#guy that likes getting beaten up and dying meets guy that doesn’t see the point of fighting without a proper reason | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

steviewashere · 3 months

Text

Jump the Fence, I'll Meet You There

Rating: General CW: Vague Discussion of Death/Eddie Coming Back to the Living, Hospital Setting Tags: Pre-Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson Lives, Love Confession For the @steddielovemonth prompt: "Love is being terrified but not letting that stop you from taking a leap."

💕—————💕

In truth, no love story has a happy ending. It’s bittersweet, the nature of loving things. Material objects will become lost to time. And people—characters and those that are real—pass bloody or peacefully, sated and howling in pain, crumpled or stock still like planks of wood. What matters in the midst of saying goodbye and caressing their cheek, is if the time leading to that point was worthwhile. Which, in the curiosity of love, it has to have been—you saw into the depths of their soul, what scared them, if they feared the dawn of man and soft glow of the moon; you laid bare naked, hand in hand, seduced by eyes alone, and you promised forever between kisses. What’s more romantic than that? What’s more romantic than seeing them to the end?

But what’s more romantic than welcoming them back? Finding them amongst the rubble? Guiding them back to their chair, tucking the blanket around their lap, squeezing their hands? What’s more romantic than existing?

March of 1986 brought terror, blood, heartbreak, grief, and dirt to the shaking hands of Hawkins. There was war and loss. Sobs and bated breath. But, somehow in it all, there was the most important thing: love. The four letters that allowed wounds to be stitched and panic attacks to be had and hands to be held.

Edward—Eddie, as he likes to be called—Munson was born into a misfortunate family. It seemed that if something bad could happen, then it would happen. And it didn’t have to be insurmountable, almost unbelievable things—but, they were. And they happened. And it’s followed Eddie to the edge of Mordor. He’s an only child with ten cousins all around. A couple loose ended aunts and one reserved uncle. Dad who liked crime and money and drugs. Mom who liked warmth and a full house and her bluegrass music. Tennessee born, Indiana raised. He had his dysfunctional family. Watched his dad get carted off to jail more times than the amount of fingers on his hands. Was there when his mom grew dark-circled, blood vessel-bursted, and gaunt; was even there to kiss her nose and pet her back as she dissipated to somewhere great beyond in front of his very eyes. So, he knows hardships. He knows misfortune. And he knows that whatever fate the gods had given him, it was going to be dying in the face of a herd of unrecognizable things, blood soaked, open wounds, and drifting.

But then he wakes up. He wakes up, eyes bleary, choking on a tube, shaved head, and patchwork scars crafted from skin grafts and dark sutured stitches. He’s a hideous, pink and purple and painful mess. And he’s alive. God, he’s alive.

There’s people. Lots of visitors. Handfuls of cards. Thousands of rose petals. The most important attribute to his waking existence, though, is Steve Harrington at his bedside.

They had met many years ago. Well, as many as three, but in the face of grave danger and sacrifices, it’s almost three entire lifetimes. Steve was hankering for weed, to which Eddie could supply. He was beaten swollen and nauseous from the pain. And Eddie had cut him a deal, “You tell your buddies to lay off of me and I’ll give you a week’s worth for only five bucks. You’re ripping me off, but you obviously need something. Something that nobody else is giving you.”

It was barely anything, though. And at the near-end of the world, they still barely knew each other. Yes, Steve is a good person. A good guy. Yes, he’s magnificent and teasing and bitchy and pretty. Yes, he’s everything that Eddie hoped he’d be. But that still doesn’t explain why Steve is here. At all. Why should he be here? Shouldn’t he be at home, cuddled up to Nancy Wheeler (his ex turned girlfriend?), sharing a bottle of rose, watching some stupid little soap opera? What is this?

“‘Teve? Wh’t you doin’ ‘ere?” He mumbles, voice rough and syrupy from that stupid tube. His hand fumbles on the hospital bed mattress, fingers barely brushing Steve’s, probably cold.

Steve moves closer and pets over the crest of Eddie’s skull. “Waiting for you to wake up,” he whispers, “making sure you make it back to us.”

“‘M ‘ere, ‘teve. ‘M ‘ere.”

“I know,” Steve murmurs. “You gotta stay here, you hear me? No more—No more being a hero. No more of that, you understand? I—No more going somewhere we can’t find you.”

Eddie wants to roll his eyes. Romantic, Steve’s just a romantic. He flirts with life. He’d kiss God’s knuckles if he could. But the way his hand caresses, soft over what remains of Eddie’s hair, all of Eddie folds like batter. “Found me?” His voice lilts.

Steve nods. “Yeah,” he whispers. “And—God, Eddie, I gotta admit that you scared me.”

“Why?”

“Why?!” Steve exclaims, though soft. His face is extremely close to Eddie’s, voice traveling to Eddie’s ears like early spring breezes. The hand on his hair travels down to his uninjured cheek. There’s a thumb sweeping under his eye. “Because we almost lost you. You were—All you did was look at me, so far away from me. I carried you outta hell and I thought you were already gone. Eddie, I almost lost you.”

Eddie sighs. The strength to talk comes back ten fold, though his voice is still rough. “What’s it matter to you? We don’t know each other.”

He startles away from Eddie a little bit. Wounded, offended. Then, he softens. “We don’t,” he agrees. “But I want to know you. You ever think about that? Like…We can be friends. We can be friends and hang out and watch movies and you can critique my taste in music or something. And I—I don’t know what I’m feeling, Eddie. All I know is that I want to…”

Settling into the hold Steve still has on his face, Eddie sighs once more. Though softly. Enamored, nearly. “To?” He prods.

“Love you, I don’t know,” Steve whispers. “Is that—That’s a lot, I’m sorry. But I’m so afraid right now, Eddie. I’m so scared you’ll be gone. That I’ll wake up back in my bedroom and I’ll still be covered in blood and you won’t be here.” Something changes in Steve’s face. Where he’d previously been soft lines and small grin, he’s now wet eyes and crinkles and wobbling lip. He swallows audibly. His breath is leaving him stuttered little puffs. He’s falling apart right in front of Eddie’s eyes. This shouldn’t be allowed.

“Hey,” Eddie softly calls. “Hey, I’m here, Steve. I’m right here.” He places his own palm over the back of Steve’s. From where their touch melds together, Eddie notices Steve's shaking. He’s…God, he’s actually terrified. Eddie wants to coo and hold him close, wants to smooth down his hair and whisper reassuring things. But he’s tired. And Steve is holding on so tightly, yet so hesitantly, Eddie knows that they have each other. “You feel that? You feel me right there?” Steve nods. “That means I’m here. You got me, okay? You don’t need to be scared.”

Trembling, Steve confesses, “I love you." He takes a deep breath. “I love you and it’s strange because I barely know you, but it’s like I should. Like I’ve known you before. Is that weird? Am I freaking you out? I’ll shut up now.”

Eddie’s thumb strokes the warm skin of Steve’s hand. He smiles gently, half of a thing, his other cheek remaining still with the stretch of his new scar. “It’s not weird, but let me web back into the land of the living, alright? Give me a little time. Wait for me. I’ll be here, okay? And you’re gonna be here when I’m ready.” Steve nods again. His hands, god his hands are holding Eddie as if he may fall through the floor.

His eyes are shiny. And his hair is limp, but all the same level of glorious as it usually is. All percolating tears and trembling breath. If this is what it’s like to be loved by Steve, then Eddie will welcome it. He’ll welcome it and welcome it and welcome it until they’re grey on the head, wrinkled and spotted, soft-tummied, and sleepy.

When he’s ready. He’ll have to meet Steve where he jumped to, but Eddie won’t mind. He won’t. He’s half-way to something, he’s sure, but he needs rest. And Steve, kind and understanding, unwavering in Eddie’s sight.

“When I’m ready, Stevie. When I’m ready, I’ll come running to you. I ain’t running away from this.”

💕—————💕

#stranger things #steddie #fanfiction #steddielovemonth #day 3 #Love is being terrified but not letting that stop you from taking a leap #steve harrington #eddie munson

18 notes · View notes

astarionsblueundies · 6 months

Text

I'm a psycho and have been writing BG3 from my Tav's perspective. My dumb smol bean. My silly cinnamon roll. Astarion hates her until he doesn't. Here's their first meeting before anything deviates too much.

Word Count: 2,600 Pairing: (will be) Astarion/Tav Summary: Ashe meets Astarion for the first time. She doesn't think he seems very danegrous at first glance.

“More wreckage, even up there,” Ashe notes, pointing up ahead where a broken pod sits askew, partially buried in the earth.

“We should be careful.” Shadowheart gives a vigilant once-over of the area. “It’s hard to tell from here, but it looks like something may have broken out from the inside. If it held a mind flayer, that won’t be good for us.”

“Oh jeez, good point. Hopefully not, then.”

“Hopefully not,” she sighs.

As they begin cresting the hill with caution, a person comes into view. Humanoid. Not purple. A man with a head that reminds Ashe of a cottonball.

Decidedly not a mind flayer.

“Told you I’m good luck,” Ashe whispers, flashing Shadowheart a smile.

“Well, that remains to be seen. Even an elf can be dangerous.”

Ashe looks the guy over. She’s ignoring the fact that he’s stupidly pretty because that’s irrelevant right now. He’s well-dressed. Seems in fine shape, but not particularly threatening from afar. She tuts, “Such a pessimist, Shadowheart.”

“I prefer realist.”

“And I prefer giving people a chance before assuming the worst.”

“That’s fine, so long as you don’t mind dying young.”

Ashe tamps down a laugh. Shadowheart is actually depressingly funny. “He’s probably just as scared and lost as we are. He doesn’t seem violent from here.”

“A vial of poison is also perfectly harmless when it’s sitting on a table across the room.”

Ashe sighs. “Just let me do the talking, alright? We don’t need to traumatize this poor guy with your dreary outlook just yet.”

“Suit yourself.”

As the two approach, before Ashe can so much as get out a ‘hail and well met’, the man turns to notice them. Relief flashes across his face and he crouches, beckoning them in a hush to come close. “Hurry!”

“I don’t like this,” Shadowheart mutters under her breath.

Ashe discretely elbows her before turning her attention back to the man. “Are you okay? Do you need help?”

“I’ve got one of those brain things cornered.” He creeps up to where the beaten path turns into tall untamed grass, gesturing to a thicket of bushes vaguely out of view. “There, in the grass. You can kill it, can’t you? Like you killed the others?”

Now, a part of Ashe wants to ask just how he knows she killed any others. But that’s only a tiny sliver compared to the much larger part of her that’s happy to people-please herself to death.

“Um, y-yeah... I don’t see why not,” Ashe says slowly, coming up a bit shy on the confidence meter in terms of fighting solo. Her hesitance must be obvious in the nervous glance she casts Shadowheart, because she looks way too amused.

Folding her arms, she gives Ashe a small smile and a tilt of her head. “Well, go on. I’ll just be over here with my dreary outlook while you take care of that.”

Oh, beans. Ashe totally backed herself into this corner. She has no one else to blame. This is her home now.

“Right. No problem,” Ashe says, thinking only of the many many problems.

Fighting alone means all eyes on her. All eyes on her means even the smallest slip of wild magic garners attention. Attention makes her nervous. When she’s nervous her wild magic acts up even more. When her wild magic acts up she becomes a liability. When people realize she’s a liability she’ll get left behind to become a mindflayer. When she—

Okay, long story short, she’s basically crapping her pants right now.

Those poor pants. They’ve been through so much.

“Hello?” the elf prompts. “Are you planning on killing this thing or not?”

She clears her throat and shakes out her hands, just praying for some of that good luck she so likes to convince people she has. “Sorry. Yes. You said it’s right down there?”

“Just there. Do you see it?" He points to somewhere in the realm of what Ashe would consider ‘yonder’.

Sidling up to him, she pops on her tippy toes, swaying as she tries to see from his exact angle. This guy might be about an average height, but Ashe isn’t. He’s got a good foot or more on her and she cannot for the life of her see what the hells he’s—

“Reeeee!” A wild boar comes squealing out the brush scaring the living beans out of Ashe. She clutches at his sleeve in a panic, stumbling backwards with a startled squeak.

He responds in kind, quickly grabbing at her—she assumes to help steady her.

She assumes wrong.

Eyes shooting wide, Ashe yelps as she’s thrown further off balance. A lithe arm wraps around her torso, tugging her body into a firm hold, her back flush to this man’s chest.

Concerning, yes, but not more than the godsdamned dagger now thrust to the column of her neck. That’s twice now within twenty-four hours that she’s met a new person and immediately had a blade to her throat. A new personal record.

“What the—”

“Shh shh, not a sound,” the pale elf whispers warnings into her ear from behind, his voice a low, controlled hum, tinged with just a hint of mania. “Not if you want to keep that darling neck of yours.”

She does. She really does.

“Now, I saw you on the ship, didn’t I?”

Ashe briefly contemplates how to answer him while remaining in compliance with the whole ‘not a sound’ thing. An unsure noise leaks out from her throat.

“Nod,” he suggests–not without condescension.

Ah, a brilliant idea. She does that.

“Splendid,” he says, almost jovial before his voice drops into something loathsome. Spitting like an adder. “And now you’re going to tell me exactly what you and those tentacled freaks did to me.”

So… this feels like permission to speak now, right? She thinks? She hopes?

The words just kind of tumble out of Ashe in an anxious display of unfiltered thoughts becoming speech—a mild character flaw. “Oh. Wow, okay. That is–” she swallows, finding it difficult to breathe, let alone speak, “Th-that is a very sharp knife, sir.”

“My, as are you,” the man grappling her murmurs, wrenching her tighter against him, pressing the blade’s edge firm enough to just barely break skin.

Ashe winces and scrabbles to grab at his forearms. Her fingertips dig into him. It’s not like she’s even trying to pry him away—she’s not exactly an impressive physical specimen. It’s purely for stability because her knees feel like undercooked gelatin right about now.

Oh, Shadowheart is going to have an I-told-you-so field day with this later. Presuming Ashe lives, of course.

“Now would be a good time to tell me,” he orders again, patience wearing thin. Casting a warning look at Shadowheart who spectates weary and guarded, the elf snaps at her, too. “And you, keep your distance. No need for this to get messy.”

“I need her alive,” Shadowheart states matter-of-factly, lip twitching with distaste. She’s about a thousand times calmer than Ashe, which is impressive. Though, to be fair, she doesn’t have a knife kissing her carotid… “Stow that blade or I’ll show you just how messy things can get.”

Ashe internally notes to remain on Shadowheart’s good side.

The elf lets out a laugh. Genuine amusement. “Ah hah! Promises, promises. But I have other business, I’m afraid.”

This man is insane, Ashe decides.

“And unless your adorable little friend here decides to–” he cuts off with a sharp hiss.

Ashe feels it too. The ever-familar keen invasion of the mind. A connection being formed and stretched taut, fastening hers to his.

Her head feels all swimmy. Visions and emotions–some her own, some not at all–twisting into a strange amalgamation of despair and shadowy alleys she’s never seen.

If her knees were wobbly before, he’s basically the only thing holding her up now.

The connection severs as quickly as it formed. A jarring stop that leaves both of them sucking in a breath.

“What… what in the hells was that?!” her assailant demands, his blade a firm reminder to her throat that it had better produce some good answers quickly.

“I-I… don’t know for sure,” Ashe manages to eke out, just trying to stay vertical.

It’s been kind of a day.

“What do you mean you don’t know. You must know. I saw you strutting about that place while I was trapped in a damned pod!”

“I–strutting?” she questions, pulling a face. She’s pretty sure she hasn’t strutted a day in her life. Doesn’t even know how.

The blade slices deepers and she feels highly encouraged to answer in a rush.

“Look, i-if I was strutting anywhere, I assure you it was all very escape-oriented strutting, okay?! I was a prisoner too. We both were–Shadowheart and I–and we all have those… those things in our heads. I-I think that’s what just happened. It links our minds or something.”

After a moment of pause, the elf finally speaks. “Yes,” he murmurs, like the pieces are finally clicking. “Yes, that must be it.” His grip loosens and when he lets go entirely, Ashe goes stumbling forward on her limp noodle legs.

She’s thankful for Shadowheart who catches her by the arm, and yanks her up straight by her side without missing a beat. “What was that about not dangerous?” She mutters under her breath to Ashe.

“It’s possible I was mistaken.” Ashe presses her palm to her throat, holding it there a moment before pulling it back to look down at the thin sheen of red smeared on it. It seems… not too too bad

“You’re not one of them,” the man decides aloud, drawing her attention back to him. “They took you, just the same as they took me.” He’s contemplative now. Downright rational compared to thirty seconds ago.

“We’re all in the same boat here,” Ashe assures, looking around as she gathers some semblance of bones back in her knees. “A very weird, flying, tentacley boat… but, you know, a boat nonetheless.”

“Tentacley,” Shadowheart repeats with distinct disapproval.

Uh oh. If she’s a stickler for made-up words then oof, she is going to have a roughy-toughy of a time with Ashe as company.

“Ah hah, yes, I suppose you’re right,” the elf says to Ashe, running a hand through his tousled, side swept hair. His demeanor shifts into something casual and breezy so quickly it nearly gives her emotional whiplash. “And to think I was ready to decorate the ground with your innards. Apologies.”

At least he’s sorry?

“Yes, well,” she swallows, absently touching her neck once more, “on behalf of my innards, thank you. I’m sure they appreciate your… restraint. I know we’re all kind of on edge, strange circumstances and all.”

“Exactly, exactly. See, you understand,” he says, now almost overly gracious. “Now that the air is cleared, I suppose introductions are in order. My name’s Astarion. I was in Baldur’s gate when those beasts snatched me.”

“I’m Ashe,” she smiles, grateful to start over less violently. “Also snatched in Baldur’s Gate. And this is Shadowheart. I’m… not sure where her snatching occurred? We’ve not known each other long.”

“And I’m not sure it matters,” Shadowheart bristles.

“Don’t mind her,” Ashe says. “She only seems grouchy. She’s not really. It’s just her face and her voice and all the things she says.”

“It’s called being focused,” she corrects. “You should really consider it sometime, Ashe.”

Ashe holds back a laugh. She knows Shadowheart is personally attacking her right now, but that’s pretty funny, and she’s not exactly wrong. “I promise I will,” Ashe says with a smile. “You’ve inspired me.”

Shadowheart sighs, giving Ashe a tired look like she’s just a dumb puppy and it’s hard to stay mad at her. “Look,” she says,”the only thing that matters right now is finding a healer. We need to do something about these worms before it’s too late.”

“I’m sorry, too late for what exactly?” Astarion interjects.

“Oh, right, you don’t know,” Ashe realizes with an apologetic cringe. “So, there is some bad news, unfortunately. No nice way of putting it, really. I guess the tadpoles in our heads will turn us into mindflayers within a tenday.”

Astarion stares at her slack-jawed for a brief moment of processing before barking out a startling, incredulous laugh.

Yep. Definitely insane.

The bursting cackle grinds to a bitter halt, his face tugging into something fiercely sour. “Of course it’ll turn me into a monster,” he spits, eyes averting to the ground before muttering to himself, “What else did I expect?”

“Well, it hasn’t happened yet!” Ashe offers a shred of hope. “We still have some time.”

“Not a lot,” Shadowheart adds some obligatory pessimism, “but some is better than none, I suppose.”

“Yes…” Astarion agrees, deep in thought. “If we could find an expert in time. Someone that can remove them…”

Ashe nods. “Exactly. That’s the plan.” Looking between Shadowheart and Astarion, she takes a deep breath. This feels like the beginning of something big. Much bigger than herself, and much, much bigger than she can even imagine. “So… shall we get going then?”

Astarion holds up a finger, leaning in with a charming sort of smile. “I’m not being presumptuous in assuming I’m part of this ‘we’, am I?”

“I do like our odds better with a larger group,” Shadowheart says, pragmatic as ever.

“Same,” Ashe agrees. “The way I see it, we can put our noodles together and cook something up between them.”

“Not how I’d phrase it personally,” Shadowheart sighs, “but yes, essentially.”

“Great, then we’re all on the same page,” Ashe claps, flashing a smile at Shadowheart before redirecting it to the elf. “Oh, and Astarion.”

“Hm?”

“Maybe don’t stow that knife of yours after all? I have a feeling the ground could still use some decorating—not with my innards, mind you.”

He smiles back with this look of honeyed consideration, eyes traipsing her up and down in some sort of private assessment before he clicks his tongue. “Well, I was prepared to go this alone, but how could I refuse such a…” he pauses. Tilts his head. Locks his heavy-lidded gaze onto hers and leans in. “...welcome invitation?”

What is this. What is happening.

He’s suddenly so close. Ashe’s two brain cells cease functioning. She blinks up at him with a dumb look on her face because sorry what?

It’s official. This is by far and wide, the weirdest thing to happen yet.

Only a few minutes ago this guy was about to drain her veins. Now he’s giving her a look so spicy it just about gives her indigestion?

She desperately tries to be cool about it, but considering her cheeks are now burning so hot the skin might actually flake off any second now, best of luck to her. She’s about as cool as a devil’s armpit.

“Something the matter, dear?” His voice snaps her back to reality. His eyes are like two polished rubies set neatly in his sockets, their glinting amusement belying the concern lacing his voice.

Suddenly realizing how long she’s been gaping at him like a stupid fish, she barks out a, “Yes!”, but quickly shakes her head. “I mean no! Nothing the matter. You know what? We should really get going.”

“Yes, lets,” Shadowheart says with a cutting edge, scrutinizing the latest member of their little misfits club.

With the vague notion that there is civilization somewhere nearby, and thereby a healer hopefully, the three embark into the unknown with Ashe of all people leading them.

For the record, this is objectively a terrible, horrible, very bad idea.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion #astarion/tav #astarion x tav #astarion/oc #astarion x oc #fanfic #my writing

18 notes · View notes

tender-rosiey · 3 years

Note

Okay so I know someone already requested something like this so you can ignore this if you want, but I was wondering if you could do ADA Dazai, Akutagawa, and Atsushi reacting to their s/o almost dying during a mission? Also I love your writing!

❥ Bsd Characters reaction to s/o almost dying

Includes: Dazai, Atsushi and Akutagawa

ᴀ/ɴ: I hope you like this dear! And I am glad you like my writing 🥺💘; Warnings: mentions of death (obviously) and blood

Dazai Osamu:

{Season 2 Spoilers so beware ✨}

While Higuchi was talking with Dazai

You were left with Atsushi, Kirako and Naomi

You weren’t expecting at all to find the catastrophe called Q approaching you guys

Just as you were about to warn them about touching him, he took control over Atsushi

To which he started attacking you guys

While Dazai was with Higuchi and oblivious to what’s happening until the last moment

When he found out he ran back and hoped that none of you were hurt

But the sigh of you getting choked by Atsushi and on the verge of death as you were losing your breath was too much

“A-atsushi please l-let go..” you said weally as your face was losing its color

He touched Q’s doll as fast as he could and nullified his ability

He held you in his arms just as Atsushi let go and was staring at you with eyes swirling with hurts and worry

Why didn’t you use your ability? Did you not want to hurt Atsushi?

He almost lost you right before his eyes

And you would’ve suffered a lot until you got to...

He doesn’t even want to mention it, he can never bare the thought of you dying

Dazai was a man of a strong mind and emotional control

However you were his weak point

He caressed your cheek as he saw you trying to regain your breathing again

Millions of questions flooded his mind but as he saw Q leave with the train promising to get back at him for locking him up

Dazai growled lowly and dangerously

“Next time I see you I will rip your heart out and I will make you regret thinking about hurting Y/N, I promise.”

He then looked down at you, with his face void of mischief or hatred as if he had another face

“Love, are you alright now?”

He knew it was pointless to ask you but he was waiting for any kind of reaction

It was needed to get you all to a doctor to make sure nothing more than what he saw happened

He sighed in relief as he saw you stir and snuggle closer to his chest

He placed a soft kiss to your head while you opened your eye “Samu..?”

He put you to his back to give you a piggy ride back home

“Angel hold tight.”

You placed a firm grip holding onto him

“I am so sorry, I can’t believe I did this! I am no use! I am sorry Y/N-san!”

The poor boy rambled as he was scarred from what he did

Let alone to what he almost did to you

His favorite person in the ADA

His superior’s lover

As he was lost in thought

Dazai slapped Atsushi

“Stop pitting yourself. Pity yourself and life becomes an endless nightmare.”

The boy looked up with fear evident in his eyes

“BUT I HURT Y/N-“

“It’s alright, you didn’t mean to. At least she is okay now.”

Dazai’s grip on you tightened

He never wanted to see you like that again

And he was going to make sure of that

Atsushi Nakajima:

{This is before the Guild went ✨poof✨ btw}

Frantically searching everywhere he knew

Atsushi was worried

Where did you go?

Just an hour ago you were by his side smiling like the angel you are

Now he can’t find a trace of you

He came back to the agency empty handed and a gloomy face

The first thing he heard was Tanizaki calling to him

“Atsushi! They have Y/N and they want you in return of giving her back!”

His eyes flashed a dangerous yellow, was this about the bounty on him?

Why did you have to be included in this?

“Atsushi, think rationally.” His brunette superior warned.

(Yes as if Dazai wasn’t freaking out in the headcanon above)

When they met up with the gang that took you Atsushi was heart broken and his blood was boiling

They had beaten you up and tortured you for god knows how long

Your body looks so weak and bruised and he swore to make them pay

“Let. Her. Go.”

The man laughed loudly and retorted “What would a kid like you do?”

And he saw what a kid like him would do

Each one of them was wincing in pain as Atsushi was approaching you and gently picking you off the ground

“I am sorry I couldn’t stop this from happening...” he said with guilt lacing his words and evident on his face

Even with Yosano healing you

Atsushi was worried and a sad expression was settled on his face since he came back with you

Only difference being that now he was holding onto you for dear life

He was afraid that you would disappear from his arms any moment

“Atsushi baby, I am fine. Look!”

He looked up at you with sad eyes as he remembered how you were an hour ago

“I can’t stand seeing you hurt and I will try my best to never see you like that again.”

His hold on you tightened as he listened to your heart beat

He never wanted it to stop

He placed a soft weak kiss on your cheek as he was barely holding back his emotions from blowing up to the open

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke:

He was known for how strong he was and he was fierce

And that was on his good days or qoute on qoute “good moods”

But what the man just did in front of Akutagawa was something far of getting him in a merciful mood

A spike slicing its way through your stomach

Blood coming out of your mouth as your eyes widen in pain

The sight shocked Akutagawa and even brought to him memories

Very unpleasant memories

His heart filling with unbelievable fury

He used his Rashumon to slice everything and anything in his way

And he made sure that man that hurt you go through hell and back before meeting his fate

After the blood splattering and body shredding that happened

He approached you silently and picked you up

As fast as he could he ran back to the Port Mafia

Hours of waiting for your recovery and consciousness

He was leaning on the wall as he was looking at you, worry buried deep in his iris

However it wasn’t evident to the normal eye

For Akutagawa was always the hard to read type unless he was disgusted or angry

‘What if you weren’t okay?’

‘What if you didn’t make it?’

‘Was he really that weak that he couldn’t protect you?’

‘Is he really going to be the reason you leave this world?’

His thoughts were cut off by the soft muttering of his name from your lips

“Aku...?”

He walked towards you and placed his finger on your neck

Normal heart beating, thank god

(And yes you can measure your heart beat like that, my coach told me that)

He slightly flicked your forehead

“Try not to die, idiot. I’m really not bothered to replace you.”

His voice betraying him as it was cracking at the end

You knew this was rather a bad experience that he doesn’t want to remember ever again

“You need to be more aware of your surroundings and take care of what happens around you, dumbass.”

“Do you really think I would be okay with you leaving me just like that?”

You held his hand and smiled and somehow that managed to calm him

“I am fine now; isn’t that what matters?”

He scoffed and kissed your hand

“As usual tell anyone about what I do for you and you will sleep outside.”

With your usual bratty attitude coming back his heart rests inside

He is glad you are okay

Really glad

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

519 notes · View notes

clockworklozenges · 3 years

Text

So, a good five or so years back, I played in one of the best worst DnD games I have ever been in. The DM had bought the Libris Mortis book, which, if you were unaware, was a 3.5 splatbook adding in a lot of undead stuff, including some monsters and undead player races and stuff. Wanting to try it out, me and my gaming group decided to play things from it, our then DM deciding to run a completely homebrewed session. This proved to be a...

Terrible Idea™

(for the uninitiated, never homebrew something you do not fully understand unless it's just cosmetic. If you want to make all elves worship the god of garlic bread, Ultimo-Metatron-Omega, go ahead, but unless you know how the game works, don't make mechanical changes). So we all picked stuff from the books-one player played a skeleton Sorcerer who in life was a tribal shaman, but an attempt at healing went wrong, turning him undead as his life energy was replaced with negative energy, explaining why most of his spells were necromancy and suchlike.

Another player played Krug, an antipaladin in very spiky full plate. He was a zombie made by a necromancer of a paladin who was fighting him, but his allies killed his would-be master before he could assert control, and not wanting to just off him, his allies just...yeeted his body into a portal and hoped it'd re-kill him. It did not kill him hard enough. It did, however, explain his stats which...oof. He had already got debuffs to some stats due to being a zombie, and rolled abysmally. Fortunately for the player, he played mostly to socialise, so didn't much care.

I played... Count Nox Feratu, the Campire. As in, a vampire with a very camp German accent, which I did not break for the whole time I was playing him. To the point where "ach, nein, I haf bin heet! Heal me, meine freunde!" was par for the course. My overly camp vamp was a wizard, but due to level adjustment was a bit of a shoddy one. For backstory, he'd been ousted from his clan for ineptitude, and had sworn revenge. I was going for a swordmage build but never got there. All his spells were utility or just necromancy spells.

Our last player played...sigh...Damien Bloodmoon, cleric of Nerull, God of murder and undeath. He was one of the clerics from the book's murder Domain, meaning that he got buffs to damage. He was a vicious arse both in character and out of it, and was so dripping with edge compared to the paladin with the same IQ as a horse after its trip to the glue factory, the shaman who thought killing fixed people and the Campire that if you gave him a pat on the back you'd have finely diced your hand into a red mist. Not going too outlandish with his backstory of wanting to dominate the world as his undead thralls, Damien F***ing Bloodmoon had only taken spells which either charmed live people, dealt negative energy damage or messed with ability drain and suchlike, which he used with aplomb on townsfolk on our way to our objective. He was also, importantly, playing an elf of some sort, I forget which kind. Meaning that of the party, only one was alive.

So, just as an aside, for those of you that haven't played 3.5e DnD or have only played 5e, in Libris Mortis, undeath was gone over in detail, and had a litany of pros and cons. For one thing, undead had only the HP they had-folks like Damien F***ing Bloodmoon could be 'dying', and had some time to be stabilised before meeting the reckoning of Papa John and dying proper. Undead did not, it was just how much you had and if you ran out, poof, you're dust, bones and fertiliser again. You were also harmed by positive energy, so healing spells hurt you, as did potions of healing. However, undead were kind of hardy - poison immunity, some had resistance to non-magical melee damage, stuff that drained your ability scores and levels didn't work on them, some crits wouldn't do extra damage, and the best part- negative energy healed undead. Meaning all the spells our party had which damaged others like the living Damien Bloodmoon were curative ones for us. Keep this in mind.

So, we began our quest, learning of a necromancer a nearby town was plagued by. After using our skills (to whit: Damien Bloodmoon charming and drawing the life force out of random villagers and the only potion seller in the town whilst we went shopping. Krug got a snazzy hat, which we put on top of his helmet, and we chatted to townsfolk as I looked alive enough to pass as human and the shaman had a fake beard and toupee that people were too awkward to point out was fake so went along with it) we learn that the necromancer has a base of operations in the cemetery. "Oh ja, zo original, dahlink. Ve vill need to educate zis guy on vhat is chic and vhat is just shabby!"

So we head there and the nightmare begins. Damien Leads the charge, using all of his knowledge to deduce that the shambling horde moving towards us were stronger-than-your-average-bear undead, and he was right. These were powerful armoured zombie mages of some sort, casting ability draining spells, negative energy ray spells and even having auras of negative energy that dealt damage on a failed Fortitude save. Even their punch and quarterstaves did negative energy damage as well as the usual bludgeoning or unarmed. However...only one of us was really in danger and the DM's face fell when the squishy casters walked up and began shanking their super-special homebrew zombie wizards, being healed by the damage of their attacks as we cut them down.

Like I said, one of the benefits of undeath is that negative energy actually heals you. So the strikes of the magic staves and punches that hit us did some basic damage. Which was then immediately healed by the negative energy their weapon strikes and spells were doing.

However, you'll recall that Damien Bloodmoon was an elf. And not dead. Being a Cleric of a death god doesn't mean that you have the abilities of an undead. That meant that even with the DM being merciful, by the end of the first fight he was covered in blood, mud and withered away to just above half his original strength and constitution. More were patrolling, so we had to run. But that posed a problem.

Remember Krug had heavy armour? And recall his awful stats? He in fact, hadn't got enough strength to wear the armour he'd been given for backstory. He didn't, according to the DM, have enough to remove his own armour. And we attempted to, but also failed our checks according to the DM. And Damien Bloodmoon refused to help, simply blaming Krug and his player. Krug's player thought it was hilarious, and Krug only had enough Intelligence and Wisdom to say his own name, so saw no problem. And Krug, Nox Feratu and Shaman realised that there really...wasn't a problem.

For us, at least.

We slogged through three combats dragging Krug and wading through the mud with him. His speed was so slow that for every step he took, we took about ten. The DM was confused and infuriated that his encounters weren't working, but refused to change them. So we had fun role-playing. Or at least three of us did.

Damien Bloodmoon refused to roleplay, and none of his ranged spells could affect the zombie mages. When he went into melee, he came out wounded as all hell. He went down twice, and it was only the healing supplies of the shaman that saved him.

All the while, he was... Let's say not best pleased. Damien Bloodmoon was getting increasingly wounded, exasperated and longing for the sweet embrace of death as reprieve from the humiliation. His player was getting increasingly redder and rage-filled as time passed. Each fight ended with our characters stronger than ever and his a bloody pulp on the floor, with poor in-character knowledge (and terrible rolls) preventing him from realising why.

Eventually, we reached the final boss, pausing only to paint Krug's armour in contact poison just in case, and to find a stick to help the now-partially-crippled Damien Bloodmoon, cleric of death and murder, walk after being beaten up by angry zombie wizards for hours. And it had, indeed, been hours. Among us, only Damien had a bonus to strength, and we had two swords, a mace and a staff between the four of us. Meaning it was re-death by a thousand cuts for the enemy and a slog and a half for us.

We reach the necromancer and, having taken so long due to dragging the oblivious Krug with us, his big ritual is complete- he raises a fist-sized black onyx egg aloft, crackles with arcane power and causes the bones around him to coalesce into one massive creature - an undead, giant-sized rust monster, radiating an Aura of pure negative energy. Krug opened his arms wide, eager for the metal-eating monster cockroach to free him from his poison-painted metal prison. It ignores him as he's still very far away. Me and the others have our weapons and armour devoured.

Our DM was very much a stickler for note-taking. So because Damien Bloodmoon hadn't written 'clothes' on his sheet, his armour being eaten by the monster left him naked and afraid.

It became clear that the DM had done another f***y-wucky. See, the Aura of negative energy healed me and the Sorcerer by more than its other attacks did. So whilst Damien Bloodmoon was naked, soaked in mud and bleeding to death almost crushed to a pulp in the fetal position, rocking backwards and forwards as his player seethed with hatred, the Shaman and the Campire set about beating the thing to death with our bear hands and a stick.

The session ended once we killed the necromancer, or rather when Krug walked up to him, closed his arms and just crushed the noodle-armed bad guy to death with the weight of his ridiculous armour and poisoned him with its paintwork.

We never revisited the game afterwards. We were told later on that the DM wanted us to use the non-undead races. But at no point had he said as much, even when we asked him about our characters and the restrictions on them. We also learned a valuable lesson. DM for the players who are there, not the ones who you have an idealised mental image of. Tailor your game, otherwise you'll get a sitcom featuring a camp nosferatu, a shaman with no healing, a paladin who could barely move and a Cleric of murder who was ironically the only one at risk of actually dying.

206 notes · View notes

teddy06writes · 3 years

Text

Take Me Back To The Night We Met

Dallas Winston x Johnny Cade x Reader

trigger warnings: character death, swearing, yelling, ANGST

premise: based on the song The Night We Met by Lord Huron. The rumbles been finished, the socs officially driven out, but Johnny's still dying, and Dally might not be able to handle that. Oh god, why can't you just go back to the night you met

Italics- memories

{not me making the first proper poly outsiders story really angsty. Sorry not sorry but I heard the song and- this happened}

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

"We did it! The socs are gone!" The loud cheers of the greasers filled your ears.

You grinned, laughing along with the others until you found Dallas tugging at your arm, when you turned to see his expression your face fell, "What's wrong?"

"Johnny- gettin worse-"

As soon as your partner choked out the words you began to panic, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know for how much longer... We gotta go see him-"

You nodded, "Lets- lets go then- we gotta-"

"He- Ponyboy-" He was quickly running off, dragging the boy off the ground and explaining as you ran up to the street, where you could see Buck's beat up t-bird parked.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" You could hear Dally urging him along.

"I'm going!" Ponyboy hissed, quickly skirting around you and jumping into the back.

You quickly got in, and as soon as Dallas got the car started you were shooting off down the road.

The tension in the car was thick, anxiety rolling off all three of you in waves.

It was a few months ago and You'd just gotten out of work, and normally Johnny and Dallas would be on the corner waiting for you, but they hadn't been there. Somehow, you knew something was wrong.

By the time you'd made it to the lot, most of the gang was there. Steve met you up by the road, '(y/n) don't go down there- you- you aren't gonna like it'

That was what had gotten you in a panic, 'steve whats going on?'

'it's- it's- Johnny-'

Immediately you were pushing past him, running down into the lot, even as both Steve and Soda tried to stop you.

When you'd finally pushed through them, you'd found Johnny, beaten and bloody, face buried in Dally's jacket, still sobbing.

'oh- god Johnny...'

With Dally's speeding it was only a matter of time before a cop was pulling the car over, and you glanced back at Ponyboy, "Look sick- I will too- Dal say your taking us to the hospital, it's true enough."

He nodded, and the cop knocked on the window, leaning over as Dallas lowered it, "Good evening Officer-"

"Alright Bud, where's the fire?"

"The uh- the kid-" Dally gestured back to where Ponyboy was slumped in the back, "Fell over on 'is motorcycle- nearly took out the babe, I'm takin 'em to the hospital."

The man frowned, "Are they real bad? Could you use an escort?"

"Do I look like a doc to you?" He snapped, "Yeah we could use an escort."

The officer seemed to hear the panic in his voice as he nodded, heading back to his car. Dallas continued to tap his fingers on the wheel anxiously, "Come on, come on."

You bit your lip, "God Dal why'd we end up in this mess- Johnny's-"

"I knew I was wrong. I knew I was fucking wrong," He muttered, pulling out behind the cop, "I was just trying to protect you guys- you know? Figured there's only room for one person hard like me in a relationship- you know? That way you two would at least be okay and look what fucking came from it!"

You took a shaky breath as he slapped the wheel, "Dal..."

"You know if I hadn't tried to keep you and him from ending up like me he wouldn't be in this mess! If he'd been smart like me he wouldn'ta ran into that church and you wouldn't have followed him! That's what you get for helping people- isn't it? A couple editorials in the paper and a whole lotta hurt!"

He stopped, glancing back at Ponyboy, "You better wise up kid- you get tough like me and you don't get hurt! You get tough and no one can touch you!"

Ponyboy only groaned in response.

Dallas sighed, turning to look at you, "God (y/n) I don't know- what are we gonna do if we-"

"He's going to be fine Dal!" You snapped.

"You don't know that!"

You shook your head, "He's gonna be fine because I don't want to think about what will happen if he isn't!"

It was only a month or so after Dallas, Dallas of all people, put what the three of you were thinking into words.

You'd decided to take a trip down to Texas, there was no real reason, but still, the three of you had piled into Buck Merril's t-bird, racing down back roads and pulling off into fields at night.

Johnny had fallen asleep in the back just after sunset, and you could still feel the cool glass behind your head, 'god dal, aren't you tired yet? maybe we should pull off now...'

'I was thinking we get a motel somewhere.' he yawned.

'where are we gonna find a motel at? I'm about ready to fall asleep as it is...'

He chuckled, 'don't worry about it Doll... hell climb back with Johnny, I'll wake you up when we get to town.'

Soon you were pulling up outside the hospital, hurrying to get Pony out of the car as Dallas thanked the cop. As soon as the man was gone Dally was grabbed your hand and pulling you to hurry through the building, "Come on, come on!"

It seemed to take only the blink of an eye to get to Johnny's room, and you only half seemed to register the doctors words, "I'm sorry- he's dying."

"We gotta see 'im," Dallas glared at the man, "We've got to see him!"

"Please-" You half choked on the room, trying to look around him into the room.

With a sigh, he stepped to the side, "Go on-"

In an instant you were rushing to Johnny's side, "Johnny..."

You could feel Dallas behind you, "Johnnycake?"

"Heya (y/n)- Dal..." Johnny tried to pull a weak smile as he looked up at you.

"We won-" Dallas reached out, grabbing his hand, "We beat the socs- chased 'em right out of your territory."

"Fighting's no good.... useless...." Johnny half sighed.

You took a shaky breath, "There still writing those editorials- talkin about you, calling you a hero-- I'm proud of you baby-- we both are."

Dallas nodded, and Johnny's head half tipped back in a grin, "You'll be okay... I love you..."

"Johnny--" Dallas half choked.

Ponyboy elbowed past both of you, "He's my best friend--"

Your eyes were half clouded with tears as you stepped back, little moments filling your memory.

It was the state fair, and you were with them.

'come on Dal- your not scared of the ferris wheel are you?' Johnny half taunted.

you grinned, 'you've gotta go on- for us'

'i hate both of you'

Johnny mumbled something to Ponyboy, and then suddenly the room wasn't the same anymore. Almost as if someone had left. You didn't need to look back at the bed to know.

It was a late night, months ago

'(y/n)... (y/n).... (y/n)....'

'what dal?'

'johnnycakes is complaing about wanting cuddles'

Johnny scoffed, 'uh, excuse me, but that is entirely you, Dal.'

you chuckled 'i'll be there in a second'

He was gone.

You could hear Ponyboy's breath hitch, and, with shaky hands you reached forward, pushing hair out of Johnny's face, "Never could keep that hair of yours back could you baby?"

Dallas let out a noise that felt too close to a sob, "that's what you get for trying to help people Jonnycakes- that's what you get."

The lump in your throat couldn’t be pushed back anymore and you choked on a sob, tears falling from your eyes as you turned to Dallas only to see he wasn’t there.

He'd already whirled away from Johnny's bed, banging a fist against the wall, "Damn it Johnny! Oh god Johnny no..."

Dallas was gone down the hall before you could blink.

In a haze, you found yourself following Ponyboy through the hospital, being handed a jacket it took you a beat to long to remember was Johnny's.

Slowly you slid it on, almost instantly dragged back in memory again.

It was been late.

You hadn't planned on going out, but when you saw the light out in the lot you had to check it out. You'd found Johnny and Dally, sitting around a small fire they'd made.

'what are you doing out here?' you asked, sitting down.

Johnny shrugged, 'better than home.'

'beats rotting there.' Dallas nodded.

You had sat in silence for a few minutes before you sighed, rubbing at your arms, "awfully cold out here.'

'here' Johnny shrugged off his jacket, dropping it around your shoulders.

You were grateful for the jacket, but it didn't feel right. God all you wanted to do was go back, back to before all of this.

Somehow Ponyboy led you out of the hospital, and by some miracle you made it back to the Curtis house.

Soda opened the door, frowning, "What's wrong? Where have you two been?"

Ponyboy took a shaky breath, "Johnny's dead... Dallas- he left- (y/n)... I don't think they..."

Soda was already pulling you inside, and pushing you to sit down as Pony explained to everyone else.

"What do you mean Dallas is gone?" Darrel asked.

"He ran out," Your own voice surprised you, "Before it was the three of us it was just him and Johnny- he doesn't know how to live without him-"

"So even Dally has a breaking point." Two-Bit muttered.

Distantly, you heard a phone ring.

It has been a date night- ‘god (y/n) why you takin so long?'

'don't rush 'em Johnnycakes, gotta fix that pretty face of theirs'

'Johnny's being pushy? that's something I wouldn't think I'd see.' you chuckled, coming out of the bathroom.

'well the movies gonna start!'

Darry was talking to the group, "That was Dally- the cops are after him, we gotta meet 'im at the lot-"

Before the words were out of his mouth you were up and running, you couldn't get back to Johnny but you could still get back to Dallas.

It was midday, and you were wandering down the Tulsa streets

'Dal slow down! We don't walk as fast as you!' Johnny called.

He laughed, 'i bet if you tried you could keep up shortstack'

'i'm not short!' you protested.

'well then keep up!'

Down the street, toward the lot, faster, faster faster, you urged yourself. You can't loose him too.

it was early, you were sitting out on the porch with Johnny, watching the rain. Dallas had come out of somewhere, running and breathing hard, 'you got room for one more?'

You could almost see the lot, it was just out of view, you had to hurry, had to hurry to get back-

It was lunch time and you were at the diner with the gang, wedged into a seat between Johnny and Dallas, laughing.

The glow of the street light filled your vison now.

It was dark and you and Dallas hurried through the street, calling out for Johnny.

'i'm here! I'm here!' he called.

You threw your arms around him, 'you scared me!'

Dallas chuckled, 'both of us.'

Dallas was sprinting down the street glancing back every now and again, distantly you could see flashing lights behind him.

It was Autumn and you were back at the fair in the chilly night. Lights were flashing, people were laughing and you were with your boys.

Dallas was reaching back, into his waistband, grabbing something as police cars came to a halt.

It was spring, and day trips were frequent, but this was the first with just you, Dallas and Johnny. You'd found a lake, and now the three of you were spending a day by it's side.

Dallas was raising the gun, but so were the police officers, distantly you wondered if one of them was the same that had given you the escort.

It was years ago, and you had met Sodapop in class.

Shots were being fired, and you could distantly hear yourself yelling, he was falling, falling falling.

It was years ago and Sodapop was inviting you to meet his friends. It was years ago and a boy with big brown eyes was smiling at you from across the lunch table, turning to the sharp nosed blond next to him, who leaned across the table to tell a joke.

Dallas was on the ground, and as the gang who at some point caught up to you were screaming at the officers who'd put him there.

You crumpled to the ground. No, not him. Not Johnny. Not the both of them.

"Oh god take me back!" You were yelling, sobbing, as they were trying to take him away, "Take me back to when we first met! Maybe we won't fuck it up this time!"

But Soda was pulling you back, even as you promised, "I wouldn't let you fuck it up this time- just take me back!"

#the outsiders #the outsiders x reader #dallas winston #dallas winston x reader #dally winston x readre #dally x reader #johnny x reader #johnny cade x reader #johnny cade #teddy06 #teddy 06 #teddy 06 writes #teddy06 writes

135 notes · View notes

willowcrowned · 3 years

Note

kit fisto carpet artisan

thank you for reminding me.

So, the important part of the Kit Fisto carpet artisan au is that he leaves the Order to make carpets. The going theory among the jedi is that he had an uncle on Coruscant that left him a carpet shop and he decided to stop being a Jedi to carry on the dying trade, but no one knows but him, and he’s not telling. He also takes Nahdar, his padawan, with him. If Nahdar knows why Kit left, he’s not telling anyone either.

So by the time Anakin is sixteen or so, Kit Fisto, ex-jedi and carpet maker extraordinaire, has a bustling business just outside the senate district— close enough for any of the Jedi to visit. And oh boy do they visit.

Typically, when someone leaves the Order, it’s something only spoken about in hushed tones. There’s no gossip, nor speculation, because Jedi don’t gossip, and besides, they usually already have the reason— while no one is obligated to give a reason for leaving, it’s considered polite to do so. It’s not... dishonorable to leave, but a certain distance inevitably develops. Once someone leaves the jedi, they’re leading a completely different life, and most leave Coruscant entirely.

Kit Fisto is not typical. There’s no warning— not a single inkling that he might be considering leaving the Jedi. One day, he walks into a High Council meeting, declares politely that he’s leaving and taking Nahdar with him, and tells them all they’re welcome to visit him at his new address. (He also makes a point of leaving several of his belongings in his apartment, to give the more decorous members of the Order an excuse to visit.)

Come Monday, Yoda is on his doorstep, probing for answers. Kit does not give them, but he does give Yoda a tour and some tea. When Yoda comes back, cackling and pleased, everyone else takes this as the go-ahead to visit. The jedi visit regularly— only when he’s closed, and only when he has time, but they do come.

This is where the fun begins.

Anakin Skywalker, seventeen years old, very moody and very angry, has an appointment with Palpatine. Anakin Skywalker, seventeen years old, very moody and very angry, has been banned by Obi-Wan from using any speeders, bikes or otherwise, by an exhausted Obi-Wan. (Nominally, it’s because he started a fight in the salles two days ago, but if it keeps him from seeing Palpatine, then so much the better.) (Anakin knows what Obi-Wan is doing, and is furious about it. While perhaps justified, this does not help his case.) So what does Anakin do? He makes his own speeder from old parts. (If he’d thought to call Palpatine, the man would have sent a car for him, but since last time that happened he got a two lecture from both Windu and Obi-Wan, so he’ll just have to be sneaky.)

The problem with speeders cobbled together from old parts is that they have a tendency to break down, usually at the most inopportune moments. For Anakin, this is on the edge of the Senate district, since he was taking a circuitous route to see Palpatine in the hopes of avoiding anyone else he knows. Fortunately, Kit’s shop is nearby, and he’s been with Obi-Wan enough times to know the way.

Anakin walks into Kit’s Artisan Carpets, sopping wet from the rain that just started and looking like nothing so much as a wet kitten. Kit, who has all the grace and wisdom of a jedi master, does not tell him this, and instead offers him a towel and the use of his speeder when Nahdar gets back. In the meantime, he offers, would Anakin like to come see his workshop?

Now, keeping in mind that I know nothing about carpet making, and even less about artisan carpet making, I’m going to say that Kit shows Anakin how to do something simple that’s carpet related. And Anakin likes it. Anakin really likes it. He already loves working with his hands, but this is different. There’s no thinking involved, nothing but the repetitive movement of his hands. Normally, he hates being quiet, being still, but he’s so cold and tired that he’s able to just... drop into a trance. Before he knows it, it’s three hours later and he’s missed the meeting with Palpatine entirely.

Kit sends him back to the Jedi Temple more relaxed than he’s ever been, finally having been able to achieve a meditative state, and with an invitation to come back and help again whenever he’s nearby. When he gets back, Obi-Wan is amazed at how calm Anakin is, and forgets to lecture him on leaving the temple. Anakin does his homework, goes to bed, and when he wakes up, he doesn’t feel so awful.

The next time he comes back from Palpatine’s, riled up and wanting to scream, he stops by Kit’s shop and helps out with some repetitive carpet-related task. The dull motion helps lets his mind wander, but not too far— lets him be still without his brain beginning to scream. For the first time, Anakin is able to meditate without trauma flashbacks or overwhelming, near-painful understimulation.

Once again, he comes back to the Temple calm and slightly better balanced, once again, Obi-Wan doesn’t lecture him. The pattern continues.

Cut to two years later, when Anakin is having nightmares about his mother. Helping out in Kit’s shop lets him meditate on the visions, and Kit has been, well, really great to talk to about attachment. Palpatine is nice and all, but he doesn’t really get the Jedi— has never understood Anakin’s desire to be one. Kit, who knows what is like and is still more Jedi than most Jedi, in Anakin’s private opinion, does.

Kit talks him through visions, helps him articulate his fears, and sends him to communicate with Obi-Wan. When Anakin says that he’s having visions— not just dreams, but solid visions— Obi-Wan promptly requests a sabbatical, and they go to Tatooine.

Obi-Wan helps him rescue Shmi from the Tuskens, and since Shmi is still alive, Anakin has something to focus on instead of his own rage. No Tuskens get murdered— hell, Anakin is so worried about his mom it doesn’t even occur to him to go kill them until after she’s safe. By that point, he’s not in the thick of the moment, so he has time to imagine slaughtering every single one of them before he does it. He thinks of how good it would feel, yes, but also of the screams, of the feeling of their dying minds against his own, and recoils.

When they get back to Coruscant, new fence installed and comm numbers exchanged, Palpatine’s plan is ruined— Amidala already has a jedi protector, no one knows what to do with the dart, and Anakin is much more well balanced now that he’s seen his mother, knows she’s safe, and she’s talked him through his emotions in a way that Obi-Wan can’t.

Does Palpatine give up on Anakin as a lost cause? Absolutely not. He does, however, adjust the plan, leaving an even more obvious trail to Kamino. Obi-Wan still ends up on Geonosis, only this time Anakin is there too, and Padmé isn’t. And, here’s the kicker— neither of them managed to get the message to the Jedi Council, so they’re stuck in their little rotating columns while Dooku stalks around and lies blatantly, waiting for them to be rescued and for the war to start. But the rescue never comes.

After the fourth or fifth day of this, Dooku realizes that if Palpatine managed to mess up such a simple plan, it might not be a good idea to follow his orders. He defects, exchanging everything he knows (which is quite a lot) for amnesty. Obi-Wan agrees to the trade, and the three of them escape Geonosis to go face down Palpatine.

Anakin is predictably furious about this. He doesn’t believe Dooku, of course, and he’s raring to kill the guy, but he’s also pretty sure he can’t take on both Obi-Wan and Dooku and win, so he waits until they get to Coruscant to comm the council. (Dooku lets him do it. The backup will be useful and he thinks he can time it so Sidious is throwing Force lightning at them when Yoda shows up.) (He can totally time it right.)

Yoda shows up just as Palpatine whips out a red lightsaber, since Dooku went straight for the beheading without letting him talk, and Obi-Wan was holding Anakin back to see what would happen. Palpatine could have beaten each of them on their own, probably even two at once, provided Dooku and Yoda didn’t team up— but against Anakin, who could probably vaporize someone with his mind if he tried hard enough, Yoda, who’s seven hundred years old and still wins the jedi parkour championships every year, Dooku, who’s the best duelist the Order has seen in a long while, and Obi-Wan, who, while not space jesus, a prodigy, or seven hundred years old, is no slouch in any jedi department, especially the ones that involve keeping Anakin from doing anything stupid? Yeah, Palpatine loses.

They all stumble into Kit’s Artisan Carpets an hour later, smelling of ozone and repressed emotions just waiting to come out. Kit looks at them all, makes a pot of tea, settles Anakin at his usual carpet-task doing place for some much needed meditation, and locks them in the room to talk.

“So,” Dooku says to Kit the next morning, once they’ve sorted all the politics and some of the emotions out, “what possessed you to take up carpets?”

Kit tilts his head, considering, and answers. “I just felt like it.”

(”Really?” Nahdar asks later. “You’re not going to tell them?”

“Well,” Kit replies, “would they believe me?”

“I guess not,” Nahdar says, “but time travel is hard to believe in.”

“It was more of a vision, really.” Kit huffs. “Besides, I did feel like it. Getting stabbed gives one new priorities.”

“Tell me about it,” Nahdar agrees. “Tell me about it.”)

#this happened because of that one post where a bot took over the kitfisto url to sell carpets #and apparently that concept was an irresistible temptation for me #that likely surprises no one but me #star wars #star wars au #kit fisto: carpet artisan au #willow's aus #kit fisto #star wars fix it au #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #count dooku

227 notes · View notes

sisterofsomeone · 3 years

Text

Personal Training

- Katsuki Bakugou x fem!reader SFW

- Warnings: mention of harm, bandaging wounds, choking

- Summary: as a third year, you and your childhood friend Shinso have been moved from the general studies course onto the hero course. No one seems too keen on you two, until you meet Bakugou late one night in the training city and he seems to take a personal interest in you

———————

Wandering around the testing sites at midnight wasn’t something you should be doing, but ever since you got moved from general studies into the hero course it was the only way you could calm yourself down after a day of training. It was dark, the cold air still around your skin and the only light shining was from the full moon above you. You’ve always dreamt of being a hero, but knowing you couldn’t control your quirk, knowing you had the ability to seriously hurt someone if you lost control, you applied for general studies and vowed to learn to control your power before you tried to move into the hero course. Your thoughts drifted to Shinso, you two had been friends for years going all the way back to nursery, just two toddlers constantly holding hands and only ever with each other. Your chest swelled with pride thinking about how both of you had beaten the odds and been moved from general studies to the hero course after all your efforts. You were in your third year, you’d missed a whole two years of the intense hero course training but it meant you two finally got the attention you deserved. You were finally seen as hero material. Sure you felt bad for the people who got moved out, but you didn’t know them and they were obviously not making the most of the opportunity, so you were glad to take their spot. You had to be a hero at any cost.

It was quiet around you, the only noise you could hear was your own footsteps, your breathing the only sign of life. Your breath was coming out softly but because of the cold it was visible, the curls and twists of your breath softly disappearing into the moonlight. You’d been wandering around the town for a few hours now, watching the silent, dead city around you, the buildings towering over you and the roads stretched out and empty. It reminded you of home, disappearing after long days being bullied at school and skulking through the dying streets.

“You shouldn’t be here.” You hadn’t noticed the boy sneaking up on you. You could understand why he currently held your throat in his hands, you did look exceptionally different in and out of class. You didn’t bother fighting his grip, you knew this boy and he would certainly overpower you in hand to hand combat.

“You with that hand guy? He sent you in here to spy on me huh?” His grip tightened but you never once broke eye contact. His red eyes blown out with anger, his lips curled into a snarl and his breath warm on your face.

“I-I’m in your c-class dumb arse.” You managed to get out between shallow breaths. “The o-one with Shinso all the time. The new girl.” He seemed to believe you, releasing his grip on you ever so slightly but still eyeing you with intrigue.

“She has floaty purple hair, and that weird dark aura quirk thing...” You weren’t necessarily in the position to roll your eyes at him, but surely he should have noticed that your whole ‘dark aura quirk thing’ changed your physical appearance too? You’d fought him enough. You decided to indulge him, letting your power grow until you changed in his hands, the light from the moon almost being drawn into you as the darkness swirled and danced around you. Your body surged with the release of this power, your skin feeling hot, as if it was about to burn right off of your bones. You had never been able to control yourself before UA, and this place had shown you how to harness this power and use it to your advantage.

“Okay creep -“ he released you suddenly when your darkness started creeping up his arm and pulling him in. “- I believe you.” He was wiping his hand on his trousers now, obviously feeling the same burning you always did. You pulled your darkness back in, your hair falling flat against you, your eyes returning to their natural colour and your skin settling down. Dusting yourself off, you stood to face Bakugou. He towered over you, the boy growing to be over six foot during your time at UA.

“It’s almost as if you should believe me, seeing as I also live on the same floor as you.” Raising an eyebrow you tried to register his reaction but he didn’t seem to be paying you any more mind.

“Oi, I’m talking-“

“Shut up, I’m not interested anymore.” Sticking his hands in his pockets he turned on his heel and walked away from you. But you weren’t gonna let him get away that easily.

“Oi fucker! You don’t get to talk to me like that!” You walked after him, grabbing his arm.

“Get off.” He snapped back, his eyes dark and angry.

“Not until you apologise for trying to choke me out.”

“Not gonna happen sweetheart. Don’t wander around on your own acting all sketchy and I wouldn’t have had to.” This was ridiculous, all you wanted was an apology.

“But what about you huh?” He stopped walking and turned to face you.

“You’re skulking around here too, does that mean I get to choke you?” You smirked up at him feeling proud of yourself when his eyebrows furrowed.

“You can try, but I’ll kill you if you do extra.” This fucking guy.

“Are you serious right now? Like, does this act usually work on your classmates? Because I’m not scared of an immature man child who can’t even apologise when he’s done something wrong.” In a blur he’d managed to pin you up against the wall that you swore was 15 foot away from you two only seconds ago, his body pressed into yours and his hand around your throat again. You felt his thigh in between your legs, and you couldn’t help the shudder that moved through your body when he spoke.

“You should be scared of me, I’m gonna be number one, I’m the best.” He was staring directly into your eyes, not breaking the gaze he was bearing down on you.

“You think you’re gonna be number one? I beg to differ.” His cockyness seemed infectious. “I’ll beat you Bakugou, just you wait.”

———————

It had been a few weeks since your little scuffle and you had been trying to keep your word.

“Y/n, are you seriously gonna try and fight Bakugou right now?” You’d filled Shinso in on what had happened between the two of you and even though you knew he believed in your abilities, he really didn’t think you were ready to fight him.

“I need practise, and I can never go all out with you because I care about you, you’re my friend! It doesn’t work!” You laughed and Shinso rolled his eyes. He always asked you to go all in when you two sparred but you couldn’t bring yourself to hurt him, even if you knew he wouldn’t hate you, you would hate yourself.

“Look, he’s finally done with Kirishima so now’s my chance. I’ll be okay I promise.”

You totally weren’t okay. Bakugou had kicked your arse, and all he had to do was get close enough that you could feel the heat from his skin and place a hand on your waist during an attack and your hormone-riddled brain freaked out. Not that he’d noticed you’d frozen mid fight, so he just kept firing off attacks as you scrambled to think up a defensive strategy. But it was no use, one well aimed hit and you were down.

You were with Recovery Girl in the nurses office when Shinso popped his head in.

“Told you so.” He said bluntly, drawing a tut from Recovery Girl.

“If you’re gonna be negative she doesn’t need you in here. She need positivity for healing thank you.” He apologised and moved further into the room.

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Tired I guess, and a little sore, but nothing bad. How did the rest of the lesson go?”

“Well, Bakugou and Todoroki got into another fight, Deku tried to break it up but that didn’t really work so they’ve all got dorm cleaning duties for the next week.” That got a chuckle out of you.

“Bakugou? Cleaning? Unlikely.”

“Oh yeah, Aizawa said he’d stop by randomly to make sure they were cleaning.” By now Recovery Girl had ushered you off of the bed and had begun handing you your clothes back.

“You’re all bandaged up, now get dressed and get out of here! And take some candy! You! Make sure she gets back to her room safely will you?” Shinso nodded as you slipped your jacket and shoes back on, wrapping his arm around your waist as a support. You were thankful for him, even if he was a miserable bastard most of the time.

———————

Shinso had managed to get you back in one piece, placing you on your bed softly. No one else had come to help, but you two had expected as much. Since being transferred in you had been singled out as the outsiders of the group, no one had even tried as much as to have dinner with you guys or watch the tv with you two. You were always alone together, you were each other’s rock.

“Hey Purple hair.” The voice behind him was rough and angry, you recognised it in an instant.

“Bakugou. What do you want?” Shinso tried to take no mind, keeping all of his focus on tucking you into bed.

“I need to speak to y/l/n. Alone.”

“I don’t trust you alone with her after today.”

“Let me speak to her.” Shinso turned to face him, his eyes burning holes into Bakugou’s head.

“After the stunt you pulled? No-“

“Toshi, I want to hear what he has to say.” You tugged on his shirt feebly, and his guard dropped. He always softened up around you.

“Fine. But I’ll be outside.” You mumbled a thank you as he barged past Bakugou, hitting him with his shoulder as he passed. Shutting the door behind himself, Bakugou entered your room looking oddly sheepish.

“Hey.” You started softly, not wanting to jump straight into a fight with the guy.

“Hey. About today? I mean, I’m not gonna say sorry because you asked to fight but I just wanna say that I should have noticed you freeze and let up a bit. I didn’t notice and Kirishima had to point it out to me later on, so yeah. Don’t come in unprepared next time.” Well. It was a start.

“Oh, I mean I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to freeze up on you trust me!” You tried to laugh it off, but the atmosphere in the room was way too weird.

“Was it because I touched you?” You blushed at this and dropped your gaze to the floor. Where you really that easy to read? “Because if it was then Kirishima owes me $20.” Oh.

“No. I don’t know why I froze but it wasn’t because you touched me.” He smirked at this, moving to sit on the end of your bed. You instinctively pulled your legs closer to yourself but he took this as an invite to spread out more. You took in his toned shoulders, his strong arms and long fingers. Your mind drifted, wandering how good they’d feel slipping under your shirt and -

“You’re not even listening are you?” He pulled you from your dirty thoughts and you shook your head.

“Wow. I said that it’s a shame, because I’d love to explore what else I can make you do with my hands.” He had to be joking right? You blinked at him, your mouth agape with pure confusion.

“See? You’re all frozen again. I must have an effect on you.” He started moving closer to you, shifting on your bed until his lips were a mere inch away from yours. His eyes were boring into yours, but the pupils were flickering slightly from your eyes to your mouth. He raised a thumb to your lips, rubbing the calloused skin across your bottom lip. You swallowed, suddenly aware how fast your heart was beating and how clammy your hands had gotten.

“Bok-” He placed a finger on your lips as if you quiet you.

“Call me Katsuki, y/n. I have a feeling we’ll be training much more closely from here on out.” With that, he pulled away and stood from your bed. He left your room, glaring at Shinso who was waiting patiently outside. The purple haired boy ran into your room as quickly as he could, inspecting your face when he saw you red, hot and flushed.

“I’m not even gonna ask what happened here.” He scrunched up his nose in disgust.

“Oh, n-nothing happened. He just offered to train with me more.”

#my hero academia #mha #mha x y/n #mha fluff #mha x reader #mha bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x you #mha bakugou #bnha imagines #bnha headcanons #bnha #bnha x reader #bnha fluff #bnha angst #boku no hero academia #bakugou angst #bakugou katsuki angst

125 notes · View notes

nanami-says · 3 years

Text

Part V (2/3): chapters 58~60

Chapter 58

[About Sukuna’s fingers resonating with one another]

"The ones that possess an immense presence. The ones that are hiding. The ones that are already taken in by cursed spirits."

⇒ "1) The ones with too big presences. 2) The ones holding their breath. 3) The ones already absorbed by cursed spirits."

I added the numbers for explanation purposes, see below.

"One of Sukuna's fingers was hidden by a cursed spirit. When Itadori consumed the finger in June, it released its cursed energy"

⇒ "The Sukuna fingers that had been absorbed were holding back their power [while] inside cursed spirits. Then they unleashed their cursed energy with Itadori's incarnation [of Sukuna] in June serving as a trigger."

Whelp. On top of extremely simplifying the explanation, they mixed up the kind of Sukuna finger involved here - it was very explicitly stated in the text that it was number 3) "absorbed" (assimilated) fingers, and not 2) "hiding" fingers.

I guess saying that Itadori consumed the finger isn't wrong plot wise but it's actually referred to (here and many times more in the manga) as "incarnation"! The same word also gets used for the death painting brothers.

[Megumi remembering a conversation with Gojou]

"I was surprised you asked me to train you"

⇒ "It's rare for you to ask me for a practice, Megumi"

"To train you" wasn't wrong but Gojou saying "it's rare" here points to it either happening occasionally or having happened in the past and I'm not sure "I was surprised" quite conveys that.

"Are you feeling pressure because of Yuji's growth?"

⇒ "Did you get impatient after getting surpassed by Yuuji?"

Gojou actually says that Yuuji has surpassed Megumi here! Quite a different nuance from just "Yuji's growth".

"Megumi, your skill and potential are probably higher than Yuji's. All that’s left is the mental aspect"

⇒ “You know, Megumi, I think that both your real ability and potential are in no way inferior to Yuuji's. (...)"

Emphasis mine because pray tell, how does one reach the conclusion that "don't lose out to"/"aren't inferior to" equals to "are probably higher". “Skill” was fine btw but I’d probably go with “mindset” for the last line, personally.

[Gojou explaining why he thinks Megumi doesn’t know how to make a serious effort giving the baseball game as an example]

“Why did you bunt? You sacrificed yourself so that Nobara could advance. Well, good for you"

⇒ "Why did you make a sacrifice bunt? Did you want to advance Nobara to the next base even if it meant you'd be out yourself? That's commendable"

The nuance for the last line was just different - the word used there usually is just used as praise, either genuine or ironic but imo “good for you” has a different meaning. Also he says “out” but it’s written as “death” (although that is sometimes the case in baseball as well.)

“But no matter how many allies you have around you, you'll always die alone"

⇒ “(...) when you die, you’re alone”

I tried to phrase it a bit closer to the original because I feel like the nuance may just be different for this line but can’t quite put a finger on the how.

[Gojou to Megumi]

"To die and then win, and dying victoriously are two completely different things, Megumi"

⇒ "To win by dying and to win even if you die are completely different, Megumi"

Emphasis by Gege. Ngl, I had no clue what the English was trying to say here… This is most likely what the line actually meant.

[Megumi regaining his consciousness after he blacked out from getting hit]

"How long was I out? Was my divine dog destroyed? No, my technique's finished"

Actually "my technique got undone". Putting it as "has finished" is imo both unclear and misleading. Similar situation as in ch. 1 (refer to part I).

[Lead-up to Megumi using a domain expansion for the first time]

"A jujutsu sorcerer's growth never comes easy"

⇒ "The growth curve of a sorcerer isn’t always gentle"

Mostly, the line was more intricate in the original but also the grammatical construction used here that they mistranslated as "never" actually means "not always [necessarily]” instead.

"Here we go!!"

Not really incorrect but it's kinda generic and I guess something like "I'm gonna do it!" is closer nuance wise.

"With a firm base, skill and imagination, a person can change thanks to the slightest of events"

⇒ "A firm foundation, a handful of sense, and imagination. Then, [even] with a most insignificant opportunity, a person will change"

A pity they simplified "a handful of sense" into just "skill" here. Overall not really incorrect but I wanted to propose something that imo better conveys the original wording and vibe.

“Area expansion”

…”area”? What? Obviously this is actually “domain expansion”. I just don’t have words.

“Think bigger! My technique’s interpretation!”

First sentence actually referred to the second one, so it’s actually something like “Expand it!! The technique’s interpretation!!”

[Megumi to the cursed spirit after his shikigami deals it a finishing blow]

"Divine dog's claws even hurt it...You were no match!"

"(...) So something like piercing through you when you're not even paying attention was easy"

Less excitement, more dismissiveness, I’d say? Also, for the divine dog it’s actually specified that it’s “divine dog (totality)” and not just simply “divine dog”. The term appeared before in ch. 47.

Chapter 59

[Megumi talking about what he considers the basic rule for human interactions in a flashback to his middle school years]

"Basically, you shouldn't cross any line that violates another person's dignity. You should acknowledge each other's mutual existence. That's the rule. You ignored it and fed your stupid ego"

⇒ "In short, it's drawing a line in order not to jeopardise one another's dignity; [it’s] a process through which both parties can coexist. That's what the "rule" is”. You broke it, throwing your weight around and forcing everyone to walk on eggshells around you”

For the first sentence, Megumi says “it’s drawing a line”, so the nuance here was probably closer to “creating boundaries” rather than “crossing boundaries” like in the official English release. For the second sentence, the original literally says “the process through which one another’s existence is achieved”, so rather than acknowledging each other’s existence the sentiment is probably closer to live and let live? For the last sentence, they once again simplified it to the barest bones.

"I'll definitely tell Ikezawa and everyone today that we're not their lapdogs"

“You got this, Aida!”

"But we might be the next punching bags, so don't go overboard!"

Should be “Ikezawa and others'' and definitely “that I’m not their errand boy” for the smallest boy’s first line. If all of them were already being treated as errand boys like the way using the plural form here implies, the other student’s reply wouldn’t make sense.

[After Tsumiki sees Megumi has beaten up delinquents once again]

“You said you wouldn’t pick fights anymore”

“You’re not my mom”

⇒ (...) “Don’t act like you’re my guardian”

Imo the distinction is significant because there’s a possibility that Tsumiki as the older of the two probably did feel responsible for Megumi to an extent and acted accordingly, as if she was his guardian.

Also, he doesn’t actually say “mom” - this is not the first time where the official English release opts for a gendered phrase where the original uses a neutral form. (Like making Yuuji say his grandpa was like a dad to him when he actually said parent all the way back in ch. 2.)

[Megumi’s thoughts from back in the middle school]

"I hate bad guys with no brains and zero emotional capability. Walking around feeling proud. Disgusting."

⇒ "I hate bad people. The way they act like they’re superior, with their complete lack of imagination or sensitivity. Disgusting”

I guess I really dislike the way they worded it here, especially the “no brains” part since Megumi wasn’t really talking about intellect or smarts here but about imagination (and sensitivity), which he literally describes as being akin to "vacant lot", "empty lot", "raw land”, which is much more evocative.

"I hate goody-goodies forgiving bad people, justifying mercy. Makes me wanna puke"

⇒ "I hate good people. The way they forgive such bad people and perceive that act of forgiveness as something noble. They make me sick"

Mhm, way to just simplify the heck out of the whole line. I’m extra bothered by their use of “goody-goodies” here since this is yet another appearance of a rather formal word for “good person” (善人/zennin) in the original and which I’ve observed to be a very important part of the world-building in jjk. I discuss it at length in various previous installments, with notable examples including: ch. 9 (Megumi about Yuuji and about the kind of people he wants to save - part I), ch. 31 (Nanami and Yuuji’s conversation in the aftermath of the Junpei incident - part III 2/2), ch. 36 (Panda about Yuuji - part IV 2/5).

“Tsumiki, you’re a perfect example of a good person.”

See, the word he uses here to describe Tsumiki is the same as in the line above (善人) but because back then it got translated as “goody-goodies”, you’d never guess it since the vibes are just that different.

[Megumi reminiscing about meeting Gojou for the first time]

"In the first grade, my dad and Tsumiki's mom got married and separated just as quickly"

⇒ "When I was in the first grade of elementary school my father and Tsumiki’s mother, our respective single parents, got together and disappeared into thin air"

The original doesn’t mention marriage OR separation. Heck, especially for the second one, it doesn’t even come close to mentioning it?? I have no clue where they got this from.

What I put as “got together” can also be translated as “to have a liaison with (a man or a woman)” (among others). Since Tsumiki’s surname is also “Fushiguro” in middle school, it’s possible that they were actually married and many Japanese fans seem to think that as well but it’s not explicitly stated, at least not here, so those are most likely speculations.

As for mysterious “separation”, the word used here actually means "disappearance (of people intentionally concealing their whereabouts); unexplained disappearance", so imo the whole section means their parents got together and at some point both disappeared. As we learn at one point in the manga Touji first and Tsumiki’s mum sometime later.

(Btw, one fan scanlation used “evaporation” here instead and while this is another possible translation of the word in question, imo from the context it’s clear that the intended meaning was the “unexplained disappearance” instead.)

Lastly, Megumi uses kind of formal expressions when referring to both his own dad and Tsumiki’s mum, which imo is indicative of the emotional distance.

[Tiny Megumi about teenager Gojou]

"A weirdo with white hair said"

⇒ "A suspicious man with white hair"

Needless to say, he doesn't actually call Gojou a weirdo.

[Gojou about Touji]

"But he's a loser that just works for me. He left the family and had you."

⇒ "He's enough of a good-for-nothing to take aback even me. Basically, he left home and then had you."

Emphasis mine. Again, I literally have no clue where they got the translation they went with for this. “Works for me” - just what?? (Btw, one of the fan scans available for this had the latter part of this line mistakenly imply that Gojou had Megumi leave his house. The bit definitely referred to Touji leaving the Zen’in family.)

"You're something your dad used against the Zen'in family. His trump card"

⇒ “You’re something your father kept as his strongest card against the Zen’in family”

A bit of a different nuance than “your dad used” suggests.

"The divorce money makes sense now. I was sold to this Zen'in family"

⇒ "The mystery behind the funds for their disappearance got solved. Apparently, I was sold to this Zen’in family or something"

Again, the word for “divorce” doesn’t make an appearance ANYWHERE in this chapter, least of all this page. ...How.

Once again - fan scans had this as money that also evaporated but neither it nor the official English release make sense, considering the line is followed up by “I was sold” as the explanation. So yeah, imo the first sentence definitely referred to the money Megumi considered necessary for Touji (and co’s) disappearance.

[Gojou referring to Touji basically selling Megumi off]

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it's annoying. Especially your attitude."

⇒ “It pisses you off, doesn’t it”

“Yeah, it does piss me off. Especially that lack of delicacy of yours”

I mentioned it multiple times but imo repetition in the original text tends to be done on purpose and as a device and imo this was another example where this was the case. Megumi borrows Gojou’s words here. (Which mean “to be irritated, “to be angry” and not “it sucks”.)

[Megumi continuing about Gojou]

"But that annoying guy wrote off the situation with the Zen'in family. He made a promise that we would work as sorcerers in the future. We would be collateral and receive financial support from Jujutsu High in exchange."

⇒"This man pisses me off, but it was him who cancelled the deal with the Zen'in family, and made it so we would receive financial support from the technical college with me working as a sorcerer in the future [serving] as collateral for it”

I don’t know why they’d translate it as “we would work” here since who the “we” would be supposed to even entail other than Megumi himself? Surely not Tsumiki. Or Gojou. Also, putting the next bit as “we would be collateral” makes it sound kind of dehumanising to me, ngl, whereas Megumi was talking about his labour here.

Also, the same phrase for “pisses off” as above got used once again, which makes it three times in a row, so imo that was definitely a deliberate stylistic choice on Gege’s part.

“Jujutsu sorcerers. How stupid.

⇒ "Sorcerers, what even. How nonsensical"

Just proposing an alternate wording.

[Megumi about the curse Tsumiki got hit by]

"All we knew was that we didn't know anything. Tsumiki still sleeps."

The word used to describe Tsumiki’s state literally means “became bedridden”, which imo heavily implies she fell into a coma. “Still sleeps” is most likely a misunderstanding on the translator’s part since the word sounds like it’d mean that (but it doesn’t.)

[Megumi about Tsumiki]

"Always smiling and saying nice things"

⇒ “Always smiling and spouting lip service”

Another case where the translator seems to have translated the word based on the way it’s written as opposed to checking the actual meaning. (The “nice things” phrase.)

"It's not a bad thing to not forgive people. Megumi, that's your way of showing kindness."

⇒ “Not being able to forgive people isn’t a bad thing. That’s your kindness, Megumi”

It wasn’t just “not to forgive” but “not being able to forgive”! Which imo would imply the next line’s nuance was something similar to Tsumiki considering Megumi’s inability to forgive people to be something that stems from his kindness (e.g. because he can’t stand seeing injustice).

"Even spinning my short-comings in a positive light."

⇒ “She would affirm even my nature"

Imo this line was more of Tsumiki accepting Megumi as he is or at least that’s what the line says - makes sense with what I proposed for the line above too. Translating it the way they did in the official release kind of feels like overinterpreting.

"But even she would get upset when I hurt somebody. I was annoyed by the hypocrisy"

⇒ "But even such Tsumiki would get genuinely angry (...). I would get annoyed thinking she was a stickler to the rules and a hypocrite"

Emphasis mine. The phrase that the translators seem to have skipped here and I translated as "stickler to the rules" literally means "to play it safe", "to avoid trouble at all cost".

"Yeah, I know. I was immature. I'm sorry so please wake up already"

“I’m sorry, I was a brat. I’ll apologise so just wake up already, stupid older sister”

Just a different nuance and tone for the whole line.

"All I did was get rid of the Yasohachi bridge curse. My sister's sleeping curse is a separate matter."

⇒ "This Yasohachi bridge curse was probably only overlapping with it, and the curse that caused Tsumiki to fall into a coma probably hasn't been lifted"

The official English release makes it sound like sleeping (or more correctly, the coma) was the nature of the curse that Tsumiki was put under, whereas imo the original indicates it just as its effect, which is an important distinction.

“As for the finger and Itadori…”

⇒ “What should I tell Itadori about the finger...”

The “tell”, “say” is only implied here but it’s pretty clear from the context that was the meaning. Also, he explicitly says “to Itadori” here.

[After the Yasohachi bridge curse got defeated by Megumi who then retrieved the Sukuna finger from it]

"All of sudden I feel a presence. Did the finger get out of the barrier? Whoever took out the finger bearer is quite formidable."

⇒ “The huge presence that appeared all of sudden... Did Sukuna's finger get out of the barrier? If it was a sorcerer that exorcised the finger's host, they must be quite good......."

Emphasis mine on bits that got cut out in the official release. Because Esou was facing off Nobara, he probably assumed it’s likely there may be other sorcerers present and imo that’s what this line also suggests.

"Even so... The finger... Even if they fought against a special-grade and won, They more than likely didn't come out of it unscathed. I hope they're okay."

Just to clarify that the word used for “they” in the original indicates the speaker knows the people in question, so those were Nobara’s thoughts here.

Chapter 60

[Esou to Yuuji and Nobara after he activates his wing king technique]

“Start running and turn your backs to me”

“Run. With your backs turned to me” would fit better nuance and mood wise. (Esou didn’t want to show his back to anyone so now he’s’ forcing them to show theirs.)

[Nobara to Yuuji after he scooped her up because she couldn’t run as fast as he could]

“I got your back”

“Okay”

“Okay” isn’t incorrect per se but the word has the nuance of “I’m counting on you”.

[Nobara to Yuuji after he speeded through the forest while carrying her, allowing them to escape from Esou's technique]

"Well done, you deserve some praise"

“Yeah, yeah”

“Just kidding. Thanks!”

⇒ "You have my praise." (...)

Actually a set phrase! Spoken from a rather elevated/superior POV, which is why Nobara later reiterates that she’s genuinely thankful. Also, I probably would just go with a period for “Thanks”, imo nuance wise it didn’t require an exclamation mark and it’s not there in the original either.

[Esou after Yuuji gets splashed with Kechizu’s blood]

"There's no need to worry. My younger brother's blood isn't the same quality as mine"

Actually "doesn't have the same properties like mine”.

"You wouldn't even die from mine unless you were drowned in it."

Much closer to something like "unless you were to bathe your whole body in it".

"But it does hurt like hell"

⇒ "But it does hurt to death"

Not really wrong meaning wise but in the original it was “to death” instead of “like hell”, which combined with a previous line was probably a wordplay. "You won't die but it does hurt to death"

[Esou explaining how his and Kechizu’s shared technique works]

"If you take in one of our brother's blood and if one brother activates a technique"

Idk if it's clear here but it most likely doesn't matter which brother does which (could even be the same one). Also, definitely should’ve been “the” or “this” for technique, since Esou has just stated on the same page he’s now going to start laying out how a specific technique of he and his brother’s functions.

[Esou replying to Yuuji]

"Yes, the result is essentially poison. Our technique is 'decomposition'"

Should be “but what our technique is, is actually ‘decomposition’” nuance wise.

"It's activated now. In reality they'll be dead faster than that”

⇒ “Done with technique disclosure, so in reality (...)”

Emphasis mine. You know, the rule in jujutsu where if you explain your technique to your opponent, it gets a buff? “Activation” is just wrong here.

While it’s not phrased as such, the phenomenon is first explained in ch. 20 during Nanami’s explanation to Yuuji (refer to part II 2/2). It also gets mentioned by name later in the manga but oftentimes the official release would either skip it or word it completely differently so it’s hard to tell, like in ch. 51, when Hanami realises Toudou has lied to him (part IV 5/5).

[The history of how cursed wombs came to be]

"[In the beginning of the Meiji era] there was a girl with special genetic makeup who bore a cursed-spirit child"

Actually “with an idiosyncrasy that allowed her to get pregnant with the child of a cursed spirit”! Imo an important distinction since it’s not certain whether her first child that gets discussed here was born prematurely or not and the following pregnancies were all aborted.

"A child born of mixed blood - both cursed spirit and human.”

Skipped “grotesque child” at the end.

“It was a mysterious pregnancy. She would be ostracized by family and friends.”

⇒ "Starting from a pregnancy she had no recollection of, [followed by] the oppression from her kith and kin, it made her go insane"

This latter part of this section is filled to the brim with complicated language so I’m not entirely sure but I think this might’ve been the intended meaning of the line. The official translators were probably struggling with the vocabulary too, so they cut out some stuff entirely, to be precise - the go insane part. It’s the bit I’m not certain about myself but I scoured Japanese dictionaries and that’s the meaning that seemed to be the best fit among the options.

Anyway, to reiterate - the bit about the pregnancy actually says that the girl herself didn’t even know (couldn’t remember) how it came to be. The part about the relatives doesn’t mention friends, it’s actually a set phrase that means “one's relatives by blood and marriage (in blood and law); one's kith and kin” - I went here with the latter since it’s shorter and fits the overall vibe of the line.

“She would hold the corpse of the child and flee to a temple in the mountains. The temple was run by jujutsu sorcerers. However, her luck had run out."

⇒ “(...) However, this was when her luck run out”

Other than the nuance in the last line, this isn’t mistranslated but the whole section just flowed differently in the original and felt less disjointed.

Also! One of the scanlations I’ve seen had it misspelled as “Noshitori” but the evil sorcerer’s name is actually “Kamo Noritoshi” (and yes, it’s the same as the young Kamo but the “toshi” is written with different characters).

"The child born from a cursed spirit and human would become a prisoner of intellectual curiosity"

⇒ "His [Kamo Noritoshi's] intellectual curiosity would be taken captive by children born between a cursed spirit and a human"

Very much the other way around. It's very clear in the original that the subject of the sentence was Kamo's intellectual curiosity and not the child.

"Death painting wombs: numbers 1-3. Cursed objects worthy of special grade."

Closer to "cursed objects powerful enough to be classified as special grade"

"Did cursed energy originate from a mother's hatred? No..."

It's specified here as "did their cursed energy" instead (emphasis mine), and the question is actually left unanswered......................................................... So yeah, congrats on getting rid of this very intended ambiguity. It's something like "or was it maybe--"

[About cursed wombs]

"For 150 years, with only the notion of one another's existence, they would survive, sealed away"

⇒ "For 150 years, they endured the seal, relying only on one another's existence"

"The notion" just doesn't capture the sentiment of the line at all, which imo is most likely the follow-up to the narrator's musings about the origin of the death painting's immense cursed energy. (See above.)

"We're siding with that cursed spirit."

Actually "siding with them", read as "them" but written as "the cursed spirits" - probably plural as the original literally says "the side of the cursed spirits", so it possibly means cursed spirits as a whole as well, aside of Mahito and co specifically. Remember, the brothers are actually half-humans too. I explain in depth the “written as but read as” device in part IV 4/5 (ch. 48, Toudou’s “my friend” phenomenon).

"The future that the cursed spirits have painted is more suited for us. But that's it. Forget about what we owe for our freedom"

Not incorrect per se but Chousou actually says “forget the debt we owe them of our incarnation”, which would make it yet another instance where the official English release has cut out the term entirely. (Emphasis mine.)

[Nobara after stating that a technique that assures a win as long as it hits an opponent is indeed powerful]

"I'm a bad match for you!!"

Actually “the worst match [possible]” - more confidence in the line!

[Nobara to the death painting brothers after using Resonance on herself thus redirecting their attack back at them]

"Let's play a game of chicken, shall we?"

The actual wording is “contest of endurance”, I’m not entirely sure if the two have the same connotation.

[part v (3/3)]

#JujutsuKaisen #jjk #Jujutsu Kaisen #jjk translation #jjktranslation

164 notes · View notes

slut4aizawa · 3 years

Text

The last class meeting

A/N; this is sad

A/N 2; your favorite character dies

A/N 3; I am having a tough week at the moment but I hope everybody is doing ok

Prompt; The pro-heroes failed at stopping The League and now the world is ending.

Trigger warning; mentions of blood, slight insinuation of torture, angst, death

Y/N pronouns; they/them

---

“OBC News with a terrible update;

All Might has been declared deceased.

This is our final broadcast as the League villains have since set off a bomb big and strong enough to destroy more than just Japan. I hope everyone has time to contact those they love, and may your G-d be with you when it hits. Kane J signing off for the last time. Good night Musutafu.

Denki clicks the remote and the dorm common room falls silent.

“All Might’s dead?” Sero whimpers.

“We all are.” Bakugo spits. “We’re all dead because the heroes couldn’t stop the villains. They killed us.”

“Bakugo, you should make peace with this before it happens. You don’t want to die with all of that hatred in your heart.” You suggest, putting your head down. “They did their best.”

“Don’t tell me what to…” Bakugo starts his usual banter but realizes it’s futile at this point.

All of class 1-A is in the common room, their eyes previously glued to the television to find out the verdict of their now-dead mentor. Nobody is crying. You think they’re all in shock. You’re not crying either.

“I guess we should call our families,” Mina pulls out her cell phone but sees the service has gone. “Never mind.” She put her phone back in her pocket to her pajama shorts. “I can’t even say goodbye to my parents. My mom must be worried sick.”

The room is filled with silent mutters, maybe prayers, maybe admittances of regret, you swear you can hear one or two proclamations of love from your fellow classmates. Even Ochako grows the confidence to grab Deku’s hand with a whisper of ‘I’m scared’.

“Class, I’m sorry.” A gruff voice breaks the tension, the group turns around swiftly. It’s Mr. Aizawa all beaten and bloodied. His face is barely recognizable, his hair is stuck to his face with his own blood, and probably others as well. You’re surprised he even made it back to the dorms. He collapses to his knees and his head is bowed.

You stand up first to help, he’s barely sitting up on his own. Momo and Hagakure follow closely.

“Momo and Hagakure please get the first aid.” You get on your knees to be at his height as well so you can fully assess his damage and the girls go off to find the first aid. “Mr. Aizawa, you shouldn’t apologize for things that you can’t control. You all did your best. We all know that…” You pull his hair back and see that his eyes are gone. You let out a small gasp, but he grabs your wrist.

“Don’t tell them,” He quietly cries. “I don’t want them to be even more scared than they are. I’m sorry you had to be the one to see, but I know you can keep it together so I’m glad it was you. I’ve always known you were special.”

You’ve never seen Mr. Aizawa show emotion like this. It really is over.

Your classmates come back with the first aid, but you tell them Mr. Aizawa doesn’t want it, and he just wants us to sit together and appreciate each other in our final moments.

“Thank you all for being such an aspiring class.” You help Mr. Aizawa find his way to the couch. All you can think about is how his blood is going to stain it. “You truly were the best students I ever had. I’m honored I got to teach you. You all have such great potential. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop the League soon enough for you to be able to show it off to the rest of the world. You all had the drive to be the number one hero.” You sit next to your teacher, and he gives your wrist a slight squeeze. “Thank you for showing me what it means to be a good teacher with a greater purpose.”

“Mr. Aizawa…” Iida smiles. “Thank you for everything you have taught us.”

The class gets closer to each other in a huddle. You can tell it’ll happen any minute now. The bomb. It’s just a gut feeling.

“Mr. Aizawa, I have to ask you, my dad…” Todoroki begins to speak and Mr. Aizawa sighs before sniffling and shaking his head. “I see then.” Todoroki moves his eyes from the teacher to the floor.

Kirishima and Tokoyami, who are on either side of Shouto, rub his back to try and comfort him.

“I’m sorry, Todoroki. Most pro-heroes didn’t make it. Endeavor, Midnight, King Orca, Best Jeanist, Ms. Joke, All Might… They all showed up and tried to stop them, but it just wasn’t enough. There was more to them than we expected. I was the only one who escaped. But what I saw-“ He cuts himself off and thinks about his next words. “They all died very quickly and painlessly.”

You haven’t been very close to Mr. Aizawa, he is a very closed guy after all. But you could tell he was lying. What he actually saw was the pro heroes dying in terrible ways. He was only granted mercy after his eyes were removed. That physical pain was labeled as a relief to the alternative of watching his friends and coworkers die off.

You look to your left and see Katsuki sitting by himself away from the group. He’s the only one not in the huddle.

“Bakugo? Why aren’t you sitting over here? We’re all saying goodbye.” You try to inch him to sit with you all.

He slowly stands up and his eyes meet yours, they’re empty. As soon as he sits, he huffs and mutters out his last words.

“We’re so young. We’ve barely lived. We’re just kids.”

It was as if Katsuki’s words were the final nail in the coffin, everybody soaks them in and beings crying. Even you shed a tear. Not for yourself, you’re dying, which is sad, but you’re really only worried that all of your friends are dying as well. The classmates that helped you through so much and fought beside you on multiple occasions. You always imagined that they would live full lives of success and triumph. You would help them be the best they could be, even if that meant failure for yourself. And now they’re going to die at your side. And there’s nothing you can do to help; all you can do is sit and watch in hopes that you go last so they all have someone to die with.

Shortly after Class 1-A’ revelation of death, a boom can be heard from the other side of Japan.

“It’s here.” Kirishima chuckles. “I guess I’ll see you all on the other side. Maybe we can save more people there.”

“Goodbye class. You did well.” Iida sits up tall, staying strong as class rep, staring at the blast head-on.

And just as if you were seeing light for the first time, it was also your last.

23 notes · View notes

mandakatt · 3 years

Text

DMC Fic - Feeling of Familiarity - Dante Sparda & Nero Sparda

A/N: Here's the piece I did for the @jackpot-dantezine and since bundles are being shipped, I get the chance to share this one with you!

Characters: Dante Sparda, Nero Sparda, Trish, Credo, Vergil (Mention) Word Count: 2474 Warnings: Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant (I guess that's a warning? XD) Summary: Dante had come to Fortuna to 'check' into the collectors he'd heard about, and while he's taking care of that problem, he finds himself face to face with a young man that makes him think of Vergil.

Why though?

Why does this young cocky kid get his blood to sing with the feeling of familiarity?

And why does he want to protect him so badly?

“‘See you there’, she said. ‘This will be fun,’ she said...”

Dante grumbled softly to himself as he perched himself over one of the many stained glass windows of the opera house to look down at the congregation below, and he couldn’t help but huff out a little laugh.

"The Order of the Sword huh? Well...so much for hoping you were just a bunch of collectors.”

With a sigh he crouched himself down to listen for a moment, and he couldn’t help but cringe as he wiggled a finger into his ear. The Vicar, or whatever this demon wanted to call himself, was rambling on about a Savior, and it was totally getting on his nerves.

“Geeze, this guy can talk…”

He can feel the call of the Yamato nearby but it’s very distant and dulled, almost as if it was buried underground. It reminded him of how one felt when waking up from an all night bender, and he sort of huffed at the irony of the thought, considering the way the shop looked when he left.

With a sigh he stood up, and rolled his shoulders. “Well, no time like the present…” with a smirk he decided that a grand entrance; like always, is the way he should get things started.

Crashing into the opera house like a damned vigilante, he manages to shut up the Vicar himself with one very well-placed and up-close shot to the head. With that out of the way, Dante stands slowly, feeling his blood singing again as he turns his head to look around at what could be calling to him only to go wide-eyed as his gaze falls on a young man with stark white hair and the first thing that comes to mind is the word family.

But before he can figure out who or what he’s really looking at, he gets swarmed with demons, and with humans scrambling around and screaming to flee that makes this a bit more difficult. Immediately he considers how best to keep these things distracted long enough for the humans to escape, but then that familiar scent of fear fills his nostrils. His head snaps down to look at the woman at his feet, to tell her to not be afraid but the next thing he knows he’s got a pair of boots in his face. It takes all of his self control to not burst out laughing as he rights himself and draws his guns, giving off a soft huff he smirks as he stares this kid down, only to feel like he’s looking at a much younger version of his brother.

Well now...

It isn’t long before he finds himself clashing swords and once again he’s hit by a sudden rush of familiarity, as if there’s something about this cocky, loud, hot-tempered kid that makes his blood sing with the memory of Vergil, and he finds himself pushing this kid to the brink just to truly see what he’s capable of.

Suddenly the overwhelming need to protect this kid slaps him in the face.

He wants to help him redirect that anger into something more powerful. Guide him and teach him things that he was positive he didn’t know he could do already. Things that no one ever taught him when he was his age, and alone.

Yet those rambling thoughts are what distracts him enough that he’s suddenly taking several punches to the face. The devil in him grows angry at the situation and he feels the want to shift, and actually partly does so.

Alright Kid, you’ve made your point. Seems—

Suddenly, he’s weightless, and right after the wind gets knocked out of him, the Rebellion rips through his chest and he slams against the statue of Sparda. He stares down at it in disbelief for a moment before he lets his arms droop down to his sides with a soft sigh.

—Heh. Well that’s a case of some serious deja vu. And with my own sword no less!

Okay. So he might have just underestimated this kid just a little bit.

With a grunt he pushes himself free of the statue and lands on his feet to slowly pull the Rebellion free from his chest. He finds himself sort of encouraging this kid, explaining that he’s sure that he and this kid are the same, yet different from the demons that litter the floor around them, and when the kid turns to look he leaves the same way he got into the opera house, giving the kid a cheeky salute on his way out.

When he meets the kid again he can feel the anger radiating off him in waves, see it in the way this kid’s arm glows with power, and he knows that the Yamato is feeding from that anger. In the short time he’s followed this kid around, he’s never seen him be this sloppy, and it irritates him at how easily he knocks this kid off balance by preventing him from pulling his arm away.

They clash swords and Dante doesn’t feel the same adrenaline rush as when they met, he knows there’s too much anger running through this kid’s head.

“You cooled off yet kid?” he pants softly as he looms over him. “What’s the matter? Why the glare?”

“You look as if you’ve just been playing me from the beginning.”

And Dante swears that hurts almost as much as when this kid pinned him to the stature in the opera house. He immediately backs off, resting the Rebellion on his shoulder as he tells him about the Yamato.

How it needs to stay in the family.

And when this kid desperately says that he needs it...

Well shit, you’re not making this easy on me are ya Kid?

“Then keep it,” Dante tells him with a smirk. “Now that you’re calm and cool you can get goin’...”

The kid stands there for a moment before moving past him, but before he gets too far he calls out to him.

“Hey! What’s your name?”

“Nero…You’re Dante right?”

With a light nod of his head he knows this kid—Nero—doesn’t see he watches him stalk off before he’s met by Trish, and he can’t help but tease her on how she’s dressed.

“Are you sure you wanna let him go?”

“Yeah...I figure he can bear the burden.”

His father could handle that blade without a problem.

“Well, if the kid screws up, then I’ll just have to kick his ass.”

Though the next time they cross paths his heart leaps up into his throat when he hears Nero’s desperate anguished cry for Credo. It’s a familiar sound as he knows he made a similar sound when he lost Vergil, and he finds himself catching Credo out of the air as gently as he’s able.

The Vicar rambles on about how ‘Gloria’ didn’t anticipate a descendant of Sparda’s blood, and his own sings with anger, and now he’s going to distract the Vicar just enough to give Nero a fighting chance.

“Hey Kid! You giving up so soon?”

“My options...are limited…”

Dante scoffs. “So melodramatic.” C’mon, don’t give up Kid... “Besides, if you die without giving my sword back, I’m gonna be pissed!” You’re not beaten yet!

He finds himself taking several steps forward with the want to save him only to blink as Nero gives him the bird and tells him to come and get it. Blinking in disbelief, he stares at the Savior where Nero was, before a smirk pulls at his lips.

“Heh, what a punk…” and a moment later the statue rises into the sky and he finds himself huffing out a laugh at the size of the Savior. “Check it out, it’s got wings!”

The groan and cough behind him causes him to turn to look at Credo, and he knows sadly that there is no coming back from a wound like that, but first, he’s hoping to get some answers.

“Hey. Where’s that thing going? It’s not complete yet is it?” he crouches down near him.

“It is in his heart to save the world from chaos...He will begin by driving it out.”

I see this is another familiar song and dance…

“Now he has what he needs. Yamato.”

Dante sighs as he looks from Trish back to Credo as he tells him what they want to use the sword for. How the Vicar wants to use the Yamato to open the Hell Gate, the real Hell Gate that lies dormant beneath the city, and Dante finds himself looking up at Trish.

“I think you...the son of the Dark Knight Sparda...are the only one that can stop the Savior now…Dante...”

Sighing a little through his nose as Trish starts to tease him about his reputation, he looks up at the Savior with his hands on his hips and huffs.

“Looks that way…” and he turns to look as Credo struggles to get to his feet, pain and loss all over his face and Dante’s heart goes out to the guy. He understands that he never wanted his sibling involved in any of this. He understands what it feels like to lose your family.

“Please… honor one last request…” Credo pants softly, groanings between words. “Save them. Kyrie and…Nero…” he moves to step forward as if he means to chase them when his body gives out.

Dante gently reaches out to place his hand on his chest to stop him, only to sigh and slowly sink down to his knee as Credo’s body dissipates. Instead of it being an energy that he’s used to, that colorless sort of dark matter, this glows warm and floats up into the sky. He feels a sudden sense of loss, and a twist of anger in his gut as he stares at his hand.

“I’ll do it…” he growls as he takes a deep breath and his tone changes as he gets to his feet. “I wouldn’t want to deny anyone their dying request.”

“I’ll sweep the city and evacuate the people.”

“Hey! Is this your way of ditching and dumping this mess on—”

“You wanna switch?”

When Trish rounds on him he stands there, his mouth agape at the look she gives him and he lifts his hands in submission. He knows that she really can tell how angry he is at this whole thing. Because no one else, family or not, should have to go through what he and his brother had.

“It’s cool!” Dante finally relents as he turns to leave. “Let’s stick to the plan.”

He goes after Devil Arms, and hell gates, and when he uses the Yamato to split a hell gate in two he knows it won’t be long before the Savior is focused on him.

“You get it back?”

Dante lifts the Yamato up, showing Trish the blade.

“That’s one sword....” he sighs and sounds almost weary.

“And one to go.”

With the Savior now looming closer he scowls, he knows that Nero is still in there somewhere, he can feel him, but he can’t tell exactly where the kid is and despite wanting to use the Yamato to destroy it he knows if he does, he’ll lose Nero in the process.

He can’t lose him too.

He can’t.

He has Trish go after the others, asking her to make sure they are safe as he starts off after the Savior, and he loses himself in the fight. It isn’t long before he sinks the Yamato deep into its chest, then calls for Nero.

“Time to wake up Kid! You’re missing out on all the fun!” and when he can’t feel him for a brief moment, his heart stops.

“Nero!”

Ah! There you are. Shit. Don’t scare a guy like that.

“Do what you gotta do kid, cause I’m about to send this guy on a one way trip to Hell!”

A fight with something so large is more annoying than anything, and he can feel Nero growing stronger with each swing of the Rebellion, almost as if he is empowering each step that Kid is making. He finds himself smirking a moment later when he realizes that the fight is over as he watches Nero land on his feet, with Kyrie in his arms.

“Took your time.”

“What, you looking for an apology?”

With a smirk he turns to face him and gestures with a flourish. “Well, how long am I going to have to wait for it?”

Only to scowl when the Savior moves again.

Dante turns to finish it off when Nero prevents him from doing so by passing him the sword of Sparda. With a smirk he stands there, keeping a simple vigil over Kyrie as his blood sings again with familiarity as Nero’s devil side awakens further and he watches with amusement as this kid crushes the Savior’s skull.

“I guess I should thank you…”

When Nero walks up to him again with the Yamato in hand he feels the want to protect ebb a little as he turns to face him.

“But that would be out of character,” Dante smirks. “Maybe you should just throw an insult my way instead.”

“Yeah, that sounds better, but still, I owe ya.”

Dante finds himself wanting to tell him about his Father, his family, of how damned proud of him they all would be, but the words die in his throat, and with a bit of a smile, he tries to act nonchalant.

“Ah, don’t sweat it, I had my reasons for helping.” with a gentle pat on Nero’s shoulder he starts to leave. “Take care of yourself.”

“Wait, you forgot this.”

He pauses and turns to face him with a slight smile. “Keep it.”

“What? I thought this meant a lot to you..?”

“Well, that’s the only type of gift worth giving.” Dante’s voice grows soft and fond. “I want to entrust it to you, so I am.”

Your father would want you to have it.

Before he gets too emotional he becomes aloof and takes a step back from him with a grin.“What you do from here, is your call.” He turns to leave.

There’s still demons on the loose in Fortuna; he can’t just leave them to run amok after all.

“Hey Dante? Will we meet again…?”

With a gentle wave over his shoulder as he heads back toward the city to catch up with Trish, he knows that he won’t be letting Nero out of his sight for too long. Not just because he knows he has a thing or three to teach this kid about hunting devils, but because you stick with family, no matter what.

“Don’t worry, Kid,” he mumbles under his breath. “Your Uncle Dante will watch out for ya...”

#Meraki #Dante Sparda #DMC Dante #Nero Sparda #DMC Nero #TW Blood #TW Injury #Dante Zine #DMC Fanzine #Jackpot a Dante Fanzine #Uncle Dante

25 notes · View notes

jauneda1 · 3 years

Text

RWBY

The New War

Jaune's First solo Mission

One year after the initial attacks

War changed Remnant after the attacks one year ago. The kingdoms are all against each other Vacuo in a constant battle with Vale due to the leaders of Vacuo being taken out by the terrorist group know as the Black mask. They instilled a system in there kingdoms laws that makes it impossible for people to go against the military. Innocent men, women, and children are forced to live in poverty. While the men and women who took their nation get to live without a worry. Until the combined forces of Vale and Atlas military tried to invade and save the once beautiful kingdom. The only problem is that there are Grimm new kinds of Grimm no one has ever seen. Not to mention the White Fang are and still are a threat to both sides. They're force had grown exponentially due to their attacking and ultimate destruction of Mistral and the Huntsman Academy of Haven. Even with all this change and destruction of the peace our heros burst forward in hopes of finally ending this conflict.

Desert's of Vacuo

Jaune had just to touched down on a mountain range, from where the two where standing he could see the inner city, all the way up to around the capital. He wouldn't be able to do much just sitting here. Jaune's mission was simple sneak behind enemy lines and escort and evacuate a defecting White Fang lieutenant, her name is Ilia Amitola and she served directly under commander Adam Taurus. She is a valuable asset to say the least.

In Jaune's ear piece he can hear Raven checking in. She being his main mentor for the past year she would be kind of walking him through this mission of his.

Raven: How is it on your end?

Jaune: Clear. How everyone doing up there?

Raven: Don't worry about that you have a mission. Hop to it reminder you have a limited time window.

Raven: Not to mention this is your first solo mission so stay hidden and try not to cause a scene.

Jaune: You know your to serious about this I'll get in get out and be done. By the way what do we call this mission?

Raven: Jaune you have to be serious if your captured that's it. We can't come and save you. You'll be treated as if your acting on your own terms.

Raven: Ruby and Yang are gonna be heart broken if there best friend doesn't come back. Plus Summer will blame me for the rest of my days.

Jaune: Okay okay. Serious

Jaune took this short moment to remember everything he has learned in the past year. Then the people who are counting on him right now. Blake was the one who begged Ozpin to send someone in. He volunteered he was gonna keep his promises to his friend. It's what Arc's do, they'll never go back on there word.

Jaune: (Inhales) (Exhales)

Jaune: Commencing Virtuous mission now.

The Grimm in the surrounding area of Vacuo where a lot different from any of the ones Jaune is used to seeing. But they are still easy to sneak past especially with the gear Jaune has on.

Jaune: I gotta hand it to the tech guys this is supposed to hide my body heat and give me a near invisible camouflage.

Raven: Well not a hundred percent. It's more to give you the look of transparency but really your suit uses the surrounding area to automatically change and conceal you.

Raven: So don't thinking it'll get you out of trouble all the time.

Raven: Again try not to be seen. The target is supposed to meet you on the south west side of the city.

Jaune: Yeah and that means I need to go through the capitol. Should I plant bugs around or just stick to my main objective?

Raven: Stick to the main objective your on a 2 hour time window.

...

Raven: Jaune?

Everyone in the observation room back at HQ where shocked Jaune had encountered plain of some type of burial site but some of the people hung up on poles are still breathing they are just dehydrated and starved. There were soldiers, civilians, and children. What shocked everyone even Jaune as he can hear Blake shout out over the mic.

Blake: ILIA!

Jaune looked up to one of the poles to see a naked dehydrated and beaten women Jaune could tell she was alive but he wouldn't be able to fulton extract her, not in this condition. So mission complete he'll just call in a chopper and put her on it and do what needs to be done. Jaune wasn't obligated to do what he has intentions on, but if someone doesn't do something to weaken the Forces of Black Mask and White Fang here in Vacuo then the war to reclaim the kingdom will never come.

Jaune: Send in a chopper and make sure medical is on it.

Raven: You got it, Jaune I know what your thinking. Please don't do what your gonna do. Everyone saw your vitals spike.

Raven: But I've known you since you where a boy. I've been like your second mother please be on that chopper when it arrives back at HQ.

Jaune stayed silent and continue to stay silent as he climbed up the pole to cut down and carry Ilia she wasn't making the trip unless he did so. But the reason Jaune kept quiet wasn't because he was worried about what Raven said. It was because if Ilia was secretly defecting from the Fang why was she out here and for how long who knew she was a mole and was trying to defect.

But the answer was a red laser that pointed at Ilia's head. Jaune instinctively got in front of her and a loud shot rang out as it hit Jaune in the back. Jaune at this point was able to jump down and bring Ilia with him to keep her out of harm's way. This was a trap and Jaune had just been caught in it.

Raven: Jaune! Are you okay?

Jaune: Going dark until I can take out this sniper.

Raven: Jaune no your mission is complete you just need to get out of there.

Ruby: No that sniper could bring down the evac chopper.

Yang: So he's forced to deal with the sniper.

Yang: You've got this Jaune.

Jaune: Mhhm.

Two Minutes later.

The sniper was beginning to feel bored. Questions like how long is he gonna sit behind that rock, or is he still there and if so what is his angle. He's stuck and can't move. She then she had an sudden urge to check behind herself as if something that was life threatening to her was right there about to strike. When she looked there was nothing. But then her semblance hit her hard as she was nearly cut in half, she jumped back with a lot of force because she got hit but her gun took the damage.

Looking now it was the man she thinks was behind the rock. But how could that be he was more then 150 meters away he wouldn't have been able to have got this close to her this fast unless he knew where she was the second the bullet went off. It makes sense now the second the laser of the rifle tagged the traitor he glanced back eyes widen and scanning. Remembering it because it was odd he sensed danger evaluated it and reacted in under a second. Not to mention he took a bullet for her. He has aura does that mean he's a Huntsman.

The sniper had little time to think as Jaune's eyes focused and he rushed forward and was now behind her and chopped her in the back of the head knocking her out. Jaune wasn't going to let her live at first but he wants to send a message. After calling for a chopper. Jaune set the female sniper up on the same pole Ilia was left on. Jaune didn't strip her like they did Ilia but he was sure the Vacuen heat would do enough. If she doesn't return they'll come and find her later.

(Jaune's Mind)

"Make better choices next time cutie."

(Ricky)

"She is a liability, can't just let her go."

Jaune: Huh, Raven did you say something?

Raven: No all's quiet on our end.

Jaune had no idea what that was but he gave it little thought as Ilia's condition was worsening. It's a good thing to chopper 31 showed up right then and there. Jaune was gonna be honest Ilia was cute but he needed to make sure she was safe at HQ.

HQ Time 8PM

Ozpin had spoke to Jaune alone about his mission and the two of them where unreachable for an hour. All the while the rest of JNPR and all of team RWBY where bed side of where Ilia was recovering Blake had her friends hand clutched and hoping begging she would fight through this. Jaune had came into the room and seeing the mood of the room. He was sure that Ilia was fighting for her life. But the Arc had other plans he took a bullet to the back of the head for her. She wasn't gonna just die on him after all this work he put into saving her.

Jaune: Yeah no this mood is just not doing it for me.

Jaune: I didn't go through all that for you to just die infront of me.

Jaune put his hand gently against the side of her face giving her some of his kinetic energy. It was enough to boost her aura levels.

Jaune: So sorry but not sorry, your not dying today.

Everyone looked to Jaune everyone except Blake looked to him as the only thing keeping them all going. Jaune just brings light to the darkness wherever he goes. As Ilia's heart beat grew stronger everyone could hear the faint sobbing from Blake till she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and cried into his shoulder.

(Yang's mind)

"He may be the reason we all keep fighting, but what is his reason. But what is your reason for fighting on Jaune, I know this all has to be effecting you. You don't even come to me anymore. Maybe Lady Killer doesn't need his Dragon anymore? Yeah no that changes tonight."

Jaune was not aware of how much trouble he is in later on tonight.😁

End of part 6

Teams and they're roles

RWBY: Alpha Team

JNPR: Bravo Team

Spies: Blake, Ren, Jaune, and Yang

Spies are top 4 who have high covert ops training, master's at close range and trained directly under Raven and Qrow Branwen. They're main objective is to be ghost in the shadows gathering info and all around espionage tactics.

Solo ops: Jaune, Yang, Blake, and Ren

Solo ops are simply the same as spies but they have been cleared for solo operation. These ops are espionage and covert only. If they are caught on solo ops they will not be given help from any outside options everything is on them.

Omega: Jaune, Yang, Pyrrha, and Ruby

This team is comprised of High-grades only of given orders to take out an entire compound this team makes sure of it. No matter the difficulty they get shit done. Not even they're friends know there mission details only Ozpin and Ironwood know.

#jaune arc #rwby #team rwby #ilia amitola #may zedong #professor ozpin #raven branwen #summer rose #white fang

19 notes · View notes

bigfan-fanfic · 3 years

Note

Who is Batdad closest to outside Wayne manor? Does he have much of a life outside of the Wayne's? Who would Batdad consider his closest friends besides his family?

Honestly, Batdad doesn’t have much of a life outside of the Waynes. He doesn’t really have anyone other than the League to talk to. Clark would probably be his closest friend outside of his family because in a lot of ways they are similar.

Okay, let me talk about this. ( I came back up and decided to answer more concisely above and put this under a read more because it’s very, very long, and I cried three times while writing it and I have never had any visceral reaction to what I write ever before... oof. Just be warned if you ever feel anxiety or pressure that basically, that’s what follows)

Batdad basically denies his own wants and dreams because he wants to help Bruce. What this means is that no matter what Batdad wanted to be before (maybe he and Bruce were dating and he confessed his desire to be a writer and Bruce allowed himself the fantasy and said they’d buy an island somewhere, and Bruce would lounge on the beach and supply Batdad in kisses while he writes the best book ever), by the time Bruce gets back to Gotham from his training, Batdad has had to become what Bruce would have been if Thomas and Martha were there.

He’s a public figure and philanthropist, carrying the legacies of Martha and Thomas on his shoulders. He has to keep Martha’s business running - no, not just running, thriving - and deal with corrupt officials, corporate espionage, and greedy businesspeople all but threatening him to take Wayne Enterprises public so they can trade stock, all while making sure Thomas’ charities are well-funded and the money is actually going where it should (see earlier greed, corporate and personal). This is all while having to attend galas and functions and fundraisers and events or risk pissing off any one of these people who can turn his life into hell - missing one event can lead to being blacklisted and then that means nobody goes to a charity gala, which means that there’s no hospital built for those in the Narrows.

All this and also consider that everybody in high society sneers at you because the only reason you’re there is because you’re engaged to Bruce and you lived with him ever since Martha and Thomas died. You’re besieged on all sides, because the snobs hate you, the press wonders if you’re even qualified to run a business, and there’s always envy and hatred from below because why aren’t you doing MORE to help them? You haven’t been trained in this - your parents were upper-middle-class at best; you met Bruce by chance, so it’s just you and Alfred and this crushing, all-consuming PRESSURE and the fact that none of it is enough, you aren’t doing enough, it’ll never be enough.

Oh, and at this point, you’re probably only in your mid-twenties at the latest. And it only gets harder because Bruce is back and crime fighting and now you have to worry about him dying on patrol, so every night you’re there to assist him (sleep? don’t know her) and patch him up and support him every day even though he pretends a little too well to be a drunken boor and a cheating asshole (sometimes he isn’t even pretending) and help him when he gets frustrated and then you adopt a kid after your first day off in years (day off, what’s a day off, you haven’t slept enough since you were eighteen and Bruce left you and Batman came back but you haven’t said a word about it) and now there’s school and making sure Dick eats enough and is happy and doing good and doesn’t get overworked on patrol and stressing on whether or not Dick is okay whenever he leaves the Manor and again, none of it is ever enough.

You feel like you’re in your fifties by the time you hit thirty and the Justice League forms and that means SO much more work not just physically but emotionally because Bruce can’t meet anyone new without determining a thousand different ways to kill them if necessary (except for Talia, apparently. And Selina. And Silver Freaking St. Cloud. And Julie Morrison. And any number of dalliances Bruce has had because somehow they’re all smarter. or stronger, or maybe he just has a weakness for tall women who don’t take his crap. Is that what you do? Is your loyalty and consistency and unconditional love actually what lets Bruce walk away so often to a woman’s bed? Is it because he knows you will still be there? Is it because you have put so much of yourself into this life, into your children, into the Wayne Legacy of Perfection and Excellence that it would kill you to leave? Is it because you’re just another tool to him, one that will be quickly replaced when you succumb to sleep-deprivation, or that thing you’ve heard about in the news where people are dying from overwork so often the Japanese have a name for it, or the fact that you’re doing the work of ten, no, twenty people and not once have you ever complained to Bruce or begged him like any reasonable person would to stop this vigilante nonsense and actually LIVE), but now you have to coordinate meetings and a thousand different secret identities and make sure everything’s kosher and nobody’s fighting and of course Bruce has a beef with the nicest freaking guy in the League and Clark keeps coming to you to see if you can help them work it out.

Oh, and then there’s Talia, aka the thorn in your existence and her child who literally has tried to murder you for the crime of being married to Bruce years before he had even heard of Talia, and now on top of all the above, you have to balance getting to know the kid and be reminded day in and day out by him that you aren’t enough, that Talia has such a deeper connection to Bruce, that you are an obstacle to his happiness, that she’s so much smarter and stronger than you, that you are weak and everything you touch becomes weak and tainted by you. And not to mention that you still aren’t doing enough because Gotham’s underprivileged are screaming in pain from everything they deal with and at least you are fed and clothed and you have a family you can support and you are rich and you need to be doing MORE.

And nobody else in the League can even come close to understanding you because wow, you do so much, do you ever take a break? You come this close to crying when Oliver remarks that if he had to do that much work, he’d go back to the island he was stranded on for five years because he’s joking. For anyone else your life would be a living hell and he’s joking. How do you do so much; do you ever sleep; hah, Bruce, your husband is showing you up! And this is when they even acknowledge you, and you feel like a major-league prick for even thinking these thoughts because Bruce and the League put their lives on the line every day (oh god they’re always in danger and the stress of losing your boys - which has happened to you already - and Bruce and your friends who are the only ones you can ever actually talk to without worrying that you’ll give away someone’s identity) and you’re complaining about a little bit of paperwork? You get to go to parties and meetings while your husband fights to save lives and you’re complaining? How selfish are you? All you do, everything you do, it isn’t enough, it’s never enough, there’s always MORE MORE MORE and it never ever stops.

Jason is dead, Jason comes back, Dick is beaten within an inch of his life, the Joker kidnaps Tim and you are hanging by a thread because the last time the Joker took one of your kids and you couldn’t find them meant that there was an empty bed and too many memories but no time to grieve because Bruce threw himself into work without a care and you needed to do even MORE because you can’t lose him too. And even the League was supposed to help with this but it doesn’t because you can’t bear to lose anyone, because they’re family and not only that, the world has gotten careless because the supers will save them and crime is actually going UP somehow and if even one of the League dies, a city could be overrun by now because the police and government are all but useless and the skies are filled with supervillains and the only thing stopping the world from falling into utter disrepair is the League, and thus you. And through all of this you have to be doing better, have to be doing MORE because every new thing means all the rest of your work becomes that much harder and you haven’t slept properly in a decade now and you feel ancient but still, you can’t complain, you haven’t earned the right to complain because you are never hungry and you never go without and there are so many people who need your help and charities that depend on you to function and kids that need fatherly advice and affection and a League that needs managing and you don’t have time for a breakdown because if you’re gone for too long everything collapses and everyone you love suffers and forget about therapy because who the FUCK could you ever talk to about any of this without either revealing a hundred secret identities and putting everything at risk or sound like a whiny crybaby?

Selina and Talia are back and hovering around your husband again and they flirt with him like you don’t exist and it’s not his fault and you love him but you see Talia every day in Damian’s voice and manner and don’t even think about talking to Bruce about his infidelity because he has so many more important things to worry about and he’s already apologized profusely and anything else makes you feel selfish and you HAVEN’T SLEPT in what feels like all your life and every moment not filled with work is filled with stress about work and worry because every time you don’t see your boys is a moment they can be dead and you don’t know it and every moment Bruce isn’t at the Watchtower is another moment Lex Luthor has to enact some horrifiying plan or the Joker gets ahold of a nuclear weapon or something else unforseeably terrible happens and it is TOO MUCH but you still need to be doing MORE because it isn’t enough and you aren’t enough and nothing is ever enough.

Is there even a you anymore? There used to be a kid there who just wanted to help his friend when he lost his parents. A kid who got left behind to stay with that friend. A teenager with dreams and hopes and wishes and a sweet boyfriend who could maybe get past his grief and lead a good life with you. A young man with the chance to stop his lover from leaving, to stay with him and not give in. Where did he go? Is he still there, underneath the years? Or is he gone, and this being made of stress and fear and feelings of inadequacy and stifled complaints and sadness gone unsaid and trauma left to fester all that you are? That kid you once were gets further and further away with everything you do to help, every time you keep silent because what good would it do to scream the way you want to, the way you’ve needed to for so many years but never let yourself?

And yes, your boys and your husband make it better, make it worthwhile, but it remains that you feel old, you’ve been tired since you were still 19. Your days are consumed with stress and your nights are filled with fear. And you can never say this now because it has been years, and you’ve lost that chance. The guilt would throw Bruce off his game and if he’s off his game, he could die and all of this would be for nothing. Quite against your will, you’ve been trapped in a no-win situation, and even death is no escape because you know that without you, it all comes crashing down and game over. You are Atlas, holding up the world and knowing that you have just enough strength to hold it up for eternity. And no one will release you from your prison.

But you have to endure it, and smile while you do so because if Bruce ever knew (or if he even cared to look), it’d all go falling down. You are the support, and the support’s support, but no one ever thinks that you might need assistance. What do you have going on? Being a dad? Working? Attending parties? It isn’t enough and you know it isn’t enough and everybody knows that it isn’t enough and they always, always need MORE.

I wonder now how Batdad does it. How he doesn’t break down crying. And part of that is because he is fictional, and I never thought about what it would be like to go through that level of pressure every day of your life. I hope someday Bruce comes to his senses. That even if he doesn’t let go of his grief, maybe he stops being Batman. And stops training Robins. Because yes, he gave them a home, but he manipulated them into being what he is. Who knows what good Dick could have done if he had just been Bruce’s adopted son. Maybe a philanthropist. Maybe he just would’ve had a happy life instead of one where he could die every day. Where he constantly has to reopen the wound of his parents’ deaths to convince him to keep at it. I want them to realize that they don’t have to, anymore.

But they won’t. Because they aren’t real. And they exist for our entertainment. And because we’ll keep reading the comics and watching the movies and playing the games, Bruce will always be Batman and never come to terms with his parents’ deaths in a healthy way and there will always be more threats to existence and even just to him personally.

And Batdad too, is trapped.

93 notes · View notes

bitch-butter · 3 years

Text

Little bit of a rivers prequel exploration. I've mentioned this scene a few times in the series, but it's not really my intention to do anything that takes place before part one, so this was just going to like slowly asphyxiate in my drafts unless I released it lol

She's going to live on Tumblr unless I somehow decide I want to do more of Whatever This Is in the future, but since it takes place before the series you don't need to have read the other parts which is sexy.

Read More for like 3k of Gay Shit~

* * *

Hay wasn’t the smell that Joe would have gravitated to normally. The mulchy wetness in combination with the dry and yeasty texture always made him think of bugs, and this feeling was not a welcome one when forced to be bedded down on a big pile of the stuff. Each breath full of the smell was nearly enough to make him gag.

Still, beat sleeping outside. And the smell was strong enough to cancel out his own smell, which, he knows from experience, isn’t a walk in the park right now either.

He had settled into a comfortable enough doze by the time his mind caught onto the frankly annoying fucking snoring emanating from the corner of the barn. Cracking his eyes open, he glared into the corner where a Hoobler shape slump is curled up against the wall, snoring away into the dark with an unfamiliar body sprawled on the ground a few feet away, seeming unperturbed.

One fucking night is all he’s asking for. Fuck.

Pulling in an aggravated breath, Joe sat up from his hay-bed, contemplating whether or not to try and ignore the sound or move out completely to a quieter spot. He glanced towards the door of the barn, where clear moonlight cut across the ground to illuminate the dry, if a hint cold, night beyond. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to sleep out tonight if he had to, he supposed.

He’s taking in the details of the scene outside when he spots what looks to be the toe of a boot popping out from beside the doorway. For a moment his heart picks up, hand moving to grasp onto his rifle, but the boot doesn’t move, just remains planted solidly in the dirt. The longer he looks, though, the more he makes out a calf, leading to a body sitting against the wall outside.

It’s curiosity more than anything that brings him to his feet. What kind of guy doesn’t fucking drop the second he gets an opportunity?

Of course it’s Webster.

He doesn’t know why the realization brings a smile to his face. Why the sight of the other man leaning up against the barn, legs bent and beaten up notebook in his lap, makes him feel oddly alive. He doesn’t even know Webster that well, only spoken to him one-on-one maybe a handful of times at most, and definitely doesn’t know him as well as he knows some of the other guys.

But still, he feels light. Light enough to step outside and look down in amusement at Webster, who in turn looks up at Joe in bewilderment. “Trouble sleeping in the dirt, Web?”

Bewilderment turns critical as Web frowns, eyes falling back down to his book as he continues writing. “Not tired.”

Snickering, Joe stepped around Web to let his own back hit the barn, sliding down to slouch beside the other man. “Always knew there was something wrong with you.”

He’s digging for his smokes in his pocket when he realizes that Web’s hand has stilled, and that the other man is looking aside at him with an inscrutable expression, eyes glancing over Joe’s face in the near-dark. “What?” he asked, an edge of anxiety in his voice.

Web’s face clears in an instant. “Nothing,” he sighed, turning back to his book. Even in the shadows Joe can see the tips of his ears are red.

“Right,” Joe nods disbelievingly, holding out his pack in an attempt to dispel the strange air surrounding them. Web takes one gratefully, mumbling a thanks as Joe placed one between his lips, holding his lighter up between them. They bend in towards each other, close enough that Joe can smell Web; a dirty, grass-like smell with an undercurrent of that same sweat all the guys have now.

Better than hay, he thinks as Web draws back with his cigarette lit, before snapping the lighter closed and smoking in silence for a few moments. He finds his eyes drawn ceaselessly to Web’s pale hand as it moves across the page, turns to the next, and continues on. Web has good hands, he thinks to himself, before blinking the thought away.

Doesn’t mean he stops looking, though.

“What are you writing about?” he asks softly, voice creaking a bit.

Web looks at him, face more open as he sighs out a stream of smoke. “Eindhoven.”

“Got a dame you want to remember, huh?”

Web huffs a small laugh. “No,” he takes another pull on his smoke, breathing deep and exhaling steadily. “I just don’t want to forget what it was like. How it felt.”

Joe smiled quizzically. “Writing a book or something?”

“I don’t know,” Web replies, and it’s such an obvious lie Joe can’t help but laugh. This earns him a withering glare. “Even if I was, why do you care, Liebgott?”

“I don’t,” Joe bites, and it’s such an obvious lie of his own that Web laughs at him. “Guess I’m having trouble imagining anybody wanting to read about you.”

Web scowled at him. “Well, it wouldn’t be just about me, that’s not the point.”

“So you are writing a book?” Joe grinned, bringing his dying cigarette back to his lips.

Mouth opening and then closing just to open again, Web looks at Joe in bare-faced annoyance. “You...” he trailed, seemingly having trouble finding the exact right word to express how irritated he was.

“You’re going to catch flies, buddy,” Joe smirked, grinding the butt of his smoke in the dirt and almost snickering as Web’s lips clamped shut. “Anyway, don’t count your chickens, Webster. War ain’t over yet and I doubt anything you replacements have to say would be worth a damn.”

This snaps Web out of whatever annoyance induced fugue state he was entering. “I’m not a fucking replacement, Liebgott,” he snapped, eyes glinting at Joe’s in the moonlight. “I was in Normandy, same as you. And even if I hadn’t been, what gives you the right to treat me or any of the other guys like that?”

Scoffing, Joe found himself toeing the line between being amused at Web’s reaction and finding himself somehow actually getting hot. “Way I see it I get to talk to you or any of the other guys however I want,” he said, meeting Web’s eyes with no small degree of challenge. “Seeing as I was here from the beginning and all of you are just showing up to chew on the bones.”

Web stares at him for a moment, his pale face unguarded and awash with surprised pain. “So, what then? Babe isn’t Easy to you? I’m not Easy to you?”

“Babe proved himself.”

A sharp “Ha!” stung in Joe’s face as Web’s head tilted back momentarily, before the other man levelled him with a skeptical look. “You’re so full of shit that you don’t even realize you are, Liebgott.”

Joe shook his head, unsure of why the back of his neck was heating so rapidly. “Keep telling yourself that, Webster. Fact is, what you do out there’s going to matter more than whatever bullshit you’re scribbling in your diary.”

Web nodded mockingly. “Alright, Joe, so I just need to earn the approval of who? You?”

It’s said so sneeringly that Joe can’t help but be nasty back. “Eh, we’ll see if you make it back.”

The hum Web emits might be mistaken for a tease, but Joe can see the lines drawn on the other man’s face as he shoots his eyes down to the ground. “Right,” he nods, swiftly standing and grabbing his pack from the ground beside him, crushing his smoke under his boot. “I’ll take it into consideration,” he says, shooting Joe a dark look over his shoulder. “‘Night.”

Joe blinks and Web is striding away, almost in the space of a breath. “Sleeping outside is for suckers!” he calls.

“Fuck you!” Web called back, casual and unaffected as anything, blue eyes glancing over his shoulder and back at Joe. They shot fire at him, and Joe all of a sudden feels as though he’s been struck by lightning, heat zig-zagging from his head all the way down through his bones.

Inexplicably, he wants more of it.

As fast as Web was disappearing into the dark and the trees of the orchard beyond Joe is scrambling up, nearly running just to catch up with him. He settles at Web’s side as though they had not just devolved into verbal fisticuffs a few moments prior, and gleans some pleasure from the clearly agitated face the other man gives him as they continue moving along side by side.

“Yes?” Web prompts impatiently.

“What?”

He holds back a smile at the roll of Web’s eyes. “What do you want, Joe?”

Joe has to scoff, shaking his head in the splintering shadows the darkened trees cast over them. “Like I’d want a goddamn thing from you, Web.”

The chuckle that greets him catches him slightly off guard, and he finds himself glancing back at the other man’s dark profile, the smile turning up the edges of Web’s full lips -

He shakes his head.

“I don’t think you actually know what you want,” Web said teasingly, voice low in the quiet of the night, eyes darting over to catch onto Joe’s like hooks. “If you did you wouldn’t be following me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Joe challenged, eyes still caught up in the knowing gleam of Web’s even as he tried in vain to gather the strength to break the connection.

“You don’t know?�� Web asked obliquely, an air of casual imperiousness settling over his words like a heavy fog.

All of a sudden they’re stopped in the dark, trees sprouted up all around them in a pattern that, were it light out, might have been effortlessly beautiful, but in the dark gave the distinct impression of a cage surrounding them, stars glimmering beyond the branches above like shattered glass. But he can see Web in uncomfortable clarity, stood before him with his eyes looking down on Joe like he knows something, like he has a secret that he stole away in the fucking dark of the night, and damn it Joe wants it back.

“I know a hell of a lot more than you think I do,” he utters in what he intended to resemble a growl, but comes out sounding much more like a rasp.

“Oh, really?”

He steps into Web’s space, expecting Web to do what any other guy would have done and take a step back, and is met instead with Web’s unflinching conceit. With this added proximity he finds himself swallowing down some unnamable wave that rushes up through his body and threatens to spill out of him and straight onto Web, and in the dark he can feel his neck flushing.

If he can see Web in the dark then no doubt Web can see him right back.

He does, because his eyes move effortlessly from amusement, to annoyance, to resignation. “You don’t know,” he says definitively, and Joe can almost feel the words moving through the air between them.

Web says this as though it’s supposed to end the matter, break the connection, and yet if anything Joe can feel him moving in even closer, and it’s pure stubbornness that keeps him rooted to his spot. “What are you doing?” he murmurs, eyes moving down along the planes of Web’s pale face, drawn like a magnet to the sight of the other man’s lips, which are pink, and parted, and -

“What am I doing?” Web whispered back, sounding almost as though he was talking to himself, but their faces hovered close to each other in the dark for too long for him to not know what he’s doing, and the way his eyes aren’t on Joe’s eyes but lower, lower -

“I…” Web trails away in the second before suddenly their lips are meeting. And Joe knows he didn’t move, and he didn’t feel Web move, but they’re together, they’re connected, their mouths are moving against each other as soft as fucking clouds and their noses nudge and Joe’s neck is hot and it feels perfect, it feels like heaven to kiss Web, he’s kissing Webster -

Reality shoots back into him like the sear of a bullet to the head, and as fast as their lips meet he’s shoving Web away. His hands meet Web’s shoulders roughly, pushing him with strength that he almost didn’t know he had in him, and where the fuck was this side of him back in Toccoa?

But he only gets to relish the gasp of air back into his body for a moment, as his forceful push sends Web careening back, feet tripping backwards over the knobby roots of the trees surrounding them, and he hits the ground hard.

“Oh, shit,” he spits, immediately moving to narrow the space between them yet again, dropping to his knees beside Web’s downed form. “Are you alright? I’m sorry, are you alright?”

For his part, Web looks a little dazed by the quick pivots of Joe’s mood in just the last few seconds, and blinks rapidly in the shadows before coughing. “You’re like a fucking child, Christ.”

“Hey,” Joe mutters, flush deepening with embarrassment, with confusion.

Web’s eyes are on him again, and he only just keeps himself from shrinking back because where he had anticipated the usual swell of annoyance or of, please, anger, Web appears almost hesitant and...what? Fearful? His gaze moves over Joe’s face quickly, as though measuring every line, every angle, searching for something.

“What?” Joe croaks. “You scared?”

Swallowing heavily, the other man quirks a disbelieving eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

“No, I -” he starts, before abruptly halting. It’s a lie, he is afraid. But not of Web, who’s still looking at Joe like he half believes Joe’s going to clobber him, but of himself. He’s never done anything like that before, never even allowed himself to linger on the thought of it for longer than the space of one thought between another. Certainly he hadn’t ever drawn Web into those fleeting moments. Well, not in a traditional way at least.

If he palmed his cock and saw Web’s hands, or the curve of his jaw, then that’s nobody’s business. He thinks about a lot of things.

“No,” he settles.

Web doesn’t look like he quite believes him, if the distressed curve of his lips is anything to go by, and Joe reaches out to settle a hand on his neck just to see the way his eyes widen. He swallows, feeling a shiver pass through him at this simple, voluntary touch, and before he knows it he’s smiling, and at the sight of his smile Web is smiling back. And if he’s been paying special attention to parts of Web lately his smile hasn’t been one.

It is now.

“Alright,” Joe whispers through half of a chuckle, shaking his head. “Can I kiss you again?”

Smile melting from relief to happiness, Web looks as though he’d do just about anything Joe asked him to, but he manages to huff a tiny laugh first. “Are you going to push me again?”

Rolling his eyes, Joe tugged at his light hold on Web’s neck, blood heating at the way the other man’s eyes fluttered. “No.”

Shifting up from where he’d been braced back on his arms, Web reached out to take gentle hold of either side of Joe’s face, one hand combing back through his dirty hair. “Then yes,” he nodded. “Yes, please.”

This time they pull each other into the kiss, their lips meeting again just as softly as before, slotting together with an ease that felt almost unnatural with disuse. His hand rubbed clumsily at the skin of Web’s neck, easing himself back into the rhythm of kissing. It wasn’t enough that he hadn’t kissed anyone since Georgia, but now he’s kissing a man on top of that, and the combination of sensations has him shuddering and hardening in his pants even before he feels Web’s tongue gently asking permission into his mouth.

His mouth falls open with the slightest pull to his hair, and he welcomes the other man’s tongue with a grace he honestly feels he should be lauded for. He’s been with some forthcoming dames, to be sure, but none of them have felt this strong or as sure in his arms, letting Joe take and taking Joe right back. It’s something he could easily get addicted to, he thinks, as his tongue presses in to play over Web’s and he firmly wraps his other arm around the other man’s waist.

Web’s arms wrapping around his neck are overwhelming at first, before he feels their bodies, pressed together, easing back to rest on the dark, mossy, ground. They settle side by side, facing each other, legs fumbling and maneuvering around until Web has one leg thrown easily over Joe’s hip and Joe has one knee pressed steadily between the spread of Web’s thighs.

They split apart at the first accidental nudge of their crotches against one another, Web gasping and Joe hissing, before Web begins gently kissing down along his jaw.

“You taste like olives, a bit,” Joe said hoarsely, catching his breath as though he just ran up Currahee.

“Oh, sorry,” Web apologized, glancing back up at Joe’s face with a furrowed brow.

Joe shook his head, pressing a kiss just off Web’s lips. “I like olives,” he rebuffed, pulling their mouths back together in a smacking kiss. “Fuck,” he gasped softly, pressing in to kiss along Web’s neck beside his ear. “You done this before?”

Web breathed out a little tremble, smoothing his hand up Joe’s back. “Kissed a man?”

“Yeah,” Joe rasped, swallowing heavily as his hips rolled against Web’s own, lazy but with intention.

The nod of the other man’s head draws him out of his fascination with Web’s neck, and he finds himself pressing an exhilarated kiss against Web’s cheek as he speaks. “Yes,” he admits in a whisper. “Not- ah, not many, but yes, I -”

He’s laying another, harder kiss against Web’s lips at the self-conscious wobble of the words, his tongue sweeping through Web’s mouth as though to gather them and take them back into himself. Groaning as the leg Web had thrown over him tightened, bringing them almost fully flush, he brought one hand down to grasp tightly at the meaty flesh of the other man’s thigh, pulling it gently upwards and had to smile at the pleased hum that rattled around Web’s body.

“Have you?” Web asked gently.

Joe shook his head. “No.”

“Oh,” Web murmured, pulling in a deep breath at the steady roll of Joe’s hips against his own, head falling back against the darkened soil and baring his neck for Joe, who immediately resumed kissing along its length. “Lieb...Lieb…” he breathed, almost absentmindedly as Joe realized exactly how much he enjoyed when Web said his name. “Joe...we should- we should pump the breaks a bit.”

Pulling his face from the hot expanse of Web’s neck, Joe frowned down at him. “What?”

“No, I -” Web swallowed, giving his head a clearing shake and blinking back towards Joe with a little more clarity. “I like it, I like it a lot, I’d just rather do this on the other side of tomorrow, if you know what I mean.”

The heat still pulsing through his veins screamed its discontent, but Joe reluctantly acknowledged that wherever this interaction was heading was now paused for the time being.

Figures, Web looks the part of a fucking tease, after all.

“Alright,” he muttered, releasing Web’s thigh with no small degree of bitterness, letting Web ease himself back just enough for Joe to feel distinctly burned. He sat up with a gently heating face, mindful to keep himself angled away enough that Web wouldn’t be able to see it, and looked around the orchard surrounding them, searching out anything to anchor his eyes to so that he didn’t have to think about Web’s lip, his legs, his eyes in the dark -

Eyes that meet his own once more, his chin caught gently in the other man’s warm palm as Web turned his face back. Web, at the very least, seems just as put out at stopping as he does, and for a moment he wants to be an asshole, wants to fight, but can’t bring his mouth to do anything but fall open, breathe.

“Can I?” Web asked quietly.

Joe could only nod.

The kiss is as light as a feather, whispering across his lips like dust settling, and he hums into the feeling and, suddenly, feels at peace. He runs one hand through Web’s hair, smoothing it, and gathers up the heat from the other man’s neck in the palm of his hand, bringing it back to himself like he had stolen his secret back from where Web had hidden it.

He pulls back softly, face still angled into Web’s sphere. “See you on the other side, huh?”

Web sighed, nose brushing Joe’s own, and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to look teasingly back at him.

“Arschloch,” he drawled, pushing Joe back with a soft touch to the base of his neck before standing, brushing dirt from his pants, and taking off into the darkness of the orchard without a glance back at Joe.

Joe watches him go, seeing for the first time the length of his limbs, the curve of his ass, and allows himself to want. He, as fast as lightning, very badly wants to find a patch of darkness to crowd him into tomorrow night.

If Web makes it back. If they both do.

Without a second thought, he’s up and following Web into the dark, ignorant and uncaring of their destination.

#webgott #~rivers~#i write variations of webgott where they've lived in their dynamic for a while #so it was fun and interesting to write a bit about their early relationship to each other #for $10 i will stop posting long ass fic excerpts on tumblr

16 notes · View notes

themadauthorshatter · 3 years

Text

Time to check back in in Kai.

PG-13 NINJAGO REWRITE PILOT EPISODE 2!

We open on Zane as he ninja flips and parkours ahead of Wu and Kai. Wu's fine, but Kai's tired and asking if they can take a very fast five minute break.

Wu complies and they take a seat on the grass, Kai falling flat on his back, reminding Wu that they had a deal.

Yes, they did. And Wu says Kai can ask whatever he wants.

First question: Why did they take Nya?

Garmadon's doing. Who's that? The guy that ordered Samukai to attack Four Weapons and take Kai's sister. There you go, happy? Next question, please.

What did they want with the map? Wu explains, not as fed up this time, that the map leads to four golden weapons, which Wu is trying to find, so they need to go get it back.

What makes these weapons so special? They're elemental. Fire, earth, lightning, and ice. And they can do some pretty cool stuff, though Wu's never seen it happen, because he helped hide them. Supposedly, though, they have the power to get people in and out of the Underworld, which makes Kai's eyes widen.

Kai jolts off his back and asks what they're waiting for and tells Wu to keep leading the way.

Wu, in a mood, asks what happened to taking a break, but Kai says that can wait becuase they need to go.

Wu obliges and they continue onward, though find Zane standing in front of them, about 10 to 15 feet away. Kai asks him if he could get moving, but Zane doesn't respond. Kai and Wu get closer and see he's trembling and seizing, crumbling to the ground and jerking around as his eyes roll back.

Wu acts quickly and holds onto him until he stops siezing. Kai doesn't see it fully, but does see Wu help up Zane and hold an arm over his shoulder.

They continue, which we see in a time montage, which shows Wu half carrying Zane, until Zane gets better enough to run ahead of them again, until Wu is leading Kai to the monastery, where Kai, quite tiredly, questions, why Wu expects him to fight in a place of peace.

Wu corrects him: he's not fighting, he's TRAINING, and his first lesson is patience.

Wu commands Kai to sit tight and wait while he goes in to grab some things for him.

Kai watches him go inside and has a big brain moment: He turns his heel and spins, continuing until his body burns and he falls down.

Wu returns and shakes his head; LESSON. FAILED.

Kai asks how they're training, if there's nothing there and Wu reveals the training equipment. Kai will train alone in the beginning, and must complete the training course.

Kai gives it a go and gets beaten off by a spinning mini obstacle course.

Kai lies there and asks if this is the only way he can save Nya. Wu replies, beginning that he knows Kai is frustrated and just misses his sister, but must focus. Kai cuts him off and asks again if this is the only way to save Nya.

Wu sighs. Yes. This is the only feasible way Kai can save his sister. He knows because, once upon a time ago, he was Kai. He lost his brother, so he tried getting him back on nothing but his wits and whims. The world beat the EVER LOVING F*CK out of him for it. Wu needed a Wu in that moment of his life. He doesn't have a Wu. He has a Kai, and Kai needs a Wu, so he's got one.

Kai nods and gets back up, ready to try again. He has a question, though: how long does he have to complete the course?

Wu sits cross legged, places a cloth on his lap, and prepares and drinks some tea from a small cup.

Kai's annoyed at this, because Wu did all that in a matter of seconds, and asks how he knows Kai can do all that in the same amount of time. He's a blacksmith, not a gymnast.

Wu picks up the tea, cup, and cloth, and states that Kai is his father's son, and Ray was a man who was nothing, but ambitious to accomplish his goals.

Kai asks if Wu really knew his father and Wu goes inside, telling Kai to keep practicing.

Kai only watches Wu leave and then looks around. TV perspective, we get Kai's perspective as he looks around. The training course and equipment is now bigger and there's more space between them. The only thing we hear is the wind and some bird song, but, out of the perspective, Kai tenses up and hugs himself. Cut to a bird's eye view of Kai in the monastery as he looks around, the empty space more than obvious when we see him on his own.

While still in this shot, we see a couple figures leap over the training equipment, all of them in black. Kai doesn't notice them, but the camera does, focusing on the two. One is much of built and muscular than the other, who is more expressive, giving Muscles a confused glance before turning back to Kai.

They observe the anxious Kai, who stands and does just about nothing until Wu returns.

We cut to this happening and Wu asks why Kai hasn't been training, seeing as he's hell bent on saving his sister.

Kai counters that he can't exactly train properly, if there's no one to give him pointers on what he could improve.

Wu is suspicious, but takes a seat anyway and tells Kai to practice.

Kai nods and takes a breath, running and leapong onto the obstacle course.

Which jumpcuts to him faceplanting on his new bed, fully clothed, bruised, and groaning from the massacre that was training.

Wu, standing at the door, remarks that tripping and getting swept up in the obstacles is not a massacre, but lets Kai be overdramatic just a little longer.

Kai sits up and asks if they're doing this again tomorrow.

Wu nods. They're doing this every day until Kai gets through the training course.

Kai sighs and nods, willing to training even though he's going to be hella sore tomorrow.

Wu commends him for getting here and at least doing training and lets him go to bed, so he can rest.

Once he's gone, Kai changes into some pajamas and lies down in his bed on his back, staring out the window. He then turns on to his back to stare better, and to just reflect.

This is the furthest he's been from home, and the longest he's been alone. And not having Nya with him isn't helping.

He hears the floorboards creak outside his door, and Kya jumps to his feet and throws the door open, looking into the hallway; "Nya!?"

Nope. No one's there, much to Kai's dismay, which we see clearly as he goes back to his room and gies to bed.

TV perspective, the camera pans away from Kai's door to the not-as-muscular ninja as he's on the ceiling, having wedged himself in a corner to avoid detection(so ninja).

We zoom/cut in on him as he's joined by Zane, who swings down to him, hanging upside down by his knees, and silently greets him.

Jay- if this was legit, we wouldn't know by now, but this is for simplicity sake, sorry- almost says, "Hi," but Zane shushes him and points to Kai's door.

Jay nods and Zane points down the hall and gestures, 'outside.'

Jay nods and we cut to Wu in his room, meditating as three figures surround him from behind and kneel down. Wu turns and faces them, greeting them with a head bow, which they return.

Wu asks for what they found and we cut to the Underworld, more specifically Nya being thrown to the ground with her hands tied behind her back as Samukai takes a knee, apologizing for his absence and tardiness to Lord Garmadon himself, who we and Nya see as the camera is panned up.

He's shrouded in smoke and darkness, the smoke because of some dying embers that act as an insense that make him strong, for magic BS reasons I can't come up with other than it just looks cool and would look cool.😅

Garmadon asks if Samukai was just wasting his time on tormenting people like Nya, who looks between them in fear.

Samukai denies wasting time, because he found the map for finding the four golden weapons.

Garmadon chuckles and commends him for finding the map, and then asks why the hell he's standing around and wasting his time, when he should be working and getting his ass and army to the surface, so he can find and retrieve the weapons.

Samukai reports his army got weekend whipped by Sensei Wu and his rag-tag team of ninja, which confuses Nya. Garmadon notices her confusion and politely commands she voice her thoughts, please and thank you.

Nya does so, saying that her brother said ninja weren't around anymore, not a group of them, at least.

Garmadon laughs and approaches and kneels down in front of Nya, telling her that if she's in the Underworld and seeing living skeletons, there are ninja left in the world, and she will bring them right to him.

Nya's confusion returns, along with some fear, and we cut to Kai as he trains, wearing a uniform provided by Wu.

He does well enough, but fails when he notices Zane agility his way to Wu and whisper something to him before leaving.

Kai asks who that was, but Wu tells him to be patient because, for now, that was no one of consequence and Kai will meet him later. Now, however, he'd better be focusing on training.

Kai does so, but in an awesome montage that shows him training and slowly realizing he's not alone, which we see when Jay hand springs behind Kai while Kai's brushing his hair, Cole meditates beside Wu while Kai trains, and, and this is going to freak people out, but trust me on this, Zane crawls across the ceiling as Kai sleeps, at least until Zane falls and Kai races out of bed to see what it is. He finds nothing, because Zane threw himself out the windkw and is caught by Cole, who gets him back inside.

After a week or so, in the early morning, Kai steps out to the training course with Wu next to him. Kai stands resolute, determined and focused before noticing Zane, Cole, and Jay take their places on different points of the roof, though Zane is next to Cole😉. Wu readies a cloth on his lap and barks for Kai to begin.

We see a split screen view as Kai races forward and Wu picks up his little teacup. Cole leans forward a little bit and Jay, who was sitting, hops into a crouch. Kai passes the first two obstacles with almost sheer ease before noticing Wu filling his cup. Thinking fast, he flips and throws a sword at Wu as he reaches the next obstacle. Wu ducks out of the way, which almost gives Jay, Cole, and Zane heart attacks. He's fine, which he shows by taking a sip of tea, but stops as he looks at and shakes his cup, like uppends it. Damn Kai, made him spill his tea😔. Speaking of Kai, he races through the last obstacle and practically launches himself beside Wu, picking up his tea kettle and offering a cup.

Wu stares up at Kai, impressed with him, and a little offended, because you don't touch Sensei Wu's tea, but holds up his cup.

Kai pours him some tea and takes a seat as Wu drinks, asking if this means he passed. Wu, not pausing from his tea, nods. Kai then asks, very excitedly if it also means they're going to save Nya. They lock eyes and Wu gives a, "Mm-mm." and finishes his tea.

Kai, thrown through a loop here, asks what they're doing then, what all that training was for, if it was nothing at all, but enjoyment for Wu, who tricked him into joining.

Wu picks up his cloth, cup, and tea, and explains he gave Kai a choice, and Kai chose the better of the two. He was not manipulated, at keast not in the way Kai thinks, which is, "if you want your sister back, come to my side, which is the dark side." The training wasn't for nothing, either. He's going to need it later.

Kai asks what that means, but Wu leaves, telling Kai to rest for the day, because he's earned it.

Kai gives a look of confusion and that fades/transitions to Kai in a bathroom as he brushes his teeth. He's worrying about Nya again, but he's also thinking about what Wu said, about how he needs his training. Kai wonders what he needs it for, and is too distracted to see Jay, Zane, and Cole sneak up behind him.

Kai finishes up his dental hygiene(keep those cavities away, Kai👍), and stares at himself in the mirror, mentally promising to save Nya, then notices too late that Jay is behind him.

ACTION TIME! Jay pounces and grabs onto Kai from behind with an arm and his neck. Kai tries shaking and throwing Jay off him, but ultimately does so by elbowing him in the ribs and face, which makes Jay let him go.

Before Kai can celebrate or ask who this guy is, he gets his legs swept out from under him by Cole, who also kicks him. Kai turns to fight him, but Cole is joined by Zane. All three glare at him and Kai glares back, readying himself for a fight.

Cut to Wu as he meditates and is in a state if hearing nothing but bird song, leaves ruffling, and wonderful outdoor noises. TV perspective, we stay focused on Wu as Kai is kicked into frame by Zane, who kips up to keep fighting.

Kai more or less pushes himself up and punches Zane away before shouting for Wu. Jay stops that with a tackle. Cole runs by, stops, but continues with Zane following.

Kai is quite literally thrown outside as Jay races around him, no cool visuals other than he's there one second and gone the next in a blur.

No time to worry about that because Cole leaps into the fray with Zane hopping off of any high place he can until he's in a battle stance next to Cole and Jay.

Kai backs up a little, but gives an, "AHA!" as he picks up and draws a katana.

The trio respond accordingly, Jay showing off his nun-chuck skills, Cole unsheathing and twirling a scythe before holding it out to Kai blade first, and Zane holding out his hands and "magic tricking" shurikens in between his fingers.

They all charge toward each other, Cole and Kai going at it for a bit before Kai pushes and kicks him away. Zane throws his shurikens at Kai, who deflects them with his katana, and Jay races forward, which leads Kai to have to ignore Zane for a bit to take care of him.

He dodges the nunchucks and grabs Jay, throwing him down and punching him hard in the face.

Cole spots this and literally throws Kai off of him.

"Enough!" Wu shouts.

All three stop, though Zane helps Jay to his feet and Kai sits up. The three bow and reply, "Yes, Sensei," like before, but this time Zane is completely silent.

Kai stands and asks if these three maniacs are Wu's students as well, and Wu nids, which leads Kai to kick himself.

Jay also has confusion: If Kai's this new kid Sensei told them about, then why didn't Wu tell them sooner? And why four, because last time he checked, there was always three in a group. When Jay starts stuttering and can't form words, Cole puts a hand on his shoulder and carlifies that they're all confused at the new arrival of a fourth ninja, seeing as the three are all close with one another already.

Wu grins and admits hes glad for the question and spinjitsus towards and past all of them, giving them plain gold emblems that are tied around their gis, though Kai gets his own now, too. They're all still in black, but that'll change, trust me. They also have their weapons, as well, so there's that.

And here, Wu introduces the ninja to Kai, and vice versa, and us the audience.

Muscles and strongest of the group, leader of the team, is Cole, who's as grounded and strong as stone. He's been training under Wu the longest and has since become his confidant and right hand; so if Wu's not around, Cole's in charge.

Speedy is Jay, who's as bright, as powerful, and as fast as a lightning strike. Jay removes his hood and first greets Kai and admits he's a little more than all that. He builds too, and dabbles in poetry, from time to time("But, OP, I thought you said Jay doesn't like reading?" I said from time to time, so don't worry about it), has tried and failed at cooking, but did fix the oven in the process, and lots of other things he's about to go into before Wu taps his staff against the ground to politely silence him.

Dropkick is Zane, whose as silent and dangerous as a winter's night. He's the most practically skilled, too, being able to cook, track, see the future, sort of, and be just about anywhere anytime. He's the newest after Kai, having been training for only a year under Wu's wing. And in that time, he's seldom spoken a word.

Kai asks if anything happened to make him mute and Jay stage whispers to him that 'seldom spoken' doesn't mean 'mute.'

Last, but not least, is Kai, who burns hot as a flame and just as quick to act.

With the meet and greet over, Wu gets to the point: Samukai and his army are on the move, and they need to act NOW because if that bonehead gets his hands on the weapon, there'll be hell to pay.

Kai asks about saving Nya, which gets Jay curious. Wu tells Kai to cool it because they'll save her soon enough, for now they need to catch up with Samukai.

Wu tells them all to go to sleep, so they're all rested for tomorrow, and retires for the night, leaving the boys alone.

Jay wonders if Wu was being serious about tomorrw, but Cole removes his hood and tells Jay not to worry. They've all fought the skeleton army before, so this will be a cake walk.

Zane and Jay exchange a galnce, Zane giving a shrug, and Jay asks if there are really dragons guarding the weapons, like Sensei said, correct him if he's wrong.

Cole shrugs it off. Kai asks if he's got a problem with dragons, but Cole simply says he has a team, a new kid, an army of bastard skellies, and four weapons on his plate, no room for dragons, thank you very much.

To change to subject, Jay inquires about who this Nya girl is, and Kai snarls that it's none of his business. Cole barks at Kai to be nice, because Wu never had to ask Kai to come along.

Kai sighs and states that if this is voing to help him save Nya, then so be it before he leaves to get some sleep.

The other three watch him go. Jay gives a, "huh," and wonders if this is an 'Orpheus and Eurydice' situation or if this is a family matter, but Cole tells both Zane and Jay to keep an eye on Kai; as much as he trusts Wu's judgement, he isn't ready to trust Kai, who's settling into bed.

The episode ends with match cuts of Kai in the monastery and Nya in the Underworld. Both are lying flat in a bed, but Kai is in his room while Nya is in a cell, guarded by a pair of skeletons.

#ninjago #ninjago rewrite #ninjao jay #ninjago kai #ninjago zane #ninjago cole #ninjago nya #PG-13 Ninjago #au #ua #seizure tw #seizure implication

18 notes · View notes

jjuzoir · 4 years

Text

Match Maker | s. banri

request: “Hello! I personally really love your writing and your whole aesthetic is my dream lol 👉👈 Can I request a scenario where reader and Banri are best friends since childhood? You can turn it into best friends to lovers kind of thing if you feel like it. I’m personally a huge fan of best friends to lovers aus, they just,,, melt my heart 🥺 Thank you so much, please don’t feel like you have to rush it and take your time! 💞” from anon

a/n: i accidentally deleted your anon but i managed to save the request itself sooryy^^ i am so sorry it’s taken me so long omg 🥺 i love you sooo much anonie 💕✨ i love f2l so much too it’s so cute just seeing people who love each other being able to be with each other is !!! ahhh ✨💕 i really enjoyed working on it and i’m really happy with it hhhh thank you sm for requesting ilysm ahhh

word count: 2973

There were many perks to being friends with Banri, he was funny and nice when he wanted to be— he’d help you out with homework and never let you down; if there was one thing you could always count on Banri to be it was determined and loyal. But there were downsides to it too like the looks you’d get for hanging out with a guy with such a shitty reputation, the way he’d always get into fights, or seeing him waste his life away due to lack of interest. There were the multiple fights you had to endure, patching him after he got his ass beaten to a pulp the first few times.

But you wouldn’t trade him for the world. You had stuck with him through so many things, so many phases and bruises, beginnings and ends, you knew him like the back of your hand and you knew how hard it was for him to live such an “easy” life. He liked a challenge, something to work hard towards, something worth fighting for— so he could relish in the satisfaction, but that something never came. When everything comes easy you can never really bask in satisfaction; the afterglow after a succeeding.

Maybe at first, you guessed, Banri did enjoy it but he soon grew tired; everything was easy, too easy. How could he enjoy a life with no challenges when what he liked the most was a challenge?

That’s why when he joined the Mankai company you were ecstatic, finally a non-destructive hobby after years of fights and punches. It was why you didn’t mind distancing yourself from him, to let Settsu enjoy himself and get to know theater— you guessed you just didn’t know how far was enough, leading you to grow farther away than either of you expected; than either of you needed.

Looking back, Banri was somewhat grateful; he knew had you stuck around he wouldn’t have been able to concentrate with the growing feelings he had blooming in his chest.

He realized his feelings for you weren’t the same when texting you wasn’t enough, when meeting you at school wasn’t enough; when he realized that he wanted more. He never took into account how often you two would be together, it felt so natural, there was never a second thought or a minute to imagine what would happen if your routine were to change. After school and during breaks, you’d always be together chatting away; to not have you there by his side as often was weird. It wasn’t as if he never saw you but whenever you left he felt a bitter feeling in his mouth, it left him feeling unsatisfied. What was once a friendship that lasted 24 hours a day soon shortened into a relationship that would last as long as school breaks would allow.

He hoped that once he quit the troupe— after making his point known to Juza, he’d be able to go back to his routine with you, perhaps confess or just let it go, he just wanted to ditch acting and see where you two would go. But he never really quit and so the distance between you two became bigger.

You never grew estranged, neither of you would’ve been able to live without the other by this point— 14 years of friendship, of familiarity and comfort, can’t go down the drain like that. To you Banri was the need for a future, for excitement and adventure, and to him, you were home, nostalgic and known. But going from hanging around each other everyday to almost once in a blue moon, it hit hard and it hit roughly.

By the third performance, you and him could barely meet in person— you had joined clubs while he practiced, your classes weren’t the same and your part time job started demanding more attention; so all you could do was text. He hated texting, you could never really express your tone and feelings properly, but your relationship— or what remained of it, now hung on a thin thread of texts. It was weird, heart breaking almost, to see the shell that remained of your friendship.

It was around that time Banri realized he needed to act on his feelings for you, it was when he realized he could lose you.

He didn’t know how to confront you about it— the boy you had been hanging out around, he’d seen you two, heard the rumors of a possible romance, but he never confronted you. Blue eyes could only watch in confusion as the situation unfolded itself; you two were 17, not kids anymore, it’d be weird for him to pop in one day and demand for you to explain yourself to him. Banri wasn’t delusional, he knew you didn’t owe him an explanation.

Izumi noticed the uncertainty and hesitation in him, how something or someone was bothering him. It was soon after that his discomfort was known to the rest of the company and they grew confused and concerned— some more worried than others. It was her who ended up confronting Banri, she had to convince the dyed blond to not threaten the young boy with behavior and discipline.

Even through his short answers and cold stare it didn’t take the brunette long to understand what was bothering him.

“So, you like your best friend?” Izumi’s pink eyes were tinted with understanding and pity as she looked at the young boy.

However, Banri was too prideful to answer, instead opting to roll his eyes in acknowledgment.

“Well, why don’t you say something about it?”

“[Name] doesn’t owe me an explanation,” he muttered, he had thought about it but really— he was also afraid; if you were dating that boy then it meant his feelings were one sided and he could ruin your trust, make you feel like you had a babysitter or a possessive friend, and accidentally reveal the feelings he had only recently begun to acknowledge.

“I guess you’re right, but you owe yourself closure,” Izumi states straight into his eyes, “Just try talking to them about it.”

“Hmph…”

He stared at your contact name for a while before pressing it that night, he spent at least 14 minutes typing and re-typing what he wanted to send, never before had he been so self conscious when talking to you.

As he laid buried within his covers, only the soft light of his phone shining, he realized how important you were to him; he couldn’t fuck up.

‘Hey, our next performance is next week wanna come??????’

Once he had settled for a text and was ready to press send he heard a deep, and extremely annoying, voice coming from beside him.

“Delete some question marks, it makes you look desperate.”

“Fuckin’- were you reading my texts?” Banri barked at the golden eyed boy, what was that creep doing getting into his conversation with you?

“Kinda hard not to when you’ve got your ringer on, this isn’t a coming of age movie turn that shit off, iss’ annoying.” Juza grumbled before shoving his head between his pillows and Banri swore the small wooden panel separating both of their beds was suddenly asking to be used as a murder weapon.

“Fuck off, Hyodo.”

‘Hey, our next performance is next week wanna come over??’

“You are gonna give them their tickets, right?”

“Of course I am, I ain’t some sort of asshole!” Settsu could swear every time Juza opened his mouth he lost 10 years of his lifespan.

“Ya’ sure about that?”

“Say it to my fuckin’ face, eh?”

‘Hey, I got some tickets for our next performance if you wanna come??’

“Is that better, dick head?” Banri shoved his phone at the purple haired boy causing him to swat his hand away.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Whatever-? You know what, choke on my dick.”

“Come on, I’ve sucked candy bigger than your dick, Settsu, I ain’t chokin’ on a pickle.”

He was surprised that you answered so quickly a short and simple ”Oh my god!!! Yes!!” that had sent his heart into super sonic speed. He guessed that, if Izumi was right and he did like you, that it made sense- and if he had to be honest, really had to be, you could say he didn’t mind the way his heart fluttered around his chest.

‘Come over early and I’ll give them to you’

“And they say chivalry is dead.” Juza grumbled into his pillow, earning a smack from Banri.

A week later and you were standing in front of the Mankai dorm waiting for him, you had to admit that- although sudden, the invite did make you quite happy, even if you both didn’t talk as often you still cared deeply about him.

While you stood outside waiting, however, inside the dorm Banri was getting one final pep talk from Izumi before he asked you out- or tried to at least.

“I get it! Izumi, stop nagging already,” blue eyes rolled as the older woman went over the plan.

“I am not nagging, Settsu! I am simply making sure you don’t screw up!” She shrieked, she was this close to setting you up with Juza out of spite.

“Look, I’m fine,�� he assured her, “I’ll just tell ‘em how I feel and if they say yes then good and if they say no then whatever- it’s not like we won’t talk if I’m rejected.” Right?

“Hey, Neo delinquent, you shouldn’t leave your date waiting,” Yuki grumbled as he nodded over to the door, “Poor thing’s been there for half an hour, let it in already.”

“Yuki! Don’t talk about [Name] like they’re a dog!” Izumi scolds the middle schooler.

“Whatever, just worried they’re gonna catch a cold.” He shrugs before leaving the room, if you ended up sick you’d only have those two to blame.

“Okay, now go- go!” Izumi pushed the tall boy before running off to hide behind the wall, just in case.

Banri takes note of his sweaty hands and scolds himself; keep it together. He shakes his head and opens the door to find you waiting for him.

In the second it took you to process the opened door, Banri felt himself fall in love with you. After not seeing each other in person since the start of the new semester, it dawned on him how much he yearned to be with you.

“Banri, I missed you!” You throw your arms around your friend, you were excited— it had been weeks since you’d last seen him and you missed him, even if you two didn’t talk as much there was never a day you didn’t think of him in some way.

“[Name],” he ruffled your hair, his eyes softening as he looked at you, “I missed you too.”

“I’m so excited,” you pulled away from him, looking him straight in the eyes, “I was so worried I wouldn’t get tickets, I really wanted to see you act again!”

“Tch, ain’t you a fan?” He teases you, making way for you to come inside the dorms and you gladly do. It had been months since you last came, but it still looked and felt the same; he felt and looked the same, he looked smarter though, more mature and put together.

“You’re talking as if I wouldn’t come see my best friend.” You smile up at him and he feels his heart clench in his chest at your words.

As he leads you to the living room he wonders if he should actually tell you— unlike most things in his life, you were always there, no matter what he was doing you’d always stuck around him. Ever since you were young, Banri can’t remember a time where you weren’t there and, honestly, he didn’t want to.

His silence catches your attention and you decide to speak up; “So, how have things been?”

“Ah, good, they’ve been good,” he coughs, he felt stupid getting nervous over this- he should just get it out as fast as possible, “and you?”

“Things ‘ve been well, kinda weird without you around.” You admit awkwardly as you sit down on the couch.

He nods, a smile gracing his lips as he thinks about how to lead the conversation where he needs it to be. He remembers Izumi’s words and advice, he deserved closure and, maybe it was selfish of him but, he wanted a relationship with you too. He really, really wanted a relationship with you.

“[Name]?” He speaks out, his voice wavering slightly and if he could he’d beat himself up for it. Hearing the uncertainty behind his words you almost shoot up from your seat in worry.

“Yeah?”

“I- I know it’s sudden and,” he takes a deep breath, “it’s gonna sound weird but I, uh- realized somethin’.”

You nod confused, you were listening to him and you wanted him to continue; that’s the moment he realized he’d need to fold whatever pride he had left and throw it in the air if he wanted to know the truth.

“It’s very weird and if it makes you uncomfortable it’s okay! It’s just, I've heard about you goin’ out with someone and I wanted to know if-?”

“Oh! You mean Rin, right? No, don’t worry, he’s dating someone; we’re just friends!” You laugh as you explain.

“Oh, good.” Even with his, albeit limited compared to other members, acting experience he couldn’t quite hide the relief that washed over his face and body at the revelation.

“Why do you wanna know? Worried you’re gonna lose me?” You tease but the words he uttered next made you do a double take his way.

“Yeah, actually- funny you’d say that.” He sighs before looking around the room, “I didn’t invite you just for the tickets, [Name], I-I wanted to tell you something… I like you.”

You feel the blood rushing to your ears and spread through your cheeks, you were sure you were practically heating up the room just from your blushing alone.

“You like me?” You ask him, you were extremely flattered and the thought that a guy like Banri liked you was nice. You liked him, you’ve liked him for a pretty long time but were too afraid to say anything so for him to, after so many years, tell you he liked you was straight out of a shojo manga.

“Yeah, it’s okay if you feel weird, I just wanted to say it, ya’ know?” He avoids your eyes and you quickly piece together the rest. He’d been acting weird, all shy and nervous, his texts were kinda dry, and even when you did meet in the hallway he had been acting off… was it all because he liked you?

“Banri, I- wow, me too,” you stutter, fidgeting with your fingers slightly at his confused face, “I kinda like you too.”

“Ya’ do?” It was his turn to jump from his seat at your words, his heart knocking against his chest as if it were about to explode from the override of emotions he was feeling at your words.

“Yeah, it’s embarrassing,” you laugh, “but I’ve liked you for some time now, I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”

His signature cocky smile is back on his face as soon as you say it and you wish you could take it back so he wouldn’t tease you, but would it really be Banri if he didn’t make fun of you even just a little bit.

“Shoulda’ known, no one can resist me.” He plopped himself next to you and you shove him slightly.

“Yeah, no one can resist you and your bowl cut.”

“You said it looked good!” He glares at you but you know he isn’t angry at all.

“Yeah when we were like 10?” You ruffle his hair, the soft strands gliding through your fingers and Banri is sure that if he had a tail it’d be wagging.

“Ya? Well why d’ya like me if I got a stupid bowl cut?” He grabs your hand and levels himself to look you in the eyes.

“Because you’re smart,” you lean closer and peck his lips, “and cute, even with that shitty hair.”

“You can’t insult me and compliment me like that! You're gonna give me whiplash, geez.” His eyes widen at your actions and he blushes a deep pink, and you do your best to memorize that look knowing it was rare.

“Ew, the NEO delinquent is flirting on our couch,” you both hear a whine from behind you two and you jump startled, “Now we’ve gotta clean it up.”

“We’d appreciate it if you kept the PDA minimal with the kids here, Settsu.” Sakyo glares at the young man, you could almost miss the soft smile as he watched his leader finally look like himself again.

“So, [Name], you two dating or what?” Izumi pokes her head out of her hiding spot, going straight to the point.

“Please, he probably didn’t even give ‘em the tickets.” Juza makes his way through the small crowd and into the kitchen area.

“Yes I did-“

“No you did not.” You correct him, causing the actor to blush even redder at your words.

“Told ya’.”

“Cut it off you guys!” The director scolded everyone in the room, too excited at the newly formed couple to care about much else, “Are you two dating?”

“I think we are.” You look at Banri who looked back at you, his scowling face softening until a smile broke out.

“We are.” He confirms, giving you a kiss on the cheeks with a smile and you feel light on your feet with excitement.

“I should start a match-making agency or something.” Izumi giggles at her comment, proud to finally have helped the young boy.

“With your dating life? Please.” Sakyo laughs at the younger woman.

#—🎀 a3!#a3!#a3 #act addict actors #a3 x reader #a3 banri #banri #a3 banri x reader #banri settsu #banri settsu x reader #banri x reader #—✒️ sora’s scripts #—📨 request #—💌 mysterious messenger!

107 notes · View notes