities of Japan. When Izanami died, Izanagi tried to retrieve her from the underworld, but what he met instead was an utter failure. He mistakenly looks at her while she's in a rotting, monstrous state in the underworld, which shames her. She attempts to kill him, and swears to kill a thousand of his men a day. Izanagi retorts that he will make sure that a thousand and five hundred will be born each day before fleeing the underworld. After he escaped from his visit to Yomi, he had to perform a cleansing ritual in the river called Woto and it was then that three children were born: Amaterasu, Susano-o and Tsukuyomi.

But after the cleansing was complete, Izanagi didn’t learn about what had happened to the corruption he received from Yomotsu-hirasaka before it was too late: It became a being that took Izanagi’s form. This blood-stained version of the god represented what Izanagi felt before he cleansed himself: impulsiveness, poor judgement, obsession and frivolity and now… those feelings came back with a will of their own. When the two disagreed on the very reason of their existence, they clashed. The battle between the two gods shook the entire world before it ended with a stalemate, with both of their weapons stuck in each other’s chests.

After the battle, they knew that they’re equally matched in power and skill. In their final moments before leaving this world to the mortals, the two gods vowed to each other that they’ll reincarnate one day and if their reincarnations meet, despite what day and age they’re in, whether they’re friends or foes… they’re destined to clash until one is left standing. After remembering the old Japanese fable, an idea hit Shin: If he’s the current reincarnation of Magatsu-Izanagi, whether he likes it or not… surely someone else out there is Izanagi’s reincarnation. Shin knows that the longer Magatsu-Izanagi waits, the more restless and impulsive he becomes… making it harder for Shin to suppress and control his Persona powers.

He already tried committing suicide... but Magatsu-Izanagi simply revived him, telling Shin that he had a role to play and only when he’s fulfilled it can he truly die. “There’s no other way out of this, is there…? Fine…” Shin said as he whipped his tears, stood up and called out to the god: “MAGATSU!!” Almost immediately, the fog lifted a bit and at least a yard away, the blood-stained god looked at him with glowing yellow eyes and a murderous intent. “I thought I told you: We’re done talking.” “...And I'm done running.” Shin said and this caught the persona’s attention. “Oh...? You’ve got my attention… what is it you want?” Shin gulped, realizing that this is the point of no return he opened his mouth: “I…”

In Reality:

Soul was badly injured and the persona closed in before it suddenly halted and the possessed shin grunted in pain before clutching his chest. “W-what’s?” Soul asked as he looked at his possessed student who looked at the greninja one last time with golden eyes before grinning. “It seems he finally understands what must be done… you got off easy today, assassin. Although, This may be our last bout... provided that you don’t get in my way again ....” That’s when the persona dissolved into red fog, leaving behind it’s metal mask and blood-red naginata. The surrounding fog then swirled around Shin's body like a whirlpool that lasted for a minute. When the fog completely faded, the moonlight shone on Shin's new form: his hair changed from medium length to shoulder-length, spiky white hair sticking up in all directions and partially covering the right side of his face. He now has a blood-red jacket that reveals his bare, muscular chest with the chest spike. He also has red pants tied with a black sash similar in appearance to a karate uniform, and knee-high boots.

Shin’s left eye had changed: it was black and red. Despite his new appearance, he strangely showed no sign of hostility, instead he lifted his arms and opened and closed his hands as if trying to understand what he’s become. The greninja became weary of his student’s recent transformation before Shin’s eye fell upon the mask and naginata. Slowly, the new lucario walked forward with a calm yet intimidating aura. He knelt on one knee before his left hand grabbed the mask and picked up the spear with his right. Shin observed the mask carefully before he chuckled. “To think it took me this long to finally realize it…” Shin muttered under his breath before he tucked the mask away in his jacket pocket and stood up with the spear still in hand.

“Is… that you, Shin?” Soul asked and looked to see his teacher still in a fighting position, still not sure whether to attack or not. Shin smiled slowly before he opened his mouth to say: “Sensei… thanks for teaching me how to fight, but…” Shin suddenly turned around so that his back was facing soul. “I don’t want you to get involved anymore… you’ve done so much for me and I didn’t have a chance to repay you for your kindness… this is the least I can do, I’m sorry. May we never cross paths again, Soul.” Shin then walked away, heading into the nearby forest. The moment Shin was out of Soul’s eyesight the greninja sheathed his daggers before sighing and smiling. “So… if this is your choice, I must respect it. May you die with glory.” Soul said before he turned around and went back to the city to resume his work as an assassin without looking back. Soul felt a tear rolling down his cheek and wiped it away. "Shin... I hoped there was a way for you to live a normal life again... but i see now that it isn't going to happen." Soul muttered as he continued down his own path, like shin is walking his right now.

As Shin continued to walk through the forest, he took out the metal mask and put it on to cover his face and identity from the rest of the world. “So… are you sure about this? Fusing with me is one thing, it gives you full access and control over my powers. But seeking out my counterpart Izanagi is the same as setting one foot in the grave.” The god’s voice echoed through Shin's head and the Lucario simply grinned before he replied: “I’m sure… besides: I’ve already decided how I'm going to die.”

Soul and Shin aren't available for asks... what'll happen now?

Starting Ark 2: Aka to Shiro.

#shin the lucario #soul the greninja #persona 4 #Magatsu-Izanagi (Persona 4)#weapon #japanese mythology #forest #mask #took me too long to make this #plot post #ark 2 #Lucario #Greninja

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katekaned · 5 years

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Barbara Gordon made her DC comics debut in 1967 in Detective Comics #359, “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl.” Initially introduced to the comics as a way to test fan reception to the idea of a new “Batgirl” appearing in the 1960s ABC Batman show, Barbara would outlast her television counterpart and go on to become a vital part of the DC universe and a fan favorite character.

Under the cut is a summary of Barbara Gordon’s comic history pre-New 52 and an extensive list of comics in which she appears as the information jockey and wheelchair-using superhero, Oracle.

Basic Reading

Batman Chronicles #5 (1996)

Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey (1996)

Birds of Prey (1999)

Batgirl (2000)

Batgirl (2009)

Birds of Prey (2010)

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barbara was the daughter of Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon and the head librarian at the Gotham City Public Library. Barbara takes on a second job as Batgirl after fighting Killer Moth while dressed up in a Batman-inspired costume for a masquerade ball. Although Batman is resistant to the idea of a girl helping him fight crime, he is unable to prevent Babs from assisting him and Robin in protecting Gotham. She also develops a close friendship and working relationship with Supergirl. During the 1970s, Barbara Gordon became a Congresswoman and continued to operate as Batgirl in Washington, D.C. After failing to be reelected, Babs returned to Gotham, where she worked as Batgirl up until the Crisis.

Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barbara’s continuity underwent extensive reconstruction. No longer Jim Gordon’s daughter, she was his niece until her parents died while she was a teenager and her uncle brought her to Gotham and adopted her. A talented athlete and genius with a photographic memory, Babs longed to join the GCPD, but Jim did not like the idea of her having such a dangerous career. Eventually, Babs found her own way to help in joining Batman and Robin in fighting crime as Batgirl. In Batgirl Special (1988), Barbara retired from being Batgirl and resumed her civilian life. Later that year, the infamous graphic novel, The Killing Joke, was published. In Alan Moore’s story, Barbara Gordon was shot and assaulted by the Joker, in an attempt to drive her father insane. As a result of her gunshot wound, Babs was paralyzed from the waist-down and began using a wheelchair to get around. Although she served as little more than a plot device, the repercussions of what happened to her in The Killing Joke would reshape much of the DC Universe.

Here’s where Oracle enters. Although DC editorial, by and large, had no further plans for Barbara Gordon’s character post-Killing Joke, writers Kim Yale and John Ostrander sought to create a place in comics for a superhero in a wheelchair who had no special powers of her own. Thus, Oracle was created as Barbara Gordon’s hacker and information specialist superhero persona. Oracle would first appear in Ostrander’s run on Suicide Squad before slowly reappearing as a Batman supporting character in the 1990s. In 1996, Chuck Dixon wrote the one-shot Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey, which eventually spun off into its own popular and much beloved series in 1999. Oracle remained an integral part of DC canon, training two new Batgirls, working with Batman, the Birds of Prey and even the Justice League, until the New 52 reboot in 2011, when DC decided to return Babs to her status as Batgirl. The editorial decision to have Barbara undergo surgery to rid her of her paralysis has undergone major scrutiny and been heavily maligned by disability advocates, however, Babs is no closer to returning to her role as Oracle or her wheelchair.

Below is a (mostly) chronological list of Oracle’s most prominent appearances in DC comics! (My personal favorites will be bolded.)

[As a note - many of Oracle’s early appearances have her hiding behind a computer/in a cameo role, as her identity was not yet revealed to comic readers. I am including these early appearances in my list to show people how the mystery unfolded, but if you want to skip they will be marked with an asterisk!]

Oracle Appears

Batman Chronicles #5: Oracle -- Year One: Born of Hope (1996) [Not Oracle’s first appearance historically, but the story of how she came to be and essential to her character.]

Suicide Squad #23 [1st appearance!] - #24, #26 (1989)*

Manhunter #13 (1989)*

Suicide Squad #32, #38 (1989-1990)*

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #98 (1990)*

Batman #451 (1990)

Suicide Squad #48-#49 (1990-1991)

Suicide Squad #51 (1991)

Hawk and Dove #22-24 (1991)

Suicide Squad #54-#57, #59, #61, #63-#65 (1991-1992)

Hacker Files #5-#6 (1992-1993)

Oracle Joins the Bat-Family / Meets Black Canary

Showcase '94 #12: "A Little Knowledge" (1994)

Batman #520 (1995)

Nightwing #2 (1995) [A cameo appearance but the beginning of Dick and Babs’ complicated and lengthy post-crisis history]

Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1 (1995)

Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 (1996)

Showcase '96 #3: "Birds of a Feather" (1996)

Detective Comics #695 - #696 (1996)

Robin #30, #33 (1996)

Birds of Prey: Manhunt #1- #4 (1996)

Green Arrow #115 - #117 (1996 - 1997)

Birds of Prey: Revolution #1 (1997)

Nightwing #7 (1996)

Nightwing Annual #1 (1997)

Birds of Prey: Wolves #1 (1997)

Detective Comics #706 - #707 (1997)

Nightwing #½ (1997)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #32, #35 - #37 (1997)

Batman #547 (1997)

DC Universe Holiday Bash #2: "The Old Lane" (1997)

Nightwing/Huntress #3 (1998)

Nightwing #16, #18

Birds of Prey: Batgirl #1 (1998)

Cataclysm

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73 (1998)

Batman #553 (1998)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #74 (1998)

Nightwing #20 (1998)

Detective Comics #721 (1998)

Robin #53 (1998)

Nightwing #24 (1998)

Oracle Joins the Justice League

JLA #17 - #19 (1998)

JLA: Secret Files & Origins #2 (1998)

DC One Million #1 - #2 (1998)

JLA #1,000,000 (1998)

DC One Million #3 - #4 (1998)

JLA/Titans #1 - #3 (1998)

JLA #36 - #41 (1999 - 2000)

JLA: Secret Files & Origins #3 (2000)

Road to No Man’s Land

Robin #55 (1998)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47 (1998)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #49 (1999)

Detective Comics #727 (1998)

Batman #562 (1999)

Robin #58 (1998)

Batman Chronicles #15: "Between Stars Above and Below" (1999)

Birds of Prey #1- #14 (1999 - 2000)

No Man’s Land

Batman: No Man's Land #1 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83 (1999)

Batman #563 (1999)

Detective Comics #730 (1999)

Batman #565 (1999)

Detective Comics #732 (1999)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54 - #55 (1999)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87 (1999)

Batman #567 (1999) [Introduces Cassandra Cain, the second Batgirl and Oracle’s first protege.]

Detective Comics #734 (1999)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88 (1999)

Detective Comics #735 (1999)

Batman #569 (1999)

Batman: Day of Judgment (1999)

Nightwing #35, #37 - #39 (1999)

Robin #71 (1999)

Batman #573 (2000)

Detective Comics #740 (2000)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60 - #61 (2000)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126 (2000)

Detective Comics #741 (2000)

Birds of Prey #15 - #19 (2000)

Batgirl #1 - #5 (2000)

Batman: Gotham City Secret Files & Origins (2000)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #64 - #65 (2000)

Batman: Gotham Knights #6 (2000)

Nightwing #44 (2000)

The Hunt for Oracle

Nightwing #45 (2000)

Birds of Prey #20 (2000)

Nightwing #46 (2000)

Birds of Prey #21 (2000)

Nightwing 80-Page Giant #1 (2000)

Birds of Prey #22 - #26 (2000 - 2001)

Batgirl #7, #9 - #10 (2000 - 2001)

Batman: Gotham Knights #12 (2001)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #72 - #74 (2001)

Officer Down

Robin #86 (2001)

Birds of Prey #27 (2001)

Catwoman #90 (2001)

Nightwing #53 (2001)

Detective Comics #754 (2001)

Birds of Prey #28 - #35 (2001)

Batgirl #14 (2001)

Batman #590 (2001)

Harley Quinn #6 - #7 (2001)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #80 - #82 (2001)

Batgirl #17 (2001)

Nightwing #55 - #58 (2001)

Harley Quinn #11 (2001)

Nightwing: Our Worlds at War #1 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh

Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files #1 (2001)

Birds of Prey #36 (2001)

Batgirl #21 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #3 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #5 (2001)

Robin #95 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #6 (2002)

Nightwing #63 (2002)

Birds of Prey #37 - #38 (2002)

Robin #96 - #97 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #84 (2002)

Batgirl #22 - #23 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #88 - #90 (2002)

Batgirl: Secret Files & Origins (2002)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive

Batgirl #24 (2002)

Nightwing #65 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #25 (2002)

Birds of Prey #39 (2002)

Nightwing #66 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #26 (2002)

Robin #99 (2002)

Birds of Prey #40 (2002)

Batman #600 (2002)

Batgirl #27 (2002)

Birds of Prey #43 (2002)

Batgirl #29 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #30 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #91 (2002)

Batman #605 (2002)

Batgirl #25 - #26 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #93 - #95 (2002)

Batgirl #30 (2002)

Birds of Prey #44 - #48 (2002)

Nightwing #71 - #73 (2002)

Batgirl #33 (2002)

Nightwing #75 (2003)

Batman: Family #3, #6, #8 (2003)

Birds of Prey #49 - #53 (2003)

Batgirl #35 - #37 (2003)

Nightwing #77 - #79 (2003)

Birds of Prey: Catwoman/Oracle (2003)

Batgirl #39 - #42 (2003)

Birds of Prey #54 - #55 (2003)

Nightwing #81 (2003)

Detective Comics #790 (2004)

Nightwing #83 - #89 (2003 - 2004)

Batgirl #45 - #54 (2003 - 2004)

Birds of Prey #56 - #74 (2002-2004) [Gail Simone’s iconic run on Birds of Prey begins with issue 56 and goes until 108. This is an absolute must-read for any Oracle/Barbara Gordon fan]

Birds of Prey: Secret Files & Origins (2003)

War Games

Detective Comics #797 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182 (2004)

Nightwing #96 (2004)

Batgirl #55 (2004)

Batman #631 (2004)

Detective Comics #798 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #183 (2004)

Nightwing #97 (2004)

Batman: Gotham Knights #57 (2004)

Catwoman #35 (2004)

Batman #632 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #184 (2004)

Nightwing #98 (2004)

Robin #131 (2004)

Batman: Gotham Knights #58 (2004)

Batgirl #57 (2004)

Catwoman #36 (2004)

Batman #633 (2004)

Birds of Prey #75 - #90 (2004 - 2006)

Batgirl #67 (2005)

Nightwing #117 (2006)

Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 (2006)

Robin #148 (2006)

Birds of Prey #92 - #95 (2006)

52 #34 (2007)

Nightwing Annual #2 (2007) [Although this issue is all about Dick and Barbara’s relationship, I would not recommend reading it as it treats both Barbara and Dick’s ex Starfire/Koriand’r incredibly poorly.]

Hawkgirl #64 (2007)

Birds of Prey #96 - #108 (2007)

Black Canary Wedding Planner (2007)

Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special (2007)

Birds of Prey #109 - #123 (2007 - 2008)

Batgirl #2 - #3, #5 - #6 (2008)

Nightwing #150, #153 (2009)

Green Arrow and Black Canary #16 (2009)

Birds of Prey #124 - #127 (2009)

Oracle: The Cure #1 - #3 (2009)

Adventure Comics #516 - #518 (2010) [Appears in the backup feature “The Atom”]

Batgirl #1 - #12 (2009 - 2010)

Detective Comics #862 (2010) [Oracle appears in backup feature “The Question”]

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl (2010)

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Oracle (2010)

Birds of Prey #1 - #7 (2010 - 2011)

Batgirl #15 - #16 (2011)

Birds of Prey #8 - #10 (2011)

Batgirl #19 - #21 (2011)

Birds of Prey #11 - #13 (2011)

Batman Incorporated #8 (2011)

Detective Comics #872 - #873 (2011)

Detective Comics #879 - #881 (2011)

Batgirl #24 (2011)

Birds of Prey #14 - #15 (2011)

#dcedit #barbaragordonedit #dailybirdsofprey #dailybarbaragordon #i did it yall ... i finally finished this #i hope its not too long and its helpful for people #please reblog so that everyone may learn the word of oracle!!!#if theres anything you feel i should add/remove idk any problems plz lmk #my first masterpost!#dc #comics #barbara gordon #my edits

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writing-royza · 5 years

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Chapter Twenty-six - Get the Gang Back

A/N: Happy Sunday, everyone! This week, I have discovered that the task of cosplay sewing doesn't have to interfere with my fanfic writing; I'm in crunch time for a con coming up this weekend, and sewing gives me time to think over plotlines. Convenient! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week's chapter. Tainted Blood is now officially longer than my last long-form fic Father Figure!

I do not own FMA.

Chapter Twenty-six - Get the Gang Back

ABANDONED HOUSE, UNINHABITED ZONE, JADAD

0627 HOURS, APRIL 25TH

He woke slowly, tiredness dragging at his limbs after the late night before. Roy nearly groaned aloud as he shifted position on the pallet, the movement setting off aches in his back and throat. He grimaced, coughing quietly as he forced his eyes open. The doorway, leading out to the mostly-open courtyard, was brightened by the soft grey light that signalled dawn.

Pushing himself up on one elbow, he looked across to where Riza slept, curled on her side with one hand tucked close against her ribs, holding on to the protection charm, and the other beneath the tiny pillow attached to the bedroll. Her expression was contented, her bangs moving slightly with the exhale of each breath.

He smiled, though with a twinge of sadness. This was probably the first real, non-vampiric sleep she had had in two days or more.

Tossing aside the blanket, he got up stealthily, slipping across to drop to one knee beside her. He held a hand suspended over her shoulder, waiting… there. The faint aura of heat her body gave off brushed against his palm, something that wouldn't happen if the vampire persona were in charge. Of course, the fact that she had one hand curled around the charm vouched for her returned humanity as well.

The four of them had talked until nearly two in the morning, at which point, it became very obvious how much 'the transition' really took out of Riza. She had been struggling to stay awake, putting her usual steel-willed resolve toward continuing to answer their questions and lay plans, when Roy called a halt so that they could all rest up. She had protested, wanting to continue when the work was obviously important, but Scar had agreed that rest was in order, and Miles had followed suit. Outvoted, Riza had been asleep before the three men decided who would stand guard in case Kimblee came back.

Smiling fondly, he reached out to brush back a lock of her hair from her face. Stubborn woman, he thought, chiding gently. You deserve the rest, so take it.

Getting to his feet, he threw a quick glance at Miles on the third pallet, still fast asleep with his mouth open slightly and his hair unbound from its usual ponytail. Roy skirted around his feet to the door, stepping out into the cool morning. This far into the uninhabited zone of the city, they couldn't hear the early morning hustle and bustle of the market streets, or the temple chimes calling warriors and acolytes to prayer. All was quiet, all was still, all was peaceful.

"Are you usually this early a riser?"

Scar spoke from somewhere to his left, and Roy nearly jumped. The warrior priest has tugged aside some of the overhead tarpaulins, leaving a gap about a metre square. Sunlight came through at an oblique angle, and he sat in the patch it left on the balcony floor, keeping so still that Roy hadn't noticed him right away. His posture was the same as during the interrogation the night before; legs folded, hands in his lap, his eyes closed in apparent meditation.

"Only when I have to be. Shifts start early at Headquarters," he answered quietly, so as not to wake the others. Leaning folded arms on the railing, he looked down the sand-dusted flagstones of the courtyard. "Kimblee didn't come back at all last night?"

The warrior shook his head. "Not that I heard or saw, but I didn't expect him to try again so soon. He knows we would have been ready and protected, and he'll want to catch us vulnerable and unaware."

Roy's eyes traced the curve of the circle of runes below, his mouth in a grim line. "It's no fun for him if it isn't a surprise," he muttered darkly. "Too bad for him that, at this point, it'll be weeks before we let down our guard, now that we know he's out there and we have an encyclopedic source of information on vampires."

"Yes, I've been thinking about that." Scar stood, either finished with or abandoning his meditations. "It might be beneficial for the Lieutenant to speak to one of our scholars, to take down a complete account of… her condition."

"…In case it happens again, somehow?"

"So that history remembers." Scar folded his muscled arms, one shoulder rising and falling in a shrug. "I won't lie and say the priesthood won't use it as an example of the evils of alchemy, after the way Kimblee remade himself. But with as strange a case as this is, it should be documented."

Something about this statement set a bell ringing in Roy's mind. The way Kimblee remade himself… with alchemy…. Cautious excitement fluttered briefly in his chest at the spark of an idea. "How hard would it be to get the priesthood to condone the use of alchemy? If it were a use of a blasphemy to fight an example of blasphemy?"

A single white eyebrow lifted, red eyes going to Roy's hands. "…Fighting fire with fire? It would depend."

"On what?"

"On how good your sales pitch is," Miles' voice said from behind them, the man himself emerging, twisting his hair into its customary ponytail as he did so. He gave Roy a somewhat doubtful look. "And that's assuming, of course, that fire can kill something like him."

Roy frowned, thinking. "The legends don't give any indications as to what might do the job?"

"I remember reading about some of them, but I think a refresher course might be in order before I go trying to make suggestions," Miles answered. He leaned back against the wall, indicating the doorway to the room where Riza slept on with a tilt of his head. "And since this is a special breed of vampire… we might need specialized knowledge of them."

"From what she told us," Scar put in, "the vampire persona comes with something like instinctive knowledge of its powers and limitations. If she had that, she might also have a way to destroy Kimblee completely."

"Fair point," Roy agreed. His gaze travelled upward, to where a sliver of blue sky was visible through the gap in the tarpaulins. It was the pale, faded blue of early morning, the newly-risen sun bleaching the colour. "Miles, when you say 'refresher course,' you mean the library where we met with Scar's Master when we arrived?"

Following his gaze, and realizing what Roy must be thinking, Miles nodded. "She maybe a little weakened by the sunlight, but it's safer to move from here now that the sun is up and Kimblee is likely back in his hiding place," he said. "Whatever information she doesn't have on killing vampires, I'm hoping the library can give us."

"We'll putting civilians at a greater risk, moving to a populated area," Roy noted, folding his arms as he leaned back against the railing. "If Kimblee can't get to us or the Lieutenant, he might decide to vent his anger on bystanders."

"Civilians are already at risk, every night, with him on the loose." All three men looked up as Riza appeared in the doorway. She was still strangely pale, and had to lean on the carved stone side of the doorway for support, but her eyes were alert and bright, her lips set in determination. "The greater risk is leaving him out there, unchecked."

Scar regarded her for a moment before speaking. "Do you have any suggestions for keeping him in check?"

"Permanently? Aside from flat-out killing him, I'm afraid not." She wrapped both arms around herself in a light self-hug, the abaya itself not quite enough to keep her warm in the cool morning air. "But on a temporary basis, I did have one idea." She pointed to the first floor and the symbols still sketched into the sand. "If we put a large enough circle around his hiding place, while he's sleeping during the day, could we keep him from going out at night?"

"If we knew where he was, yes." Miles was frowning, his eyes one the floor but his gaze introspective. "He knows that we had found the hiding place in the abandoned inn, and now that he no longer has backup, he may have decided it was too dangerous to stay there."

"You could sense his presence as a vampire," Scar noted. "Can you still sense him now?"

Riza was quiet a moment, then shook her head. "Only the faintest trace, and not from any particular direction." She smiled faintly. "I suppose it would be a tall order to put a circle around the entire city."

Roy returned the smile, but it faded quickly. "About the best we can hope for at this point is that we'll find some useful information quickly, and leave civilian protection to the night patrols. As long as Kimblee doesn't get impatient and start attacking indiscriminately, we should be okay."

"You're expecting him to play the long game," Miles warned. "That was never his style. And if he has the same anger management issues that Lieutenant Hawkeye developed – my apologies, Lieutenant –" She waved away the concern. "– then he's likely to retaliate even faster." His expression turned grim. "With the patrols spread as thin as they are, they may not be able to respond to an attack in time, if at all."

When Scar spoke, his tone was equally grave. "We need a new defensive plan."

A thought sparked in the back of Roy's mind, flying to the forefront. He froze, thinking it over, before slowly breaking into a smile. "…I think I might have an idea." He paused as the others all looked to him. "We need more warm bodies on the ground… and I know where we can get some."

CENTRAL MILITARY HEADQUARTERS, CENTRAL CITY

0943 HOURS, APRIL 25TH

It was still early enough in the day, and soon enough after his first cup of coffee, that Breda was not quite awake as he picked through the rubble of the partially destroyed office. Granted, the Colonel had been the only one working here when Father had destroyed half the garrison, but since he wasn't here to pack his own stuff into boxes for placement in the new temporary offices, it fell to him and Fuery.

"Whoa…" came the soft exclamation from across the room. "I think this is the Colonel's datebook." Breda looked over in time to see his young partner frowning at the contents of the black leather-bound volume. "…No wonder he barely ever got his work done."

"Is that his datebook, or his alchemy notes?" Breda grinned when Fuery looked up, curious. "You didn't know? The Boss codes his private research like a diary of dates with women."

Fuery's eyes strayed slowly back to the book in his hand. "…This could be either one," he muttered. "I hope Lieutenant Hawkeye never saw it. If she did, she –"

Across the room, sitting on a desk covered in glass shards and drywall dust, the telephone rang.

Both men jumped, exchanging a surprise look. "Didn't think the phones would be working up here," Breda said, getting to his feet and picking his way across the debris-strewn floor. Tarpaulins covering the blasted-out wall flapped in the spring breeze, stirring up more dust, and he turned away from it as he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" He almost added 'Colonel Mustang's office' out of reflex, but quickly stopped himself.

The audio of the voice on the other end was scratchy and overlaid with the occasional patch of static, but understandable. "Good morning, Breda. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?"

"Lieutenant!" Shock widened his eyes, and he watched Fuery's head whip around in his direction. Motioning him over with one hand, he grinned into the receiver. "Good to hear your voice! Last we knew, you were missing in action!"

"Hawkeye!" Practically skidding to a stop beside the phone that Breda held away from his ear to share, Fuery radiated relief and excitement. "Hawkeye, are you okay?!"

There was a short pause as the words made the electronic journey halfway across the country. When she answered, it was clear she was smiling; she and Fuery had long had an older-sister-younger-brother kind of rapport. "I'm as well as I can be. The Colonel tells me he told Rebecca about… what happened to me?"

"You mean about how you're apparently some kind of vampire, now?" Breda asked, his smile slipping, but only a little. His eyes strayed to the brightness visible beyond the tarpaulins. "Yeah, we heard. If that's the case, isn't it past your bedtime? No offense."

"None taken. And no, I very much need to stay awake, because I have several calls and arrangements to make, and they're all extremely time-sensitive." She paused only to take a breath. "How is the murder investigation progressing?"

The men exchanged a glance before Fuery responded. "We've done just about all we can on this end. The charges are ready to be laid whenever we catch up to the suspect." He hesitated. "Have you caught up to the suspect?"

"…Yes, and no," she hedged. "It's complicated to explain over the phone, and like I said, I have other calls to make today. For now, answer me this: how soon can you be on a train east?"

She was using her usual businesslike office tone, the one that said she had a purpose and would not be deterred from it. Breda did a quick set of mental math, factoring time to get travel approval, to pack, what times the next few trains left the city…. "Probably… two hours? Two and a half?"

"Try for two, or less if you can," was the calm order. "When you go to request travel approval from Grumman, tell him it's to come out east and help bring the killer in. You'll be meeting up with Falman and Rebecca in East City, then signing a truck out of the motor pool. It's a three day drive, but they'll take care of organizing supplies, so bring only what you need from Central." There was a split-second pause before she added, "These orders are from the Colonel, by the way. I'm just the messenger. Any questions?"

Breda could tell just how many questions were gathering inside Fuery's head, and spoke before the younger man could. "Nothing we can ask when we get there," he said, matching her professional tone. "We'll check in before we depart East City. Anything else, sir?"

He could hear her smile on the line again. "Just come ready to work," she answered. "And step on it. Safe travels."

Hanging up, the two of them stood in the disaster zone of an office for a long moment, trying to process the strange call. Orders from the Colonel, relayed by a Lieutenant they had heard was off on her own, essentially gone rogue, telling them to come to Ishval to bring in a vampiric murderer?

"I suppose it's occurred to you," Breda said slowly, "that Hawkeye, having been turned into a vampire, might have hijacked the phone lines and is trying to lure us into a trap?"

"Yeah…" Fuery answered, just as hesitantly. "But… even if that's the case… don't we owe it to her to go? And if we don't owe it to her, we at least do to the Colonel. If it weren't for them, we would have ended up being prosecuted for desertion after the Promised Day."

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed, turning toward the door, glass crunching underfoot. "But I don't think we need a reason. She gave us two hours to get a train; let's see if we can't do it in less than that."

GUN RANGE, EAST CITY MILITARY HEADQUARTERS, EAST CITY

1003 HOURS, APRIL 25TH

With earbuds jammed in to prevent her own deafening by firearm, it took Rebecca nearly thirty seconds to notice the man waving urgently at her as he approached from her left. Swiftly replacing the safety on her weapons, she set it on a shelf just inside the firing booth, stepping back onto the walkway that ran along behind.

"What is it?" she asked, digging one foam bud from her ear. The muffled staccato of others practicing in the range suddenly became crisp and clear.

"Phone call, sir." The man passed her the body of a telephone, trailed by an extra-long cord, before handing her the receiver. "They said it was urgent."

"Great," she muttered, and then louder, into the receiver. "This is Second Lieutenant Catalina. I'm in the middle of something here, so if you don't mind making it quick?"

"Are you in the middle of a firefight?"

"Riza!" Her heart leapt at the familiar voice, relief rushing through her in a wave. "Oh my gosh, it's you. You're alive! I don't – hang on a second."

Moving to one side, she pulled open the door to an equipment storage room at the rear of the range, and stepped inside, muffling the noise outside once again. "There, now I can actually hear myself think. Are you okay?"

"Yes. And of course I'm alive; I was off-station, not dead."

"'Off-station?'" she echoed incredulously. "You call being turned into a vampire and going rogue being 'off-station?!'"

There was the long hiss of a deep sigh over the phone. "Becca, please, we can talk about it more when you get here. Right now, I have something far more important to discuss, so if you could stop interrupting for two minutes and –"

"What do you mean 'when I get there?' You mean Ishval?"

"Exactly. Breda and Fuery are coming out from Central to meet with you and Falman. I need the two of you to sign out a truck and stock it for a three day drive to Jadad. Food, blankets, fuel, medical supplies if you think you'll need them, emergency kit, the works. Understood?"

Rebecca nodded, creating a mental checklist in her head. The motor pool would have the truck, Supply would have the necessaries to stock it and have a good idea what might be needed by four people for three days, any roadblocks could be cleared up by namedropping Hawkeye, Mustang or probably Grumman himself…. "What about Hayate? Should I bring him along?"

"Please do. We may have need of his tracking skills." She hesitated, but only briefly. "The killer is here, Rebecca, and we think we may have a shot at taking him down… but we're going to need everybody on this."

"Say no more. I read you loud and clear," she answered grimly. "And with the four of us taking turns driving, we can cut our transit time in half. If we leave by ten p.m. tonight, at the latest, we could be there by early morning on the twenty-seventh."

"Arrange for the three days of supplies just in case," Riza cautioned. "But that's good. The sooner we end this, the better." A muffled background voice said something impossible for Rebecca to make out, and Riza's voice faded into equal obscurity as she turned away from the phone to answer. A second later, she was back. "One more thing…. Make sure, when you're gathering up those supplies… include some ice cream."

"…Got it." She grinned. "I'll even make it your favourite brand. But if Falman and I are going to get it all together by tonight, I'd better go and get started."

"All right. Best of luck. Drive safely."

"Right. See you soon."

Hanging up, Rebecca stood another moment in the equipment shed, replaying the call a few times over. After all the stress and strangeness of this case, the end was finally in sight. She pulled the other protective earbud from its place tucked into her ear canal, shaking her head with a smile.

Ice cream.

INHABITED ZONE, JADAD, ISHVAL

1117 HOURS, APRIL 25TH

The sun was close to overhead when she made it back to the living quarters assigned to her and Roy by the Reconstruction Authority. Riza was glad of the traditional Ishvalan headscarf and the breeze allowed to play across his skin by the light fabric of the plain brown dress. The abaya had been nice, but when the sun on her during the walk from the uninhabited zone to the little house had left her overheated and feeling weakened – a lingering effect of the vampirism, even in her human persona – she was glad to have this alternative. The headscarf kept the sun off of her face and neck, the air flow kept her cool and helped bolster her against the fatigue, and the entire ensemble helped her to blend into the crowds.

Not that blending in helped her to lose the escort she still thought of as entirely unnecessary. The young warrior Scar had assigned to follow her on her errand walked behind and to one side, his footsteps making little to no noise in the sand. He hadn't said a word but to help direct her to the communications centre, and had been silent since they had walked through the door.

Not that she minded the quiet, but after a few days locked away inside her own head, human contact was a welcome thing. What she wouldn't give to have Roy alone for half an hour and tell him everything…. She could finally accurately describe how it felt to have the vampire persona seize control, what she remembered, where the gaps in her memory were, tell him that she was sorry things had gotten this out of hand, ask him if he was all right….

Her vampire self had wanted nothing but sex and to toy with him. Childish as it was, all Riza wanted from him at this moment was an assurance things would work out, and a hug.

Later, she told herself firmly. Focus on the planning for now, and let yourself worry when you have the time.

Her near-mute bodyguard stationed himself outside the front door of the house as she paused just long enough to unlock it. There was a tremble in her knees that she didn't like, but she willed it not to show in her step.

Strength began seeping back into her muscles the moment she stepped inside, out of the glare of the sunlight. Riza kept her steadying, deep breath surreptitious, taking a moment just for herself, to regain a more normal feeling in her limbs and appreciate the coolness of the entryway shadows.

Roy stuck his head out of the kitchen, smiling when he saw her. "Welcome back. How did it go?"

"Barring any serious setbacks, we could have our reinforcements as early as first light on the twenty-seventh," she told him, reaching up to unwind the headscarf. She settled it across the back of her neck, flipping one end back over the opposite shoulder. "Breda and Fuery will be leaving Central within the hour, if they haven't already, and Rebecca and Falman are readying everything they'll need."

She shot a quick glance at the open archway to the dining area, and lowered her voice. "I added a request when I gave her a list of supplies they'll need. I told her to bring ice cream."

He gazed at her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I see…. Well, if you think it'll be useful, I trust your judgement. Though am I right in thinking it's not something you want to share with our hosts?"

"Only if I have to." She slipped her feet out of her sandals, leaving them by the door. "I'm selfish that way."

"Hang on a second." Taking a risk he wouldn't normally indulge in, he leaned forward, hidden by the dividing wall between the entryway and the kitchen. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, careful for it not to make any noise, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You and I need to talk, at some point. Alone." He smiled. "I'm selfish too, that way."

She returned the smile, though her eyes darted toward the kitchen entrance. "Later," she promised. "I want to talk to you, too, but not when the walls have ears. Everything that's happened… I need to get it off my chest." Her smile faded. "I've told you and the others everything that's pertinent to the situation, but there's plenty more that only affects me."

Roy nodded, then stepped back. "I'd like to hear it."

They entered the dining space at the same time, Roy pausing only to pick up the tray of steaming cups he had been assembling at the kitchen counter when Riza arrived.

"Success?" Miles asked, watching Riza settle to a comfortable seat on a cushion at the low table.

"Very much so." She folded her arms on the tabletop, pressing her fingers against the wood so that any residual shaking would not show. "Our reinforcements are on their way." Brown eyes skimmed the pile of books and scrolls in the centre of the table. "What about on your end?"

"We're finding plenty of weaknesses that vampires are supposed to have," Roy put in, setting a cup of tea in front of her, "but not much on how to kill them. Not a sire, at least; most of the lore seems to agree that the way to stop the direct… offspring of a sire vampire is to kill the sire, but there's hardly anything useful on how to do that."

Riza frowned at him. "The way you're talking, sir, it sounds as though there's at least one way you've found. 'Not much' and 'hardly anything' aren't the same as 'nothing at all.'"

"What we've found isn't exactly…. It has a distasteful side to it," Miles said, looking and sounding distinctly uncomfortable.

"Two different books suggested stabbing the vampire through the heart with a wooden stake," Scar said, almost tonelessly. "And then cutting its head off."

Riza fought down the urge to grimace. "Ah. I can see how that doesn't appeal to anyone… but from my own observations, and for what it's worth… I think it would work." She took a sip of tea, feeling the welcome warmth – much nicer than the heat from the sun – all the way down her throat. "I can't explain how I know, I just… know."

Miles was watching her, paying attention but also scrutinizing. "If you don't mind my asking, Lieutenant… this willingness to accept a violent death by stabbing and decapitation. Is it linked to any residual… anger issues?"

"No." Setting her cup back on the table, cradling it in both hands, she turned to look him directly in the eye. "Though if you don't mind my saying so, Major, Kimblee's victims suffered much more violent and unnecessary deaths than stabbing and decapitation." Her expression, set to hard determination, softened somewhat. "But, you are right. If there is an easier way to remove him from the picture, one that will be less scarring for all those involved, I think we should try."

"Incarceration won't be enough this time," Roy murmured, settling into his seat. "He was released by the Homonculi last time; who's to say he won't manage to turn someone to help him escape a second time? Or force his own way out?"

"He is a creation of forbidden alchemy," Scar added. "Not of the kind practiced by normal alchemists, which I accept has its uses. In folklore, the alchemy Kimblee used is more like dark magic."

"He manipulated the unnatural to make himself supernatural," Miles said quietly. Silence fell over the table.

After long moments, Riza finally spoke up, one hand toying with the charm around her neck. "If the protection charm keeps my vampire persona suppressed… but Kimblee no longer has his original persona… what effect might it have on him?"

"Unconsciousness, perhaps," Scar said, his forehead furrowed in a deep frown of thought. "Intense weakness or sudden illness are possible as well. I don't think it would kill him outright."

"It wouldn't have to," Roy said, watching Riza with understanding slowly spreading across his face as he caught on to her idea. "If it can incapacitate him, even for a second, it would give us time to strike. If we play our cards right, we could take out a serial-killing vampire with a pouch of sand, flowers, and silver wire."

Miles was smiling. "Might be harder to corner him like we did the Lieutenant. We might need those reinforcements."

"He's always hungry. We could just shove it down his throat the first time he opens his big mouth." Silence slammed into the room once again, all three men turning to stare at Riza. Immediately, she flushed red, smiling unsteadily. "Sorry… that might have been the anger issues."

"It could be a valid option, if doing so will affect him strongly enough." With that said, Scar got to his feet, taking a last sip from his cup. "For now, I will leave the research to Miles, and go look into accommodations for the rest of your staff, Colonel. After that, I need to rest; last night was long."

Miles was gathering up the scrolls and books. "I'm going to return these to the library, and see if I can't find some more research material. It could be there are other lore sources there that we overlooked that might be more useful." He looked up. "I'll also talk to the Master; with his knowledge of our people's traditions and history, there's a chance he might know something as well."

Roy nodded. "We'll go over the information we already have, see if we can't parse anything else useful out of it." Getting to his feet, he shook hands with both men. "Good luck. Let us know if you find or need anything."

Minutes later, alone at last, Riza was outlining every vampire- related experience in detail.

#fma #fmab #Roy Mustang #Riza Hawkeye #royza #royai #fma fanfiction #royai fanfiction #tainted blood

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senpai-saeyoung · 5 years

Text

Seoul: Three, two, one!

1st chapter of Seoul: Become Human

CHAPTER 1

LOCATION: Dance Room

"5,4,3,2,1..." Your friend, Hobi said. The both of you finished the dance with sweats drenching on the both of your clothes.

Jung Hoseok also known as J-Hope, Hope, Sunshine, and Hobi. He is your friend and also dance partner. He's very talented in dancing and rapping. Hoseok is also known as The Dancing Machine in Seoul. Besides that, he's known for his outgoing persona and a very happy one.

"Finally we finish doing our dance!" You exclaimed, wiping the sweats on your face.

The dance you and Hoseok practice was just for fun. It wasn't for the dance number, well there's no dance number to begin with. Both of you just have a passion for dance which is one of the reasons the two of you easily became close friends.

"Yep! I was quite satisfied. But we have to improve it in our next meeting though." Hobi stated as you drink a bottle of water.

After drinking, you sit on the wooden floor, leaning your back on the mirrored wall. Hobi sat beside you, leaning his head on your shoulder.

"So Y/n... I was wondering if we could grab a coffee tomorrow?" He asked..

There was a moment of silence. Your cheeks started to burn as you felt yourself getting flustered.

"A-are you asking me on a da-" before you could finish your sentence, a panicked Hoseok cut you off.

"W-what? N-no! I-I mean I would have no problem to date you, you're actually kind and beautiful - wait! Fvck! Did I just-" He started to ramble.

You started to burst in laughter. He stopped rambling, his cheeks were very red.

"Don't worry, Hobi. I totally get what you mean." You said in between laughs. You started to get your things.

Hoseok stood up, packing his things also. "So umm... Let's meet at around 8? I have dance lessons to teach at 9." He stated, grabbing his bag.

We started to walk to the exit of the building. As you reach the exit you stopped.

"Oh wait! I'm so sorry, Hobi. But I remember that I can't come. I have work tomorrow at the PD..." You trailed off.

Hobi gave you a sad smile. "Don't worry about it. There's always next time."

His smile is so infectious that it made you smile back. "Okay. Next time it's on me."

•••

It was already past 10. There weren't any stars at the sky. The street lights were the only thing that keeps your from the dark.

You're walking for almost 20 minutes. Then you see a familiar baby blue colored house. Which is your house.

You were the only one who lived in the house. Your mother died, you father abandoned you, and your brother? He's nowhere to be found. He was missing a year ago and was never found. A lot of people tell you that he's probably dead, but you. You still have hope.

As you were walking near to your house, you notice the house next to yours has a light on. Weird. The owner of that place left years ago. You thought.

You finally reached the porch of your house. Yet your heart starts beating faster for no reason. Something's not right. That's what your gut felt.

You slowly opened the door as you entered. You closed the door, then open the lights.

"Huh?"

Nothing suspicious as you were greeted by the living room. The things where on the spot when you leave earlier. Damn I hate my guts for scaring me.

You left your bag on the couch. You yawned, feeling sleepy. But before that, you crave for food.

Walking to the kitchen, you saw spots of blue liquid on the floor, trailing to the kitchen.

"What the frickity frack..." You trailed off, slowly following the trail.

"HOLY CHEESE BALLS!" You yelled, freaking out.

You saw a mint haired male. Laying on the kitchen floor with blue liquid all over him. Well not literally over him but it's like blood? But it's blue?

You slowly walked over to him, crouching beside him to get a closed look. You poked the body.

"Huh? No reaction? Is this guy dead? Am I going to be framed for murder?" You started to panic. But then you realize that's not important, what's important is to save this human being in a critical condition right now.

You noticed he has bruises and wounds all over him, the blue liquid coming out of his wounds. Just like blood.

"But wouldn't that be red because of the oxygen?" You muttered to yourself.

Strange... What matters is that you're going to save this human being...

But the question is... Is he a human though?

•••

You lay the stranger on your bed. As you clean his wounds you notice that it has some wirings.

Is he like a robot?

As you continue to clean, his body suddenly jolted to sit on the bed. Making you scream in fear. But the robot just gives a a death glare which immediately silence you up.

"A-are you a robot?" You asked slowly and softly, almost inaudible. You sat back on the bed beside him or should I say it.

He gives you an annoyed face. "What? No! I'm an Android. Robots and androids are totally different you idiot." He answered, his voice was raspy and the way talks is always in a slur. Like he's always drunk.

You ignored the insult. "Well what's the difference between them?"

"Physical appearance, dumbass. An Android looks human and a robot doesn't seem human." He said in a 'duh' tone.

Clearly annoyed by his attitude, you roll your eyes. "Why are you in my house? And why are you so rude? Could you at least be thankful for me helping you?" Your anger was slowly rising.

He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry... It's just my stress level is going high and I really need to calm down." He pauses then looks at you. "But I really do appreciate your kindness. Really." His tone was very sincere, very human like. "But please don't tell anyone about me being an Android..."

You stared at him. The android was quite handsome, not going to lie. He has a mint hair which compliments his pale skin. The more you look at him, the more you notice his features. On his right temple, there's this circle that has an orange light that turns to blue light running like a loading sign you see in computer.

You coughed then pointed the circle thingy.

He stands up and walk towards your mirror. You followed behind him. He touched the circle on his temple.

"What's that? And could you please tell me what's going on?" You curiously asked.

"I'll explain everything tomorrow." He turns to look at you. "Right now I need to gain some energy." He goes back to your bed, and sat on it.

"Like sleeping?" You followed.

"Mhmm."

You nodded. "Well go get some rest. If you need me, I'll be downstairs, on the couch." You walk your way towards your door, opening it, so you can exit. Before you can close it he said;

"Yoongi."

You turn to look at him who's already starting at you. You notice the circle thingy on his temple was gone."Umm what?"

"Yoongi, Min Yoongi." He introduced himself.

You gave him a smile. "Well I'm Y/n, F/n. You should probably rest." You said.

He nodded. And with that you leave the room.

•••

LOCATION: BigHit Headquarters

People in lab coats rushed in the lab. They were in a hurry, doing there work faster than ever. With files on their hands. They seem excited for some reason. Lots of murmurs in the lab.

The worker with highest rank gave orders to the other workers. Workers called her 'madam'.

All of them went to their newest work and claimed to be 'the best they've ever done' android.

"Now let's power it on!" She demand, strictness laced in her voice.

Workers rushed to help each other to power the latest Android. The android was on a bed, and is strapped.

Some workers pulled off the strap and put the android in a standing position.

"Status?" The madam asked to the assistant.

The assistant looks at her tablet to see that status of the Android. "Starting 0701 model in..."

The android opened its eyes, then looks at the surroundings, gathering information. Then it smiled.

END OF CHAPTER 1

Author's note:

So far, what do u think?

Y/n = your name

F/n = full name

N/n = nickname

L/n = last name

Plot /•/ Next Chapter

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honeybearloco · 7 years

Text

“...Don’t Know Me.”

Requested by an anon. (!)Trigger Warning: Self Harm| Please don’t do it guys!

Giriboy X Reader Request: Giriboy likes a fellow celebrity who has a hidden dark past of self harm. You have been warned.

He didn’t think you had problems like this. You were such a sweet girl. It’s not like it was noticeable anyways. Everyone just saw you as this pure hearted, strong, girl. But your past was hidden under your sleeves.

You began rapping as a hobby. It’s what you did when you were bored. You loved rap, hip hop and R&B. You sometimes dreamed of being a rapper but it wasn’t your first choice in a career you wanted for the rest of your young life.

You were a sweet and lovable girl. Of course not everyone thought the same. You were picked on by the other children just for being a little bit different. You didn’t wear the same size uniform as the other girls. Yours was a couple of sizes bigger than theirs. You never knew children could be so cruel.

As you grew up, the more and more you got picked on. It got to a point where the boys would bully you. The girls would push you down, pull your hair, kick your face in. The guys would sit there and call you names such as, fat ass, idiot, and dumb ass. They brainwashed you into thinking you were supposed to be like them.

And it worked. You hated your image, both inside and outside. You began to starve yourself to become skinny. You’d work out for hours without any water or any food. You’d put on layers of makeup to look like those girls around you. They didn’t need makeup.

They were naturally beautiful like Yoona from SNSD or Dara from 2NE1. They were naturally beautiful. There wasn’t anyway you could be happy with what you looked like. Not to mention your parents were going through a rough patch in their marriage.

You’d spend hours in front of your bathroom mirror, crying and cursing yourself for the way you looked. You punched your mirror because you couldn’t stand to look at yourself anymore. It only stung a bit. You looked down at the glass in your fist and a crooked smiled appeared on your face.

You looked in the sink and grabbed one of the many mirror shards. You inhaled deeply and put the shard to your skin. Without breathing, you slowly slid the shard across your wrist deeply. You pulled the shard up and looked at the cut you had made.

It was deep. You exhaled. Something in you became satisfied. And you over and over and over and over again until you were happy with yourself. At lasted until you were seventeen years old.

One night you were performing at a club. It was open mic night. You got in with a fake ID, thanks to your friend. As you were on stage performing, there were many people in the crowd, a few are rappers. You had this stage persona that didn’t make your style in clothing.

You performed in sweatpants and hoodies. No one actually knew your real name. So they called you “Hoodie” (A/N: I know that’s already someone’s stage name, but I’m going to use it here.) You even built up a little fanbase.

You went from performing on open mic night to getting club gigs. You went from getting club gigs to label signing offers. You wanted to be independent for as long as you could before signing to a label.

You found yourself enjoying rapping more than anything else. You had some bad moments but you bounced back because your fans made sure they had your back. They knew you had dealt with depression but they still don’t know what’s under the sleeves.

It wasn’t until late 2015, where you finally found the label for you. You were performing at a club. It was a club you performed at a lot so you had a lot of fans in the crowd. You had an amazing stage. You even had an encore.

After your performance you were at the bar drinking water. You didn’t drink much and you weren’t going to start now. Suddenly someone approached you.

“Amazing job out there kid. You have an amazing stage presence.”

“Thank you. That-”

You turned around to be face to face with Epik High’s Tablo! A legend! You bowed deeply and came up quickly almost falling backwards.

“It’s an honor.”

He only chuckled.

“Don’t be so formal. This is a club after all. Where did you learn to flow like that?”

“I don’t know. It just came natural to me. My Dad used to listen to a lot of rap when I was a kid, and I picked up a lot of it.”

“Where those your songs?”

“Yeah. Lyrics and the beats, all mine.”

“I recently just had a sub label set up under YG Entertainment, HIGHGRND, we don’t have many artists. Would you like to join?”

“Are you serious?!”

“I am.”

“YES! A HUNDRED TIMES YES! I mean, I’d love to.”

You were known the the best first female artist under HIGHGRND! With signing under HIGHGRND, a lot more fame came your way. You were getting all these gigs. Tablo eventually got you a manager to help you manage everything. And it did help significantly.

You were having an album release party. You didn’t know that many people, but Tablo of course did. He invited all his friends and fellow rappers to the party so they could get to know you, maybe for collaborations. And one of those people he invited was, Giriboy.

You didn’t know much about anyone else. So almost everyone was foreign to you. You were standing by yourself, drinking water looking at your phone.

“Y/N! Y/N! I want you to meet someone.” You heard Tablo’s voice.

You looked up to see Tablo smiling at you with a younger man standing next to him. He pushed up his glasses.

“Y/N, this is Giriboy. He’s a fan of yours and really wanted to meet you.”

The two of you shook hands.

“You don’t have to call me that. You can call me Siyoung.”

“Noted. Hello Siyoung.”

He smiled. That was the start of your friendship with him. If you weren’t by yourself or in a meeting with someone, you were with Siyoung. Even if you were by yourself, you were texting Siyoung telling him everything.

You told him everything before you’d even tell any of your friends. He was your biggest fan and you were his biggest fan. No one would dare try to separate the two of you.

Siyoung loved you, more than a friend. You had him from hello. He knew you hid yourself from everyone. You promised to tell him everything, but you knew there was stuff you couldn’t tell him.

You were on tour but your next show wasn’t until next week. You decided to come back to Seoul and chill with Siyoung at the arcade.

“Race you to the air hockey!”

“You’re on!”

The two of you rushed over to the free air hockey table. There were eight of them. All of them were taken except for one. They were spaced out a bit too much.

You went to the left side and he went on the right. He pulled up his sleeves.

“You’re about to lose twenty to nothing noob!”

“Whatever, four eyes! I’m gonna win!”

“Four eyes, huh? People called you Hoodie because they didn’t know your name.”

“But they knew me for my stage presence and that I was a queen!”

“Whatever…Hoodie.”

“That’s it, four eyes!”

You rolled up for sleeves without thinking and grabbed the striker in front of you. Siyoung’s smile left his face and a look of terror replaced it as he stared at your arms.

You looked down and gasped. You quickly covered your arms back up. You ran into the women’s restroom and locked yourself in a stall. Siyoung tried to rush after you.

“Y/N! I didn’t mean to- Y/N!”

‘Great! Good job Y/N! Now he probably thinks you’re a suicidal freak!’ You thought to yourself.

Minutes go by, not a word from you. He couldn’t call you. Your phone was in your purse which was not on you.

Hours ago by, Siyoung becomes inpatient. He waits for all do the women to leave the restroom before running inside. He locks the door behind him.

“Y/N? Y/N? Are you in here? Wow this restroom is nice.”

“Siyoung?”

You open the stall door to see Siyoung staring back at you. You slap his chest.

“What are you doing in the women’s restroom. Do you know what’s gonna happen when someone finds you-”

“I don’t care. I want to know one thing, are you okay?”

“Siyoung I’m fine, I-”

He grabs your hand and pulls you closer.

“Are you okay?”

“Siyoung I promise I’m okay.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“NO! I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AND I DON’T WANT TO NEED YOU TO ASK ABOUT IT!”

You ripped your hand away from him and unlocked the restroom door. You stormed out and sat in one of the booth and pulled your hood over your head as you laid your head down on the table.

Siyoung followed behind you, but kept his distance. He sat in the seat across from you. He felt terrible for bringing it up and bringing attention to it. But he couldn’t help himself.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized.

There was no answer from you.

“I shouldn’t have brought attention to it. It just shocked me that you hid stuff like that from me. From what I saw, they weren’t recent. Or do you still-”

“No, I don’t.” You answer.

“That’s good. You know, I’m here for you when you need me. You’re one of my best friends. A-And, I love you.”

You lifted your head and stared at him.

“What?”

“Well I wanted to admit it somewhere nice. This wasn’t my setting of choice to tell you. I’ve fell madly in love with you. I know it sounds cliche but I really have over the course of these past months.”

You didn’t say a word. You looked down. He lifted your chin.

“Why are you looking down?”

“I’m ashamed that you had to see me like this.”

“No, no. Don’t be ashamed. I’m glad you showed me this side of you.”

“Why?”

“So I can take care of you.”

You blushed.

“Siyoung~!” You whined playfully.

“What? Can I ask you something?”

You nodded.

“Do you ever think of harming yourself, you know, now?”

“No.”

“Good. But if you ever really do think of doing it again, can you come talk to me. And if you want to talk about the past to anyone, you can come talk to me”

“Of course, now can I ask you something?”

“Anything, Y/N.”

“Why are you suddenly so so interested in my past or me?”

“I’ve been interested in you since the day we met. I knew you were beautiful but I didn’t know the soul and personality behind the face. And I’ve come to love you.”

You sighed. “Siyoung, you don’t know me.”

“Well let me get to know you. This you! The one with a troubled past. Your past doesn’t change my love for you. I know my feelings are real, I just want you to accept them.”

You were speechless. He grabbed your hands.

“Will you accept my feelings?”

You nodded.

He slowly pulled down your hood and fixed your hair.

“You look beautiful.”

“Now you’re just sucking up to me.”

“What? It’s true.”

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azrielsiphons · 7 years

Text

Shadows and Darkness: One and the Same (ch. 12)

<< Previous Chapter Next Chapter >>

This fic is meant to be read in connection with my Azriel-centric prequel stories. I would highly suggest reading those first to get the full reading experience of this fic.

Characters and some dialogue belong to Sarah J Maas except for my OC Lena.

Enjoy! Like, reblog, comment, all the things!

“Is something wrong?”

If Lena had been speaking to anyone else, they might have jumped at the sound of her low voice almost whispering in their ear as she crept up on them.

As it was, Azriel did not jump at all, which made Lena pout and him smirk.

“Why would something be wrong?” He asked, taking one of her hands lightly in his own, conscious of Rhys watching them from where he stood with Feyre, Mor, Amren, and Nesta running over the plan for how their little show at the Court of Nightmares was to proceed. The tunnel leading into the Court was quiet, the only sounds the whispers of the Dreamers and the music drifting in from the heart of the Hewn City.

“Oh I don’t know,” Lena murmured. “Maybe the fact that we’re all here. About to go into this Cauldron forsaken place. And I'm wearing this again.”

Azriel couldn’t help but wince as Lena gestured to the familiar ratty brown cloak she was wearing. With the hood thrown back and none of her darkness in sight, it wasn’t too terribly jarring. But he knew that as soon as they made their way inside and she put that mask on again — when they all put their masks on again… that would be the true test.

“We’re going to be fine,” said Azriel. He squeezed her hand tightly, pulling her a half-step closer to him. “The plan is simple. And you don’t even have to say a word.”

Lena grimaced. “You know that was actually always the hardest part for me,” she whispered. “Being quiet. When I was the weapon, on most of my missions I wasn’t allowed to speak. So to have to just stand there and watch all of these awful things happen or sometimes even be the one doing the terrible things and never be able to say a word…” she swallowed thickly, shaking her head, “that was the hardest part. The silence.”

Azriel didn’t know what to say to that. Fortunately, before he had to speak, Rhys came over, his eyes glancing down to their joined hands for a brief second before meeting Lena’s eyes.

“We’re ready to go. You’re alright?” He asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.

“I’m fine,” Lena assured him with a smile, her distress either gone or expertly covered up instantaneously, Azriel wasn’t sure. “I got a few hours of rest back at the townhouse, and my magic is almost completely back.”

Rhys seemed to pale just slightly. “That’s not even… all of your magic?”

Lena chucked humorlessly. “No, not quite.” Rhys opened his mouth to speak, but found no words as Lena took a deep breath, flicking up her hood in a smooth, clearly practiced motion. “Let’s go then,” she said, letting her power bubble up to the surface, darkness covering her face and hands.

Just before her face disappeared from sight though, she gave Azriel the slyest of winks. Rhys didn’t bother hiding his groan of annoyance.

~~~~~

In the split second before the doors opened to the Court of Nightmares, everyone put their masks on. The vile High Lord and Lady of Night, the Morrigan, the monster trapped inside a fae body, the woman Made into Death itself, and the male who had captured his own shadows through sheer will.

But then there was Lena, who wore no mask, but rather became something else entirely. Her very essence seemed to transform as she trailed the group, horrible darkness seeping from her pores, swirling around her and testing the fae who dared lean in to close.

Rhys and Feyre were the stars, of course, but Lena — the weapon — was the plot twist nobody saw coming. The monster hiding in the dark — the legend made manifest.

It was an effort of resolve for Azriel to keep his face unreadable as he forced himself not to turn back and race her out of the room and burn that wretched cloak to ashes.

And as Rhys led Feyre to the throne — his throne, only one — and set her atop it, ordering everyone to bow, Lena did not.

No, while everyone, even Feyre’s own sister, bowed to their High Lord and High Lady, the nameless, faceless weapon of legend only inclined her head briefly from where she stood in the middle of the aisle facing the dais.

Rhys’s grin was near feral.

“I’d like to introduce everyone to the Night Court’s new asset,” he announced from where he perched casually on the edge of the throne. “This is Hybern’s weapon. Formerly. Now… they’re ours.”

Immediately, the hall broke out into whispers and gasps and scoffs. Rhys cleared his throat and the silence resumed.

“I would suggest,” he said lightly, “not testing my patience tonight. Not only do I have my High Lady at my side, now I have the weapon you have all no doubt heard of. And while they have… graciously defected Hybern to fight on our behalf, they are still quite… what’s the word, Feyre, darling?”

“Fickle,” Feyre said, her dark red lips forming the ridiculous word in a somehow seductive fashion.

“Yes, exactly,” Rhys agreed. “Fickle — they’re quite fickle. So we would suggest that you all don’t go poking your filthy noses where they don’t belong.”

To add to his point, Lena sent out a harmless flare of darkness across the entire room. Several screamed, clutching their chests in fear. Lena let a flash of her teeth show from beneath the darkness covering her face.

Over the next few minutes Rhys and Feyre continued their little show, Mor monitored her awful parents, and Amren and Nesta disappeared to start tracking some of the ancient items stashed away. Azriel stood off to the side, well enough to be seen, but not in the light so much as to draw unnecessary attention.

The glare he had fixed on Keir should have sent the male running. But trained and sharpened arrogance left Mor’s father sneering like a fool in the face of one of the most powerful Illyrians ever to have lived.

As the group excluding Amren and Nesta finally left the main hall to the council chamber, Lena walked with Mor, close enough that their arms brushed one another. At the sight of his daughter walking without fear with the creature beneath the cloak, Keir finally paled.

Mor grinned.

“I suppose you’ll want me to send someone to fetch another chair then,” Keir muttered as they stepped into the council room. Lena refrained from asking why, considering there was already an extra open chair. Were they expecting somebody else?

“No need,” Rhys said, plopping himself down at the head of the table and flashing a terrible grin as Feyre did the same on the other end. “They like to brood — never really sits down.”

Keir huffed, taking his seat across from Azriel, who he paid no mind even as the Shadowsinger fixed him with that icy glare. Lena leaned back against the wall, almost shrouded completely in darkness, though it was impossible not to recognize her presence.

“I wonder if whatever is under there even can sit,” Keir muttered, his thin lips curling in distaste. “I’ve heard stories you know.”

“I’m sure you have,” Rhys drawled in the most bored tone Lena believed anyone had ever made.

Keir’s eyes flashed. “With all due… respect, High Lord, that thing is more powerful than you and your mate. Are you not worried that it will defect from you as it has the King? Or that the King will come looking for it?”

Rhys inhaled slowly through his nose, settling further back in his chair and keeping his eyes trained on Keir. A few seconds passed, and then he looked to Feyre, who then looked to Lena.

Ever so slowly, a small tendril of darkness slithered out from beneath the sleeve of Lena’s cloak, as if it were a snake on the hunt for its prey.

Keir jumped, scrambling to move out of his chair as that tendril began to move straight towards him. Rhys made a small motion with his finger though and the male was shoved back down into the seat.

By the time the tendril of power was slithering up Keir’s shoulders, he was gasping and squirming. Mor was grinning wildly, but Azriel only had eyes for Lena — whom he couldn’t really see.

Was she smiling beneath that hood? Was she grimacing? Did she feel anything at all?

The tendril wrapped around Keir’s neck and curled by his ears almost seductively as he writhed in terror, and then suddenly, it lurched, finding purchase at his temple.

Keir froze completely as the tendril of darkness pressed hard against the side of his head. Rhys eyed Lena, warning her with his gaze to be careful.

A second later the tendril disappeared all at once, leaving Keir slouched and gasping for breath. Mor was still looking on gleefully.

“As you can see,” Lena spoke suddenly, her voice altered by her magic to sound deeper and more ominous, “I have no plans to defect again. The Night Court suits my… particular tastes more than Hybern ever did.”

Azriel could feel her looking at him from beneath that hood and forced himself to keep still.

Keir sneered, steeling himself as if he were about to be foolish enough to attack, earning himself a growl from both Azriel and Mor.

“Well now that we’ve gotten the dramatics out of the way,” Feyre jumped in, settling the table down just slightly, “why don’t we get to the real reason why we’re here.”

“Oh I know why you’re here,” Keir said simply.

Rhys arched his brow. “Oh?”

For the next few minutes, Keir proceeded to claim sympathy to Hybern’s cause, prodding Feyre and Rhys at every turn to see how their deal could benefit him the most. Lena remained silent, even when he sneered at and insulted Azriel, her only giveaway was a slight flare in the magic dancing on her fingertips.

No, the only moment in which Lena finally lost her cool persona was when Rhys waved his hand and announced, “bring him in,” and the doors opened to reveal none other than Eris, heir to the Autumn Court.

~~~~~

A dagger made of jet-black night flew past Eris’s had the moment he stepped in, embedding itself in the wall behind him and taking a chunk of his hair in the process.

Eris yelped, jumping a half-second too late, reaching for his neck. His hand drew away with speckles of blood — the knife had barely grazed his neck.

Immediately, his eyes darted up to look at the creature beneath the cloak, the one that he had seen on the ice in the Autumn Court weeks ago, and the one who had just drew his blood and took a chunk of his hair.

“You,” he seethed.

“Welcome back, Eris,” Rhys drawled, unperturbed by Lena’s outburst. Were it not for the part they were playing, she would have already misted Eris just for the expression he caused on Mor’s face when he walked in the door. “It’s been what—five centuries since you last set foot in here?”

Lena loosed a terrible growl from beneath her hood. Azriel could feel her looking at him — but he kept his face turned.

He couldn’t face her, not yet. Not when she had asked him if something was wrong in the tunnel and he had lied to her face.

Everything was wrong. While she had been resting at the townhouse he and Rhys had gone to the Autumn Court without telling their mates — and gotten their asses caught by Eris, a mistake Azriel would hate himself for making for years to come.

And now Mor was paying for it. And he didn’t have to see Lena’s face to know she was looking at him with utter contempt and betrayal.

He hated himself even more for causing that.

“That thing,” Eris hissed, completely ignoring Rhys’s words as he pointed a shaking hand at Lena, “almost killed my brothers and I. It winnowed us a quarter mile high in the air above my father’s manor and let us drop.”

“What a shame,” Feyre shot back through gritted teeth, her hands clutching the edge of the table. Rage flashed through her eyes and Lena knew in that moment that the only ones not surprised by Eris’s arrival were Rhys and Azriel. “I hate that you and your brothers got hurt when I was saved from you trying to kill me.”

Eris sneered at Feyre, causing Rhys to loose a feral growl that silenced the room immediately.

“Enough,” he said calmly — too calmly. The room stilled, though the tension remained.

Rhys proceeded to broker a pointless deal between Keir and Eris that Keir ultimately denied. Lena didn’t bother hiding her disgust and loathing in her magic and posture as Rhys gave up Velaris to get Keir’s Darkbringer legion.

Rhys flinched as his sister tapped none-too-gently on his mental shields. He hesitated. She tapped harder.

Not the time, Lena, he speared across the mental space. He made to close his shields once again, but Lena had them pried open at her disposal.

You can stop this, she shot at him rapidly. I can wipe their memories and we can find another way that doesn’t result in the complete betrayal of your only family member that has never left your side. She could feel Rhys hesitate at the thought. This isn’t you, Rhys. This is—

It has to be me, Rhys cut her off, wincing with the effort it took to push Lena out and snap his shields closed once more.

Lena tuned out, eyes trained on the floor beneath her as Feyre spoke with Keir about the Ouroboros mirror. It was an effort not to sway on her feet.

The way that Rhys had sounded, the way he had spoken… it was like hearing him again.

It was only when Keir exited, the door slamming shut behind him, that Lena snapped back to reality.

“You look well, Mor,” Eris drawled, sipping from his wine.

Lena had a fistful of his red hair in her hands and a knife at his throat before he could even finish saying Mor’s name. Feyre gasped and Azriel shot to his feet.

“L—” Rhys cut himself off just in time. “That’s enough. Let him go.” Lena only growled, digging the knife in harder, but not enough to draw blood.

“This agreement doesn’t involve you,” Eris spat, wincing in pain as Lena pulled his hair harder. “You’re not even Night Court — you’re an outlier.”

“I said let him go,” Rhys commanded with his voice raised.

Lena hesitated, letting her eyes show as she looked up at Azriel.

Betrayal. Disgust. Contempt. It was like another arrow to the heart to have her look at him like that.

Lena released Eris, shoving him forward in his seat. By the time he whirled around to lunge at her she was on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall casually with her ankles and arms crossed.

He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly as Lena extended her darkness-covered hand and made a sensual come-hither motion. Almost as if to say, ‘come on, let’s play a little.’

“This arrangement relies on you keeping your mouth shut,” Rhys snapped. Eris gulped as Lena made a biting gesture from beneath her hood, her canines sharp and gleaming against the darkness.

“How exactly did this come about?” Feyre asked, her voice tight.

“Please,” Eris drawled, leaning back in his chair and rolling his shoulders. “I knew your shadowsinger would come around to see if I’d told my father about your powers. My brothers may have mysteriously forget about them, but I know a thing or two about daemati.”

Lena was grateful they couldn’t see her face pale. Rhys and Azriel had gone to the Autumn Court to wipe Eris’s memory to protect Feyre.

Eris went on to describe why he chose not to tell Beron about Feyre’s powers, and he was foolish enough to continue insulting Mor, though Lena made no moves at the taunts and jabs.

She was biding her time.

Lena had no interest in Eris’s family drama as he explained bits and pieces of Lucien’s past and his involvement in it.

But when Azriel finally spoke, his face and voice coated in frozen rage, Lena didn’t bother trying to restrain her glass-shattering snarl as he announced, “When the time comes, we’re to endorse Eris’s bid to his father’s throne.”

Everyone in the room jumped at Lena’s outburst save for Azriel, who kept his eyes trained on the table, now covered in glass and wine.

“What is that thing?” Eris whispered.

“None of your concern,” Feyre said softly. “If you want to keep your life, that is.”

“I’m making a deal with you,” Eris snapped. “Not to mention I’m keeping your little secret from my father, so how about a little gratitude?”

“Gratitude?” Mor deadpanned. The room went completely still. “You expect gratitude?”

Eris looked between Mor and Azriel, smiling faintly. “You know I'm surprised you still can’t control yourself around him. You had every emotion written right on that pretty face of yours.”

“Watch it,” Azriel snarled.

Eris rolled his eyes — a foolish move that Lena added to the growing list in her mind. “I wouldn’t have touched you,” he said to Mor. “But when you fucked that other bastard—” Rhys and Feyre both snarled, though Lena was curiously silent at the jab. “I knew why you did it. I ended it, I gave you your freedom.”

“And what happened next,” Azriel growled, pure wrath coating his voice.

“There are few things I regret,” Eris said, standing to his feet and carefully buttoning his shirt as he walked around the table and towards the door. The chunk of hair missing from the left side of his face made the effort of sophistication look ridiculous. “That is one of them. But… perhaps one day, now that we are allies—”

Eris froze, grunting as he moved to lift his foot from the stone floor.

Azriel was the first to notice that it was darkness coating Eris’s foot, keeping it in place — and not Rhys or Feyre’s darkness. This darkness spoke of a wrath even he didn’t know of.

Eris cursed, trying yet again to lift his foot only to find it stuck to the stone floor beneath him, half of his leg wrapped in utter darkness. Lena began to stalk towards him then, a flash of white teeth showing beneath that hood that gave men nightmares.

“Enough,” Rhys snapped, shooting to his feet. “Let him go, we’re done here.”

“Not yet we aren’t,” Lena hissed, not bothering to alter her voice.

Eris paled, staring in shock as she stepped in front of him, a darkness that spoke of pure rage swirling around her hands. “You’re a woman?”

“Shut your mouth,” Lena hissed, grabbing his face with one hand. Rhys shouted at her once again, but a heartbeat later he was shoved back into his seat by her power. Feyre growled, but didn’t move from her seat. “Which hand?”

“What?” Eris asked incredulously, his voice muffled where she held his cheeks painfully. “What are you—”

“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Lena spat from beneath her hood. “Mor. Which hand?”

They all realized what Lena was asking at the same time.

Which hand was it that Eris used to put that pike through Mor’s abdomen when he left her in the woods all those years ago. A terrible silence echoed through the room as Eris began to tremble, unable to speak or move.

Azriel cleared his throat. “Why don’t we—”

“The left one,” Mor interrupted, her voice clear and even.

The words weren’t even all the way out of Mor’s mouth before Lena shattered every bone in Eris’s left hand.

The scream that came out of his mouth was almost animalistic as Lena let him drop to the ground, stepping over him with total indifference. The others could only stare. Rhys and Azriel had paled considerably, while Mor and Feyre both smiled.

“We made an alliance,” Eris growled, clutching his hand as he stood to his feet, stumbling into the wall beside him.

“And it still stands,” Lena said. “But like you said before,” her teeth flashed once again, “I’m an outlier. Now why don’t you go on and run back to the Autumn Court, and go fuck yourself.”

Silently, Lena extended a hand to Mor, the darkness on her hand nowhere in sight. Mor took it quickly and the two stalked out of the room hand-in-hand without a single glance back at any of the males in the room.

~~~~~

Nobody said a word as the group met back up with Nesta and Amren. Lena growled as Rhys extended his hand, winnowing all the females back to the town house without even touching them.

Rhys and Azriel looked at one another, both of their expressions covered in regret as they winnowed after the females they loved.

The moment the pair landed in the town house, everyone whirled on them — Cassian and Lucien included.

Lena took a step forward, the hood of her cloak falling back to reveal eyes that neither her brother nor her mate had ever seen holding that much rage.

She opened her mouth to speak, her chest heaving with deep breaths. But then she pursed her lips, turning on her heel and looking at Mor — letting her cousin control the proceeding narrative.

“Why?” Mor asked, tears running down her face. Rhys was silent. “Why?” She slammed her hands into his chest.

“Eris found Azriel,” Rhys said, his hands held up, “our hands were tied. I did what I thought I had to, I'm sorry.”

“Oh he found you, did he?” Lena spat, glaring at her mate, who refused to make eye contact with her. “How interesting. Perhaps if you hadn’t kept that from me—”

“I asked him to,” Rhys cut in. Contrary to what he expected, that only made Lena’s eyes flare with even more anger.

“I can’t believe you,” Lena whispered, stepping up to Mor’s side with Cassian on the other. “I can’t believe you would do this, Rhys.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Mor asked, whirling on Azriel, who held her gaze. He didn’t even flinch, not a muscle in his body moved.

But Lena saw it. The hurt. The regret.

And she thought to herself that she should probably be horrified that she didn’t care.

“You would have tried to stop it,” he said. “We can’t afford to lose Keir’s alliance — and face the threat of Eris.”

“You’re working with that prick?” Cassian cut in, wings flaring protectively over Mor in his anger.

“What you should have done is spike is fucking head to the front gate,” Lena seethed.

“Don’t start with me,” Rhys said lowly.

The tension that shot through the room was almost suffocating.

“Excuse me?” Lena asked, her voice slow and promising of an equally paced death.

Rhys’s nostrils flared. “We had a plan, Lena, and it was under control. It only started to go to hell when you threatened Eris not once, but twice, and then broke his Cauldron-damned hand. He could decide tomorrow he wants to back out and it will mean we are all screwed.”

“He won’t back out and you know it,” Lena shot right back, not perturbed in the slightest while any other person would have been intimidated at Rhys losing his cool with them. But not Lena — not even when she probably should have been.

“This isn’t about Eris,” Mor said once again, her voice shaking and fresh tears falling down her flushed cheeks. “It’s about here.” The room stilled once again. “This is my home and you are going to let Keir destroy it.”

“I took precautions,” Rhys said with an edge to his voice.

“Fuck your precautions,” Lena shot back immediately.

“Watch it,” Feyre snapped, but Lena paid her no mind.

“They’re still going to be on these streets, Rhys,” Lena continued. “Tainting it at every turn. Do you expect Mor to go hang out at the bar with her father the last Monday of every month? What were you thinking?”

“What would you have had me do, Lena?” Rhys shouted, his temper finally slipping. Cassian took a careful step positioning himself in front of both Mor and Nesta, while Azriel made a single step bringing him closer to Lena than he was to Rhys. “Please enlighten me sister, since we all know you wish you had this job instead. If you’re so damn smart, what would you have done after we got caught by Eris, after Keir made those demands in return for his legion which we desperately need? Huh? What would you have done, Lena?”

There was a beat.

Lena began to chuckle then, a low, horrible sound that reminded every person in that room who she had been for the past five centuries. Who a part of her still was — and always would be.

“It doesn’t matter what I would have done, Rhysand,” Lena said softly. “What matters is that he would have done the same thing.”`

Rhys paled, his eyes wide. “Don’t say that,” he whispered. “Don’t you dare say that to me.”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Lena challenged, shoulders straight. “Tell me I’m wrong that our father wouldn’t have done the exact same thing.”

“He would have relished in it,” Rhys snapped. The siblings’s magic flared at the same time, colliding against one another. “You think I enjoyed what I had to do? I’m doing it save our people, to save all of us!”

“If Amarantha were alive,” Mor choked out before Lena could speak. “If she were alive and I offered to work with her, even if it was to save us all — how would you feel?”

Just like that, both heirs of the Night Court’s magic seemed to shrivel in on itself. Lena blanched as she was reminded that she wasn’t the only one in the room to have suffered horrible tortures at their enemy’s hand. And what Rhys had gone through… she felt like she needed to vomit at the reminder of what she had been unable to stop for 49 years.

“If Amarantha offered us a slim shot at survival, then I would not give a shit that she made me fuck her for all those years.”

Immediately, Lena winnowed out of the town house, falling to her knees and vomiting everywhere.

Nobody followed her, she didn’t expect them to nor did she want them to. The thought of Amarantha, that horrible, horrible female that loved to torture her for centuries, having Rhys, her sweet brother as her whore—

Lena vomited once more, the wood beneath her staining with bile and wine. It quickly turned into dry heaves wracking her entire body.

The things she had said to him — she had meant them. What he had done was something Aeron would have certainly done were he still alive, but it was a cheap shot and she knew it. She had known it at the time.

But seeing Mor, who had been through enough, have to face the male who had put that pike right through her gut — it was too much. Lena didn’t get set off easily, but when she did, there wasn’t much to stop it. Other than the reminder of her brother’s abuse at that bitch’s hands.

Lena wiped her mouth with the back of her cloak sleeve, lurching when she realized she was still wearing it — the reminder of what she was capable of.

Immediately, she scrambled, tearing the cloak off of her body in a clumsy struggle, flinging it away from her. The moment it was no longer touching her, she felt like she could breathe all over again.

Her head tilted back, letting the moonlight kiss her skin as her hair tumbled free behind her. She took a deep breath, letting that Velaris air fill her and remind her that she was alive, that she was safe, that she was free. Everything might be going to shit and their Circle might be tearing apart at the seams, but she was free.

It was the sound of the waves that brought Lena back to the present. She lowered her head, looking around her and realizing she was at the docks. A smile worked its way onto her face almost instantaneously at the familiar sight.

The docks were her favorite spot just before the bridge over the Sidra. At that hour they were blissfully empty, though the waves lapped gently against the boats and the wooden structures.

She remained there for a while — she didn’t know how long. An hour. Maybe two. However long it was, she let the waves calm her, let her mind go blank and the fear and the rage and the reminders of what she had done roll away with the ebbing tide.

Seconds before Azriel touched down behind her, Lena magicked away her sick from earlier. He didn’t need to worry himself about that no matter how pissed she was at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said the moment his boots hit the dock. Lena didn’t turn from where she knelt — partially to be dramatic and partially because she feared her legs were asleep. “I know there’s no excuse for not telling you what we were doing.”

“Give me one anyway,” she whispered, though her words didn’t carry nearly the amount of bite as she hoped for.

“You would have told Mor and tried to stop the whole thing,” he said. “You would have killed Eris and Keir on sight. You needed to rest and I didn’t want to worry you with another mission when you almost died on the last one. I made a mistake and didn’t want to tell you.”

Lena did whirl at that, her brow scrunched in incredulity. “You didn’t want to tell me you made a mistake?”

“Eris never should have caught me. If you had been there, or if I hadn’t been distracted—”

“Azriel I don’t know why you expect me of all people to think you’re perfect, but—”

Lena stumbled as she stood to her feet, her knees weak from kneeling for so long and buckling beneath her. Azriel was there in an instant, strong, corded arms wrapped around her middle and holding her steady. Lena couldn’t help how her breath caught as they met eyes.

“Clearly,” she said hoarsely, “I’m not perfect. Far cry from it. We make mistakes, Az, they’re bound to happen. Hiding them from me is only going to make them worse though.”

Azriel didn’t move a muscle, though his face showed more vulnerability than Lena knew he was used to. She raised a hand, trailing her fingers across his sharp cheekbones and down his jawline.

“We messed up,” he whispered. “We broke her heart.”

“Yes, you did,” Lena said simply.

“Can we fix it?”

“I don’t know. But I do know that you can love her harder now.”

Azriel inhaled shakily, leaning down and resting his head on Lena’s shoulder. Her hands went to his hair immediately, stroking through the soft dark curls.

“Are you and Rhys going to be okay?”

Lena sighed, looking up at the night sky. “I don’t know that either,” she said honestly. “I shouldn’t have said that about my father. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Rhys is nothing like my father, I would never—” she broke off, her voice catching painfully. “I wasn’t there to save him,” she choked out. “49 years and I was asleep even though I could have woken myself up, but I chose to stay because of you and because of Rydan and I abandoned him, Azriel. I abandoned my brother.”

Azriel stood to his full height, wrapping his arms tightly around Lena’s shoulders as she buried her face in his leathers.

They remained at the docks beneath the moonlight and the night sky that had always brought them comfort until it bled orange and yellow and red, wrapped in one another’s arms as their hearts raged and tumbled against the Mother’s plans for them in this War.

And it was only the beginning.

#acotar #acomaf #acowar #azriel fanfiction #sad oats #literally didn't even spellcheck other than a once over im so sorry for any errors ill come back to it when i can #im on a train right now and tired af but ill be busy for the next four days so probably no update till sunday #so there's this!!!!#what do yall think???#let me know in my asks and i always read tags and I LIVE FOR REBLOGS WITH COMMENTS THEY'RE LIKE MY HEROIN #next chapter is alternatively titled Twisted Lena is Twisted #i'll let yall figure out what that might be #bc clearly lena is fucked up rn and needs to get her priorities straight #but i still love my daughter #anywho im done in the tags now bye thanks for reading please reblog like comment tag asks whatever ily lots

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cinnalock · 6 years

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Quinn Rhea-Broderick Masterlist

((The collection of info/headcanons for Quinn. Like with some of my other OCs, I’ll make new, separate posts for any new headcanons for her, but then I’ll update this list as well so everything can be altogether for convenience.))

Quinn Rhea-Broderick is an albino with very short white hair, pale skin, and green eyes and she has a mole under her right eye. She’s tall (5’8”) and has a toned, but not bulky build with defined muscle structure.

Quinn is the only daughter of Martin and Charlotte Rhea. Martin was the former hero Black Corsair and had telekinetic-based shielding powers; he died when Quinn was a child by trying to smother an explosion that would’ve killed tons of civilians. This has made Quinn slightly resentful of heroes as she believes they’re glory-seekers who don’t care about the people they leave behind.

Charlotte re-married Aaron Broderick a few years after Martin’s death. Aaron is an ex-Marine and former championship boxer, but he settled down after marrying Charlotte and built a farm next to their house. Quinn was slow to warm up to Aaron, but with time and patience his presence helped her cope with the loss of her biological father.

Quinn dropped out of high school at age 17 to enlist in the Marines. She actively served 6 years before she started working at an autoshop in Sternbild for the brother of one of her commanding officers. The brother ended up attempting insurance fraud by burning the business a few months after she started. He was caught and arrested for this, and Quinn moved on to being a bartender and bouncer for a strip club afterwards.

Quinn’s NEXT ability is called “Feral” and it functions similarly to the 100 Power. While Feral is activated, Quinn gains immense physical strength, speed, and agility (though not to the same capacity as 100 Power) and heightened senses. There is no time limit to how long Feral can be activated, but when it’s deactivated it has a 4 hour “cool down” before she can use it again. The downside of Feral is that the longer she has it activated, the less rational Quinn gets as she slowly becomes a rabid beast. If she’s too far gone to know to deactivate Feral, the only way to stop Quinn’s violent behavior is to knock her out.

Quinn is a mechanical genius. It all started with her working on cars, tractors, and other farming equipment with Aaron but even as an extremely young teen the inner workings of machines just “clicked” with her. Her mother tried to convince her to go to college and get an engineering degree, but building and fixing machines isn’t her passion as much as it is a skill and a mild hobby at best.

She also has an extensive knowledge of agriculture due to her family owning a farm, and she knows how to cook very well because of her mother and step-grandmother, but doesn’t think she’s good since she’s not as good at cooking as they are. Their farm was relatively small and had cows and chickens, but was mostly a produce farm along with a few pecan and apple trees.

She owns an iguana named Charlie and an african grey parrot named Hilda. Hilda’s a very intelligent, but mischievous bird with a wide vocabulary due to Quinn leaving the TV on for her while she’s at work.

Quinn’s a former smoker and struggles with the addiction on a regular basis. She started in high school shortly before she dropped out and it got worse when she enlisted. Once she started working at the autoshop, she put in an active effort to stop. She’s quit for the most part, but she still has an electronic cigarette she uses if she’s desperate and it’s not uncommon to see a nicotine patch on her arm.

Quinn’s background music would be “Spiteful” by CFO$. 

Quinn’s voice actor would be Ashly Burch (Cassie Cage, Mortal Kombat). 

Quinn starts the series with short hair and starts growing it out through the timeskip.

Quinn enjoys drinking sweet tea, and God have mercy on any soul who brings her unsweet tea and sugar packets thinking it’s the same thing.

She spends a lot of her spare time at the gym or at a circus arts school where she takes classes in acrobatics and pole dancing.

Quinn’s favorite food is prime rib with horseradish sauce. (in reality her favorite food is basically horseradish and she’ll eat anything smothered in it, but she thinks it goes best with beef)

Martin, Charlotte, and Quinn are white. Aaron is half-black, half-Korean and Quinn is fluent in Korean because of him and his mother (her step-grandmother), but she cannot read Korean.

Martin’s parents live on the other side of the country. They grew distant with Charlotte and Quinn after Martin’s death, but became hostile towards Charlotte and harassed her via the phone and internet when she decided to marry Aaron and the family severed ties with them completely. Charlotte took Aaron’s last name, Broderick, but Quinn’s last name is Rhea-Broderick.

Quinn’s guilty pleasure is Animal Crossing (or at least a non-copyright T&B equivalent of it). She bought a 3DS specifically for New Leaf, but now anytime she’s staring at her phone there’s a 100% chance she’s playing Pocket Camp. Marjorie is the only one she speaks enthusiastically about the game with, but she’s horribly embarrassed about it in front of anyone else.

When Quinn becomes a hero herself, her hero name is Sergeant Wolf. “Sergeant” comes from her rank in the Marines, “Wolf” references her Feral ability. Quinn’s hero suit is similar to a military stealth uniform (imagine a hybrid between Omega Squad Teemo from League of Legends and Ana Amari from Overwatch) which includes a cowl with decorative wolf ears, bodysuit/fatigues, and a gas mask.

As a hero, Quinn tries to utilize her military training as best as she can and uses Feral as a last result. Her arsenal includes batons, pepper spray, tasers, and various firearms equipped with rubber bullets and concussion rounds.

Given the nature of her hero persona, part of Quinn’s hero duties involves being a presenter and educator in firearm safety programs.

She likes dark chocolate and puts candy bars in the fridge/freezer before eating them.

Since Quinn has albinism, her skin is extremely sensitive. She uses spray-on sunscreen if she goes out during heavy sunlight or otherwise wears lots of clothing and sunglasses. She and Marjorie (@eclatantfemme) also splurge on hypoallergenic and/or organic laundry and bath products because they like to have scented products, but can’t buy mainstream items that’ll break Quinn’s skin out.

Quinn is bisexual, though she was never a huge one for relationships as much as she was open to just casual sex. Her “type” was feminine girls and androgynous/effeminate/twink boys. Keith is her first boyfriend who’s considerably masculine, but it doesn’t diminish her attraction to him in the slightest.

For the most part, Quinn’s bad with electronics. Not with the hardware, just using them for personal reasons. She doesn’t get on the internet or check her email regularly or use social media. She doesn’t get the appeal of streaming sites like Netflix and doesn’t know how to set it up on the TV if someone asks to switch to it from the cable. If someone tells her she should learn how to do these things or get an account on a social site or lecture her about not checking her email, Quinn just shrugs them off.

Quinn’s image song is “Bubblegum Bitch” by Marina and the Diamonds.

I’m having trouble finding an anime faceclaim for her, but currently she looks most like Najenda from Akame ga Kill. After the post anime series timeskip, she grows her hair out similarly to Ria Iwamura from King’s Game.

Quinn and Marjorie’s apartment is impeccably clean all the time. Between Marjorie’s speed and Quinn’s military training, chores get done fast and efficiently before they ever have a chance to pile up.

Since Marjorie’s power gives her a hyper fast metabolism and Quinn’s a gym junkie, they have an entire cabinet and a drawer in their fridge dedicated to high protein snacks.

Both of them are mature in general, but the girls get childishly competitive when they get into eating or drinking contests with each other. There’s two buffets in Sternbild that have banned them and a few more that are weary of them ever coming back.

Quinn is aware that Marjorie is a strong woman who can take care of herself, but Marjorie is her sister and if you hurt her then Quinn doesn’t need Feral to turn your face into a bloody pulp (upset Marjorie then just go ahead and skip town or maybe flee the country, for your own safety).   Quinn has this ritual/joke with Marjorie’s partners where she tells them that they have to beat her in an arm-wrestling match before they can date Marjorie. She’s never enforced this, though, and it’s mainly just to show them that if they hurt Marjorie then how easily Quinn could hurt them back with how quickly she wins the matches. The only one that’s ever beaten her is Barnaby; since he and Quinn are both super serious when it comes to how much they care for Marjorie, they actually ended up breaking into Feral and 100 Power to try and win over each other. Barnaby actually accidentally broke Quinn’s arm in the process, but she wasn’t upset despite him being apologetic (and a bit horrified with himself for taking a “game” so far) and she doesn’t hold a grudge. In fact, she was happy he didn’t hold anything back since she felt it showed how serious he was about being able to date Marjorie.

If she were a Pokemon or a trainer, her type would be fighting.

At the Disney parks, her most favorite ride is Mt. Everest at Animal Kingdom. She also loves Dole Whip and churros (especially the special edition flavors) to the point where her companions have to remind her she should probably drink water and eat a vegetable at SOME point during the day.

Quinn’s really great at carnival games that involve tossing balls (shooting baskets, getting the ball in the milk jugs with the rubber rims, knocking down the stacks of bottles). She’s surprisingly bad at any games involving guns (the water squirters and the shooting range). The only arcade game she’s good at is skeeball because #BadAtTechnology  Charlie’s a lot more docile than Hilda in terms of pet maintenance, but he’ll scratch at his terrarium (or just climb out) and crawl over to watch TV if cartoons are on because he likes the bright colors.

Speaking of Quinn’s pets, the two actually get along quite well despite being vastly different species. Even though Hilda loves causing chaos, one trick she actually obeys without question is when Quinn tells her to share their fresh fruit treats with Charlie; Hilda will fly over and drop the pieces in Charlie’s terrarium.

When talking about them, Quinn refers to Martin as “Dad” and Aaron as “Papa” (in the transition his name went from “Mister Aaron” to “Papa Aaron” to “Papa”).

Despite being physically active for the most part, Quinn does actually read a lot when she gets the chance. If she’s warming up the treadmill or bike before really getting into her work out, if it’s a slow shift at work, or if she’s waiting for tasks to complete for Pocket Camp, she’ll have a book to peck through to keep from getting bored. Since she’s not always a consistent reader she doesn’t like anything too complicated to read so it’s easy to pick up and put down as necessary. She mostly reads memoir books or books written by celebrities and saves any story/plot-heavy books to read before she goes to bed.

Quinn had a couple of summer jobs in-between school years before she joined the military. The first was at a small frozen yogurt shop that closed down the following winter due to not enough business during the colder months. The second job was as an assistant to one of her classmate’s fathers, a wedding photographer (she has a good amount of wedding horror stories from that summer alone).

Regarding her second summer job, most of her responsibilities were helping carrying equipment and assisting with directing posed photos (like she’d be the person to throw the bride’s veil up in the air and then jump out of the shot for an in-motion picture). Her boss taught her the basics of how to use a fancy camera, but the knowledge didn’t stick, but she managed a video camera just fine so he’d let Quinn manage that part if a wedding video was part of the contract. A meal for each of them was also part of the contract and, if she could, Quinn took a tubberware container to take a piece (or two or three) of cake to take home for her and Marjorie to eat while they gossiped about the event. (“Yeah, the groom and best man getting into a fistfight was bad, but the real tragedy was the bride thinking that lime buttercream would go with german chocolate…”)

#quinn rhea broderick #quinn masterlist

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