#And it’s hard to avoid because I also draw for university and it’s like 8 to 12 hours total spent in front of a screen or paper per day

[sclki-op]

sketched Smoker with my left hand because my wrist has been hurting for the past two days and I really want to draw no matter what. maybe I could get good enough at drawing like this so I could switch hands…

[deliciousangelfestival]

My Problematic Girl - Chapter 4

Character: College!Steve Rogers x Rich!Female Reader

Prologue:  Steve has lived being nobody in this prestigious university. He just wants to graduate and get a job to get more money to pay the bills for his mother's surgery. 

But his life turned upside when a new student attended his class. His quiet and dull life became dangerous and full of surprises.

×××

She exhaled the cigarette smoke from her lips. She still doesn’t care even though he told her he has asthma. 

She looked at Steve and said, “Bark for me.”

Steve felt humiliated, and his pride was crushed. But she held his life and secrets. He had to bury his dignity to the ground, and he murmured, 

“Woof.”

******

I would appreciate any comments and feedback you can give me. 

You can tell me if you want to join the tag list. Don't be shy 😘💖💜💙

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 , Chapter 6, Chapter 7 ,Chapter 8 , Chapter 9,-

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His body felt weak, and he dropped himself to the floor. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, dreaming he could run away. 

He punched the floor and screamed, "No! I won't do it."

"Don't be that innocent, Steve. Art is always related to money laundry."

Y/N exhaled another smoke. "I knew a drug cartel who hung two Picasso's in his bathroom."

'Oh God, she knows a drug cartel now.' Steve's hand ran down his face. 

"You need the money, Steve. Drawing hentai comics and the salary of a part-time waitress and cashier is not enough to pay for your mother's surgery."

"And your father's debts."

How did she know that? That's the painful past he always pretends never happened. They have to move several times to avoid the debt collector.

He lifted his head to look up at her. "You do a background check on me?" 

Then it hit him. "You choose me because I'm poor!!!"

She didn't deny it, and it seems like she admits it. 

Y/N know Steve is a man with a strong sense of pride. 

That's why she wanted to break him. He became easy prey because he didn't have any money. 

"Steve, I'm offering you a shortcut to get quick money."

"Or do you want to build a startup that could give you more debt or join a Ponzi scheme like your father?"

Steve gritted his teeth. "You're evil."

Y/N let out laughter wounded like a warning from a beast. "Not just evil but also greedy. I learned this the hard way to survive."

'Survive? What does she mean by that?'

She offered her hand to him. "If you doubt me, I have written a contract for this. In that contract, you get all the benefits. If you have disadvantages, you can sue me."

He clenched his fist. What does she want from him? Please make her stop. It felt like he was stuck in a shipping ship. 

"You need this, Steve. Aren't you tired of being humiliated because you have no money?" 

Steve saw Y/N with two horns, bat wings, and a tail. She offered him a dangerous deal. 

But deep down, even though he knew this was wrong, he needed that money. 

He's tired of drawing that comic, different part-time jobs, and hiding from debt collectors; he wants to move out of that ugly apartment and needs money for his mother's surgery. 

He threw away his morals. 'Forgive me, Mother, this son of yours will be a partner in crime.'

He grabbed her hand, and she helped him to stand up. He doesn't speak, but it's a silent yes.

Y/N smiled, "That wasn't difficult right?"

She dragged his hand, but Steve's body wouldn't move. "Where are we going?"

"Just get into the car."

He let her drag his hand; when he finally got inside the car and put on his seat belt, he asked, "Now we're inside; where are we going?"

"Saint Barbara Hospital."

Steve almost jolted his eyes. "This is low Y/N !!! You're going to use my mom to blackmail me?"

This is also the first he screamed at her. That place is where his mother got admitted. 

Y/N gasped, "Wow, I will never use that method."

He scoffed, "Yeah, right."

She stirred the wheel and started to drive. "You are free to hate me. But I'm the only solution you got. Besides, I'm visiting someone too."

Steve remembered something, and it made him wonder. "Before you said, evil and greed are needed to survive. What do you mean by that?"

There's no answer. Steve saw Y/N's right hand tremble; she had to put her left hand to calm it down. Then she immediately turned on the car autopilot. 

She lowered her head while massaging her hand. 

"I learned it the hard way; being kind is useless. That's why I'm intrigued by you."

Steve pointed to himself. "Me?"

"You aren't offended when your classmates mock you; you weren't greedy when I gave you the deposit money for the drawing. And I liked how you looked at me for the first time."

She was silent for a second, then said "You despised me."

"..."

Steve rubbed his forehead; he is dealing with a crazy person. "You're crazy."

She laughed and said, "I know."

When the car arrived, the hospital security opened the car, and she handed him the key. 

Steve always gets here by bus but never sees a valet service. 

"I didn't know this hospital offered a valet service."

"They don't."

Both of them walked together into the lift. Y/N pressed the 2nd floor. Steve always came to this hospital; he knew that floor was for physiotherapy. 

Without looking at him, she said, "I'm going this way without looking at him. See you tomorrow."

Steve finally could breathe when she left. When the lift door slide opened, he went straight to a patient room where his mother stayed. 

There he saw his mother already in the wheelchair. 

She smiled at him because she knew his son would come. "Let's go outside. The weather is nice." 

Steve couldn't say no to this fantastic woman. Sarah Rogers. She has sacrificed so much, and he is always grateful for having a strong mother like her. 

But her kidney got worse. Because his father failed at business, he ran away and left the debt to Steve and Sarah. One day his mother had to sell her kidney so they could survive. 

Steve still felt guilty until this day. But she never blames anyone, even her husband, and keeps smiling.

Steve brought her to the hospital park. On the way to the park, Sarah greeted everyone. She stayed in the hospital for so long that made her know everyone.

When he found a perfect spot to sit, Sarah pointed at someone.

"Oh, that's Lilly."

Steve looked in the direction she pointed. An older woman in a wheelchair and being pushed by…

Y/N??? 

"Mom, you know her?"

"Lilly, of course. She used to be our neighbour. She's a piano teacher."

"And the person who is behind her?"

"Ooh, you mean Y/N? She's a nice kid."

'Nice? She's far from that.' Steve wants to tell his mother the truth. 

"She used to live around our neighbourhood too. But she moved after her father remarried"

Steve raises his eyebrows. Y/N used to live near their apartment. She didn't grow up in an elite neighbourhood?

"Y/n is Lilly's only student who keeps coming to check on her. And she paid for her surgery."

"Student?"

"Lilly told me Y/N is a prodigy, but she stopped playing the piano after an accident."

Sarah sighed. "That poor girl, Lilly, always in tears when she mentioned it. Y/N's fingers got hurt because of the accident, and she can't play the piano anymore."

Steve remembered Y/N were shaking. 

Did something happen in her childhood? Trauma?

He doesn't know he starts to sympathise with Y/N. He shook his head. It's not just her who went through a hard life. 

Even if she has trauma, at least she has money. 

After he visited his mother, Steve went home and started painting. If he could complete his work, he could end the deal with Y/N immediately. 

'Bzzt.'

Hmm? Another call from Bucky. Steve answered the phone. 

"Hello?"

"Uhm, the girl you mentioned yesterday reminded me of a famous kid from my university."

Steve sighed and said, "Y/N L/N." That name reminded him of tobacco since she smoked a lot. 

"Ahh, that's her name !! She is admitted into your faculty?"

"Yeah."

"That's unrelated to her law degree."

So she's graduated. "Then what is she doing in Stark?"

"Uhm, I heard a rumour from my team. It was hot gossip."

"What is it?"

"Y/N, after she graduated and joined her father's law firm, she exposed the Imperial University admission scandal."

Steve gasped when he heard that info. He heard about that scandal, but the news stopped talking about it.  

"You know what's crazy? Her step-grandfather is the biggest donor of this campus."

How did Bucky know that? 

"I think she went to Stark to make her stay out of trouble."

'That's why she said this is her punishment.'

"Did she make trouble there?" 

"Always. We called her Mad Dog. Some people don't agree with her method, but she defends weak students."

That's hard to believe. Wait, she defends him from Luke. He saw her as a good person before she turned into a crime lord. 

"I think she got kicked out from the family because she almost tarnished her father's law firm."

"And her sugar daddy Tonny helped her."

"What?!! No!!! That's disgusting. Tony is her godfather."

"How did you know?" 

"When she graduated, her father didn't come, and Tony replaced him. Tony was so proud of her perfect GPA and told everyone that he's Y/N godfather."

"What is her father's name?"

"Brian Solomon."

'Brian. That name sounds familiar.'

"Why does she have a different last name?"

"Her father took his wife's name after he got remarried. If you go here, you will know everything about her. Her family is basically like a royal family. "

'Crash'. 

"Steve, what's wrong?"

"My hand slipped. I break the glass. Sorry Bucky, I'll hang up."

Steve put down his phone and picks up the shattered glass. 

L/N.

Lawyer Brian L/N. Steve remembered that name. 

That person is the lawyer who defends the people who introduce the Ponzi Scheme to a bunch of people like Steve's father. 

The victim who invested their money lost everything. While the mastermind didn't get punished. 

"Uurgh." This info triggered his asthma. Steve took his inhaler to breathe.

What kind of crazy coincidence is this? 

Y/N is Brian L/N's daughter.

Like father and daughter, both of them are evil and greedy. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you like it.

You can tell me if you want to join the tag list. Don't be shy 😘💖💜💙

I will always be grateful for those who reblog. Thank you so much.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 , Chapter 6, Chapter 7 , Chapter 8, Chapter 9,-

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[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: Spider-man : Across the Spiderverse

thanks @knightsweeties for drawing my icon's spidersona

So I am WAY behind on movies I should have been watching and Finally cleared my schedule enough to watch this movie

So I think I will break it down into the following. As a fan of into the spider-verse, my expectations for this film are a lot higher than most movies. Here's how I am breaking it down.

Animation

Plot

The Characters

The Lesson

Does it live up to the hype

Final Thoughts

____________________________________________________________

Animation

Across the Spiderverse is an animation marvel.

I wouldnt call it beautiful, because that is such a mundane term. It is artistically masterful. It even goes beyond what it had done in the previous film.

The way the film has each universe has its own art, color and style that transfers to each character. The level of detail is beautiful. The way colors are used in Gwen's universe. How Hobie is never looking consistent in any shot he is in because in his own words "He hates consistency" Its incredible.

The animation is the best part of the movie. If the animation is a cut above the rest and it is the best I have every seen in a CGI film.

10/10 (And that is a hard 10)

Plot

The film takes place a year and 4 months after the events of Into the spiderverse. There is a group of inter dimensional spider people that go around to fight anomalies and ensure the "Canon" is maintained.

Miles aka Spiderman is just trying to get a hang of his life as Spider man, his parents are worried about his future and now he has a new villain, the Spot. The Spot is obsessed with becoming Miles/Spiderman's nemesis and is hopping universes to increase his power.

Miles ends up in trouble with the interdimensional spider people and their leader, Miguel o'hara. And it culminates in the Spot becoming a massive threat to the multiverse, Miles being chased down by the spider people because he is an anomoly and him ending up in a dimension from where the Spider that bit him came from. A world where there is no spider man.

Now there is SO much to cover and this movie is a 2 hour and 20 minutes and it is only PART 1!

Now there are also a bunch of other story lines like with Gwen and her dad, Peter B parker becoming a father and The Spot figuring out his powers. But that is only the beginning.

Now the way the movie takes its time to set things up is fine... but it also feels like there are some things that could have been cut. It feels so long. The movie does do a good job to ensure it never feels boring, but at the same time it feels cluttered and empty in random intervals.

The first part does leave me excited for part 2, but I also feel like I have a lot of movie to process already and I am not in a rush to see part 2.

I think the previous film did a better job maintaining the hype and pacing, while also giving so much development.

Overall 8/10

_____________________________________________________________

The Characters

Miles Morales: Miles is as great as he was in the first film. You sympathize with his situation, he never comes off as annoying or jerkish because the movie does a good job in making sure you understand his perspective. Even when he is arguing with his parents, you know he wants to tell them but all the advice he has been given is NOT to. The problem with Miles though is that his problem is basically the same as the first one, people keep telling him what he is or needs to be and he has to find his own way and rise up. It feels a bit repetitive. But that being said it is a twist on it because with the situation we as the audience have to figure out if Miles is in the right or not.

Spider-Gwen: Gwen gets more development here, including the focus on her dynamic with her father. The strain that occured when he found out that his daughter was the vigilante that he believed killed his daughter's best friend. Its a whole can of worms as Gwen is basically dimension hoping to avoid dealing with that. We also see how she and miles grow closer ONLY to seperate as he learned the truth on why she never visited and why he is an anomoly. Gwen does manage to make up with her dad and she has a new mission, saving Miles. She is in her own way just as much of a main character in this as Miles, which is great for her as it allows us to explore her character more. Her character is one of the best.

The Spot: When it comes to pathetic villains that grow into massive threats, you can say I have a soft SPOT for them. I like the backstory and how absurdly dumb it is but how it makes sense. The spot is growing into his own and a twisted version of miles, like he had to deal with in the first movie. Coming into his own but lacking control only to grow exponentially as he grew in confidence. The spot now has a mission, be the true nemesis of Miles whether he wants it or not, and he is willing to rip apart the multiverse to do it.

Miguel O'Hara: The hard ass future spiderman that is obsessed with making sure no other universe collapse. He is fervent in his belief that Canon can not be broken and any and all threats to the spiderverse need to be dealt with. He is also a foil to Miles because he is a bigger, serious and seemingly more competent version of him. Miles' own friends take this guy's side over his, and it is a great point of tension. Personally, I think he is wrong with his takes and while the movie tries to show him as right, it fails to take into account how inaccurate it is by ignoring the times things DIDNT break. If Canon was so definitive, than Miles universe would have collapsed when his world's spiderman died. Regardless I do like the character.

The Spiders: The other spider people were great. Seeing Peter b parker, and Spider byte were some of my personal favorites. Spider woman was great... but it bothered me that a PREGNANT WOMAN was doing all this crazy dangerous stuff. I dont care if she is a spider person that is dangerous and could cause a TON of complications. WHY DID NO ONE POINT OUT THE DANGER TO HER? Rant done, I did enjoy all the jokes that were made and most of the spiders were endearing and fun to see. (Lego spider man is the best one confirmed by Miguel)

Overall solid 9/10. While Gwen got an upgrade and Miguel was a welcome antagonist I think there were a LOT more characters here and it cost some of them development. But despite that it is still good.

______________________________________________________________

The Lesson

Its basically a coming of age story that life is unpredictable and that people can advise you but you are the only person that can decide how you write your story. That is similar to Miles story in the first one and it could be argued that this is just an expansion on that. Or it can be said that the first lesson was to rise to the occasion and never fear failure while this is to push forward and decide whats right for you.

Overall its done well if a bit of a rehash.

9/10

__________________________________________________________

Does it live up to the Hype?

Yes. 100% if you liked the first one you will love the second one. But I can also see the argument that the first movie was great as a stand alone, and with this being part one it now becomes dependent on how the second part delivers, that is the problem with movies in Parts. I do think it will deliver, so I am not worried on that end. So yes, it lives up to the hype.

_____________________________________________________________

Final thoughts

Across the Spiderverse brings a new redefinition of animation as we know it, it is a solid plot and it has a lot of hype and build up going into the next part. I am glad I waited before watching as it allows me not to get sucked into people's opinions and I can say I enjoy it without just agreeing with the crowd.

solid 10/10 for me. It is one of the best Animated movies I have ever seen and I cant wait for part 2.

Also what is with spider people and child endangerment? Spider woman and peter B parker. I got my EYE on you

TLDR: Its an INCREDIBLE movie, its long and it lives up to the hype.

[sweetretribution]

3 and 12 !!

Canon Questionnaire.

3. What’s the best thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

A lot of people will tell you the one and only answer to this is "the fight scenes," and it's hard to disagree. Especially early on, the action scene choreography was a major draw to the show for people. However, this did fumble for a while with the tragic loss of show creator and lead animator Monty Oum, and while I never expected anyone to be able to fill his shoes- the man was a wizard I s2g- I do want to take the dip in quality for a while into account. They've absolutely improved since then, and I feel like he would be happy with the work the animators do.

Something that has been consistently great is the music. Jeff Williams was the lead producer on the soundtrack for volumes 1-8, with his daughter Casey(who was 13 when doing her first recordings for the show)often providing vocals. Lots of songs are told from the point-of-view of certain characters, and make for excellent storytelling tools in that regard, on top of just about every one of them being a bop/banger/jam/etc. Jeff retired from the show after volume 8, with Casey taking the reins for volume 9, and she continued to do an excellent job.

Lastly, I think something great about the show is just...that it's kept going. When Monty passed away shortly after volume 2 concluded, there was lots of concern about whether or not RWBY was going to continue. The crew ultimately decided that the show must go on, and I really admire that. Monty was their friend, and they didn't want his story to die with him. They've kept his world alive up to this point, and whether or not people think the show's quality is better or worse than it was when we had him, I feel like they've done their best with what they were left. People criticize changes they've made to the ideas he had, and while I don't think ALL of them are great, do people not understand that Monty himself would change shit up all the time? Hell, my muse's entire existence was a result of a snap decision he made. The RWBY he had in his head after volume 2 ended would not be the RWBY we have today even if he were still here, and it pisses me the hell off when people always attack the crew for not following his plan to the letter. As if THEY have any idea what his plan was- as if THEY were his personal friend and would be able to do the show so much better than the people whose help he sought out.

...Sorry for the tangent. I get passionate about that topic in particular.

12. What would you say is the most unique trait about your character?

Speaking of Neo's existence as mentioned before, I think that, from a meta perspective, is what's most unique about her. Her original design was based on a female cosplay of her boss, Roman Torchwick, and her Semblance was created solely for her first major scene so that Roman would have a means of escaping team RWBY. She was basically a last-minute addition Monty made, and yet has become such a fan favorite that she became the main antagonist of volume 9, and she and Roman have their own spinoff novel.

As a character, though, I think her most unique trait is how she expresses herself. Being actually physically mute requires her to be much more animated than the majority of the cast in order to get her point across. It does wonders to have her avoid the serious, stoic trappings that are so common in most characters that just prefer to be silent rather than having a disability. Her Semblance also helps her communicate through her own images rather than words, though I feel like that would be cheating to cite since it's not something a lot of universes with silent characters could do. Her physical demeanor, on the other hand, is something they COULD do but elect not to. It creates a wider pool of characters she's included with and makes her stand out more amongst them because of it.

[starlit-lion]

I posted 7,008 times in 2022

That's 89 more posts than 2021!

7 posts created (0%)

7,001 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@docxie

@stampothy

@pikablob

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@sharkiethedork

I tagged 216 of my posts in 2022

#ellywick - 56 posts

#bellona - 47 posts

#spoilers - 8 posts

#lion's posts - 6 posts

#noel - 6 posts

#lion's art - 5 posts

#artificer alchemist - 3 posts

#dnd oc - 3 posts

#kid cosmic - 3 posts

#amphibia - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#and i'm gonna try to play that as this thing where its just. hard to tell her no. she helped you out and shined your shoes right off the bat

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Any OC stuff you wanna share right now? 👀👀👀

I was thinking about something about Ellywick I wanted to ramble about a while back ^^; But one thing about her that never really got stated explicitly or explored in a significant way is that Ellywick is like mildly... Whatever the exact opposite of claustrophobic would be. Aka, she’s uncomfortable in spaces that are too open (the term might be Agoraphobia but I think there's a lot of other fears tied into that too? I'd have to do more research). Being a rock gnome, she grew up in burrows that were sized appropriately for gnomes, and even at the university she attended, I think it was still primarily gnomish and still in a borrow-like arrangement well within Ellywick’s comfort zone. Where the last game I played her in started, she had been messing around in Waterdeep for a while prior to the events of the campaign, so she wasn't totally unused to being in larger spaces. But I definitely had her make some quips about everything being 'too big' in the city, and act in a way really consistent with preferring darker, more enclosed spaces. Like, she would prefer to crawl under a table if the party was hanging out in a tavern for any length of time. And whenever sewer encounters came up, I always had her revel in it while the other party members complained. Because despite the smell (which let’s be honest she’s breathing in toxic Alchemical fumes all the time I wonder if she has any sense of smell at all at this point) she was actually just really happy to be underground again. She also just really consistently avoided sleeping in beds, since beds are too large for her and make her feel exposed. At the party's home base she slept under her desk (though that was also swept up in a joke about her being a workaholic). In inns and stuff if she was sharing a room with another party member and it got mentioned, I would usually say that she slept under the bed or some other piece of furniture. I even wanted her to live in the basement of the party's home base, but she ended up taking the attic and shuttering all the windows because the rest of the party wanted the basement to be a wine cellar (and then later a place to hide 500k gold pieces we stole by putting the 'heist' in Waterdeep Dragon heist lol). I worry a lot things got dismissed as ‘just Elly being wacky again!!’ but I actually do have a consistent logic to a lot of her actions when I play her :p

5 notes - Posted January 27, 2022

#4

A weird little alchemist with her weird little lab assistant

8 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

#3

Fanart of Percy de Rolo from @pikablob‘s crossover AU and fic The Coldest Equation! I had a lot of fun helping with this design and drawing it! :D

8 notes - Posted April 19, 2022

#2

Ellywick ‘Asbestos’ Wormwise, Gnome Alchemist

8 notes - Posted February 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

My Alchemist’s Homunculus Servant. His name is Silly :)

23 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[blazenka]

Forthcoming

 Returning to Mystic Falls for a visit, Elena awakes to find she's been sent unwillingly into the past. Not only does she have to avoid changing past events; she must also deal with a cold and detached Damon who is the only one who knows she's there.

Original source: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7073903/1/Forthcoming

Chapters: 17

Published: June 12, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Words: 41434

Rated: Fiction M - Language: English - Genre: Romance/Supernatural - Characters: Elena G., Damon S. - Reviews: 117 - Favs: 132 - Follows: 95

Exported with the assistance of FicHub.net

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Chapter 1

~Ѱ~

May 2014

"Why is it so hard to pack things neatly in one suit case?" Elena wondered out loud as she stood back from her bed and the massive collection of clothes that suddenly seemed to be fighting her.

While Elena concentrated on the mess while trying to sort it out, a set of masculine arms wrapped around her waist before planting a gently kiss against her pulse, "Perhaps you're trying to take to much? We're only planning on staying a week, Elena," the owner of the voice argued.

Of course, girls and their clothes - she wanted to be prepared for the Virginia weather she missed while attending university. Of course, she wasn't about to admit she might be taking too much.

"Oh, and what are you packing? Black shirt and jeans… at least I'm trying to have diversity," Elena countered before turning to face him, "Damon."

"Hey, that outfit has worked so well for me over the years. And why mess with perfection when it got me you," he gave his usual mischievous smile before wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're outfit is definitely not the reason we are together," she answered back before removing herself from his arms.

"Not even in the top ten?" He asked, following her across the room to in front of her vanity.

"Nope," she smiled as he withdrew her back into his arms, smiling back at her through the mirror.

"Then why, pray tell, are we together, Ms. Gilbert?" Damon whispered, drawing out his slight southern accent.

"Because… I find myself infatuated with you and I might love you," she whispered back before she turned around to kiss him.

Damon wasn't about to waste any opportunity to kiss Elena but dreaded the knowledge he would have to cut it short of the usual average for their kisses, "You're going to make us late for the airport, Elena," he warned as she fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

"I was on time for once before you came in here, Damon," she countered, emphasizing his name just as he did with hers.

"Point taken, but I'm already packed and it feels like your taking forever," he jokingly whined as she returned to her clothes covered bed.

"You're telling me a hundred and fifty year old vampire has no patience?" she smirked as she managed to zip the bag shut.

"For you Elena," he said as he picked up her cases, "I'd wait life times - but we need to get to the airport hence we are kind of in a hurry so - let's go," he finished before pushing her through the door of their apartment flat.

"Welcome home!" Jenna greeted her at the door, Alaric not too far behind.

"Hey," Elena greeted as she embraced her aunt and her future uncle, "So glad we can make it."

Alaric gave her a look at the 'we' part but Jenna spoke first, "Where's your bags?"

"She'll be staying with me." Right on clue, Damon appeared behind Elena with a "pleasant" smile, "Jenna, lovely as ever. So happy you two crazy kids decided to tie the knot after… well, everything."

"Damon what are you doing here? More importantly, what are you doing with my niece?"

"Well, I'm Ric's best man here and… I'm sort of seeing your niece in the romantic sense."

Jenna gave her soon-to-be yet possibly-not-now-after-all-this husband a look before turning to Elena, "I thought you were through with… vampires," she whispered, not too sure of the fact still.

"Jenna, things have changed and… Damon has been there for me," she tried to explain but wondered why she even tried. They knew this was the exact reason they kept this a secret from everyone, well - except Caroline (who told Tyler) and Stefan. She wasn't exactly looking forward to explain all this on top of everything from the past. Elena just wanted to move forward with her future.

"It's just… I knew Damon went to visit you in college but I thought that was just how Damon is not that he… does he?"

"No worries Jenna, my intentions with your niece are honorable," he tried to reassure her before glancing to Ric, knowing his friend knew how he felt about Elena but never brought it up to his girlfriend. 'Way to make things easier on me, Ric.'

"I didn't mean to drop this on you before the wedding I just… we should have thought about this more," Elena admitted as she took a seat on the couch - a new couch in her old home.

"No, no… it's okay. I can… kind of understand. Just a surprise after everything with Stefan," Jenna admitted as she grabbed a four glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Damon would never do that, he couldn't do  that," Elena responded as Damon took the seat with her, lacing his fingers with her.

"But on to better and brighter things," Damon announced while gazing into Elena eyes before turning to Jenna and Alaric, "Your wedding."

Elena took a deep breath before knocking on Bonnie's door, Damon's words ringing in her ears.

"She might not be as forgiving as Jenna, Elena. Bonnie has never been my biggest fan."

Yes, but that had been years ago - thought they had gotten past all that as they matured.

"Elena!" Bonnie cried as she hugged her dear friend while Elena eagerly returned the gesture. While years and miles had separated them, seeing one another again seemed to rekindle the relationship even death and tragedy couldn't destroy.

"So glad you've come for Jenna and Ric's wedding. Jeremy is so excited he left as early as he could from campus. Unfortunately, he won't be here till before dawn," Bonnie informed Elena as she led her into the house. Elena knew this house well too - it use to belong to Shelia.

"You and Jeremy are still… doing alright?" Elena cautiously asked, not sure how much detail she wanted into her brother's dating life.

"The long distance gets hard at times but with technology now it's like he's in the room with me. We video chat all the time, can even sync movies to watch them together. It's been okay but it will be so much better with both of you in town. Do you know if Caroline is coming?"

"Yep, with Tyler in tow," Elena answered, not sure how much she should tell. Bonnie and Caroline really hadn't been talking when they went off to college. And Elena only talked to Caroline so much was because they happened to go to school in the same part of the state.

"God, it's been so long since I've been able to talk to her. Glad to here she's still with Tyler. Once they worked everything out they've been good for one another… other than Tyler possibly biting her," Bonnie mused as she fixed drinks.

"So this leads us back to you. How have you been? Hooked up with any college guys I should know about?"

Elena released a forced laugh that sounded too anxious, unfortunately Bonnie picked up quickly on that fact.

"Oh god, you're pregnant?"

Now Elena was just caught off guard. "No Bonnie, you don't have to worry about that. I am seeing someone - someone you know," she admitted, but still delaying the actual truth.

"Oh really? So someone from town but I can't really imagine who - at least anyone off the top of my head… it's not Matt is it?"

"No… no, he never really talked to us after the whole finding out ordeal," Elena paused but Bonnie just gave her a look just asking for her to continue, "Before I tell you exactly who it is you should know he's been really helpful the last year with college and everything. After everything with Klaus and Stefan I don't think I would have gotten through it all without him. He's been there, never giving up and I just thought it was time I stop keeping him waiting and…"

Elena looked up to see Bonnie's stiffen stature and wide eyes - as if everything Elena had said physically hurt her - or maybe Bonnie had become overcome from realization.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked out to her friend, which seemed to snap her out of the shock.

"Damon…" Bonnie whispered before he voice gained strength, "Damon Salvatore? Elena, please tell me I'm wrong or at least, you're joking!"

"Bonnie, I would never joke about something like this." Elena paused to push a strand of hair behind her ear before she rose her eyes to her friend, "Everyone knows how he feels about me and I've grown to feel the same."

"But Elena… how can you be in a relationship with a man whose done… all those things?" Bonnie argued, she could never forget how cruel Damon could be even if Elena was willing to.

"Bonnie, he's changed - you know this," Elena's irritation rising - she thought they were past this, "And most of those things were done to save people we know."

"That doesn't absolve him of everything he's done!"

"I know that but I just thought you would be… never mind Bonnie, I'll see you tomorrow but my trip was long and I just don't have the energy to fight with you," she turned towards the door with a sigh, trying to release the anger before she left.

"Okay, I'll see you at Jenna's in the morning," Bonnie answered, knowing she would run into Elena when she went to visit Jeremy once he got home.

"I'm actually staying at the Boarding House with Damon so maybe I'll see you tomorrow," Elena answered.

"But Elena…" Bonnie began before Elena cut her off, "Bonnie, don't… just don't."

Elena turned back to her friend with a forced smile before she turned and shut the door behind her.

Bonnie watched the closed door for a while after hearing Elena leave in her car before she decided to act. "Sorry Elena. You might think I'm a terrible friend but…" Bonnie turned to her book case to retrieve one of her grimoires, "but you need to remember what kind of person Damon Salvatore really is."

Elena climbed the dark stairs to Damon's room before the door swung open and she landed on the bed.

"Hey," she smiled up into his clear cerulean eyes.

"Hey," Damon replied, smiling - possibly just to be happy to see her or the fact she was comfortable with his vampire powers, "What took you so long? Not that I'm trying to sound like the jealous boyfriend or anything…"

Elena just smiled as she situated herself on his bed before stripping out of her clothes, "Maybe I was out with some hot guy instead of you?" she questioned, playing into his game.

"Really?" he raised his eyebrow in challenge as he magically seemed to appear under the covers beside her, propping himself on his elbow to look straight at her.

"Yes, some hot steamy… fireman," she replied as she tried to stifle her giggle.

"Elena? You take writing courses in college and that's as original as you can get? A fireman, really?" Damon scoffed as he rolled back against his pillow.

"No, I was with Bonnie and took my time getting back here… I just don't want to talk about it," Elena answered honestly as she rested into the crook of his arm.

"She found out we were dating and she wasn't too happy about it," he figured out on his own. Yet when Elena gave him her usual 'look', he continued, "Sabrina is not fond of me and I could see that coming from a mile away - without my vampire abilities."

"Maybe if you didn't call her Sabrina…" Elena countered.

"You guys will be fine by the morning and this whole week you, her and Caroline with be buddy-buddy like old back when before…"

"Before everything happened," Elena finished for him as they settled into each other's arms for the night, "I hope your right," she yawned as she fell asleep after he gently kissed the crown of her head goodnight.

~Ѱ~

Hope you've enjoyed this story, thank you for reading.

next chapter

[skzsauce01]

Bird Is the Word

Synopsis: A series of drunk texts leads to one of the best and worst things that has ever happened to you. Or, Han Jisung is never going to let you forget the time you forgot the word ‘bird.’ College AU. Not a text fic but does include some texts.

Warning: alcohol, a lot of bird puns

Word Count: 8.1k

Pairing: fem!reader x Han Jisung

2:23 AM [Me]: sOS SOS SOS SOSOSOS 2:23 AM [Me]: I NEED HELPPPP 2:23 AM [Jisung Bio]: You okay?? 2:23 AM [Me]: YOU SMART HELPPPPP

2:24 AM [Jisung Bio]: Do you want me to call the police?? 2:24 AM [Me]: WHAT ARE THE FLUFFY ANIMALS THAT GO FLAP CALLED 2:24 AM [Jisung Bio]: Is this a code word? 2:24 AM [Me]: THEY GO FLAP AND EAT SEEDS 2:24 AM [Jisung Bio]: Do you mean birds? 2:24 AM [Jisung Bio]: Are you drunk?

2:25 AM [Me]: [blurry_photo_of_your_window.jpg] 2:25 AM [Me]: HERE LOOK 2:25 AM [Me]: YES BIRDS 2:25 AM [Me]: THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH 2:25 AM [Me]: LOVE YOUUUUU

In your defense, you were drunk. And when you are drunk, your critical thinking skills disappear and are replaced by pure, uninhibited stupidity. It’s like some twisted Jekyll and Hyde situation, but only when you drink, you transform into this other version of yourself instead of suppressing it.

You mostly remember the things you have done and said while under the influence. The most embarrassing ones tend to be fuzzy. If it weren’t for the grainy phone video taken by Seungmin and your own voice cheerfully declaring that you had an idea, you wouldn’t have realized that you were the idiot who tried to make a chalk mural at the four-way intersection in the middle of the night. You didn’t even have chalk, but that didn’t stop you from drawing on the asphalt with a broken pen you found on the sidewalk.

Good thing Seungmin had the foresight to drag you back to the crosswalk before a car could come speeding by.

However, that legendary act of idiocy doesn’t even compare to this new one. Forget the fact that you could have died.

Your biology class just went over survival of the fittest using Darwin’s finches as an example. How in the world did you forget about the word ‘bird?’ Why did you think it was a good idea to ask the cute guy in your bio study group about “THE FLUFFY ANIMALS THAT GO FLAP?” And why, why, why did you insist on telling him that you loved him? The ‘THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH’ was already enough.

Jisung is never going to let you live this down.

It’s fine. You’re fine. It’s not like you spent the entire Sunday morning knocking back glasses of water and wishing it was vodka instead. It’s not like you drafted about five different apology messages and deleted them all. It’s not like you have to see him in class tomorrow.

Really, you’re fine.

You go out of your way to make yourself as inconspicuous as possible, which probably means you are very conspicuous. Do normal people not wear hoodies and sweatpants to class now, or are you just overthinking everything? The two people in the row in front of you are wearing jeans, and the girl heading down your row has a polka-dotted dress on. A secondary glance at the girl tells you that it’s another member of your study group. Speaking of the study group, maybe you should find another one. Preferably one without Jisung in it.

“Morning,” Lia says as she takes the seat beside you. She sets down her purple water bottle on the floor with a light clink. “How was your weekend?”

Terrible, but you say, “It was fine. I finished up the readings and did some notes. How about you?”

“Those readings took me forever!” she groans. “I was trying to finish everything on Saturday, so I could go out on Sunday. Which I did manage to do, so it all worked out. I got a new dress!” She plucks at the bodice of her dress, and you finally take a closer look at the pattern.

They’re not polka dots. They’re freaking birds — swoopy doves with outstretched wings. Or at least you think they’re doves. Your lack of bird knowledge speaks for itself.

“It’s pretty,” you hollowly say. The universe seems determined to remind you of your texts. Lia’s face falters, and you realize your disdain came across as you lying. “No, it’s not like that! Just… bad experiences with birds. You look really nice in this.”

She brightens up. “Oh, thanks! What do you mean by ‘bad experiences?’ What happened?”

“Good morning, birdbrain!”

“That happened.”

Looking far too happy for a Monday morning, Jisung takes the other seat beside you. He has a cup of coffee stacked high with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, and you wonder if his extreme cheerfulness is from the caffeine or from your impending public humiliation. Why did you have to pick this guy to have a crush on? Sure, he’s cute and smart and sometimes nice, but there are plenty of people who have those traits without his witticism.

Lia looks at you with more amusement than concern. “So what happened?”

You tell her about what really happened during the weekend, and Jisung laughs all the while, reenacting his facial expression when he received your first frantic SOS message. Meanwhile, you sink lower and lower into your chair, ignoring your tailbone’s cries of pain as you slide further down the thin cushion.

“You can’t hide forever,” Jisung remarks as he looks at your slumping form. “C’mon, it wasn’t that bad. And you were drunk anyway.”

Yeah, you were, but the whole thing is doubly embarrassing because of how much you want him to like you. The overenthusiastic, all-caps messages are normal whenever you text while drunk, but ‘I love yous’ and the even rarer ‘I LOVE YOUUUU’  are few and far between. Only six people excluding Jisung have received them: your parents, your best friend, and your statistics group project members because you accidentally sent the message to the wrong chat.

On the bright side, seven is a lucky number. It means absolutely nothing in this case, and it’s hardly relevant to how you’re feeling, but everyone copes differently. Yours just happens to be clinging onto any silver lining available for solace.

“Anyway,” Lia cuts in, saving you from replying, “you’re here early, Jisung.”

He shrugs and flashes her a playful smile. However, his eyes are focused on you when he says, “You know what they say: early bird gets the worm.”

You give him a pitiful attempt of a withering glare. “I hate you.”

“Okay, fine.” He tugs at the shoulder of your hoodie to motion for you to stop trying to melt into the ground and to help you up. “It’s ‘cause I knew you would be here early.”

You are calm, you are fine, you will not be flustered. He just teased you five seconds ago; you should not be this willing to forgive him under these circumstances. Nonetheless, you slide back up to a more normal sitting position and try to pretend that you are still mildly upset. His next sentences make that impossible.

“You guys want brownies? Felix was stress-baking again.”

One may call you easily swayed by food, and they would be right. Jisung lets you have a coveted corner piece, and you decide that he’s alright again. He stretches an arm in front of you to get to Lia, and you lean back to avoid bumping into him. It also gives you a clear view of his profile. Wow, is he pretty. Look at that jawline. Suddenly his eyes go wide, and his mouth splits into a familiar excited grin.

“Are those birds?”

“Yep,” Lia answers, looking over at you to check your reaction. She tries to hide her smile, but it’s clear as day. You’re not entirely sure what she’s going to say next, but you already know it’s going to involve your current least favorite animal species. “Pretty… dove-ly, don’t you think?”

At least you were right about them being doves. “I hate you both.”

Jisung laughs at her pun and holds out his palm for a high-five. “You know what they say: birds of a feather flock together.”

“I really hate you both.”

Your initial prediction that Jisung is never going to let you live this down is correct. When you meet your bio group again Thursday night to study for the upcoming quiz, Jisung brings lemon poppy seed muffins for seemingly no other reason than to tease you. His housemate is still stress-baking, and judging by the bird silhouette made of glaze, Felix is very stressed and very eager to indulge in Jisung’s ideas.

“They’re finches!” Jisung proudly announces as he sets one right in front of you. The stupid decoration on top mocks you, but the muffin looks and smells delicious.  

Hyunjin, who does not know about your current plight but does know about Darwin’s finches, appreciatively coos at them. “They’ve even got different beak shapes! These are so cool. Man, Felix must hate econ right now.”

“No kidding,” you mutter as you begin peeling off the wrapper. Felix must hate you as well because one bite of this is almost enough for you to forgive Jisung again. It’s that good. How are you supposed to stay mad at Jisung when he gives you free delicious food? “Forget college, he needs to be in culinary school.”

He smirks from across the table, and it takes a lot of willpower for you to pretend you’re unphased. “What if I told you that I made these?”

“Then I would call you a liar.” He better be lying. You do not need another reason to justify your crush on him.

“And you would be right.” He slides his plastic container down to Lia, who has just arrived and is eyeballing the muffins like a predator. “But I did help him.”

“It’s really good,” you admit. You continue nibbling on it, determined to make the muffin last as long as you can. “What part did you help him out with?”

“The birds on top. Turns out drawing them with runny glaze is hard. I gave you the prettiest one, so don’t get mad about the whole bird thing. It goes with what we’re studying too.”

“Fine,” you sigh as you fold the wrapper into halves over and over again. “But only because these are amazing.”

Hyunjin leans in closer, effectively popping the intimate bubble you and Jisung were in. “What’s ‘the bird thing?’”

Fortunately, Yeji has finally arrived, which gives you the perfect excuse to stop Jisung from letting another person know of your drunk texts. You make a big production of pulling out your notebook from your backpack and rifling through your pencil bag for a pen.

“Should we get started?” you ask. Lia nods and uncaps one of her many highlighters.

“I’ll tell you later,” Jisung whispers to Hyunjin, winking at you. You could cry, melt, die. You could do a lot of things, but you opt to stick your tongue out at him. So what if you’re being childish? You can barely concentrate on the real world after that wink. To Yeji, he says, “There’s snacks, if Lia hasn’t eaten them all yet.”

“Hey!”

Hyunjin laughs at her notorious sweet tooth before turning to Yeji. “He gave Y/N the prettiest one, so there’s probably only his fails left.”

“They’re not bad!”

Lia has only had two, so there are more than enough to choose from. Yeji peers inside the container before selecting the one closest to her.

“Is this a plague doctor?” she asks as she suppresses a laugh. “It’s got a top hat.”

Jisung shakes his head and groans. “You chose the worst one on purpose. It’s one of Darwin’s finches. You would have known if you studied.”

“It’s not my fault you can’t draw.” Taking no notice of Jisung’s affronted expression, she takes out the textbook the five of you split the cost to buy. “Okay, plague doctor cupcakes out of the way, what are the four main theories of evolution?”

“They’re lemon poppy seed finch muffins,” he clarifies.

“That’s not an evolution theory,” Hyunjin cheekily replies, earning him an elbow nudge from Jisung and a laugh from everyone else.

You end up answering Yeji’s question and reward your correct answer with another muffin. Besides them being addictive, you’ll need some energy for the rest of the study session if all this talk about birds persists. You select the most plague doctor-ish one out of the box, and Jisung notices.

“Seriously?” he pouts. “I give you the best one, and this is how you repay me? I thought you said you weren’t mad about the bird thing.”

You ignore the last sentence. “What? You’re not proud of these?” you say, mock astonished as you give him a good view of the glaze on top. “They look exactly like plague doctors.”

“I hate you.”

You smile and shrug before returning back into the discussion about Lamarckism. Let him get a taste of his own medicine.

Unfortunately, as promised and as possible revenge, Jisung tells Hyunjin about ‘the bird thing,’ and Yeji overhears since she is only two chairs away. You try melting into the ground instead, but Lia holds you in place as the story continues, so you are stuck reliving the memory. You knew Jisung wouldn’t let you forget, but you didn’t account for everyone else in the group finding out and joining in on the torture.

But thanks to Jisung’s brilliant idea to bring those spectacularly decorated muffins, he doesn’t go unscathed either. It’s a mediocre consolation prize, but you’ll take it.

All around, it’s a productive study session, if a bit long, courtesy of everyone’s unrelenting shots at you and Jisung.

Your study group splits off in three separate directions once you’re all at the library entrance: Yeji back to the on-campus dorms where she’s an RA, Hyunjin and Lia to the off-campus apartments a few streets down, you and Jisung to the bus stop to your apartments on the other of campus. There’s a few people already sitting at the bench, so you and Jisung stand under the streetlight nearby. A moth intent on reaching the light source rams itself repeatedly against the glass covering, and you tiredly watch it. You yawn.

“Not much of a night owl?” he asks. With no clever reply ready, you gently shove him towards the bushes, but he only sways at your push. He throws his hands up in surrender. “Alright, I’ll stop for today.”

“I’m really sorry for sending you that,” you say. You haven’t touched the chat between you and him since the incident. “And for not apologizing earlier.”

“It’s alright. Although I almost had a heart attack when you sent me ‘SOS’ like five times.”

You grimace as you remember your frantic texts. If you think back hard enough, you remember furiously tapping at your screen, trying to get his attention as quick as possible because you really, really, really needed to know what the animal that landed on your windowsill was called. Your housemate was in the next room over. You could have asked her instead, but no, you decided that Jisung from bio was the best option. Not even the group chat, just Jisung himself.

“Sorry again,” you weakly reply.

“It really is alright. Finding bird puns is my new favorite hobby now.” He wryly smiles. “I have so many more to try on you. You’re gonna love it.”

Is that endearing or annoying? Living rent-free inside his head isn’t terrible, especially since he seems to do the same in yours. You’ll probably have to endure lots more puns from him in the future, but for now, you’ll decide that it’s endearing.

The bus arrives, and you sit in the back with him. The ride to the apartment complex is quiet; only a group of people near the front are speaking to one another in low voices. Jisung makes no attempt at continuing the conversation, and you are content to stare out into the neon lights outside the window. You can see him in the reflection on the glass. The empty container devoid of muffins sits on Jisung’s lap, his phone placed face down on the lid. If it weren’t for all the other passengers on the bus, you would be convinced that it was just you and him, enjoying each other’s company.

You’re almost sad when you reach your stop.

“Do you want me to walk you to your apartment?” he asks as you step down to the pavement. “Yours is farther down, right?”

“Isn’t your place right here?” you say. You’ve seen him walk out from this particular complex several times while waiting for the bus. That’s not stalking. “You don’t have to go out of your way. It’s just a block away.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely walking you home.”

You hesitate a bit, but Jisung is already taking small steps in the direction of your apartment. A little more time with him doesn’t sound too horrendous right now. “Okay.”

Just like the bus ride, no conversation, which suits you fine. Jisung seems more enthralled by looking into the windows of apartment residents anyway. You can’t blame him, especially when it appears that someone is having their own mini rave in their living room. Once at the doors to your building, you thank him and tell him good night.

“No problem and good luck tomorrow.” His voice is softer at night, or maybe it’s because he’s tired as well.

Your tone matches his as well. “You too. See you in class then.”

“Good night.”

A few minutes after midnight, just as you’re about to get into bed, a message from Jisung pops up. Not Jisung in the study group, just Jisung.

12:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: Hey, I know you’re not much of a night owl, so would you call yourself a morning lark? 12:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: You’re always an early bird to class 12:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: Are you emu-sed? 12:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: :D

Well, he did say he would stop for the day. It’s technically the next day. You reply with an annoyed face before burrowing yourself under your blankets. There are other things to worry about, such as your quiz in nine hours.

You dream of birds, namely finches, that night. Thanks, Jisung.

“This is why I tell you to never drink alone,” Seungmin laughs. He picks up the last slice of pizza from the pan and folds it in half like the heathen he is before taking the first bite. “Bad things always happen.”

“To be fair, Ryujin was home.”

“In a completely different room from you.”

You groan and supplement your exasperation with an extra aggressive tear on your crust. “Okay, fine. I’ve learned my lesson. The point is, he won’t stop with the bird jokes, and I’m going insane.”

Seungmin, having been collateral damage from your drunken mishaps before, is unsympathetic. He still hasn’t quite forgiven you for the time you tried to make a Molotov cocktail in his kitchen. Look, the clickbait video you watched online promised that it would be a fun and easy science experiment, and your other self decided that it was a fantastic idea. Nothing bad happened in the end though since you couldn’t find a lighter. So, Seungmin, it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

“You have a crush on this guy. Why are you upset that he’s flirting with you?”

“He’s cute until he opens his mouth and starts giving me grief about birds.” You sigh as you remember the last text he sent: a photo of the sunset from his apartment window with the caption, A bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. On one hand, you were thrilled to have received a non-homework related picture. On the other hand, bird joke.

“You would do the same.”

“I know, but it still sucks.” You wipe your fingers with a napkin and amuse yourself with spinning the empty pan as Seungmin (slowly) finishes eating. “No more Jisung talk. How was your date?”

Seungmin turns flustered, just like you knew he would. “It wasn’t a date! I’m just her photographer. This is a business arrangement, nothing else.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.”

“Hey, is that Jisung over there?” he asks, nodding over your shoulder.

“I’m not that gullible,” you sigh, though you can’t say you aren’t tempted. Seungmin loves to make fun of you, and he probably wants to get back at you for teasing him about the girl he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time with.

“Gull-ible?”

“Not you too," you plead. It's already awful with one person. To deter him any further, you continue, "Anyway, back to your definitely-not-a-date date—”

“Hey, Y/N, is that you?”

Seungmin has his “I told you so” face on. After sending him a glare, which he promptly pretends not to see, you turn around, resting your forearm on the back of your chair. Jisung, holding a pan of oven-fresh pizza, smiles back at you.

“Hey,” you greet. He's wearing the same black and red sweatshirt he usually has on, but why does he look so much better in it when he's in a pizza place than in class or in the library? “How are you doing? How’s your Saturday so far?”

“I just woke up like an hour ago, so it’s been pretty good, I guess.” His eyes go to Seungmin, who is now sipping on his soda, pretending to not eavesdrop. “Is this your…”

“This is my friend, Seungmin,” you quickly answer. Other than the fact that you need to make it abundantly clear that you are available, there is no way you’re ever going to date Seungmin. Apart from the girl he claims to not be dating, he’s even more merciless when it comes to reminding you about your drunken ideas. You can’t pass the intersection without him nudging your arm. “Seungmin, this is Jisung. We have bio together.”

Seungmin nods like he hasn’t heard of Jisung before. “Hey, nice to meet you. So, do you guys learn about birds in bio?”

Jisung lights up like a Christmas tree, and you want to cover yourself with the pizza pan. Praying for the ground to swallow you up also sounds like a decent option. In the midst of debating whether hiding under the table would be too odd, you notice that Seungmin has finally finished his slice.

“We should get going,” you interrupt. You do not need Seungmin to start sharing other stupid things you’ve done. He’s about five seconds away from telling Jisung about the intersection chalk mural. “And you probably want to eat dinner.”

Jisung sees right through your act, but he lets it go. “Yeah, Felix is probably starving. See you on Monday?”

“Yeah, see you.”

You expect him to go to wherever Felix is, but he still remains behind you. With a lopsided grin, he asks, “Should I expect any quail-ity texts at 2 AM tonight?”

Seungmin laughs, Jisung laughs, and you stare at the ceiling, wondering what you did to deserve this. Surely there were other people you could have in your life besides these two jerks.

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” Jisung sings as you correctly answer his question. This week’s study session consists of a game show Jisung has created, and you almost want to believe that he put in all this effort just to say that phrase. “Another point for you.”

You sigh as Yeji slides a wrapped piece of candy towards you. It’s her turn to bring snacks, and though milk chocolate the size of golf balls are great, you’re still dreaming of those wickedly delicious cake slices Jisung shared with you yesterday. Hummingbird cake, he claimed, it was called. Bananas, pineapples, and pecans, all combined together to make a sweet treat. When you cheekily asked why his housemate was so stressed all the time — you really don’t mind. Sorry, Felix — Jisung cheerfully informed you that he made the entire thing himself. After you picked up your jaw from the floor, you stammered something about it being passable. Not nearly as good as Felix’s stuff, you said, lying through your teeth. Jisung, again, saw right through it but let it slide. See? Sometimes he’s nice. However, you did not need another reason to be attracted to Han Jisung, but here you are.

“Seriously, Yeji?” you mumble as you pull apart the blue foil. “You just had to pick the brand named after a bird?” It doesn’t stop you from popping the chocolate into your mouth though.

“They were on sale!”

While you and Yeji bicker about Dove chocolate and how the universe is conspiring against you, Hyunjin answers the next question correctly. Yeji absentmindedly pushes his reward towards him.

“No chicken dinner for me?” he asks.

Jisung shakes his head. “Your question was easy. You get a pheasant instead. Or a quail. Any bird smaller than a chicken works.”

“A hummingbird then?” you suggest. You really need to stop thinking about that cake. “But I hear those aren’t that great.”

“You already ate every single crumb of that cake I gave you!” Jisung says, but there’s not a drop of displeasure in his tone. In fact, he seems rather happy that you liked it so much that you remembered about it. “All my hard work gone in five seconds.”

“You made her a cake?” Lia gasps in disbelief, secretive note checking forgotten. She’s in last place with only six points, so no one cares too much about her cheating. “What about us? We’re your study buddies too!”

Hyunjin and Yeji chorus their agreements, and you realize that he only shared his cake with you. He followed you out of the lecture hall and gave it to you in a plastic container, so you assumed that he also hand delivered a few slices to everyone else. Never mind that he oh-so-conveniently had a fork with him. Never mind that he sat with you at a bench and watched you try a few bites before devouring it all. Never mind all that.

Wait. Does this mean he likes you too?

You fold and unfold your discarded foil wrappers as you contemplate over this revelation, sneaking glances at Jisung all the while. He looks… normal. Infuriatingly so. Same carefree smile, same arguments with Hyunjin, same lackadaisical chair leaning even though he fell backwards that one time. How is one supposed to tell if someone actually likes you when said someone is the same all the time?

Jisung promises to bring something for the next study session to make up for not sharing his cake and continues on with the review game like nothing has happened. However, those thoughts are still in the back of your mind when the session ends. You have gained five more pieces of chocolate and no further information as to whether Jisung is actually into you or not. As per usual, you and he head to the bus stop together. It’s more crowded than last week since it’s only eight.

“Did you have a pheasant time today?” he asks, pausing next to a hedge.

You keep your eyes on the asphalt instead of looking at him. It’s much easier to pretend you’re calm when you don’t have vision of his face. “I see you discovered pheasants recently. And yes, it was fun. Thanks for making it.”

“You don’t want to crow about winning the game?” When you grimace — you did kind of want to point out how amazing your score was but now you don’t — he quickly adds, “Okay, okay. But you’re going to ace that quiz tomorrow.”

And you simply say, “I know,” because you are and because you have nothing else prepared to say.

It goes quiet, and with only the sounds of cars racing by, Jisung abruptly says, “This is a little awkward now. Or should I say… hawk-ward?”

You groan and break your staring contest with the road to give him an exasperated look. A mistake because he’s smiling so wide, squirrels would be jealous of his cheeks. He has no right to be so cute after those jokes. “Why do I feel like you searched up ‘bird puns’ online and are trying to insert them in every possible scenario?”

“Because I did and because I am.” He sighs in contentment. “Those were the best texts I’ve ever received. I’m never letting you forget it.”

You were right about that, and now you have verbal confirmation from the man himself. Another mediocre consolation prize you will gladly accept. But for now, you say, “Well, toucan play at that game, plague doctor Han Jisung.” The only perk of hearing all these wretched jokes is that you are now rather knowledgeable about them. Thank you, Seungmin, for making that one a few days ago.

“They looked just like finches!” he protests, but he’s laughing along, head tilted back. He sighs again. When he turns to face you again, his eyes are soft. “That was a pretty good one.”

“Seungmin came up with it.” There’s a warm feeling spreading across your chest, constricting your air flow and making all your blood rush to your cheeks. It was one compliment; why are you like this? What are you going to do if he keeps looking at you like that? You swiftly go back to the road, counting the number of cars that pass by. One, two, three, four…

And a gray bus pulling up to the curb.

“Bus is here,” you uselessly announce. Jisung follows you into the growing crowd surrounding the entrance. He hovers behind you as the two of you wait for the people in front to board, and his presence is more palpable than usual. “There’s a lot of people today,” you remark in a vain attempt to distract yourself.

“Yeah, everyone’s heading home for the day.” He pauses dramatically before adding, “The birds are all going back to their nest.”

The joke successfully snaps you out of your haze. “That’s not a real saying.”

“I think it should be. It makes perfect sense!”

“You’re—” As the line shuffles forward, you try to think of something bird related, but he beats to the punch.

“Cuckoo?”

It’s almost impressive how much time he has invested in annoying you. Does it make you fall for him more? No, not really, or so you try to convince yourself. It’s strangely endearing, just like everything about him. You merely answer, “Yes.”

He chuckles and nudges you forward up the steps of the bus.

Even though there’s a little bit of daylight left, Jisung walks you back to your apartment building. You’re not upset by this, but where was this chivalry two weeks ago after the first study session? You teasingly ask him about it, and he turns bashful. How unlike him.

“I thought you lived in my complex, for some reason. You were always at the bus stop before me, so I assumed you lived nearby. I didn’t know until I overheard you and Yeji talking about it,” he says, hiding himself with his collar.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” you say, stopping in front of the walkway to your building, “see you tomorrow then. Thanks for walking me back. Good night.”

The Jisung you’re used to seeing, is back with a mischievous smile and yet another joke. “Good night-ingale.”

You bite the inside of your cheek and try not to seem too amused by it. He’s not charming, not even a little bit. “That was awful.” It’s the smile, you tell yourself. No one should have one like that. It has too much power.

“Yet I can see you smiling at it.”

Remain calm. You can do that. You’ve faked this before, so why is your head not cooperating right now? Jisung really needs to stop looking at you with anything more than a neutral face. It’s bad for you, like really, really bad. No witty remarks at the ready is typical, but you can’t even think of anything to say.

After an excruciating five seconds, you manage to stammer out, “Good night.” Cheeks aflame and your heart threatening to pop out of you like a cuckoo clock, you roughly yank open the door and bolt up the stairs. You have too much adrenaline in you right now. Waiting for the elevator knowing that he could be observing your twitchy movements, would be too nerve wracking.

Ryujin asks if you’re alright when she sees you hunched against the kitchen counter, out of breath and muttering to yourself.

“I decided to take the stairs,” you say, which only partially explains your dishevelled state. “I’ll be alright. I think.”

“I’ll get you some water. You look like you're about to collapse.”

Then your phone chimes with a new message, and you decidedly won’t be alright.

8:22 PM [Jisung Bio]: Did my nightingale pun quack you up that badly? 8:22 PM [Jisung Bio]: Was it that ducking good? 8:22 PM [Jisung Bio]: :D

8:23 PM [Jisung Bio]: Anyway, good luck tomorrow. Sleep well and sweet dreams, morning lark

There is no food in the fridge. Well, no proper food. A bag of spinach that expired three days ago but still seems okay, does not count. The same goes for the half empty jar of peanut butter, but Ryujin would likely disagree with that. There’s a reason why the jar is half empty. However, if you actually want to eat something for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow, you need to go shopping.

For some strange reason, it does not occur to you that you can run into Jisung at the grocery store. Jisung belongs in four locations: the bus stop, the lecture hall, the library, and the pizza place you saw him at last week. Not the dairy aisle on a Wednesday night.

“Hey.” You stop in front of him, basket at your feet and hands folded in front of you like the world’s worst defense. Heart, stop beating so fast.

Jisung looks up from his phone to search for the owner of the voice and brightens when he sees that it’s you. “Hey, morning lark.” He has taken to calling you that ever since he sent that particular message. You wish it produced another reaction from you besides pure bliss, but that is the price you pay for pretending to be still annoyed by his jokes. That’s how bad your crush on him now is; you are increasingly beguiled by the puns. “Oh, did you need milk?”

“Yeah.” You grab a blue carton with a picture of a smiling cow from the shelf and place it in your basket. In the meantime, you can’t help but peer into Jisung’s. There is a bag of chocolate chips and a packet of gelatin. “Is this stuff for tomorrow’s study session?”

He nods and grabs the same brand of milk as you did. You get a rush of excitement, much to your chagrin. It’s just milk, and this is the most popular brand too. “Yeah. Felix is trying a new recipe, so you guys get to have some of the failed ones too.”

“What is it? Cheesecake?”

“You’ll see,” he mysteriously says. Then he adds, “You’re gonna love it,” which immediately gives away the theme.

“It’s something to do with birds, isn’t it?”

“You’ll see.”

And when you do see, you’re wrong. Library food rules ignored, at each seat, Jisung has set a slice of layer cake topped with chocolate ganache, no bird motifs of any sort. You take your usual spot at the end of the table and find that yours is slightly larger than the others. Well, except for maybe Lia’s. He has to placate her sweet tooth and her disappointment of not being able to have hummingbird cake.

“Did I not get a message or something?” Hyunjin asks when he takes in the over-the-top display. “Is this a dinner party?”

“Isn’t this against the library’s rules?” Yeji asks as she surreptitiously looks around for any librarians. The surrounding tables of fellow students won’t care.

Jisung elects to not answer Yeji’s concerns. “This is tonight’s snack,” he proudly replies. “Also, Felix wants feedback on it.”

You cut a section off with the plastic fork and marvel at the airiness of the cake. It’s unlike anything you have ever had. The frosting in between the sponge layers is so light, and the ganache is so dark and rich. “This is really amazing. It’s so fluffy. Wow. Tell Felix that he really needs to consider culinary school.”

“Wanna guess what it’s called?”

“Isn’t this just an extra fancy vanilla cake?” you ask. You take another bite, but other than the chocolate ganache on top, you can only taste vanilla. “I don’t know. The… vanilla fluff cake?”

“Nope.” He leans forward, face inches away from yours, lips curled into a smirk, and slowly says, “Bird’s milk cake.”

This can’t be real. Birds don’t even produce milk. “No way. You’re lying.” Even as you say the words, they sound false to your ears. Jisung has made it his mission to find anything and everything bird-related for you, so you doubt he’s lying.

“It’s called this” — he holds up his phone screen — “in Russian. It translates to ‘bird’s milk.’”

Ptichye moloko.

“You convinced Felix to make this, didn’t you?” you say. What are the chances that Felix conveniently wanted to make bird’s milk cake without any nudging from Jisung? Absolutely none. You have never even heard of this dessert before, let alone by it’s Russian name, and you’re willing to bet that Jisung searched up ‘bird cake’ or something of that nature just for this. Maybe that’s how he found out about hummingbird cake too.

“It’s all for you, morning lark,” he cheerfully replies, winking at you. He leans back in his chair again, precariously balancing on the two back legs. “I knew you’d like it.”

Jisung is really not making this easy for you. Forget subtleties, he’s just shamelessly flirting with you now. And in the sanctity of the library of all places! In a poor attempt to save yourself from this mess, you unconsciously begin to slide down the chair, trying to shield your hot face with your raised shoulders. Lia notices this — one of the perks having sat next to you for nearly four weeks during lectures — and grabs your forearm.

“No melting,” she reminds you, “or else you’re going to hit your head on the seat again.”

“I wasn’t melting,” you protest as you wriggle back up. Slowly dying might have been a better descriptor. That wink shot arrows into your already fragile heart. “We’re gonna get in trouble if one of the librarians sees this.”

“Guess we should get started then,” Hyunjin says. Yeji, the only responsible one in the group, begins pulling out the textbook, and everyone laughs at her eagerness. “Not what I meant, but that too.”

After you’re done with the cake and while the others are preoccupied about the timeline of human evolution, Jisung whispers across the table, “Did you still like it?”

“Yeah. No hard feelings about the name because it was good,” you whisper back.

“I thought it would turn out like this, morning lark. I know you love free food too much to be mad.”

The nickname again. You rest your cheek against your palm in a vain attempt to tamp down the growing heat. “Can I get a different name, plague doctor?”

He’s not at all phased by his own nickname, which doesn’t bode well for any future snarky remarks from you. “What, you don’t like birds or something?” He blinks so innocently back at you that you have to stifle a giggle.

“Yeah, well, that’s the—”

“Hey, lovebirds,” Hyunjin interrupts, making you profusely blush and Yeji lightly laugh at the expression, “we’re gonna move on to the next section now. Is that okay?”

“It’s okay,” you reply even though you are most definitely not okay. Jisung, who you notice is uncharacteristically sheepish, echoes your sentiment.

It’s difficult not to stare at Jisung during the remainder of the study session. It seems to be true the other way around as well.

You’re sober when you read the messages, but you don’t think Jisung was when he sent them. Oh, how the tables have turned.

3:02 AM [Jisung Bio]: Good morning morning lark!! 3:02 AM [Jisung Bio]: Winner winner chicken dinner remember? So yes or no?

3:03 AM [Jisung Bio]: Or maybe yes or yes? 3:03 AM [Jisung Bio]: I really want to go on a date with you 3:03 AM [Jisung Bio]: Not lying I swear

3:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re always on my mind and every time I see a bird, I think about you 3:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: I bought grey goose because of you 3:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: [jisung’s_hand_holding_grey_goose_vodka.jpg] 3:04 AM [Jisung Bio]: I don’t even like it that much

3:05 AM [Jisung Bio]: You make me dizzy sometimes and I don’t know what to do 3:05 AM [Jisung Bio]: You’re probably sleeping so good night larky 3:05 AM [Jisung Bio]: Or morning

3:06 AM [Jisung Bio]: Fly high in your dreams!!!

He must have been wasted and under no responsible supervision because this is what you would have done if you were in his place. Does he not have a Seungmin in his life? Or a Ryujin? There’s a Felix, so where was he when all of this happened?

But forget about Jisung’s own problems.

He wants to go on a date with you. A real date, not a study date with three other people and fake quiz questions. If his words are to be taken literally, then one involving a chicken dinner. Possibly a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, but a chicken dinner nonetheless.

He can’t stop thinking about you. All those bird jokes had you charmed, and all those cakes were baked with you in mind. They weren’t just for show. They were all about you.

You make him dizzy, which is hilarious because he does the same to you. He smiles at you so brightly, laughs so easily, and flirts so shamelessly that you never realized that you could ever make him feel that way.

And “fly high in your dreams?” You’re practically soaring in real life. Han Jisung, cute bio boy, plague doctor, pun enthusiast, surprisingly decent baker, wants to go on a date with you.

You, you, you!

While you alternate between hyperventilating and forgetting how to breathe as you process all this, three gray dots appear at the bottom of the chat. You clutch your phone as you wait. Apparently, your body is on the ‘forgetting how to breathe’ cycle.

11:14 AM [Jisung Bio]: I am so sorry about that. I was very drunk when I sent that

11:15 AM [Jisung Bio]: You can just ignore them or delete them 11:15 AM [Jisung Bio]: Highly recommend deleting 11:15 AM [Jisung Bio]: Also sorry if I woke you up

Your fingers hover over the keyboard. Should you answer him over text, call, or in-person? Is in-person too dramatic though? You feel like something like this is supposed to be done face-to-face, but he’s probably hungover beyond belief.

11:16 AM [Me]: It’s okay. A morning lark is always up early anyway :) 11:16 AM [Me]: Were you serious though?

11:17 AM [Jisung Bio]: Can we meet up in an hour? At the bus stop? I want to talk to you 11:17 AM [Me]: Yeah. Me too

The bus stop is neutral territory or maybe just the closest meeting spot you and Jisung have. If it’s supposed to be neutral territory, it most definitely is not since his apartment complex is right behind it. Despite his close proximity to the spot, you arrive first, so you make yourself as comfortable as possible underneath the sign, standing in its shadow. It’s silly when you think about it, but you wish you dressed in something nicer than a hoodie. In your rush to leave the apartment, you threw on whatever, but maybe you should have worn something prettier for this confrontation. Make Jisung go dizzy and gain a little bit of power from that.

This is even worse than when you had to face him after you sent your drunk texts. At least then it was just a middling attraction and not a full-on crush.

“Hey, morning lark. You’re early. As expected.”

“Hey. You’re… alive.”

Jisung is strangely fresh-faced, not a hint of hungover clouding around him. Why can’t you look like him after a night of seemingly heavy drinking? Where are the pinched eyebrows from the blinding lights? The ghostly gray face? The haunted eyes as one remembers all the incredibly stupid things they did the night before? Unfair. Completely unfair.

“Yeah.” He’s wearing his usual sweatshirt, but his hands are stuffed into its pockets instead of being out and about. He rocks back and forth on his heels. “Well, uh, I meant everything I sent. And I’m serious about taking you to dinner, so do you want to go on a date with me?”

You anticipated this. Why does it feel like you have just finished running a marathon? “Yeah, I do. I really want to.”

He smiles so brightly, the sun would be jealous. Correction, should be jealous. You don’t think you’ve seen a prettier sight than this since he sat down next to you on the first day of class and asked if you wanted to start a study group. He pumps his fist in the air like he’s a movie character, and you hide your laugh behind your hoodie sleeve. You’ve never seen him so happy before.

“How are you not hungover?” you ask as he raises his face to the sky, taking in the afternoon light, basking in the moment. He’s really living his movie character dreams. “You said you were really drunk.”

“I kind of lied?” he says, sounding more wistful than you would expect. When he looks back at you, you finally see dark circles underneath his eyes, but he is still as jubilant as before. “I was more tipsy than drunk. So, when do you wanna get that chicken dinner, winner, winner?”

It’s amazing how shy, excited Jisung disappears and how the usual casual, teasing Jisung reappears. That’s his Jekyll and Hyde moment, you suppose. And the switch is all activated by his one-track mind of bird jokes. How wonderful.

“Next week, after midterms? I’ve got two this week to study for. I should be free on Friday night.”

He enthusiastically nods. “Sounds good to me.”

2:57 PM [Me]: I’m done with all my midterms! Are you free tonight?

2:59 PM [Jisung Bio]: Free as a bird :D 2:59 PM [Jisung Bio]: Also congrats on being done 2:59 PM [Me]: I hate you

3:00 PM [Jisung Bio]: So chicken dinner? The restaurant next to the pizza place just opened 3:00 PM [Jisung Bio]: I heard it’s really clucking good 3:00 PM [Jisung Bio]: A hen out of hen

3:01 PM [Me]: I might actually kill you during our date

3:02 PM [Jisung Bio]: Don’t you mean 3:02 PM [Jisung Bio]: [flock_of_crows.jpg] 3:02 PM [Jisung Bio]: Murder :D

3:05 PM [Jisung Bio]: I’ll see you at 6? 3:05 PM [Me]: See you then

You do not end up murdering Jisung on your date, though you do come pretty close after you audibly ask the ground to swallow you up when he compliments your egg-cellent outfit.

“Swallow?” he slyly says. “Like the bird?”

Instead of committing a crime, you kiss him on the cheek, effectively silencing him. You’ve been waiting to do both those things for some time now, and look at you now, killing two birds with one stone.

Jisung turns a delightful shade of pink and mutters something about needing to get to the restaurant before it gets too crowded. All of his bluster from just five seconds ago is gone. You merrily follow him down the pavement, feeling a little bit like the cat who swallowed the canary.

Yes, you did search up bird expressions beforehand. Jisung will be Jisung, and like you told him before, toucan play at this game. You will not spend your first date with him being humiliated by his large repertoire of puns. Besides, if he retaliates like you expect him to, you will have the perfect excuse to kiss him again.

See? No fowl play at all.

Then he takes your hand into his, his warmth enveloping yours, and everything suddenly isn’t fair again.

And based on his all-too-pleased grin, Jisung knows this as well.

~ ad.gray

[interact-if]

Umm hi 👉👈 I realized that most of the asks you guys get are about games and rec lists. You guys deserve so much recognition for the work you put in this blog, so I wanted to ask if I can do a little get-to-know-the-mods thing? If that's okay!

1. Besides writing, what are your hobbies?

2. Do you have a niche interest right now?

3. Any fave songs/artists/bands?

4. Any fave movies/tv shows?

5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you survive in your wip's world?

You can totally ignore this if you guys want, no pressure. Anyway, much love to all the interact-if mods! You guys are incredible! ❤

We saw this ask and we went 👀 👀 👀 so we’re happy to answer! Thank you so much for the fun ask!

 We also rated our survivability in all of our collective games, since Mars isn't an author! Fun stuff! Spoilers, though: it’s really not looking so great for me (Dani) but that’s fine!!!  😌

1. I’m a photographer as well as a graphic artist (but not like. A painter/drawer kind of artist!) and, on a general level, a maker and a tinkerer!

2. Fountain pens! I only write with ink, and only with fountain pens, and I use bottled inks/converters!

3. I’m pretty eclectic with music, but my top genres are alt rock, indie, indie pop, etc, as well as top 40s and some rap.

4. I feel like this is the hardest one for me to answer? Favorite movies/shows? Avatar: the Last Airbender has been a favorite show of mine since I was a little kid, but I have a harder time thinking of shows I would call a favorite in recent years. There are shows I’ve liked, and a lot of shows I’ve watched. But I’m picky! And demanding! It takes a lot to earn a place in Dani’s Trophy Case of Favorites. 😌 I would say I quite liked A Quite Place (movie), and I liked Us (movie). When it comes to TV shows, I have a hard time being pleased with them if they don’t end well. As a result, I have a penchant for a good limited series/miniseries (because they’re stories that have an end in mind and the plot reflects that, dagnabbit).

5. Heh. Okay.

In The Goodfellows? I think I stand I chance. I can exercise my sparkling wit and lovable personality to the best effect. I’m gonna give myself an 8/10 survivability rating. Even if I don’t have the right skills, I can go crying to the person who does and they’ll save me. Maybe.

In Creatures’ Cradle? I’m super $**!%d. 😌 1/10 survivability rating. And that 1 is me being nice to myself. The day the apocalypse breaks out I would probably be patient 0. I am self-aware. I would not do well in an apocalypse. Zombies care not for aforementioned sparkling wit and lovable personality, and I have all the muscle of a boiled spaghetti noodle. So it’s a no go.

Greater Than Gods (Cruz): Well. I’m going to be optimistic. And say that I have the wisdom not to do things I shouldn’t do and not to rock boats I shouldn’t rock. I’m going to give myself a 7/10 based on insider information, but also based on reckless optimism!

Vardir (Cruz): Cruz says this is a lighthearted game, so 10/10 LOL.

When it Hungers (Roast): I’m giving myself a nice, mediocre 5/10. I think I could put my mind to work here; I joke that I’m the village idiot, but I’m actually pretty smart! Unfortunately, I’m also curious, and maybe a little bad with authorities who won’t answer my questions. So I knocked off a lot of points due to the fact that I’d probably poke the metaphorical bear. So it’s a real coin flip as to whether I’d really make it or not.

Orthall Bay (Nines): Considering the genre is “horror” and the game intro includes the words “monster” and “maim,” I’m giving myself a whooping, enthusiastic 3/10. Yes, folks, I am that confident in myself! Once again, I can’t charm the socks off a monster (or can I?), so one of my greatest weapons is snatched from beneath my feet. Alas!

1. Beloved I’m a college student in the middle of a pandemic... i can hardly even write LOL i do draw at times which u can see in my personal blog (nothing too good really) and i used to do karate before things went to shit <3

2. Nothing niche I believe? All I do is leave Netflix as bg noise every day n play popular videgames (genshin)

3. Porter Robinson <3 I love Bea Miller a lot as well but lately I’ve been feeling Porter a lot

4. The Good Place <3

5. My WIPs:

Greater than Gods: Highly situational, the world GtG is set in is as broad as the real world LOL so I don’t have an universal answer. But keeping it vague, and knowing my own personality, I feel like 5/10. depends on my luck.

Vardir: 10/10 no one dies in Vikgade, unless you’re a hunter but I wouldn’t be a hunter <3

Others’ WIPs

I'm gonna give myself a solid 5/10 in all other WIPs because y'all aren't writing lighthearted stories either. I feel like as long as I avoid the role of the MC I will be mostly fine. I hope. But as Dani said I'm also prone to fight the wrong person and dig my own grave so 😌

1. Well, writing is a very, very, very, distant hobby since Words Hard, but I like to crochet and sculpt a little! Anything to do with fiddling with my hands and I’m good to go. And like, debatable but graphic design is my passion [insert clown emoji here since Tumblr said No]

2. Oh yeah a bunch! DnD yelling at people, thinking of arson, crocheting, rock climbing and simply vibing. I got into podcasts a few years ago and I’m always looking for more recs, so if you have some, hmu 😤

3. Pls,,,,my music taste is,,,so weird do not let me expose myself with lack of consistency but uhh. Current songs that are stuck in my head include; Cult of Dionysus , Achilles Come Down and The Last Shanty  

4. If you’ve ever spoken to me before, I probably yelled about Pacific Rim to you or at you. Plus I love all The Mummy films and really enjoyed Castlevania (s3 excluded, we do not perceive that) as well! 

5. Ah, mod survival simulator pt. 3

Alright, let’s go!  I don’t have a WIP because again, words hard, but like, considering how feral I am when not tryna seem professional hm... 

The Goodfellows: I wanna say a solid 7/10 because I’d hardcore vibe with the Traveler and probably instigate so much nonsense. I can also bribe with blueberry cake so maybe. 

Creature’s Cradle: maybe a 4/10 and only because of pure spite keeping me alive long enough to smack someone. I’ve prepared for hypothetical  zombie apolcapyses and I won’t hesitate to bap, but will be bapped back because I’m weak as hell. 

Greater Than Gods: a toss up between 2/10 and 7/10! I can vibe and be chill but I also have terrible impulse control so... 

Vardir: hm....I think pretty good survival rates all around? If you ask me to fight then like, okay sure, your knees are mine. So maybe a 8/10? 

When it Hungers: .......8/10 just because I’d refuse to die if I can be a cool creature. Living for the aesthetic can and will drag me outta hell. But I’m also clumsy as hell so I’d probably crash as a porcelain or hold a rooster and perish (aka, real rating is a good 3/10) 

Orthall Bay: 2/10, nope. Nope I’d be taken out in a heartbeat. Monsters can go pspsps and I’d head straight into the dark creepy forest like a fool if someone comes @ me. Half the time I’ll just assume it’s sfx makeup and vibe until it’s too late. 

god, never put me in a universe where I cannot squawk like a bird and throw pebbles from a window. Oof

Anon, you're so sweet! I give you a forehead smoomch <333 As for your questions...

1. If I'm not writing, I'm usually watching video essays on Youtube. My go-to channels as of right now is Disrupt and Aperture! I just really like their videos. Aside from that, I recently got into podcasts. Currently going through Hello From The Hallowoods and Shelter and Warning, which are made by queer creators!

2. Oh oof, there's quite a bit so I'm just gonna put down one thing. For some reason, I really got into collecting tiny astronaut things? I recently bought this astronaut desk light, and I've got a package coming in for the miniatures I ordered. No purpose for them other than I think they're neat <3

3. I'm a bit private with my music taste (even tho I have Spotify connected on Discord lmao), but there's 5 songs that I'm currently obsessed with. I keep replaying them over and over again. Just squeezing all the serotonin I could get outta them.

4. I can't really say I have a fave TV show or movie because I can't really just pick one, but my current fave is 9-1-1 and Resident Alien. 9-1-1 because I just really love the found-family dynamics and how the show tackles sensitive topics, and Resident Alien because it's lighthearted comedy. My all-time fave movie is Flipped! I have the book too and I like rereading from time to time <3

5. You're in for a doozy, anon, because we're rating each other's games <333

The Goodfellows: 7/10

Listen. Shenanigans with the Traveler. I would get up to so many of them and that is what'll get me possibly bodied, not the actual environment itself <3

Greater than Gods: 7/10

I like to think I have enough common sense to uhhh not recklessly flip stones that should not be flipped <3 I'm a cautious and skeptic person irl so I think I'll hold up well? Then again, it's a vast environment change and while I can adapt pretty quick, I wouldn't like the lack of control in the unknown.

Vardir: 10/10

Going off what Cruz said, Vardir is lighthearted and focused on personal growth so I think I'll be okay! Self-growth here I come, babey!

Creatures' Cradle: 8/10

Maybe I'm overestimating myself, but I think I'll be able to survive in a supernatural post-apocalyptic world! Ah, but it depends on the motivation though. I like the idea of rebuilding communities and eventually societies, but the survival turmoil would be a constant battle I'd have to overcome. If we're talking survival itself though, I think I'll do well.

When it Hungers: 8/10

That's probably my wishful thinking but I think I'll be fine. Maybe. Possibly. Don't like the idea of being regulated by an organization so if I was a non-human creature that could pose a problem but I can roll with it <3

Orthall Bay: 6/10

Assuming I'm not playing as MC, my chances of survival uhhh changes quite drastically. Not enough to guarantee an untimely demise, but certainly enough that it would constantly keep me on my toes. I think that's the safest answer I can get without spoiling anything lmao

Thank you so much for asking! It's super sweet of you <3

1. Too many :'D I knit, I sew, I do carpentry (well, learning), I bake, I'm hammering away at HTML and CSS, my job kind of encourages learning new things and I take that to picking up new hobbies!

2. My time is kind of consumed with school work and work work and WIP work so not a lot of time to pursue niche interests right now. I've been watching a lot of horror game playthroughs, true crime youtubers, and an adorable show on Netflix called the Repair Shop <3

3. My taste in music is "what am I vibing with atm?" I've been listening to a lot of 80's music atm (don't @ me), but also Lo Fang and Kaleo, and whatever spotify recommends me on my discover weekly which is usually complete chaos.

4. I love the Mummy even though it hasn't aged 100% well (I'm a librarian, of course it's one of my gotos LOL), Legally Blonde, Leverage, Jumanji (the original), I'm....very bad at having recent tastes... and very bad at remembering my favorites when asked.

5.

The Goodfellows: I'm a creature of comfort, 5/10 if I can just luxuriate in town and not actually interact with the story sfjkdbsdkf

Creature’s Cradle: I'd like to think I have a 50/50 shot XD 5/10, I want to think I'd be decent at a zombie apocalypse but ultimately would suffer an early fate.

Greater Than Gods: 10/10 if I'm just vibing, less so if I'm involved in the actual story XD

Vardir: I'd still suffer without technology but I can also knit for a living in this world so I'm down 8/10

When it Hungers: I feel like I could vibe here, there's tech if dated, hot showers, telephones are around by now... might still get bored. 7/10 though it'd be cool to be another creature....I should make a 'what creature of snv are you' quiz!

Orthall Bay: 7/10 idk I feel like after the first monster of the week I'd just skip town XDDDD I'm the worst protagonist, I see danger I just leave.

[eurekq]

>be me >today i will make a height chart for my da protags and their love interests >okay maybe ill make it an outfit and color reference too >well i dont want it to be too boring to look at >draw this

so here we are with all my sweet little ladies and their lis :]!!! from left to right: cassie cousland, marian hawke and anders, aoife lavellan and cullen, rhiannon tabris and alistair, cecelia hawke and fenris, melly cadash and sera

LOTS of extra stuff under the cut!!!

lovely da protag templates are from marian churchland!

dear sweet cassie, partaker in the forbidden non-romantic alistair marriage that the game never knows how to acknowledge. very much the definition of gaslight gatekeep girlboss. and by that i mean a genuinely bad person in the sense that she tends to toy with peoples feelings. had an extremely public affair with anders during the events of awakening. It takes a good 5 years for her and alistairs marriage to be anything even approaching functional. extremely savvy, ambitious, and charismatic; a great politician and an extremely effective ruler. morrigan is her closest friend in the world (yes i know i never had her in my party. thats because im bad at video games and needed a healer.) and they’re like sisters.

my default hawke. 6′2, buff as shit, slept her way through half of her friends before finally settling with anders. she’s a blood mage and her first use of blood magic was during a particularly nasty fight where she got speared through the stomach. she carves herself up for mana; anders puts her back together. does things in anger and impulse and then regrets them (see: giving isabela to the arishok, never reconciling with carver after leandras death). mean if you dont know her, intensely protective if you do, but takes betrayal extremely poorly. constantly taking action, even if it doesn’t turn out very well; she is physically incapable of being a bystander. her and anders are my fave da couple ever... ask me about my post da2 hcs <3 theyre happy and have a daughter named bethany :] she punched cullen in the mouth at the end of da2 so hard that it left that scar.

literally is there anything like your first dai playthrough being an elf. aoife is... remarkably well realized in my brain for a character who’s life began as my friend chanting “goth elf! goth elf! goth elf!” over my shoulder while i was in character creator. very affable and friendly, but extremely politically adept with a capability for subterfuge that even she isn’t fully comfortable with. huge history buff. solas was like a big brother to her and her faith was extremely important to her so trespasser was crushing. very curious, especially about magic; definitely learned some blood magic from hawke after hearing dorian and solas talk about it. dorian is her closest platonic friend, but cullen is her rock. as in he is literally so normal compared to everything else that happens to her and she loves him for it. also her and hawke are friends and a scenario that lives rent free in my mind is them hanging out while anders and cullen attempt to kill each other in increasingly looney toons-esque ways in the background. she turned out remarkably pretty for an inquisitor... look at her

....and that’s it for my canon timeline. onto the secondary timeline!

DEAR SWEET RHIANNON. 4′8 powerhouse with a sword longer than she is tall. i first played rhiannon with a friend who was very new to rpgs and she picked all of the mean dialogue options because she thought they were funny, which led to me discovering that alistair reacts oddly and kind of hilariously well to being made fun of by a female warden pre-duncan dying. rhiannon is fun in that she literally gives no shits about conflict avoidance; if you start something with her, she’ll see it through. disliked alistair on principle and poked fun at him when they first met, but after the events at ostagar bonded to him extremely strongly. very close to him pretty much at the exclusion of all her other companions. extremely strong willed, laughs loud and smiles wide, no real concept of subterfuge except for when she’s hiding her own pain, generally goes in the path of least resistance if it gets to her goal faster. #1 arl eamon hater. she looks pretty different when i draw her compared to how she looked ingame but this screenshot of her doing the like. dead deer tinder profile pic pose is extremely powerful

cecelia is the truest tragic hawke that i’ve played (rip cecelia. you had the misfortune to exist in the warden alistair timeline). lost carver, lost bethany in the deep roads, lost her mother, believes that fenris has left her. act 2; a real rough ride for cecelia. aside from all the tragedy, she’s tough as nails, direct, and extremely blunt. very cautious in combat, even more so since she lost both carver and bethany. plans upon plans upon plans and prefers to strike unseen and unheard from the shadows. DEEPLY in love with fenris, best friends with isabela and merrill. aware of anders affection for her and keeps some distance for both their sakes; after the chantry explosion she helps him fake his own death on the condition that she never sees him again. when terrible things are not constantly happening she has a very dry wit, part of the reason her and fenris get along so well. too many bad things happen to her for someone with such nice thighs and such a stylish cape. her save file had some weird bugs with companion like.... staring???? in weird directions???

the absolute energy here. she also turned out very pretty in inquisition.

melly is easily my most powerful da oc. not in terms of in-universe power (although sword and board reaver is like. unkillable.) but in the sense that she is a catholic (read: andrastian) mid-40′s widowed mobster milf. she’s very close to cassandra and vivienne and consults them for advice before she goes to her actual advisors. even she was surprised by her relationship with sera; she finds sera’s unique sense of humor very charming and really likes pulling silly pranks with her as a reprieve from her everyday life. when she’s not with sera, she tends to be very pragmatic and logical when making decisions for the inquisition and has a very defined sense of purpose. she takes her role as both as the inquisitor and the herald of andraste very seriously. she’s very warm and soothing to be around during off hours and random inquisition members will often drift towards her for life advice. first draft of her and sera in this drawing had sera wearing this

[holycow99]

石田お寿司 12/9/21 stream translation Part 7

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

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

(t/n: ** means translation may not be accurate.)

I: Any other suggestion for the project?

C: I want you to create Choujin X first chapter with assistants.

I: I wanna see what’ll happen if I hire 100 people. I wanna try draw them with 100 assistants. It’ll probably take an excessive amount of time.

C: Having the viewers as your assistants.

I: That’s a bit interesting. A manga just for that. If it’s the side story’s one shot, then it’s okay. It’d look like a prank if I let you guys draw the real thing.

C: How about playing with Rod?

I: That’s a good idea.

*He’s talking about Saito Naoki again.

C: an overseas fan wrote that you’re gonna eat 1 million fan letters to celebrate 30, 000 subscribers.

I: It’s getting weird. Not 1 million fan letters. It’s head hunting 100 assistants and eating 10 years’ worth of fan letters.

C: How about becoming Fukuoka’s Banksy? (t/n: Banksy is a slang for people who do street arts.)

I: I wanna scribble on the wall too.

*Ishida trying to avoid people shooting at him while escaping from the place after killing the target.

I: They (the guards) remember who I am. Forget me, forget me. This is the opposite of unravel (TG op). Forget me 2x. Please forget me!

*Ishida trying to knock people out but ended up killing them.

I: Ah, I accidentally killed him. Whatever, people will one day die either way.

I: Reverse of unravel will be ravel. (TMI: According to Merriam-Webster, both unravel and ravel mean the same thing.)

I: The assistant head hunting suggestion is a good idea for the 30,000 commemoration. Goubaru probably can do it, though he’s working elsewhere. He’s working someplace else, where he gets sexually harassed. People touched his butt everyday. So pitiful. “I hate it!” (t/n: Ishida imitating Goubaru.) He receives body check from people.

Y****: Please do a career consultation.

I: I’m okay with that. Well, we’ve known each other for a year already. It’s because I was able to distinguish between you and S******. I’ve got to considerably know what you guys are like. Y****is in the theatre club, while S****** is the one who addresses Hikakin (a Japanese youtuber) as ‘that guy’. S****** has a sharp tongue.

I: Y****, where do you wanna go to in the future?

*Ishida reading this person’s comment.

I: You’re in the theatre club, but you wanna be a musician?! Lots of dreams you got there. You have so many dreams. You’re 16, 17 years old, right? You can just be anything, then. How about trying it out? Which one do you wanna do?

C: You can still become a musician even if you’re in the theatre club.

I: That’s true. Hoshino gen also did theatre before, if I’m not mistaken. I’m not sure though. It’s okay if you haven’t decided yet. There are still many possibilities for you.

(t/n: Hoshino Gen is an actor & singer)

C: Theatre requires high ability to express yourself, so I think it’s applicable to music as well.

I: That’s right. That applies to both. You can use the ability to express yourself that you’ve gained from theatre in music. Likewise, since music has various genre, I think it offers a lot of things to theatre. Just like you said. I think either way is good.

I: I think it’s just a matter of where you’ll end up eventually. It’s not like I’ve been writing manga all this while. I dreamed of becoming a mangaka because I didn’t want to get a job. I didn’t want to work, so I wanted to become a mangaka.

C: Well, you can learn anything.

I: Exactly.

C: I wanna quit being a member of society.

I: I didn’t say anything about that.

C: I’m 21, but I wanna be a high-schooler.

I: That’s impossible. Turning back time is impossible. Let’s focus on the real world.

C: Can I decide on my future dream based on impure motives?

I: I think it’s okay. It’s not a bad thing to have that kind of reasons. It’s okay to wanna be popular or wanting money. I think just having that is enough. But what happen after you achieve that is gonna be another story.

C: Sometimes, you can be happy just by drawing and playing games.

I: That is important.

C: My beloved dog that I’ve had for 14 years died recently. What should I do with this lingering affection that I have?

I: I understand how you feel. This is a difficult topic. I think it’s good to have a lingering affection. You can’t help but to have that kind of feelings when you lose a life. Time is the only way to heal wounds.

I: in the end, which one did Y**** choose? Did it end with him saying he’ll do his best? He’s having a trouble deciding whether to go to a vocational school or enter university. I see. Vocational school or university… You’ll spend 4 years in university and you need to manage your own time, so if you don’t have any confidence you’ll be able to manage yourself, it’ll be hard for you. But university is a good place for you if you wanna experience various things and obtain various knowledge.

* Ishida then continued giving a super long speech about Y****’s worries without knowing that he’s already slept.

C: Y**** already said good night.

I: Seriously?! He’s gone to bed?! You’re kidding me! Eh? He’s already sleeping?

*Scrolling for the guy’s comment.

I: “I feel much better now. Good night.” Hahaha. That guy’s gone to sleep. So irritating! What’s up with him? Even though I did my best to give him advice.

MM: On the contrary, don’t you have any worries, sensei?

I: MM’s here again. I’m gonna pin this.

I: My worries? I do have though, but I won’t tell you guys. It’s not really a worry, just something I should think about. Even if it was something serious, I’ll solve it by myself.

*Ishida continued answering the fans’ worries related to school and work. (t’n: I didn’t translate this part because I feel like I’d be disclosing personal info, so I refrained from doing that. I only translated if it’s related to manga or mangaka’s questions.)

C: My relative told me that it’s hard to make a living as a mangaka. As expected, am I dreaming too much? What do you think?

I: I don’t know. It depends on your ability and the effort you put in. Your relative might’ve seen your work and gave some comment. Even for me, people wanted me to quickly give up pursuing this path. I heard about it later though. So, no one knows what will happen in the future.

I: It’s hard to make a living as a mangaka? If it was before, I can understand that. On the contrary, this notion is now no longer applicable. Now, whatever jobs you do is hard. If you were to say you wanna work in a restaurant, people will be opposed to it, but you wanna be a chef no matter what. Anything you do is gonna be tough, after all. First of all, you’re allowed to choose what you wanna be no matter if it’s tough or whatever. And relatively, being a mangaka has a wide scope of jobs. It’s just that people don’t know about it. I think when there’s a will, there’s a way. If you wanna pursue that because you want it to be made into an anime or drama, then it might be difficult for you since that depends on luck.** Well, I’m able to manage my life better than other professions, especially in this period since I can just do my work at home.** Also, if you think it’s okay for you even if it’s tough, then I think you can just do whatever you wanna do. I’m not talking about you putting effort. Even if it’s tough, just by aiming for it is fun. Something like that. If you can live in such manner, then you can just go for it no matter if it’s tough or not.

C: I don’t wanna be a mangaka. I just wanna write manga.

I: That’s good. Let’s write one.

*He continued giving advice to fans.

Part 8

[vemuabhi]

Amusement park Date - 1000 ch special!

Hey everyone! This is my celebration for One piece 1000 chapter!

Monster Trio + Ussop

ONE PIECE UNIVERSE

Scenarios where Character and Reader go on a date to Amusement Park on an island

special Law and Kidd Here (Clickable) 

LUFFY

I shifted again as I tried to sleep. I don’t know why I’m not able to sleep but because of my shifting I woke my dear boyfriend accidently. He murmured, “What happened Y/N? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Oh dear, I am sorry for waking you up Luffy. I wasn’t able to sleep so I was shifting. Sorry again”, I apologised to him and he placed his hand on one of my cheek as he said, “Don’t apologise, its ok. Are you hungry? Is your hunger making you not sleep? Trust me I’ve faced that.”

I chucked and said, “Yes love, I know you faced it but, I am not hungry. I am just not able to fall asleep.”

Luffy hummed as he closed his eyes trying to think of something but instead I could see his head getting Red as a side effect. He sighed as he opened his eyes and looked at me and added, “I have never faced any other situation, other than that…”, he said in a defeated tone making me smile at his cuteness. “But! I guess if we do this, you can sleep”, he said as he wrapped his arms around me and got very close. He had his classic beautiful smile while he cuddled me.

“I am sure you can fall asleep like this”, he said and smiled widely making me giggle. He was having the perfect temperature and had the smell of delicious Sanji’s cooking.

“This really helps. Thank you love”, I smiled and pecked his cheek as he giggled.

“Then let’s sleep, we should go out to explore the new island”, he said as he pulled me closer and continued, “And… maybe go… on a date…”, with that Luffy fell asleep. My cheeks turned pink and I smiled at how

“Yes Captain!”, I replied. We cuddled as I thought about how amazing our date would be. With the comfort Luffy was giving in his warm hug, it was all I needed for falling asleep peacefully.

As for the date, we both got on different types of rides mostly the scary ones and didn’t even miss one single food stall. Luffy stopped at every single food stall as he wanted to eat all food items available. I was also keeping company to Luffy as he ate.

Suddenly Luffy stretched his neck and came closer to me. I gulped at the sudden closeness. It was a surprise and my heart started beating faster.

“Y/N… you”, Luffy said as I blinked and continued, “Have food on your face”, with this he leaned in and pecked my cheek dangerously close to my lips, where the food was and said, “We don’t want that to waste right”.

‘Oh god Save me’, I thought as covered my flushed face…

After a while I came across a small competition where people were arm wrestling. As I looked at it, I felt a chill run down my spine with excitement. Luffy was still busy stuffing his mouth with food in a stall few meters away.

“Luffy! Come here”, I call Luffy and he stretched and came to my side in a second.

“Will you participate in it”, I asked Luffy as I pointed at the competition.

“Woah! Seems fun!”, Luffy Exclaimed as he jumped onto the stage. There stood a huge guy who couldn’t be beaten up till now as he faced Luffy. According to now, he should be defeated in order to win the competition.

The jerk smirked as Luffy sat in the opposite side of his. He was underestimating Luffy and I really hated that. I know Luffy wouldn’t lose but I still shouted, “LUFFY! WIN! YOU CAN WIN”, luffy smirked and I succeeded in making sure everyone in the place heard it and even draw attention to the place. Everyone’s eyes were on the match as both contestants sat opposite to each other.

“Osu!”, Luffy said as he positioned his arm, and in one swift move, my Luffy got the opponents arm down with a bonus of crashing the jerks complete body to the hard floor of the stage, even making the floor break.

Seeing the scene in front of me, I jumped up the stage and hugged Luffy as he returned my hug and complained, “It wasn’t that hard… boo”, he pouted like a child and I chuckled looking at his face.

We got the trophy and were enjoying so much but in the end….. Luffy accidentally broke one of the rides and we both ran from that scene with the rest of the crew. Anyhow that was sure one hell of a date and I loved it!

ZORO

Me and my boyfriend Zoro, go on a date to the amusement park which was pretty famous for the island we stopped on. We also wanted a break from the crew and spend some quality time together.

We both split from the crew and go for some rides. We enjoyed the roller coaster and did window shopping. Zoro won so many games and got prizes. But we purposely avoided the shooting games because we didn’t want to bump in with the crew now.

“Woah! This is amazing Zoro. You won so many things. Im so proud of you.”, I praised him and all he did was to grunt. Well he is happy and I can feel it.

I smiled at him as he bought me a snack. We both were looking at the stalls as we ate it. Then I saw a cute Lama in a claw machine.

“Awww look at that cute Lama. Can you win it Zoro?”, I pleaded my boyfriend as I gave him puppy eyes.

“Huff… you are such a trouble. Now tell me what you want”, he said as he grinned looking at the claw machine. I grinned as I showed him the Lama which I wanted.

Then… Zoro for the first time in being in the amusement park… lost.

After some time

“Babe stop! Its fine if we don’t get it”, I tell my boyfriend as he tries for the 7th time to win the Lama plushie that I liked.

“No way! Ill win that stupid thing for you!”, Zoro grunted as he lost for the 7th time.

“I really appreciate it Zoro but we are spending all of our money on this claw machine. We still need to see all the other stalls”, I tried to convince him but he wasn’t listening.

Zoro inserted the coin in the machine and got the 8th loss. He was emitting violet and black fumes. He wasn’t going to give up that easily… even after the 22nd time of losing. He was barely keeping his swords away from cutting down the machine. I huffed as I look at my man who is really pissed now. I gently place my hand on his shoulder and say, “Babe… think of it all as your experience. Now use all of it in this game. I am sure you’ll win it this time.”

Zoro took a deep breath and closed his eye. He stayed still for couple of seconds and opened his eye as he got back to the machine. He looked sharply at the Lama plushie and took the handle and pushed it back and froth as he aligned it to the Lama.

“I’m going to get the stupid toy that you liked at all costs”, with this he hit the red button which enabled the Grip for the toy.

As everyone says… 23rd time is the charm, Zoro won the plushie at last!! I was too exited so I just jumped and wrapped my arms around his neck. Zoro took the toy and gave it to me.

“Trust me Zoro, this is the best gift ever because it represents all your hard work and passion of yours.”, I said as I kissed his lips. He blushed and huffed as he said, “Of..of course I said I’d win for you. There is no way I would lose to this dumb game.” He said as he happily took my hand and started to walk away from the machine.

We see Sanji coming towards us. “Hey Sanji! Look at this Lama, Zoro won it for me!”, I proudly showed my plushie to him as he smiled back at me.

“That’s so good! Well done Marimo! So you too can be nice to your lover”, Sanji said as he went towards the machine.

“I don’t need to hear it from you, love cook. So you trying to win huh”, Zoro stayed still looking at Sanji.

“I… I do want to get some toys”, Sanji replied as he played the machine and also… got the stuff toy in the… First try. He inserted the second coin and played as he won… the second time. I was watching Sanji awestruck I didn’t realise Zoro let go of my hand. Then the third win and during the fourth time Sanji won two toys at the same time.

“Woah! See two at a time!”, he said as he walked towards us and gave me a toy and said, “I need to give Nami san and Robin chan also… So I’ll go now”, Sanji said.

“Wait Sanji!”, I stopped Sanji and asked, “How… did you win in a row?”

To which he smiled and said, “Ah! About that… there is a hack where we push the button two times, we will definitely get the toy. Well technically I didn’t say I wanted to win, I just wanted get the toy”, with that he left.

“Babe did you hear”, I turned my head to my side and Zoro wasn’t there. Then I heard, “ONI-”, I looked in the direction and it was too late to stop Zoro, as I saw my man give one blow to the machine, “-GIRI”, making it cut into pieces.

“Zoro…”, I managed to say and then the red lights started to blink with a sound coming from the machine.

“DIE YOU MACHINE! DIE!!!”, Zoro yelled at the machine as I took his arm and started to run away with my plushies held tightly in other hand. Zoro held my hand and with the other he held the bag of items he won in the games. We were being chased by many people and it was a mess but after we escaped and reached the ship, we both laughed at the situation.

XOXO

“Here you go”, said Sanji as he crouched down and handed the third plushie to the little raindeer.

“Ahh! Giving me this doesn’t make me happy you asshole”, Said the doctor as he did his happy dance making Sanji smile at him warmly.

SANJI

“HEY! OVER HERE!”, Sanji waved seeing me as I went towards the amusement park. We agreed to meet here for today’s date. Sanji wore a blue Hawaiian shirt and grey knee length shorts. It was a sunny island and was really warm. Sanji looked so different in this attire from his usual Dress shirt and coat. Not gonna lie he can pull off any type of outfit.

“Y/N! You look so cute!”, he cooed with a wide grin on his face. ‘Agh! I was supposed to compliment him first’, I scolded myself.

“Thankyou… you… you look handsome too”, I managed to let it out in a soft low voice but still he heard it. His eyes widened as his lips parted and his face flushed.

“Thankyou Y/N chan”, he thanked and offered me his hand. I smiled and took his hand as we both headed into the amusement park together. Sanji not once swooned over any other girl from the moment we both held hands.

We both shopped and took some photos together. We both got on slow and romantic rides as it was more romantic. We both played many games and Sanji trying to impress me, as if he hadn’t already done that, won all the games. I mean we were told to leave because he was way too good.

In the way I saw a Horror House. ‘Woah! Did I just get excited?!’, I stop Sanji from walking further and asked, “Sanji, can we go there please”, I pointed towards the Horror house.

Sanji looked at it and smirked as he said, “Yeah why not! Seems fun”. He seemed more excited than I was. Maybe it was because he was also missing the thrill. We walked quickly towards the horror house still my hand in his.

We go into the horror house with excitement. We go in and see some jump scares here and there… not very scary yet… there we go to a room filled with mirrors.

Then suddenly a man in clown costume comes into the room and the mirrors made reflections of him. This took me by surprise and I screamed as I hugged Sanji. He rubbed soothing circles on my back as he hugged me back instantly.

“Don’t get too close! She is scared now because of you”, he started to lecture the clown dressed man as he still hugged me and we left the room. ‘Well I know it’s a place to get scared but… he was so cute when he scolded that person because I was scared. Poor man… just did his job though’, I thought as I still hugged Sanji and explored the house more.

Whenever I got scared he turned his protective mode on and lectured the actors. They were too scared to say anything back and ran away from where they came from. Which never I guess never happened in this horror house before.

We both completed our turn and I was still feeling the adrenaline in my veins. That was actually a very scary horror house I’ve seen. I look at Sanji who was blushing and smiling. He asked, “Are you ok now Y/N?”

“Yeah… it was scary… though I guess you didn’t have much fun”, I said as I hung my head low. He placed his slender fingers on my chin and lifted my head up to face his. He smiled warmly at me and said, “It wasn’t scary to me but, I did love how you held me close to you and how you relied on me when you were scared.”, he said and I blushed. Then I noticed, we were in the same position even now and my blush even grew more. Yet…. I still didn’t want to let him go. I still held him close and I said, “Thankyou… Sanji”, with that he came closer and made our foreheads touch.

“I love you Y/N”, Sanji declared suddenly. His face was so close to mine and I could see the nervousness in his eyes.

“I love you too, you don’t have to be so nervous every time you say it”, I chuckled and he giggle. He pecked my nose and pulled back. He started to sway my hand as he indicated to continue the date. I obliged and we went to another game. ‘What did I even do to deserve him’, I thought as we continued our date.

USSOP

“Agh!! Ussop! C’mon! lets go. It’s a good day, we are on an island with theme park… I want to go on a date”, I nagged at my boyfriend who was in middle of making a new invention.

“Oh… ok then, lets go!”, Ussop says as he got up.

“That’s my baby”, I praise him as I ruffled his hair and he blushed ‘cause I called him Baby.

We both started to head to the theme park with hands linked. He was blushing the complete time. ‘Could he be anymore cuter?’, I thought as I enjoyed looking at my shy boyfriend.

“Ussop, lets eat something”, I turned to see my boyfriend who was already drooling at the sight of all the food stalls. He is a foodie and eats a lot, just… cant be compared to Luffy but he has potential.

“YES PLEASE!”, he said as he went to the stalls to eat. I chuckled when he just shoved a burger down his throat, but my smile was replaced by worry when he choked on it.

“BAKA USSOP! DON’T WORRY ME LIKE THAT!”, I scold him as he chugged down the water I handed him.

“….Sorry Y/N”, he apologises with puppy dog eyes of his which are hard to stay mad at. I huff and accept his apology. I took his hand in mine and dragged him to a scary ride.

“Wait.. Y/N…”, he said as I looked at him and see him placing his free hand on his chest and continued, “I think I’m getting the disease “Shouldn’t get on that ride” help me.” He even fake coughed and swayed back and forth to make it more dramatic. “Like I’d believe that… but keep up the acting. Good job”, I say as he dejectedly follows me while I drag him to the ride.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! SAVE MEEEEEE!!!!! I’M GONNA DIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”, Ussop Yelled the complete ride while I yelled, “YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!! THISSSS IS CRAZYYYYYY!! I LOVE ITTTT!!!”

We both got down the ride as I beamed with happiness and said, “It was so much fun!”

I got no response from my boyfriend so I turned to look at him. He had this dark aura surrounding him. He even was mumbling something which wasn’t… a language I know. It even felt like his soul was leaving his body.

“Ussop… you okay dude?”, I ask him as I crouch down and hug him.

“I am surprised I’m even alive”, he said and returned my hug. He was acting so cute by snuggling against my neck, making me chuckle.

“No way that could kill you”, I place one hand under his arm and other on his waist and pull him up. He looks at me with his glossy eyes making my heart skip a beat.

“Ok ok ok… no more scary rides. I got it. So… lets go and play some games”, I suggest for which he happily nods.

We both go to the game stalls and I saw a shooting game. I stop in my tracks making Ussop to bump into me because he was walking behind me.

“Ouch! What happened Y/N? Why did you stop?”, he asked as I looks at the game I pointed. We both smirked as we looked at each other and headed towards it. Ussop takes a gun and starts to shoot perfectly and wins continuous prizes making me happy.

Suddenly I get a thought of getting a prize for him. So I place my hand on the gun and give coins to the person who was in in charge and take position. I fire the gun but it misses and again and again…. It was making my heart crush but I still wanted to win.

Looking at my sad face Ussop couldn’t help but step in. He gracefully placed his arms on the gun and pointed it to the target. We were in a position where he was basically back hugging me. It’s always me initiating hugs and kisses. So… this made me blush so hard. I was basically a tomato in Ussop’s arms. He pulls the trigger and shoots the target with ease, making me win for the first time.

I smile widely as I notice it. It was his doing but… it made me so happy.

“Y/N Look! You shot the target”, he says as he looks at my face. He notices how red my face was and how close we both were. This makes him blush hard. He slowly lets go of me. The man in charge of the game comes towards us and hands me the prize. He witnessed the moment and was also blushing.

I took the prize and handed it to my boyfriend but I hung my head low. I was too embarrassed to face him while I give it. He takes it with his shaky hands indicating he was also very nervous. I build up my courage, take his hand and start to walk with him to another game.

Ussop was very quiet but then he suddenly says, “I love you Y/N”, making me stop in my tracks. My heart beat increased. I turned around, looked at him and replied, “I love you too Ussop”.

We both smiled at each other and continued walking side by side with our hands linked. ‘Definitely the best date till now’, I thought as we walked back to the ship with lots of toys and prizes.

special Law and Kidd Here (Clickable)

I hope you all liked it! please like, reblog and comment! sorry for any mistakes

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week - 39

I spent over 50 (!) hours on the sofa this week, (enjoying myself 85% of the time)...

Sløborn, an ominous Danish-German TV pandemic series, very much like Soderbergh’s ‘Contagion’ and in ‘Black Mirror’ style. Normal life of a small island community between Denmark and Germany breaks down and completely collapses when it is hit by a lethal bird flue like virus.

It was extremely prescient, as it was shot in 2019, before Covid! Conceived as Si-fi, it looks today like TV, because the series was able to capture everything that happened around the world after January 2020 in accurate details.

With Roland Møller (of ‘Riders of Justice’). 7+/10

✴️      

My introduction to “The grandmother of The French New Wave”, Agnès Varda (Hard to believe that I never saw her films before!):

✳️✳️✳️ “Inspiration, Creation and Sharing...” Varda by Agnès, my first Varda is her last 2019 auto-biography, in which, at 90, she shared footage and stories from her life and work. The first sample clip (of meeting her Uncle Yanco in Sausalito) won me over, and the rest convinced me to catch up on everything I’ve missed through the years. What a wonderful artist!

✳️✳️✳️ Cléo from 5 to 7. A feminine film about female identity - a new favorite! A beautiful singer must wait 2 hours for the results of her cancer tests. With a magnifique mid-film scene (at 0;38) of the heartbreaking chanson 'Sans Toi', marking the beginning of her quiet transformation.

✳️✳️✳️ Vagabond, a story of a lonely, young woman, an unapologetic drifter, unglamorous, aimless, independent, desperately lost. Dark and nonjudgmental exploration of the refusal to conform to anything. 8+/10.

✳️✳️✳️ (For Sammy - Per our conversation). The Gleaners and I, "The eighth best documentary film of all time”, per ‘Sight & Sound poll. Derived from the famous painting by Millet. Simply wonderful!

✳️✳️✳️ One Hundred And One Nights, 100 year old Michel Piccoli “Monsieur Simon Cinema”, hires a young girl to reminisce with about the history of cinema. An unsuccessful Meta-film that nevertheless is a love letter for cinephiles. Populated by 3 dozens of Who’s Who of French (and World) stars, playacting in this symbolic, Fellinisque fable that draws upon the classics. Mastroianni, Depardieu, Belmondo, Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau, Anouk Aimée, Fanny Ardant, Gina Lollobrigida, Jane Birkin, etc, etc..

(Photo Above).

✳️✳️✳️ The Young Girls of Rochefort, the wonderful, colorful, sentimental musical by Varda’s husband Jacques Demy, with the most beautiful woman in the world and her sister. Romantic eye candy set to music by Michel Legrand. A year later Deneuve would do Belle de Jour, and Françoise Dorléac would die in a car accident, 8+/10

✳️✳️✳️ Even better, The Young Girls Turn 25, Varda’s 1993 behind the scenes documentary and return to small town Rocheford, to show how it changed the town and left an impression. 9/10

“...The memory of happiness is perhaps also happiness...”

✴️         

The other Jacques Demy modern opera The Umbrellas of Cherbourg knocked me over all over again. Catherine Deneuve’s angelic beauty in this film made me cry for the duration like a baby. And not only at the train station when they say goodbye forever.

10/10

✴️          

Night moves, a tense thriller by Kelly Reichardt, about three radical environmentalists who blow up an Oregon dam. Slow and tense, and like her ‘First Cow’, watching it filled me with constant, low-level anxiety. The off-screen sabotage is placed at the exact mid-point of the movie: The first half is the preparation for it, and the second half shows the aftermath of the act. 7+/10

✴️        

2 unexpected Small Town gems by Miguel Arteta:

✳️✳️✳️ The good Girl, an odd and surprising mismatched romance between 30 year old Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal (22) as employees of a Texas big-box store that is always empty. Her voice-over reminded me of True Romance’s Alabama Whitman. 7/10

✳️✳️✳️ Ed Helms, a sheltered insurance salesman from the backwaters of Wisconsin, goes to an convention in the big city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The nearly conventional story arc has some genuinely heartfelt funny moments. With Maeby Fünke, as Bree the prostitute and Sigourney Weaver as the ex-teacher he balls. Also a surprising drug party, where he smoke crack cocaine and loves it. 5+/10

✴️          

Same theme of people prostituting their own ‘morals’, the notoriously-prudish 1993 Indecent Proposal didn’t age too well. “Billionaire”-porn that asks the question ‘How much would you pay for one night with Robert Redford?’ Gratuitous semi-naked Demi Moore included.

Related: “Stop hitting the button!”

✴️        

Wildland (Kød & blod = Flesh and blood), an uncomfortable and claustrophobic Danish gangster thriller about a 17 year old girl who moves in with the criminal family of Sidse Babett Knudsen, her estranged aunt. 6+/10

“For some people, things go wrong before they even begin”

✴️     

Jim Jarmusch‘s Broken Flowers, a touching road film with Bill Murray, as an old ‘Don Juan’ who receive a pink, unsigned letter from an old lover, letting him know that he has a 20 year old son he never knew about.

Loveliest film of the week.

✴️       

The 2 films directed by Tom Ford:

✳️✳️✳️ A single Man, a sad and lonely gay professor, closeted in 1962 Los Angeles, is preparing to kill himself with a gun, after his boyfriend / love of his life had died in a car accident. Mute and haunting aesthetics in the fashion designer’s debut film, based on a Christopher Isherwood novel.

The ‘Stormy Weather’ dance scene between Charley and George. 8/10

✳️✳️✳️ Nocturnal Animals: Amy Adams is an unhappy owner of a fancy art gallery who receives a disturbing book manuscript written by her ex-husband, which symbolizes their relationship 20 years prior. Rarefied visuals and distinctive style.

Starts with an astonishing scene of obese old ladies dancing naked at Amy’s gala event. Michael Shannon rules as a dying Texas detective! 6+/10.

✴️        

Jean Vigo’s 1933 classic Zero for Conduct was so blatantly anarchistic, it was immediately banned in France until after WW2. In silent film style, it tells about a group of mischievous kids who rebel against the authorities of their old-fashioned boarding school. Part-inspiration for Truffaut's 400 Blows.

✴️      

Anatomy of a murder, Otto Preminger’s 1960 courtroom drama, with opening credits by Saul Bass. Crisp black & white cinematography, and with rape victim Lee Remick playing it as an outgoing loose girl of ambiguous morals, a modern floozy. 7/10.

✴️                

Blush, a wondrous, spectacularly-animated, wordless short by Joe Mateo. What starts as a riff on ‘The Little Prince’, ends up like the opening montage from ‘Up’. The obvious realization that this is a personal metaphor makes the story even deeper.

I watched it twice back to back. 10/10

✴️       

If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast - 95 year old Carl Reiner asks a bunch of charming nonagenarian friends how they manage to live so well for so long. Their answers may (not) shock you...

Spry Dick Van Dyke (92) and half-his-age wife end the film with a lovely rendition of “Young at heart”

✴️            

Hi-school-level adaptation of Thomas Piketty's book Capital in the 21st Century. A breezy discussion of how slave economy and colonialist military repression 300 years ago turn into extreme capitalism of inequality & tax-avoidance today. America is now similar economically to what England was in the early 1800s. A tiny percentage of society controls almost all its wealth. (Full text of the book here).

✴️            

Ride the eagle, a flat new indie about a guy whose estranged hippy mother leaves him her cabin at the lake when she dies, but only if he complete a certain list of tasks. Could be so much better, but the actor playing the guy was just so terrible. Unlike JK Simmons who had a small role. Best detail, when he discovers that all the cabinets in the house are full with pot.

✴️       

Old, my first, (and possibly last), M. Night Shyamalan. The seductive premise of a secluded beach at a fancy tropical resort that ages everybody who comes there, turns into an unconvincing Twilight Zone bore.

...”(Gurgling sounds)”...

✴️      

First watch: I never saw (any) Planet of the apes before, and in spite of my misgivings, gave it a go. 100% anthropomorphic, it couldn’t visualize a universe different from the American mindset of that period. Preachy and very Rod Sterling-like. "It's a madhouse in here”. Pass!

✴️         

The latest Veritasium YouTube video about bowling current technology. Always interesting.

- - - - -

Throw-back to the art project:

Planet of the Apes Adora. 

- - - - -

(My complete movie list is here)

[unu-nunu-art]

The Gauge Masterpost

April Fools is over - even with the additional day I’ve given her - and I won’t take any more questions. Thank you once again for the massive interest, I’ve gotten so many asks and so many comments and questions about her, it’s been amazing. ♥ 

I will turn this post into some kind of masterpost, linking each and every entry I’ve made about her here so keeping an overview will be a little easier.

Who is Gauge?

To put it nice and simple, Gauge is a - NON CANON - ship kid of Template and Pale I created! She was meant as a one-time April Fools joke character, but while I created her she has grown to me so much that I simply couldn’t dump her after using her only one single day. However, she will always stay non canon.

Links for Comics and Additional Artworks:

Here you can find every link of asks answered by Gauge

All Responses from 2019:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

All Responses from 2020: 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 

Additional drawings: 

Family Selfie! | Just Gauge 

Lots of additional info can be found under the cut:

(Info added in 2020)

- I forgot to mention this, but her responses in 2020 can be considered post the events in “Somewhere Else”, while her responses in 2019 are previous of this

- A common mistake I’ve found was that a lot of people using male pronouns for Gauge, which is not correct. It’s she/her!

- While she’s not canon, everything she talks about regarding Template and Pale can be taken as canon; the only thing not canon is herself. She has her own impressions of things happening around her however, since Template still keeps secrets from her, so she doesn’t know the answers to everything. Despite this, she still knows these two better than anyone else

- You should take her appearances this way: Gauge sleeps a lot, plus it’s hard to keep track of time in the voids. She’s awake any now and then, so it really doesn’t feel to her like a whole year has passed. Therefore, she’s a little bit confused when someone tells her that it’s her birthday

- She likes hugs, but she’s not much of a fan of getting booped and doesn’t exactly like to get patted on the head. She will let you, but will act a little reluctant

- Template taught her almost everything she knows. Since she never left Template’s or Pale’s place, which Template refers to as the “Art Zone” and “Null Space” respectively, she doesn’t have much knowledge about a lot of things, but isn’t exactly stupid either. She’s gotten a lot of impressions of the universes by watching AUs with Template, which is really similar to watching TV 

(Info added in 2019)

- I’m thinking of her as a 14-16 year old... it’s hard to tell since technically, time and space doesn’t exist in between universes 

- If you consider her parents’ souls, you may realize that she doesn’t have the most powerful soul either. This means that while her soul overall is fully intact, it’s still really weak. This is why she doesn’t have powers or can’t use magic. She cannot even open portals to other AUs like pretty much every other out!code character.

- Her weak soul makes her similar (but not the same!) in behavior as Pale. However, she’s able to boost her perception, which is why she constantly is drinking coffee and is on a sugar high. Without it, she would be quite lethargic.

- Template gave her the eye-patch because her left eye is glitched. While Gauge is under the impression that her left eye is not nice to look at in general (and doesn’t mind it because her vision through this eye is also broken), Template’s intention behind this is that he pretty much avoids to look at it constantly for obvious reasons. 

- Some people might have mistaken Gauge’s dark hand palms as gloves, but that’s not the case. Pale’s palms are grey, hers are black. It just runs in the family. 

- For those still wondering about her mysterious hobby, while others have already guessed it: She loves sewing, crocheting and she can even knit! Yes, she did make the clothes she wears herself, but lied to Template about it because it’s something that would stress him out if he knew. So instead, she just does it whenever Pale is supposed to take care of her. She hides all her sewing materials in Pale’s clothing heaps. Pale, of course, doesn’t mind. 

- The measuring tape on her hoodie suddenly seems less confusing if you consider her hobby, doesn’t it? 

- Gauge never heard of Error because Template of course doesn’t talk about him and often only know about what she’s told or seen herself in AUs. However, she knows about Ink, because Template won’t shut up about him. To her, Ink is some kind of comic book hero she keeps hearing about but never met herself, so her view of him is just as warped as Template’s 

- Gauge is fully aware that something is wrong with Template since she’s bound to experience one of Template’s minor or heavier breakdowns at some point. She merely thinks of it as a disease and that it’s not Template’s fault. She tries to help and prevent things from going wrong as much as she can. She thinks that Template’s determination to keep going in this case is unmatched and admirable.

- Gauge is talking to Pale a lot when she’s with him because he seems to listen and doesn’t judge her for whatever is on her mind. Pale probably knows Gauge better than Template, even if Gauge spends less time with him. 

Aaaaand that’s pretty much all I can think of right now. I hope more questions were answered! The only thing I really can’t answer is how she came to be, haha. I’d love to draw her more but I really can’t tell as other projects have a higher priority. But considering I made her two days before April Fools without even a clue about what to do, she’s really come a long way in just three days… I’m proud of her ;w;

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 31

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: At Waystation, pt 4/?

A/N: Soo sorry about the long wait! This was a very long and kind of tricky chapter to write so it took me longer than I would have wanted. But in a way this is (ironically) a good day to post this chapter as it's the Mother's day in many parts of the world today. (Happy Mother’s day Esperanza Valdez ;___;)

Before we head into this chapter, I want to give you guys a warning that it (specifically, the flashback in the beginning of the chapter) talks about what happened to Leo's mother, so in case you find that too hard to read, feel free to skip it. (If you have read HoO, I think you can somewhat guess what to expect)

Thanks for all the amazing support you guys have given me so far! ♥ It's what keeps me going! Now, enjoy, and remember that I'd really like to hear what you think because there's a lot going on in this chapter!

Words: 5550 (yeah, long one)

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: minor character death (talked about), be aware!

previous chapter / AO3

*flashback*

There was fire. So much fire.

Leo had been tinkering with his toy tools and drawing some simple blueprints in the living room when he had remembered that he had left his hammer into his room. He went to look for it and it took him a couple of minutes to locate it from under the unfinished toys and papers he had thrown around. Unfortunately, that couple of minutes had been enough for all hell to break loose in the living room.

He started smelling smoke and ran back downstairs to see where it came from. The wooden floor and several pieces of furniture in the living room were on fire, which seemed to have started from the papers he had left near the fireplace. Leo’s mind went completely blank like a machine that had just been shut down. The only thing that he was capable of thinking was: what do I do?

His mother had put a fire in the fireplace before she had left to run some errands because it had been a cold day. She had warned Leo several times to be careful with it, even putting a bucket of water and a smothering blanket nearby in case of emergency. But it was already too late to use them; the fire had already spread too far in the room. Because of his state of panic, it took Leo a while to manage to make decisions, but finally, his brain told him: get your phone so you can call mom, and run.

What his 8-year-old brain didn’t understand: he should have just left the building right then and asked a neighbor or someone to call the fire department instead. But Leo could only think how the very thing his mother had been worried about just happened and how she’d probably never forgive him for – no matter how accidentally – burning their home. He had vague memories of leaving his cell phone that he had gotten a few months earlier on his birthday into his room, so he ran upstairs as quickly as he could with his short, wobbly legs. However, the phone wasn’t on his desk like he had anticipated, and it took him a while to remember he had thrown it under the bed after getting frustrated with his homework; the words on the textbook they were supposed to read had not made any sense to him.

Once he finally found the cell phone and went back downstairs to leave the building, the fire had already spread so much that he could barely see anything from the smoke. Coughing, he tried to cover his mouth with his shirt so he could protect himself from the smoke and dash to the door, but he soon realized it was not possible. His road was blocked, and the only way for him to get out would be through the upstairs windows.

Leo didn’t have the time to figure out how to open the windows so he ended up breaking his bedroom window with a real hammer that he happened to find nearby. Shaking, breathing heavily and trying to avoid the glass shards, he looked down. The fall would be quite big, at least 5-6 meters, but he was no stranger to broken bones. The fights with other school kids had taught him a thing or two about that. He would still be more likely to survive the fall than trying to go out from downstairs; at least there were no stones or other hard objects under the window. He was so full of adrenaline that he didn’t even notice that his hands were bleeding; they had hit the broken glass when he had peeked out.

Finally, he managed to gain enough courage to climb up the windowsill and lift one of his legs over the edge. In the process he scraped himself some more in the glass and tore his pants a bit as well, but who cared? It was a very minor thing compared to his mother’s face if she’d find him dead in the house. For a moment Leo thought about all the blueprints and devices in development in the basement of the house, how hours and hours of his mother’s work would go to waste if the entire house burned down – but that was a thing to worry about for later. It was already too late to do anything but to try to escape.

With a huge lump in his throat as he imagined how his mother would hate him when she’d find out about the fire, Leo finally lifted his other leg over the edge as well, sitting on the windowsill with his legs hanging in the air. The distance between him and the ground seemed even bigger than it had earlier, but he had to do this. Slowly, he inched himself forward, hesitating a bit more, but the sound of the fire breaking something downstairs startled him and finally, he dropped down.

After that his memories started getting hazy. He fainted when hitting the ground and when he first woke up he noticed the pain in his left ankle and some blood coming from his forehead. He was laying on the grass, not unharmed but at least alive, and suddenly he got aware that he had to get farther from the house because the fire could easily spread to the surrounding grounds. He could only hope that a neighbor or a passerby had already called the fire department because he himself would not be able to do that, not with his dizzy head and the pain everywhere in his body. Before he passed out again, his last thought was: when would his mother be back?

The next time he was conscious, he remembered trying to drag himself forward with his hands. He could not stand up, and not even crawl, so that was the only thing he could do. Inch by inch, he got a bit farther from his falling spot, and by that time he also started hearing some distant sirens and human yells somewhere, but his mind could not comprehend what all of it meant.

After that, the next thing he remembered was being lifted from the ground by a first responder. The man tried to tell him soothing words, probably something like ‘poor child, it will be alright’, but Leo didn’t care. He wished the fogginess of his brain would just fade so he could speak and walk on his own feet and find out what happened to his mother – if she returned yet – but afterwards, he wished he would have never found out.

He kept slipping in and out of consciousness for a while, not really sure what was happening around him, until finally he woke up in the hospital. One of his legs and arms had been plastered and a bandage had been wrapped around his head. Already he wished he could have just ripped them off and run away but he knew that wasn’t possible. A couple of minutes later, a nurse finally arrived at his bedside.

“Oh, good, I’m glad you’re awake,” she said, testing his forehead to see if he had a fever. “You scared us there, young one.”

“It’s not me you should be worried about! Where’s my mom?! Hasn’t anyone told her I am here?” Leo demanded in a hoarse voice.

The nurse ignored his question. “Now, what is your name?”

“Leo Valdez,” he answered grumpily, glaring at the nurse.

“Good. How old are you?” the woman asked then.

“8 years. But how does that have anything to do with anything? I want my mom here!”

“Calm down, Mr. Valdez. We are just doing some routine tests. You hit your head pretty badly. Now, do you remember your home address?”

Leo, despite still feeling quite dizzy, got really angry about the question. “Yes, I do, but it doesn’t matter! There’s probably nothing left of it anymore! Because it burned down!” The tears finally demanded to get out of his system as he added with a tiny voice: “And I don’t know where my mom is.”

The nurse looked very hesitant for a moment. “I, um… You know, I think we are gonna complete this test a bit later. There are some people who have been wanting to see you.” She looked towards the door restlessly.

“Is it mom?” Leo asked instantly.

The nurse just shook her head. “You’ll see soon.”

She let the visitors in and left the room, closing the door behind her. Leo found himself staring at a firefighter, who he vaguely recognized as the same one who had carried him to safety after his fall. With him entered a police officer whom Leo had not seen before. Why would a police officer want to meet him, he wondered. Maybe they’d sentence him to prison for burning the house down?

“It was an accident!” Leo blurted before the men had time to say anything, trying to look brave even though he had just cried.

“We know, we know,” the firefighter tried to calm him down. “That’s not why we are here. We wanted to see how you were doing, and, um…” he looked helplessly at his companion.

“We have some bad news,” the police officer went straight to the topic.

“Is it about the house?” Leo asked.

“No, it’s about your mother… she’s gone.”

It took Leo a moment to register what the police officer had said.

“What?” he yelled.

“I’m sorry, but she is dead.”

Leo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was already so panicked that denial was his only coping mechanism left. “Again, what?”

“It is true, young man,” the police officer stated matter-of-factly.

“But she can’t be! She wasn’t even home…!” Leo squeaked, trying to make sense of the situation in his blurry, shocked mind.

The firefighter spoke this time. “I’m so sorry, son… but he’s not lying. We found her in your house. The neighbor who called us had seen her go in before we arrived, and… when we got there… it was already too late.”

“But… but…” Leo had a very hard time getting any words out at that moment. “Why… why would she go in…? And… why didn’t anyone stop her?”

Again the visitors hesitated before answering. “This is just what we heard from a couple of witnesses, but… it seems like she had gone in to… look for you…”

Leo wished the sweet unconsciousness had returned to him in that moment, but that didn’t happen. Instead, it felt like something tried to pull his heart out of his chest. His mind was going through about a hundred different things at the same time: grief, anger, denial… and perhaps above everything else, guilt. It was his fault. It was his fault that the house had burned, and it was his fault that his mother had gone into the burning house. If he had been there to warn her… if she had known… But no, he had had to jump from upstairs to the backyard from where he had been harder to find. And then he had, only half conscious, dragged himself to a nearby trench where the humidity had protected him, being even harder to spot unless you happened to walk right next to it.

That meant that his mother had gone into the house thinking he was there… and she had died thinking he had died. All because he hadn’t listened to her, because he had left some papers on which he had been drawing too near the fireplace.

‘My fault. All my fault’, was all Leo could hear in his head on repeat. He noticed that the firefighter was trying to say something, but he could not register what. Leo didn’t ask him to repeat what he had said. Instead, he stuttered with a weak voice:

“You didn’t answer my other question. Why… didn’t anyone… stop her?”

The police officer sighed sadly. “From what we know, your neighbors had tried to tell her to not go in, that there was nothing she could do, but she refused to listen. The… smoke had already suffocated her by the time we arrived.”

Leo clenched his small fists, unable to focus his gaze anywhere. Everything around him was just a meaningless blur. All of a sudden, nothing mattered to him anymore. With his mother, Leo hadn’t just lost the most important person in his life, the only person who had ever really cared about him and understood him. He had lost his home, his safety, everything that he had loved. More to himself than to the men in the room, he sobbed:

“What's going to happen to me?”

And then everything went blank.

*end flashback*

…

When Leo woke up, he noticed he was breathing very sharply. He had to tell himself to slow it down a bit, trying to focus on the breathing instead of the dream he had just seen. Once he had calmed down a bit, he realized his face was soaked from the tears. The good feeling from the day before was gone, and suddenly he remembered all too well why he hated that holiday so much. His mother had died on Christmas day, 11 years ago.

The worst part about the nightmare he had just seen? It had actually happened. Sure, the details might have changed in Leo’s mind a bit because he had been so young when his mother had died, but most of it was true. The fire, the jumping, the people in the hospital, all true. When he had still been a kid, he had dared to hope that maybe someday the memories would start fading and it wouldn’t hurt so much. But now, 11 years later, he knew better. Thanks to the therapy and Jo, Emmie and the friends’ help, he did have moments when he managed to feel happy, focus on the future and forget the pain for a time being, but when it came back, it was always as intense. And it was especially bad on Christmas days, the anniversary of those horrific events.

‘Pull yourself together’, Leo told himself. ‘This is not what your mother would have wanted for you.’

‘No’, another, the evil voice in his head said. ‘But then again, if it weren’t for you, she would still be here.’

He groaned at himself and decided that it would be better to get himself up and moving rather than lay there listening to the voices. Sitting up, he combed his fingers through his messy hair in an attempt to tame it, with little success. After that, he wiped the tears from his face, trying to pretend it had never happened. Registering the voices coming from the living room, he figured some of his family members were already awake even though it was still rather early. They, especially Georgina, were lucky that they didn’t know what was going through in his head that day; it would have ruined everyone’s Christmas.

Trying to pull himself together and put on a happy face, he got up and washed his face in the bathroom quickly before joining the family. The moment he reached the bottom of the stairs, Georgina ran to him and hugged him.

“Merry Christmas, hermano!”

Leo patted her hair absentmindedly, thinking that Georgina was now only a year older than he had been when… no, he had to stop thinking about it. If not for anyone else’s sake, then Georgina’s. She deserved to have a happy day.

“Merry Christmas to you too, hermanita. Well, did Santa visit? Did he receive my memo on your behavior towards me this year?”

Georgina pulled away from him and folded his arms. “I’m not a little baby anymore; I know Santa doesn’t actually exist. But we did get presents! Even you, although I was kind of surprised about that.”

Leo clutched his shirt. “Ouch, Georgie! I thought you were on my side!”

The siblings continued bickering playfully as they waited for the others. They had a tradition in their house that everyone needed to be there for the present opening. Soon Josephine appeared with a tray full of coffee cups, gingerbread cookies and certain small pies she used to bake every Christmas.

“Where are the others?” Georgina asked impatiently as she started stuffing the cookies into her mouth and drummed her legs against the sofa. “I want to open the presents already!”

“Calm down, Georgie,” Jo scolded her. “Emmie is checking the cats and dogs because they also need care on Christmas day, and Calypso may still be sleeping.”

“Ugh, I told her I wanna start opening the presents early!” Georgina protested. “I’ll go wake her up if she isn’t here in 10 minutes!”

“You’ll wake who up?” Calypso showed up from the stairway. Hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo forgot for a moment why he had been so upset earlier. Somehow her presence just had that weird effect on him. She was wearing a green holiday sweater knitted by Annabeth over her pajamas – pink with some small flower prints – and her hair was flying freely, slightly wavy because of the braids that Georgie had insisted on making the previous evening. Somehow even that casual look made her look adorable in his eyes and his throat felt dry for entirely different reasons than a few minutes earlier. Leo almost missed Calypso’s next words due to his distraction. “Sorry that you had to wait, Georgina. I was finishing up one last present because I wasn’t entirely happy with it.”

“No worries!” Georgina exclaimed. Apparently the last minute gift preparing was a good enough reason to be late in her books, because Leo knew that if he had been late for the gift opening, the little girl wouldn’t have forgiven that easily.

Calypso put her pile of neatly packed presents under the tree to wait and turned to the others.

“So, merry Christmas, everyone! If I am allowed to be honest with you, I don’t really know a lot about Christmas traditions… My family never celebrated it… But I want to learn!”

“We’ll teach you,” Georgina told her immediately. “It’s gonna be so much fun, you’ll see!”

Leo wished he himself could have been as enthusiastic about the holiday as Georgina was, but tried to keep the happy face on anyway.

“Cal, try some of those pies before Georgie has eaten them all.” He pointed to the tray Jo had brought. Calypso glanced at him suspiciously for a moment. “Don’t give me that look; I swear I didn’t make them. It’s all Jo and Emmie.”

“Fine,” Calypso agreed and took a bite. “This is really good!” she exclaimed once her mouth was empty.

“Told you. Now do you trust me?” Leo asked her teasingly.

“Hmmm. That’s still to be determined,” Calypso replied, but Leo could see her smile into her piece of pie.

As everyone waited for Emmie to return inside, they kept up a light banter as they ate their Christmas breakfast in the living room. Even Leo did his best to participate in it, and soon he did feel a bit better, although if someone had looked at him more closely, they would have noticed the smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes.

Finally, Emmie arrived together with Festus and Georgina instantly pulled her towards the Christmas tree so they could start the gift sharing. A grin spread across Leo’s face as well when he watched the little girl run back and forth as she delivered the packages to their rightful owners. This was now, he tried to remind himself. What happened in the past… was in the past and his mother would probably have wanted him to enjoy these moments.

Not that he’d ever know that for sure, the nasty voice in Leo’s head said again, and the grin almost disappeared from his face.

To no one’s surprise, Georgina got the most presents because even some family friends and neighbors had sent her something (that’s what happened when she got everyone wrapped around her finger, Leo thought), but everyone else got their fair share of self made gifts as well. Leo noticed that Calypso had three packages; one from him, one from Georgina who had insisted on making her own present, and one from Jo and Emmie. He found himself wishing she’d like what he had made; he had spent quite a lot of time on it.

Before anyone could start ripping their wrapping papers off the presents, Festus was given some treats so he wouldn’t interrupt the gift opening too much. Georgina got the privilege of getting to open hers first. She chuckled at Leo’s jokes in the photo album, which Leo took as a success, and squealed excitedly at the tiny dragon toy he had carved from wood and painted. Calypso had sewed her a detailed gryphon plushie, because Leo had told her that Georgina had recently gotten interested in the mythical creatures, a topic Calypso knew a lot about. The little girl hugged the plushie enthusiastically while Calypso promised her to tell her more about the Greek mythology later when they’d have more time. Emmie gave Georgie a tiny beginning of a plant that she’d get to raise on her own, and Jo, the practical person that she was, gave her a pocket knife for tinkering with a warning that she’d only get to use it under her supervision.

Leo and Calypso allowed Jo and Emmie to open their presents next. It was mostly practical stuff, like woolly socks, self made chocolate, and new tools (which broke the ‘homemade’ rule but Leo knew Jo needed them), but Leo had also tinkered frames for a photo of the Waystation family and asked Calypso to decorate it with her paints. The final result looked pretty good in his opinion.

Next was Calypso’s turn. Georgina had attempted to crochet a potholder for her because Leo had guiltily admitted that he may have accidentally ruined one of Calypso’s potholders while cooking something. However, since she was still a beginner in the handicrafts, the potholder had some room for improvement, but Leo could see from Calypso’s happy face that she appreciated the gesture. Leo had also told his mothers that Calypso really loved her flowers, so they gave her a white orchid in a pot that Jo had once crafted. Finally, she opened the gift Leo had made for her. He was biting his lip and tapping his fingers nervously even though he tried to act nonchalant as he watched Calypso’s reaction. Before she removed the paper, she knocked on the surface of the gift, trying to guess what was in it.

“Is this a tool box? So you could borrow mine when you lose yours?” She teased.

“Well, at least that would be useful, don’t you think? But hold your horses; it’s probably not what you think it is,” Leo hinted. Calypso gave him a quizzical look and Leo took that as a sign that she really had no idea what the gift was.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she noted and started carefully removing the paper. Unlike Georgina, she made sure that the paper would still be usable on some later occasion. Calypso wasn’t entirely wrong with her guess; the gift was indeed a box of sorts. But it wasn’t for tools. Instead, it was a jewelry box; wooden, self made, painted rose pink, which happened to be Calypso’s favorite color. When she opened it, she noticed a small mirror on the lid with some text on it. The box also played one of those few songs that they both happened to like. Calypso traced her finger on the smooth surface of the box for a moment before she noticed that there was still something more in the box: a silvery bracelet with a letter C hanging from it. She took it into her hands and admired it for a moment before reading aloud the text that had been written on the mirror:

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one.”

“Um, yeah…” Leo was unsure how he should respond. Suddenly he got worried he had been too straightforward with that message, and Calypso wouldn’t appreciate it. “It was a quote, um, that I happened to stumble upon somewhere recently… But I thought it was quite fitting?”

Calypso looked at him straight into the eyes and for a moment Leo managed to forget that there were others in the room. It was as if she was trying to message him wordlessly that she understood the meaning of the quote.

“Yes, I think it works,” she replied slowly. “For both of us.”

Leo felt his ears getting heated and attempted to comb his hair over them with his fingers to not make it so painfully obvious. Given what day it was, he understood that it was ironic he was using that quote when he himself was struggling to let go from his past.

“True,” he had to admit, looking at the others nervously from the corner of his eye. “It’s… it’s something that we both should try to remember. Something we have in common, right?”

Calypso seemed to accept his explanation. “Right. Um, this box is really beautiful. You’ve seen a lot of trouble with it. The music and all… It’s really nice. Did you even make this bracelet?”

Even though Leo should have prepared himself for that question, he felt embarrassed to reveal the bracelet’s origins, afraid it might sound too sentimental. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat to get more time to consider his answer.

“The… the chain was from an old bracelet my mom had… My biological mom, I mean. I didn’t get to keep a lot of her belongings but this had survived… and my dear aunt didn’t want to keep it so I’ve been carrying it around as a charm of some sort. But the thing is, I don’t really need it so it was Jo’s suggestion that I could give it to someone who’d use it. She helped me make this,” he showed the C, “because I don’t really…”

“Want to forge anything,” Calypso finished for him. “Yeah. I understand.”

“Good. If you don’t like it, you can give it to someone else; I’m sure my mom wouldn’t mind…”

Calypso gave him an encouraging smile. “Oh, no! This bracelet meant a lot to you so it means a lot to me. It’s a really nice gesture, Leo.”

“You’re welcome?” he replied, kind of flustered by her reaction.

Calypso fiddled with the gift for a moment before turning her attention back to Leo.

“Would you like to put this on my wrist? I’d like to see how it fits.”

“Oh… alright!” Leo agreed, wishing he could say something that didn’t make him sound like a complete idiot. But then again, he reminded himself, wasn’t that what most people thought of him? And since when had he cared?

Calypso handed the bracelet to him and Leo took a very light hold of her wrist, as if afraid that he’d burn her skin with his hot fingers. He was so focused on his task that he even forgot that it was technically against the ‘rules’ they had set, but Calypso had initiated it so who was he to deny her request? He put the chain around her wrist with fumbling fingers and closed the lock. After that he allowed his hand to stay around hers a moment longer. He swiped the surface of the chain with his finger, also touching the back of her hand by accident (or maybe on purpose). Calypso looked up from their hands to him with a surprisingly soft expression that he hadn’t seen since that day when they had promised each other to try harder to be ‘just friends’. His brain sent sparks through his spine and he felt very warm all of a sudden.

“I… um… it seems to fit, doesn’t it?” he finally stuttered, looking down at the bracelet, Calypso’s gaze still lingering in his mind. He let her wrist go and already his hand felt much colder, as if it was missing something.

“Oh, yeah,” Calypso nodded, absentmindedly fiddling with the chain of the bracelet. “It’s small enough that it won’t fall but it’s not too small.”

“Good,” Leo said, a smile returning to his face. “Guess you’re just as tiny as my mom was.” He finally managed to bring out his more playful side.

“Have you looked into the mirror lately, Mister Super-Sized McShizzle? You’re not exactly a giant yourself,” Calypso teased back.

Georgina giggled at her response. “You tell him, Calie!”

“This Georgina here, though,” Leo grinned at her, “she must really have some giant blood in her. She uses my overalls in the garage sometimes!”

“I do not,” Georgina denied quickly. “They’re stinky.”

“Yeah? And you smell like flowers and rainbows,” Leo retorted and started tickling the little girl.

For a moment Leo was able to forget that he hated Christmas as he played with Georgina, but then someone reminded him that he still had to open his own presents. He looked at the pile he had gotten and thought briefly that he had gotten more of them than what he had expected. Georgina had drawn him a picture of him with Festus and sewed him a simple pencil case for his blueprint pencils. Jason and Piper had gotten him a book about weird mechanics facts. Percy had sent him a new orange t-shirt so Leo could return him the one that he had once borrowed after a workout (which, according to Percy, was ‘way too big for him anyway’). Leo’s moms had made him an awesome tool case where even the bigger tools would fit and baked some of his favorite goodies. Finally, it was the turn for Calypso’s present, though.

“What do you think it is?” Calypso asked, glancing at him curiously.

“My first guess would have been a pack of olives because you know how much I love those things… But this doesn’t feel like them. It’s mostly soft but there are some hard parts too. Maybe a bit like a backpack?"

“That wasn’t a half bad guess,” Calypso responded. “But I won’t tell you the correct answer; you can figure it out on your own.” She invited Leo to open the present.

“Okie, Sunshine, will do.”

He ripped the paper (which was Leo’s favorite shade of red) off notably less gracefully than Calypso had done with her presents, but his mouth opened involuntarily when he saw what was inside. It was a toolbelt, not looking like one of those belts that broke in his use after the first couple of days (Leo had a habit to load them too full sometimes), but sturdy, well made. Leo wondered where she had obtained the leather she had used in it, and hoped that it hadn’t cost her too much money. The belt had four different sized pockets for the tools and it seemed like one of them had something in it, but before Leo checked what was inside, he turned to Calypso:

“How did you know I needed one of these?”

“Probably because you’ve been carrying wrenches and stuff in your jean pockets and I’ve also seen your room and that’s enough for me to be able to tell you need a place for your tools,” Calypso smirked. Leo barely heard her answer. He didn’t want to admit aloud that one of the reasons why he was suddenly feeling so sentimental about a tool belt was because it reminded him a lot of the one his mom had made for him when he was a kid. “I hope this wasn’t too much trouble…” He noted more quietly than usual.

“It was not trouble at all,” Calypso reassured him. “I have sewed more difficult things. The leather was actually from one of my old bags that my dad got for me – which I hated – so I didn’t even have to buy a lot of the materials. Besides, you yourself made this,” she knocked the wooden cover of the jewelry box, “and I bet it was a lot more difficult.”

“Nah, it wasn’t…” Leo tried to protest and he noticed the others in the room had a hard time keeping their faces straight as they listened to the flatmates competing whose present had taken more time. “The music was probably the most complicated part.”

“Okay,” Calypso said, deciding to leave the debate there. “Hey, I forgot to mention that there is something small in one of the pockets. You could check it out now.”

“Alright, I will,” Leo told her. He reached out to the said pocket and found a small box from it. His smile instantly disappeared from his face when he realized what it was. Everyone went quiet for a while as they were waiting for his reaction.

“Why would you give me matches, especially today of all days?” He lifted his gaze from the box, his eyes sparkling angrily. Before anyone could say anything, he threw the box away and jumped up from his seat. Calypso’s sad face was the last thing he saw before storming out of the room.

[galemalio]

Mindful Consumption of Hazbin Hotel’s vodoo Content

There is no such thing as Voodoo; it is a silly lie invented by you whites to injure us. —William Seabrook, The Magic Island 

(Article and Study Link Sources will be in the reblogs because Tumblr doesn’t let linked posts appear) 

First of all, I’m not writing this as a Vodou practitioner. Or as a Creole POC. I’m simply an outsider making an effort to educate herself for mindful consumption of Hazbin Hotel content and avoid perpetuating misrepresentation of a religion.

(Image: Alastor with Vodou symbols and Vodou-inspired symbols behind him)

The portrayed dark magic of Hazbin Hotel’s Alastor is heavily themed with Hollywood Voodoo or the misrepresentation of Vodou in film. This can also apply with Dr. Facilier in “The Princess and the Frog.” Both characters are from New Orleans [18], [19] where Louisiana Vodou Vaudou is practiced. Both are therefore assumed to practice an evil version of said religion. 

During my consumption of Hazbin Hotel content, someone once pointed out the worrying factor of Alastor’s magic abilities identified as Hollywood Voodoo. 

According to my research, Hollywood Voodoo is a film outlet of “Imagined Voodoo” or the age-old White anxieties on Black people.

What Is Vodou?

(Photo taken from Huffpost)

Haitian Vodou is a religion of African descendants brought as slaves to the French colony of Haiti. It combines west and west central African religions with Native American and European cultural and religious elements.[1]

It is also known as Vodoo, Vodoun, Vudu and Vudun. But to avoid confusion, the term “Vodou” will be used consistently throughout this post when referring to the religion.

Slaves from Haiti are brought to New Orleans where it infused with its dominant religion, Catholicism. The Vodou-Catholicism hybrid religion is sometimes referred to as New Orleans Vodou.[2] 

(Photo provided by Cheryl Gerber)

All Vodou rituals are healing rituals. It's focused on the celebration of ancestral spirits (Lwa or Loa) through feasting, singing and ecstatic dance rituals to heal ailments and restore social bonds.[1]

Vodou practitioners believe of the visible world connected to the invisible world that can be transitioned to through Death. In the invisible world, the Lwa watch over and inspire us. The Lwa can be archetypes of human personalities such as Ogun the Warrior or predecessors. There is also the Bondye or their version of the supreme God who is loving but distant from individual human concerns. [3]

But despite this, a majority of foreigners synonimize “voodoo” with Haitian “black magic” or “sorcery.”[4]

What is Imagined Voodoo?

A Harvard study termed "Imagined Voodoo" to refer to the imagined religion and magical system of the American brain linked by the following White anxieties:

Black uprising

Black fetishization

Intermarriages that could lead to the dissolution of the White race

All under the guise of history or harmless entertainment, it negatively affects Black religiosity and in general, Black subjects. Unless we arm ourselves with information to prevent its perpetuation through us.

Alastor’s Themes and Voodoo Stereotypes

Stereotypes are often used in stories to save time on informing the audience through widely held and fixed oversimplified assumptions. The following Voodoo stereotypes are present in Alastor’s character traits and themes.

His Roots 

According to Alastor’s Wikia page, he is part Creole.[20] In New Orleans, the term can refer to many kinds of people. In early history, "Creole" is a term for:

A slave born in the New World[5]

A free Person of Color[5]

People of Mixed Heritage[5]

Later on, White French and Spanish people residing in New Orleans adopted the term to differentiate themselves from Americans whom they found greedy and ambitious.[5]  

A Creole person can be White, a POC or of mixed race from different places such as Haiti and Louisiana. 

The team behind Hazbin Hotel may have made Alastor part Creole in order to avoid religion appropriation. However, Vodou is not an exclusive religion. [6] (EDIT: Vodou is an exclusive religion.) And even if they want to represent mixed Creole people, pairing Alastor with Hollywood Voodoo may not be a good way to do it.  

Vodou practitioners today are targets of hate crime, especially in Haiti (sacred mapou trees are regular targets of vandalism and arson, worshippers risk harassment and violence, with lynchings not unheard of).[7] If the media continues to portray Vodou as evil, it may have a role in perpetuating the hate.

(Image of a Vodou ceremony from a video of The Guardian)

Depicted As Evil Magic

In America and Caribbean, Vodou was first practiced by slaves of African descent. Their religion was dismissed as superstition, their priests as witch doctors and their God and Lwa were denounced as evil. [3] 

“They were treated as cattle. As animals to be bought and sold; worth nothing more than a cow. Often less,” anthropologist Ira Lowenthal stated.[7]

“Vodou is the response to that. Vodou says ‘no, I’m not a cow. Cows cannot dance, cows do not sing. Cows cannot become God. Not only am I a human being – I’m considerably more human than you. Watch me create divinity in this world you have given me that is so ugly and so hard. Watch me become God in front of your eyes.’”[7]

During the Haitian Revolution, many of the slaves were Voodooists and some of their military leaders were priests who inspired and organized them to fight for freedom. The imagery and vocabulary of Vodou became threatening to European and American colonies and was then brutally repressed. [3]

(Image from Lisapo Ya Kama)

Years later, Hollywood Voodoo is rooted in racism and acts as an outlet for White anxiety of Black vengeance. One example is the movie, “The Skeleton Key” where Black hoodoo practitioners (who had been lynched) stole the bodies and identities of White people for years.

For Alastor to continue using Hollywood Voodoo themed magic may continue the misinformation of Vodou by inspiring baseless fear and horror. 

Voodoo Dolls and Pins

Voodoo dolls are universally associated with Hollywood voodoo and therefore, Vodou. But voodoo dolls are unheard of in the original Haitian Vodou. 

In reality, they were inspired from the "poppet" of European witchcraft after an American writer heard Vodou is a witchcraft [8]. This American writer is most likely Victor Hugo Halperin where voodoo dolls first appeared in White Zombie (1932) [9].

Dolls are used in Vodou but only to represent Lwa and Bondye, sometimes the dolls are nailed on graves and altars, in order for the practitioners to communicate with them. The dolls also act as lucky charms and are not used to curse or cause harm with pins. [10], [21]

Cannibalism

(Screenshot of Alastor the Deer Demon eating a deer)

On February 13, 1864, 4 men and 4 women were executed for abducting, murdering and cannibalizing a 12-year-old girl by Fabre Geffrad, Haiti's reformist president, who wished to make an example out of the 8 killers labelled as vodouists and leave the backwardness of its African past and its folk religion. With Haiti claiming their independence, the Westerns' view on Vodou was proof that the "black republic '' cannot claim to be civilized.[11]

No transcripts of the trial survive. The most detailed account of the crime was written by Sir Spenser St John, the British charge d'affaires in Port-au-Prince -the place nearby the village where the murder happened. It was his account that defined Haiti as a place where ritual murder and cannibalism were common and often goes unpunished.[11] 

(An artist’s engraving of the 8 “voodoo” practitioners found guilty of the murder and cannibalism of the 12-year-old Claircine from the Smithsonian Magazine.)

However, there was no other information supporting St. John's claim that cannibalism is a norm for 19th century Haiti. The only two reports of cannibalism provided was from a French priest in 1870s and a white Dominican ten years later. Both have no evidence and both are suspected from their claim that they have penetrated secret ceremonies wearing blackface -if they have been undetected. However, they have influenced Victorian writers who have never visited Haiti.[11] 

In the 19th century, American Jesuit missionary, Joseph W. Williams claims that sexual arousal from voodoo "orgies" causes devolution to lower animal states that causes them to cannibalize in an act of sexualized violence.[1] 

In Joseph Murphy's psychoanalysis, Imagined Voodoo allows White people to project their most disturbing desires onto a cultural Other.[13] 

"The erotic and ecstatic elements in African-derived religions are selected and transformed into images of unrestraint and become vehicles for white sexual and aggressive fantasies... What is ‘dark’ and ‘black’ within the white psyche is projected onto what is ‘dark’ and ‘black’ in the social environment."[13] 

Because of the accusations of cannibalism, Vodou is seen as savage. Alastor is hinted to be cannibalistic (as seen by a speed drawing of him, a deer demon, eating a deer).[12] To continue to associate cannibalism with voodoo practice may continue the harm of misinformation.

Vodou Symbols

When Alastor uses magic, Vodou symbols or veves would sometimes appear. 

In Vodou, different veves are used depending on the lwa or spirits the practitioners desired to invoke. 

(Veve image from Catherine Beyer)

Damballah-Wedo is believed by the Vodou practitioners as the Sky Father and primordial creator of all life. He is depicted as a snake or serpent and is seen as a loving father of the world whose presence brings peace and harmony. [23]  

(Veve image from Catherine Beyer)

A part of a veve in the screenshot is from the veve for Papa Legba -the gatekeeper of the spirt world. He is associated with the sun and is seen as a life-giver that transfers the power of Bondye to the living world. Rituals are started by praying to Legba to open the gates so that they can connect to the other lwas. [23]

(Ayizan Voudou Veve copyright 2009 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.)

The veve above is the veve of Ayizan. Ayizan is the lwa of commerce and herbal healing. She is associated with love and Vodou rites of initiation. Ayizan is believed to be the first archetypal mambo (priestess) and the protector of religious ceremonies.[14] 

(Veve Image from ErzulieRedEyesArtAndSpirit)

The veve above is taken from the veve of Papa Loko. He is believed to be the first Vodou priest. His name has nothing to do with the American  (EDIT: Spanish) slang word "loco" meaning crazy. Papa Loko is a revered knowledgeable spirit who offers spiritual guidance to those seeking formal initiation into Vodou.[15] 

Met Kalfou is the master of the Crossroads. He is the crossroads where magic manifests regardless of which lwa is using magic for. He allows it to travel without judgement.[16] 

Met Kalfou is often mistaken as some kind of demon or evil. He is believed to be the force through which all magic flows, be it good or ill. Met Kalfou is also the spirit of luck. As a manifestation of crossroads, he can see multiple outcomes of a situation. [16]

Santa Muerte is believed to be the personification of death itself.[17] 

Using veves to portray evil when it incorrectly relates to what they symbolize can result in misinformation. Even if only parts of the veve are taken to be used to portray malice, it doesn’t change the fact that they still came from sacred symbols. 

Is Alastor a Hoodoo Practitioner?

(Photo: Image of Hoodoo Candles from Wikipedia)

Hoodoo is based heavily on folk magic. It is not a religion. Although their beliefs have elements of African and European religions. Its tradition emphasizes on personal magical power with the intention to improve daily lives. Its a combination of African practices and beliefs and American Indian botanical knowledge and European folklore. It’s heavily practiced in the Southern US.[22]

Unlike Vodou, they have no designated priests or priestesses and no difference between initiates and laity. Hoodoo spells are commonly accompanied with Biblical text but are not performed in Jesus’ name. It uses tools, spells, formulas, methods, techniques. Tools can be herbs, roots, minerals, animal parts and personal possessions.[22]

Alastor MAYBE a hodoo practitioner. But there are possible problems of associating an occult of a minority as a tool of evil. It might be best if Alastor is only depicted using deer-radio-themed dark magic instead.

In Short...

Misrepresentation of Vodou has its roots on White fear of Black retribution as well as White “othering” and projecting of taboo concepts such as fetishization and cannibalism. This results in stigmatization of Black topics and Vodou practitioners. The continuation of Hollywood Voodoo plays a role in perpetuating its misrepresentation. However, informing ourselves may stop the perpetuation in us. 

[justlostinautumn]

Request: His Human.

@nick-1432​ asked: hey are you taking requests? If yes then, can I request a cute Klaus x human reader imagine, you decide the plot. P.S. I love your writing

THIS IS A KLAUS X ORIGINAL FEMALE CHARACTER (NAMED NIKITA)

Nikita studies Marine Biology at Tulane University. After an accident, she becomes unlikely friends with none other than Kol Mikaelsons. But after an encountering the infamous Hybrid, Niklaus Mikaelson her life changes. The question is how does a tiny human capture the attention of one of the most dangerous supernatural beings in existence.

WARNING: MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED ASSAULT, IMPLIED SMUT?

Hun, I’m so sorry you had to wait so long for this I hope it meets your expectations! Sorry, it’s not the best.

~Third Person~

Nikita was exhausted after a long day of classes and all she wanted to do was head back to her studio apartment and pass out before she had to head off to work for the night. Tulane University was one of the best decisions that she had ever made and she loves her Marine Biology course, the sciences had always been one of her biggest passions. But, she did know how to appreciate the fine arts like books, music and painting. Nikita had always known she wanted to do something with Marine Biology so she doesn’t regret not taking a more artistic course. She was lucky though because she was given the opportunity to pick up some more classes when she raised interest in languages and they were finally allowing her to do it… after all the months of hard work. She hated working nights for the last 9 months and truthfully she hadn’t for that period of time avoiding whenever possible. She honestly just didn’t want the chance of the same thing happening again, but she didn’t worry too much because she always had her trusted hero there to walk with her. Nights always paid better, she found that once the alcohol started flowing a lot more freely people became a lot more generous. It just meant that she had to be a little bit wearier around the patrons.

Walking into her studio she is welcomed to the noise of her TV and Kol laying on her bed, this wasn’t an unusual sight for Nikita to see and as much as she loves Kol this wasn’t the sight she wanted to see.

“How was your day?” Kol asked from where he laid on Nikita’s bed and she let out a heavy sigh looking at him with a slight frown thinking maybe, just maybe he would leave and give her peace for a while.

“Why are you here?” She was exhausted and all she really wanted to just sleep, maybe get a couple hours in before her shift. Sleep is good, sleep is her friend and sleep is what she needs if she wants to be able to get all the good tips tonight!

“No answering questions with another question. I asked first!” Kol smirked at her, Nikita tipped her head back looking at the ceiling closing her eyes taking a deep breath, calm. She was running on coffee and spite and as great as that is, she is beginning to lose steam and just wants to curl up in her bead and get just enough sleep so she feels energised but not too much that she ends up waking up cranky.

“I’m regretting this friendship.” She looked him in the eyes and gave him a weak smile. “Long, Kol. My day was incredibly long and it’s not even finished, I just want to get a couple minutes sleep before I have to work.” Kol looked at Nikita closely and noticed that she looked more worn out than usual and he can’t help the small wave of worry that ran through him. He speeds over to her lifting her face to have a closer look at her to ensure she is actually okay. 

“Anything fun happened today?” Kol asked as he leaned on the wall watching her move to her desk and sort her bag out, taking out folders and organising what needed to be done.

“Nope. But, I did see Marcel and Hayley in passing, they say hi and that they’ll see you tonight.” Nikita said not looking up from her task at hand. Kol smirks as he thinks about the best way to bring up the party that he was planning to drag her to, he just needed to find a way to tell her he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“Do you wish you didn’t know?” This was the first time Kol ever thought about how the secret of the supernatural could weigh someone down.

“Didn’t know what?” Nikita finally looked away from what she was doing and looked over to Kol who was now standing behind her looking down into her brown eyes. His gaze intense and it sent shivers down her spine, he had only looked at her like that once and that was when he told her about Vampires, Werewolves, Witches and Hybrids.

“About the supernatural world that you live in?” Kol was watching her carefully and he saw her molten chocolate eyes melt as his question. There was a softness to it that gave him comfort, a small smile tugging at the left corner of her mouth, she raises a hand to his cheek and sighs softly.

“Kol, I’m happy that you trusted me enough to tell me about the supernatural world. Honestly, I wouldn’t want our friendship to be any other way. You make me feel safe.” She smiles at him lightly slapping his cheek playfully as she heads to her small kitchenette to get some water.

~Flashback 8 Months Ago~

Kol was pacing in her room waiting for Nikita to return from her class. He didn’t know why but he had to tell her about who he was… no, what he was! She had been nothing but honest with him this whole time, telling him about her past and her family. Talking about why she is so willing to break her back working extra at the Diner, but also at school. So, it was only right to tell her the truth about the world that she lives in. That everything from those fictional stories she is so fond of is true. He knows it’s crazy and that it’s only been a month of knowing her, but he has finally found someone he can call his best friend and he wasn’t going to lose her because of this secret… he’ll make her see she’s safe around him. When the door opens he freezes and Nikita sees him and gives him a soft smile.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” She looked slightly confused, but as she looked closer at him she noticed the look of panic and worry in his eyes and she moved quickly to be in front of him holding his cheeks in her hands, “what’s wrong Kol?”

“I’m a vampire.” Kol blurted out, that wasn’t how he was planning to do it, but Y/N froze and then burst out into laughter.

“That was a good one!” Nikita laughed, patting his chest as she walked away, “I’m a vampire, I’m gonna have to remember that one…”

But before she could say anything else Kol stood in front of her, startling her causing Nikita to stumble backwards, her eyes wide in disbelief and confusion.

“How? But… what?” She stuttered broken questions with confusion and a small amount of fear in her eyes, Kol held up his hands to show he meant no harm as he watched her drop into her reading chair and Kol crouched in front of Nikita. 

“I’m a vampire, but you are safe with me. My family and I normally drink from blood bags. But, there are many vampires in New Orleans that drink from humans. Most only target tourists, they don’t want to draw too much attention that having the locals missing draws.” Kol spoke calmly to her.

“Okay… cool… so, vampires… anything else? Werewolves? Witches? Mutant Turtles living in the sewers with a rat for a Sensei?” There was a defensiveness in her voice, but Kol could see that she believed him.

“There are werewolves, witches and hybrids… I’m sorry, but I don’t know any mutant turtles that live in the sewers with a rat for a Sensei.” Kol smirks at her and Nikita breaks out into hysterical laughter. She couldn’t explain why.

“Why are you telling me this?” She asks once she has gathered herself enough. Looking down at where Kol is crouched down and sees the fear of rejection, but also a pain in his eyes and she frowns trying to figure out why he would be in pain.

“Because you’ve been nothing but open and honest with you. I don’t want you to find out because you’ve been put in danger by being my friend… my best friend.” Kol looks down at his hands and doesn’t notice that she moves to kneel in front of him and uses her hand to lift his chin so he can look her in the face. He sees that soft look in her eyes, the look she gave him the first day they met. 

“Thank you, it may take some time and a lot of explaining on your part. But, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve never had someone who understood me well in my life and I will not allow anything to take that away from me!” She smiles at him. He can see the determination in her eyes and knows that she means every word. This was far from how he expected it to go… he expected to scream and running away.

“I thought you’d run from me because I’m a monster.” Kol sighed, and he sees the laughter in her eyes. But there is something else there’s a flash of something dark.

“Kol, I don’t believe you’re a monster… I’ve seen monsters and you are not one.” There is a darkness in her eyes that he knows well and he pulls her into his arms and holds her close. She grips on to his shirt and a small laugh bubbled from her, “besides, you’re my knight in shining armour.”

They both stood there laughing for a while until they pulled apart and sat on her bed. Kol spent the night and most of the next day answering all of Nikita’s questions. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“Do you remember how I told you my siblings are planning some fancy party?” Kol was sitting back on the bed again and Nikita let out a sigh moving slowly towards him taking her coat of dropping it on her reading chair.

“Vaguely, why?” Nikita was watching Kol closely; she could see that he was up to something and she just wasn’t 100% sure what it was yet.

“Oh, it’s tonight.” Kol looked at her with big puppy dog eyes and she knew there was a catch.

“I don’t know Kol… meeting the family that you talk so…” Nikita pauses looks at Kol who is smirking at her, her head tilts to the side as she chooses her words carefully “highly. Kol you are always complaining about them and I’m sure you’re going with Davina you don’t need me to go too if that is what you are trying to get at.”

Kol just stood there watching his best friend very closely and listening to what she was saying. He knew he hadn’t painted his family in the best light considering most of the time he complained about them to her but he honestly really wanted her to come. He was silent as he watched her pull off her shoes and crawl up on the bed.

“I thought you might like to come to a party my family are hosting.” Kol shifted over so Nikita could lie in her bed next to him. This wasn’t uncommon for them since they had become friends. There were many nights where the two of them would sit and gossip about everything happening in their lives as they watched some trashy TV or even movies. It was like their own personal bubble that they have together, where they can just be themselves… no expectations from their families, from school, from work. Nothing but calm and relaxation.

“Working.” She mumbled as she finally found her comfy spot in her bed and sleep began to take her. Kol smiles softly at her as he watches her as she settles in.

“I may have spoken to your boss and gotten you the evening off,” Kol smirked down at the girl who shot up and looked at him in shock, mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out. Kol laughed and his eyes shined with nothing but mischief as he watched Nikita look at him in complete and utter shock.

“What?!” She was in disbelief, her boss who would barely let her off for the evening when she had to help out her auntie who was in the hospital and with her kids. Cutting her eyes at him, she had a funny feeling that Kol might have used his compulsion on her boss. Kol didn’t have enough charm in the world to get her boss to so easily roll over on this one, he had to have used compulsion. “Kol tell me you didn’t use compulsion.”

“I didn’t use compulsion,” Kol smirked at her, he knew that she knew that he had. He couldn’t help the amused look he had on his face.

“Kol!” She groaned as she sat up with her head in her hands, she ran her fingers through her hair and gave him a dirty look.

“What?” He was honestly confused by her reaction, he thought she’d be happy to have the evening off from work… she works so damn hard all the time she deserves this and he wasn’t going to back down on this one.

“You can’t just go and compel my boss to give me time off, that’s wrong.” Nikita gives Kol a stern look and he just smiles at her and gives her his puppy dog eyes with those big brown orbs.

“But, you need a break.” He pouts, Nikita can’t help but huff out a laugh at his dramatics shaking her head.

“Don’t you ever compel my boss again… without my permission.” She scolds him, but there is a smirk on her lips. Even though Nikita is smirking at Kol, he knew that she was being dead serious about the compulsion. She hated the idea of using it for her personal gain. But, Kol knew that if he had asked for permission she would have said no and he wasn’t going to risk that.

“So…” Kol looked at her hopefully.

“Fine,” Nikita says looking at him, Kol beams at her.

“I think it’s time you meet my family!” Kol chuckles and Nikita groans as she sits up and gives him a dirty look. This was the last thing she wanted. Nikita pauses at that thought. Kol normally came in frustrated and annoyed at what they had done. He called Elijah stuck up and a stick in the mud. He called Rebekah a hopeless romantic and pigheaded. He called Klaus a control freak, narcissistic megalomaniac and general arsehole! Nothing that she had told her about them made her want to meet them. If anything it really put her off.

“I think this is a bad idea.” She closes her eyes as she leans on Kol’s shoulder as she lets sleep take her. Kol rests his head on hers, thinking of all the times that they had done it before.

“I’m sure you do,” Kol spoke, shaking his head leaning back and continuing watching the movie he was playing.

Kol had bought her a dress to wear. It was a long-sleeved backless dress that had a slit up to her right upper thigh. It was soft and the layers of sheer fabric for the skirt made it dark enough that people wouldn’t be able to see her ass through it even though it has a leotard type of top to it. Shaking her head at the dress a soft smile tugs at her lips, she knew Kol would give her something like this to wear.

Looking in the mirror ensuring her curls fall perfectly she had to make a good impression because no matter how much Kol bitches about his siblings they mean the world to him. Klaus and Rebekah were usually the stars of his complaints. They were always doing something that was rubbing him up the wrong way and it makes her laugh at how much drama happens within one family. But, as she looked in the mirror at herself thinking about Kol complaining about his family she felt an ache in her chest. She knew what it was straight away… it was loneliness. She didn’t know what it was like to have a family like that. 

Shaking her head she walks away from the mirror and heads to her door, deciding it was now or never. When she got downstairs she saw a town car, laughing to herself as the driver opened the door and helped her in. Of course, Kol would send her a car, he was always complaining about how where she wasn’t safe and just to let him get her a place that was nice and safe it was always an argument and as much as she loved his protective side she didn’t need him to look after her and pay for her. She’d been taking care of herself for a long time now. She doesn’t need his money, she doesn’t want him to think she would just be taking him for granted.

The car pulls up to the Compound and Nikita takes in a deep breath at the amazing building before her and is completely shocked and amazed by it. The driver opens the door and she takes his hand as he helps her out of the car, she slowly makes her way to the door. From outside she could hear the soft sound of the music and also the chatter of the guests and Nikita couldn’t help the nerves that started to rise up in her. The door is opened for her and she gives the server a soft smile before her eyes scan the room and she sees both Davina and Kol smiling up at her and she smiles back at them giving them a small nod. But, before she can move into the room anymore she feels the gentle breeze she knows oh so well.

“Well don’t you brush up nicely?” She smirks at Kol who is by her side in a heartbeat, she is used to his speed. It comes very handily when she has multiple things she needs to be done quickly. Giving her his signature smirk as he looks her up and down. Kol admits to himself she is beautiful, but she would be perfect for Klaus not that he wants Klaus anywhere near Nikita.

“I must say, I have exquisite taste in fashion.” He chuckles and Nikita just shakes her head and starts to walk further into the compound smiling and greeting people she had no idea who they were. Kol keeps a close eye on her knowing better than chasing her and finds Davina.

“You should worry less about her, you know she can handle herself.” Davina chuckles, smiling knowingly at Kol.

“I know. It’s just that she's my best friend and I don’t want to risk losing her.” Kol lets out a deep breath.

“I know baby. But, I’m sure she’ll be able to handle your family… she handles you.” Davina smirks at Kol who laughs and holds Davina closer to him as they watch Nikita make her way around the room.

“She’s just too pure to be touched by this family.” Kol murmurs as he kisses Davina’s head.

Nikita had been walking around the room and had settled near the bar with a drink in her hand and she was just watching the room. Watching the people around her as they interact with one another but also not paying too much attention to anyone to draw attention to herself. But, the Mikaelsons siblings already have her attention, especially when Kol is by her side within seconds of her arrival.

“Hello, who might you be?” A beautiful blonde walked up to Nikita, Nikita couldn’t pinpoint what it was about this woman but there was something familiar about her. Rebekah had noticed Kol and Nikita’s interaction.

“My name is Nikita, I’m a friend of Kol’s.” She held up her hand and the blond shook it with a look of surprise on her face. Rebekah watches the girl closely. She may not be Davina’s biggest fan, but she wasn’t having someone swoop in and ruin the peace the family finally had.

“I’m Rebekah, his sister, I thought he was lying about having a friend,” Rebekah smirks at the girl.

“To be honest, the guy saves you once, you spill coffee on him once or twice. You become friends?” Nikita laughs and Rebekah smiles at the girl. She notices, Nikita’s eyes almost look distant as if she’s recalling a memory. Rebekah can see the sincerity. But frowns, what did she need saving from.

“How did he save you?” Rebekah asked pulling Nikita over to the bar, getting both of them a drink. Rebekah thought that this was going to be an interesting story, maybe it was a rogue vampire or something silly like her tripping and almost getting hit by a car.

“I was walking through the city at night. I had just finished a double shift at the dinner I work at, it had been a long day, classes in the morning and then work. I normally don’t take doubles that would lead to closing hours for some of the bars and I don’t like walking back to my apartment late at night… well, I guess it’s more like early hours of the morning. But, the tips were good so I stayed. A customer had been a little handsy most of the night, clearly drunk. He followed me and before anything could happen Kol swooped in and saved me. Making some sarcastic remark about me owing him a coffee… the same coffee I spilt on him.” Nikita gave Rebekah a sad smile and Kol swooped in his smirk falling slightly at the look on his best friend's face. Rebekah noticed the pause in the story, Nikita had missed some points out but knew better than to push it. Kol knew from the look on Nikita’s face what was wrong.

*9 Months Earlier*

~ Nikita’s POV: ~

It had been a long day and normally I don’t work double shifts especially if I’m already working the evening shift, but the tips were so good, there must have been something happening tonight. The money was so good it meant that it possibly meant that I wouldn’t have to take an extra shift for the rest of the week and possibly month. Uni has been long, finals are coming up in the next month and I just don’t wanna have to work extra if I don’t need to. Allowing to focus more of my time on finals rather than paying bills. So, instead of finishing at the usual 11/12pm, I was finishing up at 4am. Taking a deep breath as I clocked out putting my tips in my bag as I zip up my jacket. I was still dark outside and cold. 

Images of the customer who seemed to act a little familiar with me flashed in my mind, guys slapping my ass as I walked past and their lingering touches. I had never felt threatened or uncomfortable ever at work. But, today I did and no matter how much I complained about working the diner and the hours one thing for sure was the boss took care of his staff no matter what. He may be a hardass about time off, but his employees’ safety is number one. He kicked the guy and his friends out as soon as he saw it happening. She had seen it happen to some of the other girls on this shift and this is always how it is dealt with. But, she has never experienced it herself before and a shiver ran down her spine.

I just needed to get home. Sleep for the next 4 hours before I have to get up and go back to work all day tomorrow, Saturday’s sucked. I hadn’t noticed the person walking behind me I was too lost in my own head trying to figure out what I had to get done the list was extensive, during my breaks I will have to run to the library to pick up some of the textbooks I need and then in other breaks I will have to work on some of my assignments along with the extra credit projects I had taken on. I wanted to take on another class. A language, but they said that my course was already intense and that I had to prove that I could handle the work. So, they piled on the extra credit a mile high. I have the majority done just two more and a couple of edits which is most likely what I’ll be focusing on tomorrow.

When the hand grabbed me, I was so shocked that I didn’t scream. I smelt him before I saw him. The stench of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke filled the air between us, I let out a deafening scream and he only laughed as he started to try and take my coat off. Praying that someone would hear me. I recognised who it was straight away and fear ran through me. I would not allow this to happen to me. So, I fought like my life depended on it, because it did. Before I could hear the ripping of my shirt but before he could rip the whole thing off, he was ripped off me and I let out sobs of relief sliding to the floor as the man let out a shout of pain and then it became quiet almost too quiet. The only thing that could be heard was my sobs.

“Hello Darling, are you okay?” A smooth British accent asked me.

“Thank you.” Was all I could choke out repeatedly between sobs and the next thing I knew I was being pulled into a warm embrace as he held me to him. I didn’t realise it was my hero, so I tried to fight him off until I heard him soothingly shushing me.

“It’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe now.” Kol kept repeating rubbing my back while speaking his soothing words.

“It’s okay, how about I walk you home and you can tell me more about you?” He smiled down at me as he had me still in his arms and I gave him a small nod. He put me on my feet again and that was the beginning of something amazing. He looked down and noticed my ripped jacket and shirt and pulled his jumper off and gave it to me.

Kol introduced himself to me and the conversation flowed easily between us. He talks about his family, by the time we arrived at my apartment it felt right to invite him in for a coffee. Being around Kol felt like being around a friend I’d known my whole life… it just felt right.

~Third Person~

Kol makes his way over to the two at the bar quickly, not happy with the look on Nikita’s face and worried that Rebekah might have said something to offend his best friend. Nikita hadn’t noticed that Kol had arrived next to her and was now glaring at his sister.

“Are you okay? Rebekah wasn’t rude to you was she?” He glared at his sister who was generally surprised by her brother's attitude. This snapped Nikita out of her thoughts and she smiled softly at Kol at how protective he was about her.

“No! No, I was telling her how we met and also how I spilt coffee on you twice.” She smirks at him resting a hand on his arm giving it a soft squeeze. But he could see that she was still a little lost in the memory

“I swear you did it on purpose.” He gave her a slight pout and both Rebekah and Nikita laughed at his response. He knew he had to keep those darker thoughts at bay. He couldn’t help the guilt that seeped in.

“Oh, I did.” She smirked at his look of horror, he knew that she was joking.

“Ouch, my heart.” She laughed at him as he rested his hand on his heart with a look of mock hurt on his face. Kol couldn’t keep straight for long before he broke out in laughter. He couldn’t help it, even Rebekah was smirking at the two of them.

A tall dark-haired man in an expensive suit started to make his way towards us. Kol slightly tensed Nikita noticing. Rebekah smirking at Kol

“Brother, who is our guest?” He spoke formally as he looked Nikita up and down and she moved closer to Kol to avoid the penetrating stare of the stranger. Something about him oozes power and Nikita knew from the suit that it was Elijah.

“Elijah this is Nikita, my best friend, the girl I told you about,” Kol informed his brother resting his arm around Nikita’s waist. Almost defensively making Elijah raise a brow and Rebekah smile. She can’t help but feel just as protective of the girl as Kol.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Has she met Niklaus yet?” Elijah smiled softly at her and then his eyes flickered to Kol. From the way he was when Elijah walked over, he would love to know his reaction to Klaus

“No. I’m trying to avoid it. You know what he can be like.” Kol sighed heavily. He knew what might happen and he was apprehensive about it.

“Niklaus?” Nikita asked softly, looking up at Kol noticing the look. The name sounded familiar, but Kol had never mentioned a Niklaus before. Klaus, yes. Niklaus, no.

“I prefer Klaus, Love.” A voice spoke behind her making her jump and spin around and Kol glared at his brother. So this was the other brother. Her head tilts as she takes him in. 

“Nik.” Kol greeted him coldly. Nikita notices Kol's change towards Klaus and shifts uncomfortably, just as he is protective of her, she is the same with him and hates to see him like this.

“Baby brother, who might this be?” Klaus smirked down at the girl who had an arm around his brother's waist. Klaus frowned slightly at the sight of Kols arm around her. For some reason, he didn’t like her hiding from him. But, he saw something shine in her eyes. It looked like defiance.

“My name is Nikita. So, this is Klaus the big bad hybrid then?” Nikita smirks and her head tilts to the side. Kol had told her that he had siblings but she had never met them. She could feel the tension running through Kol’s body. 

“What else has my little brother told you about me?” Klaus was curious about this human she had defiance shining in her eyes and it was something very few people had when dealing with him. He just knew that she would be a hell-raiser. No witch, human, wolf or vampire who had looked at him that way or made him feel this way.

“That you have an awful temper and it sounds to me like you’re a control freak. I’ve also heard you get a little stabby when your siblings annoy you, like to keep them in coffins and cart them around. A little morbid to me… have you ever thought about going to therapy? I think it might help you with your problems.” Nikita smiles sweetly at him, taking her drink and walks away leaving all the originals looking after her like she didn’t just call the most powerful creature in the room mentally unstable… out loud.

“Did she just do that?” Klaus looked at his siblings for clarification that that had just happened. No one spoke to him like that and got away with it, but watching her walk away smiling at the guests and the twinkle in her eye the siblings looked at Klaus and they saw a look of both amusement and anger and they could help but be amused.

The siblings were honestly shocked and speechless at what she had just said, but it wasn’t what she said it was how casually she said it. Kol couldn’t help be a little proud of his best friend. But also incredibly fearful for her life.

She stood with Marcel and Hayley as they talked and laughed. This didn’t sit right with Klaus. 

“What makes you think you can talk to me like that little human?” Klaus spoke softly into Nikita’s ear, leaning in close to her. Marcel and Hayley watch the couple closely. They see the smirk on Nikita’s face. It seems like she enjoys playing with her food just as much as Klaus does.

“Kol would burn everything you love if you hurt me. We both know that. You’d dagger him and know you’d never be able to take it out because he would never forgive you.” He knew she was telling the truth. Kol doesn’t have friends and he hasn’t seen him act like this in a long time. He wasn’t sure he could get away with him killing her or daggering him. But, also Klaus didn’t want to hurt her as much as she pissed him off. She turns and looks at him, not backing down. He can see that fire and notices his siblings listening close to their conversation.

“Why would I care about that?” He plays with a strand of black her curled hair. He was looking deep into her brown eyes that looked like they were laughing at him.

“Because, even under the whole act, all you really care about is your family. You’d never hurt him like that no matter how much it wounds your pride. Now if I was some floozy or whatever you call them in your day… I would’ve been dead a long time ago.” She smirks and they both leaned in closer as they spoke. There was something about her that drew him in this fearlessness, something not even other supernatural creatures have of him. Neither noticing Kol watching them closely smirking at what was happening. The family enjoyed the show.

“You know nothing about me.” Klaus became defensive and the girl in front of him had the audacity to just smirk like she hadn’t just dissected him, her red painted lips pulled into a satisfied grin. He didn’t like how uncomfortable she made him, he turned on his heel and walked to the bar to get a drink. Just standing there watching one another. He hated his family watching with amused looks on their faces, he hated she had the power to make him so uncomfortable.

Kol wrapped his arm around his best friend's waist and let out a heavy sigh as he leaned his head on her shoulder. He couldn’t control the smirk on his lips as he held her close. 

“What’s wrong?” He could hear the laughter in his voice. He's glad one of them could find humour in what was going on. Even though he did it was kinda funny he was very fearful for her life.

“You managed to avoid death twice let's not push it a third time with my brother.” Kol holds her tight; he wasn’t really willing to test her theory on whether his brother would or wouldn’t kill her because Kol is more important to him than he realised. Kol could tell that Klaus likes her, but Kol was still worried. He wasn’t willing to lose his best friend on a possible crush.

“Kol, if you didn’t matter I’m pretty sure the wolf boy over there would have killed you a long time ago. I’m also 100% your brother would raise hell if someone tried to or did kill you.” She shrugs patting his cheek and walks over to the bar where Klaus was stewing at her calling him a wolf boy. She knew he heard and smirked.

“She’s going to be murdered by my brother.” Kol slaps his face.

Kol walks over to Davina who’s with Rebekah, Elijah, Marcel and Hayley who are all looking at the two wondering what is going to happen next and the likelihood of it ending well.

Klaus was watching her every move around his home. How dare a human come into his home and disrespect him! He couldn’t pinpoint what it was about this girl that got so under his skin, something about her made him want to strangle her but also hold her close. Spill his guts about everything and he didn’t understand. He questions why this is happening… some cruel act of fate.

“I’m sorry.” The words surprised him as he looked down at the girl leaning on the bar next to him with bourbon in her hand as she stood next to him watching the people all around them he watched her carefully as she drank. How had he not noticed her approach? How is she human? She must be a witch or something, maybe a siren!

“What?” He was shocked and confused about why she was apologising to him.

“I’m sorry about making you uncomfortable. I can be a little heavy-handed with what I say… I guess it was just how I was brought up.” She sighed, he noticed her tension at this point and took a long drink from her glass and looked up at him.

“You and Kol?” He left the question open for her to answer not sure what he was hoping for her to say. Was he jealous at the fact his brother may have a claim on this girl?

“Friends and nothing else… to be honest, sometimes we act more like siblings. The bickering and the arguing, but it’s nice.” She chuckles softly and Klaus notices her softness.

“What about your family?” Klaus frowned, family, is important. Maybe her family could tell him what she is because she can’t just be human.

“Unimportant.” Her voice was flat and it left Klaus confused. To him family is sacred and to this girl, it wasn’t anything. He notices the knowing look on her face. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“No, you don’t!” Klaus frowned at the girl, he was becoming more and more frustrated at Nikita.

“You’re thinking how I could say that family is unimportant. I know you had hardships with your father, the whole trying to kill you thing and all. I also know you’ve had your disputes with your siblings. Then there's also your mother too. But, your siblings love you, your mother loved you… your father was a piece of shit. You have love, they may piss you off and you may end up putting them in a coffin for a 100 odd years here and there but still, they wake you bicker and argue and yet they still love you and stand by your side no matter what. Always and forever, right?” She looks Klaus in the eye, there’s a flash of something in her eyes and he looks down at her speechless at what she is saying looking back out to the crowd she notices the siblings all looking their way listening into the conversation. “My family isn't like that. There is no love there, only resentment, anger and pain. Maybe at one point, there was love, but not anymore. Mom and Dad divorced when I was younger, Mom blamed me. She took to partying and had a slew of boyfriends and all sorts in the home, I thought my Dad would save me but he never did. I left home and moved in with my Aunt and Uncle, they were nice but had enough of their own problems. Their own heard of children to look after, I was just another burden. I studied and worked hard to get a full-ride here at Tulane University, I bust my ass off in a diner so I can pay my rent and bills. Family is what you make it, blood means little to me. It's people like Kol and a handful of other friends I have that are my family. I’d die for them.”

Klaus was left with nothing to say at her words, there was a deep pain in her heart that made him want to wrap her in his arms and protect her from everyone and there was a burning rage to find everyone who’d wronged her and make them suffer unimaginable pain. Maybe it wasn’t so wrong to care about her.

It had been a long evening and Nikita was beginning to feel it, so she looked for Kol to say goodbye knowing that there will still be a car waiting to take her home, but before she could leave Klaus walked in her path.

“Where are you going Love?” Klaus watches her closely and when he sees her sigh he truly sees how tired she is.

“I think it’s time for me to go home, I was just going to say goodbye to your brother… considering he was the one who invited me,” Nikita says patting his chest as she walked around him, she didn’t have the energy to come up with a witty line.

“Are you okay?” Klaus frowns walking next to her.

“Nothing a little sleep won’t fix.” Nikita smiles up at him before spotting Kol and walking quickly over to him, leaving Klaus to look after her.

“I’m going to get going.” Nikita hugs Kol who holds her tightly.

“I’ll come with you,” Kol says firmly, but he’s watching Klaus not looking at her. Nikita frowns before looking over her shoulder to see who he’s looking at and she snorts shaking her head.

“Fine… whatever.” Nikita rolls her eyes not really bothered.

The car ride was silent and Nikita leaned against Kol’s shoulder allowing her body to relax a little, she hadn’t realised how exhausted her body was till this moment right here.

“I think you made an impression on my family,” Kol spoke walking up to her door and pulled her into one more hug.

“I had fun. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you or anything.” Nikita leans onto Kol’s shoulder.

“No, you did me proud like you always do.” He smirks at her.

“Go back to Davina and tell her to thank you for ensuring I got home.” Nikita laughs, walking in before she can hear his response.

It had been a few weeks since the ball and Kol had been keeping as much information about Nikita to himself as possible. He would disappear and no one would be able to contact him and so they decided enough was enough and trapped him so that he would have to tell them everything. So here they are walking into the Dinner and sitting in a booth in Nikita’s section.

“Why do you all insist on coming with me?” Kol sighed as he waited for her to come out from the kitchen where Nikita was talking to one of the chiefs. When she backed out of the kitchen they all could hear her laughing with arms filled with plates of food as she swept around the room surviving hungry dinners. Klaus has never seen her like this and is amazed. She’s in her element and Kol can’t help but smile at the girl he has watched grow for the last year. Her eyes landed on the Mikaelson family, they stuck out like a sore thumb and she couldn’t help the soft chuckle that passed her lips. She got a tray and got four mugs and a pot of coffee, cream and sugar. Making her way through the tables. She’s in her element, but the thought of her being able to fit in anywhere she wants.

“Coffee?” She smiles at them as she puts a cup in front of Kol without getting his answer, they all notice this with raised brows. Both Elijah and Rebekah nod in response and Klaus can’t help but smile at her.

“Yes please, Love.” Klaus leans on the table to watch her closely and a light blush covers her cheeks. He couldn’t help the smirk on his lips.

Kol had been watching Klaus closely over the last couple of weeks since the ball and had noticed Klaus smiling more and also looking at his phone and disappearing more. He had an idea why.

“Nikita, will you come and sit with us?” Elijah asked with a soft smile on his face.

“I don’t know if I can.” She looked back at her Boss, but before she could look away and she saw Kol next to him. Her Boss walks over.

“Hey darling, you’re finished for the day.” He smiled at her before patting her on the shoulder and going back to work.

“Kol! What have I told you about compelling my boss?” Nikita glared at her best friend.

“That I’m not to do it without your permission, but we both know you wanted to join us and he would’ve said no.” Kol pouted.

“Kol, that’s beside the point and you know it. ‘I want never gets!’ It’s the way of life!” Nikita huffed walking away.

“Where are you going, young lady?” Kol stands in front of her with his hands on his hips as the siblings watch the scene with amused smiles on their faces. 

“I’m going to change out of my uniform. Is that alright Dad?” The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she barged past Kol heading to the lockers. Kol leans his head back and walks back to his siblings.

“Does she really hate it when you compel her boss?” Rebekah was intrigued by it all, anyone else would be happy that they didn’t have to work. But you, you were pissed.

“She’s strong-willed. She doesn’t like me using it because she feels like she is using me for her own personal gain… that she’s being selfish.” Kol sighs dropping in the seat next to Elijah.

“But, she isn't. You decided to do it.” Klaus was confused.

“But, that doesn’t matter to her, because she is still reaping the benefits. Trust me it’s a never-ending argument between the two of us.” Kol shakes his head, thinking about all the disagreements they’ve had over him compelling someone. 

They all see Nikita walking back over to their table, she’s in a pair of black jeans and a dark red long-sleeved shirt. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Nikita looked at them, her head tilted to the side and her eyes focusing mainly on Kol. There was something dark in her eyes.

“How pretty you are.” Kol smiles at her and she just shakes her head.

“Try again, Mikaelson.” She stands there staring him down and all Klaus can do is stare in amazement. No one would stand up to any of them all would be too scared of the consequences but here she is a human staring down one of the Originals like it was nothing.

“We were talking about your aversion to compulsion.” Klaus says smirking at her, Nikita’s head snapped in his direction and she glared daggers at him. Kol couldn’t help but watch the interaction with fascination, there was something in her eyes when she was looking at him and he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

~Flashback of the siblings teasing Klaus~

“Who would have thought that the great Niklaus would fall in love.” Rebekah teased her brother.

“I have not fallen in love,” Klaus mutters.

“Who is it Nik?” Kol smirks.

“I guess we should thank Kol.” Elijah smiled teasingly at his youngest brother.

“Why?” Kol was confused.

“Because you introduced them,” Rebekah smirks.

“I haven’t… NO! Not Nikita!” Kol glared at Klaus.

“I’m not in love with her!” Klaus says in frustration.

“You stay away from her,” Kol warned his brother. Klaus could see the glare in his eyes and knew Kol wasn’t joking around.

“I thought they were perfect.” Rebekah sighs dropping into the chair next to Elijah.

“Same, the way she stood up to him… fearless.” Elijah nods in agreement with a thoughtful look on her face.

“They would make a good couple.” Rebekah sighs, looking Klaus up and down imagining it.

“King and Queen. I can imagine her temper is just as bad as his.” Elijah smirks.

“The tongue lashing she could give him.” Rebekah snorts.

“Let’s not forget my dear friend did tell our brother he needed to go to therapy,” Kol smirks at Klaus who was getting more and more frustrated.

“What do you want?” Klaus groaned in annoyance at the whole thing.

“Admit you like her!” Rebekah leaned in excitedly.

“She’s interesting. She’s annoying. I don’t like her. Hell I don’t even know her.” Klaus stormed out the room and the siblings laughed at his annoyance. They follow after him to continue the teasing and as much as it annoys Kol that his brother likes his best friend, it was very amusing to watch as Klaus became more and more frustrated and uncomfortable.

~Flashbacks of Klaus & Y/N hanging out~

Klaus was watching her study, there was something so mesmerising about it. Her black hair piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, with strands falling around her face. A pen resting between her soft lips that Klaus can’t help but stare at wondering if they are as soft as they look. Her warm chocolate eyes focused on her work. Klaus couldn’t deny he was attracted to her and the more time he spent with her the more and more he fell… the only problem was he didn’t know how she felt.

“So tell me something.” Nikita looked at him, taking him by surprise.

“What do you mean?” He was confused.

“Tell me anything… about you, or your family.” She smiled at him softly putting her pen down and drawing her knee up against her chest. They had been sitting on her bed, she had promised a movie when she finished the last chapter of her text. But the truth was she couldn’t focus with him there watching her, couldn’t focus on anything other than the warmth she could feel coming from his body, couldn’t focus on the words on the page because all she could focus on was his smell… the smell of the forest; fresh pine, damp soil like it had just rained. A smell she found comfort in.

“You know all there is to know about me.” Klaus smiles as he leans back against her headboard.

“Surprisingly, I don’t. Kol doesn’t like to talk about you much… unless he’s complaining. How did you break the curse?” This was something that had always intrigued her, the fact he was both Werewolf and Vampire. She knew his mother had an affair and that a curse was placed on him. But, Kol was always very evasive about how Klaus broke it.

“I… I don’t think I should tell you.” Klaus looked away and Nikita could see the shame in his eyes and something else… was that fear.

“Nik. I’m assuming a sacrifice had to be made. Kol mentioned the Sun and the Moon curse and google came up with all sorts of answers to that… but that curse was about you right?” She leans over resting her hand on his cheek. She had put it together on her own with the small bits of information that Kol had given her.

“You’re smarter than your own good.” Klaus chuckles softly resting his hand over hers, leaning into her touch. He turns his head a little so he can place a soft kiss onto the palm of her hand and she shifts a little closer to him.

“So, what I’ve gathered is you needed the moonstone, a vampire, a werewolf and a witch.” Nikita looks at him.

“There is also the doppelganger needed and the ritual can only happen at the birthplace of the doppelganger.” Klaus explains.

“Is that all I’m going to get?” Nikita smirks at him.

“Yes Love, that’s all I’m going to tell you. But, how did you figure out that The Sun and The Moon Curse was about me,” Klaus was curious, they were both leaning in close, not bothered by the closeness or intimacy.

“I wouldn’t have figured it out if Kol hadn’t told me what you were. I would have thought they were just a curse about Vampire’s being able to walk in the sun and Werewolf’s not having to turn at a full moon. But, I then thought if I was you and I wanted to break a curse my mother put on me, but I needed a moonstone and a doppelganger… I’d create a fake legend. Have the warring species looking for the same thing, you are sure to find it quicker.” Nikita leaned back smirking and Klaus couldn’t help but smile at her.

“And that is exactly what Elijah and I did.” Klaus returns to his position against the headboard and watches Y/N put all her books away and comes to sit next to him leaning in close. He smirks, “done already?”

“Can’t seem to focus.” Nikita rests her head on Klaus’ shoulder and flicks on the TV. Neither one paid attention to what was playing as they were too busy focusing on one another.

Nikita draped her legs over Klaus curling into his side as he rested one hand on her lower back and the other on her thigh squeezing it softly making her squirm closer to him. She was practically sitting on his lap but he didn’t mind. Klaus’ hand mindlessly ran up and down her spine and her hands would draw patterns on his chest while the other played with his hair. Neither looked at one another, but neither of them paid attention to what was on the screen. They looked up at each other and before either of them could figure out what was happening they were kissing.

They moved closer together, Nikita straddling Klaus’ lap and him resting his hands on her thighs. He slowly slipped his hands higher as their make-out session got more heated. One of his hands slipping up to her waist pulling her in will the other landed on her ass squeezing it softly and a soft moan slips from her lips as she grinds down on him. Klaus groans at the action pulling away softly and she bites and softly nibbles on his lower lips continuing her movements. His hands move to her hips quickly stopping her movements and she lets out a whine.

“I want to do this right. I want to take you on a date.” Klaus breaths out, speaking against her lips and she can’t help the small smile forming on her lips. She leans in and this time kisses him softly, her tongue trails along his lower lips as she pulls away sitting on his thighs.

“Fine.” She sighs in defeat knowing she wasn’t going to win against his strength and control. He smirks at her and places a soft kiss on her lips before wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

Klaus was nervous about this, why was he so nervous?

This was their first official date, after bickering with Kol for who knows how long getting him to agree that it was perfectly fine for him to date her. He’d been sneaking off to see her when she was at work and he knew that Kol was with Davina, he would go to the library and sit and watch her work or maybe even back to her studio apartment and films. This was no easy feat with the amount of time she spent with Kol, also Rebekah stealing her away. It was so mundane… it was so human and he loved it. No, he lived for it. It was those moments that he felt most alive… when he felt the most human and that was the feeling he always wanted to keep. It was strange to him he thought the power and control made him feel alive but it was this siren.

He had never been scared about anything but this was something he was petrified about. He was scared that she would see him for the monster that he is and run and never look back. Klaus may be selfish when it comes to you but if you wanted to leave he’d let you go.

The date that Klaus had planned was extravagant. He had booked a whole restaurant for just the two of them, with the best chefs and music. There were roses, chocolates and champagne everywhere Nikita looked and she couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. But, it felt like it was missing something and she couldn’t figure it out. This was more than a dream come true, but still, there was something about the whole thing that just didn’t seem to sit right in her chest and she couldn’t pinpoint it. They laughed, drank and ate.

“Can we go for a walk?” Nikita looked at Klaus who was beaming at her, “what?” She laughed.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to walk through the Quarter with me.” Klaus laughs, as he stands next to her holding his hand out for her to take and she smiles at him.

As they walked through the Quarter music drew their attention and Nikita dragged Klaus to go and listen with her. His arms wrapping around her waist and they swayed together listening and enjoying it. Klaus decided at that moment he wanted to dance and so they did, they twirled and danced around the square, made onlookers smile and the band continued to play and Nikita and Klaus’ laughter could be heard all around. It was a moment so pure. This was what was missing… this was perfect, they both thought to themselves smiling down at one another. When they finally stopped dancing standing to the side to admire an artist at work something hit Nikita a thought she had never had before.

“Nik, you know you don’t need to impress me with all these fancy dates, dress and jewels, right?” She looked at him with her chocolate eyes and he melted just staring into her eyes confused.

“What do you mean?” Klaus tilted his head frowning slightly and it made a smile tug at the corner of her lips. ‘He doesn’t see it,’ is the only thing she can think at that moment.

“Your money, as great as it is, isn’t the reason I’m with you. I love the gifts, but what I love more and I know this is insane and happening so fast. I love you… the you I see when you come to my work just to watch me, the you that sits there with me in the library telling me the history books have it wrong or is constantly asking me questions about what I’m doing, the you that curls up on my bed with me and watch trashy TV or a film, the you that is content to sit there and draw me as I read. I love you for this.” She rests her hand on his heart and smiles softly at him and he feels something inside him warm at her words. “I don’t need the fancy stuff. Yes, it is nice now and then, but what I want is the real moments we have… the mundane and unexpected. Like dancing to the street performers playing, like when you saw me looking at a flower so you bought it for me just to put it in my hair, like the surprise tickle attack or you giving me a foot rub.”

“You love me?” Klaus was shocked, he never thought anyone would love him for all the things that she had just said to him.

“Klaus, I don’t think love can even begin to cover how I feel about you.” Nikita smiles at him and he smiles down at her. His smile was broad and filled with so much joy and happiness, he was beaming like he had been given the best news in the world.

“In all my years walking this earth I have never met anyone that has made me feel like you have. I’ve met a lot of people, I’ve known a lot of people and they have all treated me the same way… with fear and/or hatred. But you, a little human girl has no fear to tell me how it is. Drives me insane! But, it makes me feel more alive… more human than I have ever. I don’t know the last time someone told me they loved me, some who looked me in the eye and said all the things they loved. When people see me they see money and power, but you… you see everything else. You see every flaw and you never judge me, you remind me it’s okay not to be perfect.” Klaus held Nikita’s face in his hands and their lips were so close she could feel his lips against hers as he spoke.

They arrived back at the compound quickly. The kiss was soft, but soon became something hungry.

The Mikaelson compound was empty for a change; all his siblings had other things to attend to and he was 100% grateful to that.

Klaus had Nikita against the wall pinning her and kissing her deeply, she let out a soft moan and she could feel him smirking at her response to him. She ran her hands in his hair and tugged it causing him to groan into her mouth and she smirked back at him. He sped them to his room and threw her softly onto his bed. A slight giggle left her as she bounced and he couldn’t help the smile at the sound. He hovered over her again and they began kissing again but this time it was slower again as their hands explored each other's bodies.

Klaus flipped them so she was straddling his thighs grinding her down onto him a soft groan falling from both their lips her head was leaning back and he took the opportunity to kiss down her neck grazing her throat with his teeth and she ground down hard on him. He leaned back pulling her dress over her head as she worked his shirt off quickly leaning down to kiss his neck as she did so her hands went from his chest to his hair and then to his back where she clawed her nails down.

The house was filled with their moans and neither of them noticed when Kol came home, he’d forgotten something. He was horrified by the sounds he heard and left before he could collect what he needed.

The next day Nikita was blissfully sore and as she collected Klaus’ shirt from the night before and her underwear, she decided she would head down and make her and Klaus some breakfast. What she wasn’t expecting was to be greeted by his siblings.

“Hi.” Nikita smiles awkwardly and gives them a small wave.

“Hello.” Rebekah smirks leaning in.

“Good morning, good night last night?” Elijah’s eyes flicked up from his paper and he was smiling at her, his eyes flicking behind her.

“Perfect, brother.” Klaus answers for her. Wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her neck, Nikita didn’t think much leaning her head to the side letting out a sigh.

“Please my eyes!” Kol groaned in pain. Nikita’s head snapped back up and she blushed. Looking down at her heads as Klaus pulled her closer and Elijah and Rebekah giggled.

“Anyone want pancakes?” Nikita moved quickly getting everything she needed, it wasn’t the first time she had stayed at the Mikaelson’s.

“Me!” Rebekah cheered and Elijah nodded along with her.

“Okay… cool… pancakes.” Nikita spoke nodding pretending that whatever just happened never happened. She could feel all of their eyes on her.

“I came home last night.” Kol broke the silence and Nikita was there frozen, she slowly turned and looked at her best friend horrified.

“Wha- W-w-when?” Nikita stuttered, her face was tomato red.

“You guys were already home.” Kol couldn’t look his friend in the eye.

“NO!” Nikita looked horrified. Burying her face into Klaus’ chest.

“I’m going to have to bleach my mind.” Kol glares at Klaus, who is just smirking.

“I’m going to bury myself alive somewhere,” Nikita mutters leaving the room quickly, the sounds of laughter following her as she hides in Klaus’ bed. Before she fell asleep she felt Klaus’s arms wrap around her and she turned into his chest burrowing in close and he kissed the top of her head.

“Always and Forever Little Love.” Klaus spokes softly and Nikita smiled as she fell to sleep.