#shaking everybody involved in the writing of that episode

[youngpettyqueen]

I completely understand why we didn’t get to see it because it wasn’t the point of the episode and it was already very heavy with a lot of things but that said I’d give anything to know how Hawkeye dealt with BJ breaking his and Trapper’s still

#mash #hawkeye pierce #bj hunnicutt #THINKING ABOUT PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT AGAINNNN #this episode haunts me #that still was all he had left #the very last piece of Trapper he had #broken glass all over the floor he would’ve had to clean up #I know I focus on the hit a lot but the STILL #how did Hawkeye handle BJ taking a chair to the one thing he had left of Trapper #was he angry #did he cry #did he silently sweep up broken glass #did he let anybody help did he insist on doing it alone #did he pretend it didn’t matter #laugh and say it was only glass with his knuckles white around the broom #shaking everybody involved in the writing of that episode #WHAT HAPPENED. TELL ME

[minaramen]

Thanks for the 7th Anniversary - Part 1: The ceremony is starting!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Passerby: Sorry, are you possibly… Douglas Rootbank?

Douglas: AHAHAHA! Yes! I am Douglas!

Passerby: Waah! I knew it…! Big fan of yours here! May I have an autograph…?

Douglas: Ok, ok!....! Oh! Oh my God!

Passerby: What happened? Ah, the advertising truck…?

Douglas: Idolish7….!

Passerby: Do you know them? Ah, you had a live together, right?

Douglas: AHAHAHA! Idolish7! My friends!

Passerby: Are Idolish7 your friends? Woooh, that’s good to know!

Douglas: Shaking your heart!

Passerby: I can’t believe it, I’ve just heard Douglas singing in real life! Is it a new song?!

Douglas: It’s Idolish7’s song

Passerby: Your Japanese is so good!

*Cut to Takanashi office*

Tsumugi: Okay, I did it!

Banri: What are you writing on the whiteboard, Tsumugi?

Banri: It looks like a little collection of episodes; but may it be something about the anniversary year..?

Tsumugi: It’s the title of the video we will broadcast at the Nanahoshi school for the ceremony

Tsumugi: We’d like to tell the students about the 7th school festival through an Idolish7 video

Tsumugi: A normal day will lead to an anniversary year that everybody will know about

Banri: Sounds nice! Seventh school festival, seventh anniversary, seven years… it’s just perfect, isn’t it?

Tsumugi: Yes

Banri: It’s almost the same time a child needs to start elementary school. So many things happened in the middle that you can’t even count them 

Tsumugi: Exactly!

Banri: Let’s ignite this seventh anniversary, then

Tsumugi: Ah, the ones who need to ignite it are the students joining the ceremony

Banri: Oh, right…I got a little overexcited…

Tsumugi: Fufu, I understand the feeling. As Idolish7's manager, I’m very conscious of this 7th anniversary

Banri: Iori kun and Tamaki kun can get fired up, I supposed. They’re Nanahoshi school students, after all

Tsumugi: You’re right

Banri: The concept is also amazing. It’s a compilation of small episodes

Banri: In other words, all these things put together will lead to the anniversary

Tsumugi: Yes! I’m planning to record their everyday life as naturally as possible, and make it a live video!

Banri: Oh, I think the new camera we bought will be perfect for it

Kinako: Myu myu!

Tsumugi: What’s going on, Kinako?

Banri: Maybe she just wants to be recorded? Look here, Kinako!

Kinako: Myuu!

Banri: Now say “happy seventh year anniversary”

Kinako: Myu myu myuuu! Myuu myuu!

Tsumugi&Banri: She said it!

*Cut to Sogo’s room*

Tamaki: Sou chan, what did you do at your school ceremony?

Sogo: Takao Dayu

Tamaki: Cacao? You mean, a room filled with chocolate?

Sogo: No. She was a prostitute from the Edo period

Tamaki: A prostitute…?

Sogo:......

Sogo: I’m not sure how much you know about the topic. Maybe I shouldn’t give you too many details, you’re too young…

Tamaki: But then I won’t know if somebody asks me about it…

Sogo: I think it would be good for you to talk about that with somebody who’s your age. Try asking Iori kun

Tamaki: Okay

Sogo: What are you going to do, Tamaki kun? I’m sure you’re planning something with your classmates for the ceremony

Tamaki: Yes

Sogo. What?

Tamaki: Try to guess! I’m sure you can’t guess! It’s extra-special!

Sogo: Must be something unique. Uhm…

Sogo: Wooden mosaic work?

Tamaki: Nope

Sogo: Sumo match?

Tamaki: Miss

Sogo: You’re going to do some avant garde artwork which involves rolling yourself in a bucket which serves as a dish for mixing paints, then you’re going to be attached to a large paper, just like a fish print, and eventually make an abstract movie

Tamaki: Wow, you really did your best with that one. But you’re wrong

Sogo: I give up

Tamaki: Think more! I want you to think more!

Sogo: Was Iori kun really interested?

Tamaki: He wasn't that interested, but he was fine with it

Sogo: A wool felting class?

Tamaki: That’s actually something that could be fine with Iorin

Sogo: He’s a teenager after all

Tamaki: Uh? Yeah

Sogo: I really give up. I have no energy anymore, I apologize 

Tamaki: You’re apologizing as if you were making a public comment. Okay, it’ll be a secret until the day comes

Sogo: Really?

Tamaki:  If you find me that day, I’ll let you record some videos with me 

Sogo: Is it something that one would want to take pictures of? 

Tamaki: Ah, damn. I gave you a hint

Sogo: Okay, tie your hair 

Tamaki: You want me to take pics with a ponytail?!

Sogo: I just think you’ll look handsome

Tamaki: Give me a hair tie

Sogo: I don’t have one

*Cut to a classroom*

Matsunaga Taro: It’s finally time for the seventh school festival! Thank you for your collaboration, Iori kun

Iori: No, it was nothing

Matsunaga Taro: You’re being modest. Everybody working on the ceremony is extremely grateful to you for being so good at ruling from the shadows

Iori: Is that a compliment? It doesn't really sound like they're grateful…

Matsunaga Taro: Well, they got a little scared when they told you that Idolish7 won’t be the live guests, but we will have trigger instead

Iori: Ahah…I wasn’t angry. Just a little surprised…

Iori: Some of Idolish7 members are students, it’s the seventh anniversary and Idolish7 counts seven symbols…still, they've not been asked to join

Iori: It was either some kind of new idea of the event organization or a terrible loss of  good taste of the producer, who knows

Matsunaga Taro: You’re definitely angry…

Iori: Speaking about unexpected things, I had no idea you were the son of Matsunaga P., who made Backyard Magic

Matsunaga Taro: And I didn’t know you'd worked with my father

Matsunaga Taro: I’m not losing to my dad, I’ll become a famous producer as well! That’s why I’m here. I want to leave my name etched on this school

Matsunaga Taro: The name of the project is: “A Nanahoshi star is born”!

Iori: Can you tell me more?

Matsunaga Taro: Ah, of course!

Matsunaga Taro: There will be new students joining the ceremony as well. Then, in order to create a realistic atmosphere, real recruiters from the entertainer world will be there 

Iori: Real recruiters?

Matsunaga Taro: Amazing, isn’t it?  We asked them to come see some newborn stars, and they accepted!

Matsunaga Taro: Maybe someone will actually be scouted, who knows 

Matsunaga Taro: Isn’t it exciting? During the announcement of the tally, a group of volunteers will create a “7th anniversary” with human letters!

Matsunaga Taro: It will be recorded by a drone and shown on the main screen, and finally, Idolish7 will be announced!

Matsunaga Taro: When your performance is finished, the results will be announced. Real stars born from Nanahoshi school!

Matsunaga Taro: What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?

Iori: It’s not bad, but it’s more difficult than you expect. We will need very competent staff

Iori: We’re talking about many students put together, and they probably wouldn’t have had any rehearsal before. It may end up being a mess…

Iori: However, it may be a learning experience, so why not…

Matsunaga Taro: You’ve put on such a mature expression, Izumi. And you really have a sharp tongue…

Iori: I’ll be the one watching over Idolish7’s work, so please make sure to follow my advice

Iori: You said you want to become a famous producer

Iori: Watch me and learn, then

Matsunaga Taro: What? I thought you were an idol

Iori: Fufu…that’s the only advice I can give you

Matsunaga Taro:......

Matsunaga Taro: Basically we will only cooperate for the result announcement rehearsal? 

Iori: The human letters and drone recordings are pretty hard. I think we should prioritize the rehearsal for these

Matsunaga Taro: The drama department said they will take care of that. They also said they couldn't take time until the very day because they have practice

Iori: As I thought, it will end up being a mess. Very student-like

Matsunaga Taro: Izumi!

Iori: I feel like crying…

*Cut to the dormitory*

Yamato: Mitsu!

Mitsuki: What do you want? You smell like alcohol. You down about something?

Yamato: Y’know, today was the Mikazuki Ookami day. And I went to the place…

Mitsuki: Yes

Yamato: And something really really really really really bad happened. Well, I’m not a bad guy, you know that…

Mitsuki: What on earth happened? Did they treat you poorly?

Yamato: The old wolf came as well

Mitsuki: Yaotome?

Yamato: Yaotome is not the old wolf. Had it been Yaotome, I would have put an arm around his shoulder and danced. I’m talking about the “Crescent Wolf” guy…

Mitsuki: Do you mean ….the international wolf, then?

Yamato: The international…well, yeah

Mitsuki: Did your dad come?!

Yamato: He did! Isn’t that terrible?!

Mitsuki: You got caught, then…

Yamato: Other than that, everybody in there knew me ever since I was a brat! The director, the staff members…everybody!

Mitsuki: Really? You’re just like a thoroughbred horse, aren’t you?

Yamato: That’s fucking awful… he said something like he wanted to come before. But I always did my best to dodge him

Mitsuki: Yeah

Yamato: But he came for real, in the end…I didn’t say anything at first, but then the director started talking about the presence of a certain actor…

Mitsuki: We’re talking about the international Chiba after all! I bet every other actor except for you was pretty happy to have him

Yamato: Well, yeah. But you know, I couldn’t put on a disgusted expression since a certain bigwig, who was a good friend of the director, was there

Yamato: At first he was just watching without saying a thing, but then many people started asking him about this and that, and so he ended up opening his mouth

Mitsuki: He ended up opening…you know he’s a big senpai of yours, the one you’re talking about?

Yamato: That’s precisely why he shouldn't have come at all! He makes the new actor shrivel! And the new actor happens to be me!

Yamato: Then he started talking about random things and I…I just couln’t think and said “fuck off, go home!!”

Mitsuki: Whoooo!

Yamato: It was really awful. Everybody on the scene went silent…

Mitsuki: Who were the ones going silent? People who knew about you and your father? People who knew nothing?

Yamato: Both

Yamato: There were people thinking “Woh, a family quarrel, how awkward…” and people who were like “what is that idol saying to Chiba Shizuo?”...

Mitsuki: How about Chiba san?

Yamato: I felt like a piece of shit, so I booked it right away. I’m the bad guy here, after all, right?!

Mitsuki: Nah, it’s okay, it’s okay!

Yamato: It’s not okay. I don’t want to go back there tomorrow…

Mitsuki: Do your best! I’ll prepare some delicious snacks for you!

Yamato:...perhaps, some crunchy fried tofu…

Mitsuki: Alright, alright. With a lot of condiments!

*Cut to Trigger’s home*

Ryunosuke: Ah, here you are!

Riku’s voice: Tsunashi san, can you see?

Nagi’s voice: Hi! Can you see the game screen?

Ryunosuke: I can!

Nagi’s voice: Okay! Then, I, Rokuya Nagi…

Riku’s voice: …and I, Nanase Riku, are going to begin this gaming stream!

Ryunosuke: Wah! *Clap clap clap clap* Riku’s voice: Okay, by pressing this button we can move forward…what? Why am I just turning around…?

Nagi’s voice: Oh…! You need to press here to choose the direction, and then “go”…no, no! You’re going back!

Ryunosuke: It seems like a very dark place. In a creepy, abandoned factory, animals live as if they were on a deserted island…right?

Nagi: That’s a different game! Today we’re playing “Dead or Alive”!

Riku: It’s about some invasors coming from the galaxy to conquer Earth! We need to destroy them!

Ryunosuke: Oh, I see. They look cute, so I was a bit surprised to see blood stains on the wall

*Door opens*

Gaku: Ryuu, the bathroom is free

Ryunosuke: Ah, thank you, Gaku

Gaku: What are you doing? A phone call?

Ryunosuke: Riku kun and Nagi kun are doing a gaming stream 

Gaku: Gaming stream?

Ryunosuke: Apparently, these kinds of games are usually broadcast on the internet. However, since the procedure was complicated, they let me be the only spectator!

Gaku: What? Basically, you’re watching Nanase and Rokuya playing a game?

Ryunosuke: Exactly!

Gaku: And how is that supposed to be fun?

Ryunosuke: Hey, Gaku…

Riku’s voice: Aaaah! Ahahah! Help! Help!

Nagi’s voice: Oh, exciting! We eluded a critical point!

Ryunosuke: Good! Give it your best!

Gaku: Wouldn't it be better for you to actually play with me, instead!? Do you want to? Should I buy this game?

Ryunosuke: No, don’t worry. I’m having fun watching them play

Gaku: Really?

Ryunosuke: Come here, watch!

Riku’s voice: It’s full of enemies, but…okay, it’s all or nothing! Let’s go ahead!

Gaku: Sink or swim? I don’t think that’s the best way to handle the situation!

Gaku: Of course, sometimes the courage to go into the belly of the beast is necessary. But still, when such a situation occurs, you shouldn’t underestimate your enemies, be respectful and make some serious arrangements in advance…

Nagi’s voice: Oh! Things are getting serious! Let’s use our strongest weapon!

Riku: Yeah!

Gaku: No!! Save it for later, it’s your trump card! As many as your enemies may be, they’re literally small fries!

Ryunosuke: Gaku! Gaku, don’t..!

Ryunosuke: You were taking up the whole screen

Gaku: I just wanted to give them some advice! They’ll lose in the blink of an eye, if they keep on playing like that!

Riku’s voice: Ah, we died…!

Nagi’s voice: No!!

Gaku: Ah, told you

Ryunosuke: It’s okay for them. Maybe they play differently from you, but it’s still fun

Gaku: I think they're just refusing to listen to other people’s advice. Why are you watching, Ryuu?

Ryunosuke: What?

Gaku: You’re not even giving them advice to win, you’re just sitting there watching. What’s the point?

Ryunosuke: Ah, now I get what the issue was. When you play a game, you want to win

Gaku: Of course!

Ryunosuke: When you play with your friends you want to make them win, right?

Gaku: I don’t like to see them lose!

Ryunosuke: It’s the core concept which is wrong! It doesn't matter if you lose or win the game. Riku kun and Nagi kun are just having fun!

Gaku: Mh?

Ryunosuke: I’m having fun just by watching the two of them having fun as well

Gaku: We’ll play together. Can we join them somehow?

Ryunosuke: That’s not what…

Riku’s voice: Ahah, that was close! Tsunashi san, were you watching?!

Gaku: Nanase, listen. If you’re facing a tough opponent, you must steady your nerves. Otherwise you’ll be losing the same way, next time!

Ryunosuke: Gaku! Gaku, it’s okay! His nerves are totally fine as they are

Gaku: Do they want to win or what?! You would have them win, Ryuu, right?

Ryunosuke: Of course! Of course, but…

Nagi’s voice: Hey! Look here! Robot dance!

Gaku: Rokuya! Stop playing around!

Nagi’s voice: Oh! Jesus…!

Gaku: You see?! Are you happy, now?! That was because you were too busy messing around to pay attention!

Ryuunosuke: Wait! Wait, Gaku! Look at me, now!

Gaku: What?

Ryunosuke: Messing around is okay. That’s what they want. Playing while messing around

Gaku: Basically, is it okay for them to lose?

Ryunosuke: It is. Of course, the goal is still clearing the mission, but a fearless win is not compulsory 

Gaku:......

Gaku: I didn't want to hear this kind of words coming out of your mouth

Ryunosuke: No, no, no! I’m talking about games! In real life, I have a different opinion…

Riku’s voice: What’s going on, Tsunashi san?

Gaku: Don’t look away, Nanase! Stay focused!

Ryunosuke: It’s nothing, Riku kun! 

Riku’s voice: Ah, Yaotome san is there! While you’re here, did you hear about the school festival with Iori and the others?

Ryunosuke: School festival? Ah! Must be the invitation Tamaki kun gave me

Riku’s voice: Yes, yes! Since it’s for the anniversary it’s going to be a big deal! Will you guys come if you have time?

Nagi’s voice: Oh! Riku, help me!

Riku’s voice: Ah, wait! Where are you?

Ryunosuke: I would like to go to Tamaki kun’s school festival, but won’t it be a problem for the school if everybody goes?

Gaku: Rokuya!! Look to your right!!

Nagi’s voice: WHAT?

Gaku: To your right!! Right, right, right!! Nanase, go round and cut in from the left!

Riku’s voice: Ah, uhm…from here?!

Ryunosuke: The students must be the stars of the festival. I’d hate to be there and cause problems

Riku’s voice: They said it’s okay! It’s a school for students working in the entertainment world, so there'll be plenty of famous people and their families!

Riku’s voice: Students are already used to that! They’ve been told not to make any fuss, so celebrities are usually welcome…

Nagi’s voice: Riku! In front of you!

Riku’s voice: What?!

Gaku: Shoot!

Riku’s voice: Nh…yeah!! I did it! I put it down!

Gaku: Good job, Nanase! Now go check the last room on your right…

Ryunosuke: Gaku. Gaku, sorry, we’re having a conversation…

Gaku: What? I thought we were playing!

Ryunosuke: I guess we started doing both at some point…?

Gaku: We better focus on one on the other! Working on different things makes you think that you did it, but nothing actually remains in your head….

Riku’s voice: Are you coming to the school festival, Yaotome san?

Gaku: School festival? What the hell are you talking about?

Nagi’s voice: Oh! You gave us a real example of how working on different things makes nothing remain in your head

Riku’s voice: Iori and Tamaki’s school is organizing a school festival! We’ll perform as well, so if you have time, please come!

Gaku: Oh! Will Tenn come?

Riku: He said he will think about it! You two try to ask him to come too!

Ryunosuke: We should be able to make it with the schedule we have, if it’s around lunch time…

Gaku: I see. We’ll think about that, Nanase!

Riku’s voice: Thank you!

Nagi’s voice: Okay, let’s continue! Ready…go!

End of part 1

#Idolish7 #idolish7translation #trigger #zool #revale

[zizzlekwum]

Stranger In A Not-So-Strange Land

Masterlist

CHAPTER TWO

Reid suspects a kid who reached out to him for help is a serial killer when he talks about killing prostitutes. Follows the events of Criminal Minds Season 2 Episode 11 “Sex, Birth, Death.”

Trigger Warnings: talks of suicide and suicidal ideation; non-graphic suicide attempt of side character

Word Count: 7,360

Tag List: @leftoverenvy @itsmeanobody @ctrljuls @theclassicgaycousin [if you want to be added to the tag list, please comment or send me an ask]

You’re walking away from the coffee machine, mug in hand, as Reid rushes by you. “What’s the rush, Reid?” you ask.

“Oh, hey guys,” JJ says, coming around the corner.

“JJ, who’s your contact at the DC police?” Reid asks, walking quickly to his desk, writing in his notebook.

“Uh, Victor Barnes,” JJ replies as you follow him. “Why? You need me to call him?”

Reid ignores her, grabbing the phones at his desk and dialing. “Hi, Detective Barnes, please.”

“What’s wrong?” Gideon asks from behind you.

Reid points at his notebook. “Need to get that to everybody as soon as possible,” he says. “Uh, hi, Detective Barnes. This is Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid at the Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico. Have you had any recent murders involving prostitutes, maybe just Jane Does? They would’ve been stabbed to death and their hair would’ve been cut off by the killer.”

JJ gives you a look. What’s going on? She mouths. You shrug.

“When was the most recent victim?” Reid asks over the phone. “I’ll explain when I see you. I’ll meet you in a half hour.” He hangs up the phone.

“What’s going on?” Gideon asks.

“DC may have a serial killer,” Reid says. “And I think I just let him get away.”

“What?” you say. “What do you mean?”

“There was this kid, he came up to me at the subway. He said he went to my lecture about how we caught the Mill Creek killer. He started asking questions, and then asked what it would mean if someone cut the hair off of a prostitute after killing them.”

“That’s… not good,” you say bluntly, unsure what else to say.

“He walked away before I could get his name,” Reid says. “I’m going to go meet with the detective.”

“We’ll come with you,” Gideon says, nodding at you. You follow Reid to the elevator and down to the SUV. Gideon drives.

* * * * *

When you get to the ME’s office, Detective Barnes is already there, standing next to the covered body of who you assume is the dead prostitute. After introductions are made, he moves to uncover the victim’s head. “We found her four days ago in an alley off of K Street,” the detective says. “Still no ID.”

Hotch walks in. “Hey, just got your message.”

“Aaron Hotchner, Vic Barnes,” Gideon introduces them.

“Hi,” Hotch says, nodding to the detective. “What have we got?”

“This is the second victim,” Reid tells him. “The first one was killed three months ago.”

“Both in the early morning,” you add.

“Both had their hair chopped?” Hotch asks.

Detective Barnes nods. “Uniform didn’t make the connection because he was fixated on this.” He pulls the sheet farther down to expose the victim’s belly, where ‘HELP’ has been carved into her skin.

“The first victim didn’t have anything carved on her, I assume?” you ask.

“Just a routine Jane Doe,” the detective says, shaking his head.

“Take a look,” Gideon says, pointing to the cuts. “A lot are shallow. They’re hesitation marks. He’s not certain he wants to be killing.”

“Makes you think the message he carved is sincere,” Reid adds. “He’s asking the police to help him stop.”

“Fits with your kid, seeking you out,” Gideon says. “Part of him wants to get caught.”

Reid shakes his head. “I let him go, I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, Reid,” you tell him. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose. We’ll find him.”

“If both murders took place in the morning, how come there were no witnesses?” Hotch asks.

Detective Barnes sighs. “The motels and alleys around the Capitol are notorious. People go out of their way not to look.”

You finish up the conversation before heading back to the BAU. When you get there, Hotch tells you, Morgan, and Prentiss to go canvas the streets where the bodies were found and see if anyone recognizes Reid’s sketch.

* * * * *

“So the kid just happened to have a conversation with a serial killer on his way to work?” Morgan asks as he drives. You’re in the back behind Prentiss in the passenger seat.

“Seems like it,” you confirm.

“That’s weird, even for us,” Prentiss says. You hum in agreement.

“Weird just seems to find us,” Morgan notes, pulling up to the curb. The three of you exit the vehicle and begin to look around. You split up, Morgan going in one direction and you and Prentiss in the other, looking for someone who might know something. Not everyone is eager to talk to you, afraid you’re here to arrest them, but you finally find a girl to talk to. She looks barely eighteen. You introduce yourselves and begin to ask her questions.

“Business is pretty heavy here in the mornings?” Prentiss asks.

The girl bites her bottom lip, looking skeptical. “How do I know you’re not just lookin’ to crack down on us?” she asks.

“Because we’re telling you. We’re here trying to protect you,” you tell her. Morgan walks up behind you, inspecting the dumpster, as another woman, presumably a friend of the girl you’re talking to, goes to her side.

The girl sighs. “A lot of johns from the hill stop by on their way to work,” she explains.

Her friend jumps in. “We always say the same politicians yellin’ about cleanin’ up the hill are the ones droppin’ fifty bucks with us before they make the speech.”

“It’s true,” the first girl says. “And the more important they think they are, the quicker they accidentally finish up with us. It’s weird like that.”

“No, that’s pretty much universal,” Prentiss says. You snort.

Morgan fights a smile, holding up Reid’s sketch. “You recognize him at all?”

“I don’t know his name or nothin,’” the girl says.

Her friend shrugs. “He hangs around, tries to pretend like he’s not watching us. He’s just a horny kid, you know.”

“You didn’t see him talking to any of the other girls out here?” you ask.

The woman shrugs again. “I just figured he’s the kind, gets his little bit of danger, and goes home and takes business into his own hands.”

“Is he the one who did this?” the first girl asks.

“We don’t know,” you tell her.

“But someone did,” Prentiss adds. “So you need to be careful.”

The woman nods. “We stick to the daylight and only work the high-end blocks.”

Prentiss eyes the first girl. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one,” she says immediately. Prentiss glances at Morgan then back at the girl, shaking her head. “Fine, nineteen,” the girl admits.

“Just watch out for each other, okay?” Prentiss says.

They nod and begin to walk away.

“Well, if he is the killer, they obviously don’t see him as a threat,” Prentiss notes to you and Morgan as you walk back to the SUV.

“Looks can be deceiving,” you say, opening the back door and getting in.

“Don’t we know it,” Morgan says, sliding into the driver’s seat. He begins to drive back to the BAU as you continue to discuss the case.

* * * * *

When you get to the office, Hotch is in his office with a woman, so you all go to your desks to wait for him to be done. When the woman walks out, she notices Prentiss and makes a beeline for her, giving her a hug. They exchange pleasantries as you notice Hotch watching from the behind the window of his office, a solemn look on his face. Swallowing, you decide to go let Morgan and Prentiss fill Hotch in, and you head to Garcia’s office to see what she’s doing.

“This is impossible,” you hear Reid say before you enter the room.

“What’s impossible?” you ask.

“Finding this kid with how little we have,” Reid explains.

“It’s not impossible,” Garcia insists.

“There’s nothing in the juvenile offender records,” Reid argues.

Garcia shrugs. “So you think like a high school kid.”

“I was twelve, and I hadn’t been through puberty when I was in high school,” Reid tells her.

“Don’t look at me,” you say. “I was a loner who ate lunch in the computer lab.”

Garcia sighs. “Okay, reset. I think like a high school student. You guys think like profilers.” You both nod. “He said he was a junior, right?” Reid nods. “Okay, so the first rule of the teen years— when talking to an authority figure, always lie and say you’re older. He’s probably a sophomore.”

“Okay,” Reid says. “His coat was lamb’s wool, but it didn’t look vintage. It… fit like it had been tailored to him. That means money.”

“In DC, money means private school,” you add.

“Even a lie has to be within the depth of your own experience, right?” Reid asks.

“Fair enough, fair enough,” Garcia says, nodding.

“Uh….” Reid thinks for a second. “Pull up the district that serves Northwest High.” Garcia begins typing. “Are there any private schools within those boundaries?”

“Uh, three,” Garcia says.

“Do any of them offer elective courses at Georgetown?” Reid asks.

Garcia’s computer beeps. “One. The Morton School.”

“Pull up the junior class,” Reid says.

“Sophomore class,” you correct. Garcia smiles and begins scrolling through the pictures of students as Reid looks over her shoulder.

“Wait wait, stop. There,” Reid says, pointing.

Garcia blows up the picture. “Nathan Harris.”

“We got him,” Reid says, sounding surprised.

“I’ll go tell Hotch,” you say. “And Garcia? You’re awesome.”

“You know it,” she says, smiling at you as you exit the room, heading for Hotch’s office.

You knock on the open door before stepping inside. “Hotch? We have a name.”

He stands up from his desk chair. “Great. I’ll have Gideon and Morgan go with Reid to talk to him. You stay here with Prentiss and JJ.”

You nod. “Got it.” You walk back to your desk and sit down, sighing. You turn on the computer at your desk and begin researching more crime statistics while you wait.

* * * * *

When Gideon, Morgan, and Reid get back, Nathan Harris and his mother walking behind them, they bring Nathan right to the interrogation room while JJ takes his mother to a conference room. You head to the observation room to watch the interrogation.

“Nathan, if you didn’t do it, how’d you know the details of the murder?” Morgan asks.

“‘Cause I saw the body,” Nathan answers. “It was early. It was before school. She-she was dressed in red. She’d been stabbed a lot, and her hair was all chopped off.”

“Where was that?” Morgan asks, leaning on the table as Reid sits in the chair across from Nathan.

“In an alley off of K Street,” Nathan tells him. “They take men down there for sex, I see ‘em do it all the time.”

“What were you doing down there?” This time, it’s Reid who asks the question.

Nathan shakes his head. “I don’t know, I just sort of… end up there sometimes, you know? I-I-I stay out all night, and I just come back in the morning, and if my mom’s at work, I don’t even bother coming home.”

Reid sighs. “Why didn’t you call the police?”

“I don’t know,” Nathan says, shrugging.

Morgan takes a breath. “Nathan, the prostitutes I talked to say you watch them.”

“I’ve never touched them,” Nathan insists.

“You fantasize about having sex with them?” Morgan asks.

Nathan sighs. “No, I told you, I think about killing them.” Morgan and Reid share a look. “Look, after the lecture, I saw you at the metro stop a few times, and I thought maybe you could help me.”

“How?” Reid asks.

“I don’t know,” Nathan answers. “I saw that body and I felt excited and that really scared me.”

“Is it possible that you actually killed those prostitutes, but you just don’t want to admit it to yourself?”

“No,” Nathan says with finality.

“Then why’d you run away from me?” Reid asks.

“‘Cause… I don’t know, I thought you’d say I was crazy and there was no way to stop it.”

Morgan and Reid look at each other again before standing and exiting the room. You walk over to them.

“Wow,” you say.

“Yeah,” Morgan says, sighing.

“What are you gonna tell the mother?” you ask.

“I want to hold him overnight,” Morgan says. “Just in case.” He walks up to where Gideon and Nathan’s mother are sitting. They stand as Morgan approaches. “Ma’am,” Morgan starts, “we’d like to let the juvenile authorities hold him overnight so we can do a psychological evaluation.”

Nathan’s mother looks at him in shock, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this is real.”

“Well, right now it’s just an evaluation,” Gideon tells her. “I’d encourage Nathan to have a lawyer present.”

“I don’t know what he’s going through, but the Nathan I know is a sweet boy,” Nathan’s mother insists.

Reid nods. “I believe you.”

“Do we have your permission?” Gideon asks. Nathan’s mother sighs and nods.

“I’ll show you where to sign the paperwork,” Reid says, walking away with the mother just as Prentiss comes over.

“The juvenile authorities are waiting for Nathan Harris,” she tells Gideon.

“He’s in interrogation,” Gideon says.

Prentiss nods. “Is he our unsub?”

Morgan shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t think so,” you chime in. “I think he’s just scared of his mind.”

“He says he didn’t do it,” Morgan adds. “He actually seems sincere. But he’s a smart kid. And part of the sexual-sadist profile is the ability to mimic honesty and sincerity.” Morgan shrugs and walks away.

“Well, I’m going to go bring Nathan to the juvenile authorities,” Prentiss tells you.

“I’ll come with you,” you say, walking next to her. “Not like there’s anything else for me to do.”

She opens the door to the interrogation room and steps inside. “The police are here for you,” she tells Nathan, who nods and stands. The two of you escort him down the hall.

“Dr. Reid?” Nathan says as you approach Reid and the authorities.

“Yeah?” Reid says. Prentiss nods at you and walks away. You move to stand next to where Garcia is sitting on the corner of Reid’s desk.

“I know I, um, don’t deserve any favors,” Nathan says, “but whatever my psych eval says, you promise you’ll tell me the truth?” Reid nods. “Uh, my mom says a promise doesn’t count unless you say it out loud.”

Reid chuckles. “I promise.”

Nathan nods. “Okay, thank you.” The juvenile authorities escort him out of the room.

“You know,” Garcia says, “he might’ve killed two women. It’s not your job to hold his hand through this.”

Reid sighs. “It’s like with my mom. I used to think that is I could just understand absolutely everything there is to know about schizophrenia, then I’d somehow be able to fix it.” Your heart hurts for him.

Garcia smiles sadly. “You can’t.” She opens her mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by Hotch.

“Hey guys, I need everybody in the conference room. If Nathan Harris isn’t our unsub, we need a working profile.” You nod and follow him to the conference room, sparing a sad glance back at Reid. When you get there, JJ is standing in front of the TV screen, which is displaying pictures of the victims.

“DC Police sent us these photos of the first victim,” she says as you take a seat next to Prentiss.

“This was the unsub’s first kill,” Hotch says as JJ flips through the photos on the screen. “He held his urges in check for three months, and when he couldn’t control them anymore, he sent this message to the police.” JJ clicks to the picture of the second victim’s carved belly. “We know the ‘HELP’ and the hesitation marks mean he was ambivalent about the kill. What we don’t know is why he chopped the hair.”

“It’s weird that he didn’t take it with him, right?” you say. “Means it’s not a trophy.”

“It’s probably a way to minimize some of their power, robs them of their femininity,” Gideon says.

“That fits with him killing during the early morning,” Reid notes. “It’s the time when prostitutes have the least power sexually as opposed to the night, when he might see them as being on the prowl.”

“Hey, I know we’re just spitballing this here, but this profile points to Nathan Harris,” Prentiss says.

“I don’t wanna talk about Nathan Harris,” Hotch says.

“She’s right, though,” you say.

Morgan nods. “He reached out for help. This is an adolescent kid. He’s probably intimidated sexually. I don’t care how many times he says he didn’t do it, he knew about the last victim, and he admitted to getting off on seeing her dead.”

“We’ve got Nathan Harris. It doesn’t do us any good to talk about him now,” Hotch insists. “I just wanna make sure that if it’s not him, we stay on top of this thing before it takes on a life of it’s own.”

“All right, all right, all right, all right,” Gideon says. “We know our unsub is a sexual sadist.

“The symbolism of stabbing them probably means that he’s impotent,” Prentiss adds.

“The only way he can get off is by killing,” Morgan says.

“Considering that cutting their hair and killing during the early morning, both stem from feeling powerless, there’s a chance his pathology’s more than sexual,” Reid says.

“What do you mean?” you ask, frowning.

“This is DC. Power’s the most important commodity,” Reid notes. “Maybe this guy feels impotent in his professional life, as well.”

“But why these particular women?” Morgan asks.

“Simplest answer is that he has access,” Reid answers.

“Well, Northwest DC has three major hubs of prostitution— near Florida Avenue, off Logan Circle, and McPherson Square,” JJ tells you, drawing up a map of the area with her remote. “Where the victims were found.”

“Probably works in or around Capitol Hill,” Gideon concludes.

“Well, I’ll go back out on the street in the morning and see if any of these women know someone who fits that description,” Prentiss says.

“I’ll come with,” you say. She nods.

“Good,” Hotch says. “It’s late. Let’s go home.”

JJ frowns. “Um, shouldn’t we get word out to the papers?”

“Not yet,” Hotch says.

“Well, it’s not too late to make the morning edition,” JJ reminds him.

“I said no,” Hotch says firmly, turning and walking away. JJ shares a look with you as you follow him, going to your desk to grab your things before heading home.

* * * * *

In the morning, you and Prentiss meet up at the BAU before driving together to the area you spoke with the women yesterday. When you get there, a new alley is taped off with yellow crime scene tape.

“Looks like Nathan Harris isn’t our unsub,” you say as you exit the SUV. You and Prentiss cross the crime scene tape and find yourselves faced with the body of the girl you talked to yesterday. A new word is carved into her stomach.

“‘Failure,’” Prentiss reads. “You think he’s talking to the police?”

You shrug. “It would fit with his last message. A failure to help him stop killing.”

Prentiss reaches down and takes out the victim’s wallet. She sighs, shaking her head. “She was only sixteen.”

Morgan, Reid, and Hotch walk up behind you. “He’s getting angrier and blaming the police for not stopping his impulses,” Hotch says as Morgan crouches down next to Prentiss.

“Certainly not cooling off between kills anymore,” Reid notes.

“Which means we’re looking at a whole lot of bodies,” Morgan says solemnly.

“Meanwhile, in two days, Congresswoman Steyer’s gonna stand up at the Capitol and declare Washington crime-free,” Hotch says.

“That seems a little premature,” you say.

“Hey, what did she want with you the other day, anyway?” Prentiss asks Hotch. You try to make eye contact with her to get her to drop the question but fail.

“It was a private conversation,” Hotch says, his voice short.

Prentiss nods. “Right, of course. I’m sorry.”

“Well, this just confirms Nathan Harris isn’t our unsub,” Morgan says.

Prentiss nods. “Y/L/N said the same thing. Should we call Gideon and tell him not to bother with the eval?”

“No,” Reid says. “He wants to understand what’s happening to him. He deserves to know.”

“Probably a good thing to go through with it, anyway— see if we have anything to worry about in the future,” you add.

Hotch nods. “Let’s head back to the office. There’s nothing left for us here.”

*   *   *   *   *

Back at the BAU, you sit down at your desk as Hotch turns to Prentiss. “Can I see you in my office for a second, please?” She nods and follows him up the stairs as you grimace, figuring he’s still upset about her asking about his meeting with the Congresswoman.

You fidget in your seat as you wait for her to exit Hotch’s office, fighting the urge to look in that direction. When she does come and sit down at her desk across from you, she’s frowning.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think it was about you,” you tell her quietly. “He’s been weird ever since the Congresswoman talked to him in his office the other day.”

Prentiss sighs, leaning back in her chair and stretching. “I don’t think he trusts me.”

“He will,” you assure her, frowning. “And I know that for a fact.”

She chuckles. “Oh, you do, do you?”

You shoot her a grin. “From another universe, remember? I know things,” you say with a wink, gesturing to yourself.

“Don’t remind me,” she tells you, smiling. “You’ll give me an existential crisis every time I remember I’m just a character in some TV show.”

Laughing, you shake your head. “The way I look at it is that the creator of that TV show was just able to somehow see into this universe and just thought it was an original idea. Does that make it better?”

She nods contemplatively, chewing her bottom lip. “That does make sense,” she says slowly. “At least, as much as any of this whole situation makes sense.”

*   *   *   *   *

The rest of the day drags on, and right when you’re about to leave for the night, Reid gets a call from Nathan Harris’ mother, telling him that Nathan isn’t in his room. You volunteer to go with Reid and Morgan to look for him.

“He’s gotta be out here, right?” Reid says from the passenger seat as Morgan slowly drives down the streets where Nathan had said he watches the prostitutes, looking for the boy. “Where else would he be?”

“No, I agree,” you tell him, peering out the window of the SUV to see if you can spot him.

“I still can’t believe his mother’s not out here searching for him,” Morgan says.

“I told her it’d be better if she waited for him at home,” Reid says.

Morgan glances over at Reid. “Reid, you know this is not your responsibility.”

“It is,” Reid argues. “I-I can’t explain.”

“Well, maybe just try,” you say.

Reid sighs. “He knows I understand him.”

“Of course you do, you’re a profiler,” Morgan says.

“No, it’s more than that,” Reid tells you.

“How so?” you ask.

Reid is silent for a moment before answering. “I know what it’s like to be afraid of your own mind.” No one says anything for a minute before he decides to change the subject. “What’s up with Hotch today?”

Morgan chuckles. “I don’t know. Maybe he tied that knot in his tie a little too tight again.”

You and Reid laugh. “Funny,” you tell Morgan, still smiling. “But seriously, I was just talking to Prentiss about how he’s been off ever since his meeting with that Congresswoman yesterday.”

“Isn’t she the one who introduced that anti-crime bill a few months ago?” Reid points out.

“You know what, I think you’re right,” Morgan says.

“If so, it makes sense,” you say. “She probably heard that we have a potential serial killer in DC and wants it kept quiet so it doesn’t look like her initiative isn’t working.”

“I—” Morgan starts to say something but is interrupted by his phone ringing. He flips it open and puts it to his ear. “Yeah.” There’s a pause. “Okay. We’re on our way.” He closes his cell phone and sighs, glancing at Reid. “They just found a body.”

“At night?” You frown. “Either the unsub is devolving, or….” You don’t finish, but you’re sure they both know what you mean: or it was Nathan Harris.

You’re at the scene in less that two minutes since you were already in the area. You follow Morgan and Reid up the steps to find the victim lying in a pool of her own blood, a dark red spot on her abdomen greatly contrasting with the white fabric of her dress. Gideon is already there, looking down at the body.

“I’d say he’s getting bolder,” Morgan notes.

Gideon glances at him, frowning. “If it’s the same unsub.”

“Think it could’ve been Nathan?” Reid asks.

“This kill was fast and messy,” Gideon says.

You motion towards the victim’s head. “Her hair wasn’t cut.”

“No message carved,” Morgan adds.

“Not to mention killing at night.” Gideon shakes his head. “None of it’s our unsub’s signature.”

An officer comes up the stairs behind us. “Excuse me, Agent? They found the boy you’re looking for.”

You, Morgan, and Reid move to follow the officer. He leads you down the stairs and across the street to a church. “Says he’s been here four hours,” he reports as you all step inside. You spot Nathan sitting in a pew. He doesn’t turn around.

Reid moves to sit next to him. “You had a lot of people worried.”

“Sorry,” Nathan says, slowly looking over at Reid.

“Told that policeman that you’ve been here four hours?” Reid asks carefully.

Nathan sighs, looking down at his lap. “I snuck out, and I started walking, like I couldn’t control it, so… I figured I’d come here and try and fight it.”

“Has anybody seen you here?” Reid asks.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Nathan says, shaking his head.

“But it does matter, Nathan. A woman was stabbed tonight, and nobody saw you.” Reid pauses. “I’m gonna have to bring you in as a suspect.”

Nathan doesn’t react, seeming resigned to the outcome. “You gonna cuff me?” he says finally, looking at Reid. Reid turns his attention to Morgan, who slowly takes out his handcuffs and hands them to Reid.

Reid takes the cuffs, standing. “Let’s go,” he says to Nathan quietly.

Nathan stands and holds out his hands. “Do you wanna know what I’ve been doing all night?” Reid hums in response, placing the handcuffs over Nathan’s wrists. “Just been sitting here, thinking… the only way for me to save people’s lives in the future… is to kill myself.”

Reid doesn’t answer, instead leading Nathan out the door and into the back of the SUV.

* * * * *

After you, Morgan, and Reid drop Nathan Harris off at the police station, you head back to the BAU. Reid goes straight to the coffee machine and makes himself a coffee. You and Gideon wait for him before making to walk back to your desks.

“So, Nathan’s in custody?” JJ comes up from behind you and walks beside Reid.

“They’re holding him downtown,” Reid tells her.

“You really think he killed that last woman?” she asks.

“It’s possible….”

“But…?” JJ prompts.

Reid sighs. “Nathan’s evolving. This last kill, it feels like a devolution.”

“It was sloppy and angry,” Gideon adds as he starts up the stairs to the conference room. “Nathan’s smart and directed. He’s used to achieving. If he decides to kill, it’ll be clinical and efficient.”

“So where does that leave us?” JJ says.

Gideon sighs. “Back to the profile.”

You all take your seats around the table in the conference room, the rest of the team already there. Hotch clicks the remote, pulling up a picture of the first victim. “First victim, he gets a taste for killing,” Hotch says before changing the photo to show the second victim. “Second, he asks the police to help stop him. By the third, he feels like they’re failed him. He’s already devolving. The fourth, no ritual, no message. Just a brutal murder.”

“It’s true that he’s devolving, but this last victim definitely had a message,” Gideon counters. “You don’t dump a body across from the Capitol building by accident.”

“Especially not when a Congresswoman is about to proclaim success against the crime epidemic,” Prentiss adds.

“Exactly,” Gideon says.

“Guys, that press conference wasn’t announced yet,” JJ points out. “Only someone with inside information would know that.”

“We profiled that the unsub felt impotent in his job,” Reid says. “What’s more powerless than being a bit player on the Washington stage?”

“You know, if he felt like he did his part to clear the prostitutes off the street, but was never heard, he might have felt so personally betrayed that he literally had to carve his frustrations out on those women,” Morgan says.

“So you’re saying the profile was right,” you say.

Reid jumps in. “Exactly, we were just wrong about who the message was for.”

“We need to get a list of anyone who advocated on behalf of that bill,” Gideon says.

“Prentiss, Y/L/N, when you two went back to talk to the prostitutes, did the profile ring a bell with any of them?” Hotch asks.

“A couple described what sounded like it could be the same man,” you say.

“We tried showing them mugshots but we came up empty,” Prentiss adds.

Hotch contemplates the information before nodding. “Let’s go back to them. We’re gonna need their help.”

“What are you thinking about, Hotch?” Morgan asks.

“I need to get a message to Congresswoman Steyer,” he says.

“Well, a press conference announcing that DC has a serial killer would be the easiest way to do that,” you say. “She’d be pissed.”

Hotch nods, looking to JJ. “How quickly can we put a together a press conference?”

JJ smiles. “How fast do you need it?”

“Tomorrow morning is fine,” Hotch tells her. “The rest of you can head home for the night. We’ll continue this tomorrow after the press conference.”

*   *   *   *   *

The next morning, you find yourself with Reid in Garcia’s office, trying to narrow down the list of suspects.

“Garcia, can you search people who are involved with research or advocacy groups dealing with crime control or prevention?” Reid asks.

Garcia types away at her keyboard. “I’m gonna need a little more than that.”

“The lower the group is on the Washington food chain, the better,” Reid adds.

You nod. “This guy feels like he’s not being heard, and he’s targeting prostitutes, so definitely check the groups with a theme centered around morality or values.”

Garcia sighs, shaking her head. “Okay, reality check. What you’re looking for— needle. This? Haystack.”

“Garcia, we don’t have to find it,” Reid says.

You frown. “We don’t?”

He shakes his head. “We just have to get to the people who can.”

Garcia continues typing. “Okay, I’ll let you know once I have something.”

“Thanks, PG,” you tell her, patting her on the shoulder as you walk out of her office and go to your desk. You notice Hotch’s press conference playing on a TV in the corner of the room.

“May I have your attention please,” Hotch says on the TV as he steps up to the podium, JJ at his side. “A day from now, there will be an announcement across the street on the steps of the Capitol that crime is down significantly in Washington. This is a fact. It is also a fact, however, that there’s a serial killer who’s been targeting the prostitutes who work in this area. In fact, the last victim was found not a hundred yards from where we’re standing. We’re here today to let you know that the police and the FBI are working tirelessly on this case.”

“We’d like to stress to the woman who work on these streets to please take caution,” JJ says. “All right, first I’m going to give a brief description of the man we’re looking for, and then we’ll take some questions. We believe the man responsible for these crimes works on or around Capitol Hill, possibly at a research or advocacy group dealing with issues of crime control or prevention.”

Your attention is drawn away from the TV when you notice Prentiss walking into the room, followed by the women you interviewed who recognized the profile. You stand and make your way over to her, saying hello to the women as they’re lead to the conference room. Reid is already there, standing off to the side. You all sit down around the table, and you and Prentiss make small talk to ease their nerves.

After a few minutes, Hotch leads Congresswoman Steyer into the room. “That was fast,” you mutter to Prentiss, who stands to greet her.

The Congresswoman ignores Prentiss and turns to Hotch. “Just what point are you trying to make?”

“These women described similar experiences with the same man,” Hotch says. “We showed them police mug photos and they didn’t recognize him. We thought maybe you might know who he is.”

Congresswoman Steyer rolls her eyes. “Did you think you could shock me by treating me to this sideshow?”

You clear your throat as the woman across from you glares at the Congresswoman. “Sideshow?” she scoffs.

The woman to her right shakes her head. “Lady, enough of the men you work with treat themselves to us every day.”

The Congresswoman, to her credit, has the grace to look apologetic for her outburst. “My apologies, ladies.”

“Could you please tell the Congresswoman who it is we’re looking for?” Prentiss asks politely.

“He’s tall and bald, and he’s got sad eyes,” the first woman says.

“He was always wearing a turtleneck with this long, dark coat,” the woman all the way to the right says. “Looked like a mortician.”

The second woman nods. “That’s right. Hung around just watching for months before he finally got his nerve on. But then he just wanted to watch.”

“Freak paid me and Racine 200 bucks to turn each other’s knobs,” the third woman adds. “But then he started screaming at us that we were just low women.

“Same thing with me,” the first woman reports, “and his voice got real high and nasal when he got excited.”

“Does that sound like anyone that you know?” Hotch asks the Congresswoman.

She looks at Hotch. “No.”

Reid steps forward. “I’m gonna read you a list of groups that lobbied on behalf of your legislation. Keeping in mind the description you just heard, tell me if anyone associated with these groups could be the man we’re looking for. Uh, The Crime Policy Institute, The Center for Safety, Citizens’ Brigade, Decency Watch, um—”

“Oh my God,” Congresswoman Steyer says, interrupting Reid.

“So, Decency Watch?” you ask.

“The man who runs it,” the Congresswoman says.

“Ronald Weems,” Reid says.

“Do you know him?” Hotch asks.

“No,” the Congresswoman says, then shakes her head. “I-I mean, yes, but he’s a nobody.”

Prentiss takes a step forward. “But he fits this description?”

“Perfectly,” Congresswoman Steyer says with a nod.

You and Prentiss share a look as Hotch turns to the prostitutes. “Thank you for your help,” he tells them.

“We can go now?” the middle one asks.

Hotch nods. “That’s all we needed.” The three woman stand and begin to file out of the room as Prentiss leads them out.

You turn to the Congresswoman. “Congresswoman Steyer, I can walk you out.”

She nods. “Thank you.” You nod in response, escorting her to the elevator before returning to Hotch.

“So, what’s our next move, boss?” you ask.

“I’m going to take Morgan and Gideon to Weems’ residence, see if he’s there. You stay here in case he’s not and we need to look for him.”

You nod. “Got it.” You head back to your desk and sit down to wait.

* * * * *

Less than an hour later, your phone rings. The caller ID tells you it’s Hotch.

“Was he there?” you ask.

“No,” he says. “I need you, Prentiss, and Reid to head to the area the bodies were found and start looking. We’ll meet you there.”

“Will do.” You close the phone and slip it into your back pocket, rising from your chair. “Reid, Prentiss, we’re up,” you tell them, both looking up at you from their own desks.

About forty-five minutes later, you’re out in the night, holding a picture of Ronald Weems up to everyone you meet.

“Have you seen this man?” You ask a homeless woman. She shakes her head so you move on to the next person and ask the same question. You make your way down the street as Prentiss makes her way up it, doing the same thing. When you meet up, you look to her hopefully, but she shakes her head.

“Damn,” you say. “Me either.” You both turn to head down an alley to your right, where Morgan is asking another prostitute.

“Nothing?” he asks you.

“No, you?” Prentiss asks. He sighs and shakes his head.

“Well, he’s gotta be out here somewhere,” you say as the three of you make to exit the alleyway. Suddenly, you hear a whistle blowing. You spare a glance at Prentiss as you all break into a run.

As you run up to where Hotch has his gun pointed at Ronald Weems, one of the women you talked to on the first day of the case runs up to Weems, pulling out a can of mace and spraying it into his face. Weems yells in pain as Morgan pulls the woman away.

“He killed my friend!” she yells, struggling against Morgan.

“I know he did, stop it!” Morgan says as Hotch cuffs Weems, who’s kneeling on the ground.

“She maced me!” Weems exclaims.

“Yeah, she did,” Prentiss says, her hand on her gun. You snort.

“They said they’d clean ‘em off the streets,” Weems says as Hotch leads him to the police car that just pulled up to the curb, siren blaring and lights flashing. “They lied! What was I supposed to do?! I had to do something!”

Hotch forces Weems into the backseat of the cruiser, shutting the door and cutting off Weems’ tirade. With the unsub in custody and nothing left to do, you and Prentiss start walking down the sidewalk in the direction of your SUV.

*   *   *   *   *

Back at the office, you sit down at your desk to finish up some paperwork before you leave for the night. You’re almost ready to go when Garcia walks up to Reid at his desk, followed by Nathan Harris.

“Hey,” she says, gesturing over her shoulder at the boy.

Reid stands as she walks away. “Hey,” he says to Nathan.

“Hi,” Nathan says, holding his arm nervously.

“I heard the juvenile authorities let you go today,” Reid says. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

Nathan shakes his head. “Mm, it’s all right.”

Reid looks around the room. “Where’s your mom?”

“Oh, she had to go back to work. I told her I was coming to see you.” Nathan sighs. “So, were you there when they caught him?”

Reid nods. “Yeah, I was.”

“Did he say how long he knew what he was?” Nathan asks.

“No,” Reid says, shaking his head.

“Do you think it’s possible for me to maybe talk to him or….”

“I’m sorry.” Reid shakes his head again. “You’re not him. Who we are is— it’s constantly evolving.” He chuckles. “I’m a lot older than you, and I-I’m changing all the time. You know, this-this job changes me. You’ve changed me. You sought me out to try to understand how not to harm people. That’s a far more important part of who you are than the one that scares you.”

Nathan looks down. “My mom wants to… have me go to a hospital for a little bit.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea,” Reid suggests.

“You know, once they lock me up, they’re never gonna let me out of there,” Nathan says sadly.

Reid chuckles. “You don’t know that.”

Nathan shrugs. “Whatever. I just came to say goodbye.”

“When you going in?” Reid asks.

Nathan swallows. “Supposed to be tomorrow. So last night of freedom.” He pauses. “I don’t know, I— thank you for caring.”

Reid shakes Nathan’s hand and Nathan turns to walk away. You stand and pat Reid on the shoulder. “You did good with him,” you tell him.

“You think so?” he says with a frown, watching Nathan walk away.

You nod. “I do. And I think you may have saved some lives in the process.”

Reid gives you a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” you say. You fight back a yawn. “All right, I think I’m gonna head out. See you tomorrow.”

“‘Night,” Reid says with a smile as you walk back to your desk and shut off your computer, grabbing your backpack and walking down the hallway to Garcia’s office to say a quick goodbye.

You’re almost home when your cell phone rings. You groan and answer it. “Please do not tell me we—” You’re interrupted by Garcia’s panicked voice. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, slow down. What’s wrong?”

“I, uh, I was with Reid, and we were gonna go hit a bar, and he got a phone call, and now we’re with Nathan Harris because he slit his wrists and I—”

You curse, turning your car around. “Okay, okay, Garcia, just breathe. I’m on my way. Where are you?”

She gives you the address in a shaky voice. “There-there was just so much blood and I— oh God, Y/N.”

“It’s gonna be okay. I’m assuming the ambulance is there?”

“Yeah, they, uh, they just got here. I-I’m gonna call Morgan, okay?” she says.

“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” you tell her. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

Within fifteen minutes, you’re there. You step out of the car and walk over to the ambulance, where Nathan is laid out on a stretcher. You spare a minute to ask the paramedic how Nathan’s doing before you step away to look for Garcia. You spot her off the side and immediately go up to her and wrap her in your arms.

“Oh, Y/N,” she says.

“Are you okay?” you ask, leaning back to examine her. Her hands are stained red with blood, a bloody towel held tightly in her grasp.

“It was horrible,” she says, her voice shaking.

“Garcia!” You turn around to see Morgan jogging over to you. “Baby Girl, are you all right?”

“She’s shaken up, but unharmed,” you tell him as he pulls her into a hug.

“How did she know to call Reid?” Morgan asks her after a minute.

Garcia takes a shaky breath. “Nathan set Reid’s business card on the table before he cut himself, like a suicide note.”

“The paramedics say you and Reid saved his life,” you tell her softly.

Garcia glances over at the ambulance before quickly looking away. She sighs. “He didn’t want us to save him. He kept telling Reid to let him die.”

“He’s sick,” Morgan tells her, rubbing her arm.

“All I keep thinking is what if he eventually kills someone,” she whispers. “What if someone dies because we saved him?”

“It wouldn’t be your fault,” you tell her firmly.

“Profiles can be wrong, you know,” Morgan points out, though he doesn’t look convinced.

“And if it’s not, then we’ll find him and catch him,�� you say. “Now come on, let’s get you home.”

You and Morgan walk Garcia to her car. Morgan tries to convince her to let him drive her home, but she refuses, not wanting to leave her car, which you come to learn she’s lovingly named Esther. Morgan settles for following her home to make sure she gets there safe, and you wave goodbye and head back to your car, finally ready to go home and sleep.

NOTE: If you think I missed any trigger warnings, please let me know!

#Emily Prentiss #BAU!reader #reader #BAU #Behavioral Analysis Unit #shamelessly self indulgent #writing #fanfiction #fanfic #crossposted on ao3 #Criminal Minds #canon compliant #Emily Prentiss x reader #my writing #Emily Prentiss x you #Emily Prentiss x BAU!reader #Emily Prentiss x Y/N #I'm bad at summaries #Prentiss x reader #Prentiss x you #Prentiss x BAU!reader #Prentiss x Y/N #Emily Prentiss fanfiction #Criminal Minds fanfiction #Stranger In A Not So Strange Land #f!reader

[crazyintheeast]

I honestly can’t wait for the new Harry Potter Remake series by HBO because I literally have no doubt it will be a complete and utter shit show. And no it’s not just because J.K.R is a walking PR disaster. It’s because the Harry Potter books themselves are just not very good. Yes among all her other flaws Rowling is just not a very good writer. Everybody who can shake off the nostalgia for a few seconds and actually look at the books objectively can see it for themselves. It worked back in the day because it was primarily aimed at kids and we were too young and just vibed with it but now?. Do you think it’s a coincidence that there are literally thousands and thousands of Harry Potter fanfics with vastly vastly superior writing? Far better plot, world building,characters development ...basically everything? Do you think that it’s a coincidence that all of J.K.R’s attempts at writing something other then HP failed miserably? Now if the show was based in the actual Harry Potter universe and the writers were given free rein you could have a fantastic success because essentially you will be filming one big fanfic where you can remove all of JKR nonsense but no. Not only are they remaking the movies in a series format but JKR is also going to be involved with it. The sheer amount of money HBO will lose as season after season the show massively loses audience between the cheap source material overwhelming the leftover nostalgia and JKR inevitable public blunders....it will make the last season of GOT look like a success. It will be hilarious .Here is my prediction of what will happen : 1.The first episode will be the most watched HBO product ever. Everyone will tune it to watch it and the reception will be lukewarm at best. People who hate JKR will loudly boycott it, JKR cultists and terf will rabidly support it and blame any problem on “woke” HBO. The majority will simply be disappointed and go on about how the movies are still perfect and this was not needed 2. As the first season goes on it will start bleeding viewers. Halfway through JKR will again say something monumentally stupid and probably like a nazi tweet or something. The OG cast will be incredibly kind and protective over the new actors but will be passive aggressive towards JKR and the show in general

3. In season 2 JKR will again say something bigoted and someone from the cast will speak out. Yes JKR will have an online beef with a 13 year old. This combined with even further decline in viewers will cause HBO to officially limit JKR’s involvement. This will trigger JKR’s and her cult so badly she will have a threeway beef with a 13 year old and HBO

4. In season 3 things will slightly improve quality wise with the show as it’s no longer strangled by JKR but it’s too late. The viewrship is too low to justify this budget After a shortened season HBO announces that the series will be finished with TV movies

5. HBO loses a shit ton of money from this project

#Harry Potter

[charthanry]

I saw your last ask and it reminds me of how I’m always confused as to why people think Pat fell in love first because don’t you need to know that it’s love you are feeling to have fallen in love? That’s not saying Pat wasn’t always drawn to Pran but I don’t think he properly fell until episode 5. Then he looked back into his memories and realised that it was romantic love. Had he actually fallen as a teen he wouldn’t have dated people and would’ve noticed Pran writing songs about his feelings for Pat and pursued him. But I’m so confused and probably wrong!

For those who missed it, this is in response to a separate ask on who I thought fell first between Pat and Pran. You can read my answer to that ask here.

Hello anon! I think this is a valid question, one that I'm sure you're not the only one confused by. You're not wrong! We've said repeatedly that Pat is an emotionally intelligent person so how is it possible that he completely misses that his feelings for Pran are less than rivalry-fueled and altogether more than friendly? It seems unfathomable, right? He's a smart guy and highly observant with an innate talent for reading people. He's proven this consistently throughout the series. So, what are we missing?

My simple answer? Pat is that much of an idiot when it comes to his own feelings. He needed his LITTLE SISTER to help him figure out if someone was into him. She literally has to spell it out for him, well, count (ON HER FINGERS because apparently Pat needs the VISUAL??) and list it out for him step-by-step. He's that much of a doofus, sadly, when it comes to relationships. He's been tricked and scammed by girls in the past, so I'd say when it involves himself and a love interest? Pat is Steve Carell's character in the 40-year-old virgin, only WORSE if you can imagine it. 

So, Pat being an idiot, goes through his adolesence alongside Pran, thinking he’s fun, the rilvary is harmless so long as they both report to their parents what they want to hear, they’re left to their own antics. They both know the script by heart and can play their parts automatically – satisfying the parents is easy and routine at this point.

Through the years, Pat learns that if he pokes at Pran, he’ll get a reaction and inexplicably finds pleasure in it. After all, he’s annoying his rival and that's all this is about, right? Pran is amusing and Pat likes seeing him smirk back at him – every once in a while he even gets a bemused head shake that ends in a genuine smile. It sometimes makes his chest do this weird flippy thing, but that’s probably because he slept on it wrong or needs more vitamins or something. He should probably see his pediatrician about it. No biggie. But that can wait, because right now Pran is about to pull out his guitar and show off to the other kids in class and Pat can’t let him get away with it. He eyes the classroom broom and decides that Shakira’s right, hips don’t lie and he’s going to let them do the talkin’.

Like I said, he’s an idiot. What do you even see in him, Pran? Run before it’s too late for you. Save yourself.

But jokes aside, I do think it's possible for someone like Pat to have feelings and not recognize that it's love. He's never experienced it before, how could he know that's what this is? I don’t think what he’s experienced in the past could even be considered dating. Girls would flatter him and get him to buy things for them and because Pat is generous with EVERYBODY he does, only for the girl to ditch him once she gets what she wants. There’s no way Pat would equate any of that with love. Even Pat has more self-respect for himself than that.

We already know what he feels towards Ink is comradery. Here’s a girl that he enjoys spending time with, who doesn’t want him to buy things for her, she’s nice and easy to talk to, maybe this could lead to something more? It should be that simple right? Shouldn’t you want to be friends first? Only, none of Pa’s love signs work on Ink and if Pat is honest with himself, he’s not feeling it work on him either. Ink, as it turns out is Pat’s female-Korn, only nicer to look at, infinitely smarter, and less likely to get Pat into shitty situations.

So, Pat being oblivious, may not recognize that what he’s felt for Pran all this time is romantic love. We see it in his look of complete bewilderment in the music store. We see it in his agression with Wai. Why does Wai get to be next to you? That's my spot. That’s always been my spot going all the way back to grade school. Who does Wai think he is to slot himself in my place? And why are you letting him?! 

And again on the roof when it finally clicks into place for him. He loves Pran. That's what this is. And if Pat is honest with himself, which he always is, that's what this has always been. He realizes it now. He knew Pran wasn't an option then, so he teased and poked to make sure Pran's eyes never looked anywhere else but at him. Maybe Pat was subconsciously biding his time. And maybe, just maybe, the timing is finally right that Pran can be an option now. Well, he'll just have to kiss him and find out. 

#bad buddy #bad buddy series #pat x pran #pran x pat #bbs #is Pat that much of an idiot to not recognize his own feelings for Pran??? #Yes #Yes he is #anonymous #my asks #anon #asks

[olivemac]

heartbeat | chapter seven | b.b.

Summary | When Steve Rogers asks Kate Stark to find the Winter Soldier, she gets too involved.

Notes | Captain America: Civil War re-write, essentially. Starts just after the events of CA: Winter Soldier.

Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc, Bucky Barnes x Stark!oc

Genre | romance

Rating | explicit

Story Warnings | mild angst, fluff, romance tropes, so many romance tropes, coarse language, alcohol use, canon-typical violence, smut (m/f), oral sex (f&m receiving), 18+ ONLY

Chapter Warnings | mild angst, coarse language, oral sex (m receiving), smut (m/f), 18+ ONLY

Citation | Russo, J., & Russo, A. (2016). Captain America: Civil War. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

A/N #1: The end is here. Let me know what you think. I'm considering continuing this through TFATWS, but we'll see what time allows.

A/N #2: Very, very minor spoiler (reference) for TFATWS episode 4.

master list | AO3 link

_____

prev chapter

_____

T'Challa contacts Steve to tell him of Zemo's arrest and to offer refuge in Wakanda for a while.

"He also says they may be able to remove the Winter Soldier programming from your head, Buck," Steve tells Bucky and Kate.

Bucky looks almost hopeful, if not a little uncertain. Kate reaches over and takes his hand in her own, squeezing it lightly. It's the first real interaction they've had since she cleaned his wounds when they boarded the Quinjet, and, as much as he hates to admit it, her touch makes his heart flutter. He just wishes she'd talk to him, tell him what she's thinking. Instead, she drops his hand and makes herself busy cleaning up medical supplies.

Steve sets the coordinates for Wakanda, and Kate keeps her distance from Bucky for the rest of the flight.

_____

Wakanda is more beautiful than Kate, Bucky, or Steve ever could have imagined. T'Challa greets them as they descend the Quinjet ramp and leads them into the palace.

"Tonight, you will eat and rest, and tomorrow we will see what we can do for your friend," T'Challa says, clapping Steve on the shoulder.

_____

When Kate emerges from the shower, there are clean clothes and a plate of food in the room she's been given. She changes and eats, and then lays on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying not to think about Tony hitting her with that stunning blast. She struggles to block out the ache in her chest that forms when she remembers the mixture of rage and grief on his face, but soon hot tears are rolling down her cheeks. She lays there for a while, crying until she’s sure she doesn’t have any tears left.

She can't remember the last time she felt so unmoored. For the last two years, her almost sole focus has been Bucky. First, finding him. Then...she shakes her head, loving him.What a fucking cliche, she thinks, falling in love with the ex-assassin who killed her parents. But she can't help that being away from him hurts more than the knowledge that he was there that night in December because she knows it wasn't him, it wasn't Bucky. HYDRA took everything from her. He was just the weapon they used.

Kate wipes her face and gets to her feet. Without another thought, she's in the hallway and knocking on Bucky's door. The urge to see him is overwhelming.

When Bucky opens the door, Kate's on him before he can fully process that she’s there, her arms around his neck and her lips on his. It takes a moment for the shock to wear off, but then he’s kissing her back, pulling her into him with his one good arm and letting the door close behind them.

Kate’s hands are hot on his chest, pushing his borrowed undershirt up until he pulls it over his head and tosses it aside. She does the same with her own tank. When her shirt is off, she moves to kiss him again, but Bucky takes her chin in his hand and looks into her eyes. Her pupils are blown wide, and her heartbeat is frantic. Kate's ferocious in her need for him, and it makes his heart swell with pride.

He drops his hand from her face and hooks his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him again and kissing her soundly. Kate's fingers tug at the waistband of his sweatpants, and Bucky pushes them down his legs, along with his boxers, before helping her out of her own pants and underwear. She sinks to her knees in front of him and places a trail of kisses across his right hipbone, then the left. She moves her lips hotly across the thick shaft of his cock and runs her tongue over the vein that stretches from base to tip.

When Kate takes him fully into her mouth, Bucky lets out a groan so deep he thinks he can feel it reverberating in his toes. She works her mouth over him a few times before Bucky's hand caresses her cheek and guides her off his cock with a slick pop. He pulls Kate to her feet and kisses her, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. They stumble to the bed, and Bucky lets himself fall backward, bringing Kate with him. She slides down the length of his cock so slowly he thinks he might combust, and when she sets a brutal pace, her thighs squeezing against his hips, Bucky's toes curl, and he has to take deep breaths to stop himself from coming too soon.

Watching Kate over him like this, watching her breasts bounce with each of his upward thrusts and her fingers dance over the place where they're joined, Bucky thinks this is the closest thing to salvation he might ever have. She comes quickly, clenching around him and falling forward onto his chest. Kate places a series of kisses across his scarred left shoulder. The Wakandan medical team removed what was left of the damaged arm and sealed his shoulder with a cap. But Bucky isn't thinking of his lost arm right now; he's only thinking of the fire in his belly that is catching, spreading down his legs and up his chest as he keeps rutting up into Kate's body. She pushes herself up again, leaning her hands on his chest and works him through his own pleasure.

Bucky comes with a roar and clasps Kate's body against his own. She presses wet kisses against his neck as they both catch their breaths, and when she lifts her head to look him in the eye, she's smiling brightly.

"Hi," she whispers.

"Hi," he returns.

She kisses him again, slowly this time.

"I love you," she says, her fingers grazing his stubbled cheek.

"I love you, too," he replies, "and God, Kate, I'm so sorry."

She watches him for a moment, her eyes moving over his face, before she says, "I know," and kisses him once more.

They settle across the pillows in the bed, Bucky on his back and Kate resting her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm.

"I spoke to Shuri earlier," she tells him. "She seems optimistic that she can remove the Winter Soldier programming. But it might take some time. She suggested you go back into cryo while she studies your brain scans."

Bucky is quiet for a moment, then says, "I spent seventy years in and out of cryo, what's a few more?"

"I'll be here when you wake up," Kate tells him. "Whenever you're ready to see me."

"You sure, doll?" Bucky asks, looking at her, trying to find any apprehension in her eyes. He's giving her an out, a chance to walk away, but she won't take it.

"Always," Kate says, smiling. "I told you I love you, Bucky, just you. And whatever happened while you were the Winter Soldier, that's in the past. Zemo wanted to tear the Avengers apart with that tape, and he might have succeeded. Steve lost half the team, I've lost Tony, but...” she pauses, “I don't want to lose you."

“You won’t,” he promises, and he kisses the top of her head before they both fall asleep.

He wakes her up in the middle of the night to make love to her twice more because he can't believe she's here, in his arms, after everything, and he isn't sure what tomorrow will bring.

_____

The next morning Steve greets him in the hallway outside their rooms, and Bucky nearly chokes when Steve claps him on the shoulder and whispers conspiratorially, “Sounded like Kate forgave you last night.”

“Watch it, punk,” Bucky says, elbowing him in the ribs.

“Just like old times. James Bucky Barnes gets the girl,” Steve laughs.

Bucky rolls his eyes, but secretly he likes that Steve still sees some of the pre-HYDRA Bucky in him.

Kate is already in the lab when they arrive, laughing with Shuri about something. She smiles at them both and takes Bucky’s hand in her own while Shuri goes over her plan for deprogramming.

When everything is prepped, Steve asks Bucky, "You sure about this?"

Bucky smiles softly. "I can't trust my own mind," he says. "So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think going back under is the best thing...for everybody."

As the cryo chamber fills, Bucky focuses on the sound of Kate’s heartbeat just a few feet away. He wants that to be the last thing he hears before he goes to sleep and the first thing he remembers when he wakes up.

_____

Once Bucky is in cryo and they've thanked T'Challa and Shuri, Kate follows Steve to the Quinjet.

"You're going to get the rest of the team out, aren't you?" Kate asks, looking at Steve.

"I am," he says.

"You'll probably need someone who can hack into the prison security system," Kate tells him.

"I probably will," Steve says, smiling.

_____

Ten months pass quickly when you spend most of that time frozen. For Bucky, the haze of cryo is punctuated by brief stints of lucidness, followed by Shuri plucking the remnants of HYDRA from his brain. Wake up, remove some programming, back in cryo.

“It’s a gradual process,” Shuri explains.

When Ayo takes him to the woods and repeats the words to him – the words that controlled so much of his life – Bucky tries to remember the sound of Kate's heartbeat and the feel of her hand in his.

One morning, after he's completely freed from HYDRA, Shuri greets him as she always does, "Good morning, Sergeant Barnes."

"Bucky," he tells her again.

Shuri smiles. This routine has been going on for two weeks now, but Bucky likes it, likes the familiarity of it all, the sense of calm it gives him.

"There's someone here to see you," Shuri says, nodding over her shoulder.

Bucky turns to see Kate standing in the light of the early morning sun, looking as beautiful as he remembers.

"Hey, soldier," she says, smiling at him.

"Kate," he breathes. He takes three long strides to her and wraps his right arm around her tightly, lifting her off the ground. She gasps and laughs, and when he puts her down again, she kisses him deeply, letting him sweep his tongue into her mouth, her hands cupping his face gently.

When he pulls away from her, he keeps his arm wrapped around her and her body pressed against his so he can feel her heartbeat next to his own, where it belongs.

_____

Fin.

_____

Lost Scene: The Club

#bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #sergeant barnes #bucky barnes x oc #bucky x oc #bucky barnes x ofc #bucky x ofc #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes romance

[off-t0-the-races]

Notes: So, I decided to write a small story based on an ask I saw on @someone-worth-racing-for's page. In this ask an anon said how fun it would be to have an AU based on Friends, and since this sitcom is one of my favorites I couldn't resist. After many thoughts I finally took the courage to write this. It won't be a long story, just something simple and quick. I'm not a writer, the last time I attempted to write something similar was almost 11 years ago, so don't expect something great. To wrap this up, this story will be derived from the season 5; Episode 14 "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" and we will get to see how one of the friends find out about a new romance involving two of his best friends. I hope you all enjoy this!

_______________________________________________

Daniel thought it was time for him to get his own place. It wasn’t like he didn’t like to live with the guys, no, he definitely liked it, but it was time for him to get a place that he could call his own, a place where at the end of the day he could go when he needed some peace and quiet. Besides, he and Max were getting pretty serious, so they also needed a place to go and get some privacy.

He didn’t spend much time looking for a place, one day he was walking home after some late class at college, and he saw an ad for a flat in the building right in front of the one he lived with his friends. Apparently, it was a one-bedroom just like he wanted, and the price was also good, he could afford it.

Next day, Daniel went there for a visit and he took his flat mates with him. Not long after they arrived at the place, they already found out that from the living room window they could see they own living room across the street. It was George who first realized it and it didn’t take long for all of them to start making jokes about how Daniel couldn’t live without them, he had to find a place where he could still see his buddies. Alex suddenly said he would be careful now; he usually didn’t care about clothes when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

The flat turned out to be perfect for Daniel, it wasn’t big, but it was cozy and functional. The landlord had said the previous renter let some furniture behind, so he wouldn’t need a lot of things if he decided to move in. And so, he did. After a few more days he finally had everything that he needed ready to go and on the weekend he, with the help of the other ones, did the moving. Max wasn’t there, he was out of town visiting his parents, but Daniel made sure he sent him some videos and photos of the place.

At last Max was back in town, Daniel was already living in his flat for three days when his boyfriend called from the airport saying he would go straight to the older’s new place so they could spend some time together without their friends hovering around. When Max finally arrived, the first thing he noticed was how big the living room windows were and how much of his own flat across the street he could see.

“Oh my God, Daniel! This is awesome!” The Dutch still had all his bags in one hand and was still standing on the doorway, but his eyes were already fixed on the windows and a big playful smile was spreading slowly on his lips.

Daniel, who was holding the door for Max to get in follow his boyfriend stare.

“Those are big windows, right?” he replied smiling.

“Are you joking? My mind is racing right now, how many pranks can we pulled at those guys from here, we should get some laser pointers!”

Daniel laughed out loud.

“Come inside, the neighbors might think you are insane. Which is not far from the truth…”

Max followed his boyfriend inside the flat. They kissed briefly before the Dutch dropped his bags next to the couch and went to the windows to see how much he could see of his place from here.

“Don’t be kinky about it Dan, don’t start to act like some creepy guy and stare at me all the way from here.” The Dutch joked, looking over his shoulder at Daniel, who was now sitting on the floor next to the PlayStation he was setting up on his new TV.

Max found out he could not only see the living room where he and his friends spent most of the time in, but a little bit of the kitchen as well.

“You know, I should get some drapes.” The Aussie observed, still struggling with some wires.

“Are you joking?” The younger one popped the question. “There’s no way you are getting drapes.”

Daniel laughed and shrugged, he was seriously thinking about getting the drapes. It’s all fun that they will probably be able to pull some pranks around, but it goes both ways. He was sure he would want some privacy at some point, and he knew his ex-flat mates too well.

A minute or two passed without a word from the couple, until suddenly Max screamed.

“Hey look, there’s Lando and Carlos!” The Dutch exclaimed, pointing his finger to the flat across the street. When Daniel looked up, indeed there was Lando and Carlos, apparently leaving the older one’s bedroom. “Should I call them? Let’s try it. Hey Landooo! Carlooos!!” Max was screaming over to his friends, but evidently, they couldn’t hear him.

“I don’t think they can hear you, babe” The older one said, with an amusing expression towards his boyfriend.

Max started to wave frantically at his flat mates, jumping a little up and down like a child, but even that didn’t seem to catch the other two’s attention.

Lando and Carlos had now sat on the couch with no personal space between them. From across the street, Max could see Lando smiling at the Spaniard and sometimes laughing a bit, as for Carlos he couldn’t really see his face, but he was clearly telling the British something amusing. The Dutch was about to try and call them one more time when everything changed.

With wide eyes Max saw Lando closing the small space between him and Carlos on the couch and kissing the older one intensely on the lips.

“Oh my God, oh my God!”

Daniel looked up when he heard his boyfriend screams.

“Carlos and Lando! Oh my God, oh my God!”

The Aussie got up and went to stand next to the Dutch, smiling broadly.

Max was starring startled at what he was seeing, his mouth hanging open stupidly. He looked over to Daniel, who was already starting to laugh watching the expression on his boyfriend’s face.

“It’s Lando and Carlos! Carlos and Lando! They’re fucking kissing!”

Daniel couldn’t hold back his laugh anymore, he just burst out, putting his arm around Max’s waist.

“Babe, sometimes you can be so naïve…” The Aussie said between laughs.

“You did know about this?” The younger one gasped, pointing a finger to the couple still kissing each other at the other side of the street.

“Well, not exactly” Daniel snickered “But I always suspected about them, you know. They’re always so close to each other and one day I saw Lando slipping inside Carlos’s room in the middle of the night.”

Max was still gaping at his boyfriend, his eyes couldn’t be wider.

“Come on Mad Max, you didn’t even kiss me properly when you arrived” The Aussie started to pull his boyfriend away from the window, taking him to the couch. Max was still having some trouble to keep his mouth close.

“Dan, that’s crazy! They’re together?! What the hell…”

Shaking his head, Daniel brought the younger one closer to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“If they’re together or not I have no idea. But I know we are and I miss you, so come here before I get cross.” And without further ado he brought once more his boyfriend’s lips to his, this time laying him down on the couch and pressing his whole body on top of his.

Between the kissing, Max mumbled all breathy, glancing quickly at the window before diverting his eyes back to his boyfriend:

“Well, If you ask me again I do think you should get some drapes.”

Daniel roared with laugh, grabbing The Dutch by his hand and taking him out of the couch and through a small hallway, crooning in his boyfriend’s ear:

“You still didn’t see my room yet.”

_______________________________________________

That's it guys, I hope you have enjoyed it! I had fun writing this one, even if I struggled most of the time to be honest! 😅

But here it is, let me know what you think :)

#carlando #lando norris #carlos sainz jr #daniel ricciardo #max verstappen #fanfic #au prompt #fanfiction #maxiel #carlando fanfiction #f1 fanfiction

[froggy-1988]

Miraculous Season Four some thoughts - Quite spoiler heavy.

AGAIN SPOILER HEAVY.

Nobody asked for this but I was thinking it so....

SEASON FOUR ANALYSIS!

 Now, the thing is season four is really good, it feels like it has far more emotional complexity than the other seasons, and each episode has a ‘big’ moment in it, because we have seen in a few time travelling episodes that in the future there’s not just Ladybug and Chat Noir but a whole team of superheroes and these revelations are for the largest part starting to show Ladybug reaching out to more people and laying the foundations of this team.

  But also, I can tell something big is coming in season four with the relationship between the main characters of Chat Noir and Ladybug. 

  So to explain what this is, I have to go back to season three, and to the movie length special Miraculous world: New York.  So, in season three there’s an episode called Chat Blanc (i’m writing this as if people haven't really seen it I know), it’s a time travelling episode where we see a ‘what if’ future. So what happens is that Adrian figures out Marinette is Ladybug, and they start dating, but his father intervenes and a series of events lead to Adrien as Chat Noir (this is important because it affects his powers), into Chat Blanc, and Chat Blanc causes an explosion that as far as we’re aware kills everybody on earth, including of course his father and Marinette. Our ladybug gets taken into the future and manages to put everything right so this never happened in the first place but three things are important : 

1) She still dousn’t know Adrien and Chat Noir are the same person

 2) She is really affected by seeing Chat Noir as Chat Blanc, she acts really gently and kindly towards him and is just upset to see her friend whose all alone, upset and pretty insane at this point.

 3)She dousn’t know how Chat Noir got akumatised, but she does know from what he tells her that Chat Blanc knows her identity and he says “this is what our love did” so there is hints (whether Ladybug had decided to fully listen to them or not) that between her present and this future she was in a romantic relationship with Chat Noir.

The next one is the New York special and the important part in this is that there is a moment that Chat Noir gives up his powers, and even though by the end of it he’s back as Chat Noir, Marinette is very upset by this and she says “I can’t do this without him”, I’ve picked this an an important moment because

 1) Ladybug has to face loosing Chat Noir and is obviously very upset by the prospect and 

 2) Adrian openly admits that his life as Chat Noir is when he’s happiest and most free and he has willing given this up because he’s faced the idea that his powers could hurt somebody and most importantly could hurt Ladybug, and he just would rather give up his happiness and freedom than hurt her.

On to season 4- 

  Beginning 

  At the beginning of season four we see some import things happening. 

1)    Ladybug is actually starting to show her feelings to Chat Noir a lot more (admittedly partly due to truth telling magic, but some of it on her own) she tells him that she actually finds his jokes funny even though she always acts annoyed by them, she tells him she admires his confidence, they have conversations when she tells him how much she appreciates the trust they have in each other. 2)    This change in relationship kind of gets interrupted when Marinette tells Alya (the superhero Rena Rouge) that she’s Ladybug. Alya is the first person she’s revealed her secret identity too, and it comes about at a time when she is really struggling with her super hero responsibilities and her having to give up a lot of normal life (mainly romantic relationships) to be Ladybug.

 3)    In the Shanghai special, Chat Noir quite foolishly rushes into a situation and he gets killed – now of course Ladybug powers are basically a big reset and whatever happens when they’re fighting the bad guys is not permanent because if Ladybug can defeat the bad guy she can make all the damage disappear, including bringing Chat Noir back. But when Chat Noir dies she is very shaken up and it shows her crying which is something we don’t see a lot, she’s not a person who cries easily. Then in one of the first episodes of the forth season we see the same thing, Chat Noir sacrificing himself in the middle of a fight with a bad guy (this one is more strategic), and this is something that has happened in the other seasons a few times, but this time we see Ladybug shaking her head and basically saying that he’s taking too many risks, that he’s too quick to sacrifice himself – when he comes back she rushes over and tells him to stop sacrificing himself all the time, but he just brushes it off with a joke

 Now the middle- Though Chat Noir and Ladybug are still on very good terms, Ladybug is using the other miraculous’ to make more and more temporary super heroes, and she’s relying a lot more on Rena Rouge (aka her best friend Alya) who she has given the miraculous to hold full time – so Alya is now a full time super hero. Chat Noir is starting to get a bit sidelined. 

 Now the later episodes. 

 The important things that happen here are: 1)    Alya is now working undercover as Rena Rouge (IE spying and trying to find Harkmoth) pretty much every time Marinette turns into Ladybug. 

 2)    Chat Noir gets angry when he’s told he’s not involved in a mission because this one is just going to be Ladybug and Rena Rouge, in fact he’s shown loosing his temper and smashing things – he’s really starting to feel he’s being replaced. 3)    Nino (the superhero carapace and Alya’s boyfriend) admits to Adrien, not knowing that Adrien is Chat Noir, that he is Carapace, and Alya is Rena Rouge. Now, this confuses and shocks Adrien because even though Adrien/Chat Noir has always really wanted to know the identity of Ladybug she has a very clear rule that they don’t know each others secret identities. But now he’s found out that Rena Rouge and Carapace are allowed to know each other identities, and that this wasn’t an accident – Ladybug allowed it. So now he’s really starting to question why it is that Ladybug hasn’t trusted him enough to tell him her secret identity when actually her strict rule is obviously not that strict.

Now, let’s look at the reasons Ladybug might not be using Chat Noir as much – I would suggest it’s because she’s really had to face losing him in a few of the episodes, and she dousn’t think that he’s careful enough, so she’s not trusting him to look after himself in battle and is actually really worried that something might happen where she can’t bring him back again. Simply put, she’s not using him because she is worried about him dying or getting permanently hurt – her turning away from him as her superhero partner is because she cares deeply for him and can’t face losing him again. 

 Why she isn’t trusting Chat Noir with her secret identity at this point – 

1) The rule was set when they first received their miraculous’ so even though the rules have changed a bit along the line she’s just keeping to it.

 2) She attributes Chat Noir being turned into Chat Blanc to him fining out her secret identity and she dousn’t want that to happen again

  So my predictions:  Chat Noir is going to be akumatised into Chat Blanc again at some point because of the way he’s feeling overlooked by Ladybug.  

I see three possible outcomes to this: 

1)    Ladybug finally tell Chat Noir why she’s not using him, and about the previous time he was turned to Chat Blanc.

 2)    Ladybug is faced with the problem where Chat Noir had been akumatised once because he found out her secret identity, and once because she wouldn’t let him find out her secret identity so she feels that as she can’t tell him, and she can’t not tell him without him being turned into Chat Blanc that he can’t be Chat Noir anymore. Yet, there is the charm to consider in this, because she could protect him from being akumatised again.

 3)    Ladybug dousn’t tell Chat Noir anything about what she’s feeling or what has happened before and he stays angry at her so the partnership splinters and we end the season with Chat Noir and Ladybug going in their separate directions.

I’'ll just leave it with - I love these guys!

#miraculous ladybug #Season 4 #Spoilers #Anaylsis #Chat Noir #Relationship #Chat Blanc #Predictions

[alexzalben]

What do you think of all the backlash the last Riverdale episode received? I’ve never seen the writers speak out like this before on all the hate.

This is a pretty complicated topic that I probably can’t do justice with one Tumblr ask, but I’ll try to address some of the broad strokes ideas here. And hang tight, because this is gonna go long.

First of all, a caveat: I have by no means read through every comment the writers were responding to, nor do I know what they discussed or how they’re feeling about things, nor do I speak for them in any way.

However, I do think one of the joys and downfalls of making TV in the social media era is the accessibility of the creative team to fans. Joys because it opens up new ways of understanding how a show is made, demystifying the process, which is always a good thing. Downfalls because to some fans - not all fans, by any means - it makes them feel like they have a say in what happens in the show.

On the latter, it’s not to say that the writers aren’t listening, on many series they’re well aware of what fans think about their show, the plots, the ships, etc. Sometimes they’ll even shift where they’re going based on fan feedback. Nikki and Paolo on Lost are the example I always go to, where they were introduced to show the outside perspective of what other survivors were doing while Jack and his gang were going on adventures... And everybody HATED THEM. So much so that plans changed and they were literally buried alive on the show by the end of the season, in a very unsubtle metaphor.

That said, there’s a difference between what I perceive to be the tone around Nikki and Paolo, which mind you was pre-Twitter days, and what some shows have to deal with now: one is constructive criticism presented as “hey we don’t like this”; the latter sometimes veers into “you suck and you should kill yourself.”

I want to emphasize again: this is not everyone. Usually there is a small section of any group of people that delves into hyper-negativity, and they always get an outsized focus to the number of people who actually do that. Again, example here, but for a while I was part of a pretty popular online sketch comedy group. We got tons of views, tons of comments, I’d estimate 95-99% of those comments were great. Did I internalize those? Of course not. I internalized the one comment out of 100 that told me what a shitty writer I was. That’s the one that rolled around in my head all night, because it seeped into the fear that most writers have that they do suck and will never be successful, at any level. It’s Imposter Syndrome, plain and simple, and it affects everyone no matter how famous (or not) they are.

Reason I mention that is it’s entirely possible that 99% of the comments to the writers of Riverdale this episode were mostly fine, but if 1% of them were of the “fucking kill yourself” variety, that hurts, a lot. It’s not on everyone, by any means, but that pulls the focus, and it’s horrifying every time no matter how often it happens (and believe me, it happens far too often).

Specifically with Riverdale, there are another few factors that are exacerbating this. One is, and I don’t want to diminish this: the pandemic. We’re a year in and people are crumbling mentally. Nothing has been “normal” for a year, that impacts every single aspect of your life, and some things are easier to lash out at than others, like a TV show. If a deadly virus is causing inconsistency? Not much you can do about that. If your fave TV show is shaking up the broadcast schedule and changing your favorite couples? Complain to the writers, the directors, the actors, etc.

The other is the arc of this season so far, which I do think is driving people fucking nuts. This again gets back to the pandemic, but ending with episode 19, waiting months, and then coming back for a premiere that is actually the third to the last episode of the season? That’s unsettling. It throws you off kilter, because it’s not the right rhythm. I know this sounds a little silly, but it’s actually very important: stories have a rhythm to them, and a lot of TV shows in particular have had that rhythm broken. Riverdale had three episodes that were all essentially climax, then upended the show with a time jump, and has continued to mix things around almost every episode. And then it’ll be going into another three month break.

This is definitely the point where someone says “mix things around? they’re doing the same couples they always did.” Sure, theoretical person. But having sifted through fan comments and tweets over the past couple of weeks, every single week one section of the fanbase has been 100% sure it is their ship’s time to shine, and the next they’re being told it’s done forever, and then the next they’re back on, then the next they’re done... It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride, and that’s how the writers designed it, and it’s frankly not over yet. But add in that pandemic uncertainty above, and you have a recipe for people panicking.

Also, and again, this is a small section of any fanbase, but it’s very clear that because of this hyped up panic, some people are being absolutely terrible assholes to other fans. I know I don’t usually curse this much, but the amount of gloating I’ve seen from people on all sides, back and forth, is super gross. Personally, if someone is sobbing for whatever reason, my reaction has never been to quote tweet them with “you lost, get over it” and a peace sign emoji. It sucks when people are sad, and we have a moral obligation to make sure other people feel okay. Don’t know if you’ve ever heard this one, but “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Sort of an important life rule.

Overall, I think a fanbase is stronger is they support each other rather than engaging in ship wars, and I do think there’s a lot of people who do do that. Or just express their displeasure, without attacking people. But there are some people who do, and that’s overall making the whole tone of the discussion that much worse.

So what’s the solution here? I always emphasize to my writers that it’s okay to have a negative take as long as you provide something constructive about a way out of the situation, and I’ll apply that both to the Riverdale fanbase, as well as this extremely long Tumblr ask.

There are three things I’d suggest, and both of them are on you. By “you” I mean the general you, and the reason I suggest them, versus what the writers and creators of Riverdale can do is that “you” are the thing you can control and change.

The first is changing the tone of the discussion. Realize that there are people deeply, emotionally impacted in different ways by this TV show. Allow that they may be having different emotional reactions than you, and give them the space and the support to work through it. If you’re a Varchie fan, it actually makes you a better fan to check on a Barchie fan and see if they’re okay. If you’re a Barchie fan, it’s okay to be happy for a Varchie fan and sad at the same time. Mainly because none of you had anything to do with it. This isn’t even a case where you wore your lucky socks and your fave team won the game. The writers are writing what they wrote, and you are a passive observer, not involved other than the involvement you bring to it. So if everyone supports each other regardless of the circumstances, that will improve things overall.

The second? Disengage. Take a break. Stop watching the show. You have no obligation to tweet, or go on any other social media outlet for this series, nor do you have to keep watching the show if it hurts you. In fact, taking a show break if you feel too involved is a very good thing. Check out, clear your head and come back much later and look at it with fresh eyes.

Third? Think before you comment. It took me a long time to get here with this one, and I’m still working on it, but before you comment: pause, read it over again, and think “is this something I really want to send?” You do get that rush of taking whatever anger you’re feeling and getting it out of your body and mind, but ultimately it’s usually more damaging than either waiting, posting something a little more thoughtful, or not posting at all. It’s really thinking about what you’re adding to the conversation, and what you’re hoping to get back.

So there you go. Lots of thoughts there, and I’m sure there’s lots more to say. This is only my outside perspective on this, and I hope it’s helpful at least in some small way. And if not, that is cool, too!

#Riverdale

[oflgtfol]

I was so glad to see Din, but that was literally The Mandalorian, not TBOBF. Like, it also seems like there's more they want to do with the Din and Grogu plot, so are they just writing Boba out now? This is so bad. Why not just save it for Mando Season 3 where it would make sense and both characters could get the time and attention they deserve?

*shakes my cage* it makes no sense it makes no sense it makes n

it sucks literally SO badly for everybody involved. most for boba himself but it does a disservice to din as well like it sucks in general so so badly.

it's just. such poor writing i cannot wrap my head around it. how is mando s3 even supposed to start now? the season premiere already aired now, but in an entirely different series. now if you try to watch The Mandalorian in order and go from chapter 16 to 17 there's going to be a huge unintelligible gap. and i know bobf was pitched as a mando season 2.5 but it should have simply filled the gap and been a cool tie-in rather than like, ACTUALLY being mando s2.5, to where you need to watch it to make sense of The Mandalorian??? (why not just weave the bobf plot into actual mando s3 then to keep it all one cohesive series??? why bother making an entirely different series if it was just intended to be a stepping stool for mando????)

and don't even get me started on how bad it fucks up bobf. it's book of BOBA FETT and Mr. Boba Fett is being written out of his own show!!! and not only that, but this episode obviously had a better budget / better attention to it / whatever, just in general the quality was so much higher than previous bobf episodes which is so confusing and puts such a sour taste in my mouth that they obviously COULD have devoted the proper resources into making this show just as good as mando but then they just.... didn't??

it's just. such a frustratingly stupid set of creative decisions that sucks for literally everyone involved. it benefits neither character or tv show. so either A. all the showrunners involved are entirely fucking incompetent, B. this episode truly was meant to be mando chapter 17 but they accidentally released it instead of bobf chapter 5 today (lol), or C. there was something actively malicious going on in the background with purposefully undermining bobf

#ask #Anonymous #mando posting #bobf spoilers #hearing how temuera morrison is trying his best to make the most of the shit writing so far. it's like #it sucks bro!! it fucking sucks #and its so. WRAHHHH because it was a GREAT mando episode. #........ except it was bobf for some fucking reason

[fogsrollingin]

Posted this to reddit yesterday here 😊 Spoilers for Walker up to ep 2.

So there are questions I have about the status quo as of S1E2 that could be solved with a big corruption-within-the-force story.

Emily dies (read: may have died) and they quickly find the killer, and yeah maybe he's the guy who pulled the trigger but how did that guy find her when Walker had told her the safe routes? This is still a mystery! Episode 2 did not wrap it up, unlike the other 2 mysteries of the Poker Chip and the Closed Eyes.

Next, it's highly suspect that Walker's thrown straight into an undercover operation that takes him 10 months to see through. Like, who got him that gig? Why do they hate him and his family? "I'm gonna take this career cop away from a stable life while he grieves his recently-deceased wife, rip him from his kids (they prolly don't need him anyway right?), and make him risk his life undercover."

And ok so maybe I've only been informed by The Departed and Johnny Brasco when it comes to undercover officers, but it stands to reason too that undercover cops are supposed to be young or at least with very few ppl waiting up for them, and expected to burn out/retire once their cover's up. So, I have a whole buncha questions to ask about who would've greenlit Walker for that. Extra questions about how he's back on the force afterwards? Are we not afraid of retribution from those he put behind bars (or their family)? He's kind of identifiable; he has a striking appearance and he's like 6'4. He could very easily get made if he's as visible as a Texas Ranger.

So idk, I can only conclude it's kinda bad writing that a corrupt-higher-up stupidly thought an undercover gig would take Walker's mind off the things that don't make sense about Emily's death, would cool him down, chill him out.

...and it would be super funny if the villain gets taken down by a flawed understanding of grief psychology. Bc they sent Walker undercover for him to get him away from the case, to chill out but really they just got him to press 'pause' on his entire friggin life. As time passed, they felt its passage, and think water is streaming under that bridge. They lull themselves into complacency Walker's gonna come back having come to terms with his wife's death.

Meanwhile Walker's like nowhere even close to that. He's busy pretending to be someone else, actively not processing anything bc he's compartmentalizing. And when Walker returns to Austin, psychologically presses 'play' on Emily, it's literally as though she'd just died a month or two prior for him.

nobodylikedthat.jpg, but especially the ppl who'd sent him undercover to stop him from doing that very dang thing 😂

To bring it back to the brilliant irony of a villain getting taken down by a flawed understanding of grief psychology. Immediately after Emily's death, all parties involved may have been stressed, cagey, wouldn't talk or maybe even had a script memorized down pat. But 10 months later? Another questioning about that murder case which was solved? Probably not.

So it's like if the villain had just let Walker freak out and investigate Emily's death at the same time everybody else was, his issues might've been put to bed. But now it's 10 months later, and Walker's got the same passion as he would've had 1-2ish months after her death, and he's in a fantastic position, time-wise, to shake some trees and discover some mysterious discrepancies about Emily's death bc nobody's expecting him to ask anymore ("It's been so looong Walker, what are you doingggg")

I would love this.

Kind of a sidebar: as for suspects, there was that older gentleman in the pilot who attended Walker's homecoming while Walker was drinking at the DWG (Dead Wife Gazebo). I think he must've been Walker's police contact while undercover? There was something about how he really praised Walker for everything he did undercover. So that fuckin guy. I don't trust that guy. 😂

Sub-sidebar note: I wrote this like I think Emily's dead but I'm really hoping Emily's not dead. Most of this is about Cordell's grief though, and for sure in this series so far he definitely thinks she's dead as a doornail .

#walker #jared padalecki #cordell walker #emily walker #walker spoilers #walker meta #my meta #my walker meta

[amydancepants-peralta]

So maybe tonight’s episode has sparked my brain a little, and maybe I had to write something before I exploded.  Soo.... here we go.  👶🏼💕

the whole world (in his hands)

For what feels like the first time since those blissful three seconds after the city went into blackout, Jake Peralta’s world is quiet.

And by world, he of course means this hospital room; because right now, it holds both his wife and his son as occupants, and they are - in no uncertain terms - his world.

If someone had told him nine months ago that he and Amy’s birth story would involve a blackout; gunshots, a thwarted robbery, fart candles, drunk bachelorettes, a faux Aqua Man and (perhaps the worst of it all), a fireman - he would have absolutely laughed in their faces.  They had a birth plan - one that Jake suspects had been constructed even before conception - and it was so carefully laid out, and so very thorough, that it really left no room for correction.  

But here they were, after easily one of the craziest days either of them has ever had, floating on something far higher than Cloud Nine because finally - finally - their son was here.  

To his left, Amy sleeps; finally taking a chance to rest after defying all odds and giving birth under the worst of circumstances.   She has never failed to amaze him, and today just took it to the next level.  Over to his right, in a special little crib wheeled in by a nurse not long after everybody left, lay their son - oh god, he has a SON - and realistically Jake knows that he should probably be trying to take a nap now while he can, but there’s just no way that he will be able to close his eyes any time soon.

The tiny remnants of fear and doubt that had been slowly dripping away at the back of his mind had formed into a tidal wave by the time he was making his way to the precinct this evening, the overwhelming reality of the sheer insanity of it all coming to light.  He was thundering down the streets of Brooklyn, on a horse - a horse that is, by all technicality, his superior - in order to get to the precinct in time to be there for his wife while she gives birth to their son in the interrogation room.  (He’s basically an equestrian now, it’s no big deal.)  Not exactly an ideal situation - in fact, it was almost the opposite.  And just enough for all the anxiety and hesitation to come screaming to the forefront all over again.  

Perhaps, his father was right.  Peralta men were cursed, and he was going to the miss the birth of his son, because they’re just not destined to be good fathers - right from the beginning.  

It washes away as he runs into the precinct, and locks eyes with Amy, because she calms him purely with her presence more than anybody he’s ever known.  And then their baby is being born, and Rosa is trying so hard not to hide her disgust at the Baby Goo, and the world is just perfect - it’s perfecter than perfect, because their son is here and nothing else will ever matter, ever again.

There’s the tiniest of snuffles coming from Jake’s right, and in an instant he’s out of the chair he’s been resting in - drawn like a magnet to the tiny human burrito that now bears his surname.  It’s a quick sniffle (the sound of a baby still trying to figure out just what exactly happened in the past few hours), but as two wide eyes begin to blink themselves awake Jake cannot resist the chance to hold his son in his arms again.

His steps back to the chair as so slow, so careful and deliberate, he’s reminded of a time not so long ago when he held a ticking bomb in his hands in a very similar setting.  What he holds now is infinitely more precious, for it is an extension of both his heart and Amy’s, and there is still a part of him that cannot believe that this is really real.

Jake tents his legs as he sits, resting the bottom of his sneakers against the edge of the chair.  Moving slow and methodical, he slides his left hand towards the edge of the cloth and grips tighter with his right, and it takes a little adjustment but after a minute his son is resting against his legs, safely anchored by his father’s forearms.  

Mac snuffles again, a sound so delicate and soft, the cupids bow at the top of his lip scrunching slightly as he adjusts to the change in surrounding light.  Jake runs his thumb gently along the edge of his cheek, still amazed at the impossibly softness of his skin.  There’s just no way that anyone could have prepared him for this kind of feeling.  

His son blinks up at him, and as a soft smile crosses over his face Jake has a flashback to being in fourth grade, sitting cross legged on the floor of Mrs Fletcher’s classroom and joining in with the class as they sang.

He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Mac Peralta.  The hottest (and yes okay, the cutest) baby that the world has ever seen.  

He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.

Part of him wants to go back and visit that Jake - the younger version of him that still doesn’t quite understand why his Dad doesn’t seem to live at home anymore, but has total faith that it’s not going to change a thing - and tell him just how great life is going to be.  

That life might suck for a little while, but it has nothing to do with him, and that if he just remembers to be in front of the elevator on a certain day of a certain year, he is going to shake hands with a woman who will turn out to be the love of his life - and things are only going to get better from there.  

But going back means leaving his son behind, and there’s not a chance in hell that’s ever going to happen.  

Mac gurgles a little, a mumbling, bubbly sound that in a few days time Jake will come to learn means that he’s ready for a feed, and he tightens his hold around his son in response.  

Amy was right (shocking, he knows).  They’ve got an excellent story to tell their son one day, and they will juggle any obstacle that comes their way.  She is the ultimate warrior, and Jake is a father now, and he would do it all again in a heartbeat, if that’s what it takes to bring him to this very moment.  Screw all the uncertainties, and anybody who suggests that they can’t do this.  He’d walk through fire for his family.  Curses don’t stand a chance.  

(Although quietly, his butt actually really hurts.  Horse riding is way more intense than people make it out to be.)

There’s another gurgle from Mac, this one a little louder, and from her bed Amy stirs.  She’s exhausted, Jake can tell, but as she blinks awake and takes in the sight of he and Mac cuddling together on the chair, she begins to grin.

“My two favourite men,” she mumbles, her half-asleep arms stretching out towards him, and Jake takes extra care in holding onto his son as he manoeuvres himself out of the chair and towards his wife.  She sighs in contentment as Mac is placed into her arms, and after settling himself onto the bed beside Amy, Jake leans down to press a gentle kiss to the side of her head.  

“This is single-handedly the greatest. thing. we have ever done.”

Jake’s voice is soft, his adoration obvious as he leans in for another kiss, smiling at Amy when she turns to meet her lips with his.  “Thank you for giving me the family I’ve always wanted, Ames.”  He rests his forehead against hers for a pause, taking a heavy swallow as his emotions begin to get the better of him.  “This is everything that I could have ever wished for.  I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Jake.  This is the stuff dreams are made of, and I’m so glad I get to do this with you.”

Outside of the hospital room; life goes on - sirens continue to blare at regular intervals, and the rest of the world goes about their day as though everything has remained unchanged.  But for the three of them cuddled together on the bed, nothing will ever be the same.  

There are flowers to smell and cards to write, phone calls to make and visitors to greet.  Baby Mac is about to be the most popular child in this hospital, and there is a part of both Jake and Amy that cannot wait to show him off to everybody they know.  But for now, Amy rests her head against Jake’s shoulder, and Mac falls back to sleep against her chest, and everything they need is right here in front of them.  

They’ve waited so long for this moment, and the rest of the world can wait.   

#mine #Mac Peralta #that episode made me FEEL THINGS #can you believe #i just 😭😭😭😭 #this came from nowhere and I NEEDED to write it #sorry if its a little sloppy #(title of your sextape?) #Peraltiago baby #my writing #b99 spoilers #b99 fic #b99 fanfic #peraltiago fic

[min-youngis]

oh, lovely.

gif not mine

~ Pairing : Kim Yugyeom x Reader

~ Genre : Fluff, Lots of Snark, Sort Of Attempted Humour

~ Summary : It's hard enough to balance while walking. Now you have to skate. Good thing you've got a boyfriend who can help. Right?

Established Relationship.

~ Word Count : 1,971 (oops sorry mobile readers)

~ Warnings : Some f bombs, vague mentions of panic but like just panic not Panic™, HIGHLY dramatic reader is that counted as a warning, passing mentions of seduction and 'womanly wiles' that made me snort while writing them, swearing at and about children, uhhhh dazall methinks

~ A/N : yeah basically yugyeom long legs dance boi cutie pie evil maknae poster fellow, lowkey everybody's first bias, i can only see him as a child. a very talented child, but a child nonetheless. this was entirely inspired by that one hard carry episode where they show him skating for like ten seconds rip the power he holds. shameless harry styles plug i've put in here, kudos if you find it.

i'd love to hear feedback! spread the love!

masterlist in my description.

~~~

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

The keys refuse to enter the ignition slot.

“I most certainly am not.”

The gears aren’t shifting and now the car can’t back out of the garage.

“Your hands are shaking.”

The road is choc a block and it’s impossible to leave the driveway.

“It’s low blood sugar, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

You’re brought out of your imagination (you were envisioning best case scenarios) by a plate of pancakes entering your line of sight. Your eyes trace the hand attached to it, going up, up, up, until they reach Yugyeom’s kind face and soft smile.

A thought enters that maybe, this won’t be so bad.

And then he ruins it by winking at you and saying, “Skating isn’t that hard, babe. I’ll catch you if you fall, don’t worry,” in that disgusting, patronising voice that he knows you hate.

You let out a groan, originating right from the pit of your stomach and move your coffee cup and pancake plate out of the way, letting your head fall onto the table with a dull thump.

“I’m not scared,” you mumble into the wood, more for your benefit than anybody else’s. You hear Yugyeom snort as he pulls out the chair opposite you and sits down, laying his own plate on the table.

The crux of the situation is this. Balance isn’t exactly your strong suit.

You’ve never been able to ride a bicycle without training wheels, despite your father’s coaching, that mostly consisted of him pushing you up to the top of your inclined driveway and letting you go down while screaming wildly, “PEDAL, Y/N. PEDAL!”

When you were seven years old, your parents put you in ballet class, only for your mother to be asked to pull you out midway through the first month, after you consistently kept knocking over your row of classmates during the rail exercises.

In high school, you tried out for the cheerleading team, because your best friend dared you to, and you managed to spectacularly embarrass yourself during the auditions when they put you right at the bottom of the pyramid and you still somehow managed to bump into the person next to you, leading to the dramatic collapse of three girls with a total of two broken wrists and around twenty curses or so.

(They made you the team mascot.)

There’s also the incident involving a row of parked bikes outside a Target, an old lady and a couple of shopping carts, but you’ve blocked out that memory for self-preservation purposes.

And now you’re here, sat at the dining table opposite your darling boyfriend, 9:30 in the morning, an hour away from your nose's appointment with the floor of the ice skating rink.

You peel your forehead off of the table when you feel something sharp nudging at the crown of your head, and see Yugyeom with his mouth full of pancake, fork in hand, poised to poke at you again.

You whack his hand away with a scowl and pick up your own cutlery. Might as well be well-fed when the world sees you falling down in glorious technicolour.

The two of you eat in relative silence, as you picture yourself tumbling on the ice, limbs all awry, with Yugyeom probably cackling and recording the whole thing on his phone, that little shit.

Feeling a hand atop yours, you refocus on the present, looking at Yugyeom. He chews and swallows quickly, and fixing you with a deceptively gentle grin, as he strokes the back of your hand with his thumb and says, “If you back out, I promise I won’t think you’re a wuss.”

You fix him with a sour look and refuse to grace him with a reply. He sees right into you, though. Through your nervousness that manifests itself as grinding teeth and subtly trembling fingers into that quiet, strong pride that’s intrinsically a part of you. He knows that you would sooner drop dead before you back out of this.

And that’s what finds you, fifteen minutes later, collecting the car keys from the foyer as Yugyeom ties his laces next to you.

“Do you want me to drive?” he asks, standing up and pushing open the door, his hands automatically finding yours, tugging you closer until you’re willingly pressed to his side.

It’s your turn to quietly snort. “You and what license?” you ask, as you press the elevator button.

He squeezes your fingers in complaint, strength in his hands a strong contrast to his voice as he whines, “I have a learner's permit!” his not-so-inner maknae creeping out.

Making your way to the driver’s seat, you stick the key into the ignition and watch with regret as it turns and clicks, engine purring to life.

You move the gear stick sickeningly smoothly with a sinking feeling in your stomach and move out of the parking lot.

The road is empty.

Next to you, Yugyeom fiddles with the radio controls, animatedly talking about the last time he and Bambam had gone to the rink and how there shouldn’t be too many people at this time.

You don’t hold out much hope.

Pulling into an empty parking spot outside the indoor ice skating rink, (you can only hope that these other vehicles belong to employees and not patrons) you try to tamp down your increasing uneasiness.

Before you two can get out of the car, Yugyeom turns towards you, wide grin on his face, like he knows that he’s got you in the palm of his hand.

“All good there, babe?”

You summon all the courage you have, stiffening your sinews and steeling your nerves, and look at him with what you hope are blazing eyes. They probably aren’t, but you can hope.

“Let’s get this bread,” you say determinedly, before you open the car door and walk towards the entrance.

Twenty minutes later, you feel like you could do without the bread, sat on the rink-side bench as you watch Yugyeom tie the roller blades on your feet.

You look at the top of his head, debating the merits and demerits of bashing it hard enough and making a run for it. Maybe it'd be more effective to seduce him. More beneficial for you too.

You’re thinking about how you can go about utilising your womanly wiles that he’s highly susceptible to, when you feel his hands on your knees, gathering your own, fingers curling around your palms.

You zone back in and meet his uncharacteristically serious eyes.

“You don’t have to do this. You know that, right? I don’t want to put you through something that’s stressing you out this much.”

Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath in and let it go with a whoosh, meeting his unwavering, tender gaze again.

Foolishly, shyly, unnecessarily, you ask him, “You’ll catch me?”

With a cheesy grin, he says, “Always.”

You tug at him to come up while moving your own head down and breathe into the ensuing kiss, letting the tension leave your body as much as possible.

Feeling much calmer, you pull away, standing up, slightly teetering on the blades. Yugyeom’s right there to steady you of course, your hands in his.

He gently guides you to the ice, walking backwards, as if he’s been on skates all his life. Fucking dancers, you think, as you place your right foot onto the rink, fingers holding a death grip on his elbows, eyes focused on the collar of his coat.

You feel like Bambi trying to stand for the first time as your legs shoot out in opposite directions and your butt makes a beeline for the floor. You let out a startled yelp as Yugyeom hoists you up and stabilises you with a fond chuckle.

“Don’t laugh,” you whine, slowly trying to move towards the right side so you can transfer your grip to the railing, forcing your pulse to slow down.

“Ah, you’re cute,” he says, letting his hands linger on your waist as he makes sure you’re holding the railing firmly.

You grumble unintelligibly a bit as you let him adjust your frame so you’re facing him, your hands holding the railing behind you, blades so firm on the ice, you’d be afraid of cracking it if you weren’t preoccupied trying to stay upright.

He leans in and gives you a soft kiss when he finishes, more to calm you down than anything, and you let yourself sink into it, giving his lower lip a gentle nibble as he pulls away.

“This isn’t so bad,” you admit, as you let yourself relax in your stationary position, feeling increasingly secure between Yugyeom holding your waist in front of you and your arms stretched backwards towards the railing behind.

And then you feel his hands slip away.

You immediately go into overdrive, legs tottering, grip instinctively tightening on the railing, even as you want to let it go and move closer to him.

“Yugyeom, don’t you dare,” you say, half in panic and half in warning, watching as he gives you a slightly apologetic look and moves even further.

“Babe, this is how you learn,” he says, as he lets go of your body entirely and stands right out of your reach. “Just let go of the railing and move towards me. It’s just like walking.”

You’re going to murder him, you decide. The moment you get your hands on him, you’re going to murder him. The issue is the hands bit. Hands that now, slowly, very shakily begin to make the slightest move to let go of the support.

He’s looking at you encouragingly, like a parent trying to get their kid to walk for the first time, and you spit out a “Fuck you,” even as you try to tighten your wobbly knees.

With entirely too much gall for somebody who’s going to be clobbered in a couple of minutes, just as soon as you take the plunge and let go entirely, he says, “Y/N! There are children around,” with a faux-offended gasp, jerking a thumb towards a goddamn perfectly skating child, like she’s at the bloody Olympics or something,

Just to spite him, (and the child, you hope the child hears) you repeat, “Fuck you,” as you take a deep breath and push yourself off of the railing, your only goal being to reach Yugyeom standing a couple of steps away.

The next thing you know, you’re on the floor, blinking at the white ceiling, cold slowly seeping into your bones through your coat, as you register the sharp pain on the back of your head and the soreness in your ass.

In a flash, Yugyeom’s crouching over your form, sliding an arm behind your back and helping you up, asking if you’re okay. He also sounds suspiciously like he’s giggling. You rub the back of your head as you smush your face against his chest in embarrassment and feel it rumble. He’s definitely amused.

You snake your other arm behind him and smack the back of his head, as hard as you can, simultaneously tugging him closer with the first hand clenched into a fist around the lapel of his coat as he squawks in pain and makes to move away.

You can hear a child laugh nearby. It better not be that Olympic skating fucker.

You borrow your head even deeper into his frame. “Physically, I’m fine. But emotionally, I’m bruised,” you mumble into his chest.

You hear Yugyeom chuckle again as he begins to guide the two of you to what you hope is the entrance of the skating rink. You feel the ice beneath you change into carpet and you pull away, to look up at his chin, your eyes narrowing at how his lips seem to faintly tremble, like he’s trying not to laugh.

Lovely.

~

#got7 #thekpopnetwork #kwritersworldnet #ultkpop #kpop #yugyeom #kpop fluff #fluff #got7 fluff #yugyeom fluff #kpop imagine #got7 imagine #yugyeom imagine #j writes #kpop scenario #got7 scenario #yugyeom scenario #kim yugyeom #kpop fanfic #got7 fanfic #yugyeom fanfic #got7 fanfiction #kpop fanfiction #kpop scenarios #got7 scenarios #yugyeom scenarios #not by the moon #kpop story #bambam #dye

[snarkwrites]

10 | gangsta ; sweetpea

Notes:

SO.. I uhh... Got super into writing this recently. I just really liked where it was heading after part 7. Yes. Yes, I realize that literally no one asked for more of this but.. I wrote it. Might as well share it.

I warn in advance. There as a graphic and detailed fight in this chapter. Also. There is a LOT going on in this chapter. A LOT. I mean it and I cannot stress this enough. There is a LOT to process here. I basically took two or three episodes and mashed them together.

This is the third of four parts I have already written and waiting to go. I know, I know.. Literally no one asked for this. But you’re getting it anyway.

Warnings:

loosely canon compliant - this is the biggest warning, so if you’re into things that follow exact canon plot you are… definitely not going to like this. angst & slow burn, heavy sexual tensionstarting now, actually - this is just so everyone who started reading this thinking the smut would transpire in a hurry knows that apparently, it is not. violence / swearing & fighting, possible underage drinking and other shenanigans- look.. it’s high school. shit happens. also apparently, my ofc Alyssa uses the word fuck like all the time?…eventual sexual content / a virgin original character- this one is self explanatory. yes, i plan to write a smutty chapter in this at some point. when? i don’t rightly know. it’s got a while before we get there. revenge porn / grooming behaviors + an older boyfriend that Alyssa had in Chicago and moved to Riverdale to get away from are hinted at here. And this chapter might not be the only one in which we hear about Dave Novak. - I put this here so it doesn’t trigger anybody. I tried to be very very very vague when I wrote out things.. But if you can’t handle it, I understand. This is not going to be a huge part of the fic, no worries. It will have a small arc, but then it’ll be resolved.

Pairing:

Andrews!Sibling OFC, Alyssa x Sweet Pea

Other Parts:

[ one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine -   soundtrack ]

Other Stuff:

[ faq - tag list doc ]

Tagging:

@brithedemonspawn​ is the only person on my Riverdale tag list. If you’d like to be tagged for this story by all means.. Please let me know. Please, I beg. It’d make me super duper happy!!!

                                                      TEN.

Toni was awake already. Jabbing at me tentatively. “Okay sleeping beauty. Don’t make me go downstairs and fetch the Prince Charming you moaned for half the night last night.” she teased. Laughing when I went bright red in the face and apologized profusely. “That must have been some dream.” she teased again.

I stuck out my tongue at her, grumbling. “Oh. It was. But it was a dream.”

“Doesn’t have to just be a dream. I went for it with Cheryl. What’s stopping you? Hm?”

“First of all, I am pretty sure he only tolerates me because of you and Fangs. Secondly.. Even if I did think he felt anything…” I took a deep breath. “ I don’t even know how to begin to tell him.”

“Well, I mean.. You open your mouth and words come out.”

“Smartass.” I teased, smiling at her.

“You love me though.” she teased back.

We made our way down into the kitchen just in time to snag what was left of breakfast. What shocked me was that one, my brother was actually sitting at the table and eating with my father and I, his actual family and two, he and the Serpents hadn’t somehow managed to unalive each other during the night.

He even seemed to be talking to a few of them.

My dad caught sight of my face and I tensed a little. He grimaced and walked over, surveying the damage. “What happened, tiny?”

“Fucking Amanda Geller.”

“Language, tiny.”

“Okay, the diseased blight of the earth named Amanda Geller.” I chose a different wording, making my dad laugh and shake his head.

“You shoulda seen it, Mr. Andrews. It went viral.” one of the Serpents spoke up, holding out his phone so my father could see the fight. 

I groaned and dropped my head to my arms, lightly beating it against them, swearing to myself quietly. “I knew someone would record the fight. Well.. this is just great.” I took a few deep breaths and continued with my explanation. “All I have to say for myself dad, is I got sick of taking her crap. So when she stole my clothes and hid them all over the hallway, I walked out to get them. She was all in the door when I threw it open to go back inside in a hurry before I got caught. The door hit her nose, she started to scream like the harpy she is and it all went downhill from there.” I reached for a piece of toast and the butter knife to butter the bread a little more.

My dad rubbed his chin. “I think I need to go down and have a chat with Weatherbee. I should’ve done this weeks ago, actually. When this started. Let me know if she posts a video. I mean it, Al. That’s a serious offense. Don’t try to go and handle it yourself. Let me handle it, tiny.”

FP chuckled. “Fred, you know your daughter’s every bit her father’s kid. Meaning, she’s a hothead. It’s going in one ear and out the other.”

“Again, Forsythe. Don’t encourage her, man.” my dad teased FP, gazing at me firmly. Waiting on me to nod and agree. I did, but I also added quietly, “Dad. It’s over and done with. And if it isn’t, I was the one who chose to fight her. If anything comes of it, kind of time for me to quietly take my lumps.”

“This is the same Mandy Geller who had you upset the first week back at school here, right Because I think I know her parents. Maybe I need to talk to them about their daughter’s crap too?” my dad asked. I nodded. Quickly shaking my head when he mentioned involving her parents. It wouldn’t do any good. If Mandy was a bitch, her mother was the queen mother of bitches. 

He shook his head. “Honestly, while I’m not in agreement with  fighting… I can’t say I blame you. And I told your mom that everybody has a breaking point and that if Archie’s allowed to reach his and explode, it’s only fair that you get the same slack when you finally hit yours.”

He hit play on the fight again, chuckling as he watched it. “ You are lucky you didn’t break your thumb, tiny. If you’re ever in a situation to punch again, don’t tuck your thumb. Fastest way to get it broken.”

FP spoke up, chuckling from nearby. “Your dad knows that way too well, little red. Broke his thumbs three damn times before we finally got it in his head that you don’t tuck it.” 

“Forsythe, don’t encourage her, man. Mary would have a fit.” my dad shot FP a look.

“Oh, she already did when I talked to her on video call last night and she saw it.” I admitted quietly, shaking my head. I hated fighting with my mother, but sometimes it felt like my mother went looking for reasons to lecture and nag at me. Like she held me to this god tier standard that she didn’t hold Archie to and sometimes, that really bugged me.

“Sounds about right.” my dad muttered, shaking his head. “How is she?”

“Well, she said she’s got another big case coming up. Then she lectured me like usual. About the fight and about not making waves. Because of everything going on here. I guess she just doesn’t want me overloading you guys.” I laughed, shaking my head. My dad nodded. Telling me that she was just worried about me and that we butted heads because I was a lot like her at my age.

I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. “Not likely.”

“Sweetie, your mom used to sneak out of the bathroom of Riverdale High to ditch with FP and I. She could drink me under the table sometimes. And if somebody so much as looked at her wrong, she was not hesitant to call them out on it..She was a lot like you are now. I know she seems so straight laced now, but she wasn’t always.”

Something in my dad’s tone made me think that maybe Mom turning uptight had a lot to do with the reason their relationship got so strained. I kept quiet though. Nodding. Taking in what he said.

After I gathered up the plates on the table and put them in the sink, grabbing a wash cloth, Sweet Pea wandered over. Grabbing a cloth that sat nearby, running it under the water. I glanced at him, my eyes naturally settling on his lips straight away. He reached out, grabbing the bottle of Dawn from the edge of the sink, putting some on the rag.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I wanna.” he shrugged it off. We finished off washing the dishes together quietly.

Then Toni, Sweet Pea and I set off for school. And as we walked along, I felt his hand brush up against mine again. Wordlessly, I gave his hand a squeeze.

None of us were talking because all three of us had a lot on our mind at the moment.

A time or two, I felt Sweet Pea squeeze my hand. Just as we went to step into the hall at school he muttered quietly, “It’s gonna be okay, Cherry. Stop overthinking. I can smell the burning.”

I gave him a pout as I met his gaze. Managing a nod.

Toni and I were looking all over for Cheryl. Not a sign of her.

“Maybe she’s with Nana.” Toni took a few deep breaths.

“If she’s not here by lunch, we’ll go to the hospital.” I assured Toni. She nodded, hugging herself a little. “It just bothers me because she wanted to meet us both in the middle of the forest to tell us something. Then she disappears before she gets the chance.”

“I know what you mean. And it doesn’t help that her mother is.. The way she is.” I responded quietly. Trying to come up with something, somewhere else she could be. The treehouse we attempted to build in the forest was torn down years ago, so that ruled that out by default. I shook my head. 

XXX

“Your girl’s got herself one hell of a body, Serpent. If I’d known that was hiding under those cardigans and little dresses, man.. Whew.” Chuck smirked at Sweet Pea, waiting on a reaction.

Sweet Pea took a long and deep breath. Opening and closing his fist.

“She’s not my girl. But about the next time you say some stupid shit like that, you’re going to be looking up at me from the floor, dog.” Sweet Pea leaned across the aisle, grabbing Chuck’s collar and pulling him in real close. Sneering at him. Daring Chuck to push just a little further.

He was already in a mood. Between Fangs being held at the station for no reason other than public rumor, being run out of the only place he knew as home and then seeing Alyssa so upset earlier, Sweet Pea was essentially just waiting for further provocation.

Chuck seemed happy to oblige. “I might just have to bump her up higher on my to do list. Since she’s not your girl.”

“Yeah, how about no the fuck you’re not. Forget I said she wasn’t my girl. As far as you and your mangy friends are concerned? She’s my girl.”

“Well, which is it, Serpent? And what are you gonna do to stop me, hm?”

Sweet Pea stood abruptly, sending the chair scraping noisily against tiled floor as it slid in his haste to stand. He reached across the aisle, grabbing Chuck’s head, putting him in a full nelson. Really making sure he locked it in.

“Consider this your only warning, you mangy fucking mutt.” Sweet Pea muttered calmly and quietly before carelessly letting go and letting Chuck spill into the floor.

From the front of the classroom, Archie turned, fixing his eyes on Sweet Pea. And after a few minutes, he wandered back, taking the seat in front of him. Speaking up quietly.

“Did he say something about my sister. Yes or no.”

“Depends on what the fuck is going to be done about it, Andrews.” Sweet Pea answered, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Trying to remember that right now, there was sort of a shaky alliance with at least Archie Andrews. And deeper down, remembering Jughead’s advice about the situation with his growing feelings towards Alyssa the night before after everyone else had gone to sleep and the two of them sat out back of the Andrew’s house talking about it.

If he wanted Alyssa, he had to understand that she was nothing if not close to at least two members of her family. He needed to really prove to both the male members of the Andrews family that he wasn’t out to hurt her or just looking for a good time. That he could be trusted.

“Oh. Trust me. If you say he said something, Chuck’s going to wish he’d never even fucking looked at her when we get to wrestling practice this afternoon.” Archie assured Sweet Pea, pausing to continue, “It’s better if I do something, man. We both know that Weatherbee will take one look at you and expel you for nothing other than daring to be a Serpent and not willing to change. I can take a detention, a few late practices where I’m pushed to the brink and it’ll be dropped.”

Archie did make a good point.

And Jughead’s point the night before came back to him too. After debating a second or two, Sweet Pea filled Archie in on the entire confrontation the afternoon before between Alyssa and Mandy. Then he told Archie what Chuck had just said in the hopes of starting a fight.

Archie growled quietly. Turning to meet Sweet Pea’s gaze. “ You want to prove you’re not a threat to my sister? Keep an eye on her.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Yeah. I can do that.”

Archie managed a smile, nodding. “Leave Chuck to me. I’ll get him when we have wrestling practice. Want me to get in a hit or two for you?”

“Fuck yeah.” Sweet Pea answered with no hesitation.

As class started, Sweet Pea found himself dwelling on Chuck’s assumption that Alyssa was his girl. Wondering if everyone else thought the same. Trying to figure out exactly how he felt about it and wondering if he needed to nip it in the bud for Alyssa’s sake. Wondering how she’d feel about having the assumption thrown at her.

He didn’t have to wait long to find out, because as he wandered the hallway looking for Alyssa and Toni during free period, he turned a corner and found her in a quiet heated discussion with Reggie Mantle, who was going overboard lately with the gifts and gestures to try and win her back.

XXX

“You act like it’s hard to break up with the guy, princess. All you have to do is just stop talking to him. Stop hanging out with them all the time. C’mon. Did you not see just how serious the trouble they can bring you was when the police raided the South Side last night and arrested half of ‘em?” Reggie leaned against a locker, gazing down at me.

I rolled my eyes. Worried about everyone’s assumption that Sweet Pea and I were a thing as of late. Worried that people saying this stupid shit was going to make him like me even less and make those few little friendly moments we’ve managed to have lately vanish.

And that was the last thing I wanted.

But I wasn’t so worried about people assuming Sweet Pea and I were together that I immediately shot down the assumption as Reggie made it.

Instead, I folded my arms over my chest. Gazed up at him, annoyed. “Are you still trying to win the bet? Is that what this is, Reg? That has to be all you want with me.” I mused. Reggie instantly shook his head, trying to reassure me that anything physical had nothing to do with it. Reminding me that he loved me and losing me was killing him. I laughed at that one.

“You don’t even know my favorite color. You don’t know anything about who I actually am, Reggie. You’ve based all of these feelings on the me you knew in fourth grade. I’m not the same girl. Not by a stretch.”

Reggie grumbled. Grabbed hold of my hip. “I know this, princess. And your favorite color is pink, by the way.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s actually black, meatball.”

“But you always wore pink stuff…”

“Have I since we broke up and I didn’t have to pretend to be some quiet little priss though?” I questioned, waiting on Reggie to really stop and think. Realize that he was looking at me through blinders.

“Sweet Pea is not the kind of guy you date unless you want to piss off your family.” Reggie ground out the words, his jaw clenching. I could tell the entire situation was totally lost on him. Before I could stop myself, or stop to think that maybe Sweet Pea didn’t want the entire student body thinking he was bored or desperate enough to date me to begin with, my temper got the best of me and I blurted out, “ There you go, saying stupid crap without stopping to really think. How do you know I didn’t choose you strictly to piss off my family though? How do you really know I’m not choosing Sweet Pea because I actually care about him? I mean... think about it, Reggie.” flashing a smirk as I said it.

Petty and childish? Yes. Did I care much beyond hurting him like he hurt me weeks ago when he made the bet in the first place? Or every single time he’d casually speak over me or try to subtly suggest I do something differently to please him? No. No, I did not.

“Your dad liked me though.” was all Reggie could offer up as rebuttal.

I laughed, rolling my eyes. “You don’t take hints very well, do ya meatball?” I opened my locker, digging through it for the books I’d need after free period ended. Reggie sighed. “ You’re the first girl I actually loved. Forgive me if I’m not willing to stand back and watch you throw it all away on some fucking prick in a gang.”

This irritated me. Way more than it normally would’ve. I think it was just because of whom he was referring to and my growing feelings as of late. I slammed my locker door and whirled around, stepping closer to Reggie.

“But Reggie.. If I actually want Sweet Pea, then it’s not throwing myself away, now is it? Aw.. I know what this is. You’re afraid I’d let him punch my V card before you. Newsflash, Reggie.. If I were going to give it up.. I’d choose him one hell of a lot quicker than you.”

Reggie looked so hurt. And deep down I felt terrible for all the things I’ve said whenever Reggie Mantle forces me into a corner with this shit. I really do regret every single thing I’ve said. I hate hurting him, but he won’t just let me go. He has to keep fighting. Insisting that he loves me. Insisting that he knows me so well when I’m not stupid. I know he doesn’t really love me, more or less, he loves the idea of me. And he doesn’t know the person I am now at all. He only knows the quiet and sweet little girl I used to be back then.

He doesn’t want to know the real me. Every time I tried to open up to him and show him bits of myself, he’d quickly try and stamp it out under the guise of concern and care.

I did my best to keep a straight face. To pretend as if I didn’t feel the least bit of remorse saying everything I’ve been saying to him since we broke up.

After a few seconds of tension filled silence, I sighed and shook my head. Looking up at Reggie.

“You have to leave me alone, Reggie. I don’t love you like that. I thought I did but I.. I don’t, okay? This is over. The more you try to fight for it, the further you push me away. Move on already. Find any of the other girls here that are dying to date you. Just leave me alone.”

“I don’t want anybody else. I want you.” Reggie said it frantically, putting his hand on my upper arms. Gazing down at me. Biting his lip.

 And it killed me. It really killed me. 

Because I’ve had enough time by now to realize that I don’t feel the same way about Reggie that he insists he feels about me. Something in me snapped and I raised a hand, placing it palm down against his chest to keep him at bay when he tried to step closer. Shaking my head and gazing up at him as I told him firmly. Quietly. “And I don’t want you. This has to stop.”

“You’d really choose that Serpent… over me.” Reggie looked so hurt. He tried to hide it, but I could see it in his eyes. He shook his head sadly.

“I already did if you want me to be honest...” I admitted, going quiet. Feeling like a weight had been lifted at me even admitting the way I felt about Sweet Pea to anyone.

Nevermind that I was admitting it to Reggie, in the hopes of forcing him to finally leave me alone.

It hit me hard. I meant every single word of it.

Somehow, knowing that didn’t have me up in arms. I felt calmer. More relaxed.

“Whatever. When you get hurt, princess… all you have to do is come back to me.”

“Reggie, you have to let go.” I grumbled, gritting my teeth. Shaking my head at him being as stubborn as he was being about this whole thing.

Rather than argue, I sighed. Shrugging.

“We’ll see.” I side stepped Reggie and made my way down the hallway and into the student’s break room.

XXX

Sweet Pea stood there, shocked for a second. Everything she’d just told Reggie played over and over again in his mind. It froze him in place and he stood there in a daze. Just letting himself even begin to attempt processing what she told Reggie with no actual hesitation on her part.

 Suddenly, he found himself thinking back. Going over every single interaction that he had with her since they’d been thrown together in Biology. Before that, even. When he’d taken his motorcycle through the car wash fundraiser that the Vixens held one weekend right after she moved to town. The way he’d just kind of.. Seen her and singled her out. Behaving like a jackass because at the time, he’d written her off already. Nevermind that he didn’t know her at all. He’d kind of hung around the car wash that day, giving her hell. Getting a little more curious whenever he’d say something and she’d argue right back. He chuckled quietly when he remembered the part where she’d finally had enough and she’d taken her entire bucket of soap and upended it on his white tee shirt and then she’d doused him with the hose on full blast.

He listened closer. Alyssa only continued to confirm her feelings. His fists clenched every single time Reggie had the audacity to insist that she was making the wrong decision. Every part of him wanted to step out and reveal himself, but curiosity kept him hidden. Listening. Rooted where he stood until he knew the conversation between Alyssa and Sweet Pea was reaching an end because he could tell by the tone in Alyssa’s voice that her patience was reaching it’s last thin strand.

He finally had the sense  to rush away down the hall when he heard her walking away. Flopping over the back of the couch in the student break room and settling across it. Staring at the ceiling as he replayed her entire argument with Reggie Mantle. Everything she’d admitted that she felt for him in the process.

Having a verbal confirmation that he was wrong and Alyssa Andrews did have feelings for him completely threw him for a loop. He’d been content to just keep going like they were. Keeping his own growing feelings deeply hidden. To just keep being her friend because it was so much easier than making a move and ruining a friendship.

But now that he knew how she felt… Everything in him wanted to fight. To start attempting to make his own feelings for her known.

He chuckled to himself and made a mental note to tell Fangs later that he’d been right. And he had no doubt in his mind that Fangs was never going to let him forget that, not for a single second.

The door to the break room flew open and Alyssa wandered in, flopping against the couch dramatically. Her head leaning against his thigh. Making him catch his breath a little at the rush it sent racing through his body.

Everything felt amplified right now. From the smallest brush of soft red hair against his arm, to the way her perfume smelled.. The way she looked up at him with a raised brow and slowly licked her lips before asking him what he was giving her that goofy look for.

God, he thought to himself, if we were anywhere but school grounds right now… He quickly pushed the thought out, shrugging. Staying quiet, because he was half afraid if he opened his mouth right now, everything he wanted and needed to say was going to spill out. Messy. Unplanned.

Not how he wanted to go about doing it when he finally figured out how at all.

No, when he finally told her.. He was going to do it in a way that she had absolutely no doubt in her mind that he meant every single word he said.

She nestled her head completely on his thigh and if he thought the jolt at her doing so before was something, this time it was downright electric. Putting him on pins and needles instantly.

“Toni, have you heard anything?” she asked Toni.

Toni shook her head no. Veronica spoke up. “According to someone in the office, her mother came in and told Mr. Weatherbee that due to a family emergency, she was being taken out of school for a while?”

Alyssa shot up off the couch and Toni swore, standing to drag her hands through her hair.

Veronica cleared her throat. Looking from Alyssa to Toni. “Oh no. No you don’t, either of you, whatever you’re thinking.. If you go storming over there right now, guns blazing, it’s only going to make things worse.”

“What the hell do we do then? I’m not letting my girlfriend be locked away like some shit straight out of V.C Andrews, Lodge.” Toni said it calmly, but Sweet Pea knew she was panicking. And he had a second to think. If someone had done that to Alyssa, he’d be storming the place himself.

He took a deep breath. Grabbing hold of Alyssa’s hand. “I know you would literally fist fight God because she’s your best friend. Maybe Lodge is right.” his face went sour as the words left his mouth and Veronica mouthed thank you at him. Sweet Pea got Alyssa sitting down again. “I will physically restrain you, cherry, don’t test me.”

This time when he saw her blushing just slightly as they locked eyes, he knew he wasn’t imagining it. 

Veronica cleared her throat, pointing out the obvious flaws in what Toni and Alyssa had been seconds away from doing in going to Thornhill and confronting Penelope Blossom. She emphasized that maybe it would be easier if they went when they knew Penelope was away from the house. Maybe if they talked to the staff left on premises or to Nana Rose even..

“I doubt we’d get anything out of her.”  Toni butted in, reminding Veronica that the woman was starting to go senile. Veronica spoke up. “It’s worth a try. I say the three of us go over this afternoon. Under the guise of delivering her assignments. One of the girls on the welcome committee normally does that. I can talk to her and talk her into letting me do it instead. And you two can go with me. If I can get it out of her Nana where she’s been taken, then we’ll regroup  somewhere and plan accordingly.”

“I still say we just go straight to the source. We know Penelope’s behind this.”I pointed out. Too angry to really stop and think about things clearly. All I wanted was to go and storm the place.

“And that’s why we need to proceed with caution. Because whatever we do will come back on Cheryl. We don’t want that. She’s our friend.”

“And my girlfriend.” Toni spoke up quietly. Mulling over Veronica’s carefully thought out proposal.

Sweet Pea eyed Alyssa. “You know she’s playing the smarter game here, Cherry.” 

Alyssa grumbled but ultimately nodded. “Fine. Fine. Okay, we’ll try to figure out where Penelope’s taken her first.”

And Sweet Pea relaxed a little, not even realizing just how much he’d tensed up just then. 

Alyssa settled back against his leg, digging around until she found some romance novel in her messenger bag, opening it to where she’d left off reading.

Sweet Pea feigned interest in his cell phone. Not bothering to move himself because he didn’t want her thinking he didn’t want her close. Toni glanced at the two just when Sweet Pea’s fingers tangled in Alyssa’s thick red hair as he gazed down at his phone intently.

“Hey, you two. Look up and say Snakes.” Toni called out to Sweet Pea and Alyssa. Sweet Pea glanced up, giving her a dirty look almost as soon as he saw her phone raised. Shaking his head. Alyssa rose up a little, leaning against him dramatically, holding up her middle finger against the side of her face visible to the camera as she locked eyes with him, laughing quietly. “It’s just a picture, Sweet Pea.”

“I realize this, Cherry. But I want to be an asshole, so…”

She pouted at him, laughing quietly.

He let an arm settle around the back of the couch and across her shoulder indirectly. Pulling her closer as subtly as he could get away with. She gazed up at him a second or two, swallowing hard and Sweet Pea bit his lip, smirking right back at her.

From across the room, a throat cleared.

Jughead leaned in the doorway. “They’re letting Fangs out.”

Sweet Pea went to stand. Alyssa smiled. Digging around in her messenger bag for a pen. Taking hold of his hand. He raised a brow watching as she wrote a phone number across his palm in black ink.

She kept hold of his hand and muttered softly, “If they try anything.. Call that number. Ask for Mary Andrews. Tell her everything you find out and let her talk to Fangs. Don’t let them toss him a shitty public defender if they have anything they think they can take to court, okay? Please.” before smiling, nodding towards the door. “You need to get going. You guys are gonna have to sneak him out, I’m pretty sure of it. A bunch of people were all stirred up when that news report came on tv last night about him being a suspect in Midge’s death.” 

Sweet Pea nodded. He took a step towards the door, but he stopped to look back. “If anything feels weird when you guys go to check up on Cheryl, cherry.. Don’t push. Just leave and go find someone.”

He knew she crossed her fingers behind her back and he grumbled to himself, shaking his head. “I mean it.”

“Okay, alright, shit. Go. Go get our idiot out of there.” 

Sweet Pea nodded and stepped out into the hallway with Jughead. “If the tension gets any thicker, Pea, you’re both gonna explode.”

“If only you knew, Jug. If only you knew.”

Jughead eyed him and as they walked towards the police station, noting the crowd gathered out front angrily, they ducked behind the building to meet up with Fangs instead. As they stood there waiting on their friend’s release from jail, Sweet Pea found himself telling Jughead every single thing he’d overheard in the hallway.

Jughead chuckled quietly. Nodding.

“So.. please tell me you’re going for it.” Jughead glanced at him. Sweet Pea took a few shaky breaths and nodded. “Subtly though. She made it really clear to Reggie that she’s trying to get her head on right.”

“Yeah, given what Archie told me about Chicago, I don’t really blame her.”

“What happened?” Sweet Pea asked. He halfway didn’t expect Jughead to trust him enough to tell him. To his surprise, Jughead told him everything he knew… From the fighting Alyssa kept getting in trouble with. Sneaking out to frat parties, getting brought back to her mom’s place in cop cars at 3 am. And then he took a deep breath and told him quietly, “This part stays between us though. And it’s the biggest reason Archie’s twice as protective of her as he is right now. She got mixed up with this older guy, an asshole named Dave Novak. Guy was trying to pressure her into.. Stuff. You know what I mean.” Jughead stopped talking and glanced at Sweet Pea and Sweet Pea nodded. His jaw setting firm because he got the feeling that he was not going to like anything Jughead told him.

And as Jughead got into the whole thing, from the pictures sent because Dave pressured her into doing it, to the way Dave basically started trying to isolate her and put distance between herself and her mother.. To her finally having enough and breaking things off. Telling her mother what happened when Dave wouldn’t take a hint and leave her alone and he kept showing up. Leaving her harassing calls. Uploading the pictures he’d pressured her into sending him of herself to some revenge porn website.

Sweet Pea’s fist clenched and he took a deep breath. “Fuck.”

“Yeah. When all this Black Hood shit started, Archie’s first thought was Novak. But he found out Novak got arrested for pulling similar shit that he’d pulled on Alyssa with a way younger girl and he’s in prison.”

“He better fucking stay there.” Sweet Pea muttered quietly.

“Oh, trust me. If he gets out and he’s dumb enough to show here? You’re gonna have to fall in line. Behind Archie’s dad and Archie. Because Archie went with Fred to pick her up from Chicago and she told them everything on the way back because she was pretty scared. It took everything in them both not to go back and find the guy themselves.” Jughead informed, shaking his head. “She’s always kinda been a handful though.”

“Yeah. I kind of got that idea when Archie was talking about some of the stuff she used to do when they were kids last night. When he was trying to embarrass her but he only made her spray him with the sink hose instead?” Sweet Pea chuckled. Going serious. Staring at the number scrawled across his palm in black ink.

He wasn’t used to anyone giving a shit.

In all of this, adjusting to the fact that she did in fact, give a shit, was probably the biggest thing he was having to adjust to. Because he just wasn’t used to it at all.

Fangs finally made his way out of the station and as soon as they spotted him, the two made their way over, trying to get Fangs out of there as quickly as possible.

Just as they shoved through the crowd, Reggie and some of the other Bulldogs stepped forward, attempting to block their path. As Sweet Pea, Fangs and Jughead as well as some of the other Serpents who’d shown up were trying to fight their way through that situation, a shot rang out.

Fangs hit the ground and Sweet Pea and Jughead dropped beside him. Trying to stop the blood as it flowed from their friends body.

The Bulldogs scattered, as did the rest of the Serpents.When someone finally came to help them, they were rushing Fangs to the hospital. And in the hours following, all Sweet Pea could do was sit there and wait.

Quiet. Angry. With absolutely no way to keep himself calm.

XXX

Veronica came rushing back towards where Toni and I were hidden in the flower bushes that surrounded Thornhill, blocking a clear view of the place. Veronica cleared her throat. “Nana Rose is more clear headed than we thought, ladies. She’s clear-headed enough that she saw you two hiding in the bushes and she wants you to come in too.”

Toni and I shared a look. Wary.

“Penelope’s not in there, right?”

“Nope. That meeting she had with my father will take a few hours at least. Which is perfect, because it gives us time to find Cheryl and get her somewhere safe.” Veronica reassured us.

Toni and I walked in behind Veronica. My eyes darted around as I stood in the entryway of the grand lodge. I’d only been here twice as a kid. Both times Cheryl snuck me in right under her mother’s nose.

The place always felt more like a well kept tomb than a home to me and I always remember feeling horrible about having to sneak back home, knowing I had to leave my best friend behind in such a place.

If not for Jason, I would have felt so much worse. But Jason was gone now, Cheryl no longer had someone with her day in and day out to protect her from her cold hearted shrew of a mother.

Toni nudged me and I realized that Nana Rose was speaking to me. Offering a fond smile. “I remember you. You’re the little one Cheryl used to sneak in to play. Sit.” she told the three of us, nodding towards a deep red velvet covered chaise lounge opposite her wheel chair.

After a few minutes, the old woman sighed, shook her head sadly. “Penelope’s taken her from me. Took her off to that Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Because she refuses to have her daughter’s behavior in this house.”

“And yet..” I started but Toni quickly covered my mouth. Nana Rose gazed at me, nodding.

Veronica spoke up quietly. “Do you happen to know what happened to you?” she asked the question in concern.

“Of course. That hell spawn I call a daughter in law tried to kill me. Cheryl found out what she was up to.. Found me.” Nana Rose was starting to get that vacant look in her eyes and the three of us stood. Checking to make sure the woman was comfortable and that she had everything she wanted or needed in her reach before we made a hasty retreat out of the manor.

Once we were outside, Toni and I both exploded, talking over each other. Thinking up clever ways we’d love to get even with Penelope Blossom if we knew we could get away with it. Veronica cleared her throat, bringing us both to a hush a few seconds later.

“We have to break her out. You guys realize that the Sisters perform extensive conversion therapy, right?”

We shared a look and swallowed hard. “Like a conversion camp? To scare the gay away? What the fuck.” Toni dragged her hand through her hair as she stood there, trying to process. Freaking out even more because now we knew where our friend was. 

“We can try to break in and get her tonight. Pretty sure whatever meeting my father’s having with Penelope won’t be over for a while. I can get Archie to stall if we need.”

“One day all bets are gonna be off and I’m going to crush that woman’s vocal cords with my thighs.” I grumbled quietly as we hurried back towards town. To Pops so we could sit and think. Maybe come up with some sort of plan.

“Get in line behind me, cherry. Get in line behind me.” Toni muttered, hugging herself as she shook her head. 

XXX

The  doctors came out, solemn and quiet. With FP glancing at both Sweet Pea and Jughead.

“Fangs didn’t make it.”

Sweet Pea felt his stomach churning. He stood in a hurry. Still angry from earlier. Convinced that one of the Bulldogs had been the one to fire the shot. Jughead only barely managed to stop Sweet Pea just shy of destroying the waiting room completely.

“We’re gonna meet down by the quarry. Have a little memorial. Then we’re all going to focus on finding out who the fuck did this to our boy. Do you read me, kid?” FP grabbed hold of Sweet Pea, giving him a firm gaze.

“We know who did it. One of those fucking bulldogs.”

“Sweet Pea..”

“Shut it, Jug. The only one who’s halfway decent is Andrews and that’s questionable right now.” Sweet Pea ground out the words angrily.

“You need to get a fucking grip, kid.” FP commanded. Knowing it wouldn’t do him a lot of good. Feeling bad because he was having to lie to his son and one of the most loyal members of the gang but reminding himself that it was for Fangs own good. The quicker he got the kid out of town until the heat was off, the better.

“I need to go find whoever the fuck shot him and get even.” Sweet Pea answered calmly before storming off.

“Get going, Jug. Go after him and make sure he doesn’t do something stupid, son. I mean it. Now.” FP ordered his son. Jughead eyed him, a brow raised.

“I said go, son.” FP repeated firmly. Nodding to the door. Jughead raced out, stopping Sweet Pea in the parking lot. Getting him at least  a little reigned in.

“I know you don’t like me. But trust me right now, okay? The Bulldogs were not the one to fire that shot today. It doesn’t make sense. We’d have seen them.”

“Mantle had something in his jacket.”

“I doubt it was a gun. Let me dig around before you go off on a wild hair, Pea.”

“We don’t have time for you to play detective.”

“We’re going to make sure we get the right person and make them pay. I want them to pay just as much as you do.” 

Sweet Pea eyed him and then grumbled. “Fine. If you don’t find who did this by the end of the week, I’m getting some guys together and we’re doing this my way. We clear, Jones?”

“Crystal, Sweet Pea.” Jughead took a deep breath. Hoping he could pull off a miracle in just a few days.

XXX

Veronica gave Toni and I the thumbs up and we slipped in through the back way. Grabbing some nurses uniforms and quickly putting them on. We hurried through the halls, about halfway down the first one when Veronica slipped in and caught up to us.

“The wing she’s listed as is down the left hall. Not this one.” Veronica nodded and Toni and I walked down the hallway quickly. Once we found the door with Cheryl’s name on it, we peered up and down the hall to make sure it was all clear.

Nobody was around. Toni burst into the room. Going straight for Cheryl. Fussing over her, the two of them crying as Toni helped her out of bed. “God bless your Nana Rose.” I muttered as I made my way over after giving them time to reunite. Pulling her into a hug. “You scared the living hell out of me.”

“I didn’t even know what my mother was up to until she got me here.” Cheryl hugged me back. Veronica peeked in, nodding at us to hurry. “Run. Now. I’m going out to bring the car around.”

She took off to bring around the car she’d borrowed and the three of us hurried down the hall just as one of the night guards glanced up. Before he could say anything, we were at the end of the hallway.

And then one of the nuns stepped out.

We turned, bolting back the other way. Making a break for the other exit in the building, but then Toni spotted a door leading down to the basement open. She grabbed Cheryl and pulled her in and I leaned in. Hissing quietly, “You guys go down this. Follow it to the end. I’ll meet you outside.”

I hurried through the exit at the end of the hall, ditching the nurses uniform and hat as I went. Skidding to a stop in front of a tunnel. Veronica ran over, and between the two of us, we figured out how to get the padlock undone.

By the time we heard Toni and Cheryl’s footsteps in the tunnel, we had the door open and we were hissing at them to speed it up because we could hear the night guards outside shouting back and forth, looking for the escaped patient.

We tumbled into Veronica’s borrowed car out of breath and shocked we’d actually pulled it off.

And then, Toni checked her phone.

“We need to go to the hospital.”

I eyed her.

“Fangs. When the guys went to get him from the station, somebody fired a shot. It.. It hit Fangs.”

Veronica dropped us off at the door of the hospital and the three of us hurried inside just as Sweet Pea was storming out. Angry. Shouting.

And deeper down, upset. Hurting.

I could see it in his eyes.

Toni ran in with Cheryl in tow to find out what was going on and I caught up to Sweet Pea.

“Hey.. Whoa. Calm down.”

“He’s dead.”

I blinked in shock.

“No.” I shook my head. It didn’t make sense at all. “What happened?”

Sweet Pea was sitting on the sidewalk outside of the hospital by now. I sat down next to him. Trying to gauge the situation before doing anything. Eventually realizing that tonight was the time to push any feelings or anything else in my mind down and just be there for my friend. I leaned against him a little, putting an arm around him. The chill in the air crept in and I realized that I hadn’t even grabbed a jacket earlier, I’d been totally focused on the mission Toni and I had in going to break Cheryl out of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

“Those assholes on the football team blocked us so we couldn’t get him outta there fast enough. Started fighting. And in the middle of all that, somebody took out a gun and shot it. They hit Fangs.” Sweet Pea muttered the words quietly. As if he were in shock.

“I left earlier. Was going to go find ‘em. Jughead stopped me. I still want to though. Reggie…” he trailed off, going quiet. I tensed a little, reaching up to grab his jaw. Guiding his eyes down so that he had to look at me. “Was Reggie the one with the gun?”

My stomach churned. Because as much as I needed to know the answer, I was also afraid to hear it. It didn’t track with the kind of guy Reggie was, but these past few weeks have been a real eye opener for me about people I thought I knew.

“All I know, Cherry… He went in his pocket for somethin, right before the shot was fired.”

I fought back the way everything I ate rose up my throat. Took a few shaky breaths. “Was the place as crowded as it was last night?”

“More, actually.”

“It could’ve been any of them.” I bit my lip as I said it. Sighing. Shaking my head. “But if he was reaching into his pocket… Do the cops know you saw him reach for his pocket?”

“Do you really think they’re gonna listen to me, Cherry?” Sweet Pea held my gaze, taking shaky breaths. I swallowed hard, nodding in agreement. Because he was right. They damn sure hadn’t bothered to listen to Fangs when Fangs tried again and again to prove his innocence, hours following his arrest.

I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea or why I did it, but I moved from sitting on the sidewalk beside him to sitting in his lap. Facing him. Leaning against him. Starting to tear up myself because it wasn’t even two days ago Fangs and I had been arm wrestling at lunch. Taunting one another.  And if I wanted to sob right now, I couldn’t imagine just how bad Sweet Pea was hurting.

“They won’t listen to you. But maybe they’ll listen to me.”

“Whatever you’re thinkin, don’t.” Sweet Pea gazed at me firmly shaking his head no. I sighed, nodding. “That goes double for you, okay? I mean it, Sweet Pea. Whatever you’re thinking about doing.. Don’t do it yet.”

“I already told Jughead and FP I’d stand down. I don’t fucking want to, but Jughead thinks he can dig around. Find out who actually fired the shot.”

I nodded, leaning into him a little. “Right now you have to be super careful. Because those assholes in there are looking for literally any excuse to lock you guys up… And I don’t want that to happen, okay?” I gazed into his eyes, my hands on either side of his neck. My thumb dragging softly over the raised imprint of the double headed Serpent on the side of his neck.

He sighed again and then he leaned forward. Dipping his head down. Resting it against my chest. I didn’t say anything, but I knew when he started to silently cry. And I sat there, not moving. Letting him get it out.

Toni and Cheryl were walking out of the hospital, hugging each other. They were both crying too. When they sank down to the sidewalk beside us, nobody really said anything for at least ten minutes.

There wasn’t anything to say. We were all too shocked.

“Cheryl, we need to talk to my dad about stashing you at my place. Warn him what’s going on.” I muttered after about ten minutes. Cheryl nodded silently. Toni spoke up. “It doesn’t feel real.”

I nodded in agreement quietly. “You guys go ahead to my dads. If you go up the side of the house, my window should be open.”

Toni eyed me and I mouthed, “I’m behind you guys. Just trying to make sure the giant lug is okay.” to her as she nodded. And then they were gone, leaving me with Sweet Pea.

“You need some sleep, Pea.”

“I need to find out which one of ‘em did this, Cherry.”

“Let Jughead try first, okay?” I pleaded. Knowing in the back of my mind that most likely, my pleas held no weight with him in the situation because I wasn’t deluding myself here. I was still an outsider. He probably tolerated me for the sake of our shared friends.

And me pleading with him to take it easy, keep a low profile right now was admittedly selfish on my part because I loved him.

As selfish as it was, it didn’t stop me from trying.

“You need to get goin.” Sweet Pea muttered quietly. Gazing up at me, biting his lip. I shook my head. “ I don’t wanna leave you like this.”

He nodded and after I pulled myself to my feet, he stood up too. We started down the sidewalk and the further the hospital got from view, the heavier the tension seemed to get. I reached down and laced my fingers through his. Squeezing his hand.

He squeezed my hand back. Taking a few deep breaths.

“I’ll let Jughead try to find answers first.” he spoke up solemnly as we made our way into my dad’s house. I nodded, lingering at the bottom of the stairs. Making sure he actually settled down and tried to sleep.

After a few minutes, I went into the kitchen. Found my father sitting up, talking quietly with FP about something. Agreeing that whatever FP had done was something that needed to be done for safety.

They stopped talking when I pulled out the kitchen chair and sat down in it.

“Tiny, it’s late. What are you doing up?”

I shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. I.. I wanted to ask you something. Can Cheryl stay here with me a few days?”

My dad nodded. “Penelope, huh?”

“Mhm.”

“Do I want to know?” he asked.

“She stuck her in Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Cheryl barely made it out of there.” I answered as I opened the fridge, digging around for a soda. Pulling the tab and taking a drink. Sinking down into a chair across the table from my father. Staring at the can of soda in front of me for a few seconds. Because between the events of the evening, I was just barely starting to process.

“She did what now?” my dad asked, gazing at me. Waiting on me to tell the whole story. I told him what we thought was the reason she’d done it, but I didn’t mention that Toni,Veronica and I had gone and gotten her out of there ourselves earlier. 

Then I spoke up again quietly after a few seconds. “Fangs was shot when he left the station. The doctor said he didn’t make it.”

“C’mere, tiny.” my dad held his arms open and I went into them, smooshing myself against him as I started to cry all over again. FP stood and cleared his throat. “I’m gonna make sure that kid Sweet Pea is actually in the livin room with the others and not out.. Trying to look for somebody to pay for it.”

“Yeah, you do that.” my dad answered, breaking the hug to glance at me. I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel real.”

“I know, tiny. I know.” he answered quietly, using a tone he always used to soothe my brother and I when we were little and we came to him upset about something. “If they have a memorial or anything and you wanna go, I’ll take you.”

“Please?”

“Yeah. You need to get upstairs and actually  get to sleep now. I’m pretty sure I know where you were earlier.”

I eyed him.

“You’re my kid. I know when you’re sneaking into and out of the house, tiny.” my dad gave me a small smile and I nodded. Letting out a deep breath as I stepped into the living room. Bumping into FP.

“He didn’t sneak out, did he?” I asked in concern.

FP gave me a knowing smirk. “Nah. He’s in the living room, talking to Archie about what happened. Any reason you’re askin, little red?”

I shrugged. Swallowed hard and managed the feeble answer, “Because he’s my friend and I was worried about him when I saw him at the hospital just now.”

“Mhm. Well, he’s here. Madder than hell. Plotting someone’s end, but he’s here. Keep an eye on him, will ya?”

“Yes sir.” I answered, hurrying up the stairs and into my room. Cheryl and Toni were sitting up talking and I shut the door behind me.

“I told dad where you were and I asked if you could stay here. He said you could definitely stay here. I did not tell him that we were behind your escape. I doubt anybody will do anything, but.. If they do, ah well.” I shrugged as I flopped onto the foot of my bed, glancing up at the two of them, propped on my elbow.

“Fuck them if they do. If they do, we’ll turn over everything we know about Penelope.”

“My mother told me that it was one of the Vixens who told her about Toni and I...” Cheryl spoke up, shaking her head. Disgusted with it. I grumbled to myself about it, glancing at her. “Yeah, it figures it’d be one of them.”

“And when I find out which one, they’re on my shit list.” Toni spoke up quietly.

Glancing over at me. “How’s Sweet Pea?” she asked a minute or two later.

“He’s still downstairs. He’s still messed up about Fangs. I’m just hoping to hell he listens to Jughead and at least tries to let Jughead find out who really shot the gun because I…” I went quiet, shaking my head.

“Yeah. I don’t want anything to happen either. But the whole thing didn’t help tensions at all. FP said earlier that he might have found a place on the outskirts for all of us to go. Some old fairground or something.”

“Yeah. I think that’s what he and my dad were whispering about just now. He knows we all snuck in, by the way.” I informed.

“We should all try to get some sleep. Doubt any of us can, but we should at least try.” Toni spoke up quietly. Cheryl and I nodded in agreement and then the three of us proceeded to do the exact opposite, sitting up all night to hold our own little private memorial for Fangs Fogarty. Talking about all the stuff we’d managed to get into, laughing through tears. Stating what we’d miss about him.

When we finally did attempt sleep, the sun was just starting to come up.

#sweetpea fanfction #sweetpea imagine #sweetpea fanfic #sweetpea imagines #sweetpea fic #my writing ; sweetpea #my fanfiction ; sweetpea #my fics ; sweetpea #// read ALL THE WARNINGS pls and thanks. i can't stress that enough.

[today-only-happens-once]

Insomnium

Title: Imsomnium

Word Count: 2228

Summary: Callum and Soren have a discussion late one night that neither of them expect. Spoilers for up through the end of Season 3. Follows the final episode of Season 3, taking place a few weeks after. Romantic Rayllum elements. Gen.

Warnings: nightmares involving falling and implied death, vague discussions of trauma from the last episode of Season 3, angst but some comfort/hopeful elements, some exploration of Viren and Soren’s relationship but doesn’t go into much depth on that.

A/N: A fic that has been in my head since finishing season 3 of the Dragon Prince but only now got around to finishing it. First time writing this particular fandom, which is always daunting, so I’d love to hear thoughts! Barely edited, and only by yours truly. All mistakes and typos are mine.

…

Callum wakes up in a cold sweat, with the taste of his screams still in on his tongue. His hands are trembling against the sheets of his bed. Bed? It takes him a second to realize where he is—back in his room in the castle. Home. Moonlight streams in through his windows and casts the space around him in a soft blue glow. It reminds him, perhaps oddly, of Zym. The reminder is brief, and leaves an odd ache in his chest.

He loosely curls his hands into fists. He remembers the dream this time. He doesn’t always. Rayla’s face getting further and further away from him as he repeats manus, pluma, volantus over and over with increasing desperation but the wings never come. He’s falling. Rayla is falling faster, getting farther and he can’t—

Callum’s eyes sting.

He scrubs a hand down his face and swings his legs over the edge of his bed. He takes in a deep breath that trembles a bit in his lungs before he sets his feet on the hardwood floors and stands up.

It isn’t always Rayla. Sometimes it’s Zym. Or Ezran. Or their mother. Their father. Or the countless faces that were below him on the battlefield. The war cries and screams of pain still reverberate in his skull and Callum is too exhausted to contain the wince that follows. He thinks again of his little brother and reminds himself that Ezran saw much of the same things he did. He is glad that Ezran, at the very least, doesn’t have nightmares.

Callum pads his way to the door and peeks it open into the dark corridor. He’s unsurprised by the three guards that stand outside. After all, Aunt Amaya had insisted, especially with Viren’s body still unrecovered. Callum had tried to explain to her that there was no way he could’ve survived that fall; a statement that Amaya had, in no uncertain terms, told him wasn’t good enough. We don’t want to take any chances, she’d told them.

Callum sighs, opens the door further, and steps out.

The three guards snap to attention. “Prince Callum,” the one in the middle says in greeting.

Callum waves a tired hand in his direction. “Hey,” he replies. “I’m… hungry. I’m going to get a bite to eat from the kitchen.”

“We will accompany you.”

Callum holds up his hands. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.” He can see the conflicted look in the guards’ eyes and Callum draws a glowing sigil in the air in an effort to remind them that he is not without the ability to protect himself. He waves a hand to dispel the sigil without saying the trigger word, and releases a breath of relief at the guards’ reluctant but affirming nod.

Callum pinches the bridge of his nose as he makes his way through the network of corridors to the kitchen. It feels… weird, to be home right now. Last time Callum had been home had been a lifetime ago, in a rush and under attack. Still believing that his father was alive. Being back in this space without his dad is a constant reminder of his absence. Callum remembers, not for the first time, that Ezran had been here somewhere around a week ago by himself. He wonders if it was hard for Ezran too.

The surrounding silence that seems to cling to the stone walls like moss doesn’t help either. Lots of people had survived the battle at the Storm Spire, but not everybody, and much of the army and soldiers that had occupied the castle had fallen under the direction of Viren. The walls echo with the weight of everyone that was lost, and it leaves Callum feeling a little bit lost too.

The kitchen, mercifully, isn’t a far walk. Callum finds himself turning the corner and pressing through the door to find a platter of jelly tarts awaiting him on the counter. Despite himself, he smiles, and reminds himself that he really ought to thank Barius. Callum quietly makes his way over and snatches one, readying himself to turn back to head towards his room when the sound of footsteps making their way towards him perks his ears.

On instinct more than actual fear, Callum ducks behind the counter.

He realizes as soon as he does it that it’s probably silly to be hiding. But he’d gotten so used to running and hiding that a part of him isn’t sure he knows what to do differently now. So he crouches down and even though he knows it can’t possibly be Viren, the thought flickers through his mind anyway. It’s immediately followed by Rayla’s distant face getting further and further away from him. Callum holds his breath at the footsteps get closer.

But then he hears soft humming, and he realizes that he knows that voice. Callum shakes the nightmares clinging to the edges of his thoughts and stands up. “Soren?”

Soren freezes, his hand still out-stretched towards the platter of jelly tarts beside him. “Uh,” he says, “Hey.” He glances at his hand as if it is somehow apart from the rest of himself before he drops it to his side.

Callum steps from around the corner he’d been hiding behind. “You’re up late.”

Soren arches an eyebrow. “So are you.” He’s in plain tunic and trousers—startlingly casual and comfortable, and Callum realizes in the back of his mind that he’s almost never seen Soren in anything but full armor.

Callum ducks his head sheepishly at the comment. “Uh, yeah. Hungry, I guess,.” He brandishes the jelly tart that is still in his hand.

“Right,” Soren says with a quick shake of his head. “No, yeah. Me too.” He quickly snatches one of the pastries off the platter. He makes no move to eat it.

Between them is an awkward silence. The kitchen is cold without a fire in the stove, and the moonlight is barely enough to make out the edges of the counter and the silhouetted shape of Soren in the dark. Callum’s eyes are beginning to adjust to the lighting but he still can’t really see Soren’s expression. It’s just something about the way he’s standing—one hand covering another, face turned away, shoulders curling in—that makes the question tumble past Callum’s lips before he’s even really thought about it.

“You okay?”

Soren’s startled gaze flashes up to meet Callum’s in the dark. “Why are you asking?”

Callum lifts a shoulder. “It just seems like something is bothering you.”

Soren huffs a humorless laugh. “It’s… nothing, your Highness.” He turned towards the door.

“Ezran told me, you know,” Callum says suddenly. Soren freezes again. “About what you did. To protect him.”

Soren doesn’t say anything for a moment. When he does, the words sound stilted and clumsy. “I—I’m a member of the Captain’s Guard. I’m sworn to protect the king.”

“That didn’t make it easy.”

Callum doesn’t miss the way Soren won’t look him in the eyes.

“I was just fulfilling my duy.”

“He was your father—”

“It was an illusion—”

“But you didn’t know that,” Callum insists. “Did you?”

Soren shakes his head quickly. Dismissively. “Callum—”

“Soren, I—” Callum stops, then sighs.

He doesn’t understand why he’s so adamant that it was nothing. Callum had never known Soren that well—he’d describe their relationship was strained even when it was at its best—but he knew enough to know that Soren basically had worshipped the ground Viren walked on. He still remembers vividly the earnestness with which Soren had described his father when they were making a plan in the Storm Spire. He makes you think that as long as you do what he says, you must be doing the right thing.

Ezran had told him what had happened between Soren and Viren with eyes aged more than Callum was prepared to see in his little brother. And Callum hadn’t quite believed it at first.

“Thank you,” Callum says, despite all the other things he wants to say. “I don’t… have much family left. And if I’d lost Ezran too…” Callum swallows hard against the idea. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Soren glances up and meets Callum’s solemn gaze for a fleeting moment. “Gotta protect the family that we have left, huh?”

Callum realizes with a sudden clarity that Soren has none left. “Friends, too.”

Soren stares at him but Callum can’t read his expression in the dark. He gives a singular nod. Callum looks at the jelly tart in his hand, then holds it out towards Soren across from him. “Here,” he says. “Take it. I’m… not actually hungry.”

Soren seems to consider it for a moment before he accepts it. “Thanks.” He makes no move to eat that one either, and after a pause, drops both of them back on the platter. “I’m not that hungry either.”

Callum glances at the abandoned jelly tarts. “Something wrong?” he asks again.

There’s a flicker of something—rare and honest—through his eyes even in the dark. He shrugs. “You know,” he says, as if it’s a real answer.

Callum sighs—again—and nods. “Yeah.”

There’s another beat of silence. Heavy, measured footsteps echo down the corridor outside the kitchen door. Callum tenses—more out of habit than concern—and wonders idly when (or if) he was ever going to unlearn some of the behaviors he’d adopted in taking Zym aback to Xadia. The footsteps pass without pause.

“So,” Soren says, startling Callum out of his thoughts. “You and the elf girl?”

Callum blinks, the mention of Rayla causing his face to warm. He is suddenly grateful for the dark. “Er, yeah?”

Soren holds up a hand as if to signal he means no harm. “What’s that like?”

Callum isn’t sure why Soren is asking, but he sees no reason to not be honest with him. “She’s… great. She��s brave, and smart, and strong—“Callum cuts off as his nightmare crashes into the forefront of his mind again. Her tear-stained face, his name tearing from her throat, Rayla getting further and further away, his wings never forming, him never being able to catch her…

“You okay?” Soren asks, echoing Callum’s question from a moment ago. His brows are scrunched together in something like concern.

Callum scrubs a hand across his eyes. “I don’t know.”

Soren looks taken aback, and Callum wonders if emotional honesty was a completely foreign concept to him. “What’s wrong?” Soren asks.

“I—” Callum suddenly falters. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

Soren rubs the back of his neck and averts his gaze. “Yeah,” he says, in a more subdued voice. “I’ve been having nightmares too.”

Callum looks up. Perhaps Soren was more intuitive than he’d given him credit for. “Do you want to talk about it?”

The question is met with a conflicted silence before Soren rakes his fingers back through his blonde hair and sighs. “It’s… They’re… usually about dad,” he says, the words coming slowly and carefully as if he’s testing them as the leave his lips.

Callum nods. “That’s gotta be hard,” he says, as gently as he can.

He sees the brief clench of Soren’s fist. “Yeah,” Soren says, his gaze distancing for a moment as if lost in thought—or memories—before he shakes himself. “But they’ll go away eventually, right?” he says, and the dismissive tone is suddenly back as if it’s a shield he can throw up in the middle of some kind of battle he’s fighting on his own.

“I don’t know,” Callum says honestly. “I hope so.”

Soren seems to sag. He looks suddenly so much smaller than Callum can ever remember seeing him. “Me too.”

Callum opens his mouth to say something—anything to reassure him, to let him know that he’s not alone, and that he doesn’t have to make himself small like that—but the footsteps are back and this time the door cracks open. A soldier that Callum recognizes but cannot name pokes his head in. “Soren,” he says. “It’s your turn for rotation on the watch.”

Soren stands up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders. “Thank you, Peter. I’m coming.” The other soldier nods, sees Callum and murmurs apologies for intruding before he backs out the door.

Soren moves to follow him, but Callum reaches a hand out. “Soren?”

Soren stops and looks over. “Hm?”

“If they don’t stop, you can talk about it, you know. With me or with someone else. It’s okay to talk about stuff like that. Good, even. It can help it seem less… scary.”

Soren hesitates, then gives Callum a quick nod before he pushes through the door and Callum listens to his hastened footsteps down the hall. Silence returns to the chill in the kitchen around him but Callum figures this is at least a step in the right direction. Soren had started taking steps to getting better, to talking about things he used to be told he shouldn’t, and that was a good thing.

Rayla’s face—terrified and falling—presses against his mind again and Callum groans, scrubbing at his eyes as if it will erase the image from his mind. Echoing the image is Soren’s voice.

They’ll go away eventually, right?

Callum repeats his answer to the dark, cold kitchen.

“I hope so.”

#the dragon prince #tdp #the dragon prince fanfiction #tdp fanfiction #tdp fanfic #soren #callum #rayla x callum #nightmares #angst #falling #trauma #war #battle #violence mention #murder mention #kind of #tdp spoilers #the dragon prince spoilers #tdp season 3 spoilers #tdp season 3 #if i should add other tags please let me know #not ts

[more-gremlin-than-fae]

Yet another CQL canon-divergence

Episode 26 this time. @bladedweaponsandswishycoats reminded me of this post about the use of zhiji in CQL and it reminded me of the AU my brain spent hours and hours on when I hit that episode in my first rewatch of the series.

This one’s gonna be just as long as all the others, although I might actually write this one since it’s mostly altering a single scene rather than having to write actually new stuff.

What if: WWX doesn't get there in time to intercept LWJ's glass of wine?

I'm assuming here that Lan Xichen has never actually seen Lan Wangji drink alcohol and has assumed that he knows the “golden core burning off alcohol” trick but never actually taught it to him, maybe he assumed their uncle had. 

So, episode 26, all the same except at the banquet WWX gets there just after LWJ has been peer pressured into drinking the wine so he’s there instead just in time to catch LWJ before he falls face first into the soup with an oh so casual hand on his friend's shoulder. Cue the initial round of insults with Jin Zixun, but with the addition of a distracted WWX making 'come over here and pick up your passed out brother' faces at LXC when he thinks nobody’s looking.

(I'm assuming also LWJ tends to get past the initial passed out stage fairly quickly as in CQL here)

WWX and LWJ have just had the 'what am I to you/zhiji' conversation so that's at the absolute top of LWJ's mind when he wakes up drunk. He wants that with Wei Wuxian, even a Wei Wuxian who’s been weird and moody and emotionally distant. So. He wakes up drunk thinking about “how do I get that back? how do i prove that i feel the same way?” and drunk LWJ is just an LWJ without brakes.

So when WWX notices he’s awake and tries to take back the hand that has been oh so casually holding LWJ upright by the shoulder, LWJ just grabs it and holds on. 

And then the rest of the scene unfolds more or less as canon but now WWX is trying to get the information from Jin Zixun and deal with Jin Guanshan and Jin Guanao while being followed around by a drunk and slightly belligerent and needy LWJ who just wants people to stop pissing off his zhiji and give him a break, for once. And at the same time, WWX is also trying to keep LWJ from losing face/people knowing he's a lightweight and now super drunk off one cup of wine. And he absolutely cannot bring himself to not be soft with drunk LWJ, so he’s switching back and forth on a dime between being cheerfully soft at LWJ and being angry and intimidating at Jin Zixun and everybody else.

LXC watches this for a little bit before realizing something is very wrong with his brother and that WWX is being king and running interference to save him face, so he stands up and asks WWX very quietly what the fuck is going on with Wangji, did they drug him?

WWX (under his breath, while JGS is talking): “No, he’s drunk. This is what he’s like after one cup of wine. You seriously never -?”

LXC: “Let’s not get into that here.”

WWX turns to LWJ: “hey, buddy, you’re brother’s here, you should go with him” and tries to transfer the hand currently locked around his wrist (not so incidentally preventing him from so much as slightly threatening anybody with Chenqing) to LXC

LWJ: “No.”

LXC: “Wangji, we need to have that important sect business meeting back in our quarters right now.”

LWJ looks at LXC, looks at WWX, looks daggers at Chenqing and then turns to his brother and says “No” again.

(This is how he’ll prove it, he’s decided. Since WWX insists on carrying Chenqing instead of Suibian then LWJ will just have to make sure he doesn’t need to use the demon flute and risk further corruption while LWJ is around.)

WWX is still under a time crunch here, he has to get the information and get back to Wen Qing before she gives up on him or ends up arrested for the crime of looking like a Wen in Jin territory. So while he keeps questioning Jin Zixun about the Wen prisoners, LXC and LWJ are having a low voiced argument about letting go of WWX until LWJ busts out of with  "no, he’s my zhiji, this is important to him so it's important to me" and ends up being the one who intimidates Jin Zixun into giving up the info. LXC’s only choice at this point is to help or get out of the way.

Bonus: Jiang Cheng hears the zhiji comment and is like "oh, man, I thought it was one-sided, this is so much worse" and forgets about politics for a single minute, which is long enough for him to get involved in this whole mess out of sheer jealousy that suddenly the Lans are standing with WWX and Lan Wangji is claiming this intimate relationship with HIS brother, excuse u very much, Lan Wangji.

So they get the info and decamp as a group to an empty courtyard where WWX has to explain to LXC and JC why he’s suddenly interested in the treatment of the Wen prisoners all while trying to gently detach a Lan Wangji who’s still stubbornly attached to him at the wrist.

He’s distracted enough to actually tell the truth about Wen Qing being in town and how the Jiangs owe her and Wen Ning for hiding them from her relatives (shut UP, JIang Cheng, they HELPED and they ended up in Wen Ruohan’s dungeon for it, if Meng Yao gets a pass for actively helping Wen Ruohan while being a spy then WQ and WN deserve a pass for hiding and healing the Yunmeng sibs and refusing to participate in the burning and sacking and killing of the other sects)

The upshot is that now LXC and JC know everything except the golden core thing and LWJ is now insisting that he will go along and help his zhiji "your debts are my debts" etc. And he’s functional enough, and stubborn enough, that no one involved can actually stop him without injuring him. 

So it shakes out that JC goes to get Wen Qing on his sword while LWJ more or less kidnaps WWX onto Bichen and they meet up at the camp.

This is definitely a “Wen Ning lives” fic because they get there much faster.

Anyway, fast forward to LWj waking up in a bedroll in a camp in the woods just past the Jin territory border with the Wen remnants and hazy memories but just rolls with it because he was absolutely not drunk what are you talking about and he is definitely going along with them to wherever they’re going, he’s the only one not starving and sleep deprived (he fell asleep at 9 while riding behind WWX on the horse).

That's as far as my brain managed to take it anyway.

Randomly: Wen Qing makes WWX tell LWJ about his core basically that morning because she refuses to conceal if he’s really all-in with them then he needs to know.

Actually this might be an "everybody lives" AU because giving WWX the opportunity and necessity of explaining to LXC and JC what he's actually doing and why before he gets more or less kidnapped onto Bichen to go rescue Wen Ning would likely throw off all the politics. And as much of an ass as JC canonically is about the Wens, there's no way he sees what's been happening at the work camp for himself and isn't absolutely appalled. So :waves hands: JGS' PR campaign against WWX doesn't work because there might not be a Geneva Convention but there are limits at least for some of the major sect leaders.

And also at the Qionqi Dao, drunk LWJ smacks WWX on the hand every time he tries to bring Chenqing anywhere near his face so he has impeccable testimony that he used no demonic cultivation in the whole incident. Wen Qing finds this hilarious and encourages him to do it always.  

#cql #cql au #diverges at episode 26 #everybody lives for once #this one i might actually write #sometime #mdsz au ideas #mdsz #drunk lan wangji #drunk lwj is my favourite #because he's so earnest #and doesn't give a shit #and wwx is soft about him when he's drunk #it's about taking care of each other #mo dao su zhi #chen qing ling #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan xichen #jiang cheng #wen qing