#ggfj84

7.1k | Spy/Mafia AU | Forbidden Love | Falling in Love | Tuna Melts and Chicken Parm as Love Notes | Mature

Chapter Summary: Ilya's family finds out about his betrayal, but so does Scott Hunter. And Shane makes his move.

Excerpt:

“Hollander.” Ilya spoke before he even realized he had, but he recovered. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his voice from trembling, but he could at least act angry. Ilya locked eyes with Rose, who blinked at his sudden attention upon her. He raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to the camera, which had reclaimed its red button. After a moment of consideration, she sighed and tapped her tablet to life. "We're all gonna be indicted for this." The red light on the camera clicked off, and Ilya’s gaze snapped to Hollander. “Is okay, Shane. I will do this.” “Shane?” Hunter parroted, but Shane ignored him. “No. I won’t let you.” “When we hooked up, what did you think was going to happen? Were only two ways this was going to end. This is better of them.” “What are you talking about?” Shane demanded. He seemed so furious, so lost. “Either I kill you, or my father kills me. I would never let anything happen to you, so…” He offered a helpless shrug. “…here we are.”

*****

Ilya tells GQ magazine that he wants to be married and have two kids, five dogs, and four Stanley Cups in ten years. Oh, and he wants to play for the Metros.

Shane is totally normal and not weird about it at all.

(He’s so weird about it.)

*****

Main pairing: Hollanov

By ggfj84

On Archive of Our Own

Status: Complete; 24,293 words

Summary: "The Gallery of Circus Medrano" - a brand new art exhibit at the MoMA. Neal hadn’t planned on coming. He'd run too far and too long to get away from his past, from the circus, from Gotham, just to waltz right back into it. This exhibit was practically tailor-made for him. He could only guess who would set up such a thing. After the Joker shot Robin, Dick Grayson ran away and became the criminal Neal Caffrey. Now, Bruce Wayne wants his son to come home. Unfortunately for him, Neal feels a different way. When Slade Wilson enters the mix, father and son will need to work together again to save Deathstroke's next target - Peter Burke.

Me, last month: Suck it, Past Me! I can tighten the writing to 10 chapters.

Hi! I’m going to be writing drabbles over the next month or so, so here’s the prompt list. I’ll update this post with links to all the prompt fills, and each prompt fill will get its own post. I’ll also be cross-posting to Twitter with #SheithAngstDrabbles. 

All will be written in the same universe as You and Me Against the Universe, but you don’t need to read that story to read these drabbles. You just have to know Shiro is the Black Paladin, and Keith is the Red Paladin and has Galran features. 

Hope you enjoy, and here we go! 

Day 1: Bruises

Day 2: Betrayed

Day 3: Jail Cell

Day 4: Kidnapped 

Day 5: Insecurity

Day 6: Brainwashing

Day 7: Guilt | “Don’t move” | Homesickness

Day 8: Scar | Backhand slap | Punctured lung

Day 9: Panic attack | Ghost

Day 10: Paralyzed | Survivor’s guilt

Day 11: Fever | “It’s all my fault” 

Day 12: Grief | Jealousy | Given up

Day 13: Drowning | “No, stop!” | Chest pain

Day 14: Gagged | Slammed into a wall | Blindfolded

Day 15: Outnumbered | Muffled scream | Stitches

Day 16: On their knees | Adrenaline | Unconscious

Day 17: Hypothermia | “I’m a monster” | Friendly fire

Day 18: Shaky hands | Migraine | Depression

Day 19: Secret injury | “Please don’t leave me” | Bandages

Day 20: Abandoned | “I know you’re in there somewhere” | Sore throat

Day 21: Human shield | Showdown | Seizure

Day 22: Hair matted with blood | Torture 

Day 23: Bedridden | Frostbite | Retaliation

Day 24: “I can’t walk” | Hospital | Powerless

Day 25: Blinded | Peer pressure | Amnesia

Day 26: “Where are you?” | Coma | Angry mob

Day 27: Execution | Attacked in their sleep | Heatstroke

Day 28: Loneliness | Possession

Day 29: Dehydration | Rope burns | “Go through me”

Day 30: Tied to a chair | Burning building | Muzzled

Day 31: “Just keep pressure on it” | Empty shell | Ambush

Alternate Prompts:

I think I’ll refrain from reading showrunner interviews in the future. I used to read creator interviews all the time when I was reading comics. I loved to see what was coming up and how a writer approached a storyline or character. 

But Voltron’s EPs were just horrible. Every other interview included how much they hated a fan favorite character and how they wanted to kill him. They eventually succeeded at killing a million and a half clones of him - among other really terrible things. They also used interviews as a way to plug holes in the show’s plot, which...isn’t storytelling. 

Incidentally, I absolutely loved the first season of the Saved by the Bell continuation. The characters are fun and engaging, and the show goes the extra mile to keep the charm of the original while also poking fun at what came before.

But then I read the showrunner’s interview in Variety, and it made me love the show just a bit less.  

Minor spoilers below the cut, but nothing that I think really will spoil any major plot points. 

My family has a saying. When we’re watching a movie that is infuriating with constant action and no breathing room for the characters (or audience), we yell out, “Jumanji!” 

That’s part of the reason why my family didn’t see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle when it first came out in 2017, but man, was that a mistake. Jumanji: WttJ is the best movie we’ve watched during quarantine so far. (Full disclosure: I haven’t seen Birds of Prey yet, so keep that in mind.)

Why do I love Jumanji: WttJ so much? (Spoilers abound, but the movie has been out for three years. So if you read on - it’s all you.)  

Jumanji is the perfect escapist comedy.

It’s the best freaking “feel good” movie I’ve seen in quite some time. Each character IRL is given an avatar in the game that forces them to address (and conquer) their flaws. (Tangent: Jack Black deserved an Oscar for his portrayal of a popular high school girl in the body of a middle-aged man.)

Throughout the movie, the individual players become a team without anyone threatening to leave. (Sure, Nick Jonas’s character almost dies, but that doesn’t count.) Plus, that moment leads to character development for Bethany, the popular girl, a role usually reserved for male leads in these stories.

There isn’t a moment where anyone looks at the game and goes – “I’m done.” Instead, the players fight together, grow together, and win together, and accenting it all is realistic-slash-fresh humor. Some of the funniest parts of the film are when Bethany learns of her new body and needs help from the guys to simply go to the bathroom, and when Martha needs help to learn how to flirt. Even when Martha and Spencer have their first, awkward kiss is hysterical rather than cringe-worthy.

The film’s ability to master realistic humor in an unrealistic situation is refreshing and commendable.

And when all is said and done – there’s a happy ending.

Too many times now, “happy endings” aren’t actually happy. The recent ending of Single Parents leaves the two main couples apart. (That’ll be a different rant-er, post, for sure.) The infamous Voltron: Legendary Defender ended with one of the main characters walking off to her death, thus destroying the premise of the show – “stronger together.” Even Frozen 2 ended with Elsa and Anna apart when the whole premise of the first movie was to bring the sisters together after decades apart.

And here, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle excels. 

It’s a delight from beginning to end. From high school students being caught for cheating (as an English teacher’s daughter – I thank you, screenwriters!) to the team helping each other to conquer their issues to Alex returning home the year he disappeared to our team remaining friends after the game ends - my entire family was smiling (and my mom a bit misty) when the movie ended. My sister was already looking for the sequel on the streaming services.

Seriously. If you’re staying safe at home, treat yourself to this well-written escapist delight.