#then i just opted for a group photo at the end of just the blue space characters (thankfully there's only 4 names)

[dye-it-rouge-et-noir]

Postcards from the World I Museum "Although much still divides us, we prefer to think of everyone as belonging to the same world, formed from Blue Space and Gravity." - Chu Yan, Death's End

[silentscrying]

🎸 out of my mind ! 💿 track two: kowalski, status report

guitarist!ino x drummer!reader

summary: it's the annual battle of the bands at the fix, your college campus's iconic live music bar, and this year you're taking the stage as the drummer for indie rock group cursed technique. you know the competition is strong, but no part of you is ready for lead singer and guitarist takuma ino. you lock eyes at the edge of the stage, and something starts—something that might make you feel alive even more than the beat of the drums.

warnings: language, alcohol, mentions of drugs/drug dealing, toge bullying, unbearably cute dogs. || sfw. 9k words.

"I SHOULDN'T CUSS in this, right?"

It’s the day before the other four artists premiere their sets at Battle of the Bands, and you haven’t been home since six in the morning. You’re running on caffeine and spite and the pursuit of the story, parked on a high stool across the bar from the one and only Ieiri Shoko.

Toge leans on the counter beside you, opting to stand. He’s agreed to pay for the next snack run in return for you letting him be your partner. You both know you’re going to end up doing most of the writing, but you don’t really mind. Toge would if you asked him to, but you love this kind of thing in a way he just doesn’t. Plus, he’s better with a camera than you, and he’s taking photos tomorrow night.

You laugh, pulling out your phone to record. “You can say whatever you want as long as it’s honest. Be candid.”

“You might regret saying that!” Gojo calls from the back, and Shoko silences him with a glare.

“Are you coming or not?”

Gojo grins and finishes up whatever he’s putting away in the storage room, then strides out and leans his elbows on the counter.

“Do you mind if I record?” You point to the open voice memo app. “Makes it easier to quote you correctly.” You also just hate running interviews when you’re scribbling hand-written notes the whole time. You’d much rather have a genuine conversation and worry about the details later.

Shoko waves a hand airily. “No problem.”

“Absolutely,” Gojo says. “You can probably sell that for thousands.”

You set the phone on the counter, next to one of the tiny pumpkins scattered across it in celebration of the beginning of October. You and Toge bounce back and forth as you run through the standard start-of-interview checklist, having them spell out their names, getting their ages, hometowns, degrees, all that jazz. And then you launch into the stuff you really care about.

“So, you opened The Fix about ten years ago now, correct?”

Shoko nods. “Yeah, a little over two years after we graduated.”

You look at Gojo, whose eyes are even more alarmingly blue in the daylight. “And you were hired right away?”

“Utahime first, then me,” he nods. “Best for last, y’know.”

Shoko snorts. “We knew each other in school. I just took pity on him.” She smirks as Gojo’s jaw drops. “You can quote that.”

“Right, so all of you were friends in college. And you came together to start this place—what was the idea behind it?” Toge chimes in. “You said you studied nursing, Shoko?”

And you sit and listen as Shoko explains. Back in college, she was at the top of her class. By graduation, she’d been accepted to basically all the best med schools. She had her pick. She could do whatever she wanted. But she realized that what she wanted wasn’t that at all.

The medical field is brutal, she tells you. It’s all late nights and emotional burnout. People yelling at you, misplaced anger when you give them the bad news. Getting attached to people only to watch them waste away.

“I needed to get out before I got too far in. Maybe it was selfish,” she admits. “But I wasn’t cut out for it. I have so much admiration for medical professionals, but I couldn’t be one of them. A few clinicals and I was already feeling the consequences of giving too much of myself and getting nothing back.” She shrugs. “So I named it The Fix, as some kind of homage to the medical background. And I figured I’d just make sure it’s safe.”

Something sits heavy in her gaze as she stares at something behind you, middle distance, like she’s remembering.

“Why a college bar?” you ask, nudging the phone across the counter to pick up her voice better. “I mean, the extra security, thinking about underage drinking, dealing with a bunch of broke university kids. You could’ve just as easily opened a different bar in a more lucrative area. What was the appeal?”

She smiles crookedly. “Appeal. Well. My senior year, I was working in the local ER. And I saw… god. So many kids came in there needing their stomachs pumped, or kids who’d done laced drugs, gotten roofied, harassed, it was… I mean, it was a city university club scene. They weren’t safe. And I just felt like I needed to give them that. I couldn’t stay there as a nurse or a doctor. But I could do this.” She shrugs. “Sorry. That was probably way too much.”

“No,” you say quickly, smiling at her. “That was—that’s what we came here for. Shoko, that’s amazing. And it’s not selfish, taking care of yourself. You’re still here taking care of others.”

You don’t know Gojo well. Most of your stories about him come secondhand from Nobara, who knows him through Megumi. She paints the picture of a flamboyant, obnoxious bartender who’s more like a weird uncle to her than anything. From what you’ve seen of him at The Fix, you know this to be mostly accurate—he’s rarely serious, always taking flack from the students and giving it right back, ragging on Utahime, begging Shoko to play his playlist instead of Geto’s and knowing she’ll never cave. But now, as he listens intently to Shoko, you think you’re seeing another side of him.

There’s something troubled on his face as she speaks, like he wishes he could reach into the past and help. Like he regrets it.

The bar’s not the only thing that has a different side in the daylight.

“She’s right,” Gojo tells Shoko. It’s not much, but she looks up at him a bit surprised, something in her expression softening. A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, not quite there but not quite not. “You’ve got a pretty big heart under all that RBF.” Shoko rolls her eyes, the moment over.

“What about you?” You turn to Gojo, nudging the phone his way. “Why a college bar?”

Shoko turns toward him, leaning a hip against the bar, just as curious as you are. “I think kids deserve to be kids,” he shrugs. “And if I—if we—can create a space where it’s actually safe for them to do that, it feels important.” His gaze shifts from you and Toge to the empty bar, the stage and floor and high-top tables that tomorrow will be full of music and laughter and students knowing they’re allowed to let loose here.

“There aren’t a lot of places out there that are exclusively for students,” he continues. “It’s this weird phase, college, where you’re figuring out who you are, trying to take risks without losing too much. It’s a lot. And you look at the crime rates, date rape drugs, theft, DUIs, in the city, and it’s just—this place gives them the room to learn and grow and mess around and have a good time without the danger of the… I don’t know. The outside world. Does that make sense?”

He drums his fingers on the countertop, then seems to abruptly remember the recording and stops. “I think it’s just… well, no one’s allowed to take youth away from young people. So that’s why I’m here.”

You wonder what Gojo was like in school. He majored in gender studies, which you’re pretty sure is what Todo is at least minoring in, too—you’re not sure how it’s applicable to anything, but Nobara says he likes to pull his diploma out from behind the bar and say he’s an expert in women. It seems a far cry from this rare, more subdued version of Gojo you’re seeing right now. You’d guess he’s grown quite a bit in the time he’s been here. And Shoko’s been here to witness it.

He’s not a business owner, like Shoko or Geto. And according to Nobara, he definitely doesn’t need this gig to make a living. He’s here because he wants to be.

“These last few years have been nice, in particular,” he offers. “Just ‘cause some of us have kids going here. I mean, you know the Fushiguros. Suguru’s got the twins. And I know Ino’s not Nanami’s kid, but they’re tight.”

“Wait, what?” Nanami is the bar’s primary security guy, a bouncer who never lets a fake ID fool him. He’s part of the reason this place is so safe. Toge spins to look at you as you blurt out the question, caught off guard. “Uh, sorry. I just didn’t—I didn’t know they knew each other.”

Shoko studies you with tired, intelligent eyes, and you can’t help but feel the tables have been entirely flipped. You’re the one being interrogated, wordlessly, by the woman across the counter. You feel like every thought in your head is scrawled across your face for her to read.

“Yeah,” Gojo says, unaffected. “Ino looks up to him a lot, I think. Even though he’s an old man who reads the newspaper for fun.” He snorts. “He’s a good guy, though. And Ino’s a good kid.” He finally clocks the way Shoko’s looking at you and cocks his head, appraising.

Thankfully, Toge cuts in with another question. “So, we’ll be around tomorrow for the bands and to take some photos and observe,” he explains, glancing at you to make sure he’s got the information right. “Will Geto be around?” You’d wanted both owners’ perspectives, and now that Gojo’s reminded you of the twins, you’re even more curious.

“Yeah, Suguru and Utahime will be here tomorrow night,” Shoko says. “And Nanami. Geto would totally be down to talk to you some other time, too, when it’s a bit quieter.”

“Amazing,” you say, pulling the phone back toward you. You’ll need details, follow-ups, but you need to process this first, write some things down while they’re fresh in your mind. ‘Thank you so much for this. We appreciate it.”

“Anytime, kid,” Shoko says, waving you off. “See you tomorrow.”

As you turn off the recording, Gojo and Toge have already devolved into conversation about the bands and predictions about tomorrow night. A few posters are scattered across a low table near the door, and you pick one up, smiling at the blocky lettering advertising Black Flash. There are posters advertising all of the artists, and they look amazing, straight out of one of the alt rock venues in the wider city.

“They’re sick, right?” Gojo calls, nodding to the posters. “I gotta hang those up, actually. Thanks for the reminder.”

You wave goodbye to Shoko and Gojo and lead the way out, Toge just behind you.

“Man,” he says, and you brace yourself, recognizing his teasing tone for what it is. “They said Ino’s name and you look like scared Bambi or some shit.”

“Shut up,” you mutter, elbowing him.

He holds his hands up. “I’m just living in pursuit of the truth! Like Kusakabe would want.”

“Is your camera battery charged for tomorrow?” you say in a blatant attempt at a topic change.

“Who do you think I am?”

“Toge Inumaki, chronically irresponsible student and—”

“Okay, sorry I asked, holy shit.” He sticks his tongue out at you. Then he hesitates, frowning, and then he’s pulling out his phone and calling someone in his favorites list before you can see who it is. “Hey,” he greets. “What? No, she didn’t kick me out. Hey. Hey.” You snicker and Toge glares at you, pressing the phone closer to his ear. “Yutaaa,” he whines. “Do you know where my camera battery is?”

—

Even when you’re not the one on stage, you live for Fridays at The Fix. Tonight you’re doing double duty—because of the dual elimination at the end of the round, all of the competing artists are here. It’s not a requirement, but you want to see what you’re up against, and the sentiment seems to have carried. You and Toge are also in reporting mode for your project story.

The band on stage right now is… well, you can’t say new wave metal is really your thing, but it’s definitely theirs, and the audience is loving it. The Cull, you write in your notes. Look up names.

You couldn’t make out the lyrics if your life depended on it. It’s three guys and a girl, vaguely familiar, but you’re fairly certain they’re seniors and absolutely certain they’re baked right now.

“God, this is loud.” Yuta winces, turning to face you, and then his eyes flicker to something over your shoulder. You divert your attention from the stage and just catch the brief commotion in your periphery. Nanami has a kid by the elbow, and he’s escorting him out the side door, expressionless. The kid’s obviously drunk out of his mind, tripping over himself, shouting something that Nanami doesn’t bother to respond to.

Maki follows your gaze and wrinkles her nose up in distaste.

“Who’s that?”

“My cousin,” she says flatly. You glance quizzically at Megumi, who is definitely standing five feet away and not being escorted out of the bar.

“Dude, how much family do you have at this school?”

She sighs. “Just Mai and Megumi and him. Naoya. He’s a piece of shit.”

“Clearly,” Toge says. “He broke the M theme. No respect for the family alliteration.” Maki kicks him in the shin.

“One last round for The Cull!” Panda calls from the stage, and your ears slowly, very gradually stop ringing with the raging new wave music. The stage techs get to work behind Panda as he introduces the next group.

“Up next, making their debut, we’ve got a sophomore girl pop trio. Give it up for MOTION CAPTURE!”

There’s a big cheer from the bar, and you turn to see Geto grinning. Three girls take the stage, the blonde one grabbing the mic and adding, “All caps!” The girl beside her is very obviously her twin sister, though her hair is straight and dark while the blonde’s is tugged into pigtails. Light and dark. The girl on keys has a long, black bubble braid that she pushes out of the way as she settles in to play.

The blonde plugs in her electric and calls out, “Alright, I’m Nanako.” She tests out a chord, the sound reverberating, filling the bar all the way up to its high ceilings. “That’s Mimiko, that’s Remi, and we’re just here to have a good time.”

“Hey,” a voice says behind you, and you jump. You turn to find Takuma holding two drinks, offering one to you.

“Oh! Aw, thanks, you didn’t have to do that. How much do I owe you?”

He rolls his eyes. “Nothing.”

“Takuma—”

“Nothing,” he reiterates. “Anyway, The Cull. Thoughts?”

You take the drink and try it while you think on your answer—it’s the same thing Nobara got you last week. How did he know?

“I didn’t really understand any of the lyrics,” you admit, shrugging. “They weren’t bad. Not really my genre. Do you know them?”

Takuma shakes his head. “I had a gen ed once with that Rin kid, but I don’t know the other ones. These girls aren’t bad, though.” He’s right—they’ve launched into an Olivia Rodrigo cover that’s actually decent. They could work on their voice control, but they’re young and fun and having a good time and working the crowd, and that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

You sing along, alternating between your drink and exchanging quips with Toge and talking with Takuma. You like this new balance between your band and his, the easy camaraderie.

When the girls wrap up their set, you whoop and cheer and Kirara shamelessly watches Hakari move things off the stage, arms bare in his cut-off tank.

“You’re subtle,” Takuma tells her, and she tugs his beanie down over his face.

“Hey!”

You grab his drink before he can spill it and grin as he yanks his hat off and readjusts it. His hair is a fluffy mess underneath, and it’s kind of endearing.

When the girl pop trio is done, two guys take the stage, one in white and one in black. They’re clearly related, dark hair and pale skin and piercing eyes, and Panda introduces them as the Kamos. You don’t know if they’re brothers or cousins or what. But they’re good—they sing a few alt rock covers, play guitar.

“Damn,” Nobara sighs, a little longingly, her gaze settling on Choso as he takes over the chorus. “They’re…”

Beside her, Yuji wrinkles his nose. “Dude. That’s my half-brother.”

Nobara hums noncommittally. “And?”

He groans, tipping his head back and staring at the exposed beams of the ceiling, run through with colored lights. “Why does this always happen?”

Toge is taking more photos of them than is strictly necessary, considering your story is about the bar and not the band, but you let him have this. Scattered throughout the crowd are more kids with cameras, freshmen from the entry-level reporting classes with big underage stamps on the backs of their hands. Somebody mistook Toge for one of them earlier, and Maki hasn’t let it go all night.

You jot down atmospheric notes on your phone, little things that’ll help set the scene for your project lede, keeping an eye on the bar as much as you can. Geto has jumped in at the bar, which he usually does when the place gets busy, and Gojo is terrorizing Utahime again.

“How’d your interview go?” Takuma asks, nodding at your notes. It shouldn’t faze you so much that he remembers what you told him about your story, but you can’t help the little kick of your heart in your chest at the reminder.

“Good! Really good.” And then you catch sight of Nanami, back at the door after calling a cab for Maki’s asshat cousin. “Actually, Gojo mentioned you.”

Takuma’s brows shoot up. “Gojo? Why?”

Nanami has always seemed incredibly reserved, stony and silent in a way Takuma has never been. You don’t want to pry, but you’re also curious about the relationship between them, how they met, what they are to each other. The journalist in you wants to know.

And then there’s the part of you that just wants to know Takuma.

“Well, he was talking about the twins and the Fushiguros, and he kind of mentioned something about you knowing Nanami?” You try to sound casual, jerking your chin toward the door where Nanami is posted, like a tall, blond guard dog.

“Oh,” he says, surprised, but he shrugs, not seeming too alarmed by the question. “Yeah, I’ve known Nanami for… a long time. He’s kind of a mentor. He’s the reason I met Fushiguro in the first place, actually, ‘cause of him knowing Gojo.”

You’re considering asking how exactly they did meet when the Kamos wrap up, Nobara staring up at them dreamily, and the stage clears out for the final artist.

Whatever questions you had are thrown out the window, because you know who this is. Everyone knows who this is.

Fifth-year student and resident SoundCloud rapper, Ryomen Sukuna. Or D!SH0NORED1, according to the posters.

“Oh, here we go,” Megumi groans.

Despite his reputation on campus, you don’t know anyone who’s actually close to Sukuna, except Uruame. You mostly know that he deals at the skate park and that he’s clean about it.

And that his raps are truly, genuinely horrible.

He lets Panda give a stilted introduction and launches into a verse, mic too close to his mouth, making hand gestures or stepping to the beat of his backing track. His tattoos are even more stark and bold under the stage lights.

“My blood type’s B, your type is me, my zodiac Caprisun, it might be controversial but you’re still lookin’ at me, son!”

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Kirara mutters. “I’m gonna bleach my eardrums.”

“Caprisun?” Nobara whispers. “Oh, dude.”

You might be a terrible person for thinking it, but watching this guy’s performance makes you feel infinitely better about your odds of advancing in the tournament.

His final song is a new one he introduces as Frosted Flexin’, and Maki looks like she’s about ready to keel over dead.

“Frosted flexin’, I'm the cereal king, pourin' oat milk in the mix, yeah, I'm doin' my thing,” Sukuna spits in his low voice, swaggering up to the front of the stage. You are trying so hard not to lose it.

“Sukuna being an oat milk truther wasn’t on my bingo card,” Toge says.

“Got the swag of a squirrel and the brain of a dove, call me trash, but you're still showin' me love.”

“Thoughts on the amount of swag a given squirrel possesses?” you ask Takuma. He laughs, loud and bright, and then seems to very seriously consider the question.

“I don’t know if campus squirrels have swag. They live in luxury. They probably eat better than we do,” he says. You can’t argue that—you did once see a squirrel outside your sociology class run by with a full bagel in its mouth. “The wilderness squirrels, though, I think they got a scrappy kind of swag. Like, I wouldn’t cross them.”

You nod sagely. “I want them on my team in the apocalypse.”

He nudges you with a shoulder. “Am I on your team?”

You glance at him, make a show of looking him up and down. Maybe you’re imagining it, but you think he’s blushing a little. “I don’t know. How fast can you climb a tree?”

Sukuna is nearing the end of his song, now, saying, “Off-tune, out of sync, yeah, I know it's a sin, but you'll play it back twice 'cause I still might win.”

He actually, physically drops the mic and Hakari swoops in and catches it, clearing his throat and saying into it, “Yep, friendly reminder that equipment’s expensive! Everyone give our last artist of the night a hand, yeah?”

There’s scattered applause and more than a few confused faces as Sukuna lopes off stage, and Panda hops back up to explain the voting system for anyone who wasn’t here last week. “QR codes to the Google form are posted around the bar,” he says.

Out of all eight artists, the bottom two will be eliminated. You’re nervous. But voting was open last week too. You can’t vote as a member of the band, and it’s all done through school Google accounts to avoid double votes or the link getting sent out to non-students.

“Open until tomorrow morning,” Panda reminds the audience. “Results and second round schedules will be posted on the Instagram at some point tomorrow! That’s it for this Friday at The Fix. Have a great night, folks. Get home safe.”

Gojo whoops dramatically from the bar, and Panda gives him a weird look before getting off stage.

Your friends start heading toward the door, and you grab Toge and excuse yourself to catch Geto at the bar. Gojo sees you first. “The newsies!” he calls.

“Like the musical?” you say in lieu of a greeting. “Banger soundtrack.”

“I could dance on newspapers,” Toge says.

“Geto!” The Fix’s other owner smiles at you, soft and genuine. Part of his dark hair is pulled back and the rest hangs loose over his shoulders, a stark contrast to Gojo—like the Kamos, you think, or like Nanako and Mimiko. Light and dark. “We were wondering if you’d be down to set up a time to talk. Has Gojo told you about our story at all?”

Geto smiles, drying a glass and leaning against the bar. “He told me he’s gonna be the front page of every paper in the city, which I assume is a horrid exaggeration,” he says. Gojo looks affronted. “Shoko mentioned you’re doing a feature for class, though. I’d be happy to.”

“We have our Monday night class time open for field reporting the week after this one,” Toge offers. “Will you be around?”

“I will indeed. Utahime, too, if you want to speak to both of us. And Gojo won’t be here, which might be beneficial for you.”

“Suguru,” Gojo gasps, pretending to stagger back. “You wound me.”

“Mhm,” he says, unaffected. “What time works best for you two?”

You set up a time to interview Geto and Utahime, then say goodbye to him and Gojo and run to catch up to your friends. It’s a nice night, and since you didn’t have to deal with instruments, you all decided to walk.

“How goes the… journalisming? Journaling?” Takuma asks when you fall into step beside him.

“Good, all good. Reporting is maybe a better word, but valiant effort.”

“I like journalisming. Can you just submit words to the official dictionary? I’m gonna do it.”

“No,” Toge says, and you blink. He shrugs. “What? I tried once. But the only submission form I could find was for the Bureau of Linguistical Reality and it wasn’t like, a legitimate dictionary form. There’s all these requirements, it’s horrible.”

“What word did you try to submit?” you ask warily, not sure if you actually want to know.

“Some things,” Toge says solemnly, “are better kept secret.”

The night is hazy, only small rays of moonlight piercing through the cloud cover, and you make your way through the campus roads guided only by the streetlamps and Maki’s reliable sense of direction.

Part of you wants to ask Takuma to come over, or Yuji to insist the band come over to his place again, just so you can keep talking. But you have work to do, things to write and transcribe, lists of follow-up questions to make, and that’s only your workload for this one class. You still have exams this week, and you need to study now so you can balance it with rehearsals. Assuming you actually advanced to round two, that is.

And part of you worries you might be taking this too fast, too. You don’t typically integrate people into your life so quickly. You like spending time with Takuma and Kirara and Yuji and even Megumi, though he’s pretty quiet. You just don’t want to jump in too far too fast.

At your place, you say your goodbyes and head up to your room to get some work done. Toge uploads his photos and puts them in your project folder on Drive. And you spend the night doing what you do best, aside from drumming—writing.

Youth for the young: JU alumni run safest live music bar in city limits

You don’t even notice the time until it’s past one in the morning, and you’re nearly asleep at your desk. The dark has crept across your room, the only source of light the desk lamp and your laptop screen. Finally, you push the computer shut and flick off the light, flopping into your bed. A few missed messages pop up when you hold your phone up, wincing at the bright screen.

takuma: just letting you know i made the treacherous journey home safely takuma: many miles of hardship takuma: thought i was gonna die halfway there

You smirk and type out a reply.

you: did kirara have to save you takuma: i resent that takuma: (yes) takuma: wait why are you up it’s so late you: journalisming you: why are YOU up takuma: travel adrenaline takuma: (coding project due monday that i just started) you: TAKUMA

The next text to come through is a voice note, and you can’t help smiling as you hit play and his voice fills the open air of your bedroom.

“Okay, in my defense, I thought it was due next Monday. Which maybe isn’t my defense because it means I just can’t read due dates, or maybe I just can’t read, but I thought I had a lot more time and then one of my classmates texted me asking for help on this block of code and I told him I hadn’t started and he was like oh my god, Ino, it’s due in three days, and I was like no it’s not, we have so much time—turns out we don’t have so much time, so I’m over here staring at my screen until the vessels in my eyes pop—”

He yawns, and it makes you yawn too, despite the screen separating you. “Sorry, agh. Anyway, I have to write this program that uses some kind of randomized generator…”

You find your eyelids fighting gravity, exhaustion washing over you as he explains the project and all the reasons he’s not that worried about getting it done by Monday because actually he’s on a roll and it turns out the code isn’t that different from a similar project he did last year so he can just lift the main blocks over and wow, he’s tired, and you stifle a laugh as the voice memo comes to an end and he says, “Okay, gosh, I should go to bed. You should go to bed. Stop journalisming, Skip, get some sleep. G’night.”

You grin, plugging your phone in and sending him a voice memo of your own.

“I’m done journalisming. Still haven’t written that story on you, though. Night, Takuma.”

The last thing you see before you fall asleep is his reaction to your text. It’s a thumbs up, but after a few seconds, it disappears, replaced with a heart.

—

“I’m gonna die,” Nobara groans.

You’ve been checking Instagram every hour on the hour for the bracket results, but to no avail. The five of you are sprawled out in the living room, a Fleetwood Mac record spinning in the corner, cups of coffee and tea and scattered remnants of breakfast dotting the table and the floor and the windowsill.

You have post notifications on for the Battle of the Bands Instagram page, but you check anyway, as if you somehow missed it.

“Okay,” Maki says. “Cut it out. No phones.”

“Maki,” Toge groans. “How do we live with the suspense?”

“Go around and give a rundown of your week?” Yuta suggests.

“Aw, highs and lows, it’s like elementary school,” Nobara says happily. “I’ll go first! High: annoying slacker guy in my marketing class got a shit grade on the group project and the rest of us got As. Low: Skipper won’t give me Ino lore.”

“Lore,” you mimic. “I don’t have any lore. We’ve known each other for like, two weeks.”

“That’s enough time for lore,” she insists. “What’s your high? Ino?”

“Okay, jeez,” you say. “Maybe it’s that Toge and I had a really good first interview for our project story.”

Toge blinks at you.

“Fine, maybe it’s Takuma.”

Nobara grins in a way you can only describe as malicious. “Okay,” you say, pointing at her. “Low: whatever that is.” She sticks her tongue out at you.

“My low is Skipper bullying me in class,” Toge says. “And my high is she said she’d be my partner, so I’m not gonna fail.”

Yuta nods sagely. “Maki?”

“Uhh,” she says eloquently. “My parents won’t stop pestering me about fall break. But I aced a test on Thursday in anthro, so there’s that.”

“You’re not going home, right?” you ask. She shakes her head resolutely. Maki doesn’t go home unless she absolutely has to—one thing she and Mai actually have in common.

All of your phones go off at once, a mix of buzzes and beeps and Apple watchfaces lighting up, and Nobara screams. “I can’t look!” she cries. “Someone tell me!”

You click on the notification and pull up the post, heart racing.

The first slide is a generic Battle of the Bands announcement with the cool ass graphics you’ve been seeing on the posters. Whoever designs those needs a raise. The second image is the bracket for next Friday, with the first knockout round of three—only one group will move on to the finals. “Who is it?” Nobara asks anxiously, pacing the room. “Oh god, I’m gonna die.”

“Shibuya Incident,” you read off, unable to keep the smile from your face. “Angel.” Nobara groans overdramatically. “And the Kamos.”

You swipe to the next screen, heart in your throat. OCTOBER 18, it reads. THE CULL. CURSED TECHNIQUE. BLACK FLASH.

“Oh my god!” you scream. “Oh my god, we made it!”

Toge yanks you to your feet and starts hopping around the living room, and Nobara shrieks with joy as you pull her into the celebration. Even Maki and Yuta are sporting wide smiles as they watch the three of you bounce around like kids on a sugar rush.

“What, no Sukuna?” Maki teases when you’ve calmed down. Toge clears his throat and does his best impression, going as far as to make his pants sag a little around his waist.

“Frosted flexin’, I’m the cereal king, pourin’… uh, duh nuh nuh, something doin’ my thing,” he says in a deep voice. “Uh… squirrel? Somethin’ fuego, that’s Spanish, uhhh…”

“Oh my god, let me look it up,” Nobara cackles, pulling up SoundCloud. “It’s I’m the king of bad decisions, got a throne made of Legos, took a bite of my mic and said these bars are fuego.”

Yuta physically winces. “Does he really sag his pants like that?”

Toge shrugs. “It felt right in the moment.”

“Wait, who’s the other one eliminated, then?” you ask, running through the bands in your head. Yours, Takuma’s, Black Flash, the Kamos…

“Motion Capture,” Maki says.

“No, it’s all caps. You have to shout it. MOTION CAPTURE!” Toge hollers. Nobara snorts.

You aren’t entirely surprised, but you have a feeling the girls aren’t too put out about it. They’re young, too—they’ll have their time to shine eventually.

You grin, flopping back onto the couch. “Okay, rehearsal when? Tonight?”

“Yeah, I have to go to a friend’s to figure some stuff out for a project, but I’ll be back at like… five?” Yuta says.

“Oh, fuck, I gotta go too!” Nobara says, darting toward the stairs.

“Group project?” Maki asks.

“Shopping! I gotta pick Miwa up in like, ten minutes!”

Maki rolls her eyes fondly. Yuta stands up and grabs his bag, heading toward the entryway, and the rest of you gravitate instinctually to the kitchen. Nobara is out the door moments later with a wave and a shout, and Toge grins.

“What,” Maki deadpans, not a question.

“I printed memes to hide on her Polaroid wall. Be right back.”

You snort, turning your attention to the window to watch Nobara cruise down the block. The view of her sleek, small car is interrupted by Yuta’s jungle of plants.

“I hope they’re not too cold,” he says, frowning as he tugs a jacket on over his white hoodie. “Do they look okay to you?”

“Yeah,” you say, pointing to the one in the white, ovular pot. “Especially this one, it’s getting so big! What’s his name, Snorlax?” Yuta had a phase where he named at least six plants in a row after Pokèmon.

“No, that one’s Rika, after that TV show,” Maki corrects, not looking up. Yuta blinks, looks between her and the plant, whose vines have started to creep up the window. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. Both of your eyes on her have her looking up from her phone, expression flat and unaffected. “What?”

“Yeah,” he says slowly. “I didn’t know… anyone paid attention.”

Maki shrugs. “You talk to them out loud.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Yuta laughs and waves one last time before he walks out, closing the door behind him. You count to five in your head and then whirl on Maki, entirely unable to keep the shit-eating grin off your face.

“Kowalski, status report.”

She blinks at you. “What?”

“I said—”

“No, I know, just—on what? What happened?”

You groan, dragging the heels of your hands down your face. “Maki. Please.” You gesture wildly between her and the door, wondering if she’s genuinely this oblivious or if she’s just as good a liar as Mai. “Are you—did we not just witness the same interaction? Jesus, Maki, put the boy out of his misery!”

Seeing Maki frazzled is not a common occurrence. The most agitated you ever see her is talking about her family or trading passive aggressive jabs with Mai. This is an entirely new sort of disarray—she’s flustered.

“I—what?! I can’t do that! And he’s not miserable. He’s that nice to everyone.”

You groan, burying your face in your hands with your elbows on the counter. “Maki! He likes you. And your face is telling me you like him back.”

She scoffs, turning her head down and crossing her arms defensively. “I’m not messing things up by dating my bandmate. We live together, Skip, he’s my best friend, if things got messy—”

You hold up a hand. “First of all, offensive. I’m your best friend. Second of all, I hear no denial. Also, it won’t get messy. You are the two most mature people in this house and you know how to separate personal from practical. If anything, it’s gonna kill the vibes of the band and the house if you just keep stewing in the sexual tension.”

“Oh my god,” Maki groans. “There. Is. No. Sexual. Tension.”

“There’s always sexual tension,” Toge announces, walking in and jumping up onto the countertop, legs swinging. He looks between the two of you innocently. “What are we talking about?”

“You might be of some help, actually,” you say, turning to Toge with your hands clasped.

“Uh, actually? Not oh, Toge, you’re always so helpful, thank god you live with me and keep my life interesting—”

“Nevermind.”

“No, pleeease,” Toge insists, sticking out his lower lip. “What?” His gaze shifts to Maki, who’s blushing a furious red. His mouth turns into a small O. “This is about Yuta?”

You didn’t think she could get any more scarlet, but here she is.

“Does everyone think that?” she groans, throwing her head back in exasperation.

Toge shrugs. “I thought we were all just quietly skirting around it until you both snapped.”

“Nobara doesn’t skirt around anything,” Maki says.

“Well, there’s no way she doesn’t know,” you point out. “Maybe she just respects both of you enough to leave it alone.”

“Hah!” Toge snorts, poking you in the ribs. “That means she doesn’t respect you. She wants the Ino lore.”

“I’m gonna tell Nobara about the memes.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Abruptly, you realize you never got around to Yuta for highs and lows, what with the chaos of the brackets dropping. “Ah, guys,” you say. “We missed Yuta.” You pull up the house group chat.

you: YUTA DROP YOUR HIGH AND LOW IN THE CHAT you: YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN freak no. 1: yes you are utah: haha aw that’s nice utah disliked a message from freak no. 1 utah: uhh low is maybe that toge keeps leaving memes all over our room. like i keep finding them tucked in my notebooks and everything freak no. 1: SLANDER freak no. 1: LIBEL you: not the same thing freak no. 1: SHUT UP utah: high is someone remembers the names of my plants!! :) nobara: Sorry, using voice text while I drive. Who knows the names of your plants? You and God? utah: maki! :)

“Okay, well, respond,” Toge says, poking Maki in the side. She glares at him and likes Yuta’s message.

“Guys,” she says exasperatedly. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Does he know?”

And you’re not sure, honestly. You don’t know that Yuta is even aware of his own feelings, let alone aware that Maki reciprocates them. You shrug helplessly. “How about… ask?”

“Jesus,” Maki says.

“Not him, Yuta.”

Maki socks Toge in the shoulder and levels him with a disdainful look. “You are the bane of my existence.”

“And the object of all your desires,” Toge proclaims in a horrendous Bridgerton accent. He made you watch all of it with him in two days. Maki refused.

Now, she just shoves him, and he squeals as he falls off the kitchen counter.

“Children,” you sigh. “Do you need to be separated?”

“Yes!”

—

“Why is this so hard?” You stand with your feet planted on Takuma’s skateboard, which is confoundingly, entirely different than balancing atop your longboard. “Oh my god.” You lurch forward as the board rolls a bit to the left, unable to stifle the squeal that comes out of your mouth.

Takuma stops it with one foot.

“Your center of balance is lower on a longboard,” he laughs. “Like, here.” His hands wrap around your waist and you tense under his grip, and he immediately freezes, jerking his arms back. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”

“No! No, it’s okay,” you blurt, sheepish. “I just wasn’t expecting it, I—here.” You try to fight the blush furiously rising in your cheeks as you take his wrists in both hands, putting them back where they were. You clear your throat, suddenly too warm. “Um. Okay, so—do you turn the same way?”

“Pretty much. You just lean,” Takuma says, and you shift your weight to your heels, letting him steady you. “It’s a bit harsher than you would on a longboard, though. Unless you want me to send you right into kickturns?” His tone is teasing and you pretend to consider, tapping a finger against your chin.

“Mm. Maybe later.”

You’ve been at the skate park for a while now, and you’ve only recently ditched your longboard for the skateboard. Takuma brought the extra board you saw hanging on his wall the other day, and he uses it to demonstrate while you practice riding back and forth, getting a hold on your balance. After you feel like you can make it a good distance without pinwheeling your arms, you come to a staggered stop beside him.

A flash of blue-green hair grabs your attention, and you watch a kid in a lightning bolt hoodie slip under the ramps. The park has been pretty deserted today aside from a few guys doing tricks in the pit, a chilly Sunday with the sunlight muted by the clouds.

“Ooh, drug deal in action.” You poke Takuma in the side.

“Ah, probably Sukuna. He deals here all the time.” Sukuna’s business is one of those things everyone’s aware of but nobody talks about. He’s consistent and pretty safe, as far as drug dealers go, but he’ll deny any involvement while smoking a joint if he has to.

“Who’s space buns?”

“Uhh…” Takuma narrows his eyes, and the guy slips out again. “Damn, that was fast. Oh, that’s Hajime. Another senior, I think. They hate each other. Fastest deals I’ve ever seen.”

“I wonder how much of his songwriting is just… while he’s really, really high,” you muse. Swag of a squirrel doesn’t strike you as a particularly levelheaded thought, but hey, it’s certainly memorable.

Takuma leans in and says conspiratorially, “I’m pretty sure I heard him dropping bars here the other day when I was with Yuji.”

You snort and look up at one of the smallest ramps, one you think you could handle without falling on your face, and point to it with a raised brow.

“Oh, moving up in the world?” Takuma kicks his board up and starts walking over, and you do the same. Before you put the board down at the top of the ramp, though, you hold it up to the light, noticing a few short, white hairs caught on the surface.

“Is this… fur?” Maybe there was a cat hiding out somewhere when you were over. Kirara seems like she’d have a cat.

Takuma sighs. “Yeah, the dogs shed like crazy. It gets everywhere. I don’t think I even left that on the ground.”

Your jaw drops, and you stare at him until he looks back at you. “Dogs?”

“What? Yeah, Fushiguro’s—”

“Fushiguro has dogs? Dogs plural? In the house?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No!” you cry. “What? Oh my god! Where were they on Wednesday? How many? What are their names?”

Takuma leans back on the rail next to the ramp, grinning. “I can’t believe you didn’t know. Oh my god. They’re so cute. Tsumiki had them Wednesday, I think. Mandated auntie time. Do you wanna meet ‘em?”

“Do I want to meet them?” you repeat, practically bouncing on the balls of your feet. “Uh, yeah. Are they home? Oh my god. I love dogs.”

“I couldn’t tell,” he deadpans, but he’s smiling still. “Yeah, they’re home. And you can meet them if you go down this ramp without dying.”

“You’re cruel,” you say, situating yourself on the board. “But I will. And then I’ll meet the dogs and become their best friend and they’ll love me more than you and Megumi combined.”

“Confident.” He comes up beside you, checking your stance. The ramp didn’t look steep or long at all from your vantage point across the park, but now that you’re atop the board, it feels suddenly very steep and very long. “You got it. Just don’t panic, keep your stance.” He drops his own board and cruises down the ramp, hardly even trying.

“Okay, go!” he calls from the bottom. “C’mon, Skip, the dogs are waiting.”

“Oh, god,” you murmur, the wind catching your words and whisking them away. You ball your hands into fists and push off, planting your foot back on the board and trying to keep your knees bent, but not too stiff, as you careen down the ramp. Don’t panic, keep your stance. You’re at the bottom in what feels like nanoseconds, and the sudden shift from ramp to flat ground has you stumbling off the board with an embarrassingly high-pitched squeak of alarm.

“Nice!” Takuma laughs as he catches you, the board rolling a few more feet ahead. His arm is wrapped around your front, the other holding you up by the shoulder, and this time you don’t tense under his hands.

“Thanks,” you say a little breathlessly, grinning, the tiny spike of adrenaline making you almost lightheaded. He lets his hands drop when you’re steady on your feet, and part of you mourns the warmth a little. But there are more pressing matters at hand. “So, about those dogs?”

You opt for your longboard on the way back down your street, cruising along beside Takuma, who has his extra board tucked under his arm. You’ve got a lot to do tonight, all the last-minute preparation for another crazy week, but you can and will drop everything to pet a puppy. Or two. Always.

And they’re actual angels. Big, fluffy angels on earth, one white and one black, and they’re all over you the second you open the door.

“Hi!” you say happily, sinking down to their level. The white one immediately tries to burrow into your lap. “Oh, hello! You’re so nice, aren’t you?” You glance up at Takuma. “Where’s Megumi?” You grab the white one’s collar and check the tag—Shiro.

“Shiro thinks she’s a tiny dog,” he says, bending down to ruffle the fur behind her ears. “Uh, Fushiguro’s at the animal clinic. He works there Sundays. And Tuesdays, I think.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, he’s a vet student. You didn’t know?”

“I did not.” The black one is licking your face, and you giggle and check his tag, too. Kuro. “Hi, Kuro. You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”

“He’s got such a soft spot for animals,” Takuma says as he kicks off his shoes. “You should see when they both try to sleep in his little twin bed. It’s ridiculous.”

“I love them,” you say, burying your face in Kuro’s scruff. “Hi, doggies. You’re awful cute, you know that? Mhm. Yes you are.”

When you finally look up again, Kuro’s cold nose nudging insistently at your palm, Takuma is leaning against the wall, looking down at you with his phone discreetly angled your way. “Takuma!”

He laughs, not bothering to hide it anymore, very clearly taking photos of you with the dogs. “It’s cute!” he insists. “I’ll send them to you. Proof for Fushiguro of your master plan to make them like you more than him.”

“And you,” you remind him.

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

You gesture pointedly to the two dogs, who are all over you and not him. It’ll be a nightmare trying to get all of Shiro’s white fur off your black jacket later, but it’s worth it.

“You’re new,” he says. “New scent. It’s the novelty factor. I am their favorite.”

“You sure? I’m pretty hard to compete with.”

He smiles, looking from you to the photos he took of you and the dogs. “Yeah,” he says. “You are.”

—

The first half of the new week goes by in a rushed routine of classes, homework, and rehearsals, each night ending with you collapsing into bed, new and old lyrics fighting for dominance in the back of your mind. Sticks re-taped and drum heads re-tuned, assignments turned in and drafts edited. Your classes are ramping up as midterms approach, and Yuta bounces between his own work and poking his head into everyone’s rooms, making sure they don’t forget about dinner.

Toge follows through on his snack run promise, and the two of you spend hours on Tuesday afternoon trading two different flavored bags of Doritos back and forth, Toge writing photo captions while you edit your story lede.

Takuma, Hakari, and Kirara have offered to help Cursed Technique record a single on Wednesday night, and the five of you have been drilling the new song you wrote up, down, and sideways.

Finally, Wednesday arrives, and you’re all crammed into the recording studio space, instruments set up and headsets tuned in.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Nobara says to Hakari on the other side of the glass. She taps a finger on the mic in demonstration, and you hear it in your own headphones.

“Great,” he says. “Skipper?”

“Skipper? I hardly know her,” Toge says, earning a harmless smack upside the head from Yuta and a not harmless smack upside the head from Maki.

“I will throw these at you,” you tell him, holding up your sticks. Toge sticks his bottom lip out, pouting.

A snicker from beside you draws your attention back to Takuma, kneeling just beside the throne as he adjusts the kick mic. He has you hit it a few times while Hakari monitors the levels. You feel oddly self-conscious like this, him looking up at you, but then he smiles and it’s not strange at all. It’s stupid how fast he can put you at ease with a look.

“Nice,” he says. “Okay, that should work, yeah, Hakari?”

It’s Kirara who answers, “Yeah, you’re good.”

Takuma stands up, claps his hands together once, and looks at you. “Okay. Kill it, Skip.”

“Yessir.” You salute him with a stick and he makes his way to the other room, closing the door behind him.

“All good?” Yuta asks, glancing at each of you in turn before giving Hakari a thumbs up. It’s strange to be on this side of the glass, to think about your music being played back, to think about it on Spotify, out in the world.

“Next Fix,” Takuma says into the mic, locking eyes with you through the window. “Take one in three, two…”

The song starts out simple. You click your sticks together near the mic, on two and four, while Maki lays down a four-bar loop.

Yuta keeps glancing at Maki while she plays, utterly unaware, and the look on his face is so soft you want to shake Maki by the shoulders until she does something about it.

Nobara’s got her eyes closed with the headset over her ears and her hands around the mic, entirely engrossed in the song.

“It’s comin’ on, comin’ strong, spinnin’ up out of the blue, mmm,” she sings, stretching out the vowels. “And I’m on the ground, bleedin’ out, until my next fix of you, ooh.”

Now you start up with a light rock beat, closed hat and a bit of a dragging buzz on the snare hits. Just as you transition into the beat, Toge comes in with some low chords and Yuta moves down the line in syncopated sixteenths.

Hakari is nodding approvingly and Takuma has a wide grin on his face, and you can’t help smiling back.

“I need it like a lung,” Nobara sings, swaying a bit. “I need it like a light. It’s got me twisted up. I need you here tonight, tonight, tonight, oh, oh, I wanna—”

And this part is your favorite—Nobara sings each two-syllable phrase while you pound on the toms twice, emphasizing it with the kick, and then the backup vocals echo her. Get my (get my) next fix (next fix) of you (of you, of you, of you.)

Kirara pumps her fist in the air twice, in time with the beat, and your bandmates can’t keep the smiles off their faces. You’ve got something here, you really do. This might be your best one yet.

When the song’s over, Nobara whoops and tugs off the headphones, jumping around the cramped studio space with a grin on her face. “That was so cool! Oh my god. Guys, we sound good. We actually sound good.”

“Damn,” Kirara calls. “Okay, girl drummer. Good shit.”

“Not bad for a first run,” Maki admits, adjusting her bass strap over her shoulder. “Do we wanna try recording backups separately at all?”

“Good call.” Takuma nods. “Let’s run that again without the backups and record them over, see what happens.” He’s in full producer mode, flipping switches, colored lights reflecting in his eyes as he and Hakari talk shop away from the mic. He’s good at this, you realize, running sessions like this, making sure things go where they need to go, that everyone’s heard, that things get done. It’s a little bit like watching him skateboard, or seeing him on stage. There’s a confidence to him here, a smooth, easy energy. He’s in his element.

“Alright,” he says after a minute. “Let’s hear that again.”

And you play it again. And again. And again. And you are so in love with this moment, with your band, with a couple rowdy kids on the other side of the window, the rasp in Nobara’s voice and the expression on Yuta’s face and Maki’s obliviousness and Toge’s consistent, head-banging keys, and your drums and your words and the music, and the lyrics feel right to you.

You need this like a lung.

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jjk taglist open: just send me a message!

@shutuppeter @mikikkoo @reactwithjan @theclassbookworm @lilactaro @bisforbuse @risararelywrites @idkidk32

a/n: GUYS. loml @shutuppeter is so downbad for soundcloud rapper sukuna that she's writing fanfic of my fanfic😭 credits for frosted flexin' are all hers LMFAO so go check that out (MDNI for that one though).

yutamaki nation rise. also, i kinda love this fic. there may be spinoffs for other characters in the works...

[toytoriyadorm]

CHAPTER 23: Locked in the Toy Box

“I can’t believe it, stuck in a cage in a cage.” Grim grumbled after yowling for help for the umpteenth time. 

Yuukei groaned in response as he took another bite of a stale breakfast bar. Thankfully, his bag always had emergency food after Scarabia’s fiasco, allowing the two to remain healthy in this makeshift prison. “It’d probably be less annoying if you took a break from screaming for help, Grim.”

“But we gotta break out of here before the loop starts over, don’t we? I don’t wanna end up having no memories of everything going on!” ‘

“And we will soon, we’re just waiting on Winston. Time’s really weird in the loop anyways, so maybe he’s just taking really long with printing all those photos.” 

“Oh yeah? And what if Winston got captured by Lotsie and we’re just stuck here?” 

Yuukei went silent, before putting the half-eaten snack back into his bag and joining Grim on yelling for help. As if on cue, the door had suddenly begun to rattle before being thrown open. In the blinding light, the two saw a familiar face.

“Rocket guy!” Grim exclaimed at the sight of Saturn. He put his finger to the beast’s mouth in a shushing motion.

“What are you doing here?” Yuukei whispered, grateful for the purple-eyed student’s appearance.

“I had a weird feeling from the get-go.” Saturn replied. “Sorry I took so long, I didn’t realize he never actually talked to the Headmaster until I went to Ramshackle myself and found it empty.”

“Why’d you go to Ramshackle?”

“Our ‘wonderful’ dorm leader created some lie about you guys opting out of the festival. That didn’t seem like you guys with how excited you two were, much less any first year.”

Saturn offered his hand to the duo. “Now let's get out of here, I don’t know how long we got until he notices I’ve snuck away.”

CHAPTER 24: The Meltdown of a Lifetime

Back at the Festival, the 3rd day had come and gone once more. But this time, a new problem had arisen for the final act of the show.

“What do you mean you still can’t find Winston?” Lotsie asked a tense team of backstage students. Zackery stood next to Lotsie, having tried to help in the search.

“I told you! We looked everywhere from Toytoriya to Ramshackle, he’s nowhere!” The student bit his thumb. “Maybe we should tell Headmaster–”

“No! No one is telling anyone! He’s somewhere in the school, I know it.” 

“King Huggins, allow this villain to propose canceling the performance. The hero will be enraged later, but it means more time can be put into looking for him!”

“A-and waste all your work?” Lotsie put on a sad smile. “That just won’t do. He– Both of you are needed for tonight, you’re the ending act after all!”

Lotsie turned back to the backstage crew, unnerved by their dorm leader. “I want as many people on the lookout for Winston, pull out people in the middle of setting up stuff, even. Just make sure he’s found within the next hour or so.” 

“But we haven’t gotten our chance to perform yet!“ A short student argued.

“So? You should have just scheduled for an earlier time.”

“King Huggins, I really don’t mind needing to not perfo—“

“No, Zackery! You’re not canceling Winston’s act!” He yelled. “Can’t you just listen to me this one time?! Or are you going to go do some nonsensical weirdo crap that messes up everyone’s day like usual?!” 

Everyone went silent at the outburst, the grip Lotsie had on his cane only tightened. He opened his mouth to yell more, but stopped as his eyes drifted to the crowd behind the stage. The sight of an animal’s ears blazing with blue fire made his heart stop. He pushed past a silent Zackery and confronted the group. 

“Saturn, what are you doing?” 

“Stopping whatever fiasco you’ve decided to make.” Saturn spoke with his usual confidence, “No wonder you’ve kept them locked up in that creepy basement, Yuukei’s way more convincing than he lets on.”

Lotsie sputtered. “You’re seriously trusting those two delinquents’ words over your own dorm leader?”

“From lying about what happened with Yuukei to saying they left the festival only for me to find them in the dorm’s basement… Even if I was suspicious of their claims, it's not like you’re any hero either. The Lotsie I know would care about all his classmates.”

Saturn paused, a scowl appearing on his face. “...unless the one I’ve been with has been nothing but a lie.”

The dorm leader gritted his teeth in anger when the stage light had suddenly turned on, directing everyone’s attention to the stage. 

“Winston..?” Zackery whispered as the cowboy shined in the white glow of the stagelight. 

[weddingdecorationdubai]

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The majority of brides and grooms are employing expert florists to bring their wedding into existence. Ranging from a whirling floral chandelier to a custom-made arch showering peonies and orchids, Dubai wedding flowers in 2025 are dramatic, emotional, and strongly symbolic.

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And since the world is now global, Dubai wedding flower arrangements are also on the same track slowly but surely. Dubai flower boutiques are using locally grown flowers, recycling flowers for daytime, and using floral foam to a bare minimum in a bid to create green and beautiful pieces of art.

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Behind every exquisite floral arrangement stands a group of caring florists who are all about the magic of Dubai weddings. In queue is Flower Store Dubai, arguably one of the most gorgeous flower stores that boast of thinking "out of the box" with excellent service too. From ethereal garden-floral wedding decor to a seriously elegant flower archway, under the guidance of an expert florist is the key to recreating stunning wedding floral decor in Dubai.

Dubai Flower Store has been a pioneer when it comes to flowers, often helping couples bring their Pinterest boards to life. They personally sift through the seasons, listen to venue architecture, and work with the couple's vision to craft lasting floral experiences.

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Flower design goes far beyond centerpieces. This is where wedding floral decor in Dubai.makes its space:

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Reception Tables: Don't just think about the vase alone. Dangling florals, floral runners, and sculptural floral centerpieces are revolutionizing table decor.

Ceiling Installations: Dangling florals add depth and amazement to any indoor space.

Floral Photo Walls: Perfect for Instagram moments and guest engagement, these backdrops are a Dubai wedding floral decor showstopper.

Why Dubai is a Floral Design Powerhouse

Dubai’s global influence means couples have access to flowers from around the world, expert designers from various cultures, and venues that allow creative expression. The city’s flair for luxury and grandeur makes it a haven for show-stopping wedding floral decor in Dubai. Whether it’s a multicultural celebration or a destination wedding, florals in Dubai are more than decorative—they’re an experience.

Final Thoughts

If your wedding would be in this mythic city, flowers can't be forgotten wedding floral decor in Dubai. can make a wedding become a fairy-tale wedding, a reflection of you, and make memories of a lifetime with you and the wedding party. From rooftop commitments to extravagant ballroom receptions, flowers are the essence of merriment.

And searching for the ultimate flower accessory, Flower Store Dubai is still the best among couples seeking originality, reliability, and elegance in every flower.

[ronaldanthony4]

As I sit in front of my computer, clicking away at my digital canvas, I find myself again immersed in creating another artwork featuring my beloved original characters. This time, it's all about "ASLEEP," the gang I've envisioned with five fierce female members: Liliana, Penny, Evelyn, Ella, and Sandra. Oh, and let's remember the only boy among them, Arlon. The gang's dynamic is as diverse as their personalities, and I'm excited to bring them to life again. Together, they form a tight-knit group that navigates through various adventures and challenges in the world I've created for them.

In this particular artwork, the girls are dressed in strapless short rompers, a quintessential summer ensemble that's practically a uniform in my hometown during the summer months. Each romper boasts a unique design, yet they all share a common theme of simplicity, allowing the individuality of each character to shine through. The girls' outfits reflect their personalities and preferences, adding depth to their characters beyond just their appearances. This attention to detail in their attire enhances the storytelling aspect of the artwork, giving viewers a glimpse into who these characters are beyond the surface.

Sandra rocks a vibrant green romper, while Evelyn opts for a calming pastel blue. Liliana exudes elegance in her simple white ensemble, while Penny adds a pop of colour with her playful pink romper. And of course, Ella brings a touch of sophistication with her pastel purple attire. As I meticulously render each detail, I can't help but smile at the thought of these fictional girls strutting their stuff. Through their clothing choices, these characters come to life in a way that goes beyond words on a page. The colours and styles they choose speak volumes about who they are as individuals, adding depth and dimension to their fictional existence.

The inspiration for their poses comes from an unexpected source: a photo of five female characters from a cartoon called Lego Friends. There's something about the way they stand together, radiating confidence and camaraderie, that speaks to the essence of ASLEEP. It's a nod to the power of friendship and the strength that comes from standing united, no matter what challenges may come their way. The image serves as a reminder of the importance of solidarity and support among friends, even in the face of adversity. It's a visual representation of the bond that holds the characters together throughout their journey in ASLEEP.

But behind every great gang, there's a story waiting to be told. In this case, it's Arlon who is behind the camera lens. As the youngest and shortest member of ASLEEP, he may not fit the traditional image of a tough guy, but his role as the group's paparazzo and photographer is just as vital. In the fictional narrative of this artwork, Arlon is the one who captures the essence of the five girls in a lush, flowery garden, his absence in the scene is a testament to his behind-the-scenes dedication. And why did he become a member of ASLEEP in the first place? Well, it's no secret that Liliana, one of the gang's leading ladies, holds a special place in his heart.

Of course, no creative endeavour is complete without a bit of experimentation. That's why I've crafted two versions of this artwork: the clothed and the unclothed. The unclothed version serves as a croquis of sorts, a blank canvas upon which I can explore different outfit designs for the girls. It's a process that allows me to push the boundaries of my creativity, envisioning new looks and styles that reflect the ever-evolving personalities of my characters. As I save each iteration, I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, knowing that I'm one step closer to bringing ASLEEP to life in all its vibrant glory.

In the end, creating art isn't just about putting paintbrush to canvas or pixels to screen. It's about storytelling, about breathing life into characters and worlds that exist solely in the realm of imagination. And as I put the finishing touches on this latest masterpiece, I can't help but feel a sense of pride in what I've accomplished. ASLEEP may be a fictional gang, but their spirit and camaraderie are very much real, a testament to the power of creativity and the bonds that unite us all. With each stroke of my digital brush, I'm reminded once again of why I fell in love with art in the first place, and I can't wait to see where the next adventure takes me.

[inamckxox-blog]

Production Design: Not as easy as I thought...

"Choose an interior space that you have access to and take some still images of how it naturally looks. Using colour, production design and light you are now tasked with creating a visual mood for the space in 5 photographs. Think about how you can dress the space and introduce colour with props as well as with the use of light. Take notes about your approach, include things like intended colour pallet, time of day, sun position and a basic floor plan. You may also complete this exercise as a short film which is no longer than 1min 30 seconds."

-Andrew O'Connor

With the learning we had done in class, it was time to apply it to our own projects. Originally, I had big plans for this exercise, far too big for a 1min30sec film. I wanted to be overly ambitious because I thought it would be simple, which I quickly realised, was very wrong.

As soon as we had read the brief at the end of class, I had my idea. I had been wanting to change my bedroom around, so I thought, if I stripped everything from the room and then built it back up as the set design, I'd be set. New room design, easy completed exercise, no problem. Except for the fact that I thought this wasn't enough so I wanted to make it stop-motion. Now, do I think thats a bad film idea for a fun personal project? No, I think it would be great. However, for a class exercise I realised later on that I was trying to do a little too much. Also, thinking back on it now, I'm not sure what kind of emotion I would go for. Doesn't really hit the mark for the assignment.

I think on it for a bit and have told a few people about the idea, no objections. Only thing, I was a one man group. This was ok with me, I didn't mind, but when Joseph and I were chatting about the project and we found out we were both partnerless, we decided to team up. Just gave us both a bit of help with everything. We met up for coffee to discuss everything, and I pitched my stop-motion idea. Joseph really liked that idea, but suggested the concept of doing a different emotion. "Uneasy," he said. "Maybe a sleep paralysis type of thing, with the stop motion." Absolutely brilliant I thought, little bit different and gives us a lot to mess around with. We fleshed out the idea a little more while we were there and planned to send each other photos of our respective flats to see what space would work better. The basic concept was to do some sort of stop motion to show that the room was slightly off, things wouldn't be in the right place, or maybe just incorrect in some way. A crooked poster, a teddy staring only at the camera, things upside down, honestly whatever. Just to make it seem like it wasn't quite right, it made you... uneasy. :)

We ended up choosing Joseph's flat, as you can see in the pictures above, and decided not to go with my flat because it usually gets an insane amount of natural light, which wasn't the plan for our shoot. Joe's flat obviously has this very dark blue wall that was unavoidable so it was going to be a major part of our colour palette. We also opted to use the yellow couch rather than the brown one because we were worried that when we used the dark and shadow-y lighting that we wanted for the film, it wouldn't be contrasting enough and it would melt into the background. Additionally, the lighting and candles that we ended up using were quite yellow and worked quite well together from all three sources. After that we decided to include the music posters and bass to provide a bit of context clues about the character, which coincidentally all ended up having red elements to them. Because of these three colours showing up consistently throughout our set and set dressings, they ended up being our core colour palette, and I was honestly quite happy with how they worked together. Using these primary colours together makes for very distinctive breaks within the image, for example, the yellow circle created by the lamp, or the red rectangle on Owen Neil (our actor) made by the blanket and his shirt. Even the dark blue wall in the background is apparent behind the posters.

With our shoot date coming up quickly and two very busy schedules, we were trying to establish a time that would work for both of us as well as an actor who would be available. Luckily for us, Joseph's flatmates and some other friends were booking equipment and we decided to book out one set and share it between us as it would be in the same location and it made it easier to get access to the rather limited supply that the school had (not a dig at the uni, just the reality with 80 other 3rd years). So off we went, picking up the equipment all together and transporting it to the flat. This also kind of helped budget-wise as we were able to split the cost of the taxi we used, and with all of us being broke uni students, it was a win.

All of this resulted in us filming on Thursday, October 12th. I walked into Joe's flat and we got straight to work. Other objects were required to fill the space and provide this sense of uneasy that we wanted, and it just so happened that I had a skull about the size of a small suitcase and some rather large candles from Ikea that when paired together made a very ominous looking backdrop. It was a bit out of place as it is just a random massive skull in the back of the shot but I thought it still made for an interesting piece of set dressing that furthered our desired emotion. We also included a number of posters with music artists in them, one of the larger ones being Jimmy Hendricks. The poster makes it appear like he is looking at you so we put it behind Owen's shoulder to kind of get this idea that something was watching him, and with our chosen lighting and after the edit, it was a dark and creepy addition to the set. Following along with that music idea we had a bass guitar beside Owen and a guitar behind him, trying to imply a little more about our characters personality. Bass guitar, famous musician's posters, guess he likes music then. We also decided to include a coffee table with a lamp on it to imply a light source within the frame. It filled out the righthand side of the shot a bit more and gave the room a bit more of a 'homely' feel. Looking back on it, including a glass of water or a mug might have added a bit more detail to it and while it is a relatively insignificant object in the room, it would have made it feel more lived in. Overall Joseph and I agreed that this was where we lacked in terms of our production design. Although we had our unnerving and somewhat strange/creepy objects, we fell short on the items that would have made the space more believable as an actual home. We did include a cuddly toy, Bongo, seen in the bottom righthand side of the master, but it didn't quite fill that idea of a settled space. The final thing we added was these false plants that hung from the ceiling light, which honestly, wasn't one of our more thought out choices. When I went looking for things that would help fill the space in some way, they seemed like a good idea. Funnily enough though, those plants kind of helped me realise the thing were always told as film students, which is that if something doesn't have a purpose, then it shouldn't be there. This is sort of a universal rule in all of filmmaking, like it applies the same way to production design that it does to script writing, or even a visual approach. Those plants didn't really have to be there, and all they were doing was distracting from the things we did put there purposefully. Wild how that works.

So the shoot went great, little bit longer than we expected but we ordered a pizza we remained in high spirits. Owen sat like a champ while Joe and I took turns setting up shots and discussing what we wanted to achieve visually. I really enjoyed having the double DOP dynamic, and we bounced off each other really well so the process went smoothly. Once we had wrapped I took all the video files and we divied up the editing jobs. Joe had a 48 hour shoot challenge that he was doing that weekend so we agreed that I would cut the clips together, send them over to him, and he would finish the picture-lock and sort out the sound design before sending it back to me and I would finish up the grade. Considering we had no audio recording of any sort other than the camera's audio, Joe did a pretty impressive job of whipping up some sort of sound design. While it wasn't perfectly blended, it was effective none the less. I didn't do much in terms of the grade, just boosted the yellows and reds to make them more pronounced and increased the shadows in an attempt to make it even more unsettling. Joe then came up with the title 'When I Wake', so I slapped a title card and the credits on there and we sent it off to our lecturer.

Overall the experience was one of creative collaboration and learning, and I was very pleased with the final result. It was cool to see how a space can be changed by a combination of lighting, set dressing, location and so on. Some questions that I still have are; does the art department set up the scene just once or do they have to change it with every camera movement or new shot, where do you draw the line between proper dressing and over dressing a set, and is it easier to build a set from the ground up or to find a location that suits and go from there? All of these will be answered in time once I gain more experience but I'm keen to learn more.

[simontalbot]

Toronto -> New York Trip - Day 1 (14 October ‘23)

IT'S BACK!! The long awaited and highly anticipated return of my travel blog - after a few fallow years thanks to Covid. It's full of incredible insights about the places, people and cultures we encounter on our travels. My thousands of followers will be so pleased...

Nah not really.

It's just a bunch of poorly taken photos (except Kirstie's that I steal) and a brief account of what we've been up to. Mostly for Mums, Dads and anyone seriously bored enough to take a look (Hi Mum and Dad!). It is also a nice little record to look back on from time to time or refer people to if they are planning to go to any of the same places. So here goes...

We made it to TORONTO. For this trip we start in Toronto and end in New York with a combination of buses, trains and cars in between - but mostly a road trip either side of the border. I am visiting my 40th country in my 40th year, I can't help but love the congruity.

We got in to Toronto just after lunch, sailed through the airport (super smooth, but sadly no passport stamp!), took the train and subway to Danforth, a suburb just east of downtown Toronto. After a few blue-dot-google-map mishaps, we found our Air BnB. It is in a pretty sweet residential area with lots of small houses, many of which are decked out in Halloween decorations.

After a quick freshen up (and power nap) we took the subway downtown. The subway system is really straightforward with only a couple of lines and there is a really good streetcar (tram) system overground. It is all tap on tap off with Apple pay/contactless cards which couldn't be easier.

We walked from Union station along to the CN tower. At 553 metres high it was the tallest structure in the world for many years, but it has now slipped to 10th place. We thought we would save going up the tower for another day. We passed by the aquarium, Rogers Centre (Baseball stadium) and the Railway museum and headed to the nearest streetcar stop to take us uptown. We jumped off at 'Graffiti Alley' to take a look around. It wasn't quite Hosier Lane in Melbourne, but there is much more street art in Toronto to take a look at later on. There was, however, a photo shoot happening of a swanky Ferrari in front of some of the graffiti, which had a very apt license plate 'LOFUNDS' (show off)...

After checking out the graffiti, we headed a few blocks further up to Chinatown for some dinner. We opted for a place with great reviews, 'Wok Theory'. It was full of Chinese customers, it sold XiaoLongBao (my absolute favourite food - soup dumplings) and it was nearby. It did not disappoint. The server was really interested in where we were from and giving us advice of what to do in Toronto which was nice. Aside from the food being excellent, the place was immaculately clean, and we were able to just sit for a minute and do some planning.

We moved on and took a stroll along Queen Street West, which was a hive of activity with people getting into the Saturday night spirit. With Cannabis very much legal and very much accessible in Canada, it was clearly popular with many night time revellers as we walked past various groups of people.

Kirstie and I were definitely not in the Saturday night spirit after a long day of travelling and were ready to head back for a sleep. We jumped on the subway and headed back to Danforth and popped in a supermarket to pick up a few bits for breakfast on the way.

We have three full days in Toronto to come (including a day at Niagara) so there was no need to rush!

Welcome to Toronto!

Choo choo! Toronto Subway.

CN Tower. Soz babes, I’ve seen bigger.

A little snapshot of Toronto. One of my shit pictures…

‘Graffiti Alley’. An alley with Graffiti. Toronto is literal.

More graffiti…

Dinner. Straightforward but delicious. Xiaolongbao (at bottom) Lovely.

CN tower and downtown Toronto by night…

Halloween in our neighbourhood…

Halloween in our neighbourhood 2

[psychelis-new]

pick a pile: "Your best upcoming NYE"

take a breath and choose the photo/number that calls you the most to read a brief description of what you can expect when you will be celebrating one of your best New Years Eve (where, with who, how...) all the funniest and coolest (even maybe spiciest) details about it. I'll basically try to channel the NYE among the many you'll have with most details and new good stuff going on for you.

don’t take the reading too seriously. only take what resonates with you and leave the rest. if you're not called by any pile, let this reading slid as it may not hold messages for you. if you're called by more than one, there may be messages in each of those piles. remember that is a general reading and some things may not resonate with you. energies can change and readings are based on present ones (as you read); you're always in charge of your life.

(photos found on unsplash)

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

1 2 3 4

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 1

I think your best NYE may happen when you're with someone else. I don't see too many people so it could be either a party with a few friends/colleagues or simply one special friend/lover. I see much more the latter though, a romantic last sunset of the year watched near the see, drinking together (take as resonates, it can even be orange juice btw). If it's a party, you may feel the need to get away with someone else (or this person will reach for you, like on a balcony or somewhere outside). Feels cozy and warm. Kinda emotional, in the sense that you may be talking together while there are fireworks and people celebrating, and just enjoying the time together (isolated from the others, or in your own bubble nonetheless), just enjoying being side by side. You may have met not too long before or even on spot by chance, and decided to spend the last hours of the last day of the year together, or you may remember that (maybe you met in the same place not too long before). Maybe you (or them) are a little closed off (or where, before meeting them; maybe cause of a past love experience) but this person simply find it interesting of you, it "adds to your personality". And it won't last too long anyway, I also see a kiss between you two (if it's a romantic connection ofc). For some this person may try to steal a kiss with the excuse that it's be cool to end and start a new year like that.

extras: letter M; number 3; a pier; color blue, orange, black and red; this person may be good with words/communicating/have a very interesting mind. They may be the one approaching you or proposing you to spend that time together; it could be a soulmate connection; you may have a choice (maybe you are invited somewhere else, maybe even by another possible lover, but opt to go with this person).

songs: chances | backstreet boys; teeth | 5sos

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 2

It may be very sudden, like a last minute trip or invitation. It could be a celebration like in Times Square New York or anywhere else obv. May be some friends inviting you, or you may even have to go there cause it's your job calling! Maybe you're abroad for work and will celebrate with some colleagues there or you'll literally have to go there for work. I think it's gonna be somewhere cold though (it may even snow). You'll have a lot of fun and will be surrounded bby loving people, no matter who they are in your regards: you're deeply connected with them. You may meet someone there as well, and they'll join your group too. This person may also be someone important for you that reached you to celebrate together (or, for a few, they may have organized the surprise trip for you two. Could even be that they are the one moving to meet you on NYE). There will be some important communication on this day, it may even be that you are pregnant (ofc take as resonate) or that you'll move together (even in another country...). You may be crying of joy. Lot of emotions. You may have been trying to manifest this happening to your for a long time and it'll feel like you are reaping all you sow in your past, not just in your love life but also in your career. Unbelievable day indeed, so happy for you!

extras: "smoking hot" (someone may be literally sm*king though); "I love you"; spinner (spinning top, "you make my head spin"); for those that will be in a relationship (or even singles tbh), their special person will propose (or just tell how they feel about you).

songs: let me hold you | bow wow, omarion; mountain | jonathan jeremiah

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 3

I am not able to get too much for you, it'll probably be a surprise. I think it's gonna be a cozy/calm celebration, possibly with your family or very close ones (for some I feel older female person being important here). It could have been a tough year and the mere fact that you're able to close doors and waiting for a new sun to shine on you is already enough. I think on that year you may have grown a lot, changed perspective, and become wiser. You'll be asked to make a step further, to keep your emotions in balance and stand strong for a little more. Deep inside you'll know you'll be fine no matter what. I think the reason this is your best NYE is because you finally have disconnected yourself from some past habits, you're yourself for the first time, you are in your power, and that's pretty important for you. From there on, it'll only get better. You'll have more NYE with friends, and even with your future (or current) lover, NYE that will be all amazing in their own way, but this one signals a specific passage that is going to be fundamental to you. You know you won't have to worry anymore, for useless stuff. You know what's important, and you'll always know it. You may be missing your old days (or the older female figure I get), it feels nostalgic despite the feeling of eagerness and hope about the new year approaching.

extras: letters X,V,T; chameleon; hands; grandmother; change; going back (to a past/childhood place or mentally, through memories/feelings); feeling tired but content (you may be taking a break on that day).

songs: big eyes | lana del rey; superstition | jon bryant

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 4

I think you're the pile with the spiciest message/energy. Idk if I can keep it clean so... I will just mention a few "clean" messages and then see where it goes. The energy doesn't lie, you'll spend your NYE passionately and intimately with a special someone. There's gonna be only the two of you. You may have been spending a few days together "not leaving the room", and for sure you won't leave on December 31st. Not sure if you two have just met or are in a relationship (and may leave far from each other). It could be anything. It's gonna be amazing though, for the both of you. Even healing, to a certain level (especially if you have any issue relating that area/intimacy of any type, emotional as well: you'll work everything out with their help and talk with them). Mirror energy/soul connection on the cards. They may be the one proposing you this, maybe you two don't like celebrating NYE or will just feel like spending your time differently than usual.

[18+ MESSAGES - MINORS AND THOSE WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE READING PLEASE STOP HERE]

It's gonna be explosive, like fireworks before fireworks and during fireworks. It could either be a hook up or fwb or someone you're in a relationship with. You will be working on knowing each other more intimately, and deepening the bond among you two. Even the hook up may be turning into something else.

extras: reverse cowboy; pregnancy (take precautions); explosions (a.k.a. big Os); role playing (someone pretending to "buying" the other or paying the other)

songs: f*ck the pain away | peaches; never leave you | lumidee

[lunar-wandering]

hi yes, welcome to a list of thoughts/things im adding to the Giggle Glow AU-

the glow can also be activated by purring

Wukong purrs in his sleep (only when he’s really comfortable though)

the others find out about this during a sleepover (which they were having because some of them weren’t sleeping well)

initially they don’t tell him but when he does find out he gets embarrassed over it and just. opts not to sleep. which of course leads to-

sleep deprived Wukong. the worst possible thing one could have on their ship

as a side note Macaque can also purr in his sleep it’s just harder for that to happen due to. yeah.

im adding my headcanon of Macaque being easily freaked out by scary movies/stories to this AU

Wukong starts telling scary stories in places where he knows Macaque can overhear them as revenge for the amount of times the other makes him laugh using inside jokes

someone makes a joke and Wukong goes “that. wasn’t even a good joke, like who would find that pun funny?” and leaves the room, closing the door behind him, and whoever made the joke feels disappointed

that is, until Macaque casually flicks the lights in the room off and they can see the flickering glow from under the doorway, proving that Wukong is secretly laughing because he did find the joke funny

IM ADDING THE WHOLE “MACAQUE’S EARS CHANGE COLOR WITH HIS EMOTIONS” AND “MACAQUE’S SHADOW REVEALS HOW HE’S FEELING” THINGS INTO HERE AND YALL CANNOT STOP ME

Mei makes a video thats a bunch of clips of Wukong laughing set to the beat of Mr. Blue Sky. Wukong hates said video so Mei makes it her ringtone for when he calls/texts her

she also makes a video using Macaque’s laugh, but she sets that one to the beat of Hard Knock Life

Red Son....should’ve already known about Wukong’s giggle glow before everyone else, but he. genuinely thought his father was joking/being figurative when he said the Monkey King’s laugh could “light up a room”

Spider Queen knows about Wukong’s giggle glow because he just. would not stop making jokes and laughing at them while he was captured. (....tbh most of it was him trying to cover up his nervous laughter, which was mainly what was causing the glow. DBK picked up on that, but chose to not say anything about it)

yes of course absolutely we are adding the “Wukong is shapeshifting to make himself taller” thing into this. yes this does end up eventually being revealed in a ridiculous way

(what if..........his shapeshifted height fluctuated with his emotions....so he’d get smaller when shy/flustered and also sad but we’re not focusing on that .........ha ha jk......unless-)

he doesn’t stop shapeshifting though, and in fact starts making himself even taller than before.

(Wukong holds an item just barely out of Pigsy’s reach. Pigsy sighs, and then mutters something, and suddenly Wukong is back down to his normal height, stuttering, and Pigsy is easily removing whatever he wanted out of Wukong’s grasp)

like i’ve said before everyone does buy sunglasses so that Wukong doesn’t, y’know, accidentally blind them. what i haven’t said is that MK personalizes said sunglasses by painting cool designs on the sides

the way the fact that Macaque will also glow if he laughs at the same time as Wukong or MK gets revealed is. comedy movie night. Macaque tried so hard to remain stoic (his shadow was losing it when the others actually looked) but he so completely failed

Macaque 🤝 Wukong: getting flustered over the nicknames the others call them due to the Giggle Glow

(MK doesn’t really care about any nicknames he receives, he loves them for the most part. there might be one or two exceptions)

Red Son gets an honorary membership to the “people who glow” group since yes, im giving him the firefly freckles-

they have to make a special camera in order to take pictures of Wukong while he’s laughing because otherwise the pictures just. end up not being so good due to the Bright Light

there is a photo album. both Wukong and Macaque are actively trying to destroy it.

they are not gonna succeed any time soon.

[alwaysvivid]

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · … 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐘 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 ! ˚◞

SUMMER’S GRADUATION CEREMONY 2016.

following the shock announcement of her sudden graduation cece made her exit on the 20th of july 2016 after less than a year in the group. her graduation concert was titled SUNNY SMILES as was her graduation photo book. being the first summer and first member to officially graduate it was no surprise that the concert and photo book both sold out in less than 15 minutes.

cece wanted to make her departure a happy one , she did not want people to be crying and mourning her career in se4sons but rather celebrate the time they got to spend together. this is why her graduation track SMILEY ! was perfect for her. it’s a carefree upbeat track about positivity and making the people around you happy.

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · …. 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 !! ˚◞

the showcase consisted of SE4SONS title tracks so far along with SUMMER’s favourite b side along with her special graduation tracks SMILEY ! , SUNNY , MY UNIVERSE and GOODBYE I LOVE YOU.

@se4sonz

SMILEY ! ( SUMMER GRADUATION SOLO )

GREETINGS BY SUMMER

MUAH !

FALL FAREWELL SPEECH

KNOCK OUT LOVE

1-10 ( B-SIDE )

WINTER FAREWELL SPEECH

IRON BOY ( B SIDE )

YAH YAH YAH

SPRING FAREWELL SPEECH

LIKE THAT

SUNNY ( SUMMER GRADUATION B SIDE )

SUMMER FAREWELL SPEECH

NEW SUMMER ANNOUNCEMNET

MY UNIVERSE ft JAMIE ( NEW SUMMER ) & EUNBI ( SPRING )

GOODBYE I LOVE YOU ( SUMMER SPECIAL FAREWELL TRACK )

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · …. 𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 !! ˚◞

since her debut cece had become known for her blonde barbie looks and for her farewell she wanted to play into that further. the colour scheme was overwhelmingly pink with lots of bright and over saturated colours. all of cece’s summer outfits being pink with blue and purple accents to really emphasize the bubblegum aesthetic. the looks all heavily played into her youth as she had just turned 17 2 weeks prior.

her fellow se4sons members matching in their own fun bright pink outfits that were all picked by cece to create her perfect bubblegum wonderland. she opted away from the traditional uniforms they all wore and rather went for stage outfits that could be more versatile.

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · …. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 !! ˚◞

as the graduation came to an end cece began getting emotional but managed to keep it together long enough to announce the new summer ; JAMIE YEUN !

“jamie is one of the sweetest people i know. she has a heart of gold and the voice of a literal angel. her talent is literally insane and her smile lights up every room she walks into . she is the most obvious summer and i can’t imagine leaving anyone in my place but her !”

although cece had said the day was a happy day that celebrated her time in se4sonz she could not help but finally let her tears as she handed the SE4SONS GRADUATION BOUQUET to jamie symbolizing the change of seasons. i. that moment the bouquet become a tradition and great photo opt for new members as they were fully initiated into the group.

jamie performed as summer for the first time with cece. MY UNIVERSE was performed by cece , jamie and eunbi who was spring during cece’s time in SE4SONS. the track was a means to pass over the torch and introduce jamie to the life of SUMMER.

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · … 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 !! ˚◞

at the press conference after the performance cece informed everyone that she will be leaving the entertainment industry to rather focus on her education and furthering her career as a dancer. the news that she would be leaving ANGELICO and will no longer be an idol was devastating to fans and to cece herself as she teared up and was blinking away tears. she thanked all the members for everything theyd done for her and promised to be at every concert cheering them on but she could be with them on stage as it just wasn’t her time.

when asked about cece’s sudden graduation CEO, son jinhwan said: “ Cece was a talented and professional idol and we are devastated by her departure. but after discussions with staff as well as summer we agreed that this was the best choice for her at this time and wish her all the best on her future endeavors. ”

# ꕥ 𓂃 𑄻 ᜔ ۪۫ ࣪   ☀️  ✧˚ · …. 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓 !! ˚◞

cece could no longer hold back the tears as she removed her photo from the wall. clutching the portrait against her chest as she sniffled, the members gathered around to comfort her. once she finally calmed down she placed her new graduation photo on the wall -her signature barbie doll blonde looks cemented into the SE4SONS legacy forever.

 “despite how much i will miss this , it is what is best for me and i’m very excited to start this new chapter of my career and life. i hope you all continue to support the beautiful SE4SONS girls because i will definitely be their number 1 fan until i die. i love you all goodbye.”

[zaffrenotes]

[TRR: WD106] Avoiding A Blunder

Summary: Prince Liam has to fill in for Crown Prince Leo, and Murphy’s Law is put into motion at the end of his trip. Chaos ensues, condensed Wacky Drabble style. Fic Rating/Warning: M; alcohol consumption, minor health/medical emergency, anxiety/angst Author’s Note: All main characters belong to Pixelberry/The Royal Romance, I’m just borrowing them * Fictional versions of IRL individuals are included with affection; any other characters mentioned in this piece are my creation * This is my submission for @wackydrabbles Prompt 106: You’re gonna get us busted! * You have @the-soot-sprite and @ao719 to thank for this ridiculousness, lol - Soot reblogged a photo, Betsy sent me this request

and...this is what my brain came up with (PS - thank you both for the movie discussion) * For the purposes of this story, Triydalia is a fictional country that shares a border with Thailand * Word Count: 1999 😅 (7 minutes reading time)

Taglist (if your name is crossed out, I'll tag you in the comments): @/ao719 @burnsoslow @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @ofpixelsandscribbles @rainbowsinthestorm @superharriet @/the-soot-sprite @choiceskatie @jaqren @aestheticartsx @bbrandy2002 @dcbbw @gnatbrain @jared2612 @kingliam2019 @ladyangel70 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @princessleac1 @queenjilian @sfb123 @texaskitten30 @theroyalheirshadowhunter @yourmajesty09

Liam was used to filling in for Leo at a moment’s notice; participating in conference calls with ambassadors for early morning updates when Leo overslept, and attending meetings with ministers when Leo went AWOL. He’d grown accustomed to his brother’s antics, but he wondered how Bastien managed to keep his position, when he’d lost track of Leo’s whereabouts countless times.

While Leo spent more time avoiding his duties as Crown Prince of Cordonia, Liam dutifully took on the extra responsibilities in stride. It often meant partitioning his already packed schedule to sit in on vital cabinet meetings or dining with visiting dignitaries, but sometimes Leo’s vanishing acts gave Liam the opportunity to travel.

Though their ambassadors handled the majority of day-to-day relations with other countries for trade, Constantine preferred to meet face-to-face when he could. One such time, a lingering cough turned to walking pneumonia, restricting Constantine to as much bed rest as possible. It also meant sending Leo to Japan for a meeting with the Prime Minister in his stead.

It would have been fine, if Leo hadn’t pulled another one of his disappearing acts.

--

A week later, Liam was seated on the royal jet on his way back from Tokyo, navy attache with espresso brown leather trim in the chair next to him. Across from him, Maxwell chatted with Anya over various Thai dishes. On the other side of the plane, Drake was in a heated discussion with leggy blonde Anitah while the ladies’ petite friend Donna observed in silence, fighting back a grin. “You’re an imbecile if that’s your opinion,” Anitah declared, raising her hands up in the air. “Are you sure that’s the hill you wanna die on?”

Drake smugly sipped from the crystal tumbler in his hand. “I’m right and you know it.”

“What are you two talking about?” Liam asked, relieved to think about anything other than what was in the bag and why it was so important he hand deliver it to his father.

“Fight Club being a better cinematic masterpiece than The Princess Bride,” Drake replied. “You guys agree, right? If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, you’d want to watch Tyler Durden fight the system instead of some…” he paused to sneer at Anitah, who crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at him, “...story about a swashbuckler rescuing a princess? She’s not even a real princess!”

“Fight Club is such a guy movie though,” Anya argued, turning in her seat to face Drake. “Princess Bride appeals to men and women, with a much larger audience.”

“Okay, that’s two for Buttercup,” Drake sighed. “Maxwell? Li?” He looked at his friends expectantly.

“Fight Club, definitely,” Maxwell said, nodding his head. He’d spent the better part of the trip doing everything to get into Drake’s good graces after the octopus incident on the first night in Tokyo.

Before Liam could respond, a commotion from the front of the plane made everyone’s heads turn, where a pair of Kings Guards and two flight attendants were seated near the galley. One of the guards slipped into the cockpit, rushing out a moment later in Liam’s direction, as the jet slowly tilted to the right. “Apologies, Your Highness. Do you or any of your guests happen to speak Triydalian?”

Anya slowly raised her hand. “I knew a bit when I was a kid, but I haven’t used it in years.”

The guard motioned for her to join him. “Please come with us, miss. The pilots need a translator.”

“Is everything alright, Remy?” Liam peered past the guard, eyes widening at the sight of the other guard and one attendant hovering in front of the other attendant in a chair.

“We need to land the plane, Sir,” Remy answered, ushering Anya up from her seat. “Ramona passed out. She’s breathing but unresponsive.”

--

Twenty minutes later and after a jarring landing, they’d arrived at a small airport in the Republic of Triydalia, at the edge of one of the country’s many jungle forests. Calling it an airport was generous - it was more of a cleared dirt path in the middle of the jungle with a shack for an airport tower, and a man that looked like more of a hunter than an air traffic controller. After a choppy conversation that required pantomiming and hand signals, Anya left with Remy and the man from the tower to fetch a tribal doctor, while Anitah and Donna assisted the other member of the cabin crew to look after Ramona. They were warned to remain as quiet as possible and to stay inside the jet.

Minutes passed by in tense observation; Anitah and Drake continued their debate in low whispers, growing louder as they defended their choices. Liam could see the pilots discussing something pointedly as they checked readings on the instrument panel and worked on calculations. One of them stepped out, claiming that he needed to stretch his legs, and walked cautiously down the runway. When he returned, the other pilot joined him outside, despite the original warning to stay inside. Liam peered out the windows and checked his watch, worrying about Anya and Remy, along with his father’s instructions to avoid delaying their return.

While the remaining guard headed towards the back of the plane to pace back and forth for the eighth time, Liam took it upon himself to speak with the pilots. The air was thick and stifling the moment he stepped outside. Around them, there was nothing but green, green, and more green from the wilderness that surrounded them, abuzz with tropical birds and insects. At his side he carried the blue attache, remembering the promise to his father that the bag wouldn’t leave his sight. He spoke in a hushed tone when he approached the pilots. “You’re doing more than just stretching your legs, aren’t you, Captain?”

Both men grimaced slightly. “Yes, Your Highness. Even if we pulled back to one end of the runway, we’re still at least five hundred feet short of clearing takeoff.”

“What if we worked to try and clear the brush on either end?” Liam offered, looking off into the distance.

“There’s no way to clear out the trees, even the young ones,” the co-captain answered. “We might be able to take off if we could drop some weight, but the larger concern is the longer we wait, we increase the risk of encountering someone who doesn’t want us here.”

Liam nodded gravely; months of civil unrest in Triydalia meant rebel groups assembled faster than the government could contain them. There was no guarantee of anyone’s safety, stranded on a remote runway. There was no telling what was wrong with Ramona while she was unconscious, and therefore no way to treat her without the aid of a doctor. Ensuring the safety of the crew and his friends could have been avoided altogether if Leo didn’t constantly opt out of handling the duties of his station. In that moment, Liam abhorred the never-ending list of responsibilities thrust at him as a result of having to pick up the slack for his brother, knowing if their roles were reversed, Leo would manage to find a way to leave Liam to solve problems on his own.

“Could you excuse me for a moment?”

He’d barely finished asking the question before walking into the tall grass by the edge of the runway. Ignoring the pilots’ calls to return, Liam sprinted into the dense greenery, dodging between vines and scanning the ground for tripwires until he could no longer see the plane over his shoulder. When he finally stopped running, he bent over, hands on his knees as he gulped in air. Liam looked down at the blue bag in his hand, wondering what on earth was so precious to reduce him to a courier.

Shaking the bag did nothing; it felt practically empty, though he could tell something was inside. He couldn’t open the bag to check, since Prime Minister Abe and his father were the only ones with keys, and PM Abe handed him the sealed bag when they parted ways. Liam wanted to throw the infernal “murse” the ladies had good-naturedly teased him for into the bushes. Perspiration dotted his hairline, and he let out a primal scream, before taking slow, deep breaths to quiet the worrisome thoughts racing in his head and bring his heartbeat down to normal.

Cursed courier bag in his right hand, Liam braced his arm against his torso, pinning it in place with his elbow when he bent his other arm up towards his face. Curling his fingers into a relaxed fist, he pressed his lips against his thumb, thick brows furrowing in thought. All around him, wild birds called to one another amidst the chittering clamor of insects hidden in the foliage. He was so busy running through scenarios in his head that he didn’t hear the quiet click of a camera, turning to look up only when he heard a branch snap in the distance.

“Watch it! You’re gonna get us busted!” Donna hissed to Drake. She pocketed her phone, elbowing Drake in the ribs as they crouched behind large leaves. She ticked her head in Liam’s direction. “Go get your boy, none of us are safe out here.”

After some coaxing, Liam headed back to the plane with Donna and Drake, walking briskly through the jungle, eyes trained to look for anything out of the ordinary. Liam was alarmed when he heard and then saw the engines running, until Drake explained the pilots were burning off fuel to lighten the plane. They’d begun to walk up the steps, when Maxwell popped out above them. “Whoo!” Maxwell exclaimed, digging for another snack from the container he cradled in his arm. “Feels like a sauna out here!”

“Lower your voice, Maxwell! Please!” Liam seethed. His features pinched together in disbelief. “Are you...eating? Now?”

“You know I stress snack,” Maxwell replied, shrugging his shoulders. He shoved another cookie into his mouth.

Liam’s eyes lit up and he took the stairs two by two, knocking on the cockpit door before swinging it open. “What if we unloaded whatever’s not bolted down? The decor, dinnerware, the food and drink?”

“That...would certainly help,” the captain replied, looking back over his shoulder. He turned to his co-pilot. “It could be enough to get in the air after burning off the excess fuel.”

“You heard the man, Maxwell,” Liam said, offering his friend a nervous grin. “Get Drake to help you start unloading the plane. Has Ramona’s status changed?”

“Donna found the first aid kit just before she took off with Drake to go after you. Anitah found some smelling salts that gave her a rude wakeup call. Turns out her insulin pump shorted and she just needed some juice.”

Several more minutes passed as the group removed whatever they could from the plane, leaving piles of cookware, food, throw pillows, and even seat cushions to lighten the load. Drake whined when they gathered up the liquor, but he stuffed a bottle of whiskey in a cabinet by his seat. They’d nearly finished when Anya and Remy returned, running on foot. “That thing better be ready to take off!” Anya hollered, motioning for everyone to board. “Rebels on our tail! Time to go!”

Everyone scrambled back onto the plane; Liam relayed the urgency to depart to the pilots, who rapidly went through their flight checklist. Remy pulled Anya up onto the steps and they all clamored to buckle into their seats, the sound of gunfire in the air as the jet rolled forward and lurched up into the air, barely clearing the canopy.

Adrenaline pumping and breaths shallow, Liam looked around at his friends and the crew, thankful they were safely in the air again.

--

Liam thought he was having a stroke at twenty-four when he saw the contents of the bag. Constantine smiled with glee at the small gold cat, one paw raised.

[ketamineharry]

Holiday - Ethan Payne

Requested: Yes by @wroetobehzinga ~ Hiiiii girl✨✨ Pls can I request like, holiday abroad with all the lads and gals, but reader & Behz can’t stand each other to begin with??? Then when they’re all on a night out they sort of end up confessing to liking each other idk??? Thank u x

Trigger Warnings: None

As you stood in the airport with your best friends, Freya and Talia you were beyond excited. After the long and treacherous year of the lockdown, you all needed to escape and be wild for a week or so. While you were waiting for the long line to board the plane to Ibiza, Talia instructed you to place your passport on top of your luggage so she could take a picture and post it to her Instagram story.

The minute that Talia posted the story your phone vibrated.

‘@TaliaMar tagged you in a story.’

You clicked on the notification and saw the photo, you reposted the picture on your story before locking your phone and getting onto the plane.

Once you had boarded, Freya instantly got her camera out. Filming the three of you. As she turned the camera to you, you poked your tongue out and threw up a peace sign.

-

Once you had gotten through security in Ibiza, you were met by Josh and Simon.

“Lovely to see you girls.” Josh said, wrapping Freya into a hug.

“We’ve missed you.” Simon continued, engulfing Talia in a hug too.

“Hopefully I’ll end up having some sort of holiday romance.” You joked, as you rolled your eyes playfully.

The five of you placed an order for an Uber to collect you from the airport and drive you to the hotel. Thankfully everyone was staying there, which meant that if the party wanted to continue long after the clubs were shut.

The drive was fairly short, and filled with nonsensical chatter. Some of which was regarding what everyone was planning to wear on the first night out. Just from the energy in the car, you knew that the first night was going to be massive.

You lugged your luggage up to your hotel room, unlocked the door and heaved the suitcase on top of your bed. Being the completely disorganised person you are, instead of unpacking your suitcase, you decided to try and throw together an outfit. You settled on some light blue jeans and a burgundy velvet top, pairing them with some white strappy heels.

You applied minimalistic makeup, just a bit of lipgloss and mascara, it was going to be sweaty and hot. The last thing you needed was your face to start melting in the middle of the club. You grabbed a bag and your phone, and walked the short distance to the club that everyone was meeting at.

As you walked in and found everyone, you couldn’t help but feel your face drop. The ginger curls, the glasses and the opened t-shirt were dead giveaways. You knew that he was going to be here, but you didn’t realise you would still hold this much resentment towards him.

“Who invited her?” Ethan asked, eyeing you up and down.

“Intoxicated already Ethan? Classy as ever.” You quipped, going to grab yourself a drink from the bar. As you paid for your drink, and grabbed it in your free hand, you made your way back over to the group Ethan was still harping on.

“We didn’t even want you here, you were just invited out of sympathy and because we were offered a deal on the hotel if we had over eight rooms.” He said, as if it were a matter of fact.

“And you were just invited along because someone needed to be the designated photographer.” You snapped.

No sooner had you finished the sentence, when you felt a cold liquid spray all over you. Ethan had chucked his drink at you. Thankfully, it was your clothes that took the biggest hit as Ethan, even without your heels was slightly shorter than you.

“I’ll take you to the toilet so you can freshen yourself up… come on Y/N.” Freya said, taking a hold of your hand, she glanced over at Josh before you both headed to the toilet.

“Why does he hate me so much?” You asked Freya, as she grabbed you a handful of tissue to wipe yourself off with.

“Babe… he doesn’t hate you. He just doesn’t know how to behave properly, especially after he’s had a drink and has a bee in his bonnet.” She laughed, handing you the tissue. Keeping some for herself so she could help dry you off.

-

The rest of the holiday was much of the same. You got to visit loads of places with the girls and had fun filming for their respective YouTube channels, but when it came to going on a night out, you were filled with dread.

Every single time Ethan would make sure you felt uncomfortable and like you weren’t wanted, and every single night you would go back to your hotel room wishing you hadn’t attended.

Which is why, on the final night to keep the peace and the memories of the amazing holiday you’d had with your friends, you decided to stay at the hotel. You’re not sure you would have forgiven yourself if the tension between you and Ethan ruined everyone’s final night.

You sent a text to Talia, just so no-one was surprised when you were a no show for the final night. Instead, you opted to get into some pyjamas, tuck yourself into bed and watch some Netflix. You ordered a pizza on your phone, before engrossing yourself into the show you were watching.

A knock on the door snapped you out of your thoughts regarding what was going on, on said show. You jumped out of bed, grabbing some cash from the side to pay for the pizza. As you opened the door, you see Talia, Freya and the rest of the sidemen boys standing behind it.

“If you don’t want to come to the party, the party will come to you.” Talia said, as she thrusted a bottle of vodka into your hand. You took it and placed it on the bedside cabinet.

The hotel room was small, and you weren’t sure it was going to be able to fit everyone inside. But you were so taken aback by the gesture, that you didn’t really care. As long as everyone had a good time.

You cracked open the vodka, and everyone was on the shots. Everyone was at least a little tipsy, if not drunk.

“Let’s play spin the bottle.” JJ said, placing an empty plastic water bottle in between the group.

“Ethan you’re up first.” Josh said, nudging him slightly as he made eye contact with you.

Ethan spun the bottle and it landed on you. As much as you didn’t want to kiss him, because he was a bastard, you were never one to back out of games. If you were playing, you were playing to win.

Ethan walked up to you, cupping your face in his hands as he leaned in to kiss you. Your lips met and instantly your body broke out in goosebumps. His hot breath tasted like vodka, but the longer he kissed you the more that you craved him.

He broke away from the kiss. Leaving you breathless. You definitely wanted more.

“If you’re lucky… there’s more where that came from.” He teased as he sauntered away.

He was a cocky prick, but maybe you didn’t hate him as much as you thought you did

[sazc94]

The Three Times James "Bucky" Barnes Broke your heart.

This was inspired by @msmarvelwrites 2k Writing Challenge because I'm a sucker for Taylor Swift especially sad Taylor Vibes. I chose the all too well lyrics.

Apparently, I can't do anything small so it's in two parts. Pairs Bucky x Reader and Pietro x Reader. (Not at the same time)

Part 1 Here

No smut but mentions of sex so 18+ Themes: highschool, cheating, college/uni. Friendship

Words 3368 it's Suburban AU.

2015 You finished up Uni staring in the school's production of Rock of Ages, Playing Sherry opposite Loki’s drew. Loki also moved to New York staying with his half brother Thor Oddinson. You stayed in touch with Loki and Pietro. The thing that took you by surprise however was six months after moving to Detroit, whilst working for Bruce Banner's start-up you received a DM on Instagram from Bucky. He heard from Sam and Jane that you were now living in Detroit and he was moving to the area after being scouted by the Detroit Lions. Hey Y/N, I hope you’re good. I know this is random and please feel free to tell me where to go, but I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink sometime? It would be great to see you again and catch up. Let me know. So you replied feeling like maybe after all this time it might be good to finally hear Bucky’s apology. Pietro and you had stayed in touch but you knew he was dating someone else. Her name was Sue Storm, she seemed like a nice girl, very smart and could easily give Pietro a run for his money. After hearing Bucky’s apology, you two started to become friends again, he invited you along to his games always offering to secure you two tickets if you wanted to bring someone. He was a machine on the football field, earning the strange nickname The Winter Soldier.

2016

Everything changed in the summer of 2016 though when Bucky’s mother passed away suddenly in June. She had practically helped raise you, so you attended the funeral with Bucky. You stayed with him in the guest room in his childhood house, helping him sort through belongings and paperwork. Bucky’s dad had died when you were 8 and Bucky like you was an only child. You took in food from neighbours wanting to pay their respects. You held his hand squeezing it in comfort during the funeral, assuring him you were there for him. Two days after the funeral you and Bucky had finished packing up the final boxes, you were upstairs, and he was downstairs being awfully quiet. You went looking for him only to find him sat on the living room floor. He was crying holding a picture of you and him one Halloween when you were 9, Bucky had gone as Superman and you as Supergirl. Your mums stood behind you, both of them chuckling whilst you and bucky tried to out pose one another. Your heart swelled. Your Grandad had died in November and god how your heart had ached, but to lose your mum, you couldn’t even begin to imagine. “Hey, hey. It's alright I’m here Buck”, you said cradling his head to your chest whilst he sobbed. You stayed like that for an unidentifiable amount of time before Bucky’s crying eased. He looked up at you blinking away the stray tears, the familiar blue in his eyes pulling you in. Your not sure who kissed who first but that was how you and Bucky ended up sleeping together.

You and Bucky officially got back together in July. Your Grandma passed away in September, the start of football season. Bucky was unable to attend the funeral, he tried god he tried. Pietro made it though. He and Sue had broken up not that he told you. By the time November rolled around things were good between you and Bucky. Wanda’s fashion label Scarlett Witch was taking off and she invited you and Bucky out to join the rest of the old gang at the official launch in December of 2016. You accepted and for the pair of you assuring Bucky, there would be no awkwardness. Pietro was casually dating and was bringing a date called Crystal.

You arrived at the party in NYC completely blown away. Wanda had asked you to wear a piece from the evening wear collection, a Black strapless dress, the top if form-fitting made from chiffon fabric, the skirt cut out the front made of black tulle sparkled with the touches of glitter. It felt like you were wearing the Milky Way. After stopping to pose for photos for the press you made your way inside. The party was being held inside a beautiful gothic building. “Y/n! You look absolutely amazing, thank you so much for wearing this and of course for coming” Wanda practically pounced on you the minute she spotted you. “Bunny! I agree absolutely amazing. Bucky, you don’t look too bad yourself” Pietro said kissing you on the cheek. Pietro was wearing a deep blue suit, it made his hair and ice-blue eyes pop. Bucky had opted for the simple black tux to match you and your dress. He almost looked good enough to eat. After grabbing a glass of champagne, Wanda and Pietro took you to the rest of the gang who had made it. Jane was here with a date, Thor Oddinson you recognised him from the few times he had been to see you and Loki in shows. Carol was here too. Peter Parker was working the event as a photographer he had brought a date a lovely young lady called Mary Jane Watson. After about 45 minutes of schmoozing and catching up, you went to the ladies room. When you exited you were a little taken aback by the sight that confronted you, a redhead was hanging of Bucky’s arm chuckling away with Thor and Jane. You could only see the back of her from where you were standing. You decided to walk over and introduce yourself. However, when you got closer to the group the woman started to look vaguely familiar.

“Hey babe,” Bucky said as you approached quickly removing his arm from the redhead. Babe. That was weird he never called you babe. His blue eyes looked like they were hiding something. “Lady Y/N. This is Lady Natasha” Thor said introducing you. The redhead turned to shake your hand smiling at you with a knowing look. “Lovely to finally meet the infamous Y/N,” she said. “I told Bucky how disappointed I was not to meet you when I was in the City in September. I’m so sorry to hear about the passing of your grandmother. Bucky kept me company whilst I was around on some Business” her voice sounded harmless, sweet and pleasant. Genuine. Her eyes and knowing smirk told a different story. Bucky looked at you, the familiar betrayal in his eyes, pleading with you. “I was just telling Bucky, I’ve been offered this amazing opportunity in Detroit so Ill be moving there in February, isn’t that wonderful?” she asked. You smiled taking a swig of your champagne. Jane looked at you, then Bucky. You shook your head.

That was the second time Bucky Barnes broke your heart. He assured you that they hadn’t slept together, however had admitted that he had kept her visit from you and that she had kissed him. “Did you kiss her back?” you asked pacing around your hotel room. “Doll, please what does it matter,” he asked reaching out for you. His calloused hands once again burning your skin with his betrayal. The fact he had chosen not to answer was all the confirmation you needed. You had left him in the hotel room. Loki had been unable to make the event due to being in a small play off-Broadway, but you had texted him asking if he wanted to get a drink. You had told him everything and he had walked you back to your hotel room. You were drunk and distressed. Bucky had opened the door his blue eyes flashing with jealousy when the handsome black-haired gentleman had his arms around you. “Easy James, if anything was going to have happened between us, it would have happened in freshman year of college,” Loki said helping you into your room. After you and Bucky returned to Detroit you guys took a break for a few months.

2017

Natasha’s job conveniently happened to be working as a fitness instructor at the Detroit Lions. After 4 months you and Bucky got back together in March of 2017. Things were going great, Natasha seemed to have released whatever hold she had on Bucky. Bucky was performing well with the Lions, his new teammate, Steve Rogers nicknamed Captain America seemed to have caught the eye of many ladies including Natasha. He however didn’t seem that interested in her and had his sights set on a girl from his home in Brooklyn her name was Peggy. Steve and you hit off due to your mutual disinterest in Miss Romanoff, he had come up with a nickname for her, he called her Black Widow because she seemed to devour the men in her life. Banners start-up tech company had taken off with thanks to your ad campaigns. You were also performing in the local summer show of Mamma Mia playing Sophie. In the summer of 17, Peggy Carter came to visit Steve, turned out she was from Britain originally. You liked Peggy and her no-nonsense approach. During July, the four of you went on lots of double dates like you were high schoolers again. For Steve’s birthday which happened to be the fourth of July, the four of you attended an event being put on by the Detroit lions. You had a great evening mixing with various teammates and their families. You even warmed to Natasha a bit that afternoon.

As the evening rolled around a giant cake was brought out to celebrate Steve’s birthday. Followed by a firework show. Everyone made their way to various blankets and cushions set out at the opposite end of the stadium. Somewhere along the way you and Bucky got separated. You didn’t worry too much, to begin with as you’d both drifted off to interact with various people throughout the event, however by the time the fireworks started Bucky was nowhere to be seen. You started to think the worst until you spotted Natasha’s red hair on the other side of the stadium flirting with a gaggle of players from various other teams who were invited. Confident Bucky would return shortly you turned your attention to the sky watching with a goofy grin, things were finally settled between you and Bucky. As the fireworks went on you decided to snap a few shots on your phone loving the way the sky lit up with bright colours. The Detroit Lions didn’t do things in small doses, so the firework display ended up going on for about an hour and a half. After about 45 minutes Bucky returned from wherever he had been slipping down behind you pulling your back flush to his chest. He stroked small circles on your arms. His rough calloused skin making you shiver from the contact.

In September you were approached by Tony Stark’s PA Pepper Potts, they had seen your campaigns for Bruce Banner and Tony was interested in headhunting you. Your contract with Bruce was up in October. You initially shot the idea down. Why would you want to leave Michigan? Your family home was a short 20-minute drive away, Bucky was doing well with the Lions. Peggy Carter was moving here after Steve had proposed at the end of Summer. It seemed ludicrous. After initially shooting down the offer. Pepper contacted you, doubling their initial offer. The offer was tempting, so you told Miss Potts you would think it over the weekend. There was no harm in bringing it up with Bucky, maybe a move would do you both good, Natasha seemed to have gotten under Bucky’s skin again. You left the office early that day. You didn’t bother to text Bucky figuring you could surprise him when he got home from training with a home-cooked meal. You stopped off to get some supplies to make Lasagne before heading over to his apartment figuring you could just let yourself in. You had called Wanda on the drive over through your cars Bluetooth. She and Vision were engaged, and she wanted you to be one of her bridesmaids. Partway through the call, Pietro had walked into Wanda’s office so you had told them both about the job offer. When you got to Bucky’s you immediately recognised the Black Widows black Mercedes. “huh, that’s weird, I wonder what she’s doing here,” you said out loud “who’s where?” asked Wanda. “oh um nothing, look I got to go I just got to Buck’s and I’m cooking dinner, going to talk to him about Tony’s offer,” you said before hanging up. You were so blind-sighted by Natasha’s car you didn’t clock Bucky’s Motorcycle parked in the corner of the small parking lot. You grabbed your bags walking up to Bucky’s figuring that you could invite Natasha in if need be whilst you waited for Buck to come home.

If you had noticed Bucky’s bike, then just maybe you would have been more prepared for the following events you unlocked Bucky’s apartment and you found clothes strewn everywhere, his jeans. A white Blouse. His boxer trunks. A Black lacy bra, that definitely didn’t belong to you. At first, you were so shocked by what you saw that you didn’t hear the moans coming from the bedroom. It was like you were possessed you carried your bag of groceries as you walked in a daze to the bedroom, you opened the door and found Bucky once again cheating on you. He and Natasha were in the throws of fucking each other, you found Natasha with her back to you, wrapped around Bucky’s waist. Bucky sat upright facing you however his eyes closed whilst he drank in the pleasure. You felt your heartbreak as you dropped your bag of groceries. The bag made a thud as it hit the ground, alerting Bucky to your presence. His eyes flew open connecting with yours. Natasha however didn’t stop riding your boyfriend’s cock. Bucky tried to push her off him, but you were already storming out the door. You grabbed your bag and left Bucky’s spare key in the door. Bucky grabbed a pair of joggers and slippers before chasing after you. Bucky’s apartment was on the second floor. All the apartments on the second floor opened outside to a walkway.

“Really James?!?” you turned round to face him before he could even say your name. “Was once not enough? Did you not hurt me enough the first time?” You asked. You could feel the anger threatening to burst in the way of tears. Bucky went to speak, his blue eyes once again filled with guilt. “How long?!” you asked quietly. Bucky moved towards you tugging on your wrist. “Come on Y/N, come back inside it’s starting to rain, we can discuss this inside,” he said, his eyes pleading with you. At that moment Natasha appeared in Bucky’s open doorway. She looked pleased with herself, wearing Buck’s shirt. The site made you want to vomit. “How. Long?!” you asked again through gritted teeth. Bucky faltered. “Since July. Since the 4th of July event,” he admitted rubbing his hand over his face. At that moment you felt completely and utterly broken. “I’m done, James. Do you hear me? I am done. We are through. You two.” You pointed to Natasha. “You two are welcome to one another”. That was the third time Bucky broke your heart.

You took the job working for Stark Industries. Your contract had ended with Bruce but your lease on your apartment was up until January so you stayed working for him until December of 2017 You said your goodbyes to Steve and Peggy in January and moved across the country to your new life in the big apple.

December 2018

The unknown number flashed up on your phone for the third time that day. You sighed before answering it. “Hello, Y/N Speaking how can I help?” you asked fiddling with your jumper. “Hey Doll, it's me. Don’t hang up.” Your breath caught in your throat. James Buchanan Barnes. You hadn’t spoken to him in over a year. He hadn’t even attempted to reach out to you after you split up mailing your things back to you, well all but a scarf. In January shortly before you’d moved to NYC you’d seen a magazine article saying the Winter Soldier was dating Natasha Romanoff. It confirmed what you already knew deep down, which was that you might be okay but you were not fine at all.

You’d worked so hard to forget about him long enough to forget why you needed to. He had better have a damn good reason for calling you. “You have 5 minutes,” You said getting up from the sofa you were sat on. “look, I know I fucked up with you. In more than one way on more than one occasion. I think it was the pressure to be the perfect couple, you know lifelong friends to more. And well I guess I just freaked out, and then I fell for her, but she didn’t want me, and when you gave us another shot, I thought I could convince myself to love you the way I did her, the way you had loved me. But truth be told, it was always Natasha after that summer. I know you deserve better, and I truly am sorry for hurting your doll. But I wanted you to hear it from me before you read about it in the news. She’s pregnant and also, we’re getting married.” Bucky said. You stood in the middle of the apartment stunned. “So, you call me up again, just to break me like a promise. So casually cruel in the name of being honest?” you whispered. Squeezing back the tears. “Well fuck you, James.” With that, you hung up. Of course, Bucky tried to ring right back, you declined the call, falling to your knees in pain. You had never asked for any of this, you had been quite happy being Bucky’s best girl as his friend. He was the one who kissed you at that prom.

You weren’t still in love with Bucky, you had moved on, forgetting about him and the pain he caused you. He hadn’t needed to call you, he could have given you a heads up through one of your mutual friends, but no. he had to go and stick the knife in. After lying there like a crumpled-up piece of paper and letting the tears fall. You picked yourself up. You washed your face and made yourself a mug of hot chocolate grabbing a Christmas cookie from the tin before making your way over to the bay window. You sat down taking in the view. The traffic had eased off a bit as things wound down for the evening. The snow had been falling pretty much all day. After about 15 minutes of sitting peacefully the key in the lock turned. You didn’t move you were incredibly content where you were, even if you could use a refill in the hot chocolate department.

“Hey handsome how was your day?” you asked not taking your eyes away from the street below. A group of kids were throwing snowballs at one another. You smiled to yourself enjoying their innocence. “It was good, busy” he replied taking off his coat and walking over to join you at the window seat. Wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close. “How about you Bunny? I saw a news alert. I’m guessing you know about the engagement?” he asked. You hummed a response. Before shuffling yourself around to face him. His floppy silver-blonde hair covering those beautiful ice blue eyes, they looked at you with such love and endearment, they also spoke a silent promise that he would never hurt you the way that Bucky had. You kissed him gently on the lips before standing up. “Come on Quicksilver let's shower before the Stark Christmas Gala,” you said pulling your boyfriend along behind you shooting him a knowing grin. His nickname may be Quicksilver for athletic reasons but there were some things he liked to take his time with.

A/N If you stuck with me through all this, I am truly sorry. I'm gonna go cry

Tagging the bestie @lannycleave

[spices-and-cherries]

Rampage (Chapter 1)

JAMES BOND X READER

This is the first chapter of my first series! I’m really super excited! This was a request made by the lovely @iamcavainna, but I did make some minor changes (like making it into a series lol)... Also, except for a few paragraphs in this chapter, the whole series will be from Bond’s point of view. 

I did not reference race, gender, sexuality, or physical appearance. If I missed something, please let me know so I can change it!

Summary:  May i request a James Bond x reader where the reader is James’s wife/fiancé and M’s niece. She gets kidnapped by a group who want to get back at them for whatever reason and James, as expected, freaks out and is about to go on a rampage looking for her but when M gets wind of it, everyone expects her to stop him but she doesn’t. James is prepared to burn the world to get the reader back

Warnings: abduction, angst, wall punching, destruction of property, stalking, breaking and entering

Chapter 1: Cologne

As soon as he had gotten off of the elevator, he knew that something was off. The hallway to his partner's flat seemed longer and more quiet than usual. The floor creaked one too many times. The air was thicker.

The door was open.

Not all the way open, but just a crack. 

He gently kicked the door so he could see inside. No one was there and not a sound was made. He gripped the gun in his pocket. 

"(Y/N)?" 

Slowly, he entered the flat and took in all the demolition. Pillows, books, china - among so much else - was strewn across the floor. The bookshelf had been pushed to the floor and there was a large crack running down one side. The potted plants that had rested by the windows had been dumped out in the middle of the carpet. Several of your favorite paintings had big rips in them and the others had holes cut out.

"Darling?"

In the kitchen there was glass covering every inch of the tiled floor making it impossible to cross, but he didn't need to move to see the mess. The kitchen table was overturned with one of its legs broken - splinters sticking out in all directions. It looked like someone had snapped your plates in half then dumped them in the sink, save for a few that had been thrown against the wall. Appliances were smashed apart and rendered completely useless. 

The bedroom was no better. Clothes were shredded and tossed about. The bedside lamps had been smashed to bits. Every drawer had been overturned - two of them reduced to pieces. The mattress had been taken out the bed and springs were coming out of it. Feathers from your pillows covered almost every surface. 

From what he could tell, nothing of value had been taken except for one thing.

You.

-----

You had been staying with a friend. It was a rather impromptu sleepover. The two of you had gone drinking to celebrate your recent engagement and ended up having a little too much. As the responsible adults you were at least trying to be, you decided to crash at her place instead of making your way home. 

The next morning, with a noticeable headache, you left early in the morning. Your fiancé was going to be coming home later in the day, and you had some cleaning to do. Nothing too serious, but it's always nice to come home to clean sheets and no dirty dishes.

However, it seemed that the day had something entirely else planned for you...

You're sitting in a seat by the door trying not to doze off when someone sits two seats away from you. Normally, you'd think nothing of it, but his strong cologne was aggravating your hangover. Trying to distract yourself, you try to read the train map across from you for the umpteenth time, however you can't help but see the man's reflection in the glass. His head is turned towards you. 

Now your hangover wasn't the only thing making you feel uncomfortable. 

Thankfully the next stop is yours and it only takes you seconds to get on the platform. Not looking back, you start to weave through the crowd, determined to get to the exit. The uncomfortable feeling follows you and it takes you a moment to realize why: the cologne smell was lingering. 

Before you reached the elevators to another platform, a strong grip takes hold of your arm.

-----

"Haven't I told you to never break into my house again?" 

"Ma'am."

"It's becoming a habit of yours."

"Sorry."

"One more time and you're off."

"I know."

"...I can't give you information that I don't have."

"Don't have or don't have authority to?"

"...Don't have authority to." M takes her coat off, but doesn't bother putting it away, opting to sit down instead.

"That's new."

"I do have my ways, you know." Out of her pant pocket, she pulls out a photograph of a man. "Don't look at me like that, Bond. Are you going to take it or not?" James reaches a hand out and she gives it to him. "He was seen with (Y/N) this morning in the tube." James looks up at that, his blue eyes more piercing than usual. "His name is Reid Slane and he's a freelancer of sorts."

"Where can I find him?"

"The address is written on the other side." James flips the photo over, glances over the writing, and slips in into the inside pocket of his coat. He goes to stand up but M stops him. "I hope you fully realize what's at stake here. If anything happens, I won't be able to cover for you - for either one of us."

"I know." He stands up and starts for the door.

"And Bond," He turns to see her looking directly at him.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Raise hell."

I really hope that you all liked it! The next chapter should come out sometime this weekend? I’m not sure because my schedule is all over the place. Anyway, as usual, please send me any requests or constructive criticism. I love hearing any kind of feedback!

- Simpy

[sashi-ya]

{+18} – Cherry Blossom & Tangerines – Trafalgar Law x Y/n – Part 2

Modern AU. Living in Seoul, Sk. Trip to Jeju Do (Island). Everybody is alive. No spoilers. Female reader. No physical descriptions. Everybody is +18, canon ages. Chopper is human.

Tw: anxiety, fear of flying. No further tw warnings. Mostly SFW. Nami x Vivi & and some ZoSan.

A/N: The AU is inspired on Jeju Island, SK. I've made some research on cute places from there, such as touristic attractions and coffee shops. Even though, it may not be 100% accurate, so keep in mind is mostly inspired♥

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31059467

Word Count: 4K

» List of parts: {P1} {P2} {P3} {P4} {P5} {P6}«

Chapter 2. “Law?!...” I said surprised. “Y/n-ya?...” he asked, also surprised, but before I could say anything else, Luffy came running through the aisle and hugged Law, and I came to the conclusion that he was, indeed, Zoro and Luffy’s friend.

I moved my stuff out of the way, and after he got rid of Luffy, Law helped me to put my backpack on the overhead locker and then sat next to me.

I remained silent for a little bit, waiting perhaps for him to talk, but he didn’t. The flight attendant announced the takeoff was about to happen, so we fasten our seatbelts as the plane started moving. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and I could see how he seemed a little bit nervous. I thought it was my imagination, but when the plane gathered a little more speed through the runway, he began to breathe faster.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and I had to ask, “Law, are you ok? Are you feeling bad?”. He directed his gaze at me with blushing cheeks, and after a few seconds, he said “Y-Yes. I just tend to get a little nervous during the take off, but I’m… ok”. Poor thing, he was trying to cover his heavy breathing… “Don’t worry, it's completely normal, would you like me to hold your hand? You can squeeze it as much as you can”, I said kindly, keeping my cool just for him to see how it wasn’t a big deal, and nothing to get embarrassed of. I placed my hand, palm up, over the armrest that separated our seats and waited for him to hold it. He doubted a little bit, but he finally did it, first softly, still ashamed, but then firmly. “Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon, try to focus on your breathing”, I guided him, with a calm speech, and looking directly into his deep grey eyes, smiling kindly. He slowly calmed his respiratory frequency, and a few minutes after the plane was already flying at cruise level, he sweetly let go of my hand. Our palms were a little sweaty, but I couldn’t care less.

“T-Th- Thanks…” He said, looking at the floor. “Don’t worry, you saved me three times the other day, now I owe you only two” I said, winking an eye at him. Law smiled a little, but kept looking at the floor. I was about to point out the fact that he was Zoro’s friend when Nami peaked through our seat backs saying “Oi Torao, you finally decided to come with us!! You normally don’t go anywhere, I’m glad you separated from your books for good!... Oh, and you two must know each other, right Y/n?” she said pointing at us, “Both of you study at the same U and are becoming doctors soon”. Vivi who was next to Nami began to giggle covering his mouth. Suddenly I realized that both of my friends already knew who Law was, and began to suspect that for some reason they wanted to perhaps pair us up.

“I know him from other circumstances”, I said smirking at them, but with an underhand expression of “I’m gonna kill both of you for not telling me”. Law smiled at them, but didn’t say much, and the girls returned to their seats.

“So, your surname must be Trafalgar, right? I thought you were a Donquixote…”, I asked him. “Yeah, is a long story…”, he said with no emotion at all, and I realized it wasn’t a good topic, so I changed the curse of the conversation. “Oh, you were the one who was complemented by Dr. Marco? You are amazing, doc!”.

“Uhum, but I’m not that good. Dr. Phoenix is just an amazing teacher”, he replied. “Indeed, he is”, I said. The small talk came to an end when the flight attendant offered us something to drink. I opted for a glass of plain water, and so did Law. He then grabbed a manga from his little bag, and began to read. “Maybe he doesn’t wanna talk to me…” I thought, put my air pods on and turned on the music. Some minutes after I regretted not having any sleep last night, as my eyes were trying to close...

The voice of the captain announced over the speakers that we will be arriving on Jeju Island in a few minutes. I was being lazy to open my eyes, as I felt extremely comfy sleeping in that position… until I realized I had my head - and almost the right side of my body - over Law’s shoulder. “Oh my… I’m sorry!” I said gaining composure and sitting properly on my spot. Law gave me a smile with kind eyes, and said “Don’t worry, I was asleep too, I used your head as a pillow, I didn’t want to wake you up, though”. Behind us a few laughs from the girls were heard, and I asked, confused, “You… what?. But the landing was already happening and the cabin crew asked us to prepare, so I decided to shut my mouth. I gazed at Law to see if he needed any help with the landing, but he didn’t seem as scared as he was with the taking off.

We all descended the plane, waited for our luggage and headed to the car rental picking point. I’ve booked three cars, so we distributed perfectly on each one. Franky picked the blue Hyundai Venue. Usopp, Chopper and Brook went with him. Law chose a yellow Hyundai Sonata, of course he would, he looks so cool… Zoro, Sanji, and of course Luffy followed him. I chose the white Tucson, for me and the girls.

We left the airport and drove through the streets of Jeju, admiring the beauty of the cherry blossom trees and the yellow flowers on the side of the road. Law’s car was behind us, and sometimes I spied through the rear mirror, just to see his face fully concentrated on the road.

I asked Nami to put the GPS for me, because our Airbnb was a little bit remote from the center and I was afraid of getting lost. The girls and I sang the whole drive to the songs the radio was playing.

We finally reached the house. It was just as the photos, a white two-story house, big enough for all of us. The beach was next to our patio, the typical style of grey rocks of Jeju Do garnished the entrance and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore with a few seagulls squawking made the whole atmosphere unique.

I gave the entrance code to Robin and she opened the door. Luffy entered first running excited and went directly to the garden to see the beach. We followed him, pretty excited too. Inside, the house had a minimalistic style, everything was white and the floor and furniture was made of light wood.

There were four rooms, so the guys distributed in two of them, Robin and I went to another and we let Nami and Vivi have a room for them. We took turns to use the shower and got ready to explore the island right away.

Sanji suggested that we should go first to Dongmun traditional market to buy fresh ingredients for him to cook for us. He became a professional chef a few years ago and works with his father Zeff, on his well-known restaurant, “The Baratie”. His cooking skills are heavenly, and he loves to cook for us, so we agreed immediately.

We arrived after a 10 minute drive, the market was extremely busy, the food stalls offered a variety of typical korean dishes, kimbap, tteokbokki, tteokgalbi and fresh and canned ingredients, such as typical fishes from the island and the famous kimchi.

Luffy, as always, drove by the smell of the delicious food, ran desperately inside and tasted every single sample the sellers offered to him. Nami, Vivi and I, decided to try the famed tangerines of the island. Nami, who is an expert on tangerines, would give us the final verdict on if they are good as people say. The juicy mandarin slices we tried were exquisite, the sweetness mixed with a little bit of tartness made us want to buy bags of them.

I saw Law approaching us, he had separated from Zoro’s group who were trying the variety of Sojus. I called him with a big smile and some tangerine slices on my hands, “Law!! Come here, you should try this!”. He came closer also with a little grin. I stood on tiptoes and said, “Open your mouth!” and without any shame I offered him a big juicy slice of mandarin. He opened his mouth surprised, but accepted the fruit and while taking it, his lips softly touched the point of my fingers. It felt almost as if he was kissing them, or for a moment I wished it was the case… A little drop of juice ran from his mouth through the commissure of his lips, so I immediately rubbed my thumb over it to clean it. He fixed his eyes on mine, and for a few seconds it seemed as if the rest of the world stopped existing around us. He swallowed up the fruit and thanked me still without taking his gaze off me. The moment broke when the old lady at the tangerine selling stall asked us if we wanted a box or a bag for the fruits. I turned to her, and saw Nami and Vivi looking at the lady wanting her to shut her mouth. My cheeks thanked the interruption, though, because they couldn’t get any more flushed.

“A box would be great, thanks!” I told the seller. Law carried the box himself, and we reunited with the rest of the group.

Sanji had already gathered everything he needed, Zoro had bought his alcohol provision for the next few days, Luffy had his face completely stuffed with some meat, Franky had a cola on his hands, Brook a milkshake, Robin a bag of tangerine tea, Chopper of course some candy cotton on both of his hands and Usopp was eating some type of ramyon. We left the market and headed to our temporary house to leave the provisions and decide the plans for the afternoon and night.

“I want to go to Bomnal Cafe, I heard they serve delicious pastries! Can we go there?” suggested Chopper. “We can go there for the afternoon, and then have a picnic with a bonfire at the beach for the night. What do you think, guys?”, I proposed. “BONFIRE! BONFIRE! Sanji, you could also make some barbecue!!” screamed Luffy, excited, and everyone agreed that it would be a great idea.

Some of us headed to the coffee shop, while Sanji, Zoro, Law, Usopp and Franky stayed at home to prepare everything for the night.

The little coffee shop had a minimalistic, all white and grey, and maybe a little vintage atmosphere. We ordered a few pastries, puddings and lattes that tasted exquisite. We sat by a big window that let us admire the beauty of a little garden with cherry trees and a little pond with some fishies swimming peacefully. We were making stories for Instagram, taking photos, having fun. “Oi, Y/n, pose for me!” said Nami and took a photo of me with her iPhone. I didn’t have time to pose properly, so it was a pretty casual photo of me drinking a matcha latte. Brook insisted on me posting it, because he said it was cute. Chopper and the girls agreed with him, so I uploaded it to my Instagram.

Suddenly, a new notification popped up on my screen, “@DrHeartSteeler liked and commented on your photo”. “Hey guys, do you know who is @DrHeart…” I was asking them while opening the notification and realized it was no other than Law. “@DrHeartSteeler > Beautiful… place. Can you bring me one of those when you come back home?”. I hadn’t had the chance to say anything else when my friends began to make a fuss about the comment. “WHEN YOU COME BACK HOME?, Torao what the fuck?” said Nami laughing out loud. Chopper who was a little innocent, started asking why everyone was laughing, and it only fanned up the flames that were blushing my cheeks. “Yohoho… I guess you have to bring him “home” a matcha latte, Y/n, he probably misses you already…” mocked me Brook. Robin, who is the most mature of all of us, simply laughed and looked at me with kind eyes.

“Stop it guys, he is just asking for a latte…” I said, fanning my face with my hand. “Oh, yes, of course. He wasn’t even following your account. Before we left home, he asked Vivi for your user, right babe?…” said Nami and Vivi nodded with her mouth full of chocolate cake. I didn’t want to show the excitement I was feeling on my insides, so I simply replied that he probably wanted to follow me because he was already following everybody in the group. We decided to come back before the sun set, so we could see it on the beach and after buying Law his tea, and some pastries for the guys we left the pretty tea room and drove home.

“Guys, we are home! we brought you some pastries!!” I said, while carrying the papers bags, and Law’s latte on the other hand. Everyone came running to me and grabbed the bags, while Law, who was sitting on the couch reading, looked at me above his manga, as if he was waiting for me to say something. I tried to act cool, so I said “And oh, uhm, Law your matcha Latte. I hope it’s the right size for you”. He smiled at me, left the book on the armchair and stood up. He walked towards me slowly, I didn’t know if he was trying to be sexy or it was just how he was… Because he certainly was, only using black with yellow spots, swim shorts and a yellow open shirt, that let me admire his tattooed chest and abs.

“Thanks, Y/n-ya. When I saw your picture, I craved for…” he made a little pause, and continued while grabbing the plastic cup, “some matcha latte”. Well, now I crave... you… I thought. I gave him a look from head to toe, and said smirking “It’s nothing, now I only owe you only one favor, so, you tell me if you need something more”. “Mh... I’ll keep it in mind”, he said with his low sexy voice and a little side smirk. I smiled at him and went upstairs.

I threw myself on the bed and sighed loudly. My heart was racing, my lower parts were feeling funny and the sexual tension I’ve just experienced was too much to handle for me. “How hot he is, damn it”, I expressed out loud covering my eyes. “Who is hot, Y/n?” asked Zoro, who apparently was entering my bedroom to ask me something. I almost had a heart attack, but calmed myself down and asked him what he needed. He told me that we were getting ready to go to the beach to prepare the picnic and watch the sunset and if I could bring some blankets. I told him ok and he left my room laughing.

“I came here to rest, and I’m getting more stressed than during finals”, I thought, annoyed, while gathering for a few blankets and pillows to bring to the beach. I headed downstairs. Everybody has already left the house and I could see them walking towards the beach from our patio. I was about to leave and closed the door trying not to throw the blankets I had in my hand, when someone scared the hell out of me. “Oi, you almost let me locked in..., let me help you with that”, said Law who was still inside. “God… Law, you scared me… what are you doing? I thought I was alone…”. “Sanji forgot the salt shaker, I returned to bring it to him”, he calmly answered. “Oh, I see… Well let’s go” I said, still breathing fast from getting scared, and handed him a few blankets to help me carry them.

The chilly sea breeze kissed our cheeks, and the sound of the beach began to fill my ears. I was wearing a long silky dress that danced with the wind, as well as my hair. The sun was going down, everything was golden. Oranges, violets, reds, were the colours that tinted the clouds above the sea. Law was walking right by my side, and both were admiring the beauty of the evening lights that bathed the cliffs. I decided to stop, and take a picture with my analog camera, and as I did, Law kept walking a few steps more until he realized I had stopped. He turned around and looked at me, just when I pressed the shutter. “I’m sorry, I… didn’t know…” Law excused himself for appearing in the photo, but I wasn’t mad at all. I gave him a smile and told him, “It’s ok, you are part of the trip, I’ll give you a copy when I develop the film if you want”. “Thanks…”, he said, and we kept on walking admiring the beauty of the sun setting.

We finally arrived at where everybody else was. Law gave the salt to Sanji and helped him with the barbecue. I started to set up the blankets with the girls and told Brook to play some music with his guitar. The boys had already put up the bonfire and some torchlights that lit up our night.

The night was lovely, it was a little cold, but a few beers after I was dancing with the girls barefoot on the sand to “A lovely night” from the movie Lalaland. Suddenly, Robin said to me “Hey, Y/n… it seems that Torao-kun can’t take his eyes off from you tonight”. “Huh?” I told Robin, confused. She pointed to where the boys were cooking and I turned my face to them. Law was indeed looking at me, with a beer in his hand. I smiled gazing at him over my shoulder, and he did too. I turned back at the girls and kept on dancing covering my mouth, giggling a little. Vivi, Nami and Robin also giggled and gave me a complicit smile.

“Dinner is ready, everybody! “announced Sanji and we gathered all around the grill to receive the plates that surprisingly Zoro helped Sanji to serve. I guess alcohol and food made them somehow get along, at least for a few hours. I wonder when they are going to stop the fighting and begin the kissing… fufufu…

The brochettes were heavenly, we ate them sitting around the bonfire while singing “Binks no Sake”, one of Brooks classics. He is the musician of the group, and even started his professional career a few years ago as “Soul King”. He is such a talented guy.

As the night passed Law and I sometimes interlocked eyes, or exchanged little smiles. I took some more photos during the picnic and we kept on dancing until 3 am, when we decided to raise camps and head to our beds.

I was exhausted, yet, the idea of stalking Law on Instagram was on my head and didn’t let me sleep. I covered myself completely with the sheets and searched for his user on my phone. He has no more than 5 photos posted. One of them was with Luffy and Zoro, after training, another one of him and Rosinante -he called him “Cora-san” on the image caption, how cute - when he was a little boy. The rest of the photos were with some friends dressed up as pirates for Halloween and in the comment section they called themselves the “Heart pirates”, ha-ha funny.

I suspired whenever I zoomed the photos over his eyes. I was starting to like this man, way too much... I tossed and turned in bed trying to fall asleep, but I simply couldn’t, so I thought drinking some tea would help me. I went downstairs, trying not to wake anybody up and got to the kitchen. From the big glass door that looked at the beach I saw how the moonlight lit up the waves crashing on the cliffs and the whole kitchen. The scenery and the chamomile tea were slowly fading away the image of Law’s eyes, until I felt someone placing a hand over my shoulder. I slightly gazed at it, and it only took me a few seconds to know it was the tattooed hand of the guy who was keeping me awake. He was wearing black shorts, and a loose white shirt. His hair was more disheveled than ever. What is it with this guy that looks so good no matter what he looks?...

“I see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep”, Law whispered. “Yeah, I’m exhausted but somehow I can’t fall asleep… I guess it must be the bed, I don’t know. Do you want some tea?”, I offered him. “Yes, that would be great”, he accepted.

I was turning on the electric kettle when we heard some noises coming from the living room. I looked at Law and both of us peaked through the kitchen entrance to see what was going on…

“Shitty cook… we shouldn’t….”, “What? are you afraid, idiot Marimo?”. Sanji and Zoro seemed a little drunk and were somehow hugging and walking at the same time. At first I thought they were trying to help each other to go upstairs, so I started walking towards them to help. I couldn’t walk any further because immediately Law grabbed me by my waist, and pulled me back into the kitchen covering my mouth. “Shh… just wait”, he whispered into my ear and let go of me. What I saw next was something we’ve all been waiting for. Finally, Zoro and Sanji accepted how much they loved each other, and went upstairs kissing as two teenagers in love.

I opened my mouth and looked at Law with a surprised expression, that soon turned into a happy face. I started making little jumps in my place. “I knew it!!” I said and Law giggled almost without making any sound. With the excitement I didn’t notice how near we were from each other, until Law softly caressed my face with one of his soft hands. He, of course had the hands of a surgeon, long fingers, soft skin, perfectly cut nails. “Why don’t we do the same as them?” he asked me, and I gasped and stood still in front of him. He slowly approached his face to mine until the point of our noses were almost touching. I got lost into his grey eyes, my mouth was ready to receive his lips. The sweet torture of the moments before a first kiss, I wished I could make it last as much as I could, but at the same time, I wanted him to kiss me, passionately, now, right now.

My eyes probably showed how desperately I was for him to kiss me, that he smirked and finally planted his luscious lips against mine. He explored my mouth with his tongue, with no modesty at all, and as we were passionately kissing he lifted me up and sited me over the kitchen counter.

Without stopping the kissing, I open my legs to allow him to come further and as he did, he slid a hand to my sex…

Part 3

PT1

[chooseyourownavenger]

[START] [ABOUT AND WARNINGS] [FAQ]

Steve/ Something quiet and outdoors.

“I think something quiet.  Just us and the people we like best.  Outside maybe,” you suggest.

“I would love that,” Steve agrees.  “I know that wearing the Stars and Stripes might seem like I love attention, but I really don’t.  Just being a small group will be nice.  More about us making a family than about putting on a show.”

“I agree,” you say.  “Do you have any suggestions for venues?”

“I always thought the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens was pretty.  I think it might be nice there,” he suggests.

You grin.  “That sounds perfect, Steve,” you say and lean over and kiss him gently.

There’s a lot that happens in the eighteen months between Steve proposing and your wedding.  You ask Hill to be your maid-of-honor because it’s her that led you to meet Steve in the first place.  Having Hill as your maid-of-honor, in turn, led to the strangest of Bridal Showers and the wildest of bachelorette parties.  However, she’s the most organized person you know and can pull strings to get things done that you would have thought are impossible.  She organizes every dress fitting and cake tasting that’s needed along with a whole bunch of things you haven’t even considered.

The ceremony is going to be held in the gardens of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens under a canopy of trees.  It’s spring and the trees are blossoming, creating a natural floral element to the decorations.  The reception is held in the Palm House, under the domed glass ceiling.  You’d opt for a seated three-course meal with an hour of cocktail service to cover the time you and Steve will be taking wedding photos.  The venue is going to be decorated with rose petals and arrangements of pale pink and white tulips and sweet peas, so it appeared as if spring has been brought in from the outside.  The cake is alternating tiers of white and pink buttercream frosting decorated with tiny gum paste flowers.  Each white layer is Italian lemon and lemon curd, while each pink is champagne and raspberry sponge.

Maria helps you with the zip on the back of your dress.  It’s a white chiffon empire cut dress with fine embroidery along the hem and an overlay of beads that sits over the bodice and your shoulders.  “We really better get a move on,” she says.

You look out of the window and nod.  “Don’t want to be there when it’s getting dark,” you agree. 

“Certainly will change the tone of your wedding photos, considering you’ve been aiming for the perfect spring day,” she says.

You nod and pick up your bouquet of white and pink tulips and sweet pea tied in a white satin ribbon and the two of you head down to the vintage MK Jaguar waiting for you.

The drive out to Brooklyn takes you over the bridge where Steve proposed and just that is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

“Don’t you start crying, kid,” Maria teases, handing you some Kleenex.  “Your mascara will run.”

“It’s okay, I already thought about that,” you said.  “It’s waterproof.”

“Smart,” she teases, tapping her head.  “No wonder he likes you.”

The car pulls into the gardens and you’re guided down the access road to get you as close to where the ceremony will be held as the car can get.  You can see everyone gathered around the chairs where the ceremony will be held.  When the car pulls up, everyone moves to their seats and Maria helps you out of the back, fixing your veil and smoothing out your dress.  “Ready?” She asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” you agree.

She smiles and signals to one of the ushers and the harp starts playing ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’.

She makes her way down the aisle and when she reaches the end, everyone stands and cranes their head to look at you.  You make your way down the aisle timing your steps to match the music.  Steve stands at the end with Bucky and Sam beside him.  He is in a Navy blue suit with a white sweet pea in the buttonhole, while Bucky and Sam are wearing light blue.  He smiles as he watches you approach him, the expression on his face is one of such pure love and awe that it makes your heart hurt a little.  By the time you reach him, tears have pricked his eyes.

You give your bouquet to Hill and take his hands.

Your celebrant gestures for everyone to be seated.  “Today is a celebration,” she says.  “A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it forever.

“You don’t have to have a ceremony to have a marriage.  Yet over so many different cultures, such a ceremony exists?  Why is this moment so special?”

She looks at you and Steve, but you barely even take note, you’re completely lost in the blue of Steve’s eyes.  “Because,” she says.  “Despite all of our differences, love is what we all share.  It’s a great unifier - our one universal truth.  That no matter who we are, where we’ve come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we’re doing right.  That’s why you are both standing here.  That’s why you all are here to watch them stand before you.  We have all loved… in whatever form it takes, and in this moment, we’re reminded that love is the very best part of humanity.

“We’re all here because we want these two people to experience love in all its forms.  From little moments like falling asleep next to each other or sharing a meal, to the large ones, like this one.  Each choice you made led you here together, standing before us and expressing your love.  You’re about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep, you’re going to promise to take care of each other, and stand up for one another, but what you’re really saying is; “Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be part of.”

She turns to Steve.  “Will you take this woman to be your wife.  To love and cherish her, support and protect her even when times are at their lowest, to lift her up and be proud of her achievements, and find new reasons to love her every single day?”

Steve smiles.  “I will.”

She turns to you “Will you take this man to be your husband.  To love and cherish him, support and protect him even when times are at their lowest, to lift him up and be proud of his achievements, and find new reasons to love her every single day?”

You grin at Steve.  “I will.”

She smiles at both of you.  “Will you both be each other’s partners from this day forward?  Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely - for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?”

“We will,” you and Steve say as one.

“Can I have the rings?”  She asks.  Bucky and Maria both hand over the wedding bands and the celebrant offers them to each of you.  “You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises.  Wedding bands are the perfect circle with no beginning and no end.  Remember though, that it did not come from nothing.  It was once raw and imperfect and crafted to fit you each perfectly.  Your love is like that too.  You formed it together with the choices you made.  May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring.  May you need one another, but not out of weakness.  May you want one another, but not out of lack.  May you look for things to praise, often say “I love you!” and take no notice of small faults.  May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.  May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.”

She pauses and looks at both of you.  “And now the time has come.  I present to you, Captain and Mrs. Rogers.  You may kiss the bride.”

Steve’s smile seems to be glued to his face.  He lifts your veil from your face and runs his hands back into your hair as he brings his lips to yours.  Everyone stands and claps, but you’re barely aware of them as you kiss your husband, and a whole new set of life choices opens up before you.

~ END ~