#so he's determined to build a new family even though he doesn't realize that's what he's doing

[tvrningout]

i see or hear alternative/punk rock content and arata screams at the top of his lungs to let him out

#sorry to be talking about yet another muse but i won't lie!! arata pops into my brain kinda often!! #i'm in my creating/revamping oc's era rn i guess asdf #bc maybe i could just kinda?? scratch all his original stuff and maybe the original stuff for all his bandmates too #refocus him a bit somehow #i'll always be attached to stand out!!'s original dynamic but i also think it'd be nice if i maybe left some of those connections open #for others to take? like you have a muse who would be the front man of a band?? or the drummer?? lead guitarist?? #cool bc arata's a bassist!! play with him!! be his bandmate!! #also just thinking about him being the driving force behind the band -- he's the reason they get together #which was partially the concept before but not completely #i think this time i would want to focus more on the idea that arata pretty much loses stability at home once his parents divorce #his sister doesn't live with him anymore #so he's determined to build a new family even though he doesn't realize that's what he's doing #this band becomes his world not just bc he loves music but bc it's all that he feels he really has -- it keeps him sane #i dunno y'all asdfg i like the idea but should i bring our silly lil bassist back to bug everyone? am i doing too much :' ) #also i'm back!! gonna try to get some things done now that it's quiet <3 #get ready to ramble | ooc

[yan-lorkai]

Hello! How would yandere twst react to the fact that reader cannot get pregnant in any way, and thinks that she has infertility, but how did it turn out later that it was yandere who suffer from infertility? How hurt will they be by the fact that they will not be able to give what reader wants, who is now demanding an end to their marriage due to their infertility and has already found herself a new candidate by making contact with him?

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: Hii anonie! I wasn't sure if you wanted all the characters from the babytrap hcs so I just picked Malleus and Leona, but let me know if you wanted the others too I'm more than happy to write them! :D

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warnings: Yandere content, Infertility and talk about pregnancy/children, imprisonment, possessiveness, malleus using his UM

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Malleus is determined to try a thousand times if need be, the thought of building a family still circling his mind as he hopes to get you pregnant this time. Several factors may be preventing you from getting pregnant such as stress, lack of vitamins or health problems, so Malleus changes your routine to a calmer one and brings the royal doctors to you to find out what the problem is.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Even though he's a little delusional, Malleus can see that maybe there's a problem he didn't foresee: you're infertile. But even if you're infertile he still loves you dearly, if you can't have kids biologically then he's sure maybe you could adopt.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ But when does he find out you're not infertile? Malleus doesn't quite know how to feel, he knows that it only means one thing and that the problem is him. And the world trembles under his feet, the sky is swept clean of any sign of the sun as thunder crashes to the earth, Malleus hadn't considered the hypothesis that he might be infertile and even though royal doctors talk about this or that, he doesn't catch a single word. He can't, he can't give you what you want, he can't fulfill his role as a husband and he fears your reaction to his hypothesis.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ That night he comes to lie beside you, quiet, and he holds you tenderly against his chest, stroking your sides and looking at you like it's the first time he's really seen you. And he shares his suspicions about his infertility with you, watching each expression pass over your face, expecting you to yell at him and storm out of the room, but you don't. You stay there and you both tremble in each other's embrace, and Malleus thinks for a second that maybe you don't care either and that maybe nothing will change in your relationship.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ But as time goes by he realizes that this is not the case. And one day he enters your shared room to notice that your bags are packed and that you intend to leave, Malleus doesn't need you to tell him why, he knows, deep down he knows why you're leaving him. And he feels a terrible pain go through him, especially when you tell him how you've been exchanging letters with another man and that you didn't want to be with him anymore. And if Malleus were just a little less selfish, maybe he would have let you go and live your dream of having a child, but he can't think of that and he loves you too much to give you up, so he puts you to sleep with his magic, trapped forever inside your own body.

⠀⠀⠀

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Leona feels that he has failed you and him, especially if you have high expectations of having a child with him. No matter how many times you try, none of the attempts are fruitful and he can hear the servants' mean comments in the corridors, he can see what those whispers and giggles do to you. Until one day, his mother suggests that one of the two of you may have some problem that prevents you from conceiving and Leona is terrified of the thought. He could grunt and murmur that Cheka bothers him, but he wanted a child and when you married him Leona imagined what that child would be like, would they have your eyes or your smile? Would they be as beautiful and graceful as you?

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Knowing that maybe they can't be born because one of you is infertile breaks his heart as much as yours, but he stands strong to support you during this delicate time as you visit the medical wing.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ And honestly, the confirmation that he was infertile leaves him stunned and afraid, as if he were just going to be a hated boy again and that no one believed he was worth anything. And he knows well the look of disappointment that passes over your face and it hurts him more than he lets on, he would expect this from anyone but you, this is not something he can control but maybe there is a treatment or something he can do. And he starts to plan as the two of you return to your room.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ He knows as he watches you spend time with Cheka or other kids that this is something you wanted to experience and something you won't be able to have if you stay with him, he knows that at some point you'll leave or maybe stay long enough until your relationship deteriorates. He just didn't expect it to hurt so much when it happened, with you throwing divorce papers in his face while announcing loud and clear that you're leaving, that there is another man in your heart who can give you what you want and how you've been exchanging letters with him this whole time. But he can't let you go, no matter how much you scream or cry or how much you run from him, you're his and there's nothing you can do or anyone to turn to for help.

#yandere leona #yandere malleus #yandere malleus draconia #yandere leona kingscholar #twst #yandere twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #yandere leona x reader #yandere malleus x reader #malleus x yuu #malleus x reader #malleus x mc #leona x yuu #leona x mc #leona x reader #lorkai headcanons

[commehter]

Does nobody ask questions about your fics here?? despite the links? Anyways, here from AO3, and curious about your 'The Spirit Tale of Fire Lord Ozai' fic. I'm curious about what Iroh thinks of the extremely dramatic shift in personality Zu-Ozai has displayed.

To be fair, the links are fairly new. My previous policy was simply to avoid spoilers entirely, but I realized recently that tumblr might be a platform that would allow me to talk worldbuilding and such without posting spoilers where they could be as easily stumbled over as the comments section directly attached to the AO3 story in question.

Now then, on to your real question!

Iroh assumes most of the changes he sees are spirit work and Zu-Ozai has encouraged that conclusion in a few instances. His brother's newly revealed knowledge of his borderline treasonous activities with and for the White Lotus terrifies him, and Zu-Ozai's decision to thus far spare him likewise frightens him because he has no explanation for it that he trusts. (Agni hasn't been particularly protective of him, and Iroh doesn't know of any other spirit that might be, either. So, spirit intervention isn't an excuse he can apply to cover that particular conundrum.) He's suspicious and curious over the 'reforging' he has heard mentioned time and again, but he has not had success in researching it. (And he won't, as long as he is going off human records, as it is a practice solely among spirits. The closest instances to a reforging (involving a mortal body) before Zu-Ozai are the Avatar's creation/reincarnation and Tui's gift to Yue shortly after her birth. Agni is pulling a seriously experimental stunt -- and La is lurking in the background waiting for it to fail because the pessimist fish has no faith.)

I also have some worldbuilding going on in the background that hasn't come up in fic. I'll go into further detail in the following sentences, but the big takeaway is that Iroh never knew Ozai well enough to notice a good chunk of the differences between his original brother and Zu-Ozai. I'm running with the idea that there is a large age-gap between the brothers. 17 years, to be precise. I'm also playing with the idea that Iroh and Ozai could have been half-brothers. They're not 'estranged' because they've never been close to begin with. By the time Ozai (the spare, so to speak) was born, Iroh was a late-teens boy chasing after pretty girls. Interactions with his step-mother had always been awkward (she dies during childbirth, btw) and Iroh was no less uncertain about going from an only child to the drastically older brother of an infant upon Ozai's arrival into the world. There's never a demand placed on him to have much to do with the younger prince and so he more or less ignores his brother's existence for several years. It's about the time Iroh and his wife are expecting Lu Ten that he starts to show any substantial interest in Ozai, who is 11-12 by then, but even so, Iroh is building his own family and Ozai remains at the edges of it.

Since losing first his wife, and then later his son, followed by his father, Iroh has re-evaluated how he views familial ties and their importance. Upon returning to the Fire Nation after his year-long wandering, he chose not the fight for the throne but Ozai still kept him at a distance that made Azulon seem like a warm man. Azula, of course, followed her father's example. And so Zuko, likewise lonely and rejected, is the only one with whom Iroh has had any success fostering a familial bond with -- though that is still limited because Zuko desperately wants his father's approval and Ozai never hid how little he thinks of Iroh.

Then the Agni Kai goes sideways and suddenly Ozai is persistently, aggressively, unrelentingly determined to seek Iroh out for his company, council, and assistance, going so far as to argue with Agni over an oath made to win Iroh's trust. He's rightly suspicious of the change in personality, but he also can't help the desperate and selfish hope growing in his battered heart that he might be able to reclaim what's left of his family. (To say nothing of what these changes would/will mean for the White Lotus and the wider world.)

To sum it all up, Iroh is torn between his doubts and desires, leaving him cautiously hopeful, terribly confused, and scared out of his mind. He's lost a lot of family and is going with the flow right now because, until he has more information and a chance to catch his breath, he doesn't know what else to do.

Back to SToFLO on AO3 or RR.

#commehterask #the spirit tale of fire lord ozai #spirit tales asks #spirit tales spoilers #ao3 #royal road #fanfiction #fanfic #worldbuilding #avatar the last airbender #atla #iroh #zuko #ozai #zu-ozai #fire nation #family #brothers #fire nation royal family

[strawberrrier]

Home Again

Jason Todd X Plus Size reader

Chapter Six

Connections build. Things are confessed left and right. Attractions arises.

Hearts Reflecting One Another .1

It had been a week and days since Y/N arrived in Gotham, in those days, she's finally explored the few of the city with the few of them. Even having a few times with Alfred to go out as well. She managed to drag Stephanie, Cassandra and Barbara for a girl's day out too. A few baking lessons from her was shared with them, with Duke, Tim and Dick joining the earlier three—nothing but another situation that can worry Alfred to death, if he fears it anyway. Then once visited the museum with Alfred and Bruce. 

She was more than appreciative that not only her was comfortable to be more of herself but them as well, despite still not knowing much about them, she still felt welcome. More and more at ease. 

Then there was the certain man with the white hair streak thats been bothering her ever since. No, it doesn't bother her that he hasn't tagged along in their little ventures, not at all. But they did had their encounters though, that's not been on her mind repeatedly by the way, no. 

That night then, he hasn't left her mind. He just had to smile at her, she just had to see the goldness of the candlelight on his skin, she just had to admire how his white streak fell so freely on his forehead, she just had to behold the few of his scars, she just had to see him.

Damn pretty boy.

The passing days continued then, the more it went on, her uncertainty towards what she has been feeling, thinking of him, continued as well. Though the more she tried to deny it, the more she finds herself recalling the moments she's had with him despite he wasn't there every time she was spending time with the family. 

What an embarrassing thought.

But she'll indulge herself this time, again. 

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

The joy she suddenly felt when she sees him was replaced with worry as her eyes could not pass by the redness and a few cuts of his hands on his knuckles. "Jason?....your hands..." she trailed off, stopping in the middle of the stairs. 

Jason halted, looking at her worried gaze and chuckled lightly. ".... Me and my friend went a bit overboard with our training. Sparring matches, something like that" He shrugged. 

"Oh...," she nodded. Training, huh? She did realize that it make sense why he was build the way he is. Y/N huffed, "Well, you did say you tend to hurt yourself a lot," she concluded and continued walking down the stairs. 

"That I did and you'll be seeing new of it more often." 

Her eyebrows furrowed, "I hope not," says her instantly, her face turned serious. 

"You worried about me?" He asked, smug was the curving of his lips and as well as his voice. 

Y/N gripped the end of the banister, taken back by the sudden change of his tone. Though she was still on a step of the stairs and him on the side of it, he still towered over her—his stance now intimidating her. 

This is new. 

Scoffing as she rolled her eyes, "Don't flatter yourself," though the tone same from his. She knew she was but he didn't need to know that, at least not directly anyway. 

Jason laughed. Only now she hears the deepness of his voice, their near distance from each other didn't help either for her to not feel the vibration of it. "Keep telling yourself that," he retorted as he began to walk away. 

"Maybe I will." She whispered to herself, sharpening her gaze to him. Determined. 

If that's what can help me stop this, then maybe I will.

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

"Going out?" Jason asked Y/N midway through his walk in the hallway as they saw each other.

Nodding as she swiftly look down on her attire; a yellow wrapped dress, heels, and her handbag. "Yes, Stephanie said it'll be great to go at the amusement park today." The offers of them going around the city with her at last started with their first day. 

"Yeah, good luck with them, they'll drag you on all everything there." He chuckled.

She did as well, "I'll be making sure I'll come back in one piece then." Y/N slowed down her walk as did him, hesitating to speak and hesitated to meet his eyes. "....I.....Won't you go as well?" asked her, she was feeling that her heart was starting to flutter again.

Why did I say that?

She sees him smile softly and she blinked, mentally shaking her head. "I have something to work with Bruce, you're gonna deal with their shit all on your own," he replied and they were now beside each other.

Y/N laughed, "I see, well then I hope you could go with us next time." Her laughter toned down as she heard herself.

I should stop speaking.

His eyes piqued with mirth, "You're gonna flatter me," he says, smirking.

Oh, I wanna wipe that off his face.

...What am I even thinking?

"Have a good day, Jason." Y/N declared without missing a beat, tightly turning around and walked away. She hadn't heard him laugh so freely like that before. Her sudden frown from his remark was starting to be changed by the curling of her lips.

...Adorable

Annoying.

"Sorry to disappoint you," his voice lightly echoed in the hallway. She can now imagine his shit eating grin and this made her click her tongue.

"Stop flattering yourself." Her voice gritted, the clacking of her heels heavy. She feels her chest rise and fall with every step she takes, so she stopped walking when she was in another direction. Swallowing hardly, she rolled her eyes, "How infuriating." Whispered her.

Then a minute after, she puts a hand to her forehead and sighed.

Why am I even pissed off ?

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

She hums quietly to herself as she makes her way to the library, excited in the idea of spending some time in it as it is late in the midnight. The porcelains clanging gently with the tray in her hands. 

Y/N walks in the library and headed to where the table was, but then she got startled by a figure that came in her view, which was for heaven's sake, Jason.

"Bloody hell," she muttered, then continued to walk to where he was, hands slightly trembling along with the tray as she laid it on the table. 

"Hello, Alfred." He greeted, looking up at her from his book while giving the same annoying curve of his lips, to her anyway. 

Y/N plops herself on the couch across from him, "Oh, fuck off." She spat, curling her robes more to her body. She sees him with a surprised look and at last cracked a smile—making her laugh in a scoffing manner. 

I am beginning to get too comfortable. 

"That would not be Alfred." Jason said. 

"No, it wouldn't," she replied, and began to pour herself a cup of tea. Upon realizing there was only one teacup, she suddenly thought she should have bought an extra, then her eyebrows creased. 

Why even? 

"Aren't you gonna ask me for some tea as well or those cookies?" He asked, putting his book down on his lap while looking at her. 

She says without hesitation, "No. Go make your own," and drank her tea after, staring at him dead in the eyes. The same gleam of delight she's had lately was in his eyes once again. With their nearness from each other, the bright orange of light illuminating in faint darkness, she had now seen the color of his eyes; radiant blue irises and fragments of green in it. 

Enticing. 

"You lost in my eyes, sweetheart?" His voice dripping with delightful malice rang in her ears, making her blink and roll her eyes, shrugging off like she wasn't caught of doing so. The name didn't go unheard by her and repeat it in her mind, her heart skipping a beat. 

Oh, this bitch. 

"I was just about to say how pretty they are but I rather say, go fuck yourself." Her tone more weighting than his and started to stand up from her sit.

I am losing my mind. What the hell. 

Confused to why she's starting to lose composure. 

Jason bursted out laughing, the deep voice of his rumbling in the room, his head thrown back on his seat. No doubt it also echoed through the hallway. 

Y/N glared at him immediately, "Be quiet!" she hissed in a loud whisper. Though her staggering stare was starting to wear off with amusement as well, looking at his joyful yet irritating state made her so. 

How endearing. 

"You are exasperating." She declared, throwing him one last sharp look before walking to the book shelves. Jason's laughter died down shortly and she got herself a book that she sures know will be difficult to pay attention to, seemingly he was there. 

"Yet, you look like you enjoy it." Jason says and she said nothing in return but clicked her tongue. Y/N placed the plates of cookies on the table and slid it lightly to his direction-his small smile didn't go overlooked by her. 

Silence came in as they began to read into their own books, nothing but the cracking of woods in the fireplace was heard. For a good long minutes, she did actually read and comprehended it well, nothing but them full in solacement, indulged in their own worlds. 

But then inevitably, the man in her view became noticeable. From her peripheral vision, she stared at him; a black shirt that fitted him well, his grey sweatpants that hugged his lower form loosely, and, surprisingly-a Wonder Woman patterned red socks. He looked cozy, entranced in his book. She smiled, chuckling lightly. 

Didn't think a man built like him could be this adorable. 

Stop. 

"Cute socks." Y/N said suddenly, breaking off their silence. 

Jason huffed, smiling, "What? I admire the woman, she's great." Says him proudly. 

Y/N nodded, "That she is," 

"What about you? You a fan of any of them?" Jason closed his book again and took another cookie. Y/N squinted his eyes at him as she sees there were only a few left. 

She shakes her head and also closed her book, "Not really, but......I suppose Superman," he raised his eyebrows and tipped his head. "I just think he's....great too." She shrugged. 

"Well I- ow!" Y/N slapped his hand away from the plate of cookies as he was just about to take another one. "You had enough and I haven't even had one yet," she hissed, glaring at him and he just looked at her, the annoyed look of hers making him break into a little laugh.

Now I'm annoyed again, this is irritating. 

She poured her cup another of the tea but not for her as she slid the saucer to his way but didn't say anything nor him when he saw what she did. Only then she realized that it was her cup. 

Why ever did I do that? 

What if he doesn't take it then? Oh, how embarrassing. 

But she was surprised as he took it but still said nothing. "How are your hands and arm anyway?" she was really concerned but she just wanted to change the non-existent subject.

Jason showed his forearm and it was healed now, turned to a scar, "It's fine and my hands are not so bad now as well." He says while he flexed his hands; tall, bony yet thick fingers. Veins etched clearly on his knuckles, as well as the few of marks that healed. 

Even his hands are pretty.

Will you stop.

"Still worried about me?" He asked.

She scoffed before standing up from her chair, "Keep telling yourself that." Said her as she walked to where the window was, opening the curtains to reveal the wide skies filled with stars. She stands in front of it, admiring the view.

"You wound me." The shit eating grin she once saw vague in her mind now clear and crisp as the dark bright sky. Despite being away from the fireplace, she still felt her body to be warmer than it should be. 

Annoying tall motherfucker.

She bit her lip to prevent her from smiling but she knows he was as well and he knew it too, made her smile wide more. "My pleasure." 

She had never spent any midnight like that, filled with so much glee that it made her heart dance again.

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

She's trying her best, really. She can swore but it was not working. Sighing when she stopped walking and looked up at the sky, glad that she was able to see nothing but the light that still shone in the vision of her darkness in her closed eyes. Just because of that certain man she wants to strangle. Not caring that the sunlight is now starting to burn her skin, wanting to be at peace for a while.

Leave me be like this for now, don't think about anyth-

"You good?"

"Will you-" Y/N yelped with both her fists clenched on her sides, and turned around to see Dick—"Stop that?" Breathless as she glared at him.

"Shit, sorry, I didn't know you were like that," he laughed and walked to her.

"Now you know." She replied nonchalantly and began walking again. "I was just thinking how peaceful I was," her hands trailing the tall bushes of greens.

"Seemed like you were stressed out still." Dick shrugged, putting his hands on the pocket of his jeans. "Should I ask what's bothering you?"

Y/N sighed again, "It's nothing that you think is bothering me, I wish that was it anyway, and that's what bothering me." She trailed off mindlessly.

He creased his eyebrows, turning to look at her, "I feel like I know what you're talking about but I'm not sure." Knowing where their conversation was going to go. 

Oh, come on.

"Of course you do," she eyed him.

Dick just looked at her with a flat expression and she sighed yet again. "Does that work with anyone?" She asked.

He smiled, "More than likely." Taking in pride at the gesture he can pull off well with his people.

I'm gonna regret this.

"Might as well just speak it out loud." Y/N rolled her eyes, they found an empty bench, and thankful the both of them as the spot were not filled with anyone but them. 

"You better swear you're not to tell anyone this." Y/N stated as they sat down together and he laughed.

I'm already regretting this.

"If it's really about what I think it is, then I'm sorry because I can assure you that it's nothing we don't already know about." His speculations beginning to be right in his mind. At least he looked actually apologetic. 

"Are you sure you're sorry?" She asked, giving him the side eye and he just pursed his lips—smiling still. Well, he "looked" like it then. Y/N released a loud groan, laying her head back on the back of the bench. "Now I don't want to say it out loud."

He snickered. It felt as if he was pestering one of his siblings. 

"Does annoying people run in your family?"

"You only noticed now?"

Y/N groaned loudly again but this time longer and sat up straight after. Dick was just looking at her with a smile, clearly enjoying this. "Got it out?" 

"Shut up."

Well, here fucking goes nothing.

But before she could speak, he beat her to it. "So, Jason, huh?" He says, now looking ahead but his smile couldn't get any wider as he sees her shocked face from his peripheral vison. He couldn't have been more happy that he was right about it. 

"I truly hate you." She mumbled and he howled out laughing, his loud voice interrupting the serenity of the garden. "Darling, come on.....nothing is funny about this." Y/N frowned, then he looks at her with his eyes glistening of enjoyment and she couldn't stop her lips from breaking into a smile. "Richard" She hissed, her strict tone breaking. Saying his first name felt right for her in the moment. 

When he calmed down, "You wanna elaborate on that?" 

"You wanna elaborate on how you and your lovely-" she emphasized the word with spite, "people know about it?"

Y/N was definitely sure she hadn't been obvious to any of her spiteful feelings towards him, at least she thinks so anyway.

Does even Jason knows?

"I don't need to explain how nosy we can be sometimes....and you both weren't even alone when you were together. Let's just say word goes out in the family faster than any tabloids here." Dick tells, making hands gestures. 

Pertaining to the moments her and his brother had that caught their attention. Like when Tim was in the hallway just above the stairway, when they were talking about Jason's hands, immediately running to his room to call Stephanie about it, then Stephanie told it to Cassandra and Duke, then Duke to Damian, and Tim again to his oldest brother. 

Then with Dick being out of town for the moment at that time, instructed his culprits to look out for them, it sounded more appropriate in his ears, they didn't need any persuasion. In the hallway when they were going to the amusement park, Cassandra and Damian was there. Even unnoticed by Jason. They were that dedicated. Definitely not desperate. But she did not need to know that. 

And so for the library part-

She sighed again. 

Wait.....even alone? Oh my god.

Creasing her forehead as she realized something and turned to him sharply. "What the hell? Even in the library that time?" 

She got her answer when he froze, "...Listen-" his hand raised up. 

"Oh my god." Y/N sinked into her sit, her hands covering her face. Ok, now Dick really feels bad. "How even..."

"Look, I didn't mean to-" she released her face from her hands and glared at him, "Okay, a little bit. But it was Jason's fault! Because I heard his loud laugh, so of course I went to see what it was about then you were there and I may or may have not-" 

"You were there the whole time after? Were you watching as well? What the hell?! " Y/N cried out, hands flailing while standing up from the bench. 

"No! No, I just listened-" Dick followed, stressed out he was as well.

"Is that supposed to make it not bad?" She was now pacing back and forth, Dick was starting to find things funny again.

"Well, at least I didn't watch."

Y/N lowered herself down on the ground, her clasp hands on her forehead. "Richard," she groaned, dragging it a bit long. With her closed eyes, she thinks about the time in that damn library but now with the thought of someone eavesdropping on them. "Fuck." She wailed, dragging it again.

Embarrassing. Embarrassing. Embarrassing.

Dick snorted but caught himself after, "Sorry." He coughed, then held out his hand to her. She took it unwillingly, not looking at him. This made him laugh again, "Why are you so embarrassed about it anyway?"

Y/N stomped her foot, "Because!" Had there any people around their place, they surely would have been entertained or annoyed. She stopped, stammering, "Well, I...because....-"

Dick smirked, "Because you were....flirting?" He tipped his head aside, looking at her so amusingly.

"Richard, I swear to god." Y/N warned with nothing, she sat down on the bench again and he followed. She sighed, collecting herself at last. 

Were we flirting? 

Oh god, I did. 

We did. 

Y/N pursed her lips and closed her eyes again. Disappointment gnawed in her. Like a child, that she feels; losing control of herself, carried far too away in the moment. But she could have chosen.

And I didn't. 

She opened her mouth as her eyes, taking a short second of breathing, hesitating and finally spoke again. "One minute I'm admiring his smile, then the next I'm cursing him in my mind," Confessed her.

"You like him," Dick declared, his demeanor now serious. Dawning in him that there was something more to her sentiment. 

"I am aware now, yes." She admitted it, crossing her arms on her chest after, clenching her fists. Scared. Heart racing from this realization of her, a confession to herself rather. 

Ah, shit. Just like that. 

Idiot.

"You fool," Y/N whispered as she looks up at the now softening colors of the sky. 

Dick stared ahead, trying to piece the things together, "It's nothing that I think about what's bothering you....is it-?"

Y/N nodded slowly, "Yes, it's....my mother, I suppose.....Grieving and all that." 

How could you even be feeling like this at such a time?

She let out a sharp breath from her nose, shame rising in her. Dick looks at her then, his stare turning mellow. Still piecing things together. "It's bothering you...because you think you shouldn't be...feeling all those?" He said unsurely.

De ja vu.

Y/N smiled bitterly as she remembers almost the same moment of her and Jason, Alfred and Bruce had—with now. The same sentiment, feelings she's having but now it was different. It made her more....dejected. 

"I know I shouldn't be feeling....guilty about it, or feel like my mother's passing doesn't affect me, and that she'd be happy for me....It does affect me and I know she'd be happy for me...I know she would....but sometimes I just," she rambled, shaking her head. Trying to think of what to say, "I just....this feeling in me rising when I'm happy. I've dealt with this before or at least I thought so, it was still there then, I suppose.....I think this feeling....this guilt just came in again because of my realization...about your brother." Y/N confessed, her voice shaking as she spoke her heart out.

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, thinking of something right to say, then, "You deserve any joy that you feel despite that you're grieving, it's normal to feel bad about it but it's okay to be happy too." 

She remained silent, then closed their distance together and dropped her head on the side of his shoulder. 

"It's okay to be happy too." Y/N says out loud, echoing his words unsurely but still nodding, like assuring herself once again. He smiled down at her, "It's okay." Continued him. 

Sighing once again for how many, she doesn't know—and sat up straight. 

I need to take control of this. 

"I....," she started, caressing her face. "Jason...he...he's engaging, alluring even, I find myself irritated everytime I find him charming, yet I can't stop myself to....trifle with him." Y/N smiles softly, her mind back to those times-what was once disappointment was now replaced with amiableness. It was clear to her now that she did choose in that repeated times and she....didn't regret it. Yet, her clarity of this gave a new light. "And more than that, he's kind...lovely...how can I not like him so?.....But I can't pursue this rising feelings...I don't think I can right now." Her truth out yet again. Faith in her to be true to her declaration. 

Don't backfire. 

Dick looked up at the sky, gratified he was so much despite her saying she's overlooking her feelings for Jason. He was happy to hear such confession about his brother. If Bruce was here to hear this.....he grinned at the thought. 

"You don't have to do anything then," he shook his head, "I understand, I'm just glad you said something and maybe it helped you realize something." Says him truthfully. "And I apologize if I pushed too far or-" 

"Darling," Y/N interrupted him and his hand gestures with taking a hold of his one hand. "You suddenly taking back you annoying me?" she laughed, smirking. He chuckled, worry leaving his body. "You didn't push too far, I'm fine, I needed to let it out anyway. And it did help, I had few revelations, so there's that." She assured, squeezing his hand before letting it go gently. 

"We should go, I think we may have took our time too long." Y/N says, upon realizing the sky was in its setting colors. They both stood up from the bench and started to walk back. 

"Don't worry, I told them I wanted to talk to you, so they're probably just doing things to wait for us." 

"Really? Them waiting and not eavesdropping?" She teased. 

"I can be sincere and serious when I need to be. Them too." Dick says defensively. Y/N just shook her head, taking note of their behaviors to be usual for them. 

As she gazed at the sky, she can feel the heaviness that she's been carrying the past days wash away. The rustling of the leaves dancing with the wind, their footsteps making noise with the rocks. "Thank you." Y/N breaks their silence suddenly, "for everything again, I suppose." 

Dick smiled, though, there were sadness in it along with relief, sensing how their conversation affected her grievously. "Well, you can call me anytime if you need to shout again or anything." He chuckled. 

"I wasn't shouting-" 

"You were basically wailing and groaning." 

"And whose fault is that?" 

"Not mine." 

"I really hate you-hey, wait! After his loud laugh that you meant, we took our time reading, did you actually stayed there for a while?" 

"Well, I had my phone-" 

"Grayson!" 

"What? Someone has got to contribute to the family gossip." 

"Bloody hell." 

"You and your bloody hell." 

"Does Bruce know?" 

"Not gonna answer that." 

"How will I be able to look at him in his eyes?!" 

"Good luck with that." 

They continued their bickering until they reached the end of the wide range of the gardens. 

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

"How was your time with them?" Alfred asked Y/N when they were now alone in the hallway after when he welcomed them home back again. 

"It was great, I've been in a few botanical gardens before but it was very beautiful there too," replied her, though she was thinking of something else. "Al....me and Dick had a talk, it was....quite serious to say the least." She chuckled, remembering of how silly they must have looked with their childish confrontation. 

"Ah." 

"And you already know, of course," sighed Y/N, her shoulders dropping as they walked and Alfred just chuckled gently. 

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," he assured but Y/N just grumbled something like, 'tell that to damn Grayson'. "I'm listening." He said, waiting for her to speak about it. 

Probably some of them too.

She rolled her eyes but dismissed the thought, knowing they know better than to test Alfred.

"Jason....uh...I-" she cut herself off by groaning, stretching her arms over her head, "It's so stupid, god, I feel like a teenager in high school." Y/N expressed, annoyed at herself.

They walked in the kitchen, ready to their usual doings that was starting to become a ritual. 

Alfred was joyful, nostalgia in him as he sees the struggling woman admit to her feelings. 

"I like him," Y/N says too quickly, falling on the floor and stood up again, she was beginning to get jumpy now, "See?" she whined, flinging her arms around. 

The fullness in Alfred's heart couldn't be.....more. He lets out a hearty laugh and began to work with her following. "No need to be so worry about it now," says him, seeing as she seemed felt like caught about it. 

"I'm not worried....I'm just, I don't know..I..." She stammered, shrugging. "Okay, maybe I am worried," she slumped.

God, I really do feel like a teenager.

Damn him.

"I presume you and Master Richard talked about what seems to be the problem about it?" Alfred proclaimed, there were no doubts in him that her dilemma got to her again.

"Yes.." she trailed off, Dick's words ringing in her ears. "He said that it's okay for me to be happy too."

"And he's right," he nodded to her. "It's not easy to let go of whatever guilt or shame we feel but do remember that as well, you deserve happiness despite of it all." 

She hums, nodding aimlessly, "I know...I know." Y/N let out a little laugh then, "I must sound like a broken record."

"That I don't mind to keep hearing about over and over again." Alfred smiles and she did as well. 

"What the world will come to without you, Alfred." She says, ever so thankful of her to him.

That they all feared too well. 

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

Jason is full of regret this time. So much of it. Regret that he started something not to be played with. Angry at himself. But most of all, vexation. Vexation because despite his regret, something stronger than it was brewing in him and it was beginning to grow and grow more; enthrallment. 

It all went under to him when his attention was caught by the tenderness of her at the funeral, that was supposed to be it. But then continued his observance of her that time, from her happy state that he thought was fake but he was wrong.

Then came that lively breakfast they had on her first morning in the manor. Their short time of mundaneness, her worried voice and stares, the laughter and smiles she got out from him. Of her baring out her emotions to him. 

Each time it was nothing much to him and thought of it nothing but how easy and warm it was. 

He hadn't realize yet then that was the beginning of his undoing. 

Late that he saw it. When he saw the glint of joy in her eyes before the family dinner started that night, the sound of her giggles, how he knew his eyes met her mirth as well,  how he was relieved when she walked out the kitchen because he needed to breathe. How he realized just how late he was. Then he smiled at her across the table before catching himself, how he saw her looking down while smiling, how adorable he thought it was. How the night became more lively for him.

His mind full of her then after that night.

How he felt joy when he heard her worried voice and saw her worried gaze when she asked of his hands. How he didn't stop his teasing, how something in him churned when she met his tone, how he wanted to see more of her irritated face.

When he saw her in the hallway with her yellow dress, how he couldn't take off his eyes of her then. He had seen her dressed up nicely before ever since she arrived but only then he found himself staring at her figure. How he noticed how nicely the fabric hugged her curves, the dress ending above her mid thighs, how he saw how full they were. How pleasing she was much in his eyes. But nothing then made him more amused when he saw her irritated face and voice again.

How it was comical to him when she cursed at him, how he noticed yet again her body, her becoming more inviting when she hugged her robes more, how he had to look away then. How the gaze of her in his eyes intimidated him, how he played it well so smugly even if his heart was starting to pound. How it felt so good to let out a big laughter like that again when she cursed at him with playful venom. How he saw her break out a smile while throwing daggers at him. The warmth he felt when they were both reading, how it felt like the fireplace wasn't contributing to the atmosphere but just because of the both of them. How he saw how pleasant she looked cozied in her chair. How surprised he was when she shared her own cup to him. He never thought to felt giddy again. How they were dancing with so much glee underneath the spite they fabricated. 

Oh, how he felt all those.

As each time that feeling grew, regret leveled to it because he knows enthrallment....that warmth in him keeps weighing more. 

Jason was many things, but naive was never one of them. Amidst of their moments, he knows. Because he saw her faltering when he smiled at her, he saw the heat in her face when they clashed, he saw the looks, her smiles, her flustered. How could he not know when he saw all of those, felt all of them, how he could he not when he saw himself through her eyes. 

So how could not regret drown him out? 

"What are you doing?" Jason spoke out loud, eyes far ahead to the night of the city. 

He grunted when he felt another presence, already knowing who that person is by the sounds that followed. "Don't you fucking speak." Jason taunted. 

"I-" 

"Shut up." 

Dick laughed, remembering Y/N, thinking of how a bit similar they are. Jason side glance him, sensing there was meaning behind it. But Dick didn't need to tell him that. 

"You've been......distracted," Dick says. 

"And it's none of your business." He replied immediately. 

Shit. 

Jason clicked his tongue. 

"So you have been," Dick confirmed, Jason didn't need to look at him to see there was a smile on his brother's face. "I'm just gonna assume I'm right that I'm thinking of what you're thinking as well." Dick couldn't be more smug today. 

"And what's that?" 

"About Y-" 

"Don't." 

"You asked." His brother shrugged. 

Jason started to walk away from him, not having the energy or want to talk about what he knows they will. "We're not gonna do this." He voiced out. 

"So what then? You're just gonna bottle all that up? Ignore it?" 

"Don't start," he replied little, his back turned to his sibling while putting his helmet back on. 

So be it then. 

Dick cursed to himself for what he was about to say. "I talked to her earlier, about you." He's really sorry about that one but he wanted to let his little brother know. 

Jason stopped before he could put his helmet on. "I don't need to be concerned about what you and her talked about." He was lying to himself but right now, his control is holding him. 

"Jay, cut the bullshit-" 

"And what then if I told you? What good would it fucking do?" Jason turned to Dick, gripping his helmet tightly. 

"Is it so bad to even just admit it? Even just to yourself?" Dick's challenging voice was now turning soft. 

Yes. 

Jason breathed out through his nose so deeply while his eyes closed, the clashing in his mind and resistance to his brother exhausted him, rather than what their vigilantism gave him tonight. 

Fuck. There's no point in denying it anymore. 

"Alright, I like her. That's that." Jason said simply but his heart was starting to thump again, the same feeling he's been having when she and him were around each other. 

And now I've fucking done it. 

Dick stayed silent for a few seconds, his lips curling a little. " Say something to irritate me and I will-" 

"Fine, I won't but as if you're not used to it anyway." Dick retorted. 

"You mean sick of it." Dick glared at him. 

Jason sighed and walked to the edge with his brother following. "So, you like her, that's that. So what? You're taking this too seriously and beating yourself up." Dick says flatly as if he wasn't pestering Jason about it just now. 

What the fuck. 

This was the last straw for him. Jason was the one who glared this time, "So I shouldn't take this seriously? You of all people know what this feels like, all of us in the family. To see someone from outside.....For fuck sake, I told Bruce that she can't be tied to this, to us....and now here I am admitting that I like her. I'm angry because this wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to be this affected but I am and that's the fucking problem. Every time I see her now, there's that feeling I want more. And I'm not damn blind to not know she's feeling the same and that's what bothers me more." Jason poured out the thoughts that's been eating him, his loud voice heated, rising and stopping all the while, chest rising and falling with his heavy heart beats that made him more restless. 

Goddammit. 

Was it that serious. 

"Way to boost your own ego there on the last part." Dick says, whistling. Jason didn't say anything but stared at him with so much wrath. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Yeah, I know, we know." He tells. Dick laid his hands on his waist and sighed, "And I do know. I understand you, what you're feeling. But I'm still someone that's happy for his brother because of it." He huffed at the last part, smiling. 

I know that well. 

Jason scoffed, "Like I could expect anything different." 

"And....I really just pissed you off just a bit so you could probably let that shit out." Dick admitted, not looking sorry at all but with just a flat expression. 

"Don't I fucking know it." Jason turned around, ready to leave yet again. 

"That's it then?" Dick asked. 

"That's it." 

"What then?" 

"Nothing." 

"So, you're just going to continue what you're both doing and nothing still?" 

"I've heard and said enough." 

"No such thing as enough drama for me."

"I'm sure there isn't." 

"You know-" 

"Is it too much to ask that I ask you to not pester me with this anymore?" 

"No promises." 

"Why did I bother?" 

"You really won't even ask what me and her talked about?" 

"I rather not." 

"She-" 

"Are you seriously gonna tell me even when you know it'll bother her if she found out that you did and that you literally have no right to?" 

"I was kidding. Great of you to say that by the way." 

"Bare fucking minimum." 

"You just keep surprising me and yet I don't expect any less from you anyway." 

"Shut up." 

Jason suddenly halted from all their running and whatnot. Upon realizing something. 

"Grayson. What do you mean 'we know'?" 

Dick halted as well, he was caught yet again. "You know nothing goes unnoticed by us," he shruggedwarily. 

"Who was in the hallway that time?" 

"I am not a snitch." 

"What the fuck? Was somebody there in the library too?" 

"It wasn't me."

"OH, DON'T FUCKING RUN NOW." 

Some Gothamites heard yelling, maybe a little bit of fighting. But what's new to them anyway?

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

💌🖋️: saw the headcanons once that said the batkids are all nosy and up in everybody's business, and i so agree to it.

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd x plus size reader #chubby reader #bruce wayne #batman #batfamily #dick grayson #dc comics #my bat shenanigans 🦇 #home again 💌🦇

[ndianaputri]

I must confess something thrilling—I finally spilled my heart out to my crush! But, here's the twist: he's actually my second crush. I've already let go of my first crush, realizing that he couldn't move on from his past. So, I knew my chances were slim, but I took the leap anyway.

Anyway, back to the confession. It went surprisingly well! When I confessed my feelings, his response was beyond my wildest dreams. He wanted to meet up! During our meeting, I made it clear that I wasn't pressuring him into anything serious, but he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me better. He even shared his desire to settle down someday, and I found myself thinking, "Well, maybe I could see myself settling down for someone like him."

But then our second meet-up was where things took a bit of a turn. He started to seem distant, especially in his texts. I couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with my family's home. You see, we don't live in the fanciest of homes; it's a modest place in the village. Perhaps he thinks I'm not the right fit for him because of it. It stung a little, I won't lie. I regretted letting him drive me home that day, allowing him a glimpse into my world. Normally, I'm fiercely protective of my family's privacy, but with him, I felt different. I wanted him to see the real me, despite my insecurities.

Our new home is still under construction. My parents are finally starting to stabilize after putting all their efforts into supporting my siblings through their studies. I've been pitching in financially to help build our dream house, the one we've been waiting for for so long. It hurt to think that my crush might be judging me based on where I come from.

But you know what? That's precisely why I work my butt off and take my career so seriously. I want to change my family's financial situation and give us a home we can be proud of. I refuse to let anyone look down on us just because of our circumstances.

For now, though, I'll continue to admire him from afar. Maybe he'll come around and see the real me—the one who's determined to create a better future, not just for herself, but for her loved ones too. And if he doesn't, well, that's okay too. I'll keep working on myself and building a life that I'm proud of. Who knows? Maybe someday he'll realize what he's been missing. But if not, I'll be okay. After all, true love is worth the wait, even if it means waiting a little longer than expected.

To be true, I'm willing to wait, but the thought of him ending up with someone else still stings.

[rey-jake-therapist]

Lost Souls Chapter 10 (partly NSFW)

Chapter 9

If you missed the beginning

AO3 link

SUMMARY CHAPTER 10

Despite Mina's determination to keep their relationship platonic, Jake still hopes he can change her mind at some point. Simone manifests a strange curiosity towards the newcomer. Jake doesn't know how to behave with Tess, who doesn't seem willing to let him go. The day over, his desire for Mina keeps him awake….

Notes: the soundtrack for the NSFW end of this chapter is Artic Monkeys: I wanna be yours :)

When Jake returned to work that evening, he felt as light as a feather, just as he always did after spending time with his longtime friend and the light of his life, little Emily. He had loved her from the moment he first held her in his arms, as if she were his own... It was a strange feeling. Jake had always harbored a vague hope of building a family one day, but he often wondered what person, man or woman, would be crazy enough to choose him as the father of their children. And even if someone did, would he be a good dad? Jake's own memories of his father were vague; the man had died in an accident when Jake was just a boy. The only photo he had showed a tall, skinny man with a thick head of dark hair and slim lips curved in a confident smile, but it couldn't tell him what kind of father his dad had been.

Jake remembered his father teaching him to ride a bike, to fish and play baseball. He was a kind but strict man who never yelled, but he had a very low, almost guttural voice when he was upset; in such moments, he made Jake feel very small. But one day, he died in a car accident, followed by Jake's mother, who took her own life. Simone's father had become Jake's new father figure, but he hadn't wanted that role and never treated Jake as his son. He wasn't much of a father to Simone and her sister either, if he was being honest; he was always on the road for his job, and, according to Simone, he had a lover in every port.

Still, Jake sometimes thought it was probably nice to have a family, despite the complications.

Mina was already at her station when Jake arrived in the kitchen of the 22W, slightly out of breath. He noticed with surprise that she was reading a cocktail recipe book. During the lunch shift, Jake had teased her about her lack of knowledge in cocktail mixing, but he hadn't expected her to run to the nearest bookstore to buy a recipe book. Impressed, Jake couldn't resist letting a snarky comment slip out.

"Wow, you bought a book! Nice, but it won't teach you how to make a great cocktail like a real bartender."

Mina, still engrossed in her reading, didn't seem to hear him at first. She had her long hair tied back in a bun, but this time, a few loose locks escaping from the bun softened her features and highlighted the delicateness of her face. Jake had to resist the urge to reach out and touch one of those stray locks. After all, Mina had made it clear that she wanted their relationship to remain strictly platonic.

"True, it would be great to have a real bartender show me the tricks of the trade," Mina finally replied, her tone teasing. "But the one I know... he made it very clear that my questions annoyed him, so I thought I'd better teach myself."

Jake scoffed but defended himself, "What kind of help do you expect in the middle of a busy shift? We're swamped with orders from all sides; there's no time for lessons! If you come by later tonight, though, I'd be happy to teach you everything I know!"

As he finished his sentence, Jake realized how his offer might sound, especially after their last exchange in the locker room. He saw the way Mina was looking at him now, a smile playing on her lips, and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Hey, I'm serious! I'm not desperate, and I'm not trying to get you back in my bed... I'm not like our friend Will over here; I don't trade sex for job offers or... cocktail-making lessons!"

Mina furrowed her brow and glanced at Will, who looked more stressed out than ever, before silently mouthing, "Will, the manager? He does that?"

"He couldn't teach anyone to make a decent Cuba Libre," Jake muttered. As Mina looked at him with curiosity, he continued, "Tell me you know what a Cuba Libre is. Rum and coke?"

Mina looked slightly offended as she replied, "Of course, I know. I'm not stupid!" Yet, as she turned her eyes away, Jake briefly wondered whether she was being entirely truthful. He knew that if Howard found out that the woman who replaced Nick didn't even know the names of the most basic cocktails, he'd fire her without a second thought. Even bringing her recipe book into the restaurant was a risky move.

Before Jake could dwell too much on the situation, Mina pressed further, her voice carrying an unmistakable edge,

"I mean, does Will promise women a job in the restaurant in exchange for sex?"

Jake nodded with a nonchalant air. He had no qualms about throwing Will under the bus; everyone in the restaurant knew about that incident. They had witnessed him hitting on a girl in a bar one night and then seen the same girl hand in her job application, her hopeful eyes quickly turning to disappointment when she realized that Will had no real authority in the restaurant apart from barking orders at the staff.

"Yeah, he did it once after Howard made him manager," Jake admitted.

"Gross," Mina muttered, her eyes now shooting daggers at Will. Jake, amused, let out a brief chuckle.

"Cut the guy some slack. He saw an opportunity and took it! Besides, that girl used him just as much; it just didn't work out for her this time. She's fine."

Jake's response didn't sit well with Mina. Her outraged expression made it clear that he had just lost a significant number of points.

"She's fine? How do you know? Did you ask her how she felt, or are you just assuming? And for your information, it's not the same thing at all. He was the one with the power; she was the one looking for a job, maybe desperate to get it because she had a sick parent at home or loans to pay. Let me guess, you also think that street workers do what they do just because they love sex, so why not make some money out of it?"

Jake was rendered momentarily speechless, unable to find the right words to defuse the situation. He detested conflicts and typically tried to avoid them, especially when they had nothing to do with him. He could have easily brushed off the comment with a stony silence, and he probably would have done just that if it had come from anyone else. But unknowingly, Mina had struck a chord within him, and he couldn't let it go unanswered. A vivid image flashed before his eyes: the lifeless face of a friend, the memory of her battered body, the blood pooling from her wounds. He blinked rapidly to dispel the haunting image.

"Nah, I don't think that at all. Frankly, I didn't expect to be under feminist attack tonight, but I guess that's my damn karma," he retorted with a sly smile. "If you have an issue with what Will did, take it up with Will, not me. Now, I'm not sure if you're aware, but we've got work to do here."

Mina tilted her head and regarded him with an inscrutable expression in her eyes. Jake had a sinking feeling that it wasn't anything positive. However, he was determined not to let it bother him.

"I certainly do," she replied calmly, her eyes cold as ice. "As a matter of fact, I was just thinking that we need to chill some white wine. I'll go fetch some from the cellar."

Whatever Mina was feeling at the moment, she was exceptionally good at concealing it, Jake thought as she brushed past him without another word. Just before heading to the cellar, she shot a quick look back at him and added,

"As for my training, I think I can manage myself. The book should suffice."

Jake sighed, his thoughts drifting back to 'old Nick' - a man he was starting to miss. Nick was the veteran of the 22W, sporting an affable smile and a penchant for dad jokes. Jake had been deeply saddened to learn about Nick's wife Eileen's illness and hoped the doctors would find the right treatment soon. They had shared this secret conversation one evening when a few too many drinks had been consumed. Jake wished fervently for the doctors to find the right treatment for Eileen, a warm and lovely woman.

"Trouble brewing with your new coworker already?" A familiar voice asked. Jake, already irritated, threw a telling look at Simone, hoping it would convince her to stop asking questions; unfortunately his friend insisted, "I just offered her my help to find a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in the cave, but she seemed very annoyed… What did you do to her?"

"Did you… need anything? Don't you have tables to dress or something?"

To Jake's satisfaction, Simone rolled her eyes. He knew that it wasn't her job to dress the tables, a task she considered unworthy of her status. And she hated Jake's jokes.

"She's interesting, this girl… Howard said she worked for one of the best restaurants in L.A. Her knowledge of wine is undeniable and her behavior with the customers is impeccable - at least at lunch it was -  but there's something about her that's… " As she wouldn't finish her sentence, Jake asked impatiently,

"That's… what?"

"I don't know, something's fishy! Though 'intriguing' would be a better word to qualify her. I'd like to know her!" Simone announced with a cheerful voice. She sounded as thrilled as if she was preparing herself for a visit to the Museum of curiosities. Jake, who didn't share at all her enthusiasm, winced and teased his friend,

"You mean, become her bestie? Because it turned out so well the last time you befriended the newbie?"

As Simone's eyes narrowed, Jake felt like he had just hit a nerve. It didn't stop her from justifying herself,

"Everything was fine with Tess until she thought she had to get you away from me, as if you weren't big enough to make your own decisions! Besides, Tess is a child. How you still tolerate her is beyond me, but I guess no man past a certain age can resist the attractiveness of youth." 

What the…

Jake chose to respond with a chuckle, which Simone ignored as she continued, "Mina seems older and more mature, from what I can see. Maybe…"

"Mina what?" 

Neither Jake or Simone, both too caught up in their conversation, had seen Mina coming back from the cave. As she slipped behind Jake to get her place back, she didn't look upset, just curious to hear what was said behind her back. 

"Nothing, dear! Nothing bad, at least. Don't you worry! I was just telling Jake it'd be nice to get to know you, as I feel we have a lot in common," Simone replied, so straightforwardly that Mina's eyes widened, visibly surprised by such unexpected attention.

"Really?" She mumbled nervously. "I'm not very good at socializing, but we're going to work together, so it's bound to happen, I guess; get to know each other more, I mean." Jake noticed her tone was polite, but she avoided Simone's gaze and kept herself occupied while speaking. He cautiously stayed out of the conversation, growing annoyed that Simone was still hanging around just as the first customers were about to arrive.

What was wrong with her today? She usually didn't engage with newbies, especially not with someone like Mina, whose contract came with a short expiration date. Simone had repeatedly voiced her disdain for people who took the job only to pay their bills or because they were waiting for a better opportunity to come along. Her sudden interest in a girl who would be gone by the end of the month was peculiar, to say the least.

Simone firmly believed that passion for the job was a requirement to work at a place like the 22W. She had been hired by Howard fifteen years ago and had left only to follow a man she had met at the restaurant, a French tourist named Etienne, who had filled her head with visions of the vineyards he owned and the champagne he produced in France. Swept off her feet by the charming Etienne, his irresistible accent, and the prospect of making champagne with him, Simone had dropped everything — including Jake, who had followed her from Cape Cod to live with her in New York — and had flown to France. The idyllic marriage hadn't lasted long, though, and soon Simone was back in New York, working for Howard again. Why Howard had taken her back remained a mystery to Jake, as Simone had always dodged every question he had asked on the subject.

Jake had a few ideas on the matter, but he didn't like any of them. As for the job, Jake was far from passionate; he only stayed because he refused to leave Simone alone. Despite her denials, he knew she needed him around to keep her sane. And she was well aware of how Jake felt but liked to claim he was just too lazy to look for a job he might enjoy more, or to resume his PhD, which he had abandoned a couple of years ago.

Simone and Mina exchanged a few more words, with Simone insisting that they should share a glass of wine together during Shift Drinks. Mina appeared surprised by the practice of drinking together, mentioning that it wasn't something she experienced in her previous workplace. Nevertheless, she politely declined Simone's offer for the evening, mentioning that she had other plans, accompanied by a mischievous smirk.

"Other plans? Like... a date?" Jake couldn't help but ask, his disappointment showing slightly at the thought that Mina wouldn't be joining for Shift Drinks. Mina chuckled.

"A date? Good God, no! Just a night out with my best friend. She's introducing me to her gang, as she calls it! It should be fun," she replied, then whispered under her breath as Simone finally returned to her duties, "Jealous much?"

Jake laughed and shook his head in denial. It was the truth! He wouldn't be jealous if Mina went on a date with another man. He simply wished she would change her mind and agree to spend another evening with him before moving on to someone new. Just one night, and he'd be content.

The dinner shift continued without a hitch. Monday evenings in February were typically quiet, and this one was no exception. When an order for a Margarita came in, Mina took it upon herself to gather the ingredients in the shaker and mix it herself before having Jake taste it. If she was still mad at him for whatever he said wrong earlier, she showed no sign of it.

"Not bad, but not quite as good as mine. Something's missing, maybe a hint of lemon?" he teased her.

Mina tasted it, nodded in agreement, then let out a small groan and mumbled, "I followed the recipe from the darn book!"

"Exactly," Jake said, giving her a playful smile. "The book is just a guide. Making cocktails is like cooking: if you follow the book to the letter, you'll end up with something okay, but not necessarily amazing! When you cook, you've got to adjust, add a bit more of this, a touch less of that, taste, and fine-tune as needed, and add your personal touch, or your dish will be fine but forgettable. At least, that's what Scott, our chef, always says. I wouldn't know, though; I'm not much of a cook," he admitted.

"I used to enjoy cooking when I was married and happy," Mina reminisced. Suddenly, a shadow of longing darkened her beautiful face. "But it's not the same when you're cooking for yourself and someone who has no choice but to eat what you make, compared to cooking for paying customers," she quickly added.

"Look, I know, you said you would manage yourself and I'm sure you can! But you should consider staying for Shift Drinks. I have to fill in for Nick there too now. Not complaining, it's extra cash... I could show you the ropes of the job without Howard lurking," Jake gently offered, touched by the mention of her failed marriage and the sadness in her voice. It was easy to forget that when she had met him, she was still a married woman who didn't know if she would return to her husband or not. He remembered how Simone wanted to leave Etienne but had hesitated several times before finally taking the plunge. He also recalled the aftermath of her return to New York: the depression that had kept her in bed for weeks, the regrets, the constant uncertainty about whether leaving Etienne had been the right choice...

Mina's face lit up, her lips forming the prettiest smile as she replied with a tinge of regret, "That would be amazing, but I promised Keisha I would go out with her and meet her friends."

"Fair enough. Tomorrow then?" Jake said, concealing his disappointment. He refocused on his work, and Mina did the same. He noticed with satisfaction that she already seemed more at ease than during her first shift. Soon, he might be able to rely on her more and even take a smoke break while leaving her in charge occasionally.

They both maintained their professionalism, but sometimes, their hands would accidentally brush against each other, causing a shiver to run down his arms. Or he would catch her stealing glances at him while he interacted with customers. The second time she did a poor job of concealing it, he couldn't resist teasing her.

"Why are you always looking at me? I thought you didn't want me," he whispered in her ear while standing right behind her to grab a couple of lemons he didn't really need.

Flustered, Mina replied with a hint of humor, 

“I don’t! I’m just pretending I do. Isn’t it what I’m supposed to be, horny for my very hot new coworker?”

“Ha-ha. Keep telling yourself that… I appreciate the "very hot" though." He looked at her with his most charming smile. "Can you say it again? That you’re horny for me? I like the sound of it,"

"Piss off and work, will you? I don't want to get fired because you've got a praise kink,"

Jake let out a short laugh, enjoying their banter. But Mina was right. He gave his full attention to the order Ari dropped on the bar for him, but not before winking at Mina. He felt satisfied to see her blush. The sight of her cheeks turning pink confirmed one thing: Mina hadn't slept with him only because she was lonely and drunk. He was sure she thought about the night they had spent together as often as he did.

Over the years, Jake had become adept at recognizing the signs of someone's infatuation with him, whether it was a woman or a man. He encountered these signs frequently and couldn't feign modesty by claiming he didn't know he was attractive. He had never had to exert much effort to get anyone he wanted in bed. It wasn't just because he was good-looking; he had a certain allure. He had fully realized this power while he was in ninth grade, the day Betty Harris had let him finger her while the other boys had failed to even steal from her a kiss…

After their shift, and just before Mina was about to leave the restaurant dressed for Arctic exploration, Jake grabbed her arm. Startled, Mina didn't pull away.

"We're thinking of hitting up the Home Bar after Shift Drinks. You should come with us, bring your friends too!"

Mina hesitated for a moment. Jake could sense the inner debate taking place in her big gray eyes, but eventually, she shrugged and replied, "I'm not entirely sure. It's supposed to be a 'girls-only' kind of night, I think. But who knows?"

Feeling a bit mischievous, Jake smirked and leaned in closer to Mina, saying, "I know what you ladies get up to when you're 'between girls.'"

"If you think we have pillow fights in our underwear, forget it," Mina retorted with a sly chuckle.

"Yeah, I learned that. So disappointing," he joked. "No, what you gals do is talk about boys all the time. You also enjoy a bit of boy-bashing whenever they don't do exactly what you want."

Mina arched an eyebrow and replied, a hint of irony in her voice,

"Funny, I didn't peg you as the type who watches TV series created by men for women, but you sure sound like someone who's seen a few too many of them! Men often have this idea that a woman's world revolves around them—or, better yet, that the whole world revolves around them! They seem to think that when women have moments without men, it's solely for the purpose of gossiping about them…"

Jake's smile grew wider as he saw Mina getting animated. She looked quite lovely when she got all fired up, as if a blazing fire burned in her cheeks and sparkled in her eyes. Naturally, she assumed he was teasing her and responded with a touch of irritation.

"Rest assured, we don't do that! Most of the time, we just need a safe space to talk about things that have nothing to do with men. But if men are around, it's no longer safe because they always manage to make everything about them and their dick!"

"And yet, I'm willing to bet the first topic of discussion will be your, what did you call me already?" He pretended to search his memory for the words Mina had used to describe him, thoroughly amused to see her roll her eyes. "Oh right, 'very hot coworker'!"

"Believe me or not, that's not going to happen!" Mina shot back.

Heather walked in at that exact moment, all set to head outside. She didn't pay any attention to Jake and made a beeline for Mina, greeting her with a cheerful tone, "Ready to roll? Sorry for the delay, by the way! Parker was clinging to me like a koala. He just couldn't wrap his head around not being invited!" She let out an exasperated sigh and added, "Men, I tell you."

Jake couldn't help but chuckle, slowly realizing that Mina had a point. He also trusted her when she promised not to bring up their shared history, especially with Heather present. Heather wasn't privy to all the details, so it made sense for Mina to tread lightly. Heather loved to boast about being one of the few who had never fallen for Jake's charms. Lucky for her, Jake was the soul of discretion.

Hours later, Jake found himself seated at a table in the Home Bar, joined by Tess, Ari, Scott, and Sasha. Will had initially tagged along but soon found a woman to chat up at the bar, clearly determined to take her home. He was to follow the group to the table, but seeing Tess getting cozy with Jake was too much for him to handle, so he had left to pursue his own evening. Jake couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the guy; he knew all too well the feeling of not being loved as much as he loved someone else. However, Jake didn't see it as his problem; he'd never asked Tess to choose him over Will. Jake's lips curled into a faint smile as he recalled his conversation with Mina earlier at the diner. Tess wanted adventure, a bit of a rebel, and Will, with his natural gentleness and good manners, just didn't fit the bill. Jake knew this phase would pass, and in less than a year, Tess would probably be back with Will if he still wanted her, or she'd be dating someone just like him.

As the night wore on, well past midnight, Jake found himself utterly bored. He knew that if he left, Tess would follow him, eager to discuss the events of the previous night, and that was the last thing he desired. So, he chose to stay and listen silently to his intoxicated friends' ramblings. His arm rested on Tess's shoulder while she placed her hand on his knee. Predictably, most of the conversations revolved around Mina. Whenever there was a newcomer, speculations ran wild. Even Scott, who still held a grudge against Jake for backing out of their "bar with food" project, was as curious as everyone else about the 'bombshell' working at the bar.

Ari, who was stoned out of her mind, kept bringing up Mina and pestered Jake to confirm whether she would show up at the Home Bar later that night, despite him saying three times that he had no clue. Ari insisted that Mina was giving off "lesbian vibes" and wanted to test her gaydar. Jake had no intention of shattering her illusions, but Tess, who was nearly as high on cocaine as Ari and quite intoxicated, suddenly chimed in, "You clearly didn't notice how she kept checking out Jake!"

A smirk of amusement escaped from Scott's lips as Jake shook his head, feeling both entertained and slightly annoyed. He muttered, "Here we go..."

"Nah, I was too busy looking at her tits… They're gorgeous!" Ari murmured.

Tess turned to him and wailed,

"What, it's true! And you two look cozy. Don't think I haven't noticed, I'm not dumb!"

"Baby Monster! You're dating a serial fucker, of course he'll bang her if he can! Right Jake?" Sasha playfully teased his friends, his Russian accent thickened by alcohol to the point of being nearly incomprehensible.

"Dude, you're not helping," Jake quipped, a smirk playing on his lips. Sasha blew him a cheeky kiss in response, while Tess let out a groan that was more noise than words. Jake couldn't deny that he meant what he said: the constant chatter about Mina, Ari's fixation on Mina's bust, and now, Sasha boldly voicing the truth about Jake's current state of mind, as if he had a direct line to Jake's thoughts, only fueled his growing fixation on Mina. The fact that Mina wasn't present amplified it; each time a new girl entered the bar, he secretly hoped it was her. Just ten minutes ago, a voice similar to Mina's had made his heart skip a beat. It was irrational, considering Tess was right by his side, making any romantic endeavor impossible, yet Jake couldn't help it. It reminded him of the obsession he had harbored for his high school history professor, which was entirely unhealthy and irrational. He knew then it wasn't love, but when she had left Cape Cod to never come back, it had left a void inside him. Then again, had he ever had a healthy relationship with anyone? Simone would probably have a snarky retort, something like, "Your healthiest relationships were your one-night stands."

By now, it was well past 1 a.m., and Tess announced that she wanted to call it a night. Scott had long since departed, and Ari was utterly wasted, but Sasha protested vehemently. Tess, for once, paid no heed to Sasha's objections. Jake sensed from the way she was looking at him that she expected him to accompany her, but he remained firmly rooted in his seat. He knew that if they were alone together again, a conversation about Tess's feelings – and, worse, his – would be impossible to avoid. And he didn't feel ready for it. He knew he'd have to be honest, but he didn't think he could bear to hurt her, as he knew he inevitably would. He also didn't want to lie or dodge the issue.

Annoyance tinged Tess's voice as she asked, "Are you coming with me?"

For a brief moment, Jake considered saying 'yes' and getting up from the couch, but it felt as if the furniture had sucked him in and refused to release him. He wore his best defeated look and replied, "Not yet, I'm good. See you tomorrow?"

Tess initially appeared startled, then crestfallen. There was something more than just disappointment in her eyes; Jake recognized that vibe all too well, having felt it emanate from his exes when they realized they needed to break up with him. He had felt it radiating from Rosalyn just before she told him she had to let him go, and he had no doubt Tess would soon come to the same conclusion. If he were honest with himself, he'd admit that he hoped she'd do it right now. Or, he could choose to be a responsible man and leave her. 

"Yeah. Sure. Tomorrow, at work," Tess replied tersely.

Tess grabbed her handbag and left the table after planting a quick kiss on his lips. As she tried to lock eyes with him, searching for some sign of his feelings, he didn't avoid her gaze but instead maintained a blank expression. It clearly wasn't what she hoped to see. Nervously biting her lip, she walked away. Sasha called her out for not even saying goodbye and followed her, attempting to convince her to stay.

Jake now felt a pang of guilt. He had turned Tess down for more than a year because he thought she was too young and vulnerable for him. But there had always been a small glimmer of hope that maybe he was wrong, and that she could bring some normalcy and stability into his life. These past few weeks, however, Jake had watched her spiral into a pattern of drugs and alcohol that was beginning to consume her. It pained him, as the last thing he wanted was to see her become like him, but it had been her choice to take the pills that Ari regularly offered her, long before they started dating. He often advised her to take it easy on the pills, but she rarely listened. She had once called him a hypocrite, to which he had gently responded that, unlike her, he knew when to stop now. Besides, he didn't use drugs every day.

A long time ago, drugs had taken him to a dark abyss from which he thought he'd never return. He had no intention of going back there. If Tess wanted to plummet to those depths, she would do it without him.

"She's not gonna show, right?" Ari, still sprawled out on the couch, whined, her speech slurred. "Who?" Jake asked, although he was pretty damn sure Ari was still talking about Mina. "The newbie... I'm dead sure she swings the other way... I could practically see it in her eyes. Ugh, I'm so fed up with falling for straight girls!" 

"Nah, I don't think she's coming," Jake admitted, finding himself oddly let down. From across the room, the smoking-hot bartender, Vivian, kept flashing smiles in his direction ever since Tess made her exit. She even dropped a wink his way when their eyes met. Jake shot her a grin in return but shook his head, turning down the not-so-subtle invitation. He’d already had a steamy encounter with Vivian in some dark corner of the bar, and as tempting as round two was, she wasn't the one consuming his thoughts tonight. The woman he couldn't get out of his head wasn't likely to show up at this ungodly hour, and besides, Home Bar was about to close shop. Jake instructed Sasha to keep an eye on Ari and make sure she got home safely before he made his exit.

I wanna be your vacuum cleaner Breathing in your dust I wanna be your Ford Cortina I will never rust

If you like your coffee hot Let me be your coffee pot You call the shots, babe I just wanna be yours

Secrets I have held in my heart Are harder to hide than I thought Maybe I just wanna be yours I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours

Wanna be yours Wanna be yours Wanna be yours

Let me be your leccy meter And I'll never run out Let me be the portable heater That you'll get cold without

I wanna be your setting lotion (wanna be) Hold your hair in deep devotion (I'll be) At least as deep as the Pacific Ocean

Now I wanna be yours

Secrets I have held in my heart Are harder to hide than I thought

Maybe I just wanna be yours

Back in his Chinatown apartment, Jake lay sprawled out on his bed, fully dressed, attempting to get some shut-eye. But while he usually had no trouble drifting off after a night of pounding drinks, tonight, the gates to the dream realm - or more like the nightmare realm - remained stubbornly shut. After tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, Jake allowed his mind to wander. He pondered whether Ari might be onto something regarding Mina's sexual preferences, whether she was into women too. His imagination began to run wild, conjuring up vivid images of Ari and Mina locked in passionate embraces and intimate caresses. Slowly, Ari's face morphed into Simone's, and the mental picture of Simone and Mina together stirred something primal within him, causing his arousal to stir. Well, if sleep wasn't on the menu...

Jake opened his pants and slipped his hand in, as he conjured a vivid mental image of Mina standing before him. She wore her light blue work shirt, but instead of the usual pants, she sported a daring green mini skirt - a highly unlikely scenario in reality, but this was his fantasy, and he was in control. Her wild auburn hair cascaded freely around her lovely face, her curls framing her inviting smile as she whispered an alluring invitation, "come..."

Simone had faded into the background. All things considered, Jake desired Mina for himself, behind the bar at 22W. Once again, this was a far-fetched scenario, as Howard would never leave two employees alone and unsupervised in the main room of his restaurant. But that's what fantasies were for, right? To turn the impossible into the possible?

Mina wasn’t only a beautiful woman, she was also extremely sexy. With his arousal fully awakened, Jake let the mental movie play out as his hand seemed to move of its own accord, guided by his vivid imagination. He kissed Mina passionately, savoring the soft moans escaping her throat. Then, he deftly unbuttoned her shirt and nibbled at her neck, one hand entangled in her hair while the other fondled her breast. Jake couldn't help but let out a low groan of desire as he tightened his grip on his throbbing manhood, envisioning Mina succumbing to pleasure, her fingers entwined in his hair as he delved into her wetness. Nothing excited him more than witnessing - or, when he was alone, imagining - a woman reaching the height of ecstasy because of him. 

Mina's flirty voice whispered teasingly into Jake's ear, setting his desires ablaze. Oh, the memories of her going down on her knees for him flooded his mind, and he couldn't resist closing his eyes, fully immersed in the moment. His body reacted instinctively, jerking with pleasure while throaty sounds escaped his lips, expressing both satisfaction and a tinge of frustration that it wasn't the real deal. The softness of her mouth wrapping his cock, the sensation of her hair in his hand as he pulled, it was all still vividly etched in his memory. But damn, it just wasn't enough. A wicked thought crossed his mind - was Mina indulging in the same fantasies? In an instant, he conjured an image of her sprawled on her bed, her hand slipping into her panties, moaning his name in ecstasy.

And just like that, the vision merged with another: him lifting her up onto a bar, her legs wrapped around him, as they engaged in a wild, uninhibited dance of pleasure. Gripping himself firmly, he pumped with a rapid yet steady rhythm, feeling the heat rise within him. Loads of precum dripped from his cock, his grip on the headboard tightening as he groaned, louder and louder. With his eyes still shut, his lower lip between his teeth, he could almost feel the sensation of Mina's nails raking across his back, the intoxicating taste of her skin as he nibbled on her right shoulder with an insatiable hunger. And then he found himself behind her, thrust after thrust, his release imminent. Grabbing her throat, he pounded into her core with an untamed fervor, his fingers entangled in her hair, pulling them out, intensifying the raw passion between them.

And that did it . with one final, powerful thrust, Jake let out a long, guttural moan, his body trembling with pleasure as he found release. Collapsing onto the bed, he kept his hand wrapped around his spent cock, covered in his own warm semen. "Oh, fuck..." he groaned, his voice filled with a mixture of satisfaction and exhaustion. Reaching for a tissue from the conveniently placed box under his nightstand, he quickly cleaned himself up. A wicked smile played on Jake's lips as he thought, "who needs porn when you have memories like this?"

Moments later, his hunger momentarily appeased, he let sleep embrace him.  As he closed his eyes, a stream of faces he knew flashed before his eyes; Mina's, Tess', Sasha's, but also Chris' and Elena's. It brought him back to his conversation with Chris, and to the past they shared, at least the good part of it. Chris was right, things weren't supposed to turn out like this. There was a time when Jake was a good boy, excelling in school. Heck, he even had a romantic side, Jake remembered, laughing internally. But quickly, those thoughts disappeared and the images faded to black. He fell asleep.

#sweetbitter #jake sweetbitter #tom sturridge #rachelle lefevre #jake gifs #jake x oc #jake x mina #fanfiction #fanfic #fanfic update

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Trauma

Father of Mine – Masterlist

Y/N huffed as Bruce slammed the tennis ball back in her direction – and she missed it.

Jesus. Wasn't he supposed to be getting older?

“Why do rich people like this stupid sport so much?”

Bruce smirked before asking, “Think you’re just saying that because you’re losing?”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “If this were soccer or a foot race, I’d kick your ass.”

Bruce just chuckled.

In the next few minutes, he showed his daughter a bit of mercy and got the game over with.

Y/N and Bruce had a whole father-daughter day planned, which included going to a new museum, dinner, and maybe a movie.

But when Y/N arrived, she saw how utterly exhausted Bruce was. And behind him, Damian and Tim were screaming at each other about something pointless. The manor was chaotic.

Y/N had to make some changes to the day’s plans.

She basically held Bruce hostage at the manor and made him take a self-care day. She also joined forces with the boys and kicked them all out of the house for the day. With just a small puppy-dog look, Y/N got Jason to help make sure the they all stayed away.

“So what do you want to do next?” Bruce asked.

“Wanna go for a walk?” She asked with a shrug.

The grounds of the Wayne property were huge, which meant it was a lovely walk and they didn’t even have to leave the gates.

Bruce gave her a nod and smiled.

“Did you like growing up here as a kid?” Y/N asked him as she took in the scenery.

It seemed like such a different world to her still. Y/N and her mom had lived in a small little cottage in the suburbs of Gotham. It was quaint and cozy, nothing like a home that was officially called a ‘manor.’

Bruce’s brow furrowed. “Sometimes it felt like a prison and sometimes it felt like a sanctuary. It all depended on what was happening in my life.”

“And what about nowadays?” She pushed.

Bruce smirked. “The past few years it’s become one of the few places our family can be together as our true selves.”

Y/N nodded in agreement.

She always felt safe at the manor. Even though she loved her apartment, it was in a building filled with strangers. And as soon as she walked out onto the sidewalk, she was exposed. There was not a whole lot of breathing room or privacy there.

“You need to take better care of yourself, Bruce.”

He sighed, expecting a lecture to come at some point today.

“You deserve it,” she added. “And if I have to take days off with you just to insure you do it, then so be it.”

Bruce smirked and shook his head at her.

“But what about you?” He surprised her by asking.

“What about me?”

Bruce stopped walking now and turned to face his daughter. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” she shrunk under his gaze.

This was not their usual talk. Bruce was bad at emotionally and mentally checking in with his kids. He was good at seeing the signs that they might need help or extra attention. But he usually steered away from asking people point blank how they were doing.

“Do I not seem fine?” Y/N asked nervously.

“I suppose not. But you are related at me, therefore I worry that you would be too good at hiding if you weren't fine.”

She smirked at that. “Touché.”

Bruce didn’t speak, giving her a chance to share if his suspicions were right.

“Guess I’m lucky I have Jason,” she smiled sadly. “He always knows when I’m not okay. But it’s not really fair that I make him figure it out, instead of just telling him.”

“He loves you. So I'm sure he doesn’t mind,” Bruce tried to tell her.

“I know he doesn't. The problem has never been him loving me enough. It’s always been Jason letting me love him back.”

Then she seemed to realize what she had just said to her father.

“Sorry,” Y/N quickly apologized. “It’s probably weird talking to you about this stuff…”

“Don’t apologize,” he told her.

“I know Jason and I have been together for almost a year now. But I realized I never really… asked if you were alright with it.”

Bruce smirked.

His daughter was independent and determined. He never expected her to seek any sort of permission from him. And quite frankly, she didn’t need to. Her and Jason were both adults. They could make decisions on their own.

“Of course I’m alright with it.”

Y/N shrugged. “I get that it can seem kind of weird from the outside. I’m your biological daughter, he was your foster kid that you eventually adopted.”

“And he resents that,” Bruce noted with an amused huff.

Y/N chuckled. But as soon as it died down, she let out a heavy sigh.

Bruce could tell she was tired.

Maybe she needed this little self-care day as much as he did.

“Come on,” Bruce nudged his head toward the manor. “Alfred will have lunch ready soon. We should probably shower before he scolds us for being a sweaty mess.”

Y/N smiled and nodded, realizing she was starving now that he mentioned it.

They both showered. Y/N changed from her tennis outfit to loungewear since she convinced Bruce to actually sit down and watch a movie with her in the manor’s theater.

But of course Bruce’s idea of relaxing attire was slacks and a black turtleneck.

And Y/N didn’t miss the opportunity to tease him. “You know…you can wear sweats in your own home, Bruce. I won’t tell the press.”

He simply gave her an unamused look.

At the end of lunch, Bruce got a work call – like, Wayne Enterprises work, not Batman work.

Y/N gave her father a glare as he reached to answer it. She had strictly forbid such actions at the start of the day.

Bruce was smart enough to give her an apologetic look before he picked it up and left the room.

“He’s hopeless,” Y/N sighed as Alfred returned to take their empty plates.

“Oh, I am well aware, my dear.”

“Need any help?” Y/N asked, slowly standing up.

“Not at all, Ms. Y/L/N. Go relax in the den and wait for Master Wayne.”

“Alfred!” She laughed. “We’ve been over this. It’s just Y/N. Please.”

He only winked at her as he grabbed their dirty plates and returned to the kitchen.

Y/N did as Alfred said and slowly went to the den.

Her attention was instantly caught by the various photos around the room. Had she ever been in here before? It wasn’t possible. She would’ve immediately been drawn to the photos.

Bruce wasn’t one to drag guests anywhere and force them to look at photos of his kids – not even his own daughter.

Speaking of, Y/N froze when she noticed that Bruce had a small photo of her framed and hanging on one of the walls.

That sneaky bastard.

Y/N narrowed her eyes suspiciously, realizing that Clark must’ve given it to Bruce after an event with The Daily Planet. There were always multiple event photographers in the shadows at those things. And not even other off-duty photographers were safe.

But she decided the gesture was sweet of Bruce and there was no use in scolding him for it. There were also the photos from her childhood that she’d gifted to Bruce not long ago. They were neatly framed and arranged throughout the room.

Her attention slowly moved to other photos.

Then she couldn’t help but do a double take at one that was on a bookcase.

And it took her a few seconds to realize it was Jason.

He couldn’t be older than 11. And he was so, so small – just skin and bones, really. Nobody back then could’ve ever predicted that he would grow into the beast of man he is today.

“That was only a couple months after he started living here,” Bruce said behind her.

Y/N jumped, not hearing his entrance at all.

“Sorry,” he apologized softly.

All of his boys could sense his arrivals. Sometimes Bruce forgot that Y/N wasn’t trained in stealth like all of them.

“He was so skinny,” Y/N spoke so quietly as she looked back at Jason’s picture.

“Because he was basically starving when I found him.”

Y/N whipped back around quickly to look into her father’s eyes. “What?”

He frowned. “How much has Jason told you about his childhood?”

She looked sad and sighed, “He never really gives me any details when I ask. I just know that it was…bad. His mom was an addict and died from overdose. His dad was abusive and eventually got killed on the streets.”

Bruce simply nodded.

Should he be the one to fill those gaps for her? Was it Bruce's story to tell? Or would sharing Jason’s past just cause another frequent argument between him and Bruce?

“It’s way worse than he lets on, isn’t it?” Y/N asked softly, as if she were scared of how bad it really had been for her boyfriend.

Bruce sighed. “He was living on the streets when I found him. I’m sure he’s told you about stealing the wheels off the batmobile – he still uses that for bragging rights.”

Y/N smiled shyly and nodded.

“Go on,” she practically begged.

“He was malnourished, way too skinny and short for his age. His dad was in jail at the time – not that Jason even knew. He just thought he was on another bender. And his mom was missing, too. I found out a few days later that she had died of an overdose. Jason didn’t know that either.”

“Jesus,” Y/N breathed.

“He didn’t trust me, that was clear. Yet somehow he didn’t seem scared of me at all.”

“So, what? You dragged him here?”

“In a way.” Bruce admitted with a small wince. “I got him some food. And he ate like he hadn’t had a meal in a month. But I knew I couldn’t let him stay on the streets by himself. The foster care system in Gotham was so corrupt then – even worse than it is today. Almost all of the foster homes were a front for drug lords using kids to make deliveries or sex traffickers.”

Y/N looked like she was going to be sick.

“And Jason knew all of that, too. He told me that’s why he kept running away from his foster homes. The kid always had street smarts. A part of me believes he would’ve made it on his own even if I had never run into him.”

“You said he didn’t trust you,” Y/N pointed out. “So how the hell did you get him to come home with you?”

“I took off the cowl and showed him who I was.”

“Quite a risky move to do with a kid.”

Bruce nodded. “I didn’t have anything else to offer. Eventually he took me up on my deal to let him stay here for a few days – at least until I could find him a home.”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t…”

Bruce shook his head. “Like I said, almost all of them were covers for various criminal activities. And any home that did seem like a good fit was already maxed out with too many kids.”

Y/N’s chest hurt imaging the man she loved, small and helpless, being forced into environments that he knew would hurt or use him.

“He was so nervous when he first got here," Bruce continued. "Any time there was a loud noise, he would almost go into a panic attack. I had to constantly monitor the volume and tone of my voice, because he would immediately spiral into thinking I was mad and about to hurt him.”

Bruce’s eyes glazed over as he was thrown back in time, trying to remember all the details of Jason’s arrival.

It was clear from the way he was talking that it had been a long time since he thought about it.

Y/N didn’t want to interrupt, hoping to find out as much about Jason as she possibly could.

“Alfred found a bag of extra clothes and nonperishable food hidden under his bed. He was ready to run if things went south. A-After he died, we found it untouched with dust covering it.”

Bruce cleared his throat.

Even after all this time and with Jason being alive and well, Bruce still got emotional thinking about when he'd died by the hands of the Joker.

“It sounds like he was so scared,” Y/N pointed out in a whisper.

Today, Jason didn’t seem scared of anything – only ever fearing losing Y/N in some way or another.

“He was,” Bruce confirmed. “He couldn’t sleep at the manor for weeks, even when he pushed a chair against the door to make sure no one could get in.”

“He was always waiting for the floor to drop – even still today sometimes,” she muttered.

“Jason couldn’t comprehend the idea that someone might actually care about him and want to protect him from everything he’d been running from,” Bruce reflected.

“So what finally brought him around?”

“School. The library. Three meals a day,” Bruce listed. “He spent almost all his free time in that library, reading books that were for people twice his age. And I never met a kid who loved going to school so much.”

Y/N smiled. Her big nerd of a boyfriend, that part she recognized.

“And you,” she added gently.

“Alfred maybe,” Bruce contested. “But I don’t believe I was a part of it.”

Y/N shook her head and frowned. “Give yourself some credit, Bruce.”

But Bruce was too busy studying her. He could tell his daughter might start crying at any moment. He could only imagine how she was processing the stories he shared when they were about the man she was in love with.

“You OK?” He asked her softly.

Y/N nodded and took in a shaky breath in to try and control her emotions.

Suddenly the front door of the manor was thrown open and voices echoed around the manor.

The boys had returned.

Without saying anything, Y/N quickly rushed out of the room to meet them.

Jason was in the middle of giving a noogie Damian, who looked like he was about to bite off Jason’s hand.

But Jason did a double take when he saw his girlfriend walking to him with purpose and an expression he couldn’t quite read.

“Hey, beautiful.” He greeted softly.

Next thing he knew, Y/N had nearly tackled him into a hug.

Jason let out a laugh, but then quickly realized this was not meant to be funny.

He pulled her tighter to him and kissed the top of her head before saying, “You OK? What’s wrong?”

Dick seemed to sense that something was going on and made sure to usher Tim and Damian further into the house.

“Nothing,” Y/N said into Jason’s chest. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I’m so proud of you.”

Jason’s brow furrowed, more confused now.

Then he looked up to see Bruce watching the interaction as he leaned in the doorway.

And somehow Jason just…knew.

Jason knew that Bruce must’ve told Y/N something about him.

“I love you, too.” Jason whispered back to her.

Y/N pulled away and sniffed, trying not to make a scene by crying.

“Sure you OK?” Jason pushed.

She nodded.

But Y/N grabbed his hand and pulled him close so she was hugging his whole arm, too.

“You guys made it back just in time for the movie,” she told him with a smile.

And they rejoined the rest of the family.

During the movie, Y/N and Jason shared a love seat in the theater.

And they were only halfway into it before Jason felt Y/N slowly fall asleep on him, cuddling even closer to his body.

‘What the hell did Bruce make you do all day?’ He wondered. Y/N never fell asleep during movies.

Once it was over, everyone slowly started making their way to their bedrooms.

Except Dick, who said his goodbyes before leaving to return to his own apartment in Gotham.

“Why don’t you two just spend the night?” Bruce asked Jason as he looked down at his sleeping daughter.

Jason didn’t answer, also watching her.

“You brought your motorcycle, right?” Bruce added.

Jason nodded, knowing Bruce was right: he shouldn’t make Y/N ride on the back of his bike when she was this tired.

“So…what did you say to her?” Jason slowly asked.

Bruce watched him for a moment.

Was this going to cause another riff? Would Jason snap and tell him to mind his own business and stop telling other people his?

“She saw a photo of you when you were little,” Bruce started to explain. "And I told her about when you first got here.”

“She was so upset,” Jason muttered, remembering the way she had looked at him when they'd returned.

“Wouldn’t you be if it were the other way around?” Bruce countered.

Jason just nodded. But he thought to himself, ‘If all of that had happened to Y/N, I would’ve killed anyone who had a part in it.’

“You know, you don’t have to hide your past from her,” Bruce told him softly. “She wants to hear about you – even the bad things that are hard to talk about.”

Jason hesitated before saying, “I don’t want her to pity me.”

“Pity and sympathy are two different things, Jason. She loves you.”

Jason thought about it a second before slowly nodding.

That was all Bruce would get. And Jason was silently telling him that he’d at least consider opening up more to Y/N about his past.

“I should get her to bed,” Jason mumbled before bringing Y/N’s sleeping form into his arms.

When he carried her, it was like she weighed nothing.

“Night, kid.” Bruce called after him.

“Thanks, B.”

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Let me know if you liked it!

→ Father of Mine + bonus content

#father of mine bonus content #father of mine #dad!bruce wayne #batdad #dad!batman #bruce wayne x daughter!reader #dad!bruce wayne x daughter!reader #batfam #batboys #jason todd x reader #jason todd reader insert

[robinofgothamcity]

♡ scenario: connor losing his mind when you're hurt and charging into the fight recklessly.

♡ pairing: connor kent ( superboy ) x fem! reader

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / i'm sorry but i'm living for these angst to fluff moments rn especially bc i rewatched reign of the superman and forgot how much i loved connor in it.

Connor watched as you were completely slumped on the side of the building, no longer clear headed and struggling to stay awake. what was supposed to be a clean and easy mission turned out to be more than what the league expected.

he had requested for back up and while they were already trying to fight off the thugs that were attacking Connor, he could still see that you were fighting to stay alive and he had no idea if you were even going to come out of this fight alive.

"what the fuck?" Connor whispered, seeing you now slumped on the ground. he turned to the person who attacked you, eyes fully red with no intention of holding back. Clark could sense his song was a second away from committing murder as he saw Connor charge into the heart of the battle with no game plan, just murder.

"SUPERBOY NO!"

+

you waved shyly to the group of league members as you hid behind Wonder Woman. you were new to the scene of sidekicks and had no idea how to even introduce yourself without sounding like a complete idiot.

"woah new girl!" you heard a male voice say as you stood in your place petrified. you had no idea who it was as Diana had yet to individually introduce you to everyone, "i call dibs!" you heard the same voice say.

Diana turned to you before grabbing the boy who was charging towards you by the head and tossed him back to Superman, "she's not up for 'dibs' Superboy. she's my newest apprentice and you will treat her as such," she threatened.

you giggled behind her as a few of the sidekicks introduced themselves. you knew them as the Young Justice team and although you weren't formally with the team, you figured Diana was training you to become apart of them in the future.

"( your hero name ), this is Superboy," Wonder Woman said, "he associated to the Super family," she explained as he pushed up his dark circled glasses and flicked his hair back, "pleasure is all mine," he muttered, shaking your hand.

you returned a tiny smile before she continued to introduce you to Robin and Impulse. you noticed how Superboy kept his eyes on you. you had no idea if it was because he liked you or he disliked you but every time you turned to look at him, he was already staring at you.

after introductions and the cliche 'your real identity is sacred' conversation ended, Diana felt it was for your own good to get used to your new 'teammates'. she wanted you to make sure you weren't uncomfortable around any of the YJ team even if that included Superboy.

"so, what do you like to do for fun?" Wonder Girl asked, sitting down next to you and handing you a bowl of popcorn. you shrugged, "uh, not much. I like to watch tv and read for the most part. no one really invites me to do things with them," you admitted, scratching the back of your head.

she laughed, putting her arm around you, "well that ends today! we should all do something fun! how about we go to the county fair? doesn't that sound fun?" she asked. you shrugged, not really opposed to the idea, "I call all the rides with ( your hero name )!" Jinny replied.

you smiled, following her and Wonder Girl out the door as Robin, Impulse, and Superboy followed behind you. Robin looked at him, "you like her don't you?" he asked, already calculating the minute Connor had fallen in love with you.

"well she's apart of the team, i'd like to hope we'd all like her," he replied as Robin shook his head, "no, you get what i mean by that," Robin pressed as he could see Connor's face fall with realization. he didn't reply but he could tell what he was tell Connor's real answer through his face.

as they arrived to the fair, they all booked it to the first food stand they saw. Robin offering to pay for everyone being Bruce Wayne's son had its benefits. you ordered a simple coffee as you didn't want Robin to spend too much on everyone.

"what ride should we all get on first?" Jinny asked excitedly. you pointed to the tallest ride, it was one of those high rides that sat two people at the top and had them spinning around, "oh I can't do that. it's way too scary," both Keli and Jinny said.

Superboy smiled at you, "I'm down if you are," he said as he grabbed two tickets from the worker, "cool," you replied as the two of you walked to the line, sweat already building up from nervousness.

once they sat the two of you and made sure you were both buckled in, you stared at Superboy nervously as the ride started up and pulled you up before immediately starting to spin. you stared at Superboy, screaming for you life. you unintentionally grabbed his arms, not realizing you were holding onto him as you continued to yell.

Superboy chuckled, finding your reaction cute.

+

after the months passed and you finally grew closer to everyone on the team, you were particularly close with Jinny and Superboy. you and Jinny shared a lot of common interests as she showed you how to shoot a gun and Superboy...well, everyone could tell the two of you were just seconds away from actually dating.

you walked into the YJ lair, sipping on hot chocolates with Jinny as the weather was turning cold. she was cracking some cringe dad jokes, trying to make you laugh as you tried to contain from choking on the hot chocolate.

"hey, where we yall at?" Keli asked. you turned to Jinny before giggling, "just doing a few errands we had to run before I had patrol with Superboy," you said, not really clarifying on what you both were actually doing.

although everyone could see how much you liked Connor, Connor himself thought you had a thing with Jinny. he knew she was particularly close with you and felt as though he was practically competing with her for your attention.

"do you have my phone?" you asked Jinny as she dug into her pocket and handed it to you. you grabbed your phone before quickly snatching her hat and putting it on, "yee-haw," you giggled into the mirror as Jinny started chasing you down the halls.

as you turned a corner, you bumped into Superboy and fell flat on your ass, "oh, I'm sorry Superboy, I didn't see you there," you groaned as Jinny grabbed her had and put it back on her, "you've yee'd your last haw," she said, making you laugh harshly.

Superboy's eye couldn't help but twitch as he gave you his hand, "ready for patrol?" he asked sternly. you looked to Jinny who crept away from the angry Kryptonian and left you to deal with him, "yeah, let me just freshen up again and I'll meet you outside," you murmured, going into the bathroom.

you quickly used the bathroom before checking if you had everything. you opened the door and walked into the lair's common area. Connor had yet to drop the angry attitude and everyone was eerily silent as you walked in. he grabbed you by the arm and practically rushed you out the door.

"weird," Jinny told Robin as he shrugged, "what isn't weird about him," he replied making everyone laugh.

patrol started extremely awkward. you hadn't felt this weird since you first started on the team and you had no idea what was wrong with Superboy since he wasn't telling you.

the two of you walked on top of roof, scanning the empty roads before you turned to look at him, "what's up? you seem bothered," you asked him as you both sat on the ledge, "seriously? you seem annoyed at me or something so at the very least you can try and tell me what's wrong," you pressured again.

he looked at you with eyes of determination before grabbing you by the collar of the shirt and pulling you into a very heated kiss. you were taken back by surprise but let him continue to kiss you. a part of yelled at Connor pulled you close but another part of him was still screaming at him that you still could've liked Jinny.

"I had to do that before Jinny officially took you away from me," your eyes fluttered in confusion, "uh, what do you mean by 'take you away from me'?" you asked, not knowing what he was talking about.

Connor sighed in frustration, "I see the way you're around Jinny and figured that she likes you and vice versa," he finally admitted as he stood up, not wanting to hear your response. you quickly stood up and grabbed him by the wrist, "hey wait," you said.

he stared at you, "I'm really not in the mood to get rejected ( your hero name )," he ran his fingers through his hair annoyed. you shook your head, "I don't like Jinny nor does she like me. we're just really close friends Superboy," you whispered, bringing him into another kiss.

this time, he was the one taken back but he melted into the kiss, all his negative emotions washing away as you continued to kiss him. he wrapped his arms around your waist as you him in closer by the neck. Connor was definitely not expecting this tonight.

"so does this mean that we're like....together together?" you asked playfully shy. Connor let out a laugh before lacing your hands together, "clearly. I can't let Jinny steal you away from me," he jokingly replied.

+

Connor ran to the three different henchmen as his strength was to the point of killing, not caring if he died in the process. he was recklessly dodging bullets, knowing they wouldn't do anything to him. he grabbed the first man and threw him against a wall as it collapsed around him. Connor only hoping that it did enough damage to unalive him.

the second one he managed to choke him out enough to the point where he passed out but that wasn't enough for him. you were on the brink of death and if he had to see you die, he was going to make sure the men who possibly killed you got what they deserved.

"SUPERBOY!" he heard his father scream again. Connor paid no attention to him as he grabbed the third henchman and slammed him to the ground, throwing punches left and right, "listen to me," Clark screamed at him.

he could see the tears coming down Connor's face as anger, fear, and sadness clouded his mind, "this is not you! pull out of it!" he yelled, shaking Connor's shoulder, "you're about to kill this man. I get that you're angry but you don't get anything out of hurting him. all you get it consequences and your girlfriend needs you right now more than ever!" he continued.

Connor finally shook himself out of his trance as he heard his dad telling him to go to you. Connor nodded and ran to you, seeing you unconscious and hardly breathing, "I'm taking her to the hospital," he yelled to Batman before hauling your body into his arms and flying towards the nearest hospital.

once he finally reached the emergency doors, he shoved everyone out of his way and to the front desk, "she needs help...NOW!" he yelled to the poor receptionist. the girl jumped up from fear but nodded and screamed for a bed and a few doctors.

the doctor asked Connor to place you on the bed before the doctor told him that he could follow them inside. a part of Connor wanted to straight up move the doctor to follow you into the OR but he knew that he'd get into more trouble with his dad and the MPD if he hurt anyone else.

for what felt like hours, he was waiting inside of the room they had told him you'd be in once you got out of surgery. he had already gotten the lecture from his dad about the consequences he would've gotten if he actually managed to kill the three men earlier.

"she's going to make it," the doctor told Connor as he walked into the room while they adjusted you to the bed. Connor nodded, "she'll be out of duty for months. she sustained a lot of injuries to her body that'll take weeks to recover and she got a nasty concussion so you'll need to play doctor for the next few weeks to make sure she's okay," he explained.

Connor nodded as the doctor told him that you should be waking up within the next few hours. Connor adjusted himself on the seat and got comfortable as he had no intentions of leaving your side until you were awake and ready to leave the hospital.

you woke up a few hours later, your body killing you from all over as you saw balloons all around the room. you knew you had landed in the hospital but you had no idea how long you were asleep or in a coma even. you turned to see Connor passed out next to you, his body slumped awkwardly.

"Kon, Kon wake up!" you whispered, shaking him softly. Connor jumped up in a fright as he immediately realized you were awake, "how do you feel? are you okay? do you need anything?" he immediately asked as you couldn't help but laugh at his frantic attitude.

"Connor, I'm okay, I promise," you whispered as you brought him in for a kiss, "my body just hurts and i'm still kinda tired," you murmured as Connor nodded. you managed to wiggle yourself enough to make space for him, "babe, it looks like you haven't slept in days."

"I had to make sure you were okay so i haven't exactly slept in a while," he admitted sheepishly. you shook your head, "you're too much sometimes," you giggled as you put your head on his shoulder, "but you love me regardless," he replied.

this was the first time the L word had came up in the relationship, "yeah, I guess I do but now you need to sleep," you said as you closed your eyes and felt Connor pull you closer to him, "I love you too by the way," you whispered, giving him another kiss on his partially exposed chest.

#dc #dc x reader #dc imagine #connor kent x you #connor kent x reader #connor kent imagine #connor kent #superboy x y/n #superboy x reader #superboy imagine #comics #dc comics

[gakkubi]

Ame Trio Analysis: Konan

I want to share some thoughts on the Ame Trio/Ame Orphans because I do think they have one of the most complex, interesting and beautiful arcs in the Narutoverse. I will discuss their personalities and thoughts. This post is about Konan, there are also Yahiko and Nagato. (3/3): I'll end with Konan because she's the one who lives the longer and is impacted by both Yahiko and Nagato's death.

KONAN:

Also available in Russian: ссылка на русский перевод

Konan is possibly the hardest character to analyse because her stand-alone arc is the last one to appear, and the story doesn't dwell on her ideals and motivations until the very end - despite that, it's my personal belief she's one of the best female characters developed in the series. With a few exceptions, female characters in the Narutoverse will usually take the position of supporting the male characters - but unlike most of the other women, Konan's position of support actually makes sense with her character.

A person not being the "original creator" of the philosophy they follow or joining other characters to achieve a common goal does not mean they don't have a mind or will of their own; Konan is just as free to make her own decisions as the other characters.

While Yahiko takes the role of "fallen hero" and Nagato is the "unwilling protagonist", Konan is the ever-present observer; she's the last one to take the spotlight in the Ame Trio storyline, and with her, the last open ends are closed. Konan is the element which endured throughout all of the Ame Trio's different phases, from their start to their brightest and darkest points until the very end. She's the Angel, the one who will carry and reinforce the will she has received.

Konan has a moral trait which makes her strikingly different from Yahiko and Nagato; she is not loyal to abstract ideals, but rather concrete ones. Even though Yahiko and Nagato eventually digress on their philosophies, both dedicate their lives to the pursuit of peace and give up their lives to guarantee the survival of their goal, as abstract as it may be.

Konan, on the other hand, is loyal to people; of course she had beliefs of her own, but they mostly come from a local perspective, not a universal one. She's loyal to Amegakure; to her country, to her people, her citizens, her friends.

It's heavily implied in the story (more in the anime than the manga) that the people of Amegakure held her in high esteem (perhaps even more than they held Pain himself). This shines a new light on Konan, who early on the story was just an unknown villain of the Akatsuki - in fact, we come to learn most of the important aspects of her personality lie outside of the classic, evil Akatsuki.

To understand Konan it's important to understand the Ame Trio's dynamic as a whole; it's fundamental to consider that, just like Nagato, Konan owes her life to Yahiko's fierce will of surviving- her backstory alone with Yahiko is never shown but it's heavily implied that she was just as dependent on him as Nagato was. Like Nagato, her personality is much more passive and quiet until provoked.

Both Konan and Nagato were Yahiko's followers, and they were happy that way - they believed in his dream and his philosophy and found in the Akatsuki the meaning of their lives. It's important to understand that Yahiko's goals are also her goals, regardless if she was the one who created them or not; it's better to say he first inspired her into creating such dreams for herself.

Many other (very popular and loved) characters in the Naruto universe follow dreams and philosophies not originally created by themselves and are not perceived as mere "followers without opinion" like Konan sometimes is.

A common reason for the misunderstanding of Konan's character to claim she has no will of her own is that she continued to support Nagato even though he suffers an immense personality and philosophical shift after Yahiko's death. It's often wondered why Konan decided to stay by Nagato's side after Yahiko's death despite his radical change, and it's often associated with her having no ideas of her own. This is not true; the story builds a very logical and realistic reason for her to continue supporting him regardless of her truly agreeing with his new peace philosophy.

Very much like Nagato, Konan saw the people she loved and her reasons to live be taken away from her twice. The first time, it was Yahiko who gave both of them meaning and direction; the second time Nagato and Konan found themselves having nothing again - all they had was the legacy Jiraiya and Yahiko left behind.

Konan's life was saved by Yahiko twice; first when he helped her survive and second when he sacrificed himself so she could escape Hanzo's trap. It's important to realize the reason why Hanzo could trap Yahiko and Nagato is that they captured her first; although we have no evidence for this, it's possible Konan also felt guilt for "giving" the enemy a token to which they could manipulate Yahiko into obedience.

Yahiko being a key factor on her survival (both physical and mental) and her feeling responsible for his death are both factors that could result in her feeling immense guilt and a sense of debt with him. Like Nagato, Konan couldn't just let Yahiko's death be pointless after giving up his life for them.

Any reasonable person would have their hope shaken after seeing Yahiko get killed after his "non-violence, mutual understanding" philosophy failed. It would take an enormous endurance and faith to lose a person who she loved and keep on trying the same thing with the hope that "next time things will work as intended." Perhaps, things would never work as Yahiko imagined - perhaps his original plan needed adaptations.

However, unlike Nagato, Konan hadn't been conditioned by either Jiraiya or Yahiko to think that she was the one who would find the key to peace; she didn't spend her life pressured by the responsibility of coming up with a plan. Nagato was the one who the former leaders trusted would find the answer to end all the wars - and he stepped up to continue the "plan to peace" with his new ideas of how to get there.

And there's yet another important factor in all this; Yahiko had left her with a mission - the mission of supporting Nagato. The conversation where Yahiko entitles her with the responsibility of being by Nagato's side is highlighted in her fight against Obito to tell us, the audience, why Konan is so determined to help Naruto now - her mission of protecting the "savior of the world", originally given by Yahiko, had been transferred from supporting Nagato to Naruto.

Once we see the perspective of her feeling like she was in debt with Yahiko for saving her life twice - and adding love and guilt to the mixture, which makes it much harder for reason to overpower emotion -, it's easy to see why it could be hard to nearly impossible for her to dismiss the last mission she could actually complete; following Yahiko's will was a way of still being connected to him after he was gone.

Both Nagato and Konan nearly lost the meaning of their lives when Yahiko was killed and the original Akatsuki destroyed - both clinged to what they had left. Neither ever had a proper environment to deal with the grief they felt, a grief that echoed a childhood trauma that shaped all of their lives.

All of these factors are reasons why it would be hard for Konan to look objectively at what she was doing by supporting Nagato's new philosophy; however, Konan wasn't just guilt trapped into being by his side.

Konan, as I stated before, is much more pragmatic than her counterparts; she's loyal to what is hers - her friends, her nation. Even if we ignore the guilt or the "mission", it's safe to assume she would have stayed by his side anyway; Nagato was all the family she had left, and she was loyal to what was hers above all else.

Perhaps, if the mental conditions weren't so harsh, Konan could have resisted or opposed some of Nagato's new radical ideas more than she already did - debated with him, perhaps they could have convinced each other to stay in Yahiko's path. In the anime, Obito even says he relied on Konan for "calming" Nagato, which tells us that she reasoned with him to some extent - however, neither of them were able to keep their pain from overriding the morals they previously had.

Konan has a mind of her own, and it's shown to us in the moments where she disagrees either visually or verbally with Nagato's actions; Jiraiya's death, Konoha's destruction and the conversation with Naruto are moments where she confronts him. She is shown disagreeing with Nagato on multiple instances, which is proof that she felt she could voice her discontent with him - that she didn't feel completely trapped by guilt or that all she had to do was simply obey him; she was not just a voiceless "Angel" obeying her "God." We're also shown that Nagato disregards many of her opinions - by the time he becomes a villain, he is extremely narcissistic and confident in his hability to make the right choice - but that doesn't keep her from voicing her disagreement anyway.

It's not clear to us, the audience, how much Konan was hurt by Nagato's disregard (we're shown she is uncomfortable to some extent); it's the combination of her guilt, Yahiko's "mission" and her own faith in Nagato's plan that keeps her following their goal.

All the members of the Ame Trio value the search for peace above everything else, each in their own particular way.

Unlike Nagato, Konan has a much clear and objective way of thinking, interested only in what will serve them to achieve their goal and dismissing everything else that will not be useful.

Konan is never shown having any interest whatsoever in the other members of the Akatsuki (she never engages in the conversations they have), in the people of Konoha (which is why she condones wasting energy on being violent with them) or even in what Naruto has to say. All that she cares about is what is hers - her nation, her family; she's completely indifferent to everything else.

(That being said, I must note we don't know how her relationships with the other Akatsuki work as it would be impossible for her to spend almost 20 years without interacting with the other members. One of Konan's most important traits is her kindness, so it's "in character" to assume she would treat them respectfully and kindly, being fond of them to some extent; it's also safe to assume she didn't care about them at all, given her behavior in the manga. I think both interpretations are equally canonical because they lean on different aspects of her personality to fill a backstory we're never shown).

Although Konan is never shown being especially inclined to violence, her indifference and disergard for everything that is not hers - together with her own belief on Nagato's plan and the suffering which she endured - allows her to be the cold-blooded leader and killer she eventually becomes.

Konan believed in Nagato - like both Jiraiya and Yahiko did - while recognizing his flaws. When Naruto received recognition and acceptance from Nagato, he was incorporated to Konan's definition of what is "hers"; she aligns him in a sequence of "saviors" who she believed, a sequence that began with Yahiko and continued with Nagato. She makes the conscious decision of giving up her life for her dream of peace as Yahiko and Nagato have done before her.

Obito is the example of a person who Konan never incorporated on what is "hers" - this is clear on their fight where she says she studied his moves and his powers all the years they have worked together, and also clear on the passive-aggressive conversation they have after Jiraiya's death (Chapter 407). The way their relationship works - especially considering that she spent approximately half of her life working with him - also shows that Konan doesn't blindly support other characters for the sake of supporting them; for all we know, she trusted him much less than Nagato did.

It's also in Konan's fight with him that we see her analytical intelligence at full bloom - I dare say she is the most intelligent of the trio when it comes to strategy; first, for not ever truly trusting Obito to begin with (possibly because Yahiko also didn't), and second for being able to set a strategy that effectively killed him (hence why he used Izanagi - he was killed by her) with information based on her own observations.

Konan is extremely careful and precise; she pays incredible attention to detail, being able to draw accurate conclusions after analyzing just a little information.

Konan isn't ever shown to be hateful or angry, with the exception of her encounter with Jiraiya, where she treats him with spite, taunting him with the idea that following Orochimaru's suggestion could have avoided all the trouble he was going through with the Akatsuki. It's one of the few times we see Konan treating anyone in a way that is not kind or neutral, as if she held some type of resentment against Jiraiya - I like to think she blamed him, in a way or another, for not preparing them well enough for the cruelty of the world; for letting them be so naïve that Yahiko could be killed in a trap easily avoidable. It's obvious that Konan still held Jiraiya in some regard as it's easier for people to lash out on those who they like the most - after many years interacting with people to whom she was completely indifferent (outside of Nagato), Konan was finally talking to a person she had feelings for.

She is also - as described by Jiraiya and also viewed on the characters memories - a very kind, gentle, caring person; the very fact that she chose to save Nagato by sharing food with him shows her predisposition to helping others. Her kindness wasn't lost after Yahiko's death, but mostly replaced by the indifference she felt at everything that did not contemplate her goals, her family or her nation. After she accepts Naruto as being "one of her own" and sharing goals with him, she's quick to display kindness towards him and indirectly make amends with Jiraiya in the process.

As quiet, introspective person, Konan is very self-sufficient; although she is a member of the Akatsuki, she only interacts with them when necessary, probably spending most of her time alone or caring for Amegakure's business (as she shared both Akatsuki and Amegakure's leadership with Nagato and he was more active with the Akatsuki, it's safe to assume she cared for the other half). Her quiet, calmer nature matches that of Nagato; they could find understanding by having similar thought processes and also having a harder time processing their feelings, finding sympathy and comfort in each other.

Although I have mentioned that Konan might have felt a sense of debt towards Yahiko for saving her life, I want to highlight I see this feelings as possible only after his death because of its traumatizing circumstances; I don't think she felt she owed him anything while they were all alive, especially because it's never shown that he ever demanded such recognition. Yahiko and Konan have very distinct energies and personalities that complete each other, their relationship has a strong foundation because they share the same core beliefs and traits; loyalty and faith. I can see her falling in love with him for many reasons and one of them being by her admiring how hard he works to achieve the goal of peace.

Konan is a person that feels gentle and kind towards life as a whole; she doesn't seem to need much to be happy - as a child she made origami to pass time and have fun (and eventually used her intelligence to turn her passion into power); as an adult, the anime dedicates a scene to show her smiling to the rain while thinking of happy memories - happy for the sake of being in peace with the new direction she was taking her life after she and Nagato found someone to believe in again.

(Edit: Unfortunately I could not add another image to the post to illustrate this comment, but I wanted to talk about one aspect of Konan's personality that I like a lot and also forgot to mention. Despite her collected and serious demeanor, she also has a tendency to taunt people, a bit similar to Nagato's taste for ironic jokes. This is shown just a few times. In chapter 373, when Yahiko says he will save Nagato the next time something happens, Konan makes fun of him by remarking that Nagato is actually stronger than him, and she laughs when he gets annoyed. As I showed before, she also provokes Jiraiya with the hypothesis of things being better if Orochimaru had killed them. In her fight with Obito, despite his clear disinterest in what she was saying, Konan goes on to explain why Nagato and her betrayed him, and why he will never win. During the Water on a Frog's Face Training with Jiraiya she's also shown laughing at Yahiko's clumsiness. In my opinion, the way she evidently enjoys herself when she mocks people is strikingly contrasting to her generally unaffected personality, and personally I like that most of those times Yahiko was involved. Both in the anime, because of the animation, and in the manga because of Yahiko's surprise, I'm also under the impression that she was the one to initiate their kiss).

All of the Rain Trio's characters have very distinct and interesting psychologies; personally, I find Konan to be the most complex one because of the extreme discrepancies she displays, sometimes warm and kind, sometimes extremely cold and indifferent. I think the way she seems to only care about a very limited aspect of things is very attractive, as it shows how focused she is on her goals - as a nonviolent person, the most cruel act of Konan as a villain comes from her apathy to everyone else that is not part of what is "hers." Unlike Nagato and most of the other members of the Akatsuki who actively indulge in vile acts, she simply pursues her goals, removing anything and anyone on her way.

When he watch Konan's childhood, we see a child that is kind and light-hearted despite of all the pain she has endured, and only after being inflicted by yet another wave of suffering Konan's empathy and hope are shaken to the core; however, we learn her feelings were not dead but rather dormant, and it's by reconnecting to her core traits and beliefs that she finally finds peace in the very end.

#konan #meta #mymeta #naruto #naruto meta #character study #character analysis #analysis #amegakure

[wolfjackle]

Number 12 for the happy fic writer prompt!

From this ask game!

12. What is your favorite theme/subject matter/trope/ship to write about? Why?

Ok, so I had to think about this one for a bit. Which surprised me. At first I was going to say found family or hurt/comfort with a focus on comfort, but that's not really it. They're part of it, but not the central theme.

What I like to write about is someone facing a problem then overcoming it. Especially if the problem is because someone else failed them, though that's not strictly necessary. And wow, does that say a lot about me and reflect way too much about the world around us.

And buckle in, because I am going to to into way too much detail! My love for this theme is obvious if you know what sort of media I love the most. Lord of the Rings, Fullmetal Alchemist, every Tamora Pierce book ever.

I love stories where someone looks around, realizes "this is right," and decides to fix it. Even though it's not their fault. Especially when there's no particular reason anyone should expect them to fix it. But then they do.

This can be an internal conflict. The Good Omens epic I'm working on will involve a lot of internal conflict. (External, too.) For those who don't know, it's a Crowley-was-Raphael fic. Through it, Crowley has to come to terms with his abandonment by his mother (God) and betrayal by his siblings. Aziraphale had to contend with exile from Heaven and his attempts to prove himself worthy of their acceptance again. His journey involves recognizing that Heaven isn't perfect and he doesn't need their approval. Both of them have to do as they did in the book/show and stand together with Humanity against both Heaven and Hell.

In the fic I've published, Crowley is the Pied Piper. The kids have been abandoned by their parents due to events outside of everyone's control and they are determined to save as many of their peers as possible. They accept Crowley's offer of assistance to escape and build new lives for themselves.

In some of the original works I have plotted, it's the same story. In one, magic is draining away from the world and the adults are all too busy trying to keep their people alive to spend any time figuring out the problem. Two girls of magic birth, one raised in ignorance, one raised with the secret knowledge of a lost home, end up claiming their birthrights. They become the leaders of the seelie and unseelie courts and figure out how to bring magic back, thus saving both the human and magical worlds. They didn't break anything, that was the grandfather of the unseelie heir, but they had the knowledge and opportunity and took it.

So yeah, I love writing stories where the lead doesn't shy away when they're presented with a problem and realize they can fix it. Especially if there's no reason they should be expected to fix it.

Sorry this went so long! Thank you so much for this ask! Imma tag @greensword101 and @isalisewrites because I feel like this explains a lot about me.

[neurodihuegent]

[PART ONE] Huey's character development: season 1 to season 3.

with ducktales 2017 coming to a close in less than two weeks, i thought that now was best of all times to create a post of how i think huey has developed as a character throughout all three seasons. please remember, this post is just based on how I see his character development, and you're free to have your own ideas and/or not agree with all of my points!

1.) learning to adjust to new environments/accepting failures: When we were first introduced to huey's character, one of the biggest take aways was that he's a very "by the book" kind of a person, and has a hard time adjusting to foreign environments or situations that he will need to go with the flow and what he already knows, rather than doing everything by the book.

This was mainly introduced in "The Terror of the Terrafirmians!" in season one, where we could literally see Huey scrambling to make sense of the situation, and at some points, spouting out B.S. to make sense of the situation in his head. While he did end up coming to terms that the Terrafirmians are in fact, very real, he still only decided to believe it once it was documented in his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook.

Progressively throughout the show, we see Huey being put in situations where he has to be able to think quick on his feet rather than anxiously try to sort out all that he knows from the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook. Because of his personality, Huey not only had a hard time adjusting to foreign environments, but it's also been shown that he has a hard time accepting set backs as well. From what we've seen, it's easy to infer that when Huey has his mind set on something, he will do nothing short of achieving that goal: And when said goal is not achieved, or is starting to look like it won't be achieved, he takes it very personally.

This is especially seen in "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!" and "The Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchuck!": Where in "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks", even though Huey was definitely more qualified for the position by a significant amount, when Dewey got the position, his first instinct was to get angry instead of congratulate his brother: Granted, Dewey wasn't completely deserving of the position over Huey, and at this point, Huey was just a kid still learning how to manage his emotions, but his instictive reaction tells a lot about his character at the time. Thankfully, we see this progress with "The Challenfe of the Senior Junior Woodchuck!", where Huey is once again put in a situation where the odds were against him, considering that this time around, Violet was more qualified and prepared for the position than he was. At first, Huey does take this badly, getting super anxious that he'll have to do a challenging, dangerous course that no 11-12 year old probably should be doing, on his lonesome without even the help of the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, which has been shown to be a source of comfort for Huey. At one point, he is only surviving through the course by creating a talking Junior Woodchuck Guidebook in his head, but even that goes south as he gets so overwhelmed and anxious to the point where he sets it on fire in his head. Eventually, noticing how far he's fallen behind Violet, and realizing how deserving she is of the title over him despite his love for everything Junior Woodchucks, he is able to come to terms with the fact that he lost, and instead of getting upset or beating himself up for it, he gracefully allows her to be announced as the winner, and shows her his full support. This is meaningful, because if this was season 1 Huey, we honestly can not say that his reaction to his loss would've been the same: He probably would've gotten a lot more upset about it than he actually did in season 3.

"Quack Pack!", despite somewhat being more of a comedic episode, also sheds light on how Huey's learned to adjust with a change in environment: He was the first character (other than Donald, who was fully aware) to pick up on the fact that they are in an alternate universe, set inside of a 1990s sitcom, and becomes increasingly anxious about it as a result, especially since everyone was pretty much oblivious of it at first. However despite this, when the family confronts Donald about the wish, while Donald does make a compelling point of how this scenario gives them a sense of normalcy and security, Huey also brings up the fact that despite the hardships they may face, adventuring is an integral part of their new found family. Even though Huey has always been pretty enthusiastic about adventuring, especially in comparison to Louie and pre-season 3 Donald, there has been times where adventuring has caused him anxiety due to being confronted with new settings or situations that he doesn't immediately know how to handle, so considering this, I think that line alone has shown the great improvement Huey has made with adjusting.

2.) embracing "The Duke": in the first two seasons, while we always had somewhat of an idea that huey was the triplet that inherited the infamous McDuck anger, "The Duke" wasn't something that was necessarily explored much in the first two seasons, leading people to believe that it was just for comedic plot. However, in season 3, we finally got an image of what "The Duke" actually is and represents, alongside with how Huey truly feels about this side of him.

Based on my perception of "The Split Sword of Swanstantine", Huey sees The Duke as an entire separate entity from himself rather than just how far his anger can really go, decides to completely reject this side and keep it locked away in his brain. Of course, we've had our early season moments where The Duke "slipped out", but for the most part, leading up to The Split Sword of Swanstantine, we never really got a full glimpse of what exactly the Duke is: and given his personality, it makes sense as to why Huey was rejecting this side of him instead. Not only does The Duke represent one of Huey's most vulnerable states, but knowing how far his anger can go, goes completely against the side of his personality that he does allow to shine: Being orderly, being well put together, and being the brain of his sibling trio, which being blinded by anger would all deter. Despite the strength that embracing his anger gives him, Huey obviously still sees it as a weakness, because it's the side of him he doesn't want people to see, especially those closest to him, because before the events of The Split Sword, Huey didn't exactly have the greatest control of his anger, so while nobody would want to think of it, no one knows how far he could really go if he's pissed enough.

However, thanks to the encouragement of Lena, Huey was finally able to embrace that side of him, and fully gain control over his anger which is something we don't typically see with the infamous McDuck Anger, given that the only way he could defeat Steelbeak who had an obvious advantage, was to tap into his true strength. The biggest takeaway Huey got from this situation, is that his anger shouldn't be treated as if it's a separate entity, or as if it's something to be embarassed of, but to truly embrace that side of himself, and learn how to control it, all things that he was able to accomplish by the end of "The Split Sword of Swanstantine".

3.) building new relationships:

Since season one, it's been hinted that Huey does struggle a bit on the friendship aspect of things. He does have very close relationships with his brothers and Webby, but even these can be hindered by clashing personalities and differing interests. Even though it's fairly obvious that HDLW all love and support each other like family, Huey has never really exactly been shown to have a bond with someone where he shares completely similar interests: Now, this isn't really important in friendship, often times opposites attract even down to the friendship aspect, but it is nice to have someone where you can just sit and chat about similar interests, and do stuff together that you'll both enjoy.

The first time we've gotten a hint at Huey struggling with making friends was in "The Day of the Only Child!", where, if the Beagle Brothers didn't show up, Huey would've been out of luck with finding two other participants for the three-man cookout, considering that everyone else was already paired up and Louie and Dewey were already off doing their own things for the day. Also hinted in that same episode, is the fact that Huey make struggle with loneliness as well (Huey "Be horribly alone." Dewey: "For once!"), given that he's spent most if not all of his life constantly with his brothers and Donald, so even if him and his brothers did have fall outs every here and there, he could always rely on them to be there given that outside of them, he didn't rely have any other friends.

Now, this somewhat turns around in season 2, when we're introduced to Fenton, who Huey not only idolizes as Gizmoduck, but looks at like a genuine best friend and most likely, as an older brother figure. Besides Huey's admiration of Gizmoduck, it's been shown that they bond over their similar interest in science, and in general, Huey is constantly looking out for Fenton and always wanting to protect his best friend from any danger or hurt that he himself can prevent. Despite Fenton undoubtedly being Huey's closest friend, I think that it's also important to shed light on the friendships that he's made that are more in his age group.

Following the events of Astro BOYD!, we are introduced to Boyd and Huey's friendship, two characters that existed in the show prior but never had any interactions. Huey and Boyd bond over their interest in the Junior Woodchucks, something that we once again see Huey get backlash for from his fellow Woodchucks, for being too "by the book" and not just "relaxing and being a kid" (even going as far to label him as a "robot"). Even in Boyd's malfunctioning, Huey is determined to stay by his side until the end, not only because of their shared interests and the bonding they began to do at the very beginning of the episode, but also because Huey understood what it was like to be cast away and treated as less just for being different (or in Huey's words, "wired a little differently"). Even though Fenton is Huey's closest friend by a margin, I would consider Boyd's friendship with him really meaningful, at least given the circumstances of how they became friends in the first place: Two people who were cast aside, for not being what society considered the "perfect/normal kid", and instead of people working with them, they were just cast aside easily. Considering how fast Huey probably had to grow up given the circumstances of living with Donald who, despite being an amazing father figure, dealt with poverty pretty often, it's no wonder why he's very mature for his age and very "by the book", but it's also no wonder why kids who probably didn't have to grow up with those circumstances, would easily be turned off. Louie and Dewey are a lot more understanding considering they grew up in the same setting, but even they dealt with it differently, often leading to their personalities clashing, which is even lampshaded in this episode as another insecurity of Huey's when building relationships ("Are you sure you want me to continue? My brothers are usually *begging* me to stop.).

We're also introduced to another friendship at the very beginning of season three, with Violet. Even though at the beginning, things were a bit rocky considering how anxious Huey was getting from the Senior Woodchuck competition, and his determination to beat Violet, even to the point of leaving him behind when she probably needed him the most, by the end of the episode, we see both Violet and Huey not only reconcile, but start to actually bond. During this high stress situation, Violet was a great source of relief for Huey, using her own experiences of failure to inspire Huey to not give up, and that even if he does lose (which he did) in this specific situation, there'll be more opportunities because he is great when it comes to the Junior Woodchucks. Even when Violet wins, instead of being bitter which would definitely be expected considering that Huey is a child and how much he was anticipating winning, he is able to put his grievances aside and congratulate her because she helped him greatly during a point of weakness. Even if Violet and Huey's friendship didn't end up as closeknit as his and Boyd's, or as prominent as his and Fenton's, I think this was still a meaningful connection for him as Violet was great balance for the anxiety that he was feeling at the time, and despite him leaving her behind, she beared no ill will towards him.

This is only the first part, where I examined what I felt were the key component to his character development over the last three seasons, and the next post will focus on other aspects that weren't as focused on during the series!

#huey masterpost #huey duck #ducktales

[charliedawn]

The Joke's on Us part 4

Warning : possessive behavior.

A dark shadow floats on top you and gently caresses your face.

" Soon..We'll be reunited, old friend."

Penny gasps, recognizing that shadow from the deep confines of his memories..Maturin had mentioned him when they were still friends.

" Shardik.."

At the mention of his name, the shadow quickly turns towards Penny whose breath stops. Shardik's smile widens and he floats on top of Penny to stare at him straight in the eyes.

" Ah..You must be one of the creatures Maturin created. A shame, I really thought you would be more..impressive ?"

Penny only snarls at him before responding with a threat.

" What were you doing ? I swear that if you touch her..I'll kill you."

The entity, far from being intimidated, only laughs loudly at Penny's menace which seems to amuse him more than anything.

" Really ? And how will you do that without your powers, Penny ? Don't forget that I am as powerful as you were and as old as Maturin. Funny, the old turtle really thought you and Pennywise could stop me when he is gone. Imagine how much he was disappointed when he realized that your hatred towards humanity was blinding you. He never got you those powers to use them against humans, or children..He wanted you to protect them. But, now that the old turtle is dead and you two are too weak to stop me. I'll be able to rule over that planet. I'll suck upon its energy until there is nothing left. I'll even start with you little charming town. Derry, is it ?"

Penny glares up at him, but had to admit that he can't protect you like this. Now that he is only human, he is happy, happier than he's ever been..but..The shadow chuckles evilly in the shell of his ear.

" That planet has been without order for much too long..It passed its life expectancy hundreds of years ago..But don't worry, as soon as I will have ate her, Maturin's powers will be in me and I will make sure to bring an end to humanity.."

Penny growls at the mention of you being eaten by Shardik and tries to jump on him with a roar.

" Don't you dare touch her !"

However, he suddenly wakes up, covered in sweat and sees that you are the one who woke him up. Your eyebrows are tensed in obvious worry and, without any words, Penny wraps his arms around you. He had felt fear before..but not like that..never like that..His heart is racing against his ribcage and he is holding onto you like it is the last time.

" P..Penny ? Are you alright ?"

Your question makes him open his eyes and come back to reality. You are running your hand gently on top of his head, smoothing his hair in the process to calm him down. He finally steps back and looks at Pennywise that had woken up as well. The both of them had felt it..He was coming back. You look at the both of them with a confused expression and finally ask, tired by the secrecy of both men.

" That's it. What's going on ? Why do you look so grave all of a sudden ?!"

Penny doesn't answer, he only stands up and gets out of the room without another word. You turn towards Pennywise, hoping for some kind of explanation. He doesn't peep either and only returns to the sofa that had become his bed for the time being. However, you don't let it go and sit in front of him with a determined look on your face.

" Now, you're going to tell me what's going on."

You didn't mean to make it sound like an order, but you couldn't just let them fend for themselves anymore. Pennywise finally turns towards you and sighs loudly before telling you what this was all about.

" Penny and I always had a very deep connection with Maturin, we could feel his presence and so could he. However, Maturin is not the only entity out there. The world has at least 12 entities guarding it. One of them being Shardik..Shardik is one of the twelve guardians of Beams that hold up The Dark Tower. It is a cyborg bear that stands over forty feet tall and one ugly unkillable bastard with more energy than millions of suns. He was pissed to know that I killed his brother and wanted to come and exterminate this planet on which lives his brother's murderer..But like many, he was scared of us. But now that we lost our powers ? He's coming, and with you being the turtle's successor ? We will all die for sure."

You lean against the back of your chair and sigh loudly. You only are a painting teacher..Of course he would crush you. But, that didn't mean you had to give up.

" Well, aren't you the optimist ?! Why don't you show me how to fight instead of complaining ?!"

He ignores you and only turns his back to you as he pretends to fall asleep again. You stand up and suddenly throws his blanket off. That get a reaction and you can hear a growl from him as he stands up to face you menacingly.

" Why ?! You want to know why ?! Because of this !"

He suddenly takes you by the shoulder and digs his thumb in your wounded flesh. You whine in pain and Pennywise immediately retracts his hand.

" Do you really think that you'll ever be able to vanquish Shardik the bear with a human body ?! He would squish you in an instant! Learn how to heal yourself, then we'll talk about your fighting skills.."

You glare at him: deep inside, you know he is right, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. You humph at him before leaving the room to join your bedroom, but then, you hear someone crying upstairs. You follow the sound and find Penny, sitting on the floor and leaning against one of the corridor's wall. He looks up at you when he hears you approaching and you crouch by his side with a reassuring smile.

" Hey..We're going to be okay..Alright ?"

You try to comfort him, but he only sobs.

" What if..What if you can't beat him ? What if the only solution is for us to get back into who we were ?"

You sigh, knowing that if there were to be no other solution, you would have to break your promise..You would have to hurt them, one way or another.

" I guess I'll have to change you back. I know that I prefer you to have the choice but..If there are no other solution, I'll have to break my promise. I can't let you die. Not when I know I could have avoided it.."

You sit next to him and you both stay quiet for a moment, lost in your thoughts until Penny looks at you with his eyes full of uncertainty.

" And what if I don't want to get back to what I was ? What if I want to stay human ?"

You can't help but smile and tears start to build up in your eyes..Why couldn't the universe leave them alone ? You are so close to them finally accepting their new forms..

" Then, I'll guess it'll be my job to be sure that you don't have to."

He smiles back and before you know it, you are both holding hands. You don't try to get it out, even though you know that at any moment, Penny could come back to his old ways. You're not scared of him, you aren't even sure if you ever really were ? You don't even notice that Pennywise had climbed up the stairs and is now looking at the both of you from afar with a slight frown. He only turns away and waits when he is safe in is bed to grunt.

" What does she find in him..?"

Unaware that his eyes glow a slight orange in the dark for a second.

The next day, you decide that it's grocery shopping time. However, the two clowns are still sound asleep and you take the opportunity to get out alone. Once in the street, you take a breath of fresh air and start walking towards the shop, wondering what you should buy for the two men. You enter the shop and start looking around. You are lost in your thoughts and don't see another person coming in your direction. You suddenly collide with said person and look up to see a man with blue eyes and a nice smile.

" I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

He extends his hand towards you and you take it with a grateful smile.

" No. It's me. I should have looked where I was going."

His smile widens as you shake his hand. He introduces himself.

" I'm Dan. I don't really know my way around here. I'm the new teacher from down the block."

You smiles politely and introduce yourself as well.

" I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you. I'm the Art teacher of the neighborhood."

His eyes seem to light up at the mention of you being an Art teacher.

" Really ?! You're the Art teacher ? My cousin never stops talking about you. Tom ?"

You seem to remember last time and wince at the memory. Seems like Tom hadn't said anything about the incident..You try your best to keep your composure and automatically feel that you need to make amends somehow.

" Do you want..Do you want a coffee ?"

He smiles again and nods.

" Sure ! Lead the way."

You take your groceries and pay them before getting out. You end up in a small coffee shop and both take what you want before sitting outside.

" I'm sorry. You must think it's weird that I never came before. I just moved in from the States so..Tom isn't even aware that I'm back yet."

Oh. Well, you still hoped that Tom hadn't talked to anyone about what had happened. You smile and shake you head.

" Not at all. Tom is a very nice boy and I always like to meet the families of my students. It helps to understand them better. Although, it's the first time I actually invite a member for a coffee."

" I should be honored then."

He takes a sip of his coffee before winking playfully at you. You blush and let a small chuckle.

" To tell you the truth..Tom and I have been quite distant since our older brother died. I do sometimes feel guilty for leaving him, but.."

You see that he is concerned and put you hand on his compassionately.

" I'm sorry..It must have hurt."

You had heard about Tom losing a brother, he did have a period when he could only draw dark things. Horrible things. It must have been a shock for everyone in his family. Dan smiles gratefully at you before answering.

" Don't worry. It's been a year now. I'm stronger than this."

You smile sadly at him, but then feel two very familiar shadows looming over you from behind. A hand grabs your shoulder and squeezes it in silent warning.

" Hi Y/N. Who is this ?"

Penny..And Pennywise is certainly not far behind. Dan stands up and stretches his hand towards them with a bright smile.

" Oh ! Sorry ! My name is Dan, I'm the brother of one of Y/N's students. And you are ?"

You are about to answer when Pennywise does it for you. He takes his hand and smiles forcefully.

" Pleasure. My name is Robert, and this is Bob. We're her roommates. Unfortunately, she seems to have forgotten about us this morning. You should have woke us up, Y/N. We would have helped you with the groceries."

He may sound calm, but you know better: the way he pronounces the last word makes you understand that he is pissed. Even Dan seems to understand as he retracts his hand and addresses you one last smile.

" Well..I should go. It was nice to meet you, Y/N."

However, he still writes something on a piece of paper and hands it to you.

"Here is my number, just in case."

He then gives one last nod in acknowledgement to the two men before turning and walking away. You have cold sweat running down your back as you can feel the murderous glares of the two clowns behind you.

" Let's go. Shall we ?"

Penny finally ask, more like commands as he grabs you harshly by the arm and drags you towards the house. You just have the time to get your bags. As soon as you are home, you run towards the kitchen and pretend to be busy with putting the grocery items on the shelves and in the fridge.

" W..What do you want for..?"

You don't have the time to finish your sentence as Pennywise suddenly comes behind you and wraps his arms around you.

" Now, princess..You're going to turn around and face us. We're not angry. We just want to talk."

"..Just want to talk..?"

You repeat with a broken voice, making sure that you heard right. Pennywise only nods slowly and you gulp loudly before turning around with your eyes closed tight.

" Come on, darling..You know that we want to see your eyes..Come on."

You tentatively open one eye, then the other in shock. They are not angry..They are very mad. You see that their eyes have changed colors and their skins are white..the same white than a few weeks ago. Suddenly, Penny takes you by the throat and pins you to the fridge while Pennywise presses his nose again your throat. He then inhales deeply and growls perceptibly.

" Looks like your little stunt hurt us more than we thought..I'm smelling your fear, sweetheart. And it smells delicious..One more minute, and we would have surely taken our true appearances back."

You don't understand. You hadn't hurt them, so why are they taking their clown forms back ?! Why are they angry even ?! You try to breathe, but Penny's mouth is against yours in a second..You open your eyes wide 'Everything makes sense now. They are jealous. Pain..They're in pain. You whimper when he bites your bottom lip. But, you don't open your mouth and he groans.

" You are going to open that mouth, sweet thing..Or I'm not sure you'll have a mouth to close at the end of the day.."

You open your eyes wide and tears are falling down your face. You don't have a choice but to open your mouth. But before he could do much, Pennywise gets a hold of him and throws him away from you.

" What the heck, Penny ?! When I said we were supposed to talk, I didn't mean by putting your tongue in her mouth ! Jeez ! Get a hold of yourself, kid !"

For a moment, shame and guilt seem to take a hold of Penny and he shakily stands back. He seems confused himself..Why did he do that ? Pennywise is taken aback by the clown's kiss..Where the heck did he even learn that from ?! Pennywise then returns to you, curled into a little ball on the floor and his heart tightens..Sh*t. They got carried away..Again. He sighs loudly and takes back his human form. Penny also loses his white skin and his yellow eyes. He wants to approach you but, you cry out.

" Don't touch me !"

Penny freezes and tries to nuzzle your neck as an apology, but you frown and push him back.

" No, Penny ! I'm angry ! You didn't have the right ! I didn't want you to be my first kiss ! I wanted someone who loved me !"

He looks up to Pennywise for help, but the older clown just shrugs. He has no idea of what to do..Truth is, he doesn't even know what all the problem is with "first kiss". He knows that a girl had to remain pure in order to marry when he was still alive..But he thought that rule had been abandoned long ago ? However, you seem very upset and Penny doesn't like it when you cry. He tries to think of a solution, of anything to make you forget what happened..He wants to get out the music box, but in your rage, you grab it and smash it against the wall. To your horror, you realize too late what you've done and Penny roars before pouncing on you, his teeths bare and ready to chomp on you. Pennywise tries to make him get off you, but he is too weak and Penny doesn't have any problem pushing him aside. However, Pennywise falls and knocks his head against a nearby table. You can see blood, and so does Penny. Penny quickly gets back to his human form and shakes Pennywise to wake him up.

" Pennywise ! What's going on ?!"

Pennywise only groans in pain when Penny shakes him again. You instantly come by his side and automatically feel the sweat covering his arms and forehead. You then see a strange mark on his neck and blood starts getting out from his nose, eyes and ears. You quickly unbutton his shirt and gasp in horror.

" Oh my God.."

He was covered by black sports that seemed to spread all over him like a..a disease.

" P..Pennywise. Did you have the..?"

" The black plague ?"

He guesses and you nod. He sighs and finally nods.

" Yes. It was not as bad as my family though.."

You bite your lower lip..By how fast it was spreading, he had a few hours at best. The disease seemed to have survived with him. You are about to call the ambulance when Pennywise stops you.

" Don't..Don't call the hospital. Those bastards won't know what to do..They're not prepared. Plus, they could get infected."

You sigh before remembering that..

" Pennywise..You bit me."

Your voice is shaking as you wonder if you will have it too..? Pennywyse's eyes widen and he curses.

" Sh*t. I have no idea.."

You have trouble breathing and put your hands in your pockets as you pace back and force, wondering what you should do ? You suddenly feel something inside your palm and quickly get it out to look at it. Sam's number..Inviting him could maybe break the deal and make them return to what they were ? Save them ? You shiver at the thought. Yes..But at what price ? You look back at Pennywise, his eyes are closed and his breathing very bad..You don't have a choice. You call him. It doesn't take you long to have him on the other side of the line.

" Hello ?"

" Sam ? Hey ! Could you come over ?"

You emphasize on his name, which make both of the clowns groan loudly in disapproval. However, they know what you're trying to do and don't try to stop you.

" Yeah ! Sure! I'll be right here !"

You force yourself to smile, still wanting to sound excited as to see him. However, the clowns seem to slowly change and growl loudly in the background. You hang off and look at them with a small sad smile.

" You know that it's the only way..Please, don't make this even more complicated than it really is."

Both clowns seem to understand your sacrifice and Pennywise slowly takes your hand with, for the first time in forever, tears in his eyes.

" Thank you, sweetheart."

You only nod and then, ask Penny to move him upstairs, as for Dan not to see him. He reluctantly agrees and helps you move the man upstairs. You then ask Penny to go hide in the basement. You prepare yourself and it doesn't take long for the doorbell to ring. You take a big breath before opening the door and letting Dan in. He looks around and finally smiles at you.

" Hi. So, what did you want to talk about ?"

You bite your lip and start thinking of a good reason for his presence.

" I..I just thought that it's been a long time since I've last had company and I wanted to see you again.."

He smiles and nods before sitting down on the couch. You gulp loudly before sitting beside him and looking at everything but him. He seems to catch on your nervousness and gently runs his hand on your back to soothe you.

" Hey, if you're not ready, I understand. I can wait and.."

" No !"

You hadn't meant to sound so desperate, but Pennywise was dying and you didn't know how to save him but to hurt him the only way you could. You take Dan by the collar and suddenly kiss him on the lips. He seems surprised at first, but reciprocates soon enough. You open your eyes and see that his are closed, he is actually enjoying the kiss. You smile. Maybe it wasn't so bad ? Penny and Pennywise would go down to the sewers and you would get to have a normal life back. However, you should have known that things wouldn't be so simple. Dan starts to be more persistent and slowly slides his hand up your thigh.

" No, Dan, wait.."

But he doesn't wait and only deepens the kiss to shut you up. Suddenly, someone pushes you apart harshly and you see Penny that took back his original form. He glares at Dan and growls menacingly before taking you in his arms and running in the basement. When he stops, you call him, nervous and scared that he would hurt you.

" Penny ?"

You ask, afraid that something had gone wrong..But, Penny only smiles with his multiple rows of very sharp teeths before answering you in his familiar high-pitched singing voice.

" ~I'm back.."

You smile in relief, but Penny suddenly takes you by the throat and you only have the time to look at him with widened eyes.

" Don't look at me like that..We wouldn't want Shardik to come and get you.."

When you fall into complete darkness, you barely hear Penny adding something in the shell of your ear.

" Don't worry. When all of this is over, we'll make sure to remind you who you truly belong to..You've been playing with us for too long, pet. With no humanity to abide by, there will be nothing to hold me back.."

Whereas upstairs, Pennywise enters the room transformed as you and takes Dan by the neck to kiss him harshly. However, when Dan opens his eyes, Pennywise is standing before him with a large grin.

" Surprise, shawty ! Not the person you were expecting, huh ? What ? Never kissed a clown before ? Remember that when the girl says no, it means no."

And then, without a warning, Pennywise sinks his teethes into Dan's shoulder. However, he doesn't scream. Pennywise feels something acid in his mouth and quickly steps back with a sour growl.

" You aren't human.."

Dan only chuckles before sitting on the couch in a nonchalant manner. His skin quickly turning to a pale shade of white and his eyes brighten almost mischievously.

" Man..Didn't think it would take you this long to figure it out.."

#fandoms #fanfic #imagine #pennywise 1990 #pennywise 1990 x y/n x pennywise 2017 #pennywise 2017 #pennywise x reader

[thelucyaddams]

You're very sweet, princess

Azula x fem reader

(Y/N) only wanted to spend some time on the beach and relax. That was only until she noticed a strange group of teenagers playing volleyball. One of the girls caught her eye and (Y/N) found herself enjoying the time they spend together.

It was a very hot but beautiful day on Ember Island. It was perfect for some relaxing time on the beach.

(Y/N) isn't the only one to think that since the whole beach was crowded.

The firebender sat on her towel sunbathing and watching the people around her. There were many families according to the children that were running around or building castles made of sand.

Some teenagers sat together in a group or played some games. Just like the ones that were playing a game of volleyball nearby.

(Y/N) watched them playing for a second and soon found herself quite interested in the match.

To be more specific it was the one team that caught her interest.

Three girls and a boy were playing like they were professionals. Really they were that skilled and totally crushed the other team.

Especially one of the girls seemed to be pretty strong. Her dark hair was styled into a top-knot that was decorated with some firenation headpiece. Only her bangs on either side of her face were free from the bun. The headpiece told (Y/N) that this girl like her companions must be noble or at least her family must be wealthy.

(Y/N) looked up and down her body and decided that she was very stunning. Even with that determined and kinda scary look on her face. Or especially because of that look. (Y/N) wasn't quite sure.

Suddenly the volleyball landed right in front of her and (Y/N) blinked a little confused for a second before she realized what happened.

She looked up only to see the beautiful girl coming her way. Out of all the players it was her who came after the ball!

(Y/N) swallowed before she stood up and picked up the ball to hand it back to the girl.

Her hands trembled a little which she hoped the girl wouldn't notice.

Golden eyes pierced their way right through her. It made (Y/N) nervous.

"Girl, would you hand me the ball now or are you looking for trouble?", the girl said in a serious and slightly annoyed voice.

(Y/N) blinked again only to realize she was standing right in front of the dark haired girl with the ball in her hands without moving any further. Embarrassing...

"Oh no, no, here...", (Y/N) stuttered and handed the ball to the other girl.

The girl only rolled her eyes pulled the ball out of (Y/N)'s hands and turned around to go back to the others without saying 'thank you' or anything else.

"Wait!", the nervous firebender managed to say.

The dark haired girl actually stopped walking and turned her head around a little to look back at (Y/N) over her shoulder.

"I watched you playing for a bit... You're really really good! I like your style... Crush them for me would ya?", (Y/N) managed to say.

The other girl raised an eyebrow but smirked kinda proud.

"Please, tell me something I don't know.", she replied and sighed with emphasis, "If you really want to see how I crush my enemies for my own interests you should come over and watch from the sides.", she added again putting emphasis on her words.

Especially when she said 'for my own interests'.

(Y/N) smiled about the quite unusual invitation which she accepted.

"Why not. Watching you up close will be much better."

The dark haired girl smirked even brighter before finally walking back to the other players followed by (Y/N).

The firebender watched in awe as the girl made her words come true and actually defeated her 'enemies'.

People might say her little speech at the end was a little... exaggerated and crazy. Not for (Y/N) though. She kinda liked it and admired the girls passion.

"Liked what you saw?", the dark haired girl asked out of the blue and gazed back at (Y/N).

"Definitely, I'm curious what you can do in a fight.", (Y/N) answered.

"Careful with those words when you're talking to Azula. It might be your last day on earth.", one of her teammates said.

It was a girl with black hair, dark eyes and a very gloomy expression.

"Don't listen to Mai! I appreciate your interest in my skills. I think I can show you one or two moves.", the girl named Azula said.

"It's so good to meet new people. What's your name? I'm Ty Lee!", the brunette among the group said.

Her expression was the complete opposite of Mai. She seemed to be very excited and happy but also energetic.

Then there still was the young boy. He had a scar around his left eye which was obviously caused by fire.

"The name's (Y/N). Nice to meet you all."

"Well, (Y/N) and you girls are very welcome at our party tonight.", two boys that walked up to them said all of the sudden.

"The place is just up the hill. You can't miss it. My name is Chan by the way and this is my friend Ruon-Jian."

"Oooh a party! We should totally go!", Ty Lee exclaimed excitedly.

"I go when (Y/N) 's going.", Azula said.

The firebender blushed slightly.

"I guess a party doesn't sound too bad.", she accepted the invitation sheepishly.

"Brilliant. It's decided then. We'll come.", Azula spoke for all of them.

"Hey, what about me?", Zuko protested.

His sister rolled her eyes.

"You're obviously with us, dum-dum.", she said.

"Yeah, alright. Meet us right after sunset.", was all Chan said before leaving them.

"So what was your name again?", (Y/N) asked the boy.

"Just call me Zuko."

"Or Zuzu.", Azula teased him earning a glare by her brother.

(Y/N) chuckled.

"Alright, guess I'll meet you later.", the firebender said waving them good bye.

"Yes, see you later, (Y/N)", Azula mumbled her possessive gaze never leaving the girl until she was out of sight.

The princess sighed.

"Come on, let's prepare for that party.", Azula said and started walking away followed by the others.

-------------------------🔥-----------------------

Slightly annoyed and even jealous Azula watched Ty Lee who was surrounded by all those boys while she was standing here alone without any attention.

That was only until a sweet voice spoke up next to her.

"Sorry, I'm late but I hope you're still up to enjoy this party."

Azula turned her head and got a very strange feeling in her guts when she saw (Y/N).

"That's why I'm here am I not?", Azula replied unusually nervous.

Her eyes went up and down (Y/N)'s body and took every bit of her skin that was visible. She looked truly stunning in that traditional firenation gown.

(Y/N) blushed when she took notice of Azulas gaze especially when it stayed on her trace of an abs.

"Well, you looked a little lost over here.", the firebender replied sheepishly only to earn a slight scoff by Azula.

"You don't really know me yet so I should tell you that I never get lost.", Azula answered arrogantly, "But I guess I could use the company and since you're here now... Tell me about yourself."

"Oh well, I'm a firebender I guess. My father is an admiral in the army. He is leading the fleet called 'The Dragon'. One of those elite spy units..."

"Admiral Huan, I see. Means you're from Fire Fountain City but as soon as your father got promoted you got a nice house in the capital."

(Y/N) was taken aback by how much Azula knew.

"How..."

"I guess I know a lot about the war especially about the men that fight for our nation. What about you? Did you join the army?"

"No, I really want to but father wouldn't let me. Not after what happened to my brother... Not after we lost him and mother... She never supported the war. It was a forced marriage so at some point when father wasn't home she left.. She just left us alone."

Azula didn't speak for a second. She was surprised by how easily (Y/N) opened up to her. Also she got this strange feeling in her stomach again when she realized their similarity. They both lost theirs mother's.

(Y/N) shock her head.

"But enough about it. We're at a party let's grab a drink and maybe we could dance for a bit?", the firebender tried to change the topic.

Azula only nodded.

So that's what they did. Trying some of the drinks. The fire cocktail definitely had something to like it. They also danced. Both of them had a hard time to relax and enjoy the music at first but after a while they both made fun of it and managed to move less stiff.

Zuko and Mai watched in surprise from afar when they saw Azula actually having fun and looking less scary for a bit.

Ty Lee on the other hand smiled. She was happy for her friend to enjoy herself instead of thinking about war and how to torture other people.

-------------------------🔥-----------------------

(Y/N) gazed up at the sky watching the stars while the little campfire in front of her warmed her body. But it wasn't just the fire that provided her warmth. It was the girl next to her as well.

Azula and (Y/N) were the last ones to enjoy the night. Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee already left.

After what happened at the party they just wanted to have some quiet moment.

Azula had opened up about her mom a little. (Y/N) felt nothing but sympathy for the girl. She knew to well how it was to lose your mother.

But when Azula confessed that her mom thought she was a monster (Y/N) felt nothing but anger. Even though they had just met this afternoon she felt like Azula was misjudged.

She couldn't see anything in her that would make her a monster. Even if she had some characteristics that made her... different it doesn't mean she was bad. No, she was just human just like anyone else.

"Would you still like to join the war?", Azula asked out of the blue.

(Y/N) shoot her a slightly confused look before answering.

"Yes, I guess. But father..."

"Oh believe me I have my ways to ensure you can join me in the fightings. In fact there's no one else that can make it happen. Your father won't have a choice but to let you go.", Azula explained.

"If that's so... then I'd love to join you."

"Brilliant. You and I we will rule the whole world and bring our nation to victory together!"

(Y/N) chuckled and leaned towards Azula a little to plant a sweet kiss on her cheek.

Azula looked completely taken aback and tried to hide the blush that appeared on her face.

"You're very sweet, princess.", the firebender whispered.

It took the princess aback even more.

"You know?"

"Well, a boy with that scar... His name's Zuko and his sister is called Azula. You know a lot about war and are utterly talented and you definitely aren't normal... Too many hints.", (Y/N) explained.

Azula smirked.

"Well, look at that she's not only beautiful but also clever... I like that.", the princess whispered getting her courage back.

"You know what I would like?"

Azula raised an eyebrow but closed her eyes when the firebender gave her another kiss. But this time on the lips.

Oh yes, they'd definitely rule the world together.

#azula x reader #azula x fem!reader #azula fanfic #avatar azula #i love azula #firelord azula #princess azula #azula is a lesbian #Azula is the best #ember island #avatar the last airbender

[vermillionage]

[So I just got inspired by a conversation I had with @silver-wield about this Cloud&Tifa video below I blogged 2 days ago already, how deep Cloti's connection really is displayed, and how watching it made me feel even more convinced that we totally get endgame feels for them in these various scenes comprised. The video just shows canon material and uses only original dialogue. It made me wonder if the same feelings would be evoked by a video of Cloud and Aeriths Scenes and dialogues.]

Besides English isn't my first language, please overlook grammar and spelling mistakes. I'm sorry it there are too many.

There are many opinions who belongs with whom.

Many people who covered this also and I love and respect most of their analyses on it. Not even sure if I added anything new but here are my thoughts on Clerith endgame qualities (& a bit Cloti).

I like Aerith and she is very important. I just don’t see her as the intended endgame partner for Cloud.

This is all an opinion in the end:

Don't get me wrong this relationship is heavy with feelings as well. But it's no endgame. Cloud and Tifa belong; for various reasons we all discuss daily ;). Clearith's core story is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. For me it's a tragic relationship on both sides.

Aerith sees a familiarity in Cloud, something reminding her of, & letting her hope for better days. She sees a strong person who resembles Zack so much. He is handsome and his eyes have the same quality.

She desperately wants to belong (like all of our 3 heroes) because she was alone most of her time. Zack was her first love and a friend. But he is gone. She is heartbroken. Even though she is beloved in the slums by many and has Elmyra, she still feels alone. Zack was someone she confided in. She can't tell anyone the extend of these feelings. Not in the beginning. Always trying to cover up with that flirty cheery attitude. She wants to move on...that much she has uttered to Cloud...but saying and going through such a loss actually are two different things. In OG it was more ambiguous and Aerith was much more determined on Cloud.

Remake gives us (or me)much more clarity. She seems to be aware that it all is flawed..her feelings ..his feelings. (I suppose she even was able to feel that something happened to Zack since she has a connection to the life stream. And it is heartbreaking.) While in OG that was not prominent. You can tell how much she likes Cloud still in the Remake ...but also how much she knows she doesn't belong with him. When she sees the flower in Tifa's Bar, when she sees Cloud and Tifa interact.. when she asks Cloud about Zack indirectly.

Clerith to me is like 'could have/ would have' all the time. If she wouldn't die. If Zack was still alive.. if Cloud actually would be able to connect the dots of Zack being her first love.. if Cloud regaining a glimpse of his past wasn't blocked by the barrier of his fake persona so often, always interrupting progress of remembering Zack, of remembering what happened. Would it be Clerith?

It more seems like in the Remake she is aware now (due to parallel time lines/timetravel...whatever) that her part in this story is not that of Clouds love interest. That's why we get that resolution scene with her. It is scripted that way for a reason. As well as the part where she spots the flower or tells Tifa to follow her heart at the pillar.

Maybe there is a wish in her to be with Cloud if only the circumstances were different. But they aren't and she is no egotistical monster bitch. She kind of backs away. And I love that the devs made me lean to believe this.

Cloud on the other hand also lacks/ misses out on many things:

5 years of his live, his home his family. He lived through torture if barely and severe trauma. He put up a fake persona to shield him from all this grief. He made himself that numb, that he rarely connects to any strong feelings a person would have usually.

Like people on anti depressants. Numb to the very high and the very low array. Just being indifferent. We meet him like that in the beginning of OG/R. When he meets Aerith in chapter 8 he already started to open up a bit to the Trio and Tifa, Marle and others. Meeting Tifa opened the Door. She is essentially his drive to move on ever since their childhood, same this time. But Tifa is more subtle in her approach. Her personality is warm and grounded, but she respects that Clouds needs space and is treading lightly, cautious because she seems to feel he is different than in their childhood. We get that in the rescue Johnny scene f.ex..

Aerith's overwhelmingly positive, coaxing personality contrasts this but also opens this crack in the door even wider. Like I said she is important. He is affected, he feels drawn to it/her.I am convinced he is, because he has no association with her. No past. It is light and bright and also not real. She, trying to overcompansate her sadness. Him, rarely being able to connect to his true self and feelings. He is unaware, she is though to a certain extend (like I mentioned above ) is aware.

His attraction also is spurred on because she is more fragile (Than Tifa and others)..he wants to protect. He is loyal. He wants to be strong and he wants to be acknowledged. Aerith asks for help, is clumsy and looks even helpless sometimes( Walk from the church over the roof tops f. ex.). I don’t say she is weak but her asking for help, he feels like he really is that persona he created for himself. And such feelings can turn into love quite easily. But these feelings to be as good as a Soldier 1st class, to protect and be the hero root in his true self's desire to be all that for Tifa. We can’t discard this either. He also helps Avalanche because Tifa asked.

So again..a pinch of could have/would have..it's heartbreaking.

And in the end it's a dead end for Clerith. Not only because she dies. But because he regains access to his true feelings again (lifestream scene)..and they are with Tifa.

Man~even while he has no access to them he is like a hen around its chick with Tifa.😊 Touching, watching, eye contact all the time (just watch this posts video below).

If anything, Aeriths death brought him further away from being with Tifa completely because he feels he failed yet another important person. A person he even might have loved because she was a friend. He hates this feeling and he blames himself for all the deaths, especially Aerith's. And he is so afraid to lose Tifa like that as well. That's why he keeps his distance later especially in Advent Children. Even though we have the Night under the High Wind.

Because if losing a person like Aerith, yes all lovely and sweet and bright and a friend, but if losing a person after several weeks, can do that to him, what would Tifas death do to him?

He doesn't want her, Marlene or Denzel to suffer if she sees that he has a supposedly terminal disease.

He doesn't trust himself to be really enough for her. He can't face her and leaves and has another episode of self isolation and self doubt. In his mind (?) he talks to Aerith ( and Zack is there as well,yaay) he seeks for forgiveness until he realizes he has to forgive himself first. Aerith and Zack reunited in the life stream, his friends, like his big brother and sister or like guardians watching over him, encouraging him as well to trust in himself the future and his loved ones. He sure loves Aerith, but it feels like a different kind of love from his love for Tifa. And this is fine. I would never say he doesn’t love Aerith. But it’s not in a romantic way. Maybe there was an attraction building when they met in sector 5, a curiosity. But for me his bond with Tifa overpowered this in various scenes before and after that section.

So Cloud leaves, nearly ghosting his family and Tifa, and as a fan of Cloti that was hard to watch, but seeing his reasons I came to accept and understand that he needed this.BIn the end yet again their bond is strong enough for pulling them back together again. He goes to stand with Tifa, his family his friends.

In the End Tifa welcomes him back and he finally starts to believe things will be better.

So for me there is no gravitational romantic pull between Aerith and Cloud but between Tifa and him.

This is a bit all over the place and I didn’t put in sources to prove my points because many others here in the fandom did in their analyses. I took a bit of additional intel from everyone's impressions and my own conclusions on the canon.

I just wanted to give my impression.

https://youtu.be/-Dn3SI4RVco

Visit her channel ❤

#cloti #cloud stife #zerith #tifa lockhart #LTD #endgame #opinion #ff7r tifa #ff7r remake spoilers #tifa #aerith gainsborough #cloud x aerith #cloud x tifa #Youtube

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 3

A half-elf conwoman (and the moth tasked with keeping her out of trouble) travel the Jewel in search of, uh, whatever a fashionable accessory is pointing them at. [Campaign log]

Saelhen and Looseleaf, having acquired a band of allies to keep them safe on their entirely bogus quest to fulfill "Lady Noeru's" succession rite on behalf of the college, set out on Suika Highway towards the jungles of Thunderbrush. On the road, they face two extremely deadly combat encounters.

After checking in on the writhing hellpit they opened in Yoshimimoto Plaza (it's under control, they threw some nets over it), the party heads out onto the highway. Customs by the overland roads couldn't give less of a damn what they're bringing out of the city, so there's no scrutiny and they're well on their way.

A good thirty miles or so into the grassland, and the party has to make a perception check. Looseleaf is the one to nail it- her antennae pick up on a suspicious rustling in the tall grass by the side of the road. And even those with slightly worse rolls notice...

There's a green dragon circling lazily in the sky above them. This is bad, because dragons are... well, chromatic dragons like this green one are malevolent and extremely deadly giant monsters, is the main reason, but the other reason is that dragons are... cursed, is what the common understanding is.

To speak with a dragon is to be condemned to some sort of great misfortune, brought about by your own hand. You know the Simurgh from Worm? Listen to its song for too long, and you become sort of a sleeper agent of self-destructive carnage? It's like a diet version of that. Whatever path your conversation with the dragon puts you on, it's invariably bad for you, somehow. The metallic dragons, who're ostensibly "good", will still ruin your life in some way just by talking to you, even if your immolation does some good for the world on the way out. Nobody wants to talk to a dragon.

Luckily, they don't have to- this one seems content to circle way up in the sky, not saying a word to them. Instead, they just get attacked by a direwolf and several horrible monsters.

The whole party botches their Arcana rolls to determine what the heck these things are.

Benedict I. (GM): None of you have any idea what these things are. They're small, roughly humanoid, and... they look sort of like they're made of mud and tangled grass. They're wielding knives, some multiple knives to a hand, and they look vaguely ethereal, not quite real- possibly animated by something. The dire wolf is, of course, charging you- and the other monsters are following suit. They screech and hiss with obvious hostile intent. Roll initiative!

The party dismounts from their giraffes, since they're not trained for combat and the party isn't trained in mounted combat.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ruffians," she mutters, with the approximate tone a non-elf might use to say "fuckers."

The party's two new melee combatants take up position in the front, while Vayen... stands behind the giraffes, doing nothing. The direwolf lunges, closes in, and... misses entirely, as Oyobi dodges gracefully out of the way. Razzafrazzin' elves...

Then it's Orluthe's turn, and he...

Benedict I. (GM): Orluthe looks around nervously- not at the wolves, but at the party. "Don't... tell anyone about this," he says, and pulls something from his pack. It's a warball helmet. Custom-forged. Looseleaf: Uh. Okay? Is what Looseleaf thinks, in response to this. Benedict I. (GM): I... don't think either of you two would have the context to know what this means, but Oyobi's jaw is on the floor. Looseleaf:Didn't realize that playing warball was apparently something to be ashamed of! Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Your weird secret is safe with me," whispers Saelhen, in the bushes. Benedict I. (GM): Orluthe dons the helmet, and as he does so, he seems to grow larger. There's a shift in his stance, and you hear a growl from beneath the helmet. He howls- and Zero, you're in control of his combat actions here. So what's he do?

Hm.

Orluthe(?) goes ahead and attacks with his halberd, and- being a paladin- opts to SMITE. He impales the thing and burns its wound with divine magic for more than half its health- and then Oyobi's turn comes up and she slices the thing open with her longsword. The party's choice of allies specialized in melee fight seems to be paying off!

Of course, now the other monsters get to take their turn, being unfortunately still alive. One charges at Orluthe and whiffs, but the other... uses some sort of crude slingshot, and hurls some sort of crackling ball of energy at Looseleaf.

Benedict I. (GM): Being hit by this thing suddenly makes you seize up. You remember... Looseleaf, tell me about a time you wanted some physical object very very badly, but didn't get it. Something it hurt you to not have. Looseleaf: Once, when Looseleaf was young, there was a traveling caravan that brought into town a collection of what looked like books for sale. Looseleaf being herself, she of course wanted to buy some of them- but nobody in town would let her go near the vendor! Something about 'inappropriate for young childrens' eyes' and 'mature content warnings'. To this day she's still more than a bit resentful of that, and also she has no idea that the traveling caravan vendor was actually selling basically porn mags. Her memories are interspliced with imaginary counterfactual ideas of what might have been in those books, which are almost certainly not at all what the books actually contained. Benedict I. (GM):You remember that incident, vividly. All that emotional pain, compressed into a single instant of agonizing desire. It leaves you momentarily short of breath, and you take three psychic damage.

Looseleaf attempts to retaliate, but scores, um... a critical failure.

Luckily, that's the last thing these monsters have go right for them- the next few turns are a barrage of successful attacks and AoOs from the party's heavy hitters. Orluthe cuts one in half, provoking a disturbingly human-sounding ghostly wail as it dies. Saelhen throws a dagger from her hiding place in the grass, and...

Benedict I. (GM): Nice! The second dagger takes off this thing's head. It hits the ground with a squelch, and there's another human cry of agony. farnham: "HAH," goes what must be a very large and triumphant and majestic bird in the brush.

As soon as the combat is over, Orluthe returns to normal, and the dragon circling overhead... just flies away, apparently losing interest. Wonder what that's about.

Looseleaf attempts to Soul Read the corpses to learn more about why they were attacked, but unfortunately... the wolf corpse doesn't remember anything unusual that stood out to the spirits of its decaying body parts, and the spirits of the mud and grass left behind by the other monsters only recall being uprooted from the ground and forced to attack people- the spirits animating them seem to be gone.

They are able to figure out what those things were, though- they were Greed Echoes- some sort of evil spirits that echo strong emotions they encountered, and form homunculus bodies with which to act on those emotions. Greed Echoes like these were probably leftover from highwaymen and bandits who've attacked travelers on this road before- playing out their ugliest intentions.

It's weird, though- these are the grasslands, not the mountains. Monsters like these tend to come up out from below mountains, so it's not too common to see so many of them this far from where they spawn.

-

Moving on, the party reaches a point where the wild grasses suddenly stop, replaced by a uniform tall green grass- corn, apparently. Cornfields mean farmers, and farmers mean civilization.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "How delightfully rustic." Benedict I. (GM): It's not much longer before you see buildings down the road- it looks like the center of a farming village. There's a sign, as you enter the town- "WELCOME TO CORN". Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...how rustic."

They roll into town and notice not much of interest- it's a pretty standard farming village, with a Temple of Diamode (the hypertraditionalist family-values goddess Orluthe claims to be a cleric of), an inn (apparently very busy, with a lot of people going between it and the temple), and a branch of the Deathseekers' Guild (the adventurers' guild, which is very up-front about how dangerous it is to fight monsters as a career).

Orluthe looks a little nervous around the temple, so they head first to the inn. They enter, and they're immediately met with a riot of colors. The inn is packed with halflings in fancy outfits. Not like, rich people fancy, but down-home farmer fancy. Lots of flower patterns and the like. There's a band playing music in the back, and a bunch of halflings dancing while others chug whiskey and hoot and holler. The human innkeeper is struggling to keep up with all the mugs that need washing.

Discounts are in the cards, though- the bearded guy with the whiskey steins is happy to see out-of-towners joining the celebrations- a very proud father, he is, as his son Merrick was just married. This is the wedding reception, and in his mind, the more the merrier.

He puts forth something of a challenge: his son claims that city folk can't dance, see, and he, a dissenting opinion, wants to demonstrate otherwise. So, if the party can defeat his son and daughter-in-law in a dance-off... he'll pay for the night's stay!

How does a dance-fight work? Exactly the same as a normal combat, except the hit points are made up and the actual stats don't matter. You substitute your performance modifier on your rolls! Maybe you have a battleaxe, so you roll to attack with your battleaxe, and what that really means is you're doing a wild swinging dance move that really wows the crowd.

Enemies, meanwhile, know different "dance styles", inspired by CR-appropriate monsters I picked out of the monster manual to non-literally fight in a nonlethal dance battle. The happy couple are a pair of Duergar warriors, squaring off against the party's two squishies.

(3:06)

The combat is- well, there's not much to it, just a bunch of back-and-forth attack rolls, ultimately decided by clever use of flanking and attacks of opportunity. Looseleaf tries her best, but her Performance modifier isn't nearly as high as Saelhen's, as she's not the daughter of Kanzentokai's Dance Emperor. She does do a cool thing where she leaps into the air and does a wing-assisted pirouette thing, but all that accomplishes is taking her out of the fight for a bit- and concentrating fire on Saelhen.

Their rolls are pretty bad for a while, but things turn around once they outmaneuver their foes and pull off some attacks of opportunity.

Benedict I. (GM): So, you two- describe your combo dance move that totally floors these two. With musical accompaniment, s'il vous plait Looseleaf: okay you know how in ballet there's a move that's, like, one dancer picks up the other dancer and hoists them in the air turns out that move is a lot more effective if the lifting dancer literally has wings. Saelhen du Fishercrown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRoWiTcO7dk Saelhen gladly lifts Looseleaf, and for good measure gives her a little acrobatic toss and flips her in midair, catching her on the drop. Looseleaf: just to add insult to injury, looseleaf uses a whole conjunction of her fancy-schmancy special effects spells- minor illusion to create the effect of golden butterflies flapping around themselves, druidcraft alongside her wingbeat to scatter a bunch of her seeds and have them bloom into flower instantly Saelhen du Fishercrown: She's breathing heavily but... actually enjoying herself, despite the obvious competitive streak motivating all this. Looseleaf: it's a lot of visual spectacle on top of the move itself, and that's what puts the icing on the cake. Benedict I. (GM): There's raucous applause from the audience, and Aridrey is beginning to flag. She laughs, and- it's all she can do to keep up with Merrick, who's himself starting to have trouble keeping up.

(Meaning, while she's still his dance partner, she's "out", and no longer a battlefield presence.) Merrick, wifeless, tries to counterattack, and...

...makes the mistake of trying to copy their moves.

Benedict I. (GM): He hoists Aridrey above his head, and tries to spin her around the same way, and... they've been dancing all day, they're tired, and this is their first real attempt to improvise. "Wh- Merrick, wait-" Saelhen du Fishercrown: MERRICK I'M SO SORRY Benedict I. (GM): And she collapses on top of him, to laughter from everyone, particularly his dad. Saelhen du Fishercrown: (saelhen stifles giggles extremely well because a noble lady would never)

The battle seems more or less over, but Merrick is determined to see this through- breaking into a furious solo jig that puts the floor in grave danger of scuffing. None of his efforts land attacks, though- ultimately, Saelhen finishes the fight by delivering the ultimate humiliation- successfully copying his moves, a storm of fancy footwork. When the dust clears, the jig... is up.

Benedict I. (GM): His father laughs. "What'd I tell you, son? Don't get a big head, aye?" He slaps five gold pieces down on the counter. "Get 'em some rooms, Jonnem!" Merrick... he's been thoroughly humiliated, and doesn't take Saelhen's hand at first. Then Aridrey comes over and pulls him to his feet. "C'mon, honey. Grace, right?" Merrick vibrates for a moment, then lets out a sigh. He goes to shake your hand. "...Ffffffffine dancing," he says. Looseleaf: "That was a lot of fun!" Looseleaf is vibrating like crazy. Just hopping all over the place, like she hasn't quite gotten the dance bug out of her system yet.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: ("For what it's worth, man," she whispers, letting her gracious victor's smile collapse into a slightly shit-eating kind of grin. "That could've gone either way.") Benedict I. (GM): Meanwhile, Oyobi and Orluthe... I was going to say the outcome of their match would match yours, and I guess I'll stick to that, but Orluthe does not know how to dance, and Oyobi is drunk as hell. Orluthe may not know how to dance, but he knows how to hold on for dear life, and keep Oyobi vaguely upright as she flails around wildly. It's probably for the best that Saelhen's attention was elsewhere, because she would not have been able to keep a straight face at Oyobi's scandalous dance moves. Whatever's going on over there, the crowd is loving it- so all together, that's another 400 XP divided four ways.

With that victory, the party gets to stay the night for free. The next morning, they report the Greed Echo encounter and the dragon to the local Deathseekers' Guild (getting 10gp for their trouble, and turning a profit on this pit stop.) And with that... it's back on the road to Thunderbrush, next time!

#twofaced jewel #tfj log #d&d 5e

[purplerose244]

Got my analysis googles on, let's do this!!

While taking my time to rewatch Lightning in a Bottle ('cause Kreamus and everything 💙), I think the biggest thing that really got me is the different approach Varvatos, who is not even blood-related to Krel, has in comparison to Mr Johnson. And I'm not even talking about sir jerkface basically blackmailing his OWN CHILD because of a freaking Math Duel.

Just looking at this.

I believe those are the very clear "don't you dare disappoint me" eyes, also known as the "don't f**k this up" look. That man has more competition in him than Seamus, dang it this teen looked more scared than determinated through all the challenge. And it kinda hit me that the only reason Seamus probably started all this fight with Krel for the A+ is because his dad wasn't going to accept a failure. This was most likely to save more than just space camp.

While on the other hand.

I might be wrong, since the image is a little blurry, but for me Vex is smiling a little. And even if he wasn't, that's his typical confident pose, as to say "That's our engineer, he got this". He's nowhere near as caught up as Mr Johnson is, it's almost a relaxed pose, because Varvatos will be proud of Krel no matter what. Being in the Battle of the Bands, designing a game with a dog laser peeing on hydrants, or building up a full wormhole generator, Vex will always support his royal no matter what (don't even get me get started with the logs part in Moving Day, my heart breaks everytime 😭)

And I think Seamus barely realizes that for Krel it's different, that he doesn't need to prove anything to his guardian. I might be looking too much into this.

But for me there's this plit of a second where the two kids just look at each other, with Mr Johnson blabbering about HIS Seamus being the best while still b*tching complaining ("Didn't think it'd be this close, though"), while Varvatos just has his hand on his protégé's shoulders so casually. And it's somehow clear they will go back to two very different houses.

... I really like this episode 😙👌👌

Gotta love the different take on families in TOA, from Trollhunters to 3Below and hopefully in Wizards as well with new characters!! 😍

#i mean #it's know mr johnson is a jerk #no need a post to talk about that #i just love vex #he needs love #i also love krel #my baby #and aja #and seamus actually #and okay #too long of a list #i want a trailer #where is wiz trailer #toa #tales of arcadia #toa 3 below #toa 3below #3 below #3below #krel tarron #seamus johnson #varvatos vex