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gingkos-eldritch-secret · 7 months

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Fanfiction Commentary and Recommendations: Lex Luthor´s Ascend from Supervillainy to Fatherhood Part VI (chapters 26 to 30)

The Original story by @halfagone can be found here.

The previous parts of the commentaries can be found here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VII

So, just to begin with: we still continue where the last part cut off. This will include discussions of injury, blood, torture and death. Also, discussions about the morality of killing someone, even in self-defence.

Many good and interesting and also important discussions happen in these following chapters. Which is very, very nice, but also makes for a bit of an emotionally exhausting bit to read. It´s absolutely wonderful, but at the end I lay in my bed and was like 'how. How do I even feel now? What should I feel now? What?' So yeah, be prepared for that.

Now included: Memes and (hopefully) gifs. You´ll see if it worked. As of now I have no clue. And with that: have fun with the commentary :D

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So: Dick is still floored by Lex just leaving after admitting that he forgives them for their behaviour. And has the same opinion as me: That he´s a freaking miracle worker. Good for him! He really DOES deserve Alfred´s cookies for this.

And now we get back to the interrogation. I mean. It should be just Gordon doing this, but Batman has been allowed to stay. And knowing how the bat behaves in such scenarios I´m not really sure that that´s a good idea.

A fun fact: the bats are ALL listening in to the conversation. And as I already know how this will go I´ll just say: they´ll be facepalming. A lot. Or will be commiserating with Danny in a way. Because god damn, he kinda verbally eviscerates Bruce. And Bruce freaking deserves it.

I mean, true, Bruce has made it clear that he´s not offering any input. But it´s Bruce. Even if he wanted to, can this man even hold back his opinions and questions?

Jason and Dick hide it out on the roof - more or less in a mix of civilian and vigilante outfits, having their own conversation while listening in.

And listening in they do. I´m not sure that 'What´s one more bad memory in a hospital?' is a wonderful conversation starter, but god damn. It sure sets the mood. You can decide what that mood is, but I´d say a mix between resigned, shifty (if that even is a mood and not a state of being) and exasperated. So Fun mix.

At least Jim doesn´t seem all too happy about the conversation either? Small mercies, I guess.

At least there´s a lawyer present.

(If I´m very wordy in this: blame the mix of melatonin and caffeine that is unique to night shifts. I am VERY giddy right now and that translates weirdly into commentary. It´s weird to write while kind of dancing to a space documentary YouTube video lmao.)

The first question is just. Basic. 'What happened? Begin from the kidnapping'. That was the moment I decided that I needed popcorn. Because with how done Danny seemed from the whole situation to begin with that could only go so well.

So, it begins with Danny beginning at the. Well. Beginning. With him running off and befriending the crazy local lesbians (I love them your honour) and how he spent his time there, how he doubled back after the explosion and the whole Van business happening after that. All the while Jason is still reeling about his relationship with two ex-Villains. But really, should he be so surprised about that? It´s Danny 'i'mma rehabilitate villains' Luthor we´re talking about.

Then he tries to explain why he thinks the Joker targeted him - he brings it back to his connections with said man´s ex and her new girlfriend. Which is understandable. I doubt he knows that he was mistaken as a Robin when he was taken.

And then we get into the nitty gritty. The things that happened after the camera was shot and the stream was ended.

And just oof. There had just been a whole freaking table full of torture instruments. FULL OF THEM. None of them like that revelation.

And of course, Batman interrupts and asks if the camera was shot on purpose. What the fuck man. WHAT THE FUCK. YOU ASK A TRAUMATIZED CHILD IF HE SHOT A CAMERA ON PURPOSE AFTER BEING BOUND AND TORTURED ON A LIFESTREAM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU????

Danny stays calm. Only just. He explains how he´d meant to get the man in the shoulder or the back to run as far away as possible. How he still managed to get away and knocked out any goons he met on his way. How he found bomb equipment and used it against the bad excuse of a clown when he got too close to a hiding spot. How he´d tried to shoot him in the back and just met his chest instead. How the Joker just LAUGHED and tried to kill him then and there because 'two killers killing each other'. Really. Fuck him.

Jim, bless his soul, just gently prods at what happened next. Which Danny lies about. Says he just tried to drag himself away, but was slow because of the blood loss and the wounds. That Red Hood came soon after that. It´s a good lie. And it´s nearly the truth. But we all know what went on was just a tad more eldritch. Not that he can tell them that. Who´d ever believe it after all? Or react well to that? No one. that´s who.

Now Gordon tells Danny that the goons were all found dead. All of them. Danny … does not take this well. At all. Even the lawyer asks if they should stop for now, but … well. Then they´d have to do it a second time and I highly doubt that would go any better.

And now the million-dollar question. Where did our boy learn how to wield a gun? This is where the bad parenting choices of the Fentons come in. And how they led to Danny and Jazz chasing each other around the house with loaded guns. In a playful way…. Now where is that Danny protection squad. I need a membership.

And of course, Batman asks why they taught their children how to use lethal guns. He´s still not holding himself to the earlier 'promise' of: he´ll stay out of the conversation. I´m still mad at him for that. And I will continue to be mad at him for that.

Go Jason. Own that cringe at the behaviour of your father figure. Though we´ll all agree that the Fenton parents are, in fact, fools.

So, while Danny tells them that he learnt because he had to, that he never liked guns. Which Batman then uses against him with his next question. And Gordon is not happy about THAT either, trying to interrupt. But of course, the great batman just ignores the head of the police force and asks why Danny chose the gun instead of any of the other weapons.

Danny´s just like 'What? Should I have taken a melee weapon? With the joker? How´d I have gotten away that way? It would have been so much harder?'

And Bruce, not understanding or not liking the reasoning is just like 'You could´ve just ran away'

Like. Danny´s right. He´d been trying to do that from the start? Why´d Batman suddenly fault him for this? For self-defence? I repeat myself: WHAT THE FUCK BATMAN?

Now the man is trying to talk Danny into a corner so that he may 'confess' or whatever the hell is going on in his head. Because why ever else would he hide somewhere? If not to just ambush the Joker?

Which is, I think, when Danny gets really fed up and was also the time I was sitting there like

Batman be like 'I just need to know why' and Danny? Has had ENOUGH. Jason may find his eyes creepy at this point. And I do imagine him letting a tiny little bit of his ghostliness slip through. Because all of those accusations? I´d have had enough of that much earlier than Danny.

And that´s when Danny eviscerates Batman. How do you ask? Well. Because he researched. Everything from crime rates to rogue statistics and even looked into the rogues themselves. And the Joker would´ve had the death penalty several times if it was not for his 'plead to insanity'. He´d left behind half a baseball stadium full of bodies. And nothing was ever done? He told about the second Robin´s death and how he enjoyed it. And batman says things about death and playing god by choosing who dies.

And he asks the real questions:

“You talk about how people play god by choosing who dies, but aren’t you playing god by choosing who lives?” Danny sneered; teeth bared. “Who do you go for? The civilian in need or the criminal who caused their suffering? Who’s the priority to you? Who do you chase after first?”

God damn - going right for the metaphorical throat.

He continues. Calling out that bullshit mentality of 'choice', when the Joker still would´ve just gone back to Arkham after killing him when he´d not even wanted to be there in the first place.

Talks about how there´s people who can be reformed. Who can live normal lives again. But that there must be a life for them to get back to and that the Joker had nothing else. He simply had nothing to live for except for his 'jokes'. And even if they´re reformed. They´d have to live with all the people who have heard of their exploits looking at them with scorn.

There´s just so many good points to this conversation, I love it :3

I kind of think that Jason really needed to hear all of this as well if we go by his reaction. Poor man´s been going through the wringer that day.

When Cass and Tim find the corpse, she´s not sure what to think. Should she be upset that Danny has killed? Should she even be upset that it was the Joker in the first place? Sould she be relieved? I think it all depends on the why´s.

In the end. Nearly all of them had killed before. So, what makes Danny all that different?

Meanwhile Bruce is just having big thoughts and would like to be alone for now please. I think what he actually needs is a hot bath with some scented candles. Self-care, my man. It would do you a world of good. Also: introspection. Always good.

But in the meantime, Bruce and Jason talk things out and it´s beautiful. Some parts of it are quite funny - always trying to ease the mood this one. But in the end Bruce is right. He´s not Jason´s therapist, but he´s his father. He just wants him to be well.

And if things have to be talked about for the going well part? It must be done. Even if it very clearly is hard for either of them. But that´s what family is for, is it not? To be there for each other even when things get uncomfortable …

I cried at some parts of the conversation, but Bruce nearly puts his foot in his mouth so many times … like Jason tries to understand, but Bruce doesn´t make it any easier.

They talk about why Bruce feels so tense at Danny being the one to kill the Joker. Why he´s so insistent on Danny. How it shouldn´t have been Danny. But if not Danny, who then?

Jason? Dick? Bruce? Any way has it´s pros and cons. Who´d have been able to live with it? Who´d have come out of it unchanged? Would the Joker even have been able to reform? No. Not in this life. Never in this life.

Jason´s question threw me out the loop a bit because 'Since when do you talk about these things?' is a very justified question xD

Then the talk shifts. Towards Dick, towards the 'golden boy' and how it was originally Jason who gave his older brother that title. Not Bruce or anyone else. And how Jason has always been the favourite.

Jason predictably doesn´t believe that. Which is of course his right, but it made me just so freaking happy? How he disbelievingly tried to make any of his other siblings into the favourite while Bruce just explains that no. The child who´d so earnestly tried to do well in school, who did his homework without asking, who was excited to stay with him, who didn´t leave freaking scars (and god damn Dick you feral child) and who didn´t fake an uncle so that he´d not be adopted.

And Bruce? Just says that he´d never be mad at Jason because he tried to steal the cars of the Batmobile because it gave him Jason in the end. And that really let me tear up a bit there. Cause that´s just so wholesome? My poor little heart.

Then the impossible actually happens: Bruce apologizes. He actually apologizes. That he´s sorry to make think he was never loved, but that he´s his son and it never should have been thought to have been otherwise. That it never changed to begin with. That he loves him now and god damn I´m a puddle on the floor now. I died of family feels my friends. Bury me shallow though. I have the feeling I´ll be back.

After Danny is released from the hospital, him and Lex go to a Diner for some food and conversation. And let´s just say Lex would like to have a TALK with Bruce Wayne still.

He´s also very happy about Danny´s healing factor as that means his boy will be pain free much sooner than he´d be if he´d been human… well if he´d been completely and utterly human he´d probably be dead because he would´ve taken a much longer time escaping his bonds … anyways

Though this also lets Lex think about how Danny had explained his healing factor. How it´s emotion-bound. And how sometimes when the emotions are right and good, he´ll heal, but when he feels bad or if the wound had emotional damage attached it would heal slower or even leave scars. Though the latter would only happen if the psychological damage went over a certain threshold.

And because he´s a dad he won´t beat long around the bush and tells him about his talk with Dick, about how he knows he collapsed after seeing Jason and if he knew why that was and then they talk about cores. And how the 'parasite' may not have had one, but it had certainly reacted to the proximity to one.

Soon after Lex goes outside to talk with Bruce. Bruce apologizes directly to lex - noice. He really needed to do that in person, otherwise it´d have been quite insincere.

Lex compliments Bruce in how his children care for him. How they certainly do care for him, because otherwise? They wouldn´t even bother.

Lex still warns Bruce that he´ll it slide this once and that if it ever happens again? There´ll certainly be hell to raise. Which is quite understandable. If my child had faced what Danny has faced I would not in any way be calm either. In fact, I´d be furious. So, the little warning is certainly appreciated.

While Bruce is surprised by how well Danny already looks since he´s only been out of the hospital for a few hours, he wants to apologize to Danny. And the little shit? Just says 'I´m waiting'.

Honestly, this man xD

Bruce actually, really, honestly apologizes with a whole explanation of why they did that how he´s also sorry that they did not take his trauma response seriously. He´s also understandably confused when Danny asks if he´d taken a blood sample.

And when Danny emphatically asks if he´d tried? Well. Let´s just say that a little of the eldritch energy slipped through and Bruce got a whole lot more attentive. Danny can be creepy. As a treat.

And when Bruce says 'yes`? And sees the reactions has to that? He realizes that Danny´s afraid. Honest to god afraid even though this could not be as bad as his confrontation with the ex-clown. He also doesn´t know how to feel when Danny warns him about trying it again.

Though here I´ll have to throw something in. Bruce may not have gotten a sample. But do you remember that Danny´s been tortured? With knives? And that there´d understandably been blood from his wounds all around the warehouse? And that the hospital probably also had some of his blood from the bullet removal as well as the cleaning of the other wounds? Let´s just say it will come into play later. I completely forgot about the left in my first read but god damn. This just makes the situation so much worse. But first it´ll get better. I swear this is like a roller coaster ride of emotions.

Where were we? Ah yes. Danny asks about the parasite. And if they´d taken it into the Batcave. Bruce is. Not amused. The first question out of his mouth was 'how' and the second was 'did you tell lex Luthor'

Dannys reaction´s just a wrinkled nose like 'ew, why would I do that?'. Which is honestly kind of adorable. And Danny does this whole spiel about secret identities and how they´re not his to tell and that he´s not exactly following lex´ agenda at all.

And after that rant Bruce just focuses on the word 'parasite' like a confused puppy. Danny´s just like 'yes. It´s a parasite. No, I don´t know how he got it' *thinks about ectoplasm* … 'was it a green liquid’ the instant reaction of 'LAZARUS PIT KNOWLEDGE' is funny as frick if you ask just always me. He just always assumes things first before he asks. Let me remind you peeps: To assume makes an ass out of u and me.

And then Danny explains how his parents used to work with 'something like that' and that it´s the reason his blood probably wouldn’t even ping as human because of all the contamination.

As Bruce asks if that´s the reason he´s so shifty about his blood samples Danny´s just like 'Nah. I just don´t trust you with this sort of information. Someone would get it and then they´d just use it maliciously. I KNOW that. Already lived through that'

Then this heartbreaking part follows:

There was only this soft, sad expression on Danny’s face as the boy said, “Oh, Bruce… There is no fixing me.” And then, Danny looked away, gaze falling to the half-eaten plate now. “Not anymore, anyways. Had someone tried a decade earlier, maybe it would have worked out but… No one bothered to try when I was still worth saving.”

I just want to put him in a blanket burrito and hug him until he´s happy and safe and no one will harm him anymore …

Bruce wants to talk about that topic further, but Danny just deflects back to the parasite. He talks about ectoplasm! Achievement unlocked! Knowledge about ectoplasm gained! Congratulations!

Bruce is fascinated. Danny is horrified that Jason was basically put into extremely unhealthy sludge that´s just a very bad representation for Ectoplasm. He´s not surprised about the side effects it had though. Which. If you think about it. I wouldn´t be either. I mean that stuff runs on emotions. And you can´t tell me that the League of Assassins has many positive emotions. Especially around the pits.

And then everyone´s just horrified that the parasite is sentient. Not as horrified that it´s not sapient. Can you imagine a green sludge parasite being sapient? God that sounds like some horror movie stuff.

Now the million-dollar question: Why isn´t Danny as affected by the whole thing? Easy answer? Because he´s been surrounded by that stuff since before he´s been born. It´s integrated in his DNA. Of course, it won´t affect him the same. And of course, there´s no fixing him. But his parents never did realize, did they? They never did understand what they´d been doing to their own flesh and blood. But their work was more important in the end, I guess.

And then we´re back with a mixed bag and some sadder emotions as the talk swaps to Danny´s parents and then to Lex and the situation at the hospital and Damian´s reaction and Danny´s 'mask' being just as much of a mask as Brucie is and. So much information in such a short time. Ouch :')

Good emotions. But too many D:

And now Cass has switched in! She´s taken Bruce’s seat and they ... Talk. Cass is not really all that jazzed about Danny knowing their vigilante secret. She´s also not happy about how the whole situation came about. Not sure what to think about Danny having killed someone.

And … Yeah. She has killed before. Has seen how the life of a man left him and decided: never again. She was raised as a weapon. Only a weapon - that leaves it´s traces.

And then she came to Gotham. She came to Bruce and became a vigilante and there´s the no kill rule (not that it always stops them from killing someone). And Danny just killed someone.

But it was the Joker. He´d done horrendous things to both Danny and her family. And in the end, if it´d been a member of her family who´d done the deed she would still feel not quite right about it. But the kill was not done out of some twisted sense of revenge or someone thing else. It was self-defence in the end. It was accident. So …

And in the end: she can´t be upset about all of that. She wouldn´t have wanted to lose Danny either. Even if she´d always had the feeling of not understanding him.

But that´s the thing about relationships isn´t it? They´re hard. They´re a work in progress. You can never know another person as intimately as you know yourself. We go into a relationship, any kind of relationship, with the intent to learn more about another person. Maybe also to learn more about ourselves. But at the core relationship works out if both people want to see the other for who they are and how they can make it work as a team. The same is true for friendships and family relationships. And there´s always more to learn.

Also. They´re just cute. Cass then asks what his parents did to Danny and his eyes just flash green.

There is no further information before the scene changes to the fathers trying to be subtle about spying on their kids through the window lmao

He recounts a number of their neglectful behaviours, their questionable morale standards, their involuntary hurting their children and just. Not once did they ever question themselves. Not once did they try to change or apologize. And then in the end? They used their blasters on him and he just ran. Danny´s so tired of running. So, so tired of it. He just wants somewhere to belong. A home without the danger of his own parental figures turning on him every second he´s there.

Cass is just so sweet as she gently reminds him that he´s not less important just because he hurt someone. Because in the end no one´s life is worth more, than one’s own. That she´s just glad she´s safe and god, I’m getting diabetes.

AND THEN THEY KISS. It´s all very romantic and cute and the fathers want to protest, but Tim is just sitting next to them with a camera making photos of the whole scenario because he wants to show them on their future wedding party. I understand you, my man, I understand you. That´s just the sibling in you. As well as the photographer. Those two go remarkably well together!

Tim be like:

While going home Lex and Danny make a pit stop at Harley´s and Ivy´s house where Harley and Lex badger Danny into going to therapy for the low price of Lex repairing their home and them basically becoming Danny´s Wine and Vodka aunts. Ahhh yes. Found family at its finest.

Danny also gets permission for a pet from Lex. LONG LIVE THE KITTEN EYES.

Of course, the public has already been informed about the death of the joker and how Danny had been involved. Gotham is throwing a party for him and they´re showered in confetti on their way to the airport. It´s all very heroic and nice. Until the antis come out. But they´ll always come out the little buggers.

And then. AND THEN. My favourite parts about this fic: one of the social media chapters. God damn.

It starts with their excitement about Danny coming to Gotham, worrying about the Joke r and then Danny in his custody, Danny’s health status as well as his being saved by red hood, people worrying about the joker, people being confused at Danny talking with Bruce in a diner, people insta-shipping Cass and Danny and being just so damned happy for them? It´s adorable. The social Media peeps are just CUTE.

And when they find out that Danny killed the joker all hell breaks loose. The stans, the antis - there´s fights breaking out over it, there parties, there´s just so much joy about that little fact.

And then people freak out about a pic Harley shared with the sirens and Danny and Bud and Lou during the Uno game. The Fanart is adorable and people are just joyous about Harley being like 'I´ve only known Danny for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself'. Which. Yes. Dany protection squad RISE UP.

People are not comforted hearing the 'nah don’ worry I’ve had worse' comment upon being asked about his wellbeing.

The exact way Danny revealed that Danny and Cass are now dating just absolutely adorable. It´s so fucking sweet. The whole family is exasperated and the PR team probably wants to cry but god damn, it´s cuuteee

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doudouneverte · 1 year

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A surprise for Valentine's Day | VW (d-six)

a/n: here we are, already saturday this fic is a test for my futur Maria serie, i think it's a cool story, i was planning to do something longer but i think it's better like this. I don't really know what to say so have a great weekend and i'll see you tomorrow for the last fic of the v-week, the [Y.B] fic.

*not my GIF*

Maria Hill x F!Agent!Reader; Natasha Romanoff x Female!Reader(best friend); Clint Barton x Female!Reader(best friend); Nick Fury x Female!Reader (Best friend?)

summary: you are requier for a last minut mission on valentine's day. What you find ther will change somthing in your relationship with your wife.

Type: maybe a little angsty and Fluff

Warning: mention of child abuse and torture; Hydra

word count: 1648

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You were training the new recruit; it's a good job you liked to kick asses, and they started to learn how to fight back. You were pinning an agent when the door slammed. Everyone looked at the door and saw Maria Hill, who was scanning the room, and she found you on top of a new agent; agent Martinez was her name. The black-haired woman hid her confusion pretty well.

"End of the training. Agent Y/l/n, I need you in my office now." She announced, and you let the poor agents leave.

"It was pretty fun; you should have a good reason to stop me. I was about to learn them Nat's special mouv," you pouted.

"I don't remember her ending on top of every enemy each time she did her thing," Maria replied.

"That's because you didn't see her around Wanda." The blue-eyed girl looked at you, raised her eyebrow, and finally noticed what you said.

"Ew, gross." She faked a gag.

"Oh, don't act like this; we both know we did more than that." She slammed your arm. "Why ? it's true"

You were walking and talking about everything and nothing when you stopped in her office. There were plenty of flowers and chocolates.

"You have a lot of admirers, Commander Hill," you said playfully, "and look at those flowers; they're beautiful, don't you think?"

She smiled and said, "Yeah, I love those too." She wrapped her arms around your neck. She was trying to kiss you when Fury arrived.

"Oh, Commander Hill, it's a lot of gifts for one person." You both looked at him.

"Oh, come on, you're bothering us right now, Fury," you said, and he hit the back of your head. "That's hurt."

"I have a mission for you," he said.

"Oh, come on, I can't be with my wife just one day," you replied.

"You spend the entire night with her, and don't worry, you'll have some support, so if you finish quickly, you could be here for the dinner," he said. He walked to his office, and you followed him, dragging your wife with you in the process.

He opened the door, and you saw your two favorite Avengers, Black Widow and Hawkeye. You were glad to see them; they're your best friends, and it's been more complicated to see each other since they joined the Avengers.

"Agent Romanoff, agent Barton, glad to see you," the one-eyed man said. "Sorry to bother you, but I have a mission for the three of you." You didn't really listen to him and rushed to hug your best friends.

"It's been a while," the redhead said.

"Since you both joined the big boys, you are not here often, so it's not my fault if it's been a while," you replied, and the archer rolled his eyes.

"Each time we came, you were on mission," he protested.

"That's because of Fury," you said, and your boss cleared his throat to gain all your attention. "Sorry," you all said at the same time.

"I was saying, you three have a mission in an Hydra base; it should not have some guards, but we're not too careful. So I sent you three; you just have to bring some files they have. These files contain some information about their new target and their plans." The three of you nodded. "You'll leave in one hour. You can dismiss," and you did.

You spent the next hour getting ready and talking about their stuff to be Avengers. You declined the offer to stay work with your wife and train the new recruit.

It was time now; you were in the quinjet, and you were excited. "It seems to have been a decade since we went on a mission together," you said, and your teammates could just laugh at your excitement.

"We should arrive at our destination in 30 minutes, so tell us what you plan for tonight," Clint said.

"Oh, I planned a lot; for starters, we will go to a restaurant; after we will go to the park; it should be the night so there will not be anyone; I think I'll recreate our first date; and after we will go home, and if we're not too tired, you know what comes next." You winked, and the other woman burst out laughing. "Okay, you can laugh, but what have you planned for your first Valentine's Day with your new wife?" you asked.

"Okay, we don't plan anything yet, but I think it will be like usual, you know, she will cook, we'll eat, and I'll thank her later in my way," she replied, and she turned to the only man, "and you?"

"You know Laura and I are not newsmarried anymore, and with the kids, it's complicated to do something just for us, but it's great like that," he replied.

"Oh, come on, you don't want to make a little sister for Lila?" You asked, and he laughed.

"We are already overwhelmed with Nate; I don't think we could handle a new child now." He explained, and you nodded.

You spoke a lot after, and before you could register, you were at your destination. Thankfully, the mission was not too complicated. You were about to leave when you found a secret room. When you entered, your heart skipped a beat in a bad way when you spotted a little girl in the corner of the room. She looked at you; she seemed to be 6; she had beautiful blue eyes; it reminded you of your wife.

"Hey, are you okay?" You asked while you were walking carefully to her; she nodded, but she seemed afraid. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll not hurt you. I'm here to save you. What's your name?"

"Elisabeth," she replied shyly, you lend your hand on her shoulder, and examined her.

"Nice to meet you, Elisabeth; I'm Y/N; do you know where your parents are?" She shook her head.

"They said I don't have parents." You tilted your head.

"Who are 'they' ?" you asked.

"The man with the coat," she said, and you started to understand; she was certainly an Hydra experience, and she should have been very young when they kidnapped her if she didn't remember her parents.

"Do you want to come with me?" you asked, and she looked to think about it. "I promise nobody will hurt you anymore, Elisabeth," you added, and she nodded. You picked her up in a bride style and made your way back to the quinjet. "Guys, we need to call Fury now," you said when you entered.

They both turned around to look at you, and they were shocked to see you with a girl, but they didn't say anything and called Fury.

You looked at the little girl and said, "Hey Elisabeth, this is Natasha." You pointed at the black widow, "And Clint." You pointed at Hawkeye. "I want you to stay here with them; I need to return to the base to find something, okay?" She nodded, and you sat her in a seat before the Russian sat beside her.

When you were in the base, you searched all you could find on this little girl, and you were surprised to find three big files full of information about her, about the 'experiment' they did on her, and about all her life since she was here. You were angry, but when Natasha called you through your earpiece, you came to your senses.

"Y/N ? Are you here?"

"Yeah, Nat, what's going on?"

"I think you should come here quickly; the little girl seems to be pretty cold." You didn't reply and rushed to the quinjet. When you were here again, you saw Elisabeth; she was cold. You were surprised that she was able to stay awake, and you remembered what you read in her files.

You walked carefully, wrapped your arms around her shoulder, and used your pyrokinesis power to heat up her temperature. "Here, I'm here; don't worry, princess," and after a few seconds, she started to calm herself and fell asleep in your arms.

Clint turned to you; he just hang up his call with Fury. "Fury wants us to bring her with us; they will do some tests to see if she is alright," he said, and you nodded. The flyback was quiet; you didn't want to awaken her. When you let her go, you carefully took her in your arms and made your way to the medical bay.

You ran to Fury's office; the meeting was fast. He knew how you could be right now; this little girl was like you when you were younger. When he dismissed you, you walked to Maria's office, where she was doing some paperwork. You didn't say anything and sat on her lap.

"I hear about your mission and the girl," she said, and you just pushed your head on the crook of her neck. "I was reading her files," she said. "She looked like you; I mean, she reminded me of you." You raised your head to face her.

"She physically reminds me of you," you said, and she smiled. "I don't want to let her love the life I had; I don't know what to do, but I think we should do something," you added.

"We can have her under our wings," she proposed, and you nodded. "Or... I have something else in mind."

"What is it?" you asked. You were a little confused.

"You know we have our home, our friends, and our jobs, but sometimes when you're on mission, I think something is missing."

"Wait, wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?" A smile appeared on your face.

"Only if you want and if she wants, of course. And we need to talk to Fur-"

You collided your lips against her "yes, of course yes," and she smiled too.

----------

(part 2 soon)

#maria hill #maria hill x female!readeer #maria hill x reader #maria hill x you #marvel women #marvel fanfic #marvel fic #maria hill imagine #valentine week

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kimyoonmiauthor · 4 months

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Character arcs in China, Korea and Japan v. the US/UK/AU and religion.

I have somewhat of a confession to make. That is that every year since I was little, I've always watched alone, a Christmas Rom Com. Was it high class? No. It was likely Lifetime, Hallmark or TNT. And the thing about that is the majority did not have Asian people in them. They were antithetical to everything I am except for the "Lead must be creative."

I made an expected plot event list around here, too. Here, in case you can't find it.

You might think this is not related, but I'm getting there...

The point is that out of all of the genres of movies I've watched from various dramas and movies, this correlates the strongest to the type of character "Development" (if you can call it that) I am talking about.

US Christmas Movies

Character has X, Y and Z problems in US Christmas movie. And in fact, as the plot goes along, those problems what? Multiply. This is a conflict plot.

So for example, you have Kevin from Home Alone. Kevin hates his family. His mother doesn't pay attention to him, Santa doesn't really seem to care. He has a scary neighbor he doesn't like. AND there are burglars to take care of.

By the end of the movie, there is a transformation arc after using Rube Goldberg machines, thus all of these things are fixed (until Home Alone 2).

In the Rom com, this is usually something like workaholic is paid an exorbitant amount of money AND hasn't found a SO, usually a man, since this is written for cishet women, and occasionally gay men these days (not lesbians?). Or the person is ignoring their own needs, whatever, there are a few plots. Which if you've been following along with my story structure series--the multiple plotline direction and threads is likely from Shakespeare's time, though I read the paper on it, the evidence–on the origin from whom is a bit murky on that count, which often happens in cultural phenomena, especially that far back in time.

However, the multiplication of problems and conflicts is more of recent thing. (Which to be clear in present time ends with a lot of reviewers on Youtube calling it "Fake" and "Unnecessary" etc. Millennials and Gen Z in particular hate it and call the multiplication of this terrible, particularly among women reviewers over men.)

Anyway, the point is that in particularly Christmas movies, which often double down on the religious aspects, huge problem, transformation, then every last problem about the character is fixed. Or for Christians (since Freytag said he based his on Christianity rather blatantly): It follows the Bible in simplified terms.

The connection to Christianity

You have Genesis, then all the stuff in the middle you kinda ignore and then all things go wrong, and then, OMG, there is salvation. Or the simplified version of crucifixion because you fell asleep in church, Jesus exists. Jesus preaches and gets people to hate Him. He dies. He gets ressurrected.

This is transformation. Through this Jesus what? Absolves all of your sins. You, not just Jesus are also transformed.

The majority of the authors that argued for this type of story structure with the diagrams were also Christians. The Jews I found didn't have the diagram.

Back to the Christmas Rom Com

Usually the cast also sings. And there is a part that's not in other Three-act-ish dramas: The Preaching. The incessant preaching.

The types of preaching come in these forms:

Woman (usually, though sometimes gay man who is femme) is told by her friends she is in love with target the audience is supposed to like–like it or not this is supposed to be the OTP, no matter the chemistry on screen.

Woman gets preached to about dead relative, previous Christmas, or some event from the past

You have the unbeliever of Christmas (which may be Christmas Carol+Grinch) and the true believer. Usually in the leads.

The male lead, usually is scarred by a previous Christmas.

All of these get transformed by the end, like a wafer to the body of Christ.

All sins are forgiven, and the preaching in these movies works every time. And usually the rich socialite ends up what? More humble and thus moves to a humble town (though this most of the time is to make filming cheaper, tbh.).

These Middle class main lead often to another middle class main lead or richer person.

All problems solved, world peace, every character flaw is fixed and forgiven.

Cue around here, Brecht throwing up at the blatant misuse of his input into story structure and probably several other theorists scratching their heads at "What is this Holiday Christmas movie?"

And the thing about Christmas movies, if you like them or hate them, they hit the time stamps for what they need to do perfectly. There is no flaw in the timing. The dialogue is flat and not that sparkly, and the introspection is externalized, like a cross, and there you go. This is how the character changes. All is fixed and well.

Shintoism, Buddhism, Mugyo, and general East Asian Philosophy

Particularly said of Japan, Japan is accused of being FLAT character arcs. People go into it and find out character has XYZ problems. Those problems might add, but not multiply, and then at the end, only X or Z problem is solved. It's not a story of transformation at all.

Character is poor and might end poor. That's not solved by magical benefactor.

Character starts off with an oppressive mother, their boss hates them, they don't have romance, and they feel unloved. The character arc fixes the "They don't feel loved." The other stuff is ignored and only there to serve the self-discovery of the character on their journey towards inner peace despite the chaos around them.

This is because the main point is not transformation, but self-realization of oneself.

This ties very, very heavily to the various religions in the region, which focus more on inward growth towards outward control, than outward circumstance towards outward control. Change is thought to be slow, hard to achieve and often either cyclical, or circular until one digs into ones self and really finds a way to say, escape the cycle so they can get out of it to reach say, Nirvana, The Next Life, harmony with all living beings, etc.

In another words, to shape the outer world, one has to work on oneself first, because there is no great Jewish not-white not long-haired savior to help you externally, it comes from your own work within, which is often said to be painful slow and comes with a lot of attachments you might not need. And if you stay attached to those worldly things, it will create evil. (this is true of Shintoism, Mugyo, and Buddhism.) There is no one to save but yourself. And the healthy attachments are often good deeds from within yourself towards others.

Examples

Spirited Away, Chihiro forgets her entire adventure. She gains a new head elastic, but as the beginning said, she won't really forget her experience. What's the singular thing that Sen/Chihiro gained?

The confidence to face new challenges.

You've gone through the entire movie, and she has not had a huge transformation arc where everything was fixed. Her parents still aren't that great. She still has to move to a new town. And not all of her problems were solved. Haku is still a roaming spirit, No Face might have found a home and a place, but still has its flaw. Not everything was fixed. There was only one thing that totally transformed and changed for our main lead Chihiro.

And the thing is Miyazaki and his animators pulls this all of the time without fail and you still feel wrapped into his world and point of view.

This is true of Ashes of Love, (Chinese) as well. A-Z problems are not solved for the characters. One character flaw is changed for each character, which is a kind of spoiler here. While they do learn and grow, there are still problems looming in the distance that might come back at a later date. Also the ending feels a little bit bittersweet. Following the formula of qichengzhuanhe, it does not linger on the ending, but instead gives us a cyclical feel.

I think the one that drove people up the wall, personally, was Stranger Again. (Korean drama) People argued that it was a "Sad ending" but from the perspective of the characters it was a happy ending. The themes of the drama were met by the end of the drama showing that sometimes love isn't enough to keep a couple together. It really dug deep into what love is and isn't and the imperfections and blemishes of it. But people still struggled really deep with the idea that not everything is fixable. They wanted that transformation, but the drama never promised a transformation. It only promised, from the title and beginning to ending to make sure people understood why people sometimes need to divorce and not to be caught so strongly in hate or so strongly in love, but that middle of finding a way to move forward without another person. The change for the characters, wasn't through conflict--the conflict made their ability to solve things more tangled and worse. The solution came in the form of self-realization and contemplation, where they discovered the painful truth and then were able to let go. And that was the happiest ending for the characters, but those addicted to Christianity's total transformation, sacrifice as ideas of love hated it.

But I dislike the idea that someone needs to give up all of their happiness in order to make another person happy until they are angry and resentful at them. Because then, is that really love? And so if you sat there and thought through the morality and the things the drama was saying that was the happiest ending. But not the one that you wanted. However, it lingered and made you more honest about facing your relationships and the world because it forced you to question yourself and self-reflect–and that's the whole point of a lot of these stories that don't fix everything. The world is messy, and though you might get cooperation, the only thing you can control is yourself, so you need to respect others and their choices and the best way to do that is to know yourself before facing others rather than waiting for a savior to fix it for you.

BTW, I can do this with Taiwanese dramas too. It's rare for an East Asian drama to try to fix everything for the characters. If anything, the characters crawl towards finding their own solutions. Think through some of the dramas you've watched.

#character arcs #worldwide story structures #diversity writing #story theory

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neikikardartv · 5 months

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Superhero Roundtable

Gen V (2023)

The series Gen V is a spin-off of The Boys series on Prime, it aired very recently with the season only wrapping up on November 3rd of this year. The show takes place in the same universe as The Boys and its timeline is meant to align and intersect a bit with the new season. Instead of focusing on the main adult superheros of the universe, Gen V chooses to center its narrative on the younger victims of compound V (Which is the drug people can take to potentially get powers). The show is set in a college that only ‘Supes’ can attend (think Sky High). There they are ranked and all aim for the number one spot and to be a part of the famous ‘7’ supe group. The show is similar to what I talked about in my Buffy roundtable but here demons are swapped with superpowers for adolescent woes metaphors.

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series?

As the show came out this year it's cultural studies and history is all very recent, and it specifically caters toward Gen Z. In doing so the cast is much more diverse than The Boys and earlier superhero shows. The main character is a young Black woman named Marie who’s love interest is a bigender Korean American who can shapeshift between two different genders of masculine and feminine. The friend group she also meets up with also consists of others diverse in background and ethnicity. The call for more diverse superheroes is definitely a product of more recent cultural values and changes, especially with younger people being the target demographic. The politics of the show also represent the recent political timeline with our generation's disappointment in the actions and lack of actions the government has taken on corruption with capitalism, climate change, etc . This can be seen with Vought International, the multibillion dollar conglomerate that founded the famous 7 and manages ‘supes’. The company also does entertainment, news, weapons, fast food chains etc. The corruption of the company and its supes, most notably its most powerful supe Homelander who’s villain arc mirrors Trump, really fits the current post Trump political climate. The structural mythology of supes in the show is interesting as well. Instead of the show having the classic Hero’s journey with its superheroes and their gaining of powers. The main characters of the show got their powers from their parents injecting them with Compund V so they could profit off of their abilities. The superpowers they have are often the root of their trauma. The main character, Marie, has blood controlling powers that manifested on her first period and led her to accidentally kill her parents in front of her sister. Overall, this pessimistic view of superheroes and their powers is really reflective of our current political and cultural landscape.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities?

One superhero that exemplifies the concept of their abilities being informed by their identities—specifically gender—is Jordan Li, the bigender Korean American who can shapeshift between two different genders of masculine and feminine that I previously mentioned. Through Jordan Li’s super powers the show is able to mythologize gender fluidity and identity struggles. In this clip, Jordan is talking to their parents who are upset that their developing powers gave them the ability to shift from a boy to a girl. Jordan has to explain that they are still themselves in both forms and have always been the same, but their father still disapproves.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

In the Gen V the superheroes identities aren’t concealed from the public but they do have superhero personas that they are more known by in the public and media sphere. The celebrity-like status they have with their super personas is used to other them and commodify their powers to entertain others as a spectacle. One example of this is with the character Emma whose superpower is her ability to make herself change size. At school she is majoring in becoming a super influencer basically and goes by the persona ‘Little Cricket’ for her popular youtube channel. While her channel is popular we learn that it really is her mother wanting to profit off of her abilities and doesn’t care that she has to throw up and purge in order to change herself. Her power is also fetishized by a male classmate who wants her to get small while they are intimate. So in Gen V the creation of separate identities is not used to achieve their own personal goals but is instead taken advantage of by non-supes to capitalize off of.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

In the series there is a very ‘us vs. them’ mentality between the supes and non-supes that is reminiscent of the current political climate. In episode 7 a senator comes to the school for an interview and it ends in a riot. The senator runs the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs which seeks to monitor and investigate Supes and stop them from harming others. In the panel Senator Neuman is trying to pander to both sides, with boos and applause for each statement as the students are split between wanting to punish Supes like Homelander for killing innocent people or for thinking that not supporting him is Anti-super. As the episode description shows,

Calling all God U #Hometeamers! Today we’re protesting Socialist Victoria Neuman’s town hall on campus! Let’s show Neuman and her Supe-hating woke mob that we won’t put up with their anti-Superhero agenda! THEY WILL NOT CONTROL US! #MakeAmericaSuperAgain #SupeLivesMatter

The supe vs non-supe divide is very politicized with it mirroring liberal and conservative ideals of the spectrum. The situation is very polarizing and the “Supelivesmatter” crowd ends up disrupting the panel and it becomes very violent. The show is not very subtle with its mirroring of Blue Lives Matter and MAGA, especially with Homelander being a stand in for Trump. This is the central conflict between America’s general super population and their actions demonstrating the impact of our own political news cycle on the show.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

In the show characters are constantly questioning intentions, who to trust, and what is right and wrong–especially within the supes and non supes dichotomy. The main characters are grappling with if the pain and violence that their powers have inflicted on others unintentionally are actually their fault and dealing with their guilt and self hatred for it at the same time.

This really leads to the central conflict of if their obligations are to use their powers to protect themselves or the non-supes that put them in the position of having these powers in the first place. The show is really complex in its portrayal of this as in the final scene of the show you are really left wondering what is the right thing to do alongside the characters as they decide who they should side with. Gen V is unique because while in The Boys the superheroes are more villainized but in Gen V it’s more unclear as we are able to see through following the adolescent super perspective it wasn't their fault. It is only at university that Marie and other students are able to begin to realize that the violence and trauma their powers have inflicted on their families and other non-supes is not their own but their parents' fault for injecting them with compound V in the first place.

The fact that their parents did in want of fame and fortune promised by Vought International, really shows that capitalism has been the real villain all along.

“Your parents shot you up with a dangerous drսg when you were a baby to make a buck off you. Don't spend a fսcking minute crying over them”

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv

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beth-march · 2 years

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what i can't take is how mileven is always the target of a million criticisms. literally anything is a reason for people to be upset and shit on them, and no other st ship gets the same treatment. other ships people just take what's given to them and are happy with it but with mileven if they have an argument and mike doesn't say ily he's toxic and gaslighting her and doesn't love her and they no longer have chemistry, if mike does a big speech on how much he loves el it's corny and cringy and ruins their characters somehow; if el leaves mike to go on a solo journey she's okay with him not loving her anymore and doesn't care, if she draws strength from his ily to fight vecna it's anti-feminist and she depends on him too much. if they act like in st3 and are always touching they're too clingy and toxic, if they've learned to give each other more space and don't always have eyes on each other like in st4 they're uninterested. if mike doesn't pay attention to will because of el he's a terrible friend, if he does he's leading will on. if mike notices will is standoffish and sour he's being overcritical, if he doesn't notice will's true feelings behind his speech in the van he's stupid. if will isn't on board with their relationship they're terrible friends not to act any differently because of that, if will supports their relationship they're using will (a queer person)'s feelings to prop up a straight ship. we just can't win. we just got some amazing content, i love each and every one of their v.2 scenes so much, i just wanted to enjoy them for what they are, but nobody will let us. all you see is negativity. "oh my god, so corny" yeah mileven has always been corny so what? this show is the corniest. a seven year old defeated the big bad villain once and kate bush saves you from certain death. they're getting by on the power of love and friendship and there's always been a scooby doo element of "if it weren't for those kids" since s1. if you don't like corny, leave. if traumatized characters finding strength in love and found family makes you cringe what are you even doing here and are you dead inside? i'm so done fr

THIS! ALL OF THIS! EXACTLY!

I don’t even have anything to add, you’ve perfectly put into words all of my frustration and sadness about being part of this fandom, even peripherally. People go out of their way to vilify Mike and El as both characters and a couple and it’s so undeserved, so baffling, because they’re only a pair of flawed, traumatised teenagers who love each other and want to be together more than anything else, and are struggling to do so due to the US GOVERNMENT and ALTERNATE DIMENSION MONSTERS being after them. Twist the narrative all you want but that’s the simple truth of it. They’re good people and they love each other and they make mistakes with each other sometimes.

I really feel your pain. It’s exhausting and upsetting to see your favourite characters being torn apart by people who aren’t even trying to understand them. It’s been going on for years and it’s just so stupid. But what is there to even do? We could write dissertations countering every misogynistic, ableist, incorrect point they make, but there’s no changing the minds of fixated people. I think we’ve just got to rise above, which I resent, but I guess it beats talking to any of those weirdos.

Also, people who don’t like corny should grow up… Why do you hate fun?! What are you doing in the 80s monster show fandom?!

#mileven #stranger things spoilers #belle answers asks

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toomanybandstocare · 2 years

Text

{Super Trouper, ABBA}

Program: An unlikely friendship becomes Eddie's safe haven. But this shitty little town has fed him lies and hurt him day after fay, leaving him with thick skin and impenetrable walls. Even after finding comfort in your Sunday getaways, Eddie thinks it too good to be true letting anxiety get the best of him. Until you give hims a peace offering: matching friendship bracelets and a smiling promise.

Pairing: Platonic!Eddie Munson x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, Mentions of Eddie's family life (not detailed, he just wonders what having parents and a suburban home is like), Symptoms of anxiety/survivor mode/fight or flight, Slight angst?

Genre: Hurt -> Comfort, Probably?

Length: 1381w

Counselor Notes: I wrote this after sending my dear, @staygoldwriting, a lil blurb and couldn't stop thinking about it <3

Camp Upside Down Masterlist

The weight of Eddie’s words sink in your stomach, as if you’re receiving their consequences. Even on the sunny, cloudless day, a gray fog envelopes Eddie. It thickens and suffocates the frustrated boy as his shoulders heave. Eddie desperately tries to suck in oxygen to ease the ache in his chest, unable to differentiate if the sting is in his heart or lungs, through his sobs.

Launching another rock into the depths of Lover’s Lake, Eddie looks at you with teary eyes and his signature smile. “At least we’ll graduate together next year. ‘86 is gonna be our year.”

And so begins your little routine. Sunday morning announces itself with the blaring stereo of Eddie’s van and welcomes you with the comforting hum of nature.

Eddie doesn’t quite know why he brought you here the first time. Maybe it’s because you would ask about Hellfire in your shared study hall period and genuinely appeared engaged in the stories he shared each time. There was no reason for a junior to befriend the super senior, let alone the so-called town “freak”. Even though you returned every interaction with a sincere smile or a fond story of your own, Eddie was still wary of you. Hell, every time the two of you disappear to your secret spot, pin pricks of apprehension flare his fight or flight response. So no, Eddie does not consider you a close friend. Maybe allies would describe it better? Just fringe students trying to survive this shitty little town.

Each week, you sit on the musky blanket from the back of the van and just listen.

First to the rustling leaves in the wind’s sway and the lapping water as Eddie sat in silence closer to the shore line, occasionally disrupting the naturescape with a skipping stone. Then to Eddie’s disappointed huffs barely heard over the stone’s dive into the lake. Followed by his outraged comment. Ending with his poorly concealed sniffles.

As you two grow more comfortable with your new found closeness, Eddie starts to hover near you and even braves to sit on the edge of the blanket at times. All the years of being the target of social ridicule has left him bleeding out, and he’s terrified you’re going to take the shot that kills him. Eddie hesitantly takes in your calm figure with his glassy eyes- exhaustion settles from living in survivor’s mode everyday. Looking at your relaxed lounging form as you bask in the sun’s warmth, Eddie’s heart swells. He wants one person who sees him for who he actually is. Just Eddie Munson. He’s starting to believe that you’re just the person, and he counts his lucky stars that you spoke to him that class period.

Sensing your friend’s gaze, you turn away from the sky and peer at Eddie’s quiet expression. “It’s okay to keep going if you’d like. I’m here- just want to appreciate a lovely day at the lake as well.” Shooting a reassuring smile, you see his thoughtful look slowly welcome a reserved smile.

Later into the summer, the pair sit together on the blanket as Eddie’s voice grows and echoes across the lake. Adrenaline washes over his senses from confessing secret insecurities. Vulnerability clouds his judgment.

“If I have to hear Carver’s smug voice call me ‘freak’ one more time, I’m gonna lose my shit. Fuck’s sake- I’ve done nothing to this goddamn town, let alone that jackass. You know,” his voice wavers in pain, “the more people who call me that name, the more I start to believe that shit. Fuck.” An exasperated shout flies from his mouth. Shifting his focus from the lazy lake, Eddie opens his mouth to continue, but dread gags him mid-thought. Eyes stinging with betrayal, he silently watches you weave a colorful bracelet. Your fingers move deftly with ease- clearly focused on your distraction.

Pulling your concentrated gaze from the spools of thread to meet his serious expression, you calmly reassure him: “You’re not a freak, Eddie. You’re just too big for this town. Once you get out to somewhere like LA or New York, you’ll meet people just as metal as you are.” You place the bracelet of blue, green, and yellow thread and measure out more of the colored threads.

Scoffing with bitter vile, Eddie whips his head away. His eyes burn and vision blurs, “Easy enough for you to say. You’ll blend in and find a home anywhere you decide to land. I don’t even know what a home’s supposed to feel like for Christ's sake. Wayne has done so much, more than enough, and it’s my home. But it doesn’t stop from the fleeting thoughts of what it could have been like to grow up with parents or in a suburban house. I wish I could do more for him, but I can’t until I get that shitty piece of paper. Like that speaks to my intelligence or ability.”

Not realizing how hot his body has become, the crashing fire of anger spreads alongside sparking anxiety. He’s told you everything. Every fear. Every insecurity. Every dream. And by the looks of it, you’ve grown tired of playing charity. Contingency plans already form in his mind to mitigate any rumor or blackmail you may throw his way come the approaching school year.

Yet the gentle tingle tickling his wrist stops his racing mind and heart all together. Through all the blinding heat, Eddie only feels your secure touch fasten a little string bracelet next to his watch. Nervously, he slowly turns to face you once more as unsease jitters in his bones.

Though your collected touch disappears, the calming effects linger and lead Eddie to lean towards you. Desperately trying to ground himself from the light headed dizziness.

Rapidly blinking threatening tears, Eddie watches you fasten a matching bracelet on your own wrist. Lungs aching from holding his breath, his eyes follow your newly decorated hand take a hold of his own.

Satisfied with your work, you take in your entwined hands with a giddy pride bouncing in you. “There! I’m sorry if it looked like I wasn’t paying attention. The strings are colors that remind me of our little hideaway. So now, we’re together even when we’re apart. If you ever feel alone, just give it a tug and know I’m right by your side. Always.” Your bright smile breaks the last of his crumbling walls.

He hastily pulls you into a crushing hug, not caring about your scattered supplies. Your soothing touch pats his hair and occasionally twirls strands as you ramble about making matching ones for Hellfire and Corroded Coffing: “That way you have one for each of your friend groups.”

Eddie could die happy in that moment. He feels his heart jumping as his insides turn fuzzy. Never in his life has he felt this loved. Or seen.

So when the two of you prepare for the new school year, there is not a doubt in either of your minds that you’re stuck to each other like glue. Walking into the lunch room with a giddy bounce in your step with a fleeting feeling of anxiety, you seat yourself next to Hellfire’s leader without a second thought. Your carefree smile grows as Eddie introduces you to the new recruits and his band mates as if you had always been a part of his life.

With a glint of mischief, Eddie leans close to your ear as he holds your weathered bracelet between his fingers under the table: “I propose a trade- an official Hellfire shirt in return for a new bracelet.” Though he looks confident as he sits back in his seat, you see Eddie’s nervous habit. Lightly tugging at his own tattered bracelet, your eyes prick with concern and care. A well worn and loved bracelet barely tied together with makeshift string still sits next to his watch.

Reaching into your bag and taking his hand, neither of you bother to acknowledge the shocked and confused stares directed your way. You take his wrist in your hand, silently chuckling at Eddie’s tilted head, and fasten a newly prepared bracelet. Untying his old one and placing it in his palm, your beam at him: “I’ve got you covered, Eddie. Always.”

His smile rivals the sun.

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hqmillioncorn · 1 year

Photo

Looking for TRUE LOVE Looking for TRUE LOVE To love me so, so~

originally written back in august 2022! guest starring my friends wols Lunya Lanya, Coco Cocoda, Andres Sacapuntas and Himbo Hooters :v)

Endwalker Spoilers

after the hectic events of saving the world and everything they know and love, Lunya happens to overhear Babycorn mutter something about carrying love letters with her.

only...those letters don’t belong to her.

“WAaaAAaAAAAaaaAAAA!!!”

“I told you! If you had just told me about the letters it wouldn’t come down to this.”

Held upside down as she was, it was hard for Babycorn to ask Lunya to please put her down. While she was very used to Lunya picking her up like she weighed nothing more than an actual ear of millioncorn. It was another thing however, to be held so easily while being upside down and with no chance of being able to wriggle her way out.

All Babycorn could continue to do was say, “WAAaaAaaAAa!” as she hoped that her backpack would be able to hold its contents inside amidst all the shaking.

And if it didn’t…

Then Babycorn didn’t know what she would say if all her secrets came tumbling out! Unfortunately for Babycorn, Lunya wasn’t one to give up so easily.

Very soon the heavier things inside the backpack started to fall out, which mostly included a variety of snacks and one Calca doll that had been suddenly interrupted mid-nap. Just as she landed and was about to give Lunya a piece of her mind, a heavy set of extra clothes landed on her.

Then Lunya spotted it, her indented target! A couple of sealed letters, alongside a partially eaten popoto, came falling out alongside each other. “Ah-ha!” Lunya said, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

As Lunya continued shaking even more and more letters came fluttering out of Babycorn’s backpack. It almost looked like it was spitting the letters out of its mouth. Maybe it was Lunya’s imagination but the backpack looked almost as distressed as Babycorn did.

Though considering the kind of company (especially the inanimate kind) it wouldn’t shock Lunya if the backpack was in an actual emotional panic.

Once Lunya was certain that every last sealed envelope had fallen out of Babycorn’s backpack she stopped shaking the shaken Lalafell. As easy as Lunya had picked Babycorn up, she flipped her right side up and set her back down. Lunya made sure that Babycorn had found her footing before letting her go and leaping to grab the mysterious letters.

Apparently, Babycorn had been hiding them in her backpack ever since they had come back from Ultima Thule. Since then she’d been doing a good job of keeping them a secret. Though part of the reason for that was that she just plain forgot about them.

It wasn’t until today, when an innocent comment about how heavy her pack was from the copious amount of ‘Love Letters’, caught Lunya’s attention. Though she and the others weren’t too surprised at first. One surprising thing about Babycorn was the amount of letters from secret admirers she received on a weekly basis.

Andres had the theory that it was just one very determined person sending them but after a team of experts (Reese, Lunya and Andres who was there for moral support) analyzed the letters they determined, without a shred of doubt, that the letters were from all sorts of different people.

Though it was strange that Babycorn waved off love confessions and even marriage proposals with a simple hand wave, over time it eventually just became a sort of background noise to daily life.

So hearing Babycorn complain about love letters wasn’t anything too surprising.

What had raised Lunya’s suspicions, that no one else seemed to pick up on, was Babycorn muttering to herself how the love letters didn’t even belong to her.

“If anyone finds them and reads them it’ll be super embarrassing!!” Babycorn cried. Her hands were clasped together, praying that Lunya would give the letters back to her. She was praying rather hard for someone who had only found out what praying was only a few years ago.

“It would be embarrassing for who? You? Or the person these belong to?” Lunya looked down at the envelope in her hands and then back at Babycorn, her expression hardening. “You didn’t steal these from someone, did you?”

Babycorn bounced up and put her hands on her hips. “No! Of course not!” It sounded like the very idea of committing mail theft seemed to insult her personally. “Hythlodaeus gave them to me because he was keeping a promise to someone!” She crossed her arms and looked away, pouting.

While Babycorn didn’t immediately realize her mistake, Lunya had.

“Oh, did he? What else did he say?” Lunya turned the envelope around to get ready to remove the fancy seal on the back. The seal was in the shape of a happy face and orange in color.

“Ummm…He said something about keeping a promise of holding onto them! But he said he felt that it was only natural that I should have them now! Or something like that…” Babycorn was using all of her brain power in trying to remember what Hythlodaeus had told her that she wasn’t really thinking twice about what she was admitting to Lunya.

Lunya was halfway through opening the envelope when she stopped to look up at Babycorn again. She did recall seeing Hythlodaeus walk up to Babycorn to talk to her back in Ultima Thule. Though at the time wondering what the two of them were doing wasn’t exactly at the forefront of her mind.

However, now that the emotional highs and lows of saving the world were all over and done with, Lunya could put all of her effort into figuring out this mystery that had been bothering her for over two hours.

“So when you say that Hythlodaeus felt that it was only natural that you have these letters...? What do you think he meant by that?”

“It’s cause’ Maize wrote them. You know, the Ancient me and Cherry were sundered from. I guess that’s why.”

“Inchresting…” Lunya opened the envelope with ease but noticeably didn’t remove the letter inside.

At that very moment the gears in Babycorn’s head finally made the right turns and she realized the several mistakes in the things she had been saying for the past few minutes.

“Wait-! Waitwaitwaitwait!! I-I mean I..! I don’t know what you’re talking about! I…I don’t have any love letters! What are you talking about?!”

Babycorn looked around frantically for anything that might help her get out of the hole she dug herself into but all she could see was the Chocobo stables behind her and Lunya in front of her, still holding the most incriminating piece of evidence so far, an envelope.

“Luluuuuuu! Please please don’t read them!!” Babycorn begged

Lunya paused for a second, thinking. “Considering they’re probably written in some ancient language I doubt anyone is going to be reading them anytime soon.”

“Oh yay!”

“But I’m sure we can find someone to translate them!”

“Oh no!”

———————————–

Lunya burst into the front door of the mansion, dragging Babycorn behind her.

“Who wants to help translate some ancient love letters?!” Lunya held up several of the envelopes that were scattered outside in her hand.

Babycorn let out a small and sad, “Wehh….”

———————————–

It turned out there weren’t many people home. Though Lunya did manage to find and recruit Coco, Himbo and Andres into helping her and Babycorn decipher the letters. Though it was great she found help and these three were admittedly not the worst people to help with translating love letters, they probably weren’t too high up on the helpful tier either.

Considering one of them hadn’t realized they were in love for years, the other was too busy preparing for the dinner shift at his restaurant to really pay attention and the last one was Andres Sacapuntas. In that order.

Babycorn sat on one of the tables in the basement, angrily kicking her legs. She watched as Lunya set down and spread a handful of letters onto an adjacent table.

“I think it's good they're no help! I don’t wanna know what those dumb things say anywa-” Before Babycorn could finish her sentence Lunya put a freshly baked cookie in her mouth.

Babycorn happily munched on her cookie, forgetting her worries. “Hey!!!” Himbo leaned over the counter from the kitchen and pointed at the plate of cookies on the table, “Those are for tonight’s opening!” Himbo had already told Babycorn countless times that she wasn’t allowed to eat the restaurant's food.

Though it’s not like that ever stopped her.

“If they’re for tonight then you have time to make more!” Lunya assured him. Not to mention that despite his protests Himbo still let Babycorn eat food directly off the table because she was, in her own words, helping.

“Mpmmh mppmhh! These are really tasty!!” Babycorn said, stuffing another cookie into her mouth. Lunya had moved the plate with cookies at arm’s reach for Babycorn, hoping that the snacks would distract her for the time being. Lunya made sure to take a few cookies for herself too.

Then if she happened to run out of those, Lunya had her eye on a basket of freshly baked breadsticks. Not only for Babycorn but also for herself and Coco.

Once he heard Babycorn’s compliment, Himbo beamed with pride. “Why, thank you! Now if you’ll excuse me-!” He hurried deeper into the kitchen to bake some more. The sounds of Himbo defying several laws of physics in order to make enough food for his restaurant echoed through the basement.

“I hope he makes more cookies~!” Babycorn sang to herself. It seemed like she had completely forgotten the reason they were all down here in the first place. Which was good news for Lunya but bad news for the Babycorn of a few hours from now and then some.

Lunya held one of the letters with the intent to see if there was anything written on it she could understand. Before she could even try to do that however, Coco called out to her holding a letter of his own in his hand. “Did Babycorn really tell you that Maize wrote all these?” Coco asked. It’s not like he didn’t believe her but there was just something about the letters he was looking at that didn’t feel right.

“That’s what she told me.” Though there was really no evidence besides word of mouth from Babycorn herself. Even so, there was no way Babycorn would lie about something like that. It was way too specific of a lie to come from her. “Why do you ask?” Lunya continued.

Coco took two letters in his hands and lifted them up for Lunya to see. It turns out that Coco was right, there was something incredibly off about them. The paper looked faded, which wasn’t too surprising considering how old some of these letters were. Then again, alongside those letters there were others that looked like they were written yesterday.

Though the weirdness didn’t end there. The contents of the love letter were all written in a bright red with an erratic writing style all over. The letter ended with what Lunya assumed was a huge signature at the bottom of the page.

What Coco was holding up resembled something more akin to a message from a murderer and not anything that was made with romantic intent. “I-I see…” Lunya was starting to realize why Babycorn didn’t want anyone looking at these things.

“Y-You don’t think it could be b-b-blood?! Do you?!” Coco trembled.

“Actually…It looks more like crayon to me.”

“Huh-?” Coco flipped the letters over to look at them again. It was like Lunya pointed out, the letter (thank goodness) wasn’t written in blood. Instead apparently someone had taken the brightest red crayon they had and made it brighter by several shades, then used it to write a particularly scary looking love letter.

Andres leaned over from the seat he had taken next to Coco and examined the letter with him. “Heh! This looks like a little kid wrote it.” Andres laughed at everything down to the penmanship to the fact that it had scared Coco. Though that last one was directed more at Coco than the author of the letter.

“That’s because Maize wrote it as a little kid.”

Everyone turned to look at Babycorn. Even Himbo poked his fluffy head out of the kitchen.

Despite dropping an incredibly important fact about the forbidden love letter lore, Babycorn looked as carefree as someone could look, happily chewing on the few remaining cookies on the plate.

“Did Hythlodaeus tell you that too?” Lunya asked. She knew very well that the particular letter that Coco examined was sealed. There was no way that Babycorn could have opened it and resealed it again. Babycorn was nowhere near precise enough to pull off something like that.

Not while Lunya had personally seen Babycorn tearing envelopes in half with her teeth to open them.

For a second it looked like Babycorn was about to explain what exactly it was she meant, until she blinked a few times and instead she looked about as confused as the rest of them were. “Uhh, I don’t know. Maybe he did?” She had her doubts that everyone would just blindly accept ‘Just a feeling’ as a valid explanation.

“Is it just a hunch?” Coco asked.

Babycorn looked at him, confused. “Aren’t those the things on Dhalmels?”

“Babycorn. That is a hump.” Lunya helpfully explained.

“Oh!” That made way more sense, “Then yeah-! It’s a hunch! I have that!”

There was a collective sigh across the room, even from Himbo. Though perhaps the only reason he knew the difference was because of his background as a chef. Otherwise he most likely would have been on the same wavelength as Babycorn.

After letting out a sigh Lunya chuckled to herself and looked back down at the pile of letters now with a hunch of her own.

Before she could put her hunch to the test however, Andres spoke up. “Hey Babycorn? Can you just tell us what these dumb letters say so we can stop looking at them and go something else?”

In fact, Andres had very specific plans for today that had been rudely interrupted by him being nosy over Babycorn’s secret letters. But now that was taking too long and it was getting in the way of walking My Son along the Costa del Sol coast. Admittedly it hadn’t been the original plan, but several people told Andres that walking a Goobbue through Limsa Lominsa was a really bad idea.

Babycorn was quick to jump on Andres’ remark.

“I already told you! I don’t know what they say!” Babycorn snatched another cookie from the plate and angrily took a bite of it. It had been drilled in her head by now that talking with her mouth full was rude but she didn’t have anything else to say at that point.

“Are you sure you really don’t know what they say Babycorn?” Lunya innocently asked.

Babycorn quickly swallowed, “W-What do you mean? You said no one could read them, that includes me too! Besides, I’m not that good at reading anyway…”

Lunya closed her eyes and thought back to when she first confronted Babycorn about the letters. “If I remember right, you were worried about what was written in the letters even before I mentioned that they were written in a language that none of us know very well.” Lunya jumped out of her seat and began to walk towards where Babycorn sat on top of a table, “So then, what I’m wondering is…”

As Lunya’s eyes snapped open she stared directly at Babycorn, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Can you explain why you started panicking about what’s written in the letters then? If you really didn’t know, then you would have no reason to!”

Of course Lunya and many others knew that Babycorn tended to be a jumpy person. A leaf blowing in the wind would probably be enough to send her running on certain days, but there was something off about the way Babycorn was acting about this situation.

The others seemed to agree with what Lunya was theorizing, by the way they were nodding in understanding. Their own gazes turned to Babycorn to see what she would say in return of Lunya’s accusation.

Babycorn was quick to jump to her own defense, “O-Of course I panicked I mean…I-I mean even if I didn’t know what was written on there love letters are just super embarrassing!! Just the idea of one…I-It’s embarrassing!! I don’t know why you would ever make one!”

A loud and confident “Ha ha!” rang out from behind Lunya and Coco.

Andres Sacapuntas was now standing on the table he’d been previously sitting at. His hands were on his hips and on his face was the same dumb confident smirk that Babycorn always dreaded seeing on him. “That’s a lie if I ever heard one!” Andres’ voice sounded different for some reason. More boastful.

He pointed right at Babycorn, which due to her previously established jumpy nature, was enough to get her to jump back. “You ask me to help you read the stupid love letters you get all the time!” Andres shrugged and shook his head in a manner that looked like he was almost having a little too much fun doing this. “Heh-heh, I can’t remember you ever being embarrassed about them! Every time I read one you asked me to read another then another! You wanna know what I think-?”

“No!” Babycorn answered.

Despite Babycorn’s answer, Andres continued to talk. “I think Lunya’s right! And that she should explain why she’s right because all I really wanted to do was stand on this desk and say you were lying!” Then after all of that, Andres was back to sitting down and waiting to see what would happen next.

After all that build up the others couldn’t help but be confused. “Thanks Andres.” Lunya looked back at Andres in time to see him wink at her. At least, she guessed that he was winking at her, it was hard to tell with an entire eyepatch in the way.

Either way this was his own way of saying ‘You’re welcome.’ To his credit Andres did provide valuable evidence against Babycorn’s claim.

“Um! I mean-! You see-” Babycorn stumbled and tripped over every word trying desperately to find something else to say. Unfortunately there was nothing else she could say. It looked like she was finally caught in the tangled web of lies she had created herself completely by accident.

“I think what Andres was trying to say was that you’ve been lying to us this whole time!” By the playful smirk on Lunya’s face, it looked like she was having a lot more fun than she was letting on.

As stated before, Babycorn had been lying but that didn’t mean she was actually smart enough to realize there was no point in admitting she’d been caught. “I-I haven’t been lying about anything!” Babycorn pouted, “And that’s the truth!”

“You know exactly what’s written in those letters! There would be no reason for you to panic if you didn’t!” Lunya decided not to give Babycorn anytime for her to helplessly try and wiggle her way out of this, so she went right into her second point. “Not only that-! The Babycorn we aaall know wouldn’t even give a second thought to a bag of love letters! Even if they didn’t belong to you!”

“Yeah!” Coco chimed in himself, “You’d probably try to open them to see if they had chocolate inside…”

“You don’t know that!” Babycorn stood up on her tippy toes to try and make herself seem more intimidating. And just like the other times she had tried this, it had pretty much no effect.

“Wait-! Didn’t you actually do that last Valentione's day?” Coco recalled.

Babycorn held her breath, racking her brain for anything she could say that would prove what Coco said wrong. In hindsight she could have said something as simple as ‘No I didn’t!’ but Babycorn very often overcomplicated even the simplest of things. Much like this sentence and the last.

In the end her response was a simple, “Yeah?! So?!”

Lunya thought back to that day in particular. It had taken almost all day for her, Babycorn and the others to apologize to the droves of Mail Moogles on Babycorn’s behalf for committing mail theft. Maybe the promise she made that day not to steal any more mail was the reason why she got so upset before.

Babycorn couldn’t help but notice that everyone’s eyes were on her now. She was mad but she wasn’t sure who she was mad at. It wasn’t at her friends, nor was she mad at Hythlodaeus but maybe she should have been since he was the one who’d given her the troublesome letters in the first place.

Or maybe she was mad at Maize?

She was the one who’d written these stupid love letters in the first place!

“You really wanna know who that letter is for?” Babycorn dreaded what was going to happen in the next few minutes of her life. It almost made her wish she was back at the edge of the universe instead. Almost. “The one you’re holding in your hands right now?”

Lunya nodded. She leaned in holding the letter close to her

‘I know I can always trust you. I’ve always trusted you with everything, and so have you. I know.’

Babycorn hunched down, trying to make herself look as small as possible. A direct contrast to how big she was trying to make herself earlier. Lunya heard her say something, a faint whisper of a-something. Whatever she did say was too soft for any of them to hear.

‘I’ve wanted to ask you if we can run away together! Just the two of us!’

Himbo’s ear twitched, “Uhhh, what was that? Can you speak up?” Not that he was all that curious about the whole love letter affair everyone brought into the restaurant but it was hard not to get a little invested at this point.

‘If our paths ever start to separate, if both of us suddenly lose our way…That’s why…!’

Babycorn’s eye twitched, then all of a sudden, and without any warning, she jumped off of the table she had been standing on.

‘I’ll pull us back together again!’

“Maize wrote that one for Emet-Selch!! There I said it!! She wrote it for him!!!”

The letter in question almost slipped from Lunya’s hands in shock.

Before Lunya could even open her mouth to react accordingly Babycorn pointed at Coco. “And the one Coco’s holding she wrote for Hermes! You know-?! That Hermes?!” Unfortunately, Babycorn decided that she wasn’t going to stop at just those letters.

“The letter written with blood was for a girl that shared a piece of her chocolate with her!”

“And that one’s for a boy who was just in the same play as her!”

“That blue one is for some person who held the door open when she walked in!!”

“Someone delivered food for her twice and she wrote that one!”

“That one’s for Emet-Selch!! AGAIN!!!!”

There were so many letters scattered around that Babycorn spent the next few minutes listing off Maize’s several one off crushes. There were, of course, some repeat ones. As it turned out she had written to a girl that volunteered in a garden more than once and also (to Babycorn’s disappointment) Emet-Selch more than a couple of times.

Babycorn sat down and lowered her head in defeat. “The one Coco’s holding is the last one she wrote…” she let out a sigh and laid down on the table’s bench. It was the one written to Hermes just before the Final days.

Maybe Hythlodaeus had given her Maize’s letters not only because they “belonged” to her but maybe he also thought Babycorn could keep Maize’s business private.

Babycorn hoped that wherever Hythlodaeus was he wouldn’t be too mad about what she just did.

After Babycorn’s several outbursts the entire basement was silent, save for the sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen. When the smell of burning ovim meat started to fill the kitchen Himbo was the first of the group to come out of their shocked states. “Ah?! My meat!!” Himbo adjusted his chef’s hat and ran towards the stove.

Lunya looked at the letter then back at Babycorn then at Coco for good measure. “I see…” was all she said as she made her way over to the bench Babycorn was laying on. They were both very small so there was still room for Lunya to sit next to Babycorn.

Then Lunya let out a snort of laughter.

“Hey!!”

In the span of a second Babycorn sat up straight and turned towards her. Lunya was laughing out loud now, with tears in her eyes. “Lunyaaaaaaa! Noooooo!!! Stop laughiiiing” Babycorn whined, “I knew you guys would make fun of meeeee!” Babycorn used both of her hands to lightly punch Lunya’s shoulders. While Lunya kept laughing louder and louder, Babycorn kept crying her name out in vain.

“Heh.” Andres let out a single laugh. “I can’t believe your Ascian wanted to date skunk man.”

Unfortunately for Babycorn, Lunya was too busy laughing to correct Andres on his terminology.

Instead, Coco took it upon himself to set the record straight. “Um, actually Maize wasn’t an Ascian. She was just an Ancient! Like ours!” Coco looked over to Babycorn, making brief eye contact for a split second. He laughed, “But I guess she did want to date a skunk man.”

Babycorn screamed and jumped over the table to attack Coco.

———————————–

Lunya placed the last of the bandages on Babycorn, placed squarely on her forehead under her heavy bangs. “There we go!” Lunya took a step back and looked over at the fairly large dent on the floor that Babycorn had created when she crashed into it while trying to attack Coco.

Himbo had run out of the mansion in a hurry to find some way he could fix the floor before the restaurant opened, but not before giving the job of cooking food for the night to Andres. Thus really earning his Himbo namesake.

Coco, still hiding under the table, finally peeked his head out to see if Babycorn was still after his life. Lucky for him (and her) Babycorn had quelled her bloodrage and settled instead for angrily sitting on the floor with her arms and legs crossed.

“I’ve healed most of your injuries away but you have to make sure you don’t go crashing into any more floors.” Lunya flicked away a splinter that Babycorn had gotten in her hair, “Got it?”

As with any instruction that Lunya gave her, Babycorn promised to uphold it for as long as her memory cared to hold onto it. “Yeah…” she sulked, once again remembering the embarrassing ordeal that had occurred just moments before.

Before anyone could stop him, Andres decided to pop into the scene. “Oh my god. I still can’t believe that your weird tall past person wrote all these cringe letters to these people.” Andres would give every can of orange dye in his inventory to be able to read the letters out loud to Babycorn every second of the day.

“Yeah I know.”

Though Babycorn knew very well that just because she was a sundered part of Maize, it didn’t mean that she was Maize. Just a part of a greater whole. She certainly had an easier time wrapping her head around the concept considering her entire history of already being another version of some other person.

“It’s just embarrassing! You guys get it right?!” Babycorn cried, “Like…Like-! She wrote so many of them! And the people she wrote the letters to?! Why did she have to like-like them?! Ugh! Don’t tell me she wanted to marry them! Gross!” Babycorn stuck her tongue out and shook her head in disgust.

Lunya and Coco exchanged a pair of glances. Both of them happened to be privy to just four people Babycorn had actually previously shown more than a speck of romantic feelings for. Those lucky four happened to be Raya-O-Senna, Hildibrand, a random catboy in Gridania who once showed her where the Leatherworker’s Guild was, and a fancy Elezen guy in Ishgard.

Lunya held in a giggle and gave Babycorn a soft pat on her head. Truly the sundered and sliced apple did not fall far from the very tall tree. At least, not in this particular case it didn’t.

“It’s still pretty funny though.” Coco said at the risk of Babycorn leaping up to attack him again but he was 99 percent sure she wouldn’t dare try again.

“It’s hilarious actually.” There was just something inherently funny about Babycorn’s Ancient of all people to have had so many crushes. Lunya could only imagine that this was the exact scenario that Hythlodaeus saw coming when he gave Babycorn those letters.

Not only that, but Emet-Selch himself would probably be just as horrified, if not more so, than Babycorn was to learn that Maize had written love letters to him. Considering they had never been delivered to him.

“Lunyaaaaaa!!!” Babycorn whined again.

Right at that moment in time Babycorn’s traveling backpack came hopping down the stairs and towards them. It had a sad look on its face. Almost like it was actually feeling guilty that it had let all those letters spill out.

While Coco hid behind the table it hopped right past him and stopped in front of Babycorn. “Oh no! I’m sorry I left you alone outside Hungslta! I didn’t mean to!” She grabbed the sad backpack and set it right next to her.

Coco carefully came out of his hiding place, he was shaking all over. “I-It has a name?!” he didn’t want to add yet another thing Babycorn owned to his list of things he was very afraid of.

Lunya looked at the pack as it looked back at her. It looked like her first instinct was right, it was alive. Just a bit. “Aww! It’s cute!” Lunya playfully reached her hand out to give it a little pat before turning back to Babycorn.

Her expression grew serious. “It hasn’t eaten anyone right?”

“No one that I know!”

That wasn’t exactly the answer Lunya was hoping to hear.

At that moment Hungslta began to cough something up. Using one of its straps it reached down its zipper to pull something that it had been carrying around for a while now.

And to Babycorn’s horror it was-

“Huh?! An Emet-Selch mammet?!” Babycorn screamed, “Where did that come from?!”

Hungslta casually dropped it in Babycorn’s hands, her opinions on Emet-Selch at the moment withstanding, Babycorn would never let a mammet drop onto the ground and potentially break. She promised Cherrypit she would take care of all his dolls, no matter what.

Lunya took the opportunity in Babycorn’s introspective thinking to take the Emet-Selch mammet from her. “Hey?” There was all sorts of confusion in Babycorn’s voice. She wasn’t sure whether or not to be mad that someone had taken it away from her.

Lunya turned the mammet in all sorts of different directions, examining it carefully. Until she held it right side up and pointed it towards Babycorn.

“Aww! Look, I think Maize gave you his eyes!”

Babycorn screamed and ran up the stairs and out of the basement.

Lunya was right behind her, holding up the Emet-Selch minion like one would hold up a baby lion on a giant rock. She was struggling to call after Babycorn with how much she was laughing, “W-Wait! Ha ha! Babycorn you have to reaaaally look!” Babycorn’s screaming could still be heard from downstairs.

Coco scrambled out of his hiding place and followed after Lunya. “D-Don’t leave me here with that thiiiiing!! You guys!!!” He ran up the stairs with his eyes closed in fear, “It’s gonna eaaaat meeeeeee!!!” Coco yelled. Living in a semi-haunted house had made Coco adept at running around with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, Hungslta happily hopped right behind Coco and up the stairs.

Andres looked up and wondered what the heck everyone was yelling about. And as he flipped a burger in the back he made sure to take note that he had no idea how to cook.

#endwalker spoilers #ffxiv spoilers #this all snowballed because i drew what babycorn had in her backpack #i always think its very funny how lunya can just pick babycorn up like nothing #yet babycorn cant lift up a bag of groceries without spraining her wrist #hungslta is a backpack that babycorn found herself in the great gubal library after endwalker when she went there with tilika #anyways yeah maize had a lot of crushes but she really liked emet-selch a lot ahahaha look at this doofus #then she liked hermes but she also loved a lot people #she wasnt too good with her words so she wrote confession letters sometimes she would consider giving them to the people she loved #but she always chickened out at the last second and trusted her bestie hythlodaeus with them themis has some too #she also thought lahabrea was hot too but more in a like Yeah hes hot kind of way not write a letter kind of way #theres also one for themis but one of her dolls was entrusted with that one #i cannot state enough just how many she wrote #venice is running around with like 20 of them #oh yeah venice is still around btw #but hes just a lifeless doll for now

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matmarrash · 2 years

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Gatekeeping

Why’s this showing up on your feed? It’s because we need to talk. This is an issue in the large format community, but pervasive among most photography and any technology-based visual arts. I’m talking about gatekeeping. You know the thing where you make other people sharing your hobby feel bad about participating? Yeah it sucks, and if it doesn’t stop, our hobby will.

Gatekeeping comes in all shapes and sizes, but really seems to thrive in niche communities that celebrate activities and practices that haven’t always been in the mainstream. The more popular the hobby becomes, the harder long-time users will start attacking newcomers as if it’s their job to hold the gate for those truly “worthy” of the title. This isn’t me accusing you, but sharing a decade’s worth of observation.

There’s other hobbies that I’ve been into longer than photography, and the further I got into them, the more I noticed how toxic some the hardcore fans were. If you don’t know me as a person outside of a screen, it may come to surprise you (or not) that I’m a giant nerd that loves anime, cosplay, and rhythm-based video games. I’ve been into all of these for at least twenty years, and each new platform that fans have migrated to has created larger fan bases, but also larger push-back to that same progress. Of my non-photographic hobbies, anime has got to be the most polarizing of them all.

Every 5 years or so a new animation will come out of Japan that will set the world of anime ablaze. It will hit a new audience that’s in that target demographic of early to mid teens, and a slew of new fans will discover the wide world of anime fandom. As quickly as new fans can join social media groups and start attending conventions, they’re greeted with the vitriol and outrage of veteran anime watchers quick to dismiss them as “not true fans”. Excited newcomers will share how much they love their new hobby and their new shows while old timers will stop at nothing to make them feel lesser and unwelcome. I noticed this happening when I was in college, again immediately following college, and a couple more iterations since. Admittedly, I was on the wrong side of it the first few times, but once I became a newcomer in photography, my perspective shifted.

I was a beginner at something again. I had no knowledge, little experience, and I was grasping for ways to feel like a “real” photographer everywhere I looked. All at the same time there was a battle raging as digital photography was taking over the world of film and camera systems from the 20th century were being abandoned at record pace. When I found film photography, there was a rapidly shrinking community, and I was fortunate to have a supportive pair of college professors that fostered my growing interest. One granted me darkroom access, while the other loaned me his 8x10 camera as long as I promised to learn. If I had started by going onto an online forum or social media to ask questions, I definitely would not have made it as far into my photographic journey.

The lesson here is nobody is picking up these big, heavy cameras and shooting expensive pieces of film just to ruin your hobby for you. More often than not, they’re just interested in this weird type of photography and maybe you should offer a helping hand. At some point you and I were beginners too. If you had a rough go of things, try and make it easier for those that come after. Don’t be someone holding the gate, be like that helpful docent at a museum. If people have questions, use your time, talents, and position to offer guidance and enhance the newcomer’s experience.

For me personally, that’s why I started the Large Format Friday series.. I had the support and access when starting and am doing my best to make sure I’m extending that to photographers where they are at. Each week hundreds of new folks from around the world stop by to watch a video. Some will click that like and subscribe button,and a few others will write a comment or question. And a very special group of you find this content helpful enough to become LFF Sustaining Members. Starting at $1/month, your contributions help to keep the content coming here on the channel. To all of you LFF members out there, thank you!

And if you’re still here with me at this point in the post, I have a homework assignment for you. Pay it forward to someone starting out in large format. If you haven’t been shooting for that long, share what you’re up to with friends and answer their questions, no matter how trivial they might seem to you. If you’re comfortable enough with your large format setup that you’re getting bored, reach out to local students or offer assistance to those in your area that want to start shooting. If you’re an old-school large format shooter, is there something maybe the new-school kids haven’t seen? Maybe there’s a need in the market that you can point out or help create a new product to fill?

Pay-it-forward, be the change you wish to see, and like my buddy Michael Raso says, keep it “Super Positive”. Remember, the longer you stand there keeping the gate, the less time you have to be making pictures!

#gatekeeping #anime #cosplay #film photography #fpp #large format #large format friday #lff #mat marrash

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glitterypeanutmugnickel · 2 years

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Karen Attiah

DALLAS — Standing next to a display of military-grade weapons, I wondered aloud to the dealers at the gun-show booth if more women should get guns in Texas to protect themselves now that they will be forced to carry a pregnancy to term even in cases of rape.

“You can’t rape a .38,” one of the gun dealers said, smiling.

The line was equal parts laughably cheesy and tragically grim. As we spoke, a little boy walked by waving around a toy machine gun, pretending to spray everyone in the vicinity with imaginary bullets. A few booths over, a female attendant wore a black-and-red “All Lives Splatter” T-shirt.

The Fort Worth Gun Show, at the Amon Carter Exhibit Hall, is one of the oldest gun shows in gun-loving North Texas. I attended the two-day event this month to see what it would be like on the heels of both the Uvalde school massacre and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I wanted to see how the Texas gun community would make sense of the two events.

A dealer asked me whether I wanted to hold an MP-5, a military-grade weapon. “I’m sorry to say this,” he said. “But for women who deal with break-ins, many times the woman gets raped.” For my first gun, the dealers agreed I should start out with a .22 rifle.

Does the end of one constitutional right mean women should rush to embrace another that our Supreme Court is rushing to expand? Even before the fall of Roe it was a common pitch of gun enthusiasts: Women are safer when they own a gun. But the reality is, women who have guns are more likely to have them used against them. And the biggest danger is not a stranger slipping through a window or lurking in a parking garage, but a man already in their life.Sadly, the threat of gun violence is even more true for pregnant women. According to a study published last year in the journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, homicide is a leading cause of death for pregnant women and those who have recently given birth.

The study, conducted by Tulane University researchers, revealed that the “pregnancy-associated homicide” rate in 2018 and 2019 was 3.62 per 100,000 women — 16 percent higher than homicides of women who are not pregnant or haven’t recently given birth. Homicide beat hemorrhage and pregnancy-related hypertension as the top single cause of death. A majority of the slain women were killed with guns, and two-thirds were killed in their homes, suggesting partners were involved, according to the authors. The rates were highest among Black women and younger women.

In Texas, the news here is a sad reflection of this. In October, 25-year-old Cavanna Smith had told her boyfriend that she was pregnant, and sent him a card with a picture of the ultrasound; she was later found dead, shot in the head. The boyfriend has been charged with her murder. In April, 20-year-old Dontia Clark was found shot to death in her Houston apartment a day after learning she was eight weeks pregnant. According to reports, there were no signs of forced entry.

Much has been said and written about women who seek abortions for medical threats such as ectopic pregnancies. But what of women who seek to end their pregnancies to protect themselves from violence at the hands of the men in their lives? Or who don’t want to bring a child into the world with a potential abuser? In Texas, women can no longer choose a safe abortion as a means of self-defense. What are we going to do, tell them to get a .22?

Much has also been made of the Senate’s recent agreement to close the “boyfriend loophole” on gun restrictions. Previously, under federal law, domestic abusers could be prohibited, via the national instant criminal background check system, from having guns only in cases where they have been married to, lived with or had a child with the victim; that’s now been widened to include those who have been in a serious relationship with the target. But in Texas, which allows private gun owners to sell to others without background checks, another enormous loophole remains open.

It’s no stretch to expect that even more pregnant women will be assaulted and killed by partners now that abortion is all but banned here. Texas lags other states in mental health resources and has faced funding shortages for domestic violence prevention. If women are to be forced to carry pregnancies — if Texas truly wants to “protect life” — so much more must be done about the issues of maternal homicide and interpersonal violence.

I left the gun show without a .22 rifle. Sad to say, but as a woman who values access to safe reproductive choices, my best form of defense is probably leaving my home state altogether.

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shop-cailey · 5 months

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DOCUMENT ID - RECEIPT - NO

23 NOV 2023 - THANKSGIVING

DAY - LAST - CENTURY - TRUE

HOPE - OUR - PRINCIPAL - WE

DESIRE - THAT - HE's - STILL

LIVING - INTRODUCED AT THE

MORTUARY - FOREST - LAWN

AUDITORIUM - WHERE - LAYS

FRED ASTAIRE - MANY STARS

MR ASTAIRE - HIS - BOTTOM

WORDS - ABOUT - HIS LOVE

HIS - WIFE - JUDY GARLAND

WHO - DID - HE - SPEAK - OF

VILLAGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

FOREST - LAWN - MORTUARY

AUDITORIUM - WHERE - THEY

GRADUATE - YELLOW INSIDE

AIR CONDITIONED - VERY CA

BEAUTIFUL - QUIET - NICE XO

HE - SHARED - 'ONE - OF OUR

STUDENTS - HAS - BEEN YES

ACCEPTED - 2 - USC'' - TRUE

I STOOD - LIKE - A - V - WITH

MY - ARMS - WHO - THAT XO

STUDENT - IS - OLDESTS HAI

PRIVATE - RESEARCH - UNIV

UNIVERSITY - IN - CALIFORNIA

UCLA - PUBLIC PAID BY TAXES

RESEARCH - UNIVERSITY YES

CAME - 1/2 - 50 YEARS LATER

MADE - USC - THEIR - OUTLET

4 - HATRED - DEMENTED -

HALLUCINATION

CHANTS -

USC - UNIVERSITY - OF

SPOILED - CHILDREN

TRUE - TRUE - TRUE

DUMBER - THAN - DOORKNOBS

(MOST - BEAUTIFUL - MALES)

(TRUE - TRUE - MANY R DUMB)

(EXTREMELY - THEIR - DADS

APPLIED - 4 - THEM) - ALL 4

YRS PAID - IN FULL - 1 CHECK

TUTORS - MAJOR - TUTORS 2

GOT - $13 - FOR - COLLEGE HE

SAID - I - CAN - SPEND - NOW

AT - ANY - SHOPPING - MALL

USC - LESS - THAN - $75,000

FULL - GRANTS - GIVEN - ME

GPA - WITHOUT - ALGEBRA &

PEE - NOT - REQUIRED - ANY

COLLEGE - GPA - 4.000 FULL

GRANTS - AGE 16 - ME & USC

NEXT POST - MY - TRANSCRIPT

2 - COLLEGES - JOBS - I'M - 58

BUT - SCIENTISTS - SAY - JUST

1 YEAR - I'M - REALLY - AGE 59

TRANSCRIPT - IS - STORAGE

PARCHMENT - CHOSEN - BY

VILLAGE - CHRISTIAN - SAID

EMAILING - WHEN - THEY CA

HAVE FOUND - MY STORAGE

CONTAINING - TRANSCRIPTS

CAN - REST - FEW - MORE

DAYS - B 4 - ORIENTATION

CAMPUS - TOUR - TOTALLY

TENT - ARRIVED - SUNDAY

GOT - 2 - TALK - 2 - AMAZON

PRIME - DRIVER - WHILE HE

WAS - AT - 7TH - FLOOR - IT

IS TRUE - APRIL - AIRES ME

EXCEL - WITH STRANGERS

HAVE - A - GREAT - TIME AS

HE - PLACED - LOTS - OF XO

DIFFERENT - PACKAGES AT

JUST - 1 - HUGE - STORAGE

UNIT - THICK - LARGE UGLY

PADLOCK - VERY HEAVY HE

DIDN'T - KNOW - HOW - 2 CA

OPEN - STORAGE - UNITS - 2

WELL - I - DIDN'T - KNOW XO

HOW - 2 - LOCK - ALUMINUM

STORAGE - BRING - UP - TOO

1ST - BRING - 2 - RIGHT THEN

2ND - OR - 3RD - PADLOCK - I

TOLD - HIM - MINE - FR - YES

AMAZON - PRIME - MOST XO

LIKELY - ONLY - 1 - BUILDING

WATERPROOF - RUSTPROOF

OUTDOOR - INDOOR - NO NO

NEED - 4 - KEYS - SMOOTH

NUMBERS - ENTRY - 2 PACK

BLUE - $12.99 - MATCHES FL

BOX VAULT - SELF STORAGE

DOOR - THIS - TIME - WHEN

BUTTOCK - SHAPING - IS FL

OVER - DONE - 4 - WOMEN

HAD - WONDERFUL - TIME

TALKING - SHARED - ABOUT

ALI EXPRESS - CHINA - PINK

LUGGAGE - U - RIDE - AT MIA

AIRPORTS - FASTER - THAN

FREE - RIDE - EA TERMINAL

OVER - $500 - BUT - RIGHT

WORK - LLC - 4 - BUSINESS

TRIP - CAN - B - 100% - YES

TAX - DEDUCTIBLE - TOLD

WHAT - MADE - ME - ANGRY

PHOTO - MUST - B - CLOSEST

2 YOUR - FACE - 2 - MUG THE

HOUSE - WHEN - SEEN - AT

THEIR - MARKETPLACE SO

THESE - GROSSNESS - ALSO

B 4 - DIDN'T - ACCEPT - THE

GIFT - CARD - VISA - MC CN

FORGIVED - THEM - FINALLY

WITH - THE - LUGGAGE U SIT

ON - AND - ELECTRIC - BIKE

NO - PEDAL - 65 MPH - FAST

TRAVEL - FASTER - THAN THE

CARS - SPEED - LIMIT - 45 MPH

NO - LICENSE PLATE - OF - FL

DRIVERS - LICENSE - NEEDED

BOTH - FINALLY - FORGAVE

ALI EXPRESS - BELIEVE ME

ONLY - OVER - $53 MILLION

BECAUSE - OF - HUB LOCKER

AMAZON - OVER - $!.29 BILLION

DAILY - SUGGESTED - UC PLANS

2 APT BLDGS - WITH - STAFF - 2

WHY - 2 PETS - ONLY - PER - EA

APT - BLDG - ONE - FRONT - OF

LARGE - PUBLIX - SELF SERVICE

HERE - 13TH ST - NEAR NOVOTEL

SOMA - AT - BRICKELL

BEAUTIFUL - KITCHENS - LIKE

WASHER - DRYER - ALSO LIKE

NEAR - TARGET - BUT - VISIBLE

NOT THAT - NEAR - MIDTOWN

MIAMI - MY - FAVORITE THERE

FRESH - KITCHEN

GRILLED - BBQ - CHICKEN THE

BEST - IMAGINE - REPLACE THAT

TARGET - WITH - AMAZON - YES

GROCERY - BETTER - WIRELESS

NOT - CONTROLED - BY - RAIN 2

BECAUSE - NEW - TARGET - YES

NEAR - MIAMI - POLICE STATION

6 ST - AND - NW 2 AVE

THEY - HAVE - THAT INSTEAD

SO - BLDG - NICE - WALK - FR

2 PETS - APT BLDGS - NICE 2

HAD - PLEASANT - TALK YES

HOPE - ALL - HAD - A HAPPY

THANKSGIVING - SERIOUS

POSTS - ALSO - BAYFRONT

PARK - GOV'T - CENTER PK

MIAMI - POLICE - MAIN LIBRARY

ISSUED - FIREARM - WARNING

GIFT - AFTER - THANKSGIVING

SIGN - POSTED - BAYFRONT PARK

WARNING - PHILIPPINES - FR

HAITI - MIAMI - POLICE ARMED

HAITI - ALLIED - UNIVERSAL

SECURITY - TRANSIT - BROWN

UNIFORM - HAITI - BAYFRONT

PARK - METROMOVER TRAIN

THANKSGIVING - FINAL GIFT

HAITI - MIAMI - POLICE WHITES

FLORIDA - 27TH - STATE - USA

NOT - GRANTED - OPEN CARRY

FINAL - WARNING - PHILIPPINES

HAITI - INCLUDED - FIREARM YES

WARNING - GIVEN - AFTER TRUE

THANKSGIVING DAY

23 NOVEMBER 2023

PHILIPPINES

SURGEONS - DOCTORS - ICU

INTENSIVE - CARE - UNIT PH

NURSES - LICENSED - REG

REGISTERED - NURSES WILL

B - SHOT - AT THE - BACK OF

HEAD - LIKE - BENIGNO JR

AQUINO JR - SHOOTING BACK

OF - NECK - BACK - SPINE YES

SHOOTING - US - FIREARMS &

K 9 - GERMAN - SHEPPHERDS

SHERIFFS - RIFFLES WILL YES

SHOOT - BACK - OF - HEAD FL

GOING - DOWN - SHOOT THE

NECK - MIDDLE - BACK 2 FL

SPINE - WARNING - WARNING

PHILIPPINES

SURGEONS - DOCTORS - ICU

NURSES - REGISTERED NURSES

THEY'RE - SHOOTING - ALL - OF

U - STARTING - NOW - THOSE OF

GRAVEYARD - SHIFTS

B 4 - 7A - DAILY - AFTER - 10P

DAILY - $2,500 - FINES - FOR

EVERYONE - WITHOUT WATCH

OR - ACCESS - 2 - TIME - WITH

WHITE - TICKETS - U - MUST

KNOW - TIME - SHOOTING

TEENS - KIDS - DOGS - CATS

BAYFRONT - PARK - OPEN

7A - 10P - DAILY

THEY'RE - SHOOTING - BACKS

HANDCUFFING - AFTER THEN

PLACING - BACK - OF TRUNKS

FIRE - AND - RESCUE - RED

TRUCKS - ALSO - 2 ASSIST

LICENSED - MALE - REG NURSES

REMOVING - KIDNEY & BLADDER

$9,000 - EACH - FEDEX - AFTER

LITTLE - HAVANA - MIAMI - NOT

CUBA - FIREPLACE - BURNING

BODIES - 2 - REMOVE - U - FR

FLORIDA - PLANET - EARTH

GOVERNMENT - CENTER

PARK - DUSK - 2 - DAWN

(FIND - OUT - YOURSELF)

NOW - 5A - 5P

SHOOTING - LIKE - ABOVE

GREEN - CHAIRS - 4 - BUSES

SIT - THERE - INSTEAD

SATURDAYS - 7P

FREE - HOAGIES - DRINKS

OPEN - PARK - NO - FOUNTAIN

AFTER - HOURS - AND - SAT/SN

WEEKENDS

MEANING - FEDERAL TAXES

VICIOUS - VULGAR - THEFT

BY - LOCAL - FL - GOV'T AND

THEIR - REPUBLICANS ALSO

THEFT - OF - FEDERAL TAXES

FLORIDA - WRINKLED - PRUNE

BAGS - THEIR - CHILDREN GET

LIFE - INSURANCE - TAX FREE

INHERITANCE - FASTER

FL - FLORIDA - CREATED

ILLEGAL - BAKER ACT - YES

ALMOST - 3 DAYS - RAPE RAPE

3RD - DAY - BEGAN - AGAIN SO

SORRY - 3RD - DAY - BEGINNING

POSSIBLE - PREGNANCY - EVEN

AFTER - 10 YRS - BRITISH - YES

RESEARCH - WHITE - UNRIPE

PAPAYA - NATURAL ABORTION

FREE - ABORTION - CLINICS

FLORIDA

THIS - STATE - IS - CRAZY

ANNOUNCEMENT - FUTURE

NEW YEARS - 4TH - JULY - IS

FIREWORKS - 9P - 15 MIN - 2

THEN - EVERYONE - FLEES

10P - PUBLIC - CURFEW FR

MIAMI - POLICE - SHERIFF

ALLIED - UNIVERSAL SECURITY

ALL - OPEN - CARRY - ILLEGAL

SOLUTION - AMENDMENT 1

ELECTRONIC - FAX - PRESIDENT

JOE BIDEN - AS - DEMOCRATS

DE - MEANS - 2 - DESTROY ALL

THAT - NEEDS - DESTROYING

FLORIDA - WILL - B - REVOKED

ALL - PUBLIC - PARKS - 4 EVER

WILL - B - LIKE - HAWAII

5 STAR - HOTELS - SURROUNDING

FRONT - OF - BAYFRONT - PARK 2

SAFER - 4 - FAMILIES - BEST - FOR

DEADY - HURRICANES - 200 MPH

CAFES - INSIDE - 24/7

ROOM - SERVICE - FOOD - DRINK

24/7 - ALL - SERVICES - 24/7

CONDITION - GIVEN - LAND YES

WHERE - CRIME - OCCURED XO

LAND AND BLDG - $1

LAND - BUILDINGS - GRANTED

PRICE - SOLD - AT - $1

GIVEN - AUCTIONED

MEANING - FRONT - WILL - B

PEOPLE - ALLOWED - FEET ON

WATER - ATTACHED - WILL BE

2 - LIE - DOWN - 4 - TANNING

PORT - WATER - DANGEROUS

WINDS - CURRENTS - WASTE

BELT - 4 - KIDS - TEENS MANY

2 WEAR - AS - WALKING - AND

SPEED - BOATS - RENTALS

SMALL - YACHTS - WITH YES

DRIVERS - RENTALS

EXCHANGE - WILL - BE -

24/7 - CAFES - INSIDE

24/7 - ROOM - SERVICE

FOOD - DRINK

24/7 - BANKING - ATMs

NO - MORE - PARKS - 4 - YES

FLORIDA - THEY'RE - CRAZY

MIAIMI - POLICE - CAN'T FL

PARK - INSIDE - ARMED YES

HOTEL - SECURITY

CONCEALED - CARRY - USUALLY

NOT - ALWAYS - ARMED - ALSO

BETTER - FLORIDA - NO MORE

PARKS - ALL - THEIR - NASTY

SIGNS - NO - TRESPASSING

WILL - B - REMOVED - WILL

EAT - LUNCH SOON - TRUE

COMING - BACK - TUMBLR

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lawseopros · 1 year

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About

partner with Law SEO Pros Schedule your consultation Why partner with us? Strong Partnerships Lead to Better Understanding As a legal marketing company, Law SEO Pros will communicate with you regularly. This can be every week, two weeks, or each month. Whatever time period suits you best. We send you detailed reports every month and closely monitor your metrics. If we see changes, we act. We keep you informed of every step of the process. We do the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on your law firm Our partnership aims to enhance your return on investment by delivering more clients and increased productivity, allowing you to focus on growing your business. With us, you can trust that your marketing efforts are being handled by experts, allowing you to focus on delivering the best service to your clients. Having a Healthy Relationship Means Knowing You Can Get Help When You Need It Law SEO Pros are available for you when you need assistance. 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We love working with highly professional lawyers, and we completely understand what you expect from a professional law firm marketing company." Law SEO Pros will work closely with your firm to develop an effective strategy that gets results. The legal industry is highly competitive, and it's essential for law firms to have a strong online presence to attract new clients. A legal marketing company can help achieve this goal by developing a comprehensive marketing strategy and executing it effectively. Why Law Firms Need a Legal Marketing Company Law firms need a marketing company because they are experts in digital marketing and understand the latest trends and techniques in the industry. They can develop a tailored marketing plan that addresses the specific needs of your law firm, taking into account your target audience, budget, and goals. Additionally, a legal marketing company can help save time and resources, as law firms can focus on delivering legal services to their clients. 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Social Media Marketing: Social media is a great platform for reaching potential clients and building brand awareness. A legal marketing company can help manage your social media presence, creating and posting content that resonates with your target audience. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC advertising is a cost-effective way of reaching potential clients through search engines. A legal marketing company can create and manage PPC campaigns, driving traffic to your website and increasing the number of leads generated. Reputation Management: Reputation management is crucial for building trust and establishing credibility in the legal industry. A legal marketing company can monitor and manage your online reputation, ensuring that any negative comments or reviews are addressed promptly and professionally. Why Choose Our Legal Marketing Company? Our legal marketing company has a team of experienced digital marketers dedicated to helping law firms achieve their online marketing goals. We have a proven track record of delivering results and are committed to providing a high-quality service at a competitive price. Contact Us Today If you want to improve your law firm's online presence and attract more clients, contact us today to schedule a consultation. Our team of experts will work with you to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations. Law SEO Pros provides attorneys with the tools they need to attract more clients and grow their law firm. We’re in the legal marketing industry, so we know that lawyers want to get in front of new potential clients without spending an arm and a leg on advertising. That’s why our team has created a suite of services designed specifically for attorneys like you. We give you a realistic estimate of how long it will take before you can rank. You can expect us to provide you with monthly reports detailing how many leads came from which sources, how much revenue was generated by each source, and what type of ROI you are getting from each service we offer. Let us know if there’s anything else we can do for your law firm! We love working together as partners because it makes both parties successful. We work with only one area of law per firm in each city. Law SEO Pros Exclusivity Guarantee. Our exclusivity guarantee ensures we remain committed and loyal. We will never aid in any marketing efforts for another law firm working in the same field of law within your city. Partnering with Law SEO Pros is a decision that will undoubtedly pay off when it comes to the success of your law firm. Our proven conversion-driven process Google Ads Targeted Ads Reach the exact clients you want Highly focused Increase intake rate Google Ads Local SEO Local Dominance Stand out in the Map Pack High mobile traffic GMB Management Increase intake rate + Local SEO SEO Organic Reach larger audience Dominate SERPs Dominate competitors Increase intake rate ++ Organic SEO Read the full article

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bookloveravenue · 2 years

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In Vino Veritas (book 1): Wildfire by Garrett Leigh

A gorgeous new sexual awakening romance with sizzling first times, snarky British banter, and off-the-charts chemistry.

Life doesn’t always pan out as you expect. When it explodes in my face, literally, an old friend offers me a place to heal and a job renovating the kitchen of Burlington’s coolest wine bar.

V&V is a chill fest. Living above it should be a blast. But I’m not built to be a social butterfly. Not anymore. I’m a damaged man.

And I’m not its target clientele.

At least, I think I’m not until I come face to face with the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. Joss is the new chef and my roommate. He has hair like spun gold and it’s as pretty as the rest of him. Crystal blue eyes. Megawatt smile.

I can’t stop staring. Or thinking about him. He chases my nightmares away. And when he spots my crush a mile off, his solution to our chemical attraction blows my mind.

An experiment of sorts. Science. Is this sexual exploration or sex education?

Either way, Joss is only here for the summer. He’s leaving.

I can’t fall in love with him.

I can’t.

Shame my foolish heart never got the memo.

WILDFIRE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort romance in the True North world, with a brooding lumbersexual, a wild-hearted chef, sweet angst and all the Vermont food. Content warning: contains mentions of depression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, and PTSD recovery.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61400549-wildfire

********

August 23, 2022

My Review: 5/5 Stars

So happy to be back in the World of True North! Specifically this fun series set at Vino & Veritas. We get to see some favorite characters return and get some pretty awesome new ones. Like our leading guys Kai and Joss. Kai has been in a funk. He is suffering from PTSD after experiencing something pretty traumatic at his last job. Lucky for him, his friend Tanner is there to help Kai keep afloat and be there for him while he sorts himself out and gets back on his feet. What he doesn't expect is for Tanner and Jax to hand him a new roommate. Joss is a longtime friend of Jax and comes to be the new chef at Vino & Veritas. Joss never stays in one place long since he always has an itch to be on the move along with being diagnosed with ADHD. He has long since accepted that there are things about himself he can't change and is happy to be who is he. Though, when he meets Kai, for the first time ever he wonders if he found a place to stay for good and someone to stay there for. What I absolutely loved about Kai and Joss is that both have these pretty big issues but instead of it hurting any chance of friendship between them, it just brings them together. Kai understands Joss way better than anyone ever has besides Jax. Kai has the patience to wait Joss out and figure out what he needs when his brain is going a mile a minute. He doesn't try to change Joss or fix him because he truly doesn't see anything wrong. Then Joss watches Kai and knows he is dealing with some pretty big stuff but makes himself available in whatever form he thinks Kai needs. Feeding him or sitting there and talking with him. He understands Kai just as well as Kai gets him. I loved their story and how these two guys can truly look past everything that makes them different and care about one another with no reservations. You don't want to miss this first book bringing us back to this world!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#book #books #i love books #my review #book review #wildfire #garrett leigh #world of true north #in vino veritas

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boneghana58 · 2 years

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Searching The World Wide Web For Public Death Records

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12eY_VDRCE&list=PLK2xSmHW52SQnqP8-nVB87GuGIoF_Wn89 When we hear a lot of "charity" our impression of love towards our neighbors, love made visible as operating to other types. What does charity really mean to us? Charity, I believe, is the pure joy of giving. It includes more than material everything. We see it in the warmth with the smile from your local neighborhood stranger, a hand written thank-you-letter, a comforting hug, a healing prayer, a kindness to a grieving friend, a bonding with someone in really want. It is a karmic longing. Precisely what an abundance of warmth and loving when we give. The true nature of charity would be the fact the more you give; the more love returns to our website.

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There can be a possibility that the dragon has picked up adenovirus. Signs or symptoms of this virus are frustrating to most reptile owners as they are very general with lethargy and looseness of the bowels. If there is any chance that your dragon has picked up this virus, isolate it from you need to engage if you might have more than a single. Adenovirus can wipe out an entire group of reptiles if everyone are tainted. Unfortunately, there is no sure way of telling if child has this or not because it could be only be identified through autopsy with the deceased creature.

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#funeral programs

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wordsnstuff · 2 years

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Hey there, new follower here. I found you through your amazing story planning template. I have a more general question: where ever I read about planning a story it's always also a part about the antagonist. I'm currently working on three stories and neither of them has a real antagonist. There is conflict within the characters themselves may it be through mental illnesses or a drive to break out of a set social norm. How would you recommend writing stories without a physical antagonist? Is there a way to visualize those abstract concepts (as in a person that represents them). Thank you, I already love your blog, amazing writing advices!

Writing stories without a physical antagonist...

In most stories, the antagonist is a tool which the writer can manipulate to create interesting conflict for the protagonist. The conflict itself can be manipulated in the same way, but many writers like to employ an antagonist because it's a well established way to create a challenge that can be entertaining and communicate a message. When you're planning a story, it's important to recognize that a conflict as a life and an arc of its own.

The antagonist v. protagonist model is only the human v. human model of storytelling, which is only one of a million possible combinations of conflict between forces. However, it's natural to want to simplify this (in the planning stages), which is why you often find this model integrated into templates/worksheets/guides etc. Antagonist can be considered here an umbrella term for the opposing force, or the core challenge that the main character(s) is facing. You can neutralize the term "antagonist" and largely utilize the human v. human model in the same fashion.

You need to understand an ambiguous, de-personified oppositional force as complexly as you would craft a true antagonist, and following in the same footsteps is a good way to start.

Here are some questions, adjacent to the "who, what, when, where, and why" model that you need to be able to answer about your oppositional force:

Identify the source of conflict (exposition)

Antagonist: Who is this person? What are their core values/defining characteristics?

Challenge: What is the challenge? How does it appear to the protagonist, the other characters, and the reader (and what is the difference between all three perspectives)

Identify what will resolve the conflict (motivation)

Antagonist: What are they searching for through this conflict and what will it take for them to allow a resolution?

Challenge: Where is the deficiency that is causing the conflict and what is needed to reach satisfaction or normality?

Identify why the conflict is happening now (urgency)

Antagonist: Why have they decided to attack at this moment? When did their journey begin?

Challenge: When did this conflict begin and why does the protagonist need to act now?

Identify the relevant spaces in relation to the conflict (limitations)

Antagonist: Where does the antagonist preside and where can they not follow?

Challenge: Where is the protagonist vulnerable to the challenge and where are they safe?

Identify the 'why' (stakes)

Antagonist: Why is the antagonist targeting this particular protagonist? Why does the protagonist have to fight them?

Challenge: Why must the protagonist overcome this challenge? What is the origin of the challenging force, and why is it affecting this protagonist?

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions feel free to reach out x

[linked here is the story-planning template the asker was referring to]

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#writing #writing advice #writeblr #writing resources #writespo #authorblr #authorspo #writing reference #qna #character development #plot development #antagonist #conflict #story planning template

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ladyartemesia · 3 years

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The Kiss

◐ PART VIII of THE ALPHA ◐

◐ Series Masterlist ◐

◐ Part I ◐ Part II ◐ Part III ◐ Part IV ◐ Part V ◐ Part VI ◐ Part VII ◐

Pairing: Alpha Werewolf Jimin x Omega Reader

Rating: Hard Mature 18+ (for this installment)

Warnings: this one is a little darker, descriptions of violence, ABO sexual dynamics including discussion of scenting, marking, mating, and claiming, strong sexual innuendo, discussion of violence relating to ritual combat, possessive behavior, injuries and discussion of injuries, lots of people have, use and are threatened by knives, kidnapping and drugging, its not as bad as it sounds, but it is definitely a bit darker…

Word Count: 4250

Author’s Note: I said it before but it bears repeating...You have no idea what your support has meant to me. Truly your asks and your messages and comments…they made me so happy. You made me believe that people wouldn’t forget about this story. I am so grateful you were able to wait. As many of you know I faced a medical emergency recently and you were all so lovely. The best followers on this site and I MEAN that. As always, my angels @ppersonna @xjoonchildx and @untaemedqueen were (and continue to be) the best betas and the best friends anyone could ask for. My thanks to ALL of you for helping me bring this story to life! I don’t know what I would do without your daily encouragement and your daily support. You guys are the heartbeat of this story. It wouldn’t be here without you.

——◐——

Two Years Ago

——◐——

Centuries ago the moon goddess stumbled across her human soulmate while he was sleeping. Struck by his beauty, but reluctant to reveal her identity, the goddess began to visit him in his dreams where she could hide her true form and appear before him as a mortal woman.

In the world of dreams their love flourished and from that blessed union the packs were born…

The wolf nations celebrated this sacred romance every ten years during the Festival of the Lover’s Moon…

The day of the festival was spent eating and drinking and dancing at large parties, but when the sun went down… well—

That’s when things got really interesting.

On the night of Lover’s Moon the young unmated wolves of the pack were permitted to commemorate this legendary love story in a decidedly scandalous manner.

The unmated men assumed the role of the goddess’s sleeping lover—they were blindfolded (to represent slumber) and led into a large sectioned off area of the dark forest to ‘wait and dream.’

Unmated she-wolves over the age of maturity (eighteen) took herbal scent suppressors and ventured out into that very same forest in order to anonymously ‘visit’ the young men ‘in their dreams’...

The rules for what exactly that meant were pretty fast and loose which was why Min Yoongi was thanking the goddess and every other deity he could think of that Yunli was still seventeen.

“But I will be eighteen in two days! Please can’t I just—“

“No. Absolutely not under any circumstances ever.”

“But Yoonji is going!”

“Ji-ah is nearly nineteen and has never been interested in any of the snotty little man-pups of our pack.” He snorted. “She’s probably going out just so she can shove a bunch of them in the lake.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Yunli mumbled irritably.

Kim Taehyung yawned idly and snuggled into the cozy little pallet he prepared at the base of his favorite tree. The blindfold he and all the other unmated ‘lovers’ wore was made from witchcloth and could not be removed while the sun was down—so he had snuck into the forest earlier to set everything up.

Now all he had to do was wait until—

“H-Hi Taehyung.”

Oh sh—

“Uh. Hello...Miss.”

Taehyung didn’t recognize the owner of that voice, but he knew for sure who it wasn’t.

“I was hoping to find you tonight.”

This is not good.

“Well I’m—I’m flattered… naturally but—”

She touched his hand and he squeaked.

“I was thinking you and I might get to know each other a little bet—eep!”

The sharp point of a custom blade pressed directly into the unfortunate young beta girl’s pulse point.

“Are you lost, puppy?”

A heavy cloak obscured the newcomer’s features, but there was no mistaking her meaning.

Taehyung bit his lip to keep from snorting as the poor she-wolf scrambled away.

“Ji-ah,” he tsked with feigned disapproval, “that wasn’t very nice.”

Min Yoonji grinned as she sheathed her wicked looking dagger and slid languidly into his arms.

“You don’t like nice girls, Kim Taehyung.”

“I like you,” he whispered breathlessly against her lips. “Nice or not—it doesn't matter to me…” His hands slid greedily over her soft curves—pulling her closer till he felt the beat of her heart against his own. “I’ll like anything as long as it’s you.”

This was the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas.

Jimin huffed as he struggled to find a comfortable position against the giant boulder he’d chosen as his perch.

Why did I let Taehyung talk me into this?

He could be at home—in bed—comfortably sleeping off the all-day feast he’d indulged in.

Instead he was out in the middle of the forest sitting blindfolded on a rock in the off chance that one of the she-wolves was out looking for him.

Not bloody likely.

Not when prime targets like Namjoon, Hoseok, Jungkook—and countless others—were scattered throughout the woods.

“Park Jimin?”

Every hair on Jimin’s body stood on end.

It was a soft whisper—the speaker clearly didn’t want her voice to be recognized, yet something about the sound sent a curious frisson of interest down his spine.

He gulped.

“Yes… that’s me. But if you’re looking for Hoseok he’s just a little deeper in. You probably caught his scent downwind so—”

“I’m not looking for Hoseok.”

Jimin licked his lips and the sight of it sparked a odd curl of heat in the pit of your belly.

“I don’t know where anyone else is…”

“That’s quite alright.” A muted shuffle of movement reached his ears as you settled down beside him. “I was looking for you.”

“Oh…” He rubbed the back of his neck idly. “Are you sure?”

Laughter like fairy bells whispered through the air and Jimin felt his heart clench.

Don’t get your hopes up.

“Who are you?”

You were silent for a long time and then—

“I am someone who owes you a debt. One I have never been able to repay.”

Jimin’s head tilted curiously as he considered your words.

“I’m sorry, miss… you must be mistaken. There isn’t—“

“You don’t remember.”

It was a statement—not a question. Your voice was nearer now. He could feel the warmth of your body close to his—though not quite touching. “It was your wolf that saved me. But you had not gone through the Change yet.”

Familiar shame spiked sharply in his chest.

“I’m seven years past the Change...Why have you never mentioned this before?”

“Circumstances prevented me from doing so.”

There was a cold finality to your pronouncement—which of course did nothing but further inflame his curiosity.

“Then why come to me now?”

“I’ve come to repay you.”

Jimin’s mouth dropped open.

Were you trying to—?!

“Oh—no please that-that’s not necessary—I could never take advantage of—”

You giggled again.

“I am not offering my body, Park Jimin.”

Jimin breathed a heavy sigh of relief then shook his head with a wry chuckle.

“Well considering the circumstances I can hardly be blamed for assuming you might be. And honestly most men would jump at the chance to—”

“You...are not most men.”

Jimin’s eyes narrowed beneath his blindfold.

“Little she-wolf—I may not be wrestling bears for fun or bare knuckle boxing in the town square, but I am still an alpha.”

The weight of his command poured over your body as he spoke the last word. There was no order or intent—he had simply given you a taste of his power.

Aside from your direct blood relatives, no alpha had ever dared unleash their compel in your presence—therefore you were utterly unprepared for the effect it had on you—

Utterly unprepared for the strange surge of want so potent and profound that it stole the breath from your body.

It was primal—invigorating—

Sensual.

You and your wolf may not have been entirely connected yet, but she was suddenly quite vocal about her desire to fully bask in Park Jimin’s attention.

A wicked grin played over his lips as he leaned in closer and you could almost feel the soft brush of his lips against your cheek.

“Did you think I would not desire the touch of a beautiful woman in the moonlight?” he whispered.

Please touch me, Alpha.

Your eyes widened.

Dear goddess. Your inner wolf was turning out to be a shameless hussy.

“You might desire it, but you are far too honorable to accept it as payment for a debt.”

Jimin drew back warily.

You were correct of course. After all he had refused you when he believed that was your intent but—

“How could you know that?”

Evade. Evade now.

“Well... how could you know I was beautiful? You’re blindfolded.”

He shrugged and your wolf took careful note of the way it made all the pretty muscles in his back and shoulders ripple.

He will give us such strong—

Oh boy.

He will do no such thing. Please calm down.

“Not everything must be seen with your eyes.”

Is that how you found me? All those years ago...

Questions churned chaotically beneath your consciousness but you dared not give voice to them.

Focus.

“I must repay this debt. Ask for what you want and—if it is in my power—I swear it will be yours.”

Jimin smiled again, but this time it was somehow softer. For a moment he looked almost…

Sad.

“I’m afraid that the only thing I have ever wanted is not within your power to give...and I dare not ask you or anyone else for it.”

For her.

He sighed and drew even farther away from you—in fact it seemed like he was preparing to leave.

No.

Your hand reached out almost of it's its own accord and wrapped tightly around his wrist. The contact sent a shock of searing heat through his veins and he froze.

“Please alpha. It is not acceptable for someone like me—” a leader, a Luna, “—to owe another my life and offer nothing in return. You must let me pay my debt.”

Omega, his wolf growled, sweet perfect omega.

Suppressors may have hidden your scent, but the siren song of an omega pleading prettily in his ear was unmistakable—irresistible…

“What if all I want is your name?”

You sighed deeply.

“I cannot give you that. My name is… not mine to offer.”

Jimin laughed.

“A woman I cannot remember with a name I cannot know and whose face I cannot see.” He shook his head. “Perhaps you are just a figment of my imagination.”

It was hard to explain what happened next...For whatever reason his words cut you deeply and you were overcome with the desire—no need—to refute them somehow.

“I’m real enough,” you whispered, bringing his hand to your cheek.

Jimin was genuinely beginning to wonder if you were a witch as well as a she-wolf. Being close to you was intoxicating and the urge to draw you in was steadily overpowering every other thought.

“Could I ask you for a kiss, then?”

“You—...You saved my life and all you want... is a kiss?”

The air grew heavier as the strange magnetic pull between you swelled to a silent inescapable crescendo.

“In Seoul I often searched for someone who could ease my loneliness, yet each time I walked away emptier than before.” His thumb brushed gently over your lips and your eyes fluttered shut. “I have never had a kiss that meant anything to me.”

But yours might.

It was unclear who moved first, whether he pulled you to him or you surged forward but when your bodies aligned and your lips met his for the first time it was as if you had never been separate from one another.

As if you had always been deeply—intimately —together.

The indescribable feel of him lit over your senses like a struck match. It was an ignition in the purest sense of the word— a fiery visceral awakening fueled by a consuming flood of desire.

Yes, Alpha.

He might never see your face or hear your name, but Jimin knew he would remember the taste of you for the rest of his life. It was hot and bright like liquid sunshine— a pure relentless light flowing through him where there was once only darkness.

A soft needy moan rose up from your chest and he growled in primal satisfaction as you melted against him.

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt of their own accord, desperately trying to bring him closer until he wrapped his arms around you in a heated embrace.

“Please,” he begged breathlessly against your mouth. “Please tell me who you are.”

The words crashed over you like a bucket of ice —dousing the hazy pleasure of his kiss with a cold bite of reality. Suddenly you were wrenching yourself away from him and your wolf whimpered in misery at the loss of his touch.

“I can’t,” you whispered.

And then you were gone.

“Did someone hurt you?”

You looked up to find Jin taking in your tears with cold fury.

Twin knives were already gleaming dangerously in his hands and he appeared ready to filet whichever bastard was foolish enough to make you cry.

“No,” you sniffed—well aware of how pitiful you were at the moment—crying in the corner of your cousin’s kitchen. “I got myself into this mess without any help—as usual.”

Jin sighed and slid down next to you.

“Tell me.”

“Something happened that I…I didn’t intend.”

“Oh I knew that already. The Luna isn’t supposed to be running around on the night of Lover’s Moon in a forest full of blind horny wolves—“

You snorted and shook your head.

“You’re absolutely right. I should have stayed away.”

Jin’s eyes narrowed and he wondered if perhaps you had caught Kim Namjoon with another omega. Nothing would be official until after the Change of course, but your bond with him was basically a foregone conclusion at this point.

“You went looking for someone...didn’t you.”

You nodded miserably—all but confirming his fears. He made a mental note to push Namjoon in the swamp at the next available opportunity.

“You know... the stories say that a Luna is powerfully drawn to her mate under the Lover’s Moon—that her wolf can sense him even before the Change.” He reached over and gently began to brush the tears from your eyes. “So it’s not surprising that you sought him out, but it’s not really fair to hold whatever it is you saw against him. There is no relationship between you yet and…” he chuckled, “kisses beneath festival moonlight don’t really mean anything anyways.”

It was clear that Jin had somehow gotten the entirely wrong impression, but perhaps that was for the best.

No one knew of your connection to Jimin and no one had seen what passed between you.

Still…

Something about his assessment stung you.

“You really believe that? ...That a kiss exchanged tonight means nothing?”

“I do.” Jin spoke with conviction. “There’s ancient magic at play in those woods. You can’t always trust what you see—or what you feel.”

“Oh I...I didn’t know…”

After a moment you laid your head against his shoulder and let the last of your tears run silently down your cheek.

“Jin-ah have you ever wanted something you knew you couldn’t have?”

“Yes.” He sighed heavily and pulled you in to snuggle a bit closer. “When I was younger I dreamed of having a mate just like everyone else…”

The words were so softly spoken—almost wistful. Your heart splintered just hearing them.

“But… she could be out there—your mate.”

Jin shook his head.

“When is the last time you heard of a female alpha?”

Fresh tears welled up in your eyes.

“Jin…”

“Hey,” he whispered, “don’t waste your crying on me. I’ve long since come to terms with who and what I am.”

“You’re not sad anymore?”

“Well… maybe sometimes I am… but I had to accept that people like us are not like everyone else. Our destinies were written long before we were born.”

“And you believe you’re destined to be alone?”

“Wolves in a pack are never really alone.”

“Yes...but they can be lonely,” you whispered thinking back to Jimin’s words.

For a moment Jin’s eyes were the saddest you had ever seen them.

“Well...I suppose they can.” Then he chuckled and gave your nose an affectionate little tap. “But you don’t need to worry about that. When the time comes Namjoon will take his place at your side and the two of you will build a wonderful life together... Isn’t that what you want?”

Isn’t it?

Your treacherous thoughts drifted back to the boy in the moonlight—to the way your body sang when he touched you and the strange insatiable desire to know him and be known by him in return.

“Please...Tell me who you are.”

A heavy ache settled in your heart.

You were the Luna of the mountain nations. A true born moon princess.

You could never be the woman who kissed Park Jimin underneath the stars.

You were not like everybody else.

“...Yes. That is what I want.”

——◐——

Now

——◐——

Jimin’s heart pounded as he tore through the dark paths of the wood with Taehyung, Yoongi, and Jungkook close behind.

He had never led an attack—had never been trained to command wolves in battle.

It was his first true test of leadership and he hadn’t even been a leader for twenty-four hours.

Yet the fears and anxieties that might have normally clouded his mind were notably absent.

There was only you.

Ironically Jimin owed Namjoon yet another debt—this time for explaining what exactly someone like him was capable of.

The alpha Jin captured had given up their plan and position after being exposed to Jimin’s unique gifting, so he had a concrete target in his mind… He suspected however, that your captors had taken precautions after leaving some of their men behind. They had shifted their camp.

But it wouldn’t be enough to save them.

Jimin didn’t need your location to find you.

He spent years refusing to look at you, and even then he always knew exactly where you were. He could sense you in any crowd—hear your voice in a thousand.

Once it had tormented him cruelly to be so aware of you.

Now it was the only thing keeping him sane.

He followed the connection between his heart and yours like a lifeline and it guided him as surely as the stars.

The alphas followed him without question.

If any of them harbored lingering doubts before, they were firmly laid to rest after what they saw at the cottage. No ordinary wolf could do what he had done.

The Alpha would bring back their Luna and retribution would be swift indeed.

The drugs in your system kept swinging you in and out of lucidity like a nightmarish pendulum. You tried to shift after the initial nausea faded, but whatever they gave you kept your wolf caged beneath your skin.

Jimin

The longing you felt for your mate was the only thing tethering you to reality. You could almost hear him echoing in the far corners of your mind—

I’m coming Omega—hold on.

I’ll find you.

Part of you recognized that his voice was likely nothing more than the wistful creation of your drug-addled mind, still you clung to it like the last shred of hope while the minutes (or hours) flew past.

Chaos clouded your thoughts even in clearer moments as many unavoidable concerns forced their way through the haze.

Jin was at the house with you when they broke in. You had no way of knowing if he survived.

The men who took you were crass and irreverent. Their eyes followed your form with too much interest and too little respect.

It was starting to get cold and (due to you nearly dismembering a high council member and needing to be compelled unconscious) you were still wearing a thin white ceremonial dress which offered very little protection from the elements.

You wondered idly if your idiot captors would let you freeze to death before they accomplished whatever it was they took you for. They clearly needed you for something or you would have been long dead by now.

None of them struck you as particularly brilliant planners so the mastermind must be somewhere else...

Frankly the entire situation was as puzzling as it was troubling. Iron Claw had always gotten along well with your pack.

Technically they were (almost) what the human governments called a vassal state. The presence of a Luna determined the dominant pack in a region and the Luna of the mountain nations had been born into Silver Fang—your pack—for the last thousand years or so.

Why would they challenge us now?

The birth of a Luna indicated that the goddess had chosen that pack to lead. Their willingness—not only to kidnap you—but to go against the dominant pack by doing so was alarming to say the least.

A sudden explosion of movement and sound interrupted your contemplation. Motion erupted all around you—boots pounding on the ground, men falling into their wolf forms, knives being drawn…

You lifted your head—straining forward to see the source of the commotion—and nearly collapsed in relief when you finally did.

Alpha

Your mate stood at the edge of the camp flanked by two enormous black wolves.

A deadly looking jingum sword gleamed dangerously in his right hand. You recognized it immediately as your great-grandfather’s combat blade—the thousand year-old weapon of the Silver Fang Alphas.

Relief flooded your chest all over again at the sight of it. Only Jin could have given him that sword—which meant he was still alive.

The black wolves—Yoongi and Jungkook—snarled viciously but made no move to attack.

Your captors were still scrambling into some sort of combat formation when Jimin finally spoke.

“You have violated our sacred laws, trespassed in sovereign pack lands, kidnapped a Luna under the protection of our goddess, abducted the mate of the Silver Fang Alpha, and risked open war between our peoples.” He took a single step forward. “Surrender now and I will be merciful.”

The biggest of your captors—a man you recognized as the de facto leader—spat viciously on the ground.

“You are not my Alpha,” he growled.

A cold—almost cruel—smile twisted over Jimin’s lips.

“Very well.”

Then he dropped to one knee and a massive grey wolf—Taehyung—leapt over his head and tore out the defiant leader’s throat before he even hit the ground.

Your mouth dropped open.

Bangtan formation.

Yoongi and Jungkook lunged forward in opposite directions, tackling their targets to the forest floor in a bloody clash of teeth and claws.

One of the larger Iron Claw alphas half-shifted and charged Jimin but his arm shot out lightning fast, catching his attacker by the throat to send him flying through the air into a tree.

The next several minutes could only be described as terrifyingly beautiful.

It was immediately clear that Jimin had been holding back when he fought Namjoon.

He dispatched his opponents with such elegant savagery it was almost art.

You were so mesmerized watching Jimin sensually sword dance his way through a dozen alphas nearly twice his size that you almost missed Taehyung’s wolf rushing over with a dagger clenched between his teeth.

Luna are you okay?

You grinned and held up your rope-bound wrists.

“I’ll be better once you pass me that knife.”

Taehyung nodded once and dropped the blade at your feet before tackling another wolf that was tearing towards the two of you.

You sawed through the ties around your ankle first then twisted your arms to try and slice through the restraints on your wrist.

The Iron Claw wolves were clearly no match for Jimin and his alphas.

Jungkook and Yoongi chased after the few who were trying to run while Taehyung half-shifted to subdue the handful of wolves left alive as prisoners. Only Jimin continued to fight as the last three of your captors still standing took turns being slammed into the dirt by his strikes.

He was clearly capable of dispatching them, but you were fairly convinced that you would die if you had to stay away from him for another second. The ropes, however, were surprisingly thick and the angle you were cutting them at wasn’t the best. If only—

You were almost free when you saw it.

One of your captors had pulled a hunting javelin from their supply wagon. He must have hid himself at the onset of the fight, but now he was comfortably concealed by the shadows—and taking aim at Jimin.

Your heart dropped into your stomach.

The attacker appeared to handle the weapon with familiarity. He was too far back—too well hidden—Jimin would never see him in time—

The last cord around your wrist snapped and you were on your feet, pushing through the combined haze of fury and sedatives to charge the wolf who dared attack your mate.

By the time he saw you it was far too late.

Under the effects of the drug your aim was a little skewed but you weren’t Kim Seokjin’s cousin for nothing.

One clean flick of your wrist and the dagger shot through the air, burying itself between the brute’s shoulder blades—all the way to the hilt.

His body fell to the ground just as Jimin sent the last of your captors careening into a pile of previously defeated foes.

For a moment all was quiet.

Then your eyes locked across the distance and everything around you sharpened to a single whispered word.

“Jimin.”

He had run non-stop for miles and torn apart a dozen wolves to get to your side—no amount of space between you now was tolerable.

The sword clattered to the forest floor as he moved toward you—desperate to feel you—to wrap himself around you and know that you were safe.

What happened next was as natural as breathing.

You opened to him and he lifted you into his arms, taking your lips in a hot unrepentant kiss.

Fire exploded across your senses, burning away everything but the touch and taste of him. Every part of you was at once fiercely and gloriously alive. Desperate moans passed between you as he licked into your mouth—a dark primal promise of the pleasure he would take between your thighs.

“Alpha,” you whimpered, too delirious with want to manage anything else.

Suddenly Jimin’s eyes shot open. His hands flew to cup your face, searching it with a mixture of realization and disbelief.

“You… It was you.”

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