Lost in translation

Flufftober 2021 (Michael Langdon, Loki, Geralt, Adam and Eve, Sherlock, Dream) 

Flufftober 2022 

Flufftober 2024

Flufftober 2025 

Most of the stories are about female readers

He was fronting.

Mr. Robot.

It was rare for Y/N to open her eyes and see only him. It had happened before, without him realizing it, without him noticing her presence, or by completely ignoring her to make her feel unwelcome.

She had jumped the single time he spoke to her. Of course, he immediately reminded her that he didn't like her. That he didn't trust her. But the poor guy was desperate, faced with the kid who no longer spoke to anyone, forced to ask for help from that tiresome imaginary Friend.

As if Y/N could have done anything. It wasn't as if she didn't want to, staring intently at Mastermind, waiting for him to speak like before, but in her current state, that was the most she could do.

At least she had done it with the Protector's approval. This time, anyway. He probably couldn't forgive her for everything else, for having endangered the entire system, not to mention the world.

Well, Mr. Robot didn't care about the world. His priority was Elliot. But without the world, there was no Elliot, so he didn't really have a choice.

It was hard to say how much time had passed since the conversation with Krista. Y/N had enjoyed returning to the shadows. Then she had started to get a little bored, and above all, worried.

Was Elliot angry ? It would be normal for him to resent her forever and never want to see her again. But was he hurt too ? Was he alright ?

She needed to know, but she couldn't bring herself to go back. It was impossible to say if it was because she wasn't allowed to, or because she was paralyzed by fear.

It was strange to see Mr. Robot sitting in front of the computer. It wasn't a good sign that he was in front. He only came out when absolutely necessary. She wondered what had happened.

She also wondered why she was there.

Part of her screamed to run away, right now, to go back to her place and be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't notice her. But timidly, she moved forward, coughing.

His dark eyes fixed on her, stopping her dead in her tracks, as if she'd bumped into a wall. They stared at each other without saying a word for what seemed like an eternity. She didn't notice right away that she was trembling. He did, and he sighed, relaxing slightly.

"Sit down, kiddo."

Kiddo ? That was new. A good thing ? She obeyed without question, sitting down opposite him on the bed, still unable to speak. It was as if she were going backward. She could have liked that. But not now.

"We need to talk. And you know this isn't my thing, just like I know this is new to you. So let's keep it quick and simple, okay ?"

"… Okay."

"Good. Krista explained everything, were you in the background or do I need to summarize that too ?"

"No."

"No what ?"

"No, not in the background."

"Damn, stop shaking, kid." he muttered, almost sadly, rubbing his face. "I'm not mad, alright ? Nobody's mad. Surprised, panicked, lost, but not mad. Mastermind was jumping around, asking to see you. Eli and Magda are curious too."

"… Elliot ?"

"Maybe a bit disappointed. He started to have a crush on you. But he's not mad at you, he understands. He's cool like this. He needs you, just like he needs us. Your conversations really made him happy, so if you could avoid disappearing again, we'll avoid a crisis."

So that was why he was there. Y/N felt tears welling up, unsure if they were from relief, sadness, or rage. Maybe a little of everything ? People were strange, feeling several things at once.

Honestly, hearing that Elliot was still her friend was pleasant. That the others were also ready to accept her, that she had been missed by Mastermind.

Then there was Mr. Robot, there to check that she wasn't a threat and to give his approval, because she was useful in that moment. She could fidget or stare at him with her big eyes all she wanted, they weren't friends. He wasn't there for that.

“Kiddo ? Can you tell me why you’re sobbing, because I’m not sure…”

“She’s waiting for a hug.”

Mr. Robot grunted, touching his cap to avoid looking at Mastermind. They must have had another argument.

It was an indescribable feeling to see him again after all this time. The first person she had ever seen, the first person who had ever spoken to her. Slowly, she stood up, letting him come to her, his arms around her tenderly.

Neither of them spoke. There was no need. It felt good for Y/N to be back like she was at the beginning. Being able to physically support Mastermind had been the only thing missing.

"He's afraid of scaring you." he whispered very softly in her ear. "He loves you more than he lets on. More than he loves me, anyway. If you cry, he'll panic."

"Okay, we get it, out of here. Get out of the way. She knows she's not banned, mission accomplished. I'll let Elliot have the spot. You can stay and talk to him, kiddo. You can also take your time, he won't be offended."

A choice. Again. Y/N preferred it when she went along without being asked. She had told Krista, who had had to alert the system, she wasn't good at making choices.

Of course she wanted to see Elliot. More than anything, always, all the time. To be there for him and help him if he needed it.

But she also knew from experience that it wasn't good to be there too much. They needed to find the right balance, and she didn't know how.

Mr. Robot awkwardly patted her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. He tried a smile, to reassure her without using too many words. They understood each other on that point, the difficulty of words.

That didn't change the fact that he was there, first and foremost for Elliot, but also for the others. He could advise them, and together they would find a balance. They would try, at least.

Since he could guess what she was thinking, he went back without saying anything, leaving her with Elliot.

He looked at the hand that had remained on her arm, frowning.

"It's weird. To me, I really feel like I'm touching you. But you're not there. You're like the others."

"Sorry."

"No, it wasn't… I'm just realizing it. With the others, I knew right away. I need to get used to it."

"I just wanted to protect you."

“They all say that.” Elliot sighed. “I know they mean well. You mean well. But I don’t want things hidden from me like I’m a child anymore. Still friends ?”

Maybe she’d been labeled as an expert, but Y/N wasn’t good at handling so many people, conversations, and emotions all at once. Well, not by participating in them, anyway.

She started trembling again, tears welling in her eyes, clinging to Elliot as if her life depended on it, and maybe it kind of did.

Even gentler than everyone else, Elliot let her have as much as she needed, whispering reassuring words. It was kind of funny, because it should be the other way around.

Or not ? Maybe ? She’d ask Krista if she saw her again. Not sure she’d have the answer. It's possible there wasn't one, and that didn't matter.

Brain: "What ?"

Me: "We have a type."

Brain: "We decided not to talk about that"

Me: "But I still notice that when it's Pedro, I react like I'm looking at a kitten, using a high-pitched voice, a silly grin, and thinking it's the most adorable thing in the world that needs protecting, even though, yes, he can be very sexy."

Brain: "I don't see the problem."

Me: "And right after, when I see a picture of Lalo Salamanca, I have thoughts that would make the devil himself blush."

Brain: "But what do I have to explain ?"

Me: "The difference."

Brain: "Oh. Easy. We respectfully love Pedro, our dear 'bibou,' to the point of fantasizing about his characters, but never about him, and it's never hell sexy but sweet and romantic. On the other hand, we don't respect Tony Dalton as much. Even though, apart from Lalo, we don't really fantasize about him or any other character. Lalo is special, I get hot just saying his name."

Me: "… It's true that I feel myself melting when he's on screen, that charming psychopath."

"Bibou" :

"I'll do whatever you want, my god what's wrong with me" :

Mom: "No ?"

Me: "… No, it's not Pedro. But they acted together. He played himself."

Mom: "… NO !"

Me: "Yes !"

Marcus: "What ? Where ? When ?!"

Y/N: "Last night, my boyfriend and I were having a romantic dinner at home."

Marcus: "Yes, we were together."

Y/N: "Then the office called him in for an emergency and he had to leave before dessert, not coming home all night."

Marcus: "And someone came after I left ?"

Y/N: "… Never mind."

Marcus: "But honey, I don't understand !"

Patrick: "Well, you're a real piece of work, that's for sure."

I didn't like 28 years later at first. But then I looked more into it, what it was about, and I like Jimmy at bit. He's a weird and awful man, but it's sad to see why he's like this.

For several years, the island formerly known as the United Kingdom had barely been mentioned. Or only to remind people that it was forbidden to go there, even to fly over it, and that anyone who had set foot on that cursed land should stay there.

The whole world had watched the events of 28 years earlier with a mixture of horror and fascination, wondering how it could have happened, in order to prevent it from happening elsewhere.

They had tried to help, a little, at first, but after several unsuccessful and far too dangerous attempts to eradicate the infection, it had been decided to leave the country under prolonged quarantine.

Now there were only legends and rumors. People wondered if there were still survivors. If there were still biters. Or if they had all ended up killing each other, which seemed most likely. But no one dared to go and find out. Y/N had heard these stories since childhood.

She used to be afraid of them, hiding in her bed while her older cousins ​​made monster noises and jumped on her to tickle her. Now she wasn't so sure. She was probably still afraid, but she was also curious to see what a place would become after the end of the world.

It was secretly for this reason that she agreed to come with the others. Of course, she said it was for the money, so she wouldn't look weird and be left on the tarmac.

A friend had suggested she join a group of daredevils who had found a way to get to the island by plane. Most of the airspace was monitored, as were the shipping lanes, but there were several small, easily exploitable loopholes that hadn't escaped the notice of treasure hunters.

Several had already gone there and returned without difficulty and without encountering anyone. At least, that's what they claimed.

The plan was simple: fly over a specific area, parachute into strategic locations, collect as many valuables as possible, meet up at the plane's supposed landing site, and then calmly return home to sell the loot.

"Yeah, super easy." muttered Y/N, who had no military training, had never parachuted, and didn't desperately need the money.

"Where's your sense of adventure, girl ? This will be fun !"

"What if we run into… infected people ?"

"That stuff is bullshit. There's nothing there anymore. There's no danger."

"We don't know." whispered the youngest of the group. "I knew a guy who was supposed to go. I think he did. We never saw him again."

"Shut up. Your guy just left so we wouldn't make fun of him, or because he had enough money. Or he killed himself like an idiot by falling into a tree, or got eaten by a bear."

"There're bears ?"

"It was just an example, moron. Stop scaring Y/N ! We need enough people to cover as much ground as possible."

She already regretted saying yes as she boarded the plane. Right up until the end, she kept telling herself she could stay with the pilot and wait until she reached safety.

The whole group seemed to hesitate for a moment, as a large plume of white smoke rose into the sky in the area they had chosen. They wondered if it was a sign of life, and then whether that sign of life was a good or bad thing.

The survivors could be just as terrible as the infected. It was decided to simply stay away from the fire. Then, a draw was held to see who would jump closest to it.

As if to prove her wrong to come, the draw fell on Y/N.

Strangely, the smoke had made her want to look down more than anything else. Finding loot didn't interest her at all, she wanted to confront the legends.

So she jumped before she had any more time to hesitate, doing her best to land safely near some small houses. All empty. Bearing traces of struggle and blood. It didn't take long for Y/N to discover several truths about this place.

The biters were still there, moving in packs, wandering in a direction that seemed to be chosen at random, easy to avoid if one was discreet enough.

The survivors were still there too, because it wasn't the infected who could have tortured and hanged the poor souls she found, proving that it was best to avoid them as well.

No one had approached the smoke zone before her, because everyone would have been talking about the shrine of bones she could see from it. There were so many of them.

Y/N took several photos, so she wouldn't be accused of lying, and just as she was about to leave, pretending to search for treasure, she heard his voice.

Or rather, his cries, his pleas for help.

Zooming in, she saw an inverted cross in front of the large funerary totem. And tied to that cross, a man was hanging upside down, crying. It could have been a trap, or a well-deserved punishment.

The group had decided that if they encountered people, they shouldn't interfere in their problems. But this poor guy needed help, and Y/N was far too curious.

"… Mom ?" he asked wearily as he saw her approaching. "Mommy, are you the one who came to help me ?"

"No. Can I ask how you got here?"

"My fingers. Old Nick. They abandoned me… I just wanted to… I do what my father asks, that's all. I can't hear him anymore. I don't understand."

"Make two of us then." Y/N said, wincing at the poor fool. "If I help you, will you hurt me ?"

"… Lassie, if you help me, I'll kiss your feet, say a prayer for you, and give charity to whomever you want. Hozzat ?"

Half of what he said made no sense, but since he seemed more grateful than aggressive, Y/N took the risk.

He kissed her almost all over her face once he was untied, embracing her like old friends. In fact, he declared they were friends now, best friends.

After giving him some water, Y/N thought their paths would diverge. He would go see his father, Old Nick, and she would head for the plane. But her new best friend, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, didn't seem inclined to leave her side. Even less so after hearing where she'd come from, even though he seemed to misunderstand.

"I saw an angel coming from Heaven ! I thought I was going crazy, but it was you ! Old Nick sent you ! He's not talking to me yet, but he'll confirm. Oh, if only my fingers were here to see it ! You've come from the other side to see if I'm carrying out his work properly !"

"No, I've come from another country to bring back some things. I don't know any Nick."

"Everyone knows Old Nick. He's the one who sent the demons here."

It took a while, but Y/N finally deciphered several elements of Jimmy's rambling speech. He thought he was Satan's son. It was him and his small cult of children roaming the place, slaughtering survivors as if it were a game.

Under other circumstances, she would have found a way to get rid of him and escape as far as possible. He was exhausted, unarmed, and completely insane, so she had a chance.

But Y/N was curious, and by digging a little deeper, she finally saw beyond the demented face and glimpsed a traumatized child.

If she understood correctly, he had seen his seven sisters devoured, then his mother, his aunt, and finally his father, when he was only eight years old.

His father was a somewhat unhinged priest who, instead of protecting him and taking shelter, had convinced himself it was Judgment Day. Based on this information, it was clear that little Jimmy had suffered so much that he had concocted a whole story in his head to keep going.

There was probably some hereditary mental illness involved, judging by his father's behavior. He really did hear voices. He must have survived, perhaps enduring other painful experiences.

He truly saw it all as a sacred mission, or child's play. He needed help. Professional help.

"You could come with me to the other side." Y/N suggested, smiling sadly.

"… I can't, I have to continue giving charity here."

"Wouldn't Old Nick want you to do it somewhere else too ? We have a television, you could rewatch the Teletubbies."

"For real ? You… You'll watch with me ?"

"Yes, Jimmy. We're friends after all. We can watch whatever you want."

He gave her a bright smile, showing off his rotten teeth. Y/N wondered how his hair could be so clean when everything else was in such a bad state.

It was easy getting to the plane, especially with Jimmy, who knew the area well and could kill infected as if it were the most normal thing in the world. It was harder getting him to promise not to attack the rest of the group, who didn't deserve any "charity."

And the most complicated part was convincing everyone that the obviously crazy guy who had been following her could come with them.

It was clear the others weren't happy and were ready to abandon her. But maybe they were afraid Jimmy would jump on them if they kept yelling at his best friend, maybe they felt sorry for him, or maybe they sensed an opportunity, but the Devil's son was allowed to come aboard.

The screams he let out when he was taken to the hospital. It was worse than when he was on the cross.

While he cursed her, saying she too had betrayed him, Y/N cursed the others for selling the poor fellow out, making up a story about finding him at sea to avoid trouble. They brought him back because he wasn't infected, and he could tell what was really happening on the island, if he stopped spouting mystical nonsense.

With this story, the first survivor to escape from hell, they were going to be all over TV, write books, and make a ton of money.

Y/N told them to get lost. Her curiosity was dead, and now all she could think about was Jimmy, poor Jimmy, no longer Lord of anything, locked in a white room, his hands tied and pumped full of medication.

The first few times she tried to visit him, he refused to see her or ignored her, muttering obscenities or talking to his Father.

They had cut his hair. They had taken his jewelry, his crucifix, his clothes. They forced him to wash every day. With that haircut and his white pajamas, he looked almost like a normal man. A broken, lost, and furious man.

So she came back with episodes of the Teletubbies, which the doctors allowed her to show him. Jimmy calmed down, staring silently at the screen. He said nothing when she came and sat down next to him.

He still said nothing when she placed a hand on his, stroking it gently.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy." she murmured, unsure of exactly what she was apologizing for. For letting him end up here, for taking him away from the only thing he knew without giving him a choice, or for everything he had been through before they met. "I wanted to help you, I'm sorry."

"You abandoned me, like the others."

"I'm here now. I'm not leaving you. Say a prayer for me ?"

"… You really are an angel, aren't you ? A true angel, one who doesn't like my father."

"I don't care about your father, Jimmy. The real one and Old Nick. I'm here for you because we're friends. This is my charity. You said I could give it to whomever I wanted."

This made him laugh, nodding without indicating whether he agreed or listened to the voices in his head. But the tears in his eyes made Y/N think he was with her as he squeezed her hand.

"I miss my mom." he whispered, still staring at the screen. "I want my mom."

He let her hug him, crying silently into her neck as the Teletubbies sang.

Not bad.

Honestly, I was worried when they announced the movie. I couldn't see what they were going to do, and I didn't really like season 3.

The movie is more like season 1, in tone and in the scenes.

The pacing works, the fights are enjoyable overall. You can still guess what's going to happen, you can feel Disney's influence. Not really any suspense. A bit childish at times.

A lot of CGI. Too much for me. Especially when there are almost only monsters or Hutts on screen. I pictured Pedro Pascal, or his Stunt double, in the middle of a green room, it was a bit sad.

But then again, it's great to see Mando and Grogu. That's mainly why you go in the end.

I think it would have made a very good video game.

I'm not sure if it adds anything to the Star Wars universe, or to the Mandalorian series.

But I had a good time. And I bought a nice limited-edition popcorn bucket, even though I don't like popcorn.

To say that Adore was disappointed that he'd found his soulmate was an understatement.

Of course, that was the agency's goal, but they had to find the right person, not let their clients do it on their own like in a fairy tale. If they all did that, it wouldn't be good for business.

Lucy had been very enthusiastic when she heard the news, congratulating him only to immediately warn him.

"Remember our mistakes."

She had told him about her relationship with her soulmate, John. Five years gone up in smoke because of their money and communication problems. But mostly money. The only reason she'd gone out with Harry in the first place.

If they had been soulmates, they would have gotten engaged in Iceland and would be married now.

Harry wasn't bitter that it hadn't happened. They didn't love each other, that much was clear, and they wouldn't have been happy, or not for long. With Y/N, it would be different, even without his ex's advice. He didn't need it. They were soulmates, he had money, everything was going to be perfect.

Right away, from their very first date, after waiting two weeks for her to call, the longest weeks of his life, Harry saw the difference.

Adorably charming, Y/N admired every place he took her with obvious respect, even though she felt uncomfortable being there. Yet, amidst all that luxury, he only saw her, seemingly perfectly at ease.

"Harry, this is really too much." she stammered, faced with the mountain of roses he offered her.

"Nothing is too much for you. Anything to make you happy."

"Oh, but a good movie, a simple meal, and a chat would be perfect."

Touching. Perfect, really ? But why settle for the bare minimum when you could have the best ? And she deserved the best.

It was a bit new for him to give gifts without being asked, sometimes even without knowing if they would be liked. He asked lots of questions to figure out her tastes, her desires, much to the dismay of poor Y/N, who begged him not to waste his money. As if she were nothing.

Yet she asked him just as many questions, creating another big novelty.

"… What is it ?"

"A novel. You said you liked books of the same genre, and I really liked this one, so I thought… I thought you'd like it. It's nothing much."

Indeed, it was just a simple book, without any real monetary value, but for Harry, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever received, and he felt a wave of warmth wash over him. He couldn't remember the last time someone had given him something, just like that, for him.

In return, he made it his mission to shower his beloved Y/N with even more gifts. Whenever he had a spare moment, which could be rare with his job, he would take her to a fancy restaurant, where a piece of jewelry, a bag, or some other extravagant gift awaited her on the table.

Once, he invited her to his apartment.

Harry wouldn't lie, he had several expectations at that moment: to see her reaction to the house that could become hers, to deepen her feelings for him by witnessing his success, and possibly to spend the night with her for the first time since they had met.

Like Lucy and all the other women before her, Y/N had looked at the walls, the ceiling height, the furniture, the view, before turning to him to deliver her long-awaited verdict.

"It's huge." she said simply.

"Yes. Do you like it ?"

"Hmm. Not really. It's rather empty. It's like… No, sorry, forget it."

They didn't spend the night together. Actually, something seemed to change after that moment.

Y/N refused to explain why she'd turned down the apartment, avoiding the question with a sad smile, kissing him on the cheek before leaving.

Not knowing what to do, he talked to his brother, his parents, the Adore staff, who didn't see that he was the problem for this girl. He was perfect. A unicorn. They were soulmates, met as if in ancient times, under the sign of destiny. What more could she want ?

So he talked to Lucy, who sighed on the other end of the line.

"I told you to be careful."

"But everything was going so well ! Our dates were magical. I don't understand."

"Do you love her ?"

"Of course, we're soulmates."

"That's not what I asked you. How do you know you love her ?"

"I… I know when she smiles at me. When I see her in a room, after I've panicked because I couldn't find her. I miss her as soon as she leaves. I know when she admires a place and then looks at me with equally bright eyes, paying attention to me. Me, not my money."

"But you respond to that attention with money. Do you ever smile at her ? Listen to what she says ? Really talk to her, like when you told her what you just told me ?"

In hindsight, it was true that communication wasn't Harry Castillo's strong suit. He couldn't show any weakness, he'd been raised that way. It was important for his job, where he could almost always settle everything with a check. And for his relationship to work, this perfection seemed just as necessary.

But 'perfection' wasn't the word Y/N used as he tried to invite her back to his place. She preferred a coffee, waiting for him at a table with a sad expression.

"Well, I… I don't know how to say this."

"You don't love me."

"No, I do. Well, maybe. I don't really know." Y/N sighed. "I want to. I think I could, from what I've seen. But you don't let me get to know you, not really. And you don't know me either. Your questions, like your answers, are all superficial. I can't love a stranger. A… A facade. A show apartment. There's no life in your place, do you realize that ? It's like you're never here, like you've never used your kitchen or your living room."

"… We could, together, if you come back."

"Really ? To look out at the city from your penthouse, asking me if I want another useless luxury gift ?"

"I was thinking we could watch a movie. We'd eat burgers on the couch, then talk. A real talk."

Y/N looked at him, the way she always did, with eyes that made Harry feel seen, completely, even if he wasn't letting her in yet. But he was listening, that was proof he was listening. That he was making an effort.

It was the first time he'd had to keep things simple, to please her. Lucy had told him love was simple. He wasn't listening then because he didn't love her, so he couldn't understand.

From the beginning, Y/N had been very clear. She wasn't Lucy. She wasn't like the other women. She didn't want a perfect, rich soulmate. She wanted Harry.

"I had knee surgery. To be taller."

"… Why ?"

"I just told you, to be taller. I lacked confidence, I thought I was too short to be attractive."

"Was it painful ?"

"A little, but I feel better now."

"That's the most important thing, I suppose. Even if…" Y/N murmured, glancing down at her coffee and biting her lip to suppress a smile, which he initially thought was mocking. "I was a bit hesitant to call you the first time because of your height. And your suit. You intimidated me in the middle of the street."

"Really ?"

"Yes. And now I'm wondering if you think I'm too short. Or something else."

Harry froze for a second. He had never thought he wanted to change anything about Y/N, he had never thought she would want such a thing, and there was no way she was going to start because of his foolishness.

So he took her hand, looking at it as the most wonderful thing in the world, which it undoubtedly was to him.

"My love, you're perfect."

"Okay, you've done the knees, but obviously nothing for the eyesight and senility. Noted."

"Hilarious."

"Were you serious ? About the burgers and a movie ?" she asked shyly.

"More than serious. Especially about the conversation. The conversations. I don't know how to communicate, but I'd like you to teach me. I want to prove to you how much I love you."

"You know, love isn't just that. Words are all well and good. I want to know you. I want you to talk to me when you're feeling down, or when you're feeling good and want to share that joy. But there are also simple gestures. Glances. Silences. Doubts, too. I know I love you, because otherwise I wouldn't be hurting so much thinking about having to leave you. I also know you love me, because you're attentive to my feelings."

"… I fell in love with you in that café, before they even said your initials."

That made her laugh. Because she knew he was serious, revealing this ridiculous secret he'd kept all this time. It was probably ridiculous, he'd had a crush, love at first sight didn't exist.

And yet.

He'd seen her, looking out the window, and he'd known. Right away.

For her part, Y/N later admitted that she'd known on the street, when he'd accepted her coffee, far too sweet for him, as she would later learn. But he'd drunk it, and he'd made a small face before looking at the cup and grinning like an idiot.

Matt is annoying.

No opinion on Frank.

But "on the other hand, the villain with good aim is super cool."

I'm proud of her.