#I am starting to experiment with using more n different brushes for fur that have more texture to them because of csp

[peppermint-moss]

how do you make the fur patterns look so nice? is there a specific brush to use?

Thank you I'm happy to hear you think they look good! I'm not sure if there's anything specific I do ? (if there's a specific fur pattern like stripes or patches or smth you want me to go into more detail about how I do feel free to send another ask)

There's 3 main brushes I use for fur patterns, and like 90% of the time it's just the first one (which is just my triangle lineart brush):

The "glow airbrush" is just like a generic soft airbrush I only use for gradients, and I don't use it super often for fur

The "speckle fade brush" is what I use for when I want a marking to be softer than the hard line that the triangle brush gives me but not as soft as the airbrush. It's a little finicky to use tbh haha and it's very square-looking at times, but I like the feathery edges it makes

I've added the speckle fade brush to my google drive of brushes if you want to download it! (triangle is on there already too, and any generic airbrush will do for gradients lol but if you want that specific one I got it from csp assets here)

commission info || ko-fi (tip jar)

[cloudninetonine]

Follow the light

Chapter 1

Synopsis: A Genshin impact/Avatar x fem!reader

A/N: INSTANT SECOND CHAPTER. Also, some stuff from my previous post about this crossover is probs gonna change

I do not own the Genshin Impact or Avatar franchise

Warnings

“Let’s try it again”

Nodding, you took a deep breath, focusing yourself on your actions as you began to move. 

Light on your feet, just like the leaf, if you meet resistance, you must be able to spiral away at a moment’s notice, move like the wind, move like you’re free.

Tsering had practically drilled that into you when you began to learn airbending. ‘It was a must’, she had told you, sending a blast of wind into the the spinning death trap- I mean, into the spinning gates, ‘if you are to be the Avatar you must know how to air bend, even if your power is just that of an average bender as of now’

She was right, of course, but the thought of helping restore Raava’s power and find your brother itched at your mind constantly, kept you awake at night as you practiced your moves, occupied your thoughts when you ate, never had you been so desperate to leave the temple.

Despite that, the thought of leaving these people caused your chest to burn, like you had been stabbed right in the heart with the intent to kill. These people had become family to you, on level with your brother, they cared for you and you cared for them, so you knew when it finally came time to leave, which if you were correct, would be a few days from now, you would shed tears.

You would be alone and it scared you.

“Much better” Tsering clapped, as did the other four nuns, the leading nuns, when you finally ceased, bright smile on your face “You’re improving every day, I’d say you could become a master in just a few more years”

You placed your hands behind you back, rocking on your heels “Would I be able to get my tattoos if I did?”

She smiled back “Of course, you’re considered a nomad after all”

A familiar squeaky voice piped up from your left “Paimon thinks you could improve in your stance”

You sent Paimon the stink eye “You can’t even bend, elf”

“Excuse you! Paimon doesn’t need to bend to know you’re stance stinks-”

“Alright you two, no need to fight” Another nun, Nun Palmo laughed, “(Name), you are dismissed, remember to keep training and if you need help, you only need to ask”

With a ‘thank you!’ and quick bow, you headed off with Paimon for your daily walk around the temple.

“Paimon was only joking earlier, you’ve really improved, your bending was pretty flawless! Though, Paimon noticed that you looked a bit distracted, is everything okay?”

Paimon, the ever so observant, when food wasn’t involved, or when she wasn’t talking, or when she was just...herself. The spirit seemed to know you well enough to notice the shift in your attitude as you bent, mind fogged up over other matters that you didn’t need to think about at that moment.

“Yes, Pai, I’m fine, it’s just…” You searched for the words “I’m starting my journey in a few days and I know Raava is here with me but...I’m going to be alone when I travel so I’m nervous. I’ve never travelled by myself before, my brother’s always been with me so….”

A sigh fell from your lips. “It’s stupid-”

“No it isn’t!” Paimon leaned in close, shaking her fists in exaggeration “Being alone is a big deal! Paimon knows from experience that it sucks being by yourself, so, Paimon’s decided to accompany you on your journey! She am a spirit of guidance after all!”

Your head snapped towards her “Wait...seriously?”

“Seriously!”

The grin that spread across your face was contagious, the spirit mirroring your expression as you hugged her tightly, both of you laughing. “Thank you, Paimon, thank you!”

“No need for thanks!....Actually, keep it coming”

Your heart filled with warmth.

You wouldn’t be alone.

The day came faster than you had expected. As cheesy as it sounded, it had only felt like yesterday when Raava had first spoken with you and the two of you had merged, but it had been just over four months with air bending training being a subject for every single day. A mix of grueling and fun, because learning how to fly using a glider brought you back to earlier days with your wings, but getting your arse kicked by spinning gates, falling from far heights when you mess up your bending- not as fun.

A sort of leaving party had been held the night before, a great buffet for you hard work and just fun games to play with your newly aquired airbending skills. (Tsering had beaten you 5 against 1 in Airball and even then, you were sure she had given you the last one out of pity)

You were changed in your older clothes this time, pulling on your gloves and boots, looking yourself in the mirror in your room the last time. It was weird, seeing yourself in your travelling attire when for the past few years you had been dressed in the familiar orange, yellow and reds of air culture, it only further settled as a reminder that you were leaving today.

You had successfully held back the tears till this point.

“(Name)” Glancing towards your door, Tsering stood with her hands clasped together, a small smile on her beautiful features “Are you ready?”

“Uh, yes!” Fumbling for your bag, you made your way over “I’m- I’m ready”

“Good, but before that” Pulling something from behind her back, she presented it to you “You earned this”

Sat within her palms was an airbending staff, accompanied by your familiar red sash that you supported on your clothes previous. You stood in awe as the elder airbender tied the sash around you, tightening it gently before grasping your cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb. “I will miss you, (Name)”

Tears finally pushed through, eyes glazing over as you engulfed the woman in a tight hug, face shoved into her chest. “I’ll miss you too, Tsering”

Ten minutes later, you were heading towards the bison, specifically your bison, one you had befriended by accident and now considered one of your lifelong pals. You hadn’t meant to bond with him, only airbenders received bison, but you had stumbled upon the ordeal when exploring and he just didn’t seem to care about anyone else. Tsering had let you have him without much argument and smiled when you named him Viator, something she didn’t quite understand back then but now was a completely different story.

“Food has been packed for you, along with water, spare clothes and other necessities” Paimon was already sitting upon Viator’s back, munching on what you guessed was something from breakfast, when you jumped onto the bison’s head, stroking through his fur with love. “Be safe, (Name) and please know, you may return whenever you wish”

“Thank you, Tsering. Thank you everyone, you showed me kindness for all these years and treated me as one of your own. I’ll miss you all so much but I promise I will come back” With a commanding ‘Yip, yip’ Viator had pushed himself off the ground “Farewell everyone!”

The younger airbender girls screamed their goodbyes, waving their hands wildly while the older nuns bowed, sending waves once you began to disappear West, towards the mainland of Teyvat.

Finally, your journey began.

-----

“Look, there it is!”

It had taken an entire day, much faster than you had originally expected and you couldn’t have been more grateful for the existence of sky bison. 

From your point, you could see giant cliffs, a small, sandy bay sat beneath them with a path that led deeper into the mainland, your bison following it when you finally hit the shoreline.

“Did Raava say anything about the statues, like, how to even get the power in the first place?”

You shook your head “No, so I’ll just have to see once we find one- woah”

It had taken only five minute to reach a clearing and boy, was it a sight to behold. Cliffs surrounded the area in a crescent shape, the valley holding a plethora of beautiful trees ranging from the famous forest green to autumn time orange. Beyond it stood a city of stone, laid within a sparkling blue lake, Mondstadt you believed. Dead center sat a small isle within the valley, containing just the thing you were looking for.

“That was quick”

Viator grew closer, groaning when you called ‘Yip, yip!’ to drop the lot of you onto the tiny piece of land, Paimon clapping her hands excitedly.

“Oh!” She cried in delight “That’s the statue of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos! He’s the spirit of Air!”

Floating down, you jogged up the statue with your companion following behind, eyeing the tall structure with intrigued eyes when you finally stood before it, glancing around it briefly before Paimon spoke up.

“What now?”

You shrugged “I...touch it?”

“Paimon..agrees?”

Delicate hands reached out, brushing against the golden plaque molded into the botton of the monument when a beautiful glow was produced from the carved diamond patterns, both you and Paimon gasping in surprise as a heavenly sounded resonated through the area, the glow winding up the statue and forming into a beautiful light orb within the hands of the figure head. Slowly, the ball floated down towards you, like a leaf in the wind, then flew into your chest, a feeling of weightlessness flowing through your entire being.

You glanced over yourself.

“Was...that it?”

Paimon huffed “You know, that’s kind of rude to say about the power the Archon just gave you!”

“I didn’t mean it like that-”

A brilliant light flashed before your eyes, blinding you, the whole surrounding scene blurring away. You threw your hands over your face, protecting yourself from the harsh brightness when it faded as soon as it came, the sound of nature that once encircled you now replaced with a deafening silence.

“(Name)”

You turned towards the voice, smiling “Raava”

The spirit flew towards you, you once again lending your hand out only to notice the slight difference within the being.

“You’re bigger” You noted in excitement, watching her wind up your arm “Have I already restored some of your power that fast? If so, this’ll be easy-peasy”

“You mustn't underestimate this journey, (Name)” She spoke with a wisdom that you hadn’t experienced for what felt like lifetimes, your body straightening up in response to her tone “We have only just begun and the road will only grow more treacherous as we push forward. Not everyone will be so supporting in our quest”

A sigh escaped you “Yeah, you’re right, nothing is ever that easy. I wish we had more help though”

“You are not alone in this, (Name)”

“I know, I’ve got you, Pai, Viator-”

“That is not what I meant”

The noise of confusion you made was cut short at the sound of….wind? It grew louder with it second, until the whisper because a magnificent howl, collecting around the two of you before bursting outwards, forms of multiple figures appearing from the darkness.

“Air nomads?” You glanced around at them all “Wait, not just air nomads”

“No, each is an air nomad in their own right” The multiple air nomads eyes snapped opening, revealing a familiar white glow “Not every nomad is in touch with their culture, some fade away, whether that be from their own choice or anothers, while others stick with air custom”

It hit you.

“Past air nation Avatars….” There were so many, you couldn’t keep count! They even faded into the far distance of this mind space! You had known there had been plenty of Avatars but seeing this much was just...wow “But, I don’t get it, the Avatar cycle was destroyed. Wouldn’t the Avatars have vanished? Like in that Water tribe….Korra, like in Korra’s era”

But then again, Tsering had told you that the following Avatar, an Earth Kingdom boy named Genji you believed, had somehow restored the previous Avatars despite the new cycle. No one ever found out how, but no one really cared, they were just grateful for the Avatar.

“I, as well, am not sure why they are returning” The spirit glanced around before facing you once again, sliding further up to reach eye level “Perhaps it is our connection? Your own spirit? Or maybe it is just luck that they return, but they will help you in your journey, they will be your guides alongside me”

You grinned “Good to know I have more backup”

“(Name)!!!!”

The voice of Paimon echoed around you, concern evident in her voice and you glanced around, trying to find her.

“It is time for you to return, but you can always find us again”

The world around you began to fade, the past avatars disappearing within the darkness along with the spirit.

Paimon sighed in relief when the glow finally dissipated from your eyes, you blinking a few times then glanced towards her with an apologetic smile.

“You can’t just go all Avatar on Paimon like that!” She chided like a mother, waggling her finger at you “Paimon wasn’t sure if what happened was worrying or not!”

“Sorry, Pai, didn’t mean to worry you”

She huffed, floating back to Viator “Let’s just continue on, Paimon thinks we should head over into Mondstadt!”

You hopped onto your bison, patting his head “Why, Mondstadt?”

“It’s the city of Wind of course! Poetry and language flow like the wind, so there must be someone who knows about your brother! At least that what’s Paimon thinks”

“Sounds like a good start, yip- huh?!”

A large shadow cast over you, a bellious roar sounding through the valley, deep, thunderous and strong. Glancing upwards, you both watched as a giant creature, with beautiful blue fathers flew overhead, aimed towards the heart of the forest that laid ahead.

“What was that?!” You cried as Viator groaned in alarm, Paimon looking as spooked as you felt “Paimon!?”

“A dragon! We’ve gotta be careful!”

Dragon? What a weird dragon indeed. You had seen quite a few in your lifetime, exploring different worlds with your brother meant you got to experience a whole lot of different things, dragons were no exception. They differed in different worlds, some violent, some passive, some young and naive some old and wise, but one thing that tended to stay the same was that their appetite was a meaty one and when you glanced down at Viator, you decided to take a cautious step for your furry companion.

“Paimon, stay here with Viator” Opening up your staff, you hopped off your animal and flew in the direction of the forest. Your friend called after you, voice high with panic as she begged you to come back, but you weren’t listening, no, you were focused on keeping the people close to you safe, even if that meant fighting a dragon, which you knew for certain you weren’t ready for.

The forest was practically silent compared to the valley. The sound of life that played within the sun had dimmed with the looming trees of oak, muffling the wind that blew through the perfect path that had been carved through the nature with perfect precision, it’s goal on leading to Mondstadt clear with each tentative step you took that lead to where you had seen the great beast land.

‘I wish I had my sword’ Such words shouldn’t come to a nomad, you knew that to be true, but you had lived through battle after battle with your brother for so long, the weight of the blade, the leather of it’s handle, it had been burned into the skin of your hand many times ago. Guilt boiled within you during your years with the nuns, how could you think of fighting while surrounded by such peaceful people? But then again, you could take a warrior from war, but not war from a warrior.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s alright now, I’m back”

You pushed your back against the nearest tree, glancing around it’s wide trunk at the scene.

The dragon was great, indeed. Coloured in an array of blues, from aquatic to deep ocean, feathers and furs adorned it’s body, tipping the tail, decorating it’s wings, lining it’s belly but ended at it’s claws, replaced with silvery scales that reflected the light of the day. From it’s back, however, protruded two tainted purple crystals, that you could sense, all the way from your hidden spot, held nothing but a dark energy that made your skin crawl. The creature’s sheer size was intimidating enough, especially compared to the boy who stood before it, but those crystals- wait.

Only then did you finally notice, too focused on the dragon to see the small male who held his hands out towards it. Sure, you had heard the voice earlier, but the blue beast’s appearance had overshadowed it, though now, you saw him, clear as day and your thoughts screamed about how such a small, fragile looking human could stand tall before such an intimidating animal-

A shout echoed through the forest, a familiar high shout that made you groan inwardly when the dragon let out an ear piercing shriek, swiping towards the boy only for him to jump back to your relief, snapping his head towards you direction, then disappear in a flashing light, the dragon leaving along with him into the sky with a final roar for extra effect.

You glared back at Paimon, panicked stricken face frozen in terror atop Viator’s head, who had tucked into himself at the appearance of the other animal.

“Really, Paimon?!” Running over, you soothed your bison softly “I told you to stay put! What if that dragon attacked?!”

“Paimon- uh- Paimon….” The spirit stumbled over her words for a few moments, when she noticed something within the short distance of where the dragon had been perched “What’s that?”

On closer inspection, it appeared to be a floating crystal, shaped eerily similar to a teardrop which glowed a crimson red, screaming an aura of negativity and…

“Sorrow” You hesitated when you reached out, but ultimately grasped it between your fingers gently “You can feel it right? That sorrow from it?”

“Yeah, almost like spiritual energy but just...sad, really sad” Frowning, Paimon turned towards you “Paimon feels kinda sad now too”

“Yeah, me too”

A cloth emerged from your pocket with a tug, the crimson glow disappearing under the raggedy brown of the material as you wrapped it carefully before stuffing it a bag on Viator’s back.

“Take care of this, will you bud?”

The animal groaned.

“Thanks”

Hopping down, you grasped Viator’s reins and continued down the dirt path.

“So, Mondstadt?”

It didn’t take long to reach the end of the woodland’s winding path. The once dense forestry parting way to a clear road to that great city that stood proud a few acres away, towering cliffs decorating your left for quite a way while to your right laid the beautiful crystal blue waves of what Paimon called Lake Cider.

A strange name, you had to admit, but your spirit friend’s explanation of the city’s famous winery industry only seemed to make it fit.

“-If we ask around, we’ll find some information! Oh, this city is famous for bards! So we can definitely-”

“Hey, you! Stop right there!”

Another threat?

Caution was thrown into the wind and you raced into action, pulling forth your staff in a defensive stance and ready to protect your companions with every last inch of you. Viator seemed to feel the same, as his large frame grew closer to you, towering in size with a guttural growl that even shook you slightly, bearing giant teeth.

Paimon merely fell behind, cowering away nervously.

‘Wow, thanks a lot Pai-’

A figure flew overhead, leaping off one of the shorter cliff sides and descending down to the dirt before you, rolling for safety then bouncing back up on their feet.

Long, dark brown hair, lively golden eyes, fair skin and covered head to toe in red.

Fire nation perhaps? Nun Tsering did say that descendants were fond of the colour.

“May the Anemo archon protect your stanger-...” She started, face kind but guarded until she fell upon your sash and bison “Ah! You’re an Air nomad! I am so sorry!”

Then she bowed, deep and apologetic and you sent Paimon a side eyed glance when she floated back to your side.

“Mondstadt is the city of wind and considered air nation territory” She whispered, “Monks and Nuns are highly respected, well, everywhere, but much higher here. You’re basically considered royalty”

You nodded in understanding before approaching the girl “Hey, it’s okay! It was an honest mistake! What’s your name? Mine’s (Name). This is my spirit guide, Paimon and my bison, Viator”

The younger woman bounced back up, narrowingly missing your head with her own while she stumbled over herself, finally findinger her words as she saluted (?) towards you all, forming a fist on her chest then being thrown outside, hand flattening by her side “Yes, of course! I am Amber, Outrider for the Knights of Favonius. I would like to personally welcome you to Mondstadt, dear Nun and once again apologise for my rude approach”

“Like I said, it was just a mistake!” Laughing, you bowed “It’s nice to meet you, Amber”

Amber paused for a moment, eyes wide then bowed in return “Likewise, Nun (Name)”

“You don’t need to call me that! I’m only a...nun-in-training, really, so, (Name) is just fine”

“Are you sure? It seems impolite to call you that, even if you’re only in training!”

From the sidelines, Paimon smiled.

The spirit had been informed by Nun Tsering of your inner conflict when you had first stumbled into this world. How hard it had been to open up, how you had struggled to interact with the others nuns, always so closed off and scared, the festering feeling of abandonment brewing a deep rooted fear of interaction, lest any person you may come across would be the next to leave you in the dust, by their own will or not.

When Paimon had first arrived, you had still struggled with that fear, even now if was still visible, if you looked close enough, but she knew she didn’t have to worry as much now, you were doing so much better and seeing you grow more confident made pride bloom in her chest, where her heart would be if she were human.

“Please-” Amber gestured over to Mondstadt, “Allow me to escort you to our city”

“Are you sure? If you’re a knight, you’re probably out here for a reason and I don’t want to get in the way of that”

“Not to worry, my duties have been fulfilled for today, so taking you to Mondstadt wouldn’t be much trouble”

With a smile, you nodded and off your little group ventured.

The walk to the city wasn’t long, no, only 5 minutes at least, filled with friendly chit chatter between you, Amber and Paimon, your bison huffing for your attention like he usually loved to do when your focus shifted. The knight looked ecstatic when you offered her a ride some time, bouncing up and down excitedly then engulfing the beast in a hug.

You liked her attitude, her excitement. It reminded you of simpler times and on a more somber note, of Aether. He always was kinda like the sun, even when you two bickered like normal siblings did, he kept on that lightened aura that just kept you from staying mad at him, a smile surfacing on your face while he cheered in accomplishment, a small tease of ‘You know you love me!’ before you smacked him right around the head and your famous fist fights ensued, the ones you always won.

You missed your squabbles, you his light, you missed him, but you had to remind yourself that this was the start of your journey to finding your brother and you would be reunited one day.

The guards bowed when you finally entered the city, as did the seemingly grumpy blacksmith you passed, the flower girl, the adventure guild receptionist, the jeweller- everyone and you did the polite thing of bowing back.

“You’re attracting quite the crowd already!” Amber laughed, the many citizens watching your group with wide gazes “It’s only natural though, I’m sure Paimon’s already told you that Nun and Monks are regarded highly in the city of wind!”

“Yup! Paimon made sure it was the first thing she knew!” You were positive the spirit ignored your stink eye, “So, who do we speak with about missing person posters?”

“Well, it’s best to speak with Master Jean, if you come with me I’ll show you the way! Here, I’ll give you a little tour around too!”

“That sounds great!” You glanced back to Viator, who stood patiently beyond the gates and watched you with soft eyes. “Stay here, bud! I’ll come back soon- and with some hay!”

The great beast groaned, waddling off somewhere beyond the gate and leaving the three of you to wander deeper into the city.

With each step you took, you felt as though you were being watched with the familiar sensation of eyes pinpointed onto you, though, it seemed... unwelcoming, their stare burning holes into your form. For a moment you glanced around, Amber and Paimon too distracted with talking to notice your focus shift. It didn’t take long to find the perpetrator, a man with long red locks, a few yards away, glaring at you with arms crossed.

You noted to yourself to look for the man later.

“Hey, isn’t that Barbatos?” Gaze shifting once again, your look upon the grande statue before Mondstadt’s church, a figure akin to an angel with long robes, wings and hands out, cupped towards the sky “You know, Paimon remembers him wearing less clothes”

The knight shared a disturbed look with you.

You didn’t really need that mental image.

“The headquarters is right over here-”

There was an instant shift in the air. 

The sky darkened with malicious grey clouds, hiding away the bright summer’s sun and replacing it with only a layer of doom, the wind picking up harsher undertones.

“The sky…”

There it was again. 

The dragon from the Whispering Woods.

It raced towards the city, circling it’s borders ominously while growling a thunderous and threatening growl before erupting into a blood curdling screech, the noise bringing forth a miniature cyclone along with powerful tornadoes. 

The people of the city screamed in fear, rushing around to escape the attack, parents crying for children, knights ordering for citizens to take cover, animals yowling out their own grievances, utter chaos reigned and you felt panic at the thought of Viator alone, waiting for you patiently where you left him.

“I have to go get Viator!” You were already sprinting back to the gates “I can’t leave him alone like this!”

Amber raced after you.

How had this happened so fast? And why when you had just arrived? What was going!? Only moments ago you were touring the city towards the Knights of Favonius headquarters and now this!

“Paimon thinks that the tornado is getting too close!” She was right, it was practically on your heels! “Hurry! Or we’ll get caught up!”

If only it had been that easy.

Amber had tried, you had seen her panic as you felt the pull of the powerful wind current begin to drag you closer, she had reached out, grabbing your staff with strength only adrenaline could cause, trying hard to keep you grounded but you could see it was for naught, as her feet slipped against the stone and the fear she would also get sucked in plagued you.

You made a rash, last minute decision.

“Get Viator!” Her eyes met yours “And take care of my staff!”

You let go and watched her horrified face as you were sucked into the winding wind.

It was terrifying, you had no idea what way was up and what way was down, left was right and right was left. Paimon was screaming, something you couldn’t hear in your throat crushing fear, curled into a ball and eyes shut tightly, hoping for it to end soon. If only you had your wings, if only Aether was here, if only...

“Ravaa” Your own whimpering could not be heard beyond the screaming of the wind, but you begged that the spirit still heard you. “Please, I’m scared”

A beat passed.

The wind still roared.

Another beat passed.

The screams of citizens still echoed through Mondstadt.

Then another.

And your eyes snapped open, glowing a brilliant white.

[buckys-forgotten-plum]

A Witchy Kinda Love

Pairing: Witch!Bucky x Witch!Reader (Magic!AU)

Prompt: The world you lived in was known to be full of magic and strange, otherworldly things... But you knew true love was just an old witch's tale even if your familiar insisted otherwise...

Warnings: swearing, fluff, Bucky in cute outfits, way too much italicization, and also this thing is long as fuck. (10,410 words...oopsies)

A/N: Okay this got wayyyy outta hand but who the fuck cares? not me. I would love to give a HUGE SHOUTOUT to @buckybarney​ who helped a lot in giving me the confidence and drive to finish this fic as well as @smutsonian​ who created this dope as mood board and also helped me edit a lil bit. You guys make me so happy and I love and appreciate you both so much<3

✸ ✴ ✦ 

✸ ✴ ✦ 

“Calcifer will you please come help me with this?” your exasperated voice could be heard from the balcony of your studio apartment as you struggled to balance the hoard of glass bottles in your arms. 

Not a moment later, a small fox came trotting onto the (very overgrown) terrace, “Ya know I have things to do too. I’m not your butler,” 

You scoffed at your familiar's grumbled complaint before handing him a couple bottles to hold in his mouth and wrap his tail around, “I know you’re not my butler Cal. But I got you that essence of toad the other day so the least you could do is help me organize my potion materials for a bit.” 

The fox let out a low growl and walked back into your small apartment while you followed behind him, “You know how hard it is for me to form opposable thumbs lady? It’s gonna take a lot more than essence of toad for me to comply,” 

You glared playfully at the fox before sighing and rolling your eyes, knowing exactly what the sly creature was trying to get you to do, “Calcifer if you want pheasant for dinner just ask,” 

There was no response, just the quiet clinking of bottles rolling to the floor as you and your partner began to sort through everything. You really need to start organizing your stuff better. Last week you mixed up your newt toes with skinks and almost blew up your home, so it’s safe to say that your clutter has hit a breaking point. You left Calcifer to sit on your frameless bed as he sorted your bottles to go back out onto your small terrace, breathing in the scent of all of your plants that had happily covered every inch they possibly could. You figured it was as good a time as any to harvest all the herbs you’d need for the month and bottle them up for safe keeping. Quietly humming to yourself, you went around plucking the healthiest looking leaves, sprigs, and sprouts you could find, setting each pile onto the antique writers desk you had put out there as a space for your potion making. 

“Hey Calcifer do you know where I put my Ever-Writing Quill?” You question, brows furrowing as you dig through the drawers of your desk. 

“You don’t remember? You sat on it last week and snapped it in half!” The fox’s response was followed by a string of cackles and snorts as he laughed to himself about your misfortune. 

You let out a loud groan of frustration, tilting your head to the sky and stomping your foot in a small childish fit. “Why didn’t you put it on my shopping list?” You ask, walking back inside to glare at the creature comfortably sitting on your bed. 

Calcifer smiled widely, his pointy teeth fully on show in a sly grin, “oopsies, my bad!” he raised what would be his paws but are now little hands due to his helpful transfiguration powers, and held them in an innocent shrug. 

You squint your eyes at the reynard but hold your tongue, shoving your feet into a pair of leather boots. “Come on, you’re coming with me to the market so I can get a new quill,” 

It didn’t take too long before you had gathered everything you needed, making sure to grab your sweater as the weather hadn’t gotten much warmer in the past months and you absolutely hated to be cold. It only took a stern glare and a threat to have salad for dinner to convince Calcifer to go with you. Though you didn’t miss the petty and painful nip to your calf as you walked out of your door and into the dank hallway of your apartment building. 

✸ ✴ ✦ 

The sky was colored a dark grey with intimidating clouds, blocking out any chance of sun or warmth as you walked down the streets of your small town. You passed by cute little shops and a restaurant or two as you made your way to the market. Your boots stomped loudly on the cobblestone walkway, echoed by the light clicking of Calcifier’s nails while he trotted beside you. 

Your town didn’t have many witches, but the non-magic residents were still fully supportive of you and all the other witches and warlocks that resided in the small rainy town of Adelaide. You had lived there for years and not once had you come in contact with what your community called “Salamers”, bigoted people who had hate filled vendettas against your kind. Many of your friends who had lived in bigger cities had told you about their horror stories involving bigoted people who had cursed (pun intended) and swore at them. Your friend Peter even told you about a man who had spit on him after finding out he was a witch. 

The thoughts of such hateful actions caused a crease in your brow to form and it didn’t leave until you were at the small stone entrance to Wanda’s Magickal Menagerie, the only entrance to the market for miles. It was one of your favourite things about the magical world. The outside looked like just another building with pretty stone walls and a worn wooden sign displaying the name, but to anyone with a high enough magical presence, it was an entrance to the biggest market in the wiccan world. Hundreds of vendors were beyond that door, hidden away to a different space and time by a carefully constructed spell performed by the most powerful witches in existence. 

You couldn’t help the excited pulse of your heart as you opened the door and stepped into what seemed like an entirely different universe. The hustle and bustle of busy shoppers instantly clouded your vision and ears. The air was warm and lighting low in the crowded alleyway that led to the entrance and exit of the marketplace. You took only a moment to get used to the different surroundings before setting off on your way to the real Wanda’s Magickal Menagerie. 

It only took a few steps before you heard the loud yip of pain from your familiar, instantly making you whip around to see what happened, “I hate it here, Y/n! Everyone steps on my tail, it smells weird, It’s dark, everything is all muted because apparently witches only like the color red and I’m colorblind-” 

“Alright ya baby c’mere,” you interrupted Cal’s whining, bending down and allowing him to jump up and wrap around your shoulders. 

“People have no respect for familiars, it’s so uncool,” he grumbled into your ear, resting his snout on the ridge of your shoulder. 

“I know, buddy. But you know how much I hate going out alone. I really appreciate you coming with me. When we’re done here we can go to the butcher and you can pick out what bird you want for tonight,” Your hand came up to softly scratch your friend behind his ear, soothing his nerves and continuing on your way to your final destination. 

It didn’t take long before you arrived at a small wooden hut, a modest sign with an address hanging out front for advertisement to passersby. You quickly approached the shop and pushed the door open, entering the cozy and familiar atmosphere of Wanda’s business. 

“Hey Y/n! Cally, hi baby!” Your entrance was met immediately with happy greetings from your long time friend. 

“Hey Wanda,” you and Calcifer greet in unison, smiles adorning both your faces. 

The red headed witch skipped towards you, wrapping you in a warm hug and lovingly petting the fox around your shoulders. “How’ve you guys been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” 

“We’ve been trying to declutter the apartment. Y/n’s become such a hoarder.” Calcifer blurts out, letting one of his signature cackles break free. 

“I am not! I’ve just been experimenting with my potions, so I have a lot more ingredients and supplies right now,” You hurriedly explain, not wanting to have your friend think of you as a crazy old witch with a hoarding problem. 

Wanda lets out a quiet giggle at the pair of friends in front of her, finding the relationship between you and your familiar adorable, “What brings you in today? Did you lose your monkey paw again?” 

You playfully roll your eyes at Wanda, “No, I uh... I broke my Ever-Writing Quill,” you admit, trying to fight the warmth that crept up your neck and cheeks. 

Wanda let out a quick burst of laughter before turning around and leading you through the many shelves and tables of her shop, “Come on, I just got a fresh shipment in,”

✸ ✴ ✦ 

“Thanks Wanda! I’ll see you and Vis for brunch on Sunday,” You smile and give your friend a kiss on the cheek goodbye before exiting her shop. 

“Alright Cal, is there anything else you need before we go? Do you want me to get you more fur oil? Are you good on that incense you like?” 

“Yeah I think I’m okay, at this point I just want food,” He grumbled, lifting his head up from your shoulder and sniffing the air. 

You nodded your head in understanding and began the trip back to where you first entered the marketplace. The walkways were absolutely packed; it was nearly impossible to keep from bumping into other shoppers. Calcifer could be heard grumbling profanities every time someone brushed or bumped against him. You couldn’t blame the poor creature, he was naturally anxious and didn’t like strangers, so making trips like these were never too fun for him. You were trying your best to avoid people, but luck was against you and as you were ducking out of the way of one man who looked exactly like Merlin, you ended up running right into someone else. 

You fell right to the floor, Calcifer tumbling from your shoulder and sliding a few feet away due to the force, “Ah! Calcifer? Cal are you okay?” 

“Shit! are you okay? I didn’t see you, I am so sorry,”

Ignoring the stranger above, you frantically look around for your lost friend and spot him a few feet away from you, curling up into a scared orange ball and shoving his snout under his hind leg to hide. You scramble over to him, scooping his small body into your arms and holding onto him tightly, “Oh Calcifer I’m so sorry! I should have never asked you to come with me, I know you hate it here and now look what happened,” 

You couldn’t help the stress induced tears that welled in your eyes as you pet the shaking fox in your arms, “I’m okay, Y/n. Just a little shaken,” His voice was quiet and you knew he wasn’t being completely honest but you knew getting out of the crowded place was more important at that point. 

A tall figure suddenly shadowed over you, making you cower out of instinct and scoot back a few paces, “Hey are you and your fox okay? Really, I didn’t see you. I should have been paying more attention, let me help you up,” A hand comes down offering to lift you from the dirty concrete. 

With one arm tightly holding onto Calcifer, you use your other hand to grab onto the strangers and lift yourself up. “Thanks,” You mumble out quickly, keeping your head down and immediately walking away, your mind completely focused on getting the hell out of these cursed alleyways. 

Once you had fallen out of the exit and back onto the cobblestone streets of Adelaide, you could finally take a deep breath. Leaning up against the cold stone wall near the entrance, you closed your eyes, sucking in the fresh air and gently petting the creature still firmly gripped in your arms. 

A choked cry escapes you suddenly, “I am so sorry Calcifer,” You absolutely hated that you had caused your friend such a terrible experience. He could’ve gotten hurt, someone could’ve stolen him away from you, the street was so crowded you would’ve never found him again! Calcifer would’ve never forgiven you! Might not even forgive you now! Just the thought of it- 

“Alright calm down kid... I’m perfectly fine. Paw hurts a little bit but, really, I’m okay,” the fox in your arms looked up at you, a small smile on his snout as he nuzzled into your hair. 

“Are you sure? I can take you to the vet-” Before you can continue to worry about the injured animal, a deep voice sounds from above you. 

“Uh hey...” 

You quickly wipe the tears from your cheeks and look up, eyes widening in surprise as you stare into steely iris’s that seemed to have a mission on copying the sky that day. “H-hello,” 

As you stared at the burly looking man in front of you, you couldn’t help but side eye his stature. Adorning all black with little glints of silver rings and buckles here and there, a few tiny scars marking his well-structured jaw and cheek bones, and good god those boots must be so heavy and-is that a metal hand peeking out from the long sleeve of his leather jacket?! This guy is too scary to be this attractive...

“I uh... I was the one to bump into you earlier. It’s totally my fault and I really didn’t mean for you to drop your fox like that-it’s just that my familiar took off and I just wasn’t paying attention and it seemed like a pretty bad fall and you were so focused on protecting your pet-” “He’s not a pet,” you spit out quickly, a stern glare etched into your features. 

“R-right, right sorry-I just-I was-I misspoke...” he trailed awkwardly, roughly dragging a hand through brunette hair and grimacing at his own failure to compose a sensible response. 

“Are you a witch?” you mumble out quietly, your glare softening into a more apprehensive, yet curious, stare. 

“Uh yeah, yeah I’m only entry level though. My friend Sam helped me get into the market so I could get a few things but then...ya know” 

You stood silently, not exactly sure of what this weirdo wanted from you. If he thought you were going to apologize he was very mistaken. What if he planned to rob you? To take Calcifer and run? The thought made your grip on the animal even more secure, if that were even possible. 

“Is your arm okay?” Worried eyes gazed down at your arm and the man took a small step forward. 

“What?” You try to flinch away from the soft grasp of his hand around your bicep, but only end up pushing yourself against the wall. 

The man inspected the inflamed scrape that burned a path along your forearm and up to your elbow, “That looks pretty bad doll, do you want some medicine? I think I might have a little with me. Hey Sibi!” 

“Holy shit!” A sharp intake of breath forced its way into your lungs as you saw a giant white wolf bound up to the man. Your breathing sped up, heartbeat following along with it as you gazed upon the giant beast. 

“Do you mind? I gotta get into my bag,” He asked gently, the wolf immediately turning to give him easy access to a large pack that was slung over her back, “Thanks Sibi, can you go find Sam? Tell him I’ll be a bit longer than expected,” The wolf let out a gruff noise of agreement and nodded it’s head before heading back through the magical entrance. 

The man turned back around and walked towards you once more. You didn’t flinch this time when he reached for your arm, careful to make sure you had a good grip on Cal before opening a bottle of light blue gel and tapping some out onto the palm of his hand, “My name is Bucky, by the way,” 

“Okay,” you mumble out awkwardly, your anxious nature getting the best of you and blocking any form of friendly communication to come across while Bucky covers your wound with the gel.

“Her name is Y/n, I’m Calcifer,” You stare down incredulously at the fox, not expecting him to introduce you to this stranger. 

Bucky smiled up at you and the fox, shiny white teeth on display, “Pretty name for a pretty girl,” 

The comment instantly made your face heat up in embarrassment. “Thank y-you...” 

Bucky straightened up after he was done dressing your wound, thankfully taking a step back to give you some space. Why wasn’t he leaving? Why did he care so much about some rando he ran into at the market? Maybe this was just a front to try and rob you...

“Well uh... I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed real spooked back there and I could tell you hurt your arm so I just wanted to check up on ya,” Bucky’s eyes shined brightly as he explained himself. A pink tint colored his cheeks and neck as he sheepishly stared down at the ground. 

His shy nature made your lips tilt into a small smile of your own and you couldn’t help thinking about how cute he looked like that, “thank you, that’s very kind,” you mumbled out.

There was a beat of silence as you and Bucky avoided each other's eye contact before a familiar patronizing voice interrupted, “Hey kid if you’re done flirtin’ with this guy can we go home? I’m starvin’ right now,” 

“Calcifer!” you scold immediately, the familiar burn of pure embarrassment instantly appearing across your face. 

Bucky, however, didn’t seem to be bothered by the fox’s comment and burst out into a fit of deep chuckles, running his metal hand through the long tresses of rich brown hair. 

“Your fox is cute,” 

The comment made Calcifer let out a gruff murmur of disagreement, making you join Bucky in his laughter, “Yeah, I’m really happy he chose to stay with me. Um... I should probably go. Cal hasn’t eaten since breakfast and I still need to go to the butcher-” “There’s a butcher in this town?” The pure curiosity on Bucky’s face made your smile grow that much more as he finally took in his surroundings. 

“Yeah, it’s about two blocks down from here, it’s Calcifer's favorite place,” You say, backing up a few steps to signal your exit. 

“A-alright! well, uh it was nice meeting you! Maybe I’ll see you around sometime?” The male witch fumbles with his words as he realizes the conversation is ending. 

“Sure, maybe,” you nod in agreement, fully turning around and beginning the walk towards your destination. 

As you walked away you couldn’t help but let the small smile on your face grow. What a dork he was... Almost as awkward as you were, the way he kept messing with his hair- ”He’s still lookin’ at ya... And what was all that stuff you were thinking about getting robbed? Why were you so fixated on gettin’ robbed?” 

“Calcifer for christ’s sake!” Your voice was filled with exasperation, rolling your eyes at the familiar's comments and ignoring the fact that the cute witch was still watching you walk away.

“Are you seriously thinking about how him staring at you is cute? Humans are so weird...” 

“Stop reading my thoughts you creep!” 

✸ ✴ ✦ 

A groan echoed throughout your apartment as a streak of the bright morning sun landed on your eyes and woke you from your slumber. Clapping a hand down onto your eyes to block the light, you roughly slide it down in hopes of wiping the fatigue that plagued you. Slowly but surely, you untangled yourself from your sheets, stretching your waking limbs and yawning with an over dramatic sound. You blindly felt around for your phone that was lying on the floor directly by your mattress. Once you located the small device, you tapped it on and read the time. 10:47 am, Sunday...Fantastic. 

You laid on your mattress for a bit, unaware of anything but your tired bones. The only reason you didn’t fall back asleep right then and there was the light buzz that came from your phone. You lazily picked it back up and stared at the too bright screen, taking a moment to comprehend the text that popped up on your home screen. 

Wanda Maxi: Hey! Are you on your way?

What? On my way...

“OH FUCK” You bolt out of bed, slipping on part of your sheet that was draped onto your wooden flooring and almost face planting. 

“Calcifer wake up we gotta have brunch with Wanda and Vis!” you scream out to nothing specific, unaware of where your familiar was. 

As quickly as possible, you gathered an outfit, shoved a toothbrush into your mouth to brush it a little too harshly, got your hair ready, and threw your clothes on. It’s not until you’re almost done getting ready before you see the bright fox bolt in from the balcony, “How could you forget about brunch? This happens every week for fucks sake!” 

“This isn’t entirely my fault! You knew about it too!” you argue while lathering deodorant onto your underarms, already sweating from the stress of the situation. 

“I’m a fox! You think I keep alarms?” he yells back at you, not bothering to stop and look at you as he gathers your things while you hurriedly tried to shove your foot into a shoe. 

Once your shoes were on and Calcifer had given you everything you’d need, you ran to your door and swung it open, “You wanna run with me or do you want me to carry you?” 

“Oh please you can barely run by yourself. You couldn’t handle the weight,” Calcifer scoffs, running between your legs and out of the apartment. 

You immediately lock your door and run after him, “So rude...” you huff to yourself and catch up to the fox. 

✸ ✴ ✦

It only took you about five minutes to sprint across town and make it to the small clay cottage that your friends had lived in for years now. The mossy dark brown Terracotta roof and grey wooden door that had ivy vining in and out of it gave a lovely natural look to the house and you couldn’t help but admire the wonderful home the couple had built. 

Calcifer’s quiet pants mixed with your wheezing as you stumbled up to the door and knocked loudly to signal your arrival. The door swung open, revealing a smirking Wanda. 

“You woke up late again didn’t you?” 

Still catching your breath, you nodded and followed her into her home. Wanda looked gorgeous, as always, wearing a light and flowing yellow sundress with matching shoes and a pretty white ribbon that was tied into her hair. 

“I’m so sorry Wanda, neither of us set an alarm,” you breathed out, following her towards the kitchen. 

“It’s okay sweetie, we didn’t have to wait or anything, all of us were busy talking about the latest man who was admitted into the Grand Council,” she smiled back at you, warm eyes shining from the sunlight that was coming through the glass doors that led to their garden. 

You tilt your head in confusion when you realize her phrasing, “All of us?” 

Wanda gently put a fist to her temple, her face twisting into a slight grimace, “I’m sorry sweetie I completely forgot to mention I invited some friends today! Don’t worry, they’re both great and I’m sure you’ll get along just fine,” 

You nod your head hesitantly, not entirely believing your friend. You wondered who she had invited... Many times over Wanda and Vision have told stories about their old friends who they had met throughout their lives. From your understanding, they had built a wonderful family together and had helped and cared for each other for years so you had no doubt they would be friendly. 

Before you had time to voice whatever worries you had, you were interrupted by the fall of multiple pairs of footsteps. It didn’t take long for three men to walk into the room, all talking enthusiastically over each other. You automatically recognized the slim man walking over to Wanda as Vision, his bright eyes greeting you as he wrapped his arms around Wanda’s slim waist. 

You turn to the other two guests and are unable to hold in an audible gasp when you recognize one of them. Those chilling eyes copied yours as they widened to an almost comical size. 

“Y/n...” The sound of your name coming from his full, pink lips made your hands clam up. 

He was dressed much more formal today with a navy blue sweater over a button up shirt, dark jeans and the cutest wing-tipped shoes you’d ever seen. He looked like he had just gotten out of church with his grandmother. 

“H-hello..” you mutter back, a heavy cloud of confusion and stress surrounding itself around you. 

“Oh...Do you-do you guys know each other already?” Wanda tilts her head a curious finger flickering between the two of you as her squinting eyes try to find the connection. 

Bucky glances at you, then Wanda, then back at you, as if to ask the question of who would be telling the tale of your meeting. You however settled for staring up at the ceiling, handing that responsibility off to Bucky. 

“We um, bumped into each other at the market the other day,” his answer comes after a slight moment of hesitation. 

You held back a scoff at his choice of words... More like you ran over me and almost killed my familiar. 

“Oh great! So then you’ll only have to meet Sam,” Wanda smiles and gestures to the stranger who had refrained from speaking up until now. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sam Wilson,” he greets you with a bright smile, a charming gap between his two front teeth and a warm glow emanating from rich brown eyes that winked mischievously. 

He was quite handsome and his automatic charm caused the fog of awkward shyness to thicken in your mind, “Nice to meet you too,” you smile politely and shove your hand out for him to shake. 

A deep chuckle sounds from within his muscular chest as he grasps your hand and gives a firm shake. You quickly tell him your name before stepping back and allowing a new conversation to start. It was hard to focus on what everyone was saying as you felt the obvious gaze of Bucky peering at you from across the kitchen. You found the best way to keep yourself from staring back at him was to focus on the small amount of dirt that you could see hidden underneath your nails. You really needed to get them done again... Although it gets pretty difficult to achieve correct measurements with the long pointy acrylics that seem to be your go-to choice. 

“I dunno man, I just have really bad vibes about that Pierce guy... Steve agrees with me,” Sam’s comment brings you back to the conversation which you had apparently zoned out of. 

“Where is Steven? I thought he said he would be able to attend today?” Vision, always the formal talker, had a questioning glint to his eyes as he switched his focus from Sam to Bucky, then back. 

“Liberty wasn’t feeling too good so he had to take her to a vet,” Bucky was the one to answer.

“Liberty?” a questioning tilt to your head signals your confusion.

Bucky smiles at you before answering, “Yeah, she’s Steve’s pet. Super cute golden retriever that he picked up at the pound a couple years back,”

“Oh... Is he not a witch like you guys?” it surprised you that there was someone amongst their group that wasn’t practicing magic. 

Bucky subconsciously takes a step towards you, his body language changing to signal he was now solely focused on you, “Yeah he tried a few years ago but, it didn’t really go too well,” 

As Bucky answered he held up his metal prosthetic and wiggled his fingers, “Are you serious?! Your friend did that to you?” you gasp in shock, your eyes widening in amazement as you reach out to touch his arm without thinking. 

The metal was smooth and you were so enamored by the new information as well as the mechanical appendage that you failed to notice how tense Bucky got and how multiple pairs of eyes were staring at you. Your fingertips gently ran over the cool ridges of metal sections, “Wow... Did he turn your arm metal or did... did something else happen?” you glance between pretty blue eyes and steely metal. 

Bucky slowly reaches his arm out so you have a better view of what it’s like, “Actually that was kind of a joke,” he stutters, an awkward smile gracing his lips, “The real story is way more depressing,” he mumbles.

You halt your movements and stare up at him, the familiar yet heavy weight of embarrassment settling itself deep within your chest, “O-oh... I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to overstep-” You pull your hands away, folding them tightly against your chest. 

“No it’s okay! Really I’ve had a lot worse interactions,” he chuckles and reassures you once again that you didn’t overstep any boundaries. 

You nod in understanding but inevitably go back into your default of shy silence. Bucky stares down at you with a kind smile in hopes of making you feel a little less like an ass. It doesn’t work. 

After a few moments of deafening silence, Wanda makes a move over to the oven, “Alright everyone, quiche time!” 

“Aren’t you vegan?” Bucky mumbles, walking over to the table and preparing to sit down. As Wanda gives her response and mentions the fake eggs she found at the market, you walk over to the table as well. Bucky pulls out the seat closest to you and gives you a reassuring nod. You give a thankful smile and sit down, allowing him to help you push it back towards the table. 

“Thank you,” your quiet voice has Bucky grinning as he sits down next to you.

“Of course, doll” 

Brunch goes off without any more awkward spells and with the help of Wanda’s amazing skills in the kitchen, you begin to feel yourself relax with each bite you take. The afternoon goes on with the others telling you about how they met, silly stories about their friendly adventures, and at some point the conversation turned to you and what it had been like growing up a witch. It was a unique characteristic that none of your friends, new or old, had experienced. 

“Well, my dad is the one who originally got me into it... He was an aura reader like Wanda, and my mom focused more on spell casting and potions,” a warm grin on your lips signal the fondness your memories bring as you tell about your childhood, everyone was completely invested. 

“especially Bucky” Calcifer pointed out silently, giving you a knowing smirk from where he sat on the floor next to you. 

oh fuck off you stupid fox

✸ ✴ ✦ 

With full stomachs and a few full containers of leftovers, you, Sam, and Bucky stood gathered outside of Wanda’s front door as you all belted out a chorus of goodbye’s and excellent days. 

“It was really nice meeting you Y/n, make sure to keep in touch! I’ll be waiting for a carrier owl,” Sam winks at you as he begins to walk down the path towards the sidewalk, effectively leaving you and Bucky by yourselves. 

“He didn’t even let me say goodbye back...” you mumble out, staring at the confident figure that now waited at the property line by a pretty bush of hydrangeas. 

“Yeah... He’s weird like that,” Bucky agrees, glancing at his friend before fully turning his attention to you, “um so I’ve been meaning to maybe like... um maybe get your contact info? I just... I was maybe thinking we could grab like, tea or something sometime?”

As you take in Bucky’s words, you can’t help but notice the awkward and anxious movements he had started, reminding you of the first day you had met him. It made your lips twitch up just slightly. 

“Oh? like, my phone number?” the dumb answer almost had you on your knees with how hard you cringed. 

Bucky let out a breathy chuckle, “Uh yeah, yeah or like maybe an address? Or ugh that’s probably too personal-” “No! no it’s um it’s not,” you answer a little too quickly, discreetly pinching the skin on the back of your hand as punishment for your blatant lack of social skills. 

After a quick beat of neither of you knowing what to do, you finally speak back up, “You could come over tomorrow if you’d like,” 

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why would he want to come over so- “Yeah I’d love to!” Bucky answers enthusiastically, pulling his phone out from his back pocket and holding it out to you, “Just give me your number and I'll text you, we can figure out the details later, K?” 

You gingerly take the smartphone in your hands and type in your number, forgetting to put a name in for yourself before handing it back to him. Bucky’s hand slightly brushes yours as he takes it back and you’re too busy focusing on the lingering feeling on your hand that you miss the cheeky grin on Bucky’s face as he types in a contact name. 

“Hey tin soldier! You ready yet?” Sam’s smooth voice has you turning around with a start at his unexpected call. 

Bucky nods towards his friend, waving him off and turning back to you, “So I’ll uh, see you tomorrow,” 

“Tomorrow,” You confirm with a nod of your own.

Bucky’s smile grows tenfold and he takes a small step towards you, hesitating for only a moment before he leans in and gives a chaste kiss to the apple of your cheek. He doesn’t wait around to see your reaction, jogging over to Sam and slapping him on the shoulder before walking off down the cobblestone streets. 

Standing with your eyes the size of the moon and your face as hot as the goddamn sun, you don’t fail to catch the string of comments that your sleazy little fox makes. 

“Oh Bucky please just take me away! I’m too shy and socially inept to even speak to you properly, please I just love you sooooo much!” Calcifer’s high pitched mocking made your blood boil as he wheezed with laughter. 

“Shut up you stupid fox!” you yell at him, hooking your foot underneath his belly and pushing up and forward to flip him on his side. 

The reynard continued to cackle hysterically as you walked away from him. You could hear the broken comments he made as Calcifer continued to berate you on the bumpy interactions you always seemed to have with the handsome witch. 

“You’re sleeping outside tonight!” you call back to him, a smug tilt to your lips.

The laughing stopped immediately and was replaced by the clicking of little nails on mossy stone. 

✸ ✴ ✦ 

Calcifer’s eyes were glued to your figure as you made a mad dash around your apartment to make sure everything was clean and properly put away. Your socks allowed you to slide across the wooden floors as you shoved the rest of your freshly cleaned towels into a closet and slam it shut. Quickly turning the other way to sprint then slide the rest of the way to your little kitchenette where an almost comically small oven bakes banana nut muffins. 

“You are a nervous wreck right now kid,” Cal points out, a hint of worry in his mostly humorous tone. 

You look over at him, cringing at the realization that, yeah, you probably do look like a nervous wreck...

“It’s just that... No one has been over in a while and the last person that did come over was Wanda and I know she doesn’t care all that much about my tidiness so it was okay but I have no clue as to how Bucky is going to react and it's not like I don’t want to impress him, I mean I don’t need to impress him like my life doesn’t depend on what he thinks but,” “Christ’s sake kid-” “I mean for gods sake my bed is on the floor! He’ll probably think I’m some broke slob who-” Knock Knock 

“Oh my gods,” you whisper scream, no doubt did your aura radiate pure panic...

You shuffle over to the door, shoving your face up against it to look through the peephole and make sure it was the only person you were expecting. Taking a deep breath, you try and center yourself, then open the door. 

“Good morning, Bucky!” you greet, a bright smile on your face as you take in your guest’s appearance. 

Bucky is looking extra handsome today as he wears a dark grey cardigan over a white shirt, dark fitted jeans and, to your extreme surprise, black Converse.

“Hey, Doll” he smiles back softly at you, quickly taking in your simple outfit of a cute yellow crop top and black shorts, “T-these are for you,”  he mutters quickly and pulls a pretty bouquet of wildflowers out from behind his back. 

You beam at the thoughtful gesture and Calcifer doesn’t miss the sense of pride that Bucky gives off at your excited reaction, “Wow, Bucky these are so cute! I love them, thank you very much,” gingerly taking the bundle of fragrant colors, you invite your guest inside and immediately go to your kitchenette to find a receptacle for them.  

Once you find a nice little vase to put them in you spin back around to find Bucky looking around your small apartment, “Um...It’s not much-but the rent is really good and since it’s just me and Cal it works out pretty nice. If you aren’t comfortable we can always-” “I love it, Y/n. It’s really... you,” he glances back towards you, the look in his eyes warming you from deep within your chest. 

“Hey, tin man” the both of you jump slightly as Calcifer interrupts the thoughtful interaction. 

Bucky crouches down and reaches his hand out to the fox, “Hey... Nice to see you again Calcifer” 

“Where’s your dog?” completely ignoring Bucky’s polite greeting, Calcifer passes by him. 

“Oh uh... Sibi is still in training so I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to bring her into someone else’s home just yet,” the man answers awkwardly, dropping his hand and standing back up to his full height. 

Calcifer be nice you little skeez.

I’m just tryin’ get to know the guy, alright? 

You roll your eyes at the red animal and tell him to go onto the balcony. He thankfully listens, giving you and Bucky some privacy. 

“Sorry about him... He can be a little difficult sometimes,” you apologize quickly, nervously rubbing your clammy hands on the front of your shorts. 

Bucky chuckles and shakes his head, “It’s alright, I understand,” 

You give a questioning look at his phrasing and he quickly moves to elaborate, “Well, uh I guess-Ya know- since you guys are really close... I can understand why he would be protective because um, well since I’m like I’m trying to-” “Trying to what?” 

Bucky’s face was beet red as he tried and failed to explain himself to you, who had absolutely no idea what he was going on about, “In any case, I’m sure he’ll warm up to you soon,” you smile warmly at him and turn towards your oven. 

The embarrassed man watches as you take out the piping hot tray of muffins and set them out on the counter to cool. His stomach growls low as the deliciously sweet smell hits his nostrils. 

“How about we go sit down while those cool off?” you suggest and lead Bucky over to the small sofa that sat against the only free wall. 

You tuck yourself into one corner, folding your legs so they were pressed against your chest as you tried to give Buck as much room as possible. It was quite adorable to see the tall, beefy guy try and squeeze himself onto your small couch. A quiet laugh escapes you and he glances towards you, his cheeks tinged pink, “Guess M’not really made for studio apartment sized things,” he chuckles. 

Glad to see he isn’t upset about the cramped seating arrangement, you relax a little bit and start asking Bucky about his life. The two of you fall into easy conversation, talking about your childhood, past and current friends, how Bucky got into magic, your familiars and anything else that came to your minds. 

By the time there was a slight lull in conversation, it was already mid afternoon and you couldn’t help the growls that sounded from your stomach. 

“Um, do you want me to make us some lunch? I have like, sandwich stuff or mac n cheese?” you ask, swinging your legs off the couch and standing up to stretch. 

“Yeah that sounds good, you want me to help?” Bucky follows your movements and you shake your head. 

“S’okay, if you want you can go onto the balcony and I’ll be right out,” You smile up at him, turning to your little kitchen and focusing on making lunch. 

Bucky makes his way out onto your balcony covered in vining plants and hanging bottles filled with god knows what. Calcifer was asleep on a slightly rusted chair in the corner, his tail and legs curled into his body, making him look like a furry ball of orange. Bucky had never seen a work space quite like it. Sam was more of a trader so there wasn’t much potion making in the home they shared together. As he stared in wonder at all of the bottles covering the antique desk and a good part of the floor, curiosity got the best of him and Bucky couldn’t help but to start picking them up and exploring what was inside. 

Most of the bottles were labelled so he didn’t need to worry about those ones, the curious man was more interested in the unmarked ones. Popping off the cork to a green glass bottle filled with a powder, he brought his nose up to sniff and immediately gagged at the overpowering scent. 

“What is that?” he grumbled quietly to himself, closing that one and picking up a new one. 

This bottle did in fact have a label, but it was chicken scratch and for the life of him, Bucky couldn’t tell what the hell it meant as he picked up the murky glass bottle filled with what seemed to be a bright purple fog and opened it, taking in a quick whiff. 

Almost immediately Bucky felt the effects of the mystery potion and he had to steady himself on the desk so he wouldn’t fall over. Blinking a few times, he gathered his wits and slowly stood straight up. 

“Whaaat are you doing?” Your curious voice from the sliding door made Bucky jump and spin around, hiding the bottle behind his back. 

Your eyes quickly shift from the chilling blue irises of your guest to the suspicious amount of movement happening behind his large frame. Bucky lets out a quick scoff before answering, “What? Nothing, just checkin stuff out ya know,” 

His poor attempt at a casual demeanor was lost on you and it was quite evident in the suspicious squint of your eyes as you continued to stare at the man in front of you. 

“Which bottle did you sniff?” you ask flatly, sticking your hand out expectantly, the other hand making its way onto your hip.

“I-I didn’t sniff any bottle,” Bucky mutters out, metal hand going up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.

You waited only a moment before he spoke again, seemingly unable to hold back his comment, “That’s a lie I sniffed this bottle,”

He immediately took a bottle out from behind his back and placed it in your still awaiting palm. You knew what it was as soon as you saw the color of the substance inside and began to laugh. It was the hardest you had laughed all day and the resounding noise of your joyous fit surely made its way down to the cobblestone streets below. Your right hand left its initial place on your hip and placed itself over the left side of your chest as you bent over to steady yourself. 

“Y-you just inhaled a shit ton of Truth-Be-Told Smoke” You cackled out loudly. 

Bucky, though entirely confused, couldn’t help the smile that painted itself onto his pink lips as he stared at your beautiful figure shaking from the prettiest laughing fit he had ever heard, “Your laugh is really pretty,” he blurted out, immediately slapping his hand over his mouth afterwards. 

The compliment startled you enough to calm your laughter and straighten your posture back out, “Thank you, Buck. So I’m just gonna assume you’re wondering what’s happening right now,” He answered you by quickly nodding his head.

You giggled and continued on, “Basically, this stuff is used mainly as a partial ingredient in other potions, but by itself, especially undiluted, it’s a high performing truth serum. You won’t be able to say anything except for what comes to your mind for quite some time,” 

“That makes me really nervous,” Bucky’s voice sounds strained as the hand that was covering his mouth moves to wipe down his face in stress.

“Well don’t go sniffin’ a girl’s potions next time!” you giggle out, walking over to return the potion to its proper place. 

“You smell really good,” before you have a chance to react bucky groans in frustration, “Fuck I am so sorry,” 

A light laugh escapes your lips and you look up at Bucky’s grimacing face, “It’s okay, I don’t mind. Plus it’s nice to know I made the right decision on what body wash to buy,” 

You motion Bucky to follow you back inside, ensuring there would be no more accidental roofying. Two sandwiches sit side by side on the small sofa, a little pile of chips next to each one. 

“This is really kind of you, Y/n” Bucky smiles, lifting up both plates of food and waiting for you to get comfy next to him before handing you one. 

“It’s no problem Bucky, you’re my friend now and-” “I don't want to be your friend,” he bursts out, making you frown.

Bucky quickly fixes his mistake, “No sorry- I uhm- I misspoke I-I don’t want to just be your friend.” another grimace makes its way onto his face, “That’s embarrassing for me to say, I’m embarrassed,” 

If you weren’t already sweating nervously, you were now. Clammy hands grip at the paper plate on your lap as you try and will your face to extinguish the fire that has engulfed it. “B-Bucky, I um…” 

“I’m sorry I said that… It probably makes you never want to see me again,” Bucky mutters out, anxiously playing with the small pile of potato chips.

“Actually…” you begin, taking a deep breath and continuing, “It doesn’t bother me at all,”

Bucky lets out a long breath of air, “Holy shit really? That’s fucking awesome because I wasn’t gonna tell ya that today but then I smelt that thing and I’m sweating real bad right now with how nervous I am-I should not have said that, but now that you said what you just said-” 

You put your hand up, signaling for the witch to stop his word vomit and laughed, “Bucky you don’t need to worry… Honestly, I am just as nervous as you,” 

Maybe it was because of the state Bucky was currently in, maybe it was because of something completely unrelated, but it made you feel brave enough to admit more than what you would’ve ever imagined. Bucky somehow willed himself into eating his sandwich, stopping every once in a while to blurt out a random compliment about you, the food, your apartment, anything. He even complimented how adorable it was that your mattress was on the floor, saying it just made everything feel so much comfier and he wished his apartment was like this. You took the comments in stride on the outside, though on the inside you were dying out of embarrassment. No one had ever said such nice things about you, and to the volume that Bucky was going, even if it was against his will, it still shocked you a bit.

By the time you were both done eating, the effects of the smoke seemed to slow down a bit, which allowed the nervous man beside you to withhold all of his thoughts, though it did keep him from lying still. As you stood to clean up the plates and napkins used during lunch, Bucky mimicked you, following you to the kitchen. 

“Today was really nice Bucky...Thank you for coming over,” you smile up at the tall man beside you and try not to swoon when he returns the warm smile.

There wasn’t a beat of hesitation before Bucky responded, “It was my pleasure, sweetheart,”

The term of endearment had your face aflame, something that has become a recurring struggle whenever you were around Bucky and his stupid compliments that always got to you. 

“Ya know, you’re quite the sweet talker when there’s nothing holding you back,” you tease playfully, making Bucky let out a quick bark of laughter. 

“Was I not a sweet talker before? I must have had some kinda skill since ya let me spend the whole day here,” a sly smirk is pulling at the corners of his lips as Bucky leans down closer to you in a mocking way.

You roll your eyes and put a hand to his shoulder, effectively pushing him away and giving yourself some much needed space. If you didn’t breathe properly soon, you were gonna pass out.

Bucky stayed at your place for a bit longer until he got a text from Sam saying that Sibi was getting anxious and that she missed him. You couldn’t help the grin that made its way onto your face when he explained why he had to leave, thinking it was absolutely adorable that Bucky was the only one who was able to calm that gigantic wolf. When it was time for him to go, it became a waiting game of who was going to initiate the final goodbye. 

Standing by your front door, leaning on the trim, you stared into the piercing blue eyes of the man opposite of you, completely unsure of what to say. In all honesty, you didn’t think it’d go this well. For Bucky to spend the entire day cramped up in your apartment with you, eating snacks and joking around as if you had known each other for years… It shocked you a bit when you truly thought about it. 

Bucky sighed, leaning against the opposite frame of the door as he stared back down at you, “So…” a nervous hand came up to subconsciously tangle into the hairs on the nape of his neck, the Truth Be Told must be wearing off, “I um… Today was really great,”

You nod your head in agreement, “Yeah it uh-it was,” your fingers begin to tangle and pull at each other. 

“Do you...Maybe wanna...Do it again? Soon?” he mumbles out, breaking eye contact as he begins to focus on his shoes. 

A little pinch to the back of your hand ensures that what you just heard was real and you nod, “yes, that’d be awesome! I um… Whenever you’re free of course,” 

Y/n and Tin Man sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

You quickly turn around to see Calcifer prancing in a circle in the middle of your apartment, a sly grin on his face. 

Gods what are you Five? Shut up you stupid fox! I’m gonna throw you off the balcony!

“Doll? You okay?” Bucky chuckles lightly as he sees your face scrunched up into a cute little scowl that makes him want to squish your face between his hands. 

Calcifer's annoying cackles were heard echoing in your apartment as you turned back around to face Bucky, “Yeah, yeah no I’m good… You were saying?” 

“Just that I was free on Thursday, if you maybe wanted to get coffee with me… But it’s really no big deal if you don’t want to, I would understa-” “No! Er-I mean yes! Yes. I would love to get coffee with you on Thursday,” You cringe at your awkward response and bite the inside of your lip to keep yourself from screaming in embarrassment. 

The bright smile on Bucky’s face grounds you a little bit and gives you the courage to meet his pretty blue irises, “So Doll, I uh was thinking-” Before he can finish his thought, Bucky’s phone pings loudly, making you jump a little, “Sorry” He murmurs.

Snatching it from the pocket of his jeans, Bucky takes a look then immediately lets out a quiet sigh, “That’s Sam, I really gotta go,” 

Trying not to let the disappointment show, you nod your head and straighten up, silently wishing he could stay longer, “Okay...Um I’ll see you on Thursday then…” 

Bucky’s head tilts to the left as he considers your shy demeanor and he can’t help but reach out with his right hand and lightly grasps yours, “I’ll see you on Thursday, pretty girl,” 

You suck in a breath, feeling Bucky lightly tug on your hand and willingly following his lead. Taking a tiny step forward, which was really all you could take with how close the two of you were all ready, the breath your holding tightens in your chest as Bucky leans down closer to you. You could feel the warmth of his breath on your cheek, the brush of his long eyelashes ghosting over your temples, and the light squeeze on your wrist from his large hand. Bucky’s lips were soft as they pressed against the corner of your mouth in a light kiss that made you feel like you were in the clouds.

It didn’t last as long as you’d like and once he pulled away, you were able to let out the painful breath that stayed in your lungs for way too long. Bucky gave a quick wave before backing up a few paces, turning around, and walked the rest of the way down the hall. Leaving you to stand there breathless with the lingering feeling of his soft touches. 

“You two are gross,” The floaty feeling that had fallen over you evaporated as you heard the familiar’s voice from behind you. 

“I’m gonna hit you so hard,” You yell over your shoulder, turning around and slamming the door behind you. You pick up a slipper by your door and make your way over to the cackling fox. 

“W-wait wait! OW” 

“Stupid fox”

✸ ✴ ✦ 

-3 Months Later-

“Steve c’mon, stop interrogating my girl and come help set the tent up!” Steve turns his attention from you to his best friend, a smile on his face as he gets up to help Bucky set up the large canvas tent. 

“We will continue this later,” the blonde says pointedly before leaving you by yourself at the wooden picnic table. 

It had only been a little over three months since you had met Bucky Barnes, exactly two since he had worked up the courage to officially ask you to be “his girl” as he put it, and two hours since you had properly met Steven Rogers. How you had gone so long without meeting Bucky’s platonic other half was beyond you, but apparently the guy was a busy bee, and since your little potion shop out of your apartment had taken off, you didn’t exactly have much free time on your hands either. Fortunately, with a little luck and a lot of asking around for favors and covers for work, You, Bucky, Steve, Sam, Wanda, Vis, and all of your respective animals were able to take a long weekend to go camping. 

“Are you guys ready to eat? These sandwiches won’t keep for much longer,” Wanda stands up from the green metal cooler, hands full of deli sandwiches that she had made for the trip. 

A chorus of agreeance sounded across the cozy little site you had booked as you all gathered around the redhead. Bucky came up beside you, wrapping his metal arm around your waist and placing a soft kiss to the crown of your hair. 

“You excited for the weekend, doll?” he murmurs into your hair sweetly before placing a few more kisses there. 

You laugh lightly at his endearing behavior and smile up at him, “Of course I am Buck. I may never get the chance to spend this much time outside of my apartment again,” you joke, leaning up on your tiptoes to kiss your boyfriend on the sharp line of his jaw. 

After everyone had gotten a sandwich, along with whatever they wanted to drink or eat with it, you all squeezed onto the benches of the picnic table and began to chow down. Everyone talked animatedly about what the plans were for the rest of the weekend. Swimming, fishing, “Building a bomb ass fire” as Sam gracefully put it, all of it sounded like a blast to you. If you were being honest, you were just excited to be out of your apartment for more than a few hours at a time. 

“So, you’re a potion maker huh?” Steve asks, mouth half full of potato chips. 

Bucky lets out a groan and rolls his eyes, “Stevie let the girl breathe for fucks sake,” 

The group laughs at Bucky’s annoyance, but then looks at you, “Well, uh yeah… I um was taught at a young age, so it’s something I’m really good at and I know it’s not the best job or anything-” ''It’s an awesome job, kid. I think you’re doing real good. Our own little entrepreneurial witch!” Sam interrupts your babbling, a bright smile on his face as he pats your back just a little too forcefully.

“I mean… I’m not a witch so I obviously don’t really get it like everyone else does, but you seem to be doing really well,” Steve assures you, sending a sense of pride into your chest. 

You had managed to impress Steve Rogers… Not bad, Y/n.

The guy is actin’ like he’s Tin Man's father… The hell is that about?

You turn your head over to where Calcifer is curled up on a dark blue camping chair, bright yellow eyes trained on the blonde man who was still stuffing his mouth with food. 

Calcifer they’ve been friends for ages, it’s normal.

The fox lets out a quiet snuff in response before getting up from the chair and trotting over to the table. 

“Cal do you want some of my turkey?” Bucky asks, taking a few pieces of turkey from his sandwich and setting it beside him on the table. 

Calcifer doesn’t answer, just hops up on the bench and silently eats the portion of meat. It’s taken a while for Calcifer to warm up to Bucky… And though progress if few and far between, the two have definitely gotten closer in the past couple of weeks. The biggest issue at first was how crazy Sibi acted around other familiars, but after a while and a good amount of training from you and Bucky, the hyperactive wolf finally settled and was on track to be a wonderful helper for her witch in training. 

“So… Do you guys have any plans of moving in together soon?” Wanda hesitates as she not so sneakily takes a chip from Vis’s plate. 

You and Bucky look to each other for only a moment before responding, “We’ve been looking at places to go. It’s hard cause we wanna stay in Adelaide but without buyin’ a whole house, there aren’t many options for apartments,” Bucky explains, a small shrug to his shoulders. 

“And there’s no way all four of us could fit in my apartment,” you add, copying Bucky’s shrug. 

Neither of you were in too much of a hurry to find a place of your own, as you were both content in the homes you were in now. The idea of living with Bucky was quite appealing but you knew the more realistic thing to do would be to wait, save, and research to make sure you both lived in a comfortable environment. 

“You guys are so cute it makes me wanna die! Who knew you’d be the ultimate witchy power couple?” Wanda’s swooning caused you to laugh a little as Vision looked at her with mock hurt in his eyes as if to say ‘what are we then?’

Before anyone had a chance to add on, an unexpected voice responded, “I did,” 

Your laughter immediately ceased and your attention snapped over to the other side of Bucky’s large frame. Calcifer sat proudly on his haunches as he gazed back at your shocked face. 

“W-what do you mean you knew?” Bucky stuttered, equally as shocked as you were. 

“I just knew. From the first day you guys met, it was obvious it was that true love bullshit you humans talk about,” the fox brushes off both yours and Bucky’s shock as if it was nothing. 

The rest of the group laughs as the pair of you stutter out broken objections to Calcifer’s claim, “A-are you kidding me Cal? That stuff is like… a myth or something,” 

“Yeah, I mean I’m in love with Y/n n’ all but-” “You’re in love with me?” 

All of the banter around the table halts as five pairs of eyes stare at a now tomato faced Bucky Barnes. “U-um, yes. Yeah-I um, yeah I’m in love with you…” Bucky’s voice is quiet and you’re not sure if he actually said what you heard, but that thought is soon wiped from your mind as an eruption of cheers sounds from your friends. 

A grin makes its way onto your face as you stare up at those pretty blue eyes that you really never got tired of looking at, and you can’t help but bring your hand up to run along the stubble of Bucky’s jaw, “I’m in love with you, Buck” 

Bucky lets out a sigh of relief and immediately leans down to press his lips against yours in a passionate kiss, both of his large hands framing each side of your face to pull you closer to him. 

“Told ya so” 

“Shut up you stupid fox!”

[my-soul-sings]

This Is Everything I Never Wanted: Chapter 2

Fandom: Wannabe Challenge Characters: Everyone! Mainly Taehee VS. Yooha (but not TaeheexYooha)

Summary: An alternative account of events in which Taehee was the one who summoned Yooha from the scroll instead of MC. 

Read on AO3!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

***

As expected, the rest were shocked to wake up to seeing a strange man in the living room. Yooha didn’t seem too bothered; in fact, he appeared to enjoy the attention and seeing them all get flustered. 

The explanation that Taehee offered (because he doubted the scroll-man possessed enough tact to phrase things properly) was of course, difficult for them to swallow. 

Hansol’s outbursts were the loudest, although he seemed to accept the story quite easily. There really wasn’t any other way to make sense of things.

Biho kept quiet, as usual, only raising the occasional question here and there. Yooha answered him smoothly enough, so his furrowed brow indicated that his worries weren’t entirely assuaged. 

MC was the most perplexed out of the three. Understandable, considering she was the only human here. Even the three goblins had a hard time digesting this much information all at once, let alone MC. But Taehee couldn’t help the rather inappropriate thought that crept into his mind as he watched her frown, struggling to form a coherent response to all this:

She’s beautiful.

“So let me get this straight,” she started, her voice hushing everyone else in the room. “You came out of that painting because Taehee accidentally summoned you by calling your name, which is Yooha. And... you’re a seonho... which means what, exactly?”

"Special beings who are born with an ability to use magic. We’re different from ordinary foxes,” the silver-haired man replied breezily with a proud smile. “Bet you haven’t met one before, little lady.”

“The name’s MC,” she shot back, clearly not appreciating the nickname. Taehee couldn’t help but smirk at her response, feeling an odd sense of victory. “Wait. Did you just say you’re a... fox?”

“A fox who can speak and look like a human after 500 years of training,” Taehee added, although it didn’t seem to alleviate her confusion. 

“Is that so surprising?” Yooha remarked, before pursing his lips in thought. "Should I show you?”

“Show me what?” MC asked, just as a soft white glow began to engulf the man. Taehee braced himself, taking MC’s wrist and pulling her behind him. He couldn’t use his magic against this guy, try as he might, but he would use the damn toilet brush to protect MC if he had to.

As it turned out however, there was no need. When the white light vanished, eight white tails had appeared from behind him. The pure white, almost glossy sheen to his fur was undoubtedly beautiful. They even seemed to be glowing.

“Well?” Yooha asked, eyebrow raised and the corner of his lips quirked up into an arrogant smirk. “Now do you believe me?”

“I’m dreaming, right?” MC murmured, though her eyes were fixed on those tails, entranced by their lithe form as they danced in the air. Like big bushy white snakes, Taehee thought to himself.

“Why don’t you touch them for yourself and see if they’re real?” Yooha asked. Taehee didn’t think much of the gesture, until he looked at MC and found her wearing an uncharacteristically dazed expression with a loose smile playing on her lips. Her cheeks were starting to flush a light pink, as if she was tipsy.

Biho and Hansol seemed to notice this too, although they didn’t seem to know how to respond, since all she was doing was stepping forward with her arm outstretched to pet Yooha’s tails. 

It didn’t seem dangerous enough to cut in.

And yet, he did.

Taehee placed a hand on MC’s wrist, momentarily snapping her attention to him. It was quick to fade, however, because her attention quickly returned to the wagging tails and the scheming fox in front of her. Yooha hardly seemed fazed by Taehee’s interruption, and that only made him angrier.

“What do you think you’re doing to her? Stop that,” he demanded, gently pulling MC into his arms to keep her from getting closer to that man. 

“Nothing, I’m just offering to let her touch my tails,” Yooha replied innocently, but Taehee knew better than to trust that cunning smile of his. His fingers itched to hurl a couple of balls of goblin fire at those tails and watch them burn up in smoke, but he knew better than to start a fight here. A seonho like him, especially one with eight tails, was far stronger than a goblin. 

Just as he thought, this fox couldn’t be trusted. 

In the end, Cleaning Day had to be adjourned for another day, seeing as there was a more pressing issue to consider. Namely, what to do with the seon-ho. Taehee just wished he would go away already, but the fox seemed intent on staying here with them.

“I can stay with you guys, right?” he had asked Taehee with the biggest, most hopeful smile yet, his tails wagging behind him.

“No,” was Taehee’s immediate response. If they ever became housemates, this house would become a living hell. The past hour was already more than he could bear for a lifetime.

“But—” his tails drooped, and his smile faltered, “you have to take responsibility.” 

“What?” Taehee couldn’t believe this guy’s nerve. 

“You summoned me out here. Of course you’re responsible for me now.” 

“And you’re welcome for that. You were trapped in there, and I released you. I owe you nothing.”

“Is he usually this cruel?” Yooha asked, directing the question to MC.

“Well, I’ve never seen him this annoyed before,” she commented, at the same time that Taehee replied, “I’m not being cruel. Besides, I’m not the one to ask; MC’s the one who owns the house.” 

“Oh.” A devilish smirk lit up Yooha’s features. 

Taehee immediately regretted revealing that tidbit of information.

“So, MC, right?” Yooha strutted over to the girl, his tails wagging a little more excitedly now. “What do you say, can I stay here?” he asked in a sweet, charming voice that was obviously fake. “Please?”

Taehee expected to hear an immediate ‘no’. After all, this was a complete stranger they knew nothing about, and to top it off, he was dangerous. The three goblins couldn’t use their powers against him, a higher being. If things ever got out of hand, none of them would be able to stop him. MC was the one most vulnerable here. The answer that she should give was obvious.

“...Sure.”

Taehee had to do a double-take. His head jerked towards her, only to find that her eyes looked slightly glazed over, just like before. She looked almost tipsy, except that had happened in the span of a few seconds, without any alcohol.

Which meant the culprit was... 

Taehee’s glare turned on the cunning fox who was grinning at MC’s response. The answer that he had made her utter by using his magic. Some kind of hypnosis, perhaps. And it probably had something to do with those tails of his that he was offering to let her touch again.

That dirty fox!

Taehee immediately grabbed MC by the wrist and teleported them into her room, all the while holding her tightly to his chest. She snapped to her senses soon enough, but it didn’t stop anger from boiling in his blood at the thought of what that sly fox had just done to MC, of all people. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, to which she nodded.

“Yeah, I am.” She looked a little confused, like she didn’t what Yooha had just tried to do to her. 

“You’re not going to let him stay here, right?” Taehee asked with a worried frown. She couldn’t possibly be entertaining the thought of letting that man stay together with them.

To his dismay, she hesitated in giving her answer. Instead, she began to look a little perplexed, and he could see that she was thinking hard about this. 

What possible reason could she have to even think about saying ‘yes’? 

“He... doesn’t have anywhere to go, does he?”

Taehee shook his head. It was unlikely, considering he had been trapped in the scroll for about two hundred years now, if what Yooha said was true. 

“I think... I’m going to let him stay,” she said slowly. MC put up a hand, silencing his immediate protests. “It’s just... you guys didn’t have a place to stay either. He reminds me of the three of you.” As if embarrassed, she averted his surprised eyes, and his shoulders slumped with resignation.

How could he argue against that?

“I’m just worried that he’ll hurt you,” Taehee sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She raised her head and locked eyes with his. “He’s a seonho, more powerful than the three of us. If anything happens...”

“You’re his master right? He’ll have to listen to you,” MC pointed out. “He looks mischievous but I don’t think he’s a liar. He’ll probably listen to whatever you say.” 

That... was true. As much as it pained Taehee to think about, that fox was now bound to him... as a servant. There was no escaping that fact. 

Why, why did he let Biho take that stupid scroll home in the first place? He just knew there was something off about it from the very beginning. He should have done something about it then, even if it meant making Biho sad for a few days. 

"So it’s settled,” MC declared, snapping him out of his thoughts. “He’ll stay here with us.” After making sure he didn’t have any remaining objections to add, she left the room to break the news to Yooha.

Those very words sealed his fate, and it marked the beginning of all of Taehee’s anguish. 

***

A/N: Next up: Taehee experiences the six stages of grief as he learns to manage his new roommate. 

[barnzbucky]

reach for the moon - prologue (Ivar x Reader)

Pairing: Ivar x reader; Hvitserk x reader (but barely)

Series Summary: Y/N had been in love with Hvitserk for what felt like forever, yet he never acted more than friendly with her. After five years away from Kattegat, she returns as a changed woman, and finally catches the prince's attention. But there is a problem: Hvitserk is betrothed to a princess from another kingdom, an arrangement made to form a powerful and useful alliance. When King Ivar made that deal, the other king demanded Hvitserk would be faithful to his daughter, and he intended to make sure it would be that way, at least until the wedding was completed and the other king had left Kattegat. To save the alliance threatened by Y/N, Ivar makes a calculated plan to ensure she will be away from Kattegat by the time of the wedding.

Warnings: sadness, alcohol, unrequited love, mention of religious figures (please, let me know if I missed something)

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: Hi!! This is just an opening to set the base of the story before it really begins… I really hope I don’t disappoint all Sabrina fans that read this… 😅 as I said, is like a light-viking-version of Sabrina 😂😂  I really hope you enjoy this, and please let me know what you think!

masterlist | series masterlist

In the corner of the room, you drank your freshly served mead, unable to take your eyes off of Hvitserk. You watched the women around him gasp and laugh as he told them about the raid, and all his adventures in the Mediterranean. 

He looked exceptionally charming that night, with a different set of braids and a manly attitude he got from the months he spent away on his first raid. 

Hvitserk excused himself from the women around him, took one of them by the hand and lead her to a darker spot in the same room, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle. 

You swallowed and tore your aways from him, wondering if it would be like this your entire life: you watching from across the room, while he set his gaze and attention in every woman who wasn’t you.

No, of course it wouldn’t. It was you who decided to watch him from afar, all your life. And it was also your decision to spend your last night in Kattegat doing so, instead of being with your parents. 

By that time the next day, you would be far away, traveling to your mother's hometown, and you could only hope Hvitserk would be the last thing on your mind, just like you were the last thing in his.

You put your cup on the table and headed outside the Great Hall. 

Despite the cold, there were many people outside, talking and laughing and drinking, in a night supposed to be happy and cheerful, yet you felt anything but. 

As you made your way to the beach, you took in the streets of Kattegat, trying to engrave it in your mind, to serve of comfort while you were away. Truth was, you didn’t want to leave your home. It was everything you had ever known, and you felt quite comfortable with the life you were leading, Sure, it was full of frustration because the man you wanted never took interest in you. A sour taste invaded your mouth and you swallowed the lump in your throat.

You shivered a bit when a sudden blow of cold wind passed you, and goosebumps rose on your nape; you almost cursed the lack of fur on your body, that you were sure would be alright when you left your home. Yet, the wind felt nice against your skin, a refreshing distraction from the unwelcome thoughts crowding your mind.

The path you were taking was too familiar, always going back to that same spot on the beach every time your feelings got too much for you to handle alone, taking refugee in the presence of Máni and Rán.

As you sat on the sand, with your eyes closed, listening to the crash of the waves, the familiar sensation of peace took over you. A feeling that you knew, by experience, was fleeting.

Your blood ran cold when you heard huffing behind you. You looked over your shoulder and sighed in relieve when you noticed it was prince Ivar. Even if he was anything but harmless, you figured he wouldn't do anything against you if you didn't bother him. 

Ivar stopped crawling not too far away from you, his eyes closed shut and his chest frantically going up and down. He looked livid.

"Are you alright, prince Ivar?" 

As soon as the words came out of your mouth, you knew you should have stayed quiet. You already had problems of your own, you didn't need any more, especially ones caused by him.

Since his mother's death, he was angrier than usual. Much more unpredictable too. No one knew what could trigger his anger, so people tended to stay away from him. But of course, you weren't wise enough to do that.

Ivar's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head to look at you. The low moonlight allowed you to see his glistening bloodshot eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I am-" you paused and considered your reply, "I just needed some air, my prince. It's too hot inside."

Ivar turned his eyes to the sea. You didn't know if he wanted you to leave, so you decided to stay still and wait for him to say something.

After a while, you got distracted and relaxed enough to close your eyes again. You could hear him breathing beside you, still not too close. 

You wondered if the reason he was there was similar to yours. If he too felt like his heart was going to burst inside his chest at all times; if he felt like he didn't belong in settings like the feast you just left, like he was meant to watch and not live, no matter how much he hated that possibility. You wondered if the reason he felt so angry all the time was exactly that.

"I don't understand how they can be celebrating," he started. His voice was small and shaky, but after the long silence, it was enough to startle you. "when their king just died. When their queen just died!"

Oh.

"I don't-" you turned your head around to look at him when his voice broke. If the fist squeezing your heart could get any tighter, it did. With both shaking fists closed, his nails dig into his palms, and he squeezed his eyes. Tears ran down his face, but he did not reach to wipe them off.

In all your years, you never felt as silly as at that moment. 

While you were crying over a man who never spared a second look at you to allow you any hope, Ivar was grieving over both of his parents, having to watch his mother's murderer standing on the throne as queen.

And he was so desperately in pain, he had to allow himself to look the most vulnerable in front of a stranger, and trust she wouldn't hurt him further.

You wished you could say something to comfort him, but he was feeling a pain you still did not understand.

To make yourself feel better, you imagined he also couldn't understand yours.

Ivar kept talking and talking, still lowly, and you scoot closer to him, listening to his every word. 

You could see it in his eyes, he didn't want an opinion, nor someone to agree with him, he just needed somebody who would listen. So that's what you did.

After a while, he stopped talking. And then, for hours, you sat there in silence, your eyes occasionally leaving the ocean to look at him.

And when the sun started to rise in the sky, you realized your time in Kattegat was ending, and you had no idea when you would return.

"Prince Ivar," you took a deep breath and tore your eyes from the sea to look at him. Ivar had his eyes closed, and he looked the most peaceful you had ever seen him. "I must go. Thank you for keeping me company tonight."

Ivar sighed and opened his eyes, directly looking at you. 

That wasn't what he expected you to say after he spent the night talking everything that troubled his mind ever since he was born. But he was relieved you chose not to mention. If you did, he would be even more embarrassed for being so vulnerable in front of a stranger, than he already was.

You stood up and brushed the sand off your dress.

"Have a good day," you said. The silence made you stand there awkwardly, not knowing if he was going to say something. Finally, he nodded at you, then turned back to look at the sea again.

You let out a breath and scurried to your home, trying not to think about the last few hours you still had in Kattegat.

Ivar stayed at the beach. He didn't think he would truly feel better if he talked to someone. But he did. 

He supposed he got lucky, for the first time in his life. You could have left after he arrived, could have mocked him for his pain, or even run off after he finished talking, to tell everyone how pathetic and sad and bitter he was.

But you didn't. You stayed there listening to him, didn't criticized or argued, and hadn't left after he stopped. And then, didn't even address the whole situation. 

He should have said thank you for keeping him company, not the other way around.

Ivar was about to leave when he heard the call of a travel ship soon to leave the docks. He was surprised when he saw you hugging your parents goodbye before entering the ship. 

He turned away and went back to the city, avoiding to stay and watch you leave Kattegat after you spent the night at his side.  

He just wished he could have learned your name.

tags: @luvjiminssi ; @ryukjin ; @hecohansen31 ; @heavenly1927 ; @youbloodymadgenius ; @ace-fiction​ ; @poisonous00​ (if you'd like to be tagged or to be removed from the tag list, just send me a message, no problem ☺️) 

[nev3rfound]

bringing you together : b.b

brief summary: being in military therapy sessions due to injuries from war and suffering with ptsd you become friends with sam. whilst there, he meets your therapy dog and learns more about you. the more he gets to know you, the more he thinks how well you’d get on with bucky.

word count: 2.3k requested: yes, by @tearsforhan girl i love this idea so much (changed a few details, but I hope you like the outcome) warnings: mention of ptsd, war, violence (but it is fluffy I promise)

(everything on my blog is my own writing. if it is shared on another page or website know it isn’t me. all rights reserved. - thank you to everyone who helped regarding the wattpad situation, you’re all amazing)

* masterlistin’

* commissions

** permanent taglist **

Walking into the building, you keep Wilfred by your side. He walks when you walk, stops when you do and comforts you when you need it most. You never had a dog like Wilfred in your life, but that being said, you never needed one like him until now. 

“Morning, Y/n,” The receptionist, Marcus smiles and you smile back, pausing as he stands up and walks over holding the same glass jar he always approaches Wilfred will. “and Wilf, of course.” He chuckles, watching as Wilfred sits and accepts the treat. 

“Is everyone in yet?” You question as you look down the long corridor, wandering how many have wandered in already, had a chance to talk and explain why they’re here. 

Marcus shakes his head. “Not everyone, a few regulars have gone away for a few days on a retreat.” He explains and you raise an eyebrow. “Yeah, something to do with helping themselves by being away from everything.” 

You let out a soft sigh. “I wish.” You mumble before heading down the corridor, Wilfred by your side as you tense up. A small lick crosses the back of your hand, and you smile down to your golden retriever. You tickle his head with a soft smile. “Good boy.” 

Pushing open the double doors, Wilfred speeds up to avoid his fluffy tail catching. You look around at the large room dotted with chairs. Most are neatly arranged in a circle, but recently they’ve been trying to make it more social and less confrontational. 

Immediately, you find him sat down staring at a jigsaw puzzle. His brows are furrowed together, and his head is resting in his hand. “You seriously struggling with a 200 piece jigsaw?” You chuckle, taking the seat opposite him.

Slowly, Sam lifts his head up and flashes you a smile. “It’s complex.” He mumbles, trying to hide his irritation at the Lady & The Tramp puzzle. “All I’m trying to find is Lady’s eyes, and I swear they aren’t here.” He sighs deeply and watches you scan the area. 

You reach out, placing the piece into place and raise an eyebrow to Sam. “And here I thought your speciality was being observant.” You joke and Sam fake laughs.

“Funny, Y/l/n.” He comments before abandoning the puzzle and rises to his feet. “How was yesterday?” 

Biting on your tongue, you try to hold back the need to cry. You came here for help, not to be thrown backwards. In the time Sam has known you, become your friend he knew it all. Both of you lived through similar experiences, you had lost, been defeated and thrown to the ground with nothing to come back from. 

When you came home, you were plagued with nightmares which lead to insomnia. The person you became wasn’t who you were, instead, she was someone you were deeply afraid of knowing and forced yourself to hideaway. 

Then you met Sam at your second session. He was kind, and he could recognise the resistance in you. How you were holding your arms around your body, wearing baggy clothing to hideaway. It was obvious signs, that, and the way you flinched at the slightest of sounds. 

Zoning back in, Sam patiently waits. It was something he realised he had to do with you, have a level of patience to wait for you to return to the room from your thoughts. “It went okay.” You truthfully admit. “Could’ve been worse, but they say Wilfred is making it easier.” You lower your head, smiling down to your dog who wags his tail. 

“I can definitely tell he helps,” Sam speaks up, seeing the dog sit by your side, leaning against your leg. “you seem calmer.” 

“I don’t feel it.” You laugh lightly, cracking a smile to your friend as you hear the doors opening and the presence in the room changing. 

“Showtime.” Sam mutters and you follow him, taking a seat in the circle as Tom takes the seat in the front, holding the same book before he clears his throat.

You often zone out from Tom when he talks about his feelings, why everyone is here together for today's session. You all have similar stories. All military serviceman with hardships and suffering from mental health issues post service. 

Sometimes you listen to the odd story, those who suffer from phantom limb pain, PTSD like yourself or severe anxiety. Everyone can relate, and many often input their suggestions such as medication, smoking, alcohol or exercise. As someone who tried all of these, you wish you could speak up and advise none of them. 

The session carries on as it always does. As it comes to an end, you’re often met with sunken faces offering coffee or biscuits. At this point, you and Sam both decline the offer of terrible coffee and wander down the road to a small cafe. 

“You didn’t feel like sharing today?” Sam questions as he sips his drink across from you, watching as your fingertip swirls around the latte glass. 

Lifting your eyes up, you shake your head. “Nothing to share.” You mutter and hear Sam sigh. “What? Like I’m going to tell them all about visiting my old base yesterday. That wouldn’t help.” You comment before picking the glass up and sipping at the foam. 

Sam leans forward. “Do you talk to anyone else about anything?” He questions and you raise an eyebrow to him. “Any other friends?” 

Slowly, you shake your head. “All my friends are gone.” You painfully remind yourself. “Just me and Wilfred now.” You glance down at your dog who lies by your feet, fast asleep. “Not much I can do to change that, and as I’m told, I am one of the lucky ones.” Even if you don’t feel it. 

The two of you sit in silence, listening to the faint tune play on the radio as you hear the coffee machine whirring. Here, you felt comfortable as you knew all the sounds. There wasn’t anything to surprise or trigger you in any way, it all was known and knowing brought comfort and ensured safety at all times. 

*

Another day had passed by, and you were back in the bleak building. It didn’t do anything to help itself or look anyway appealing to someone new. To you, it was part of your newly adapted routine. Go to therapy, cry after therapy with Wilfred and try and avoid another panic attack. 

It wasn’t the best routine, but it was all you could do for now.

Except, when you pushed the doors open with Wilfred by your side, you noticed your seat opposite Sam was occupied. 

Wandering over, you smiled to yourself as Wilfred paused. “Well if this is what being replaced feels like, I can’t say I’m a fan.” You speak up, and Sam lifts his head up and smiles to you.

The person in your seat rises to his feet, long dark brown hair covers his neck before he turns to face you. Bright blue eyes lock with yours as he clears his throat. “Sorry, I’m Bucky.” He speaks quietly to you, holding out a hand you notice is entirely metal. 

Thinking nothing of it, you accept the handshake. You’ve met hundreds of people since you left the service, all with limbs made of differing material. But what you do notice is how the design varies from those you’ve previously seen made of metal, this looks high tech. 

“I was just joking,” You apologise. “I’m Y/n. Take it you’re a friend of Sams?” 

Bucky nods to you, looking down to see Wilfred wagging his tail at him. “And who’s this?” He asks, holding his flesh hand out as Wilfred sniffs it, ensuring he’s alright to greet.

“This is Wilfred. He’s my therapy dog.” You explain, motioning it’s okay for Bucky to meet him. “He won’t bite, kinda the opposite of his job.” You chuckle, and Sam can see you being less tense for the first time in weeks. 

Kneeling in front of him, Bucky tickles Wilfred underneath his chin. You watch with a gentle smile before glancing over at Sam who sends you a knowing look. “What?” You question to Sam who simply shrugs his shoulders.

“Nothing, guess I forgot what that smile looked like.” He joked with you as Bucky stood back up, brushing some of the golden fur from his black jacket. “Anyway, we better get a seat.” Sam states and turns to face you.

Tucking his hair behind his ear, Bucky holds his arm out. “You joinin’ us, doll?” He questions and you suddenly feel taken aback by his confidence. 

It’s been over a year since someone’s tried to flirt with you, but you can’t say you mind the treatment at all. “Don’t mind if I do.” You respond, accepting his arm as you take a seat between him and Sam. 

Tom takes his seat with a heavy exhale, something he has a habit of doing. You have a sense he’s a bit of an alcoholic, you know the signs and he definitely ticks most of the boxes. 

You sit back, resting your hands on your lap as Wilfred lies by your side, sat between you and Bucky. 

“I can see a few new faces today amongst ones we know.” Tom speaks up, looking around and pauses on Bucky. “You don’t have to introduce yourself, but it’s always a welcoming way to begin the session. 

Bucky clears his throat before he hesitantly stands up. “Name’s Bucky. I was a soldier, special operations.” He states, leaving out certain details that are almost impossible to fathom. 

He sits back down, and you look over to him with a small smile. His physique definitely matched special operations, and it would explain his arm with ease. 

A few more people stand up and share stories during the session, but all you can think about is the urge to walk out and leave as the adrenaline in your body starts pulsing. 

“And what about you, Y/n?” Hearing your name being mentioned, you lift your head up as Wilfred nudges his head on your leg. 

Tom wears a soft smile to you, the sort that felt overbearing. Everyone else was looking at you, watching you shift uncomfortably in your seat. “Well, I’m doing okay.” You admit, knowing the term of what is okay is variable. What feels okay to you could be torture for another. 

“That’s good, how has therapy helped you so far. We know it has been over a year since you left due to your team being injured on a mission.” Tom eloquently describes and you feel Wilfred slip under your arm as you stroke him. 

“That’s one way of putting it.” You mutter under your breath. “Well, since my team got blown up and I was the sole survivor, I can’t say it was all breezy.” You can feel the sarcasm creeping into your voice, and Sam muttering your name. “No, it’s fine.” You turn to face Sam. “This is what we’re all here for, right? To talk about it in a group, openly speak about what shit we went through.” Your voice becomes louder. “And I suffer from nightmares. I struggle to go outside in the city because every time I hear a car beep its horn I fear it’s going to be another bomb.” 

Your words hang in the air, no one speaks. 

“I, I’m sorry.” You sigh before you stand up and glance to Bucky who keeps his head down as you walk out of the room.

The doors close behind you, and you can feel your chest tightening as you slide down the wall, clutching your head between your legs as Wilfred runs off. 

You silently sob into your chest when you feel a pair of arms rest on your knees. Lifting your head up your met with those blue eyes. He remains silent but simply sits beside you letting you know if you need it, he is there for you. 

Wilfred sits on your other side as your hand remains on his fur, stroking it soothingly as tears continue to stream down your face. “I know, it’s not easy.” Bucky speaks up quietly, having learnt it’s best to keep your voice down for comfort. “And the idea of it getting any easier seems like a joke,” 

You let out a short laugh. “You’re telling me.” You mutter to him, glancing over and see how close he is, his arm now resting around you.

“But talking about it can make a difference, just let your barriers down, doll.” Bucky encourages and you shake your head.

“It’s not that easy to do you know.” You look up to him with cold eyes. “If I could flip a switch that didn’t make me feel like shit I would. If I could forget everything I, I think I’d give it a go.” Tears spill down your eyes and roll from your cheeks. You forcefully wipe them away with an aggravated sigh.

“No one ever said it would be.” Bucky tells you, something you’ve been informed countless times. But the way he says it is different, it’s on a more personal level. “I, I lost everyone I knew and myself when I was serving.” Bucky clears his throat.

You glance up at him, seeing the sadness radiating in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” You mutter to him and he nods. 

“Took me what feels like five decades to learn and accept it.” He tells you, watching as you shuffle closer into him. “We don’t accept it and carry on, Y/n,” Bucky mutters. “we learn to live with it, in whatever way we can.” 

He reaches over, wiping away a tear that falls as you rest your head on his shoulder, Wilfred moves to lie beside Bucky and you remain sat like that until you feel calm.

Unaware of the sight, Sam opens the doors quietly and looks down to see the three of you curled up together. He smiles to himself, thankful that Bucky decided to come after all. That maybe, just maybe you can help one another put the pieces back together. 

[sweetcatmintea]

When Cats Stare

Hello hello! Flash Fiction Friday again! I wanted to give you something a little more fun since I won’t be able to write for a while. I’m going to the land of beans on toast with my dad and I’m very excited! I’ve never been on a plane before, much less over seas! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story! Feedback is appreciated ^u^

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Words: 1565

It’s never a good sign when your cat stares intently beyond you. You can tell they’re not daydreaming, but you don’t really want to know what they’re looking at. So, when my own furred goblin was sitting bolt upright on my chest in the middle of the night, staring at something, I did my best to ignore him and go back to staying up way too late watching videos on my phone. His persistence waivered my resolve. Usually he would flop himself against my face in a loving kind of smother. The closer to suffocation I am, the more he feels accomplished in his affection giving. But not tonight. He stared with those big green eyes into the space above my head. I figured I should at least try to assure him that the only thing silly enough to be up in the deep dark night was us.

“What are you looking at Bud? You staring at ghosties?” The last word was lost in a yawn.

His soft black fur was warm against my palms. He hunkered down, devoid of his usual purr, still staring.

“If it’s a demon, are you going to earn your rent and protect me like those animals in the hero pet compilations?” I kissed his little nose. “No, probably not. You’d leave me hanging, wouldn’t you, Basil Boy. I’d save you y’know. I mean, I probably wouldn’t be very good against a demon, but the thought is there.” Another yawn. At least my rambling was putting someone to sleep. Basil’s paw silenced my next round of spouted nonsense. The cheek of this cat! It’s hard to contain giggles at one in the morning. Harder still to contain the shriek. Long, slender fingers stretch like tendrils reached down from above. Cracked nails barely glanced my scalp when I looked up in my mirth. Fight, flight, or freeze. I froze. Burning, swirling, bottomless pits on a face of twisted fur matted with what I could only describe as ichor. The hand paused over me, deliberating. Its head tilted slowly, slowly, mechanically unwinding itself from the body while the neck grew longer and longer. Hot goats’ breath fanned my face. I sunk back as far as the twelve or so pillows allowed. It didn’t move. Basil, surprisingly, stayed hunkered on my chest. Of course he wouldn’t make things easier and just run away.

For several long seconds, we stayed like that. Me, pressed into my bed. Basil, squat on my torso. And the creature, looming above. No one moved. No one spoke. There’s an unwritten conversational rule where, if a silence stretches longer than four seconds, it becomes increasingly awkward. Not going to lie, I already don’t do well with social stuff. The more time stretched the more I hoped something would, well, happen.

“Sooo…” I began, tapping my index fingers against the mattress. “What brings ya here?”

It drew back. Not by a lot, still very much in my personal space bubble, but I’m not complaining. It was a start. Its mouth parted, tasting the thought before voicing it. (Or preparing to lunge, I’m not exactly a strange night creature psychologist.) Huh. There’s a beak under all that wiry fur. Cool.

“soOoO…” My own voice parroted back, warped. I guess the beak is just for show. The noise reverberated around us, no indication of its source. Other voices mixed in, creating a jittery, juttering kind of speech. “SsSooOO… SsssoooOoo…”

“… Cool… Are you uh.. Here to kill me maybe?”

“NnoOo.”

That’s promising. I’m sure they’re a very honest.. being…

“Are you a ghost?”

“nnNOo.”

Hmm. “Aaare you a demon?”

“YyEsS.”

K. “Are you here on business or pleasure? Not Pleasure pleasure. Fun pleasure. Like, a holiday or something.”

They pause, crinkling a long finger against their chin. A thinking pose. “PleAsUReee. NoTTt PPleaSuREE pleasure.”

Thank cat beans. That could have been awkward. Their neck clicked as they turned to look at Basil.

“PLeAsuRe…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re not here to steal my cat are you?”

No response. I sat up, drawing Basil closer to myself.

“I mean like, you can pat him if you don’t have that death touch thing going on, but he’s my baby. You can’t take him.”

“Ssoofftt…” They trailed a finger through his fur. The traitor started purring. “NicCee…”

Scooting up so I was sitting, I patted the bed, motioning for the demon to pop a squat beside me. They complied, creaking as they unfolded themselves joint by joint, from their ceiling perch. Basil wiggled from my grip, smacking me in the face with his tail in his haste to double cross me and sit in the demon’s lap. Somehow, I got the feeling this wasn’t their first meeting.

“So that’s Basil.”

“BaAssIiLll. LLikE BaSsIlL.”

“He’s a cool little dude. Do you have cats in the demon world, or where ever you come from?”

“CaaAnn. WaAnTtT BaaSiLLl.”

“Again, and this is super important, you can’t have Basil. He is my baby cat.” I leaned back, shoulders popping in that satisfying way. “Although, we might be able to arrange something for you.”

The demon tilted its head again. I could have sworn there was excitement in those deep, deep, deep pits. Deep, dark.. What was I saying? Oh yeah. Arrangements.

“One month. If you can show me that you are able to properly care for a cat, I’ll get you one in a months’ time. You can stay here and show me with Basil, or show me where you live and that you are able to fulfil a cats’ needs. They need more than food you know. You’ve gotta play with them, desex them, take them to the vet, make sure they have grass to munch on. It’s a big responsibility. I’ll show you some good websites though so you’re not going in blind or anything. What do you think? Sound good?”

They nodded. “SssoUnd GoOd.”

And that’s how I ended up with a demon roommate for a month. Once we got over the initial awkwardness like bathroom schedules, possible dietary issues, and the appropriateness of guests from the underworlds, it was actually pretty nice. We had long discussions about cats, obviously, but also about life. Our experiences were totally different, but we discovered new things together. They made a point of watching 2D animated movies with me and I got really into demonic card games. It was a lot of fun. We added each other on pokemon go and finally cleared some research tasks. They showed me their realm (more pokestops than you would expect) and we worked together to construct a proper cat enclosure using Ikea hacks and the Kitten Lady’s youtube videos. I even had a nice little existential… What’s the opposite of crisis? Calmness? Low-fi study music moment? Experience? Where life after death was confirmed. Damnation may be upgraded to Ikea jigsaws now. Sorry about that. That one’s on me…

It felt like no time at all had passed between that late night conversation and walking into the local animal shelter. The demon (who I should have mentioned wanted to be called Toto after the fuzzy bear dude from My Neighbour Totoro) had taken a human(ish) appearance. A totally generic stranger that was easily forgotten but that something nagged at you that it wasn’t quite right. Today was the day. We’d been approved as potential adopters and were picking out Toto’s new best friend. The lady gave us a friendly greeting and led us straight to the cat room at the back, debriefing along the way. I always forgot how loud it could be back there. Cats yowled and mewed, much to the chagrin of their quieter shelter mates. We looked at kittens and adults, fluffy cats and patchy cats, noisy cats and shy cats. Each one Toto inspected with care. I did not envy their choice. If I could, I’d take them all home. Toto stopped at the far corner. I peeked over their shoulder to see which one had caught their attention.

It was… Unfortunate. A scraggly brown cat with fur guaranteed to mat at a slight breeze. A short little thing with, what I think, was a snaggle tooth sticking out of his mouth. It was not a pageant winner. If someone took a year old loaf of bread and had it trampled by a herd of heavily concussed camels, and one buttered donkey, stuck whiskers on the rounder side and a bottle brush on the rear, it’d be in the same ball park as this ugly cat. It opened its mouth and gargled at us.

“ThHiSs OnEE iS GooOd.”

“I thought you’d say that.” I checked the info card. Not much to go on. The shelter guessed she was about 14. Ah, man. That’s… That’s not great…

“I’m, I’m not sure this is a good choice for your first cat, Bud. She’s pretty old… It’s a pretty difficult thing to go through, y’know, when your pet passes away…”

“NoO gUaRantEE FoR AnYtHiNG.”    

“That’s true… I’m definitely not saying don’t get an old cat, just don’t want you to get hurt so soon… Would she stay with you as a spirit cat?”

“If ShE WiLLs It. CaTs WaNdER.”

“Oh. Sweet. Let’s get her then.”

“yeS.”

“What are you going to call her?”

He inspected her again. Human skin crinkling into a smile when she sneezed and left her tongue poking out.

“FrRiEnDd.”

-----

Tag list

@snobbysnekboi, @inkovert, @kainablue, @i-rove-rock-n-roll, and @goblin-writer 

[kurtty-drabbles]

Soulmate/Lovecraft au (part3?)

N/A: Now, I´ve so many ideas for this au…I´ll try to cram everything nicely. Terry does believe in faes and Kitty does not think is that far fetch.

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @sailorstar9 @discordsworld @look-ma-no-hands336

Terry Pryde is a woman that was told how dangerous faes can be, in fact, her own parents hammer how dangerous faes can be and Terry carries their beliefs and make sure Kitty knows how to fend against a fae. One day, after Kitty return from her museum trip, Kitty told about “Jennifer” and Terry reply with one word.

“ fea!” Terry knows Kitty´s soulmate is a shapeshifter and is linked to Egypt, and faes can live anywhere, but, are bound to the language of said place. “Maybe your soulmate is a neutral part of their clan if your soulmate was an enemy…Oh, Kitty” she hugs her only child tightly and even cries, Kitty is hugging her mother and promising no fae will catch her “Kitty, this is important, you must leave candy in the willow of our home and be polite always, I´m afraid this Jennifer may show up again, for that…you must be ready”

Kitty nods vigorously and promised to study hard to not fall for any fae´s tactics. Kitty was so busy talking with her mother, who is giving a special type of sugar, to notice how her shadow has eyes and a mouth and is looking at her.

Kitty is a grown up woman, sadly, still a petite, and is a famous X-men. Shadowcat has a good reputation under her belt with other groups of hero(even the Avengers) and with the public and she often is used as the speak-voice between public-mutant. Her fighting skills are good, but, the woman is more used to defences tactics than anything else.

Today, Storm received a call from an old friend, an enemy is attacking and Storm asked Kitty to join her in the mission, after all, is always good to have a good defence and a good attack. Sadly, the enemy proved to be more than Kitty was imaging.

“Shadow King!” Kitty speaks as the monster have infected Ororo and is now in her body, Ororo is always a beautiful woman, but, the shadow King manages to make her smile look ugly. Even her laughter is horrible, inhuman “You heard about me? I´m flatter, Oh, how cute and you plan to fight against me? I’ve got the body of Storm…would you dare to hurt you beloved friend?” and using Storm´s power a thunder fall nearby Kitty, who, by Shadow King´s surprise, didn´t flinch.

“Got to admit, you´ve courage, yet, that´s nothing little Kitten I´ll…” Whatever Shadow! Storm would say is cut short as something is amiss, no, a telltale is present…Kitty can feel, but, can´t see, oh, unlike Kitty, Shadow can see it.

Shadow! Storm is on her/his knee muttering in Egyptian(Kitty take classes) something about great one, pharaoh and forgive me. Kitty´s eyes look at what Shadow was looking, there´s nothing there(using only her eyes), yet, she can feel there´s something there. Something different.

The fae!. Kitty thought impressed. You have been following me still?

Shadow! Storm stops speaking as the thing makes the Shadow!Storm squirm in pain and Kitty screams for the fae to stop, and, to prove her point she throws salt at the “presence” and this stops the pain for shadow.

“Storm is my teacher, my friend and the leader of the X-men, please, don´t hurt her…cause if you do, I shall fight you” her hand has a blue glow, Wanda did believe in faes and saw no problem in teaching some spells and hexes against those creatures.

Shadow King is silent and looking at Kitty in horror. The presence is just…looking at Kitty(she can´t see IT, but can feel IT) and she adds “Make him leave Storm NOW” and to her surprise IT makes Shadow King leaves Storm(not in a painless way for the small deity) and Storm is heaving as she slowly comes to her right mind.

Kitty goes to Storm(feeling IT until IT is not there…for now) and the woman asked what´s wrong. “Kitten, I was fighting Sandra and then…I don´t recall what happened, what happened to me?” and Kitty won´t lie “a deity called Shadow King possessed your body, but, it leaves you” Storm thanks Kitty and the woman shakes her head “No, it was my fae who help you”

Ororo thought for a moment, she too have meet faes and vampires in her youth, but, something is not right. “I know Shadow King, a deity that possessed minds and bodies, but, how come a fae can get rid of him?”

“Well, I´ve no clue, maybe, Shadow King is more talk than action? Let´s be honest, it wouldn´t be the first time” Kitty offers an explanation and Ororo agrees and both discuss what happened to the people in this city.

They are all safe and that´s what matters. Kitty thought.

Fighting Apocalypse is going to prove to be a major challenge. Scott and Logan were defeated easily and that´s not a good signal, Storm uses her powers and it was enough to retreat and think on a new plan, right now, all the X-men wonder on their next step.

Well, they won´t have to think too much as Apocalypse found out their spot and is ready to fight, except, he notices Kitty and bowls to her much to everyone surprise. Scott and Logan, in a rare moment of friendship, crack a joke if Apocalypse is her soulmate.

Apocalypse has now shapeshifting abilities and is from Egypt. The mutant goes to Kitty and shows respect as if she´s the goodness. “Miss Pryde is an honour meet you, a great honour, your command is my wish, Miss Pryde” and Kitty got an extremely pale thinking if he´s her soulmate(well, he did beat up Piotr when he was trying to force Kitty into a relationship in the middle of a battle so he has one good point)

“Raise, Apocalypse, I’ve got a question to you” Kitty speaks playing with the solemn tone he is using with her “Are you my soulmate?” Kitty asked and Logan and Scott did throw some comments about that(Ororo is trying to be supportive in the case is the truth, but, she´s not doing a good job)

“Miss Pryde, I’m flattered you think I´m worth your time, but, no, I´m now IT, I´m not the worthy one, I shall not lie to you, Miss Pryde, ask me anything else, Miss Pryde” Apocalypse required and Kitty then sighs and speaks “could you please go back to your coffin and not start the apocalypse?”

“If is what you desire” Apocalypse then rose from the ground and is walking to his coffin in his pyramid without making a fuss and as soon he enters…the pyramid is gone. Scott asked one thing that every X-men was thinking “What the hell? Kitty, who is your soulmate?”

“Scott, I have no clue!”

Morph joins the X-men by accident, the man just return from Egypt and an excellent shapeshift that manages to save Wolverine and earn his trust and a spot on the team, in fact, his talents as shapeshift are so good that people forget he has a real name(maybe he prefers to use his mutant´s name more)

Kitty finds out he´s from Egypt and is a shapeshifter and she can put all that insanity behind as she goes to Morph to a mission in Germany, Jaime Braddock asked for a favour and the X-men always pay back their debts(such a Lannister thing to think)

“So, pretty Kitty” Morph speaks playfully “how come a pretty woman like you haven´t met your soulmate yet?” Kitty´s is fidgeting with her curly locks and forced a smile(as natural as no one can notice the difference, Kitty is a real good actress) and answers “Well, my soulmate is a shapeshifter and from Egypt”

Morph smiles and comes closer to Kitty, too close(wasn´t the whole thing of soulmates to give a sense of security?) and speaks rather amused “I´m a shapeshifter and I´m from Egypt, well, I was born in the US, but, I spend my whole life in Cairo” Morph explained and certainly Morph isn´t opposed to a kiss.

Well, her fae is. As the fae shows a more “visibly” look that certainly breaks the mood. A monstrosity of tentacles with one red eye and one gold. It was too fast and before Kitty could make sense of what´s going on the creature is using IT´s tentacle to take Kitty out of the way as Morph is absorbed by the creature.

No, he´s being eaten. Kitty inwardly scream. Please, don´t eat him. Don´t kill him.

Why not? Someone replies bemused. He´s not your soulmate, Katzchen, and not a real Egyptian.

Please! She tries again and to her surprise, the thing seems to agree.

Ok. I won´t kill him as you agree he´s not your soulmate. The thing replies and in a blink of eye Morph is gone, no blood, no bone, no tentacles or shadows are present, except, Kitty´s who are showing the monstrosity of earlier.

The X-men arrives and when asked about Morph…Kitty told what happened. Meanwhile, Dr Sinister gets a new rat for his experiments.

Kitty Pryde is a grown up. A beautiful woman who enjoys robotic enjoys talk about politic, enjoy talk about her career and her future and loves to talk about magic(a bonding moment among Wanda, Magik and Kitty)

Kitty Pryde is brushing her hair gently, internally, thinking maybe she could cut her hair a little, when she put the brush down and realizes something. “This is not real!” she speaks as now her room changes into something different.

Beautiful and haunting at the same time. “Where Am I?” Kitty still has her magic and she believes her fae has decided to kill her or kidnap or both. A man with a blue fur, golden eyes and a white tuxedo comes out of the shadow with a malicious smile. “Fae, where am I?” she tries again.

The man chuckles amused. “Oh my, you still think I´m a fae? You dear, mein Katzchen, I´m worse than a fae” his smile is far too wild and full of teeth, Kitty is not showing fear, funny, she feels safe with him…even if is against logic.

“What do you want non-fae?” Her glowing hand is still aiming at him, not that the non-fae is caring, in fact, he´s even more amused.

“To see you, well, I´m ALWAYS watching you. Tonight, I think I got tired to just watch, Katzchen, oh, my manners, come sit” he gestures and a table just like her mother used to make when Kitty was little materialized for her with all her favourite sweets. “You often feed me those candies…I enjoy, while, I admit I prefer more meat, still, it was sweet”

Kitty didn´t say anything as the non-fae is eating a hand…yet, she´s not scared.  “What do you want?” speaks in a straightforward fashion and IT smiles. “To speak with you and said…I´m not a fae, no, Katzchen, I´m far above, think about the elder gods” this was enough to make her clap her mouth in horror and the non-fae found that extremely cute, to the point he uses those words exactly, “and I´m your soulmate. Hi, my name is Nyarlathotep, but you can call me Kurt Wagner or Nightcrawler if you prefer, and now we´ll spend more time together”

Kitty blinked at that and looks at the deity. “It was you all along? The Jennifer and Billie Jean?” Kurt nods amused and Kitty is peeved “I want to say many things here, but, you have the elder god card…so, I can only say this: NOT COOL, DUDE, NOT COOL” and she wakes up leaving Kurt behind.

Or so she thought as Kurt Wagner is knocking on her door with an arrogant smile “Katzchen, I was serious. We´ll be together forever now”

[myhyyh]

To You | Chapter. 1

Ship: reader x Jungkook

Genre: romance, fantasy, school-life, smut, angst, fluff

Word Count: 5,428

You're the new girl in town. With a grieving past and uncertain future, your days repeat and trail on into the unknown. Love. Lust. Betrayal? You're soon to discover the city holds more than you imagined.

A/N: hello : ) I'm so excited to be sharing my first fanfic with you guys. it is a working process so I can’t exactly say how many parts are to come, though I am planning to drag this one out so sit tight andijustwanttoapologiseinadvanceforanyemotionaldistressthiscausesyoubyenow ^^

Hey. It’s me. It’s been a while… I messed up huh?

-

It’s mid-June, the train doors finally opened after what felt like a journey that would never end, the summer breeze instantly consuming me, but it wasn't the type I was used it. It wasn't like back home, in the countryside where the air was fresh and untainted. Here, it was thick and humid, filled with the scent of newly embedded cement and some other smell that screamed pollution, that’s the city for you; Seoul city.

The past few weeks, months, had been tough on me. At age 17 I was forced to bury my own parents, all by myself. “Huh,” I thought to myself. Almost a year has gone by, yet I’m still stuck in that moment. The pain in my chest as the nurse told me I was left alone in this world, that the only people in my life were now gone, forever. “Huh” I laughed out loud this time. It’s funny how 214 days can feel like a single moment that I’m still lingering in. I feel people shoving past me as they hurry off the train and I realized I’d been standing in everyone's' way, wallowing in my own feelings again.

Ever since the accident, I’d been living with my grandma, both mourning the death of my parents and relying on each other because… well, we're all each other had. I’d begged her to let me stay living with her but she insisted I move to the city that’s ‘full of opportunities’ and get a break from all this. She hated the way it all affected me, how it left me empty, my soul rotting. I hated it too, so giving in wasn't that hard in the end. Maybe a new start was just what I needed?

I had my own place here, but it wasn't anything fancy, just a typical one bedroom rooftop apartment. I could’ve afforded better but couldn't bring myself to ask grandma for too much. A part of me felt I was burdening her enough as it was. I know it's nothing like that but my own conscious wouldn't allow me to take more than I needed. I figured I'd get a part-time job to make ends meet while I attended my last year of high school here. Besides, from now on I'd need to learn how to depend on myself.

I took my time making my way to my new home, taking in my surroundings to familiarize myself. The last thing I wanted was to get lost in this big city. Coffee shop, hair salon, coffee shop, restaurant, convenient store, coffee shop, coffee shop. I internally cringed at how industrialized this place was. I knew from the start that I wouldn't like it but I also knew it didn't hurt to try either and walked into one of the many coffee shops.

The atmosphere was surprisingly calming. It was the combination of the lighting, interior decor and the smell of fresh brewing coffee in the air that allowed my nerves to simmer down for the first time all day. I managed to order something off the menu, some new special, not entirely knowing what it consisted of. I took my drink and looked for somewhere quiet to sit and rest my mind. ‘I made it,’ I thought to myself, but I knew the real journey had only just begun.

-

It’s been a couple of weeks now and I seem to have somewhat adjusted to my new life here. I even made a friend, Mina. She goes to the same school as me, School of Performing Arts Seoul, and I’m kinda grateful to her that I wouldn't be entirely alone when the year started. I met her at the park one day, her dog decided to run off and pee on me. Repeated apologies and bows turned into fits of laughter and, well, the rest is history.

It’s 8:46 pm, I hear a knock on the door that turns into a full on banging and I could tell who it was. Mina. She was coming over to pick me up for a ‘wild night out’. School was starting soon and she’s been meaning to introduce me to some of our classmates. I swung the door open with a disapproving "really” look on my face. “Do you have to do that every time?” I whined. “Yes, yes I do.” she plainly stated, passing by and plopping down on the sofa. “Well, you're late” “Oh relax! We have plenty of time before the club even starts to get lit, you don't wanna be early, surrounded by all those creepers again do you?” We both shivered in disgust at the thought of what happened the last time I urged Mina to ‘not be late’ to a club. “You're right.” I surrendered and headed back into the bedroom to finish putting my look together. “OMG Y/N, you won’t believe who’s coming today!” Mina practically screamed. “Umm let me guess.. the infamous super hot senior graduate you won't ever shut up about?!” I returned her energy with my own enthusiastic sarcasm. “Aaaahh!! I haven't seen Taehyung since he graduated back in May. He’ll be starting university in fall so I gotta win him over before all the uni thots hop on him.” she declared. “Easy tiger, you don't wanna scare him off do you?” “I mean, come on, it's about time. I’m a senior now and in the book that practically puts me on the same level as a uni freshmen, duh.” “What book?” I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. “Y/N focus, I’m on a mission tonight and I could use some moral support.” She popped her head in the bedroom to throw me a pout but it quickly diminished into an ‘O’ shape when she saw me. I wore a two-piece black lacy bralette and pencil skirt that stopped just at the top of my thighs, with a pair of thigh-high laced boots to finish the look. I may have not grown up in the city but fashion trends never failed to reach me. I didn't notice Mina gawking as I decided on a choker in the mirror when I heard her scream out, “SLAY BITCHH!” That got my attention. “How do I look?” I did a quick spin for her, letting her see every angle of me. “Ok. I almost dropped Tae for you.. fuck Y/N!” “Ugh shut up.” 9:04 pm. I threw my hair back over one of my shoulders and tucked it behind my ear, grabbed my black fur jacket and clutch and met Mina at the front door with a mental note.

Let's make this a night to remember.

-

The club was well hidden and kinda hard to find. At some point I just grabbed hold of Mina’s hand and let her lead the way, clearly, it wasn't her first time. She’d pretty much taken me to every club in Seoul apart from this one, Paragon. Apparently, the thing about this club was that it only opened for special events or when someone rented it out for personal use? Either way, it was pretty expensive, which got me wondering what could be so special about it? ‘As long as it’s not EDM’ was my motto so I pushed all pressing enquiries to the back of my mind. We got inside and I couldn't help but notice how friendly Mina was with the bouncers. She conversed with them for a while, and I let my eyes wonder around. The only thing between me and the club was a set of large gold lion embroidered doors with a bouncer on each side, yet the sound of the music was still so vivid. The beat was roaring and I could already feel it pulsating in my chest. It consumed me and left me urging to discover what was on the other side. I was broken from my trance by the sound of girls shrieking behind me at the entrance. 

“This isn't a place for kids, now go home”, one of the bouncers commanded. “Please! I just wanna see oppa please, please, please!” I turned around to a pair of actual kids pleading their way into a club.. why was I not surprised? Their attire made it so obvious that they were underage. Body-cons that looked over-sized on their premature bodies, over exaggerated heels that kept them stumbling, and don't even get me started on their make-up. “Mess”, Mina chuckled, grabbing my arm and guiding me forward into the unknown.

To my surprise, I was greeted by the ultimate form of luxurious nightlife, surrounded by raw crypt, lavished with sumptuous leathers and burnished copper, the club radiated an invigorating atmosphere. I looked around the space, taking in a range of differently designed rooms, each with their own special feature, achieving a unique environment out of the mix between past, present, and future. Original elements, such as dark stone, architraves and coving contrasted with modern, custom designed furniture, brushed and polished copper steel finishes and natural colors. The light design pleaded for an exceptional visual experience. Through it’s minimalist elegance and simplicity, I felt stimulated, a sense of exuberance. The creation blending intimacy and community, function and fantasy, art and design, resonating as one in this modern definition of luxury. For a moment I questioned myself if this was a place I was worthy of.

I felt Mina brush her cheek against mine, rushing something about going to get us drinks and I was pulled out of my trance. I watched her disappear into the crowd of people and contemplated whether it was a bad idea not going with her as I was now faced to stand awkwardly alone, in a place I felt I didn't fit into. I mentally shook my head, reminding myself that moving here meant I could start fresh. I was being ridiculous. No one knew me yet, apart from Mina, and seeing as I was going to meet my classmates and ‘potential' friends soon, now was not the time to be consumed in my introverted ways. Pep talk over, I forced my attention back to my surroundings. I looked around, trying to find some place or group that I could blend into. I couldn't help but notice how incredibly good looking everybody was. Seriously, it was like a room full of God’s best creations. A sudden nerve of panic washed over me like I was being watched. I tried to calmly look around for the source but my eyes moved frantically and I could feel myself caving under the pressure. I ventured out to search for Mina, pushing the pair of eyes on me to the back of my mind, if they wouldn’t disappear, I would.

My eyes finally fell on Mina and I willed my body to move in. I watched her deep in conversation with several figures. For a moment, I stopped, stunned by more than just their beauty. Their auras synchronized in emitting ethereal energy. I couldn't quite process it and found myself at loss for words. Something about them was so inviting, so nostalgic.. it kinda reminded me of my parents. Mina’s eyes found mine from across the circle, “Y/N, there you are, come here!” I stepped into them, instantly regretting it as I felt my anxiety almost reaching it’s breaking point now that all eyes were on me. I opted to calm my nerves by focusing on a familiar face and glued my eyes to Mina. I noticed her arm interlocked with a tall, beautiful man, and when she caught my eyes drift to him, she took initiative to introduce us.

“Y/N, this is Taehyung, Taehyung, Y/N.” I could see the excitement dancing in her eyes as she presented her infamous crush, and everybody else fell back into the current of conversation around us. “Y/N just moved here this summer alone and she’ll be attending senior year with me at SOPA.” She finished, causing Taehyung to narrow his eyes on me. “Alone?” he asked, his face reading curiosity. “Yeah, my um.. my parents..’ I instantly dropped my head and began to fidget with my fingertips under the pressure of realizing what hole I just dug myself into, “they died a few months ago so... here I am! alone..” I tried to finish enthusiastically but it all just came out so awkward. I didn't want to ruin the mood, but I realized too late that that is exactly what I had done. “My condolences, Y/N.” He threw me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I wasn't in the mood for another ‘sob story’ moment so I stirred the conversation into a different direction. “I heard you just graduated, so I guess I won’t be seeing you at school this fall.” “Taehyung got accepted into Seoul Institute of Arts, isn't that amazing!” I watched Taehyung blush under Mina’s compliment. “Wow, congratulations.” “Thanks, Y/N.” He turned his head to the side and stared down at Mina, slowly placing a kiss on her forehead. Such an endearing moment. I wondered why they weren’t official yet. “Besides, it’s not like we’d get to see him often anyways.” Mina accused jokingly, pouting her bottom lip out. “Hey, that’s not fair!” Taehyung whined, “I've just been busy touring, you know that.” “You’re an artist?” I interrupted. “Yes! I’m in a group called BTS, we’re not that popular yet, but we’re gaining recognition by being on the road all the time.” He finished, throwing Mina a pitiful look I presume she’s all too familiar with. “Psht, look at you humbling yourself,” she faced directly at me this time, “they’re mad popular here in south ko, but they're trying to go international.” She finished dramatically, rolling her eyes as if Taehyung’s career goal was the only thing getting in between their ‘relationship’. “That’s really cool, I’d love to see you perform sometime.” “Well..” he began, his voice thinning out into a light chuckle as he collected his thoughts, “you see, we were supposed to perform the title song of our new album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, here tonight, but my members got kinda excited and.. shitfaced” he finished with a nervous smile. “Wait, you're all here?” His words spiked up a new curiosity in me. “Well duh, the whole point of this party is to celebrate their new album, of course all the members would be here, Y/N, didn't I tell you?” She asked but I knew she wasn't actually waiting for a response as all of her attention was devoted to Taehyung, she stared up at him as if he was the center of the universe. Her eyes mesmerized, her lips twisting into a beckoning smirk, pleading his to come crashing down into them. She was under his spell. “No, I think you forgot to mention that, Mina” I seethed at her through clenched teeth and a fake smile. “Oops” was all her brain could process. “I would introduce you but... I can’t seem to find them..” he trailed off, looking around the club, over everyone’s head, desperately searching for at least one member. It was almost effortless and for the first time, I realized how tall he was. “It’s ok,” I chuckled at his effort and decided to give him a rest, “another time?” “Of course!”

A tap on his shoulder stole his attention. After conversing with a man for several seconds he turned back around to face us. “It seems like they need me backstage.” He said, his face flashing a mix of concern and embarrassment. “What’s wrong?” Mina asked. “Apparently Hoseok hyung is planning a one-man-show.. in the nude..” He watched both me and Mina’s mouths turn into ‘O’s before continuing, “I better go help stop him before he ruins our career.” He turned around to leave, placing a kiss on top of Mina’s head and nodding a quick goodbye to me before disappearing with the man, who I now came to realize must’ve been a crew member by the way he was dressed, in all black with a mic headpiece shaping his face.

“Everyone here is so damn beautiful, I’m starting to find it weird.” I voiced out loud this time. Finally being alone with Mina, I was able to drop all barriers, I always found it easy to be myself around her. Ever since the big move, I’ve been cautious about the way I should act. I didn't want to stand out as the ‘country girl’, and even though I was perfectly proud to be where I was from, attention wasn't really my thing. After meeting Mina, I started to get a feel for how the people here behaved, thought and saw things. I figured I’d take a few tips from her to help me blend in more, but I loved being able to me unapologetically myself around her. “Well, what else do you expect from celebrities?” She sighed, confused at my question. “Celebrities?Everyone here is??” Why was I only finding this out now? “Not everyone, most of the people here are students at our school and the rest are famous graduates, the celebs-to-be, and the actual celebs.” She finished casually, and I was reminded again how uninformed I was about tonight. “Woah.” Was all I could manage. “Yep, I guess you could say this is where two worlds meet,” she said, looking around the room as if there was some physical divide, “but at least we all have something in common.” She smiled widely. “And what’s that?” “We’re all-“ A sudden arm around her neck cut her off mid-sentence.

“Come on now Mina, how are you gonna bring a new friend to my party and not even introduce me, you know better than that.” The blonde haired boy chided. He had thick hair that was unkempt. He ran his fingers through it slowly, moving it from his forehead and leaving little fly-aways that fell endearingly; revealing clear dark eyes, a color almost indefinable. They reminded me of the autumn leaves, a dark brown at first; but the closer he got the brighter they appeared. Suddenly they were chestnut with slight orange undertones. A straight nose and perfectly full, but masculine lips completed his face. I could hardly think as I stared stunned and bemused into his eyes, eyes that were staring right back into mine. I figured he was a part of BTS by the reference of ‘my party’ and turned to Mina for elaboration. “This, very drunk boy,” she scolded him, “is Jimin, he's a vocalist in Tae’s group” “It’s nice to meet you, very drunk boy.” I teased, which earned the most endearing eye smile from him, making my heart jump. “The pleasure is all mine.” He lifted my hand up, bringing it to his mouth and placing a kiss on my knuckles. It took me every bone in my body to hold my composure, but when my cheeks involuntarily flushed red, he’d gotten the reaction he was hoping for, as if getting even for the smile and slowly brought our hands down, but he didn't let go.

“Did you graduate too?” I tried to change the subject to lessen the heat rushing through my cheeks, my finger tips burning under his touch as he played with them. He just threw his head down and laughed nervously, and when Mina did the same I felt awkward between their inside joke that I was, apparently, missing the point of. “Well, Jiminie over here was supposed to graduate with Tae last May,” she overemphasized ‘supposed’, narrowing her eyes at Jimin, making him look the other way, “but he's not very gifted when it come to, um, school. So now he gets to repeat senior year with us, yay!” She finished laughing in his face, making the irritation in his eyes grow. “But he’s the best when it comes to dancing.” She quickly added, seeing the pain on his face and hoping to diminish the shade she threw at him. “What can I say, I’m a master with my body.” He whispered at me under hooded, hungry eyes and I had to wonder whether it was actually him or the alcohol talking. “I’m sure you are.” The words stumbled out as I cowered under his gaze, almost giving up on whatever composure I had left.

“Alright, Jimin, I think that’s enough teasing now.” A soft, sweet voice came out from behind him. A fragile-looking girl with vibrant, red, wavy hair. She look like something straight out of an anime, with bright brown eyes and clear, pale skin. “Hi, I’m Yeri.” She took the liberty to introduce herself, gently retracting my hand from Jimin’s and holding it in her own, whilst throwing him a cheeky irritated look. He returned it with his own version of irritation, upset that she’d broken our contact. “Hello, I’m- “Y/N!” She finished for me, and I narrowed my eyes at her. How did she know my name? Her face flashed a look that read ‘uh oh’ and she opened her mouth to explain, but nothing came out. After several nervous glances between the three of them, she continued. “Erm... Taehyung told me.” She laughed nervously, but something in me didn't believe her. “Way to go, Ri.” Jimin called her out, whispering very close to her ear as if I wasn’t supposed to hear him. “Yeah, hyung told us all about the ‘new girl’.” Another boy joined the conversation, throwing darts at Yeri, who was now grinning sheepishly at her mistake. “I see,” I stated flatly, clearly remembering Taehyung heading in the complete opposite direction from where they came from. “Mark.” He extended his hand out to me and I shook it subconsciously, too focused on how tall and pretty he was to properly reciprocate the gesture. “Y/N.” I said, instantly regretting it as he added, “I think we’ve already established that.” He laughed and I snapped back to reality. “Mark and Yeri are both sophomores at SOPA,” Mina moved from next to Jimin to beside Mark, “which means that this little rascal is younger than you, so you don't have to take any of his bs, ok.” She ended, roughly patting his head, although he was a whole foot taller than her, and he just let her. They looked like siblings in the moment. “Yeah, we get that a lot.” Mark sighed, his eyes growing the instant he finished talking as Mina pulled his hair to shut him up. “Get what?” Now I was seriously confused.

We all stood in silence for a few moments before the lights dimmed out in the club. A single spotlight hit the stage and Taehyung emerged from the left wing and took his place at the center. For a moment, I fully expected that Hoseok guy to run out and flash everyone. “Hello everybody, I’m V from BTS.” “V?” I whispered to Mina, who just rolled her eyes. “Stage name.” It seemed like she wasn't fond of it. “I would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate our new album, Wings, with us. As you’ve probably already noticed, I’m the only one on stage.” After gaining the light laughter reaction he was looking for, he continued. “Long story short, the boys saw alcohol and I haven’t seen them since.” The crowd erupted into laughter this time at his distress. “I know you guys are listening right now, somewhere, so I just wanna quickly tell you.. you guys suck!” “I love you, too!” Jimin yelled back, earning a scowl from Taehyung in our direction. ‘Swag’ came from somewhere in the crowd, causing another wave of laughter and Taehyung to drop his head. “Yoongi..” Jimin chuckled, looking genuinely amused.

“Anyway. This time we decided writing each song together doesn't reflect the exact personal taste of each member, so instead, we each have our own completely separate songs. This way, we get to explore our own individual styles, incorporating them into our own stories.” He spoke clearly, accentuating every word with his deep, soothing voice and I realized I’d been put under his spell, along with the rest of the crowd. “We all contributed to the writing and producing our solo songs, and, in my personal, humble opinion, “ he began with mischief written all over his face, “the Neo-Soul song, Stigma, is the best.” He finished proudly, earning a round of applause. That must’ve been his song. “Now, I know you were promised a performance but since the members ruined our surprise,” he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, who knew he could be such an actor, “due to the fact that they are.. how do I put this nicely? conceited, careless, crazy bastards who can’t control themselves,” my mouth dropped open, “we’ve agreed that the DJ will play our entire album tonight as an apology.” With that, the first song began and the crowd went wild.

“Let’s go!” Yeri yelled, pulling Mark along with her to the dance floor. Taehyung came down from the stage, beckoning Mina to join him too and in the midst of it all, I noticed Jimin disappeared. Mina threw me a glance, insisting I’d join them but the last thing I wanted to do right now was dive into the suffocating sea of bodies. 

My nerves were running out of control and I couldn't understand why. I’d been feeling this way every since we walked in, but it was mild back then, and way more intense now. I could feel it like a weight in my chest, confining my lungs and making it hard for me to breath. My fingers were trembling and when I raised them up to cup my face, I felt a tingling energy force itself through my entire body and stop at my hands. I watched them shake in front of me and for a split second, my eyes caught what looked like markings just in the palm of my hands. I blinked and they were gone. Was it just my imagination? The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was about to lose consciousness. I needed space, air. I convinced her to go on without me and made my way to the second floor, it was pretty much empty since everyone continued gathering on the dance floor. I found the nearest corner and crouched down against the wall, placing my elbows on my knees and dropping my forehead down into my hands. What was wrong with me? I could no longer control them, they were shaking in an odd trembling rhythm, and for a minute I had myself convinced I’d fade into oblivion.

“Come on baby, just one kiss? I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” A snobby voice giggled and I realized I wasn’t alone. I peeked up over the edge of my fingertips, trying to find the source of the sound. A couple sat in the lounge opposite me, surrounded by too many empty bottles of liquor. “No.” The boy sighed. “Why not?” The girl began to beckon him by straddling herself across his lap, cupping his face in her hands and leaning in closer. “Because, if I kiss you now then you’ll just keep coming back for more, and I can’t give you that,” he teased her, “you’re just gonna get your feelings hurt and then I’m gonna look like the bad guy.” He spoke, but his actions spoke louder than his words as he made no effort to move away from her. He noticed her hesitate as she digested his words, and figured she’d backed down, but to his surprise... “You know..” she began,“I like bad guys.” She whispered, her lips brushing against his. A smirk played up in the corners of his lips and just when he was about to give in, his eyes found mine.

I instantly shot my head down. He caught me. He caught me and now he was looking at me. I internally cried, hoping the ground would just swallow me up. “What’s wrong?” The girl asked, noticing his diverted attention. “Er.. nothing, it’s just..” He trailed off trying to find some excuse when his phone began vibrating in his pocket. As soon as he read the caller ID, he sat up, throwing the girl off his lap. - “What, no, isn't he with Seokjin?” He almost yelled. I knew something was wrong as I could clearly hear whoever was on the other end of the line frantically shouting, all the way from my position on the other side of the room. “Fucking Hoseok.” The boy spat under his breath, before leaving the area. When I was sure he was gone, I looked up. The girl, who was ready for a make out session only moments ago, was passed out on the sofa, sound asleep. I looked at the mess she was, suddenly very thankful I hadn't had a single drop of alcohol all night and threw my head back down. I just wanted to get out of here and go home but I couldn't bring myself to ask Mina to leave. She’d been looking forward to not only tonight but spending time with Taehyung. I mean, who knows when she’ll get to see him next. I couldn't bear to cut whatever time they had short and sunk further into the wall, trying to find comfort in the silence this part of the club had to offer.

After a while, I came to my senses. I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by but at least my nerves had calmed down. The music was still playing downstairs so I figured it hadn't been that long. I remembered the girl from before and looked up to where she was sleeping, only to find that she wasn't there anymore. I contemplated whether she ended up leaving the club with the guy from earlier or not, but my question was answered when he reached the top of the stairs to the lounge, alone. I remembered our awkward eye contact and hid behind my palms once again, hoping he’d forgotten and wouldn't notice me. His footsteps kept getting closer and I realized it was hopeless.

“Hey, you alright?” A soft voice asked, crouching down so that we were at the same level. “Yeah.” My voice came out so weak, even I didn't believe me. I leaned deeper into my hands, hoping he’d get the message and just leave. “I’m not leaving.” He dropped, sitting down with his legs crossed directly in front of me as if to stand his ground. A few moments passed and when he realized I wasn't budging, he continued, “you know.. it is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.” “Huh?” I couldn't help but lift my head up and laugh at his ridiculous comment. “Congrats, you're not a pig.” He smiled widely, proud that he got me to face him. “What is that supposed to mean?” I was too giddy from his previous comment to even be offended. “Nothing. But at least now I get to see your pretty face.” He said with a smile in his voice. I was met with a smirk, and when my eyes took him in completely, I realized how close he was. I found myself looking straight at him more than I’d like to admit but something about him was so... calming.  My eyes traced every inch of his face; from his eyes to his lips and everything in between, until they fell on a scar placed on his left cheek. I stared at it for a moment longer, wondering how it got there before he turned to the side as if he was hiding it. When he turned back to face me, something about him changed. He held my eyes again and somewhere between his close proximity and intense gaze, I felt like an open book. He wasn’t just looking at me, he was searching my eyes as if he could see straight into my mind through them. With that thought, a smile crept up on his face, sending a wave of energy through me and causing my nerves to stir up again.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” He let out with a slight chuckle.

“Get used to what?” I asked, but he already got up and was making his way back. He turned around to face me at the top of the stairs, throwing me one last smile.

“Everything. See you around, Y/N.”

[rasekstories]

Bran and Nora

It was spring when I finally started to move.  I’m a winter child, born in the dying light of a cold day, and my mentor told me it made a great impression on my mind.  I was content to watch and listen, happiest in the chill like my brothers and sisters born close to me.  

“Cold” to my people who haven’t left the Grove is probably still quite warm to the races outside of our forest.  Couples would wander by, complaining about the weather as sweat trickled down their necks in beads like raindrops, but I was happy.  I listened to everything my mentor told me, and I watched.

And then it was spring.  It really isn’t that much different from winter here.  It gets warmer, but the flowers could bloom all year round if you enticed them to, and our joints are never stiff.  Memories from our elder siblings show places completely covered in snow, places where you need layers upon layers of clothes and fires and fur to wrap yourselves in.  Places where a Sylvari begins to slow, even in the warmest months.

It snowed in my dream.

She emerged from her pod already beautiful.  Her body was new, but her eyes were deep and wise, already saturated with the distant memories of Tyria in a way I suppose I never understood.  She was given clothes and was greeted by her mentor; a woman just a year older than myself who always seemed simple to me.  Her smile was shy, small, like it embarrassed her to be seen that way.  I wanted to reach out and touch her.

I must have given myself away.  My own mentor made a joke at my expense, playful of course, but it flustered me just the same.  He told me to go and introduce myself.  It is the duty of the older Sylvari to greet and guide their younger siblings as they step into the waking world, so I did.  I still do.  I try, anyway.

Her name was Nora.  Nora.  N-o-r-a. Two syllables, easy to remember, easy and carefree but still elegant and sweet.  It was perfect for her.  From afar she must have looked like a typical child of spring, but I had seen the details right away, and once seen, she could not be anything less than radiant. Her skin was vibrant green and softer than mine; not a bit of bark on her.  She played with her hair when she spoke, tucking the willow leaves behind her ear, brushing them around her shoulders, putting them up and letting them back down again.  She bit her lip and looked away and covered her mouth when she laughed.  Sweet, nervous, innocent.

She thought I was funny for that.  She would get bored with my spider webs and tell me to go skinny dipping with her in Caledon forest.  She’d splash me with water as I sat at the water’s edge, teasing me about bravery, teasing me about being a statue.  She’d roll onto her back in the grass and look at me that way, the peaks of her breasts just visible beneath her vest, and ask me questions about everything I remembered.  I was sure she knew more than me, but she always pretended not to.

We’d go about that way, every day, getting groceries from the market, watching our younger siblings step into the world, eavesdropping on couples, everything.  She convinced me to look at something other than spider webs.  She gave me a knife and showed me how to make soup.  Basic, cabbage soup.  It was all she could make on her own.

When we were two, Nora wanted to see Hoelbrak.  She’d dreamed of so many places, so many things, but never snow.  She could tell me what it looked like and what it was made of, but she wanted to stand in it without shoes on and experience first hand what real cold felt like.

I declined.  We argued about it.  My dream was nothing but snow and spiders.  Standing in an empty field under a grey sky, the silence smothering me as I watched powder collect on threads.  I was afraid to see it, I’m ashamed to say.  I still am.  I worry about my dream.  If I understand it and achieve what I was meant to do, do I lose my purpose?  Do I lose my meaning? Nora didn’t understand that.  Nora was so optimistic.

So optimism.  She WAS optimism.  She was bright as the sun, always ready, always willing to find the next adventure.  She could laze about under a tree or run for hours as long as I listened while she talked.  She liked blueberries.  I learned to cook with them to make her happy.

Sometimes I saw her watching couples, not just eavesdropping but envying them.  She’d rest her chin on one of her delicate hands and sigh, but she wouldn’t say anything. I wondered if I should tell her I loved her.

Perhaps it was for the best that I didn’t.  She never said it to me.  She would go to the new pods and watch our siblings climb out, fresh and new to the world, her lips moving wordlessly, eyes scanning each of them as they were greeted by their mentors.  I didn’t understand what she was looking for.  I was there next to her, trying to keep my hands steady, wondering if I should touch her waist or her shoulder or her elbow, anything.  Would that be okay?  Would she mind?  She looked so absorbed in it I didn’t dare break her concentration.  I did nothing.

Nothing.  And nothing.  And nothing. It hurt to do nothing.  She was growing more and more distant from me with every passing week, and I began to panic.  She spoke to me less as we lie in the grass.  She did her every day routine without me, even though we’d been doing it together for years.  If she didn’t love me, why did she spend so much time with me?  I would have devoted my life to her if she’d let me, but she was more interested in those stupid pods—

No, that isn’t fair.

I heard of the Nightmare Court when we were four.  I was sick on some drink a foreign trader had sold me, reeling over the edge of a balcony on the upper deck of the Grove when I was joined by another man.  He was lighter than I was, but just slightly, with rich red bark and rough, burgundy leaves kept short.  The tips of them glowed a pale yellow in the dark.

Do we limit ourselves?  Is the tablet so restrictive that we fail to reach our potential when we follow it closely?  We can be amazing.  The stranger was near drunk as I was, but he spoke clearly enough, and made enough sense at the time that I nodded along and started to ask questions.  He told me it was like starting over.  When the light of the pale tree ceases to blind you, the Grove looks less beautiful than you once thought.  Shouldn’t we be able to choose our own paths?  We cling to our dreams like human children at their mother’s skirts, but we’re NOT children.  We were born for something more than the worries of our sleeping selves, and with the Nightmare Court, we could shed that skin and be more beautiful than ever.

I didn’t know how to ask Nora to come with me.  I wanted it to be special.  I wanted to kiss her neck and tell her I loved her, to run away with her and start over somewhere without pods, where our dreams couldn’t chase us and we could be close again like we used to be.

I found her staring at the sky, counting clouds.  I hadn’t seen her for days, and the shock of it stole my words away.  The girl who climbed from her pod a few years ago was a faded memory, an imprint on another person.  Nora didn’t smile when she looked at me.  Her eyes no longer sparkled with curiosity, but reflected a sadness I didn’t understand.  Her lips were thin, even when she smiled.  That childish pout, the soft fullness of them was gone, and when she sat up to greet me it was with a sigh.

Nightmare, right.  I was chasing another dream.  I wanted to run away with Nora, my Nora.  Sweet little Nora with the willow leaves and the perfect white teeth that bit her lip when she wanted something.  Nora who kicked her shoes off to wade in the water, and skinned her elbows rolling down the hill just to make herself dizzy.  Nora whose touch made me shiver with longing, whose whispers in my ear drove me mad, whose skin was softer than petals and smelled sweeter than any flower in the Grove.  Nora. N-o-r-a.

This woman, whoever she was, had no time for my dreams.  She dismissed them before I even opened by mouth.  I felt myself sinking into the Earth as she looked at me and rubbed by fingers against the palms of my hands.  Sand through my fingertips.

I didn’t join the Nightmare Court. Neither did Nora.  All things have the right to grow, after all. I’ve learned that much from watching spiders.  I don’t know what Nora thought, but she left the Grove shortly after that.  She never wrote to me.  I used to think about her chasing her own dream, visiting the great cities, twirling on her toes on a strange place surrounded by strange people.  Happy.  I hadn’t thought about her in some time, actually, but something brought me back.

Blueberry cookies.  He loves caramels too, but he’s got a soft spot for blueberries.  It’s strange, making them for someone besides myself again.  I wonder what he dreams about.

[coulsonjessi93-blog]

Most Innovative Suzuka 沙巴

Long-term test notes Overall, this is certainly the best budget robotic vacuum cleaner ever. It is much cheaper compared to Innobot i70 and Ecovacs, which the surface of the line models price range from RM2500-3500. Since that time, I have used it less often (listen, I examine lots of vacuums and need to allow my flooring get a little dirty to check them), but it still hit the floor after every couple weeks. I would estimate that it's done about 100 cleaning cycles complete, and it has held up nicely. So far, I've replaced the filter just once, even though it really needs replacing again soon. However, the side brush remains in fine shape, along with the battery still appears to hold a full or near-full fee - it may still wash for 80 minutes at one time. In our testing expertise, though, and judging from the countless user reviews we have read, the Proscenic Suzuka doesn't get stuck or otherwise give up through a cleaning cycle as often as competing versions from Innobot or other manufacturers. 

Consider it this way: If you schedule your bot to wash while you're at work and it has stuck under the couch 10 minutes to the cleaning cycle, it is going to sit there all day waiting for you to come rescue it, and your flooring will continue to be dirty once you get home. Defeats the purpose of getting an automatic cleaner, no? The most obvious change to the Proscenic Suzuka over the years is that its body appears somewhat banged up. I discovered this after only a month or two of service, and now it's even more shallow scratches and scuffs. However, I haven't noticed any effect marks or smudges on my furniture that the bot definitely caused. To be fair, I do not really care if my IKEA material gets a bit scuffed up, so I am not paying very close attention, nor does it bother me that the bot itself seems like it's been busy. The Proscenic Suzuka does not really work on nonreflective black or very dark brown flooring. Black or dark floors that are a tiny glossy should be fine. According to Proscenic, this restriction has to do with the nature of the ledge sensors, which prevent the bot from hurtling down a flight of stairs. 1 workaround would be to tape over the detectors with white paper or something else small and semireflective. We have not tried this trick ourselves, and the potential drawback is that the Suzuka can then tumble down those above stairs. At length, the Proscenic Suzuka gets the best user ratings of any robot vacuum in any price: 

Currently it has a general rating of 4.5 stars (out of five) across 2,641 reviews on Amazon. For as long as we've been keeping track, it has also been the best-selling robot vacuum cleaner on Amazon. A freewheeling nav system also helps the Proscenic Suzuka cover more ground than its competitors, which gives it a much better chance of picking up more debris. Reviewed.com notes in a review of the Proscenic Suzuka that by "really ramming itself in tight spaces," that the bot is "capable to pick up dirt where other vacuums only shy away." We have found that it's more likely than the Innobot i70 to drive into tightly clustered groups of chairs and tables, such as the distance under a dining-room table. The Innobot might just avoid that area entirely if it doesn't perceive enough room to move freely between the chair legs. So unless you are willing to do something like put up the chairs on the table, then the Innobot will pick up none of that debris, and the Suzuka will pick up at least some of it. Since its navigation system relies so much on signature (instead of optics) to feel out a space, the Proscenic Suzuka bumps into furniture and walls dozens of times per cleaning cycle. Reviewed.com notes that it strikes harder than other bots, at roughly 2.3 pounds of force, which has the capacity to knock rickety objects off of mild tables (but likely won't). A small number of user reviewers have complained that it abandoned marks, occasionally even scratches, in their furniture. We have not seen scratches or smudges on any of our own chairs or baseboards, and most reviews don't mention it as a problem. One simple workaround is to stick a tiny strip of foam rubber onto the bumper. Flaws although not dealbreakers The majority of the positive consumer reviews seem to recognize that the Proscenic Suzuka is a maintenance cleaner, something which lets you place off human-powered cleanings to get a few additional weeks or days (if you can stand it) and shaves some time off these sessions while still keeping the floors tidier in the meantime. Pet owners find it especially helpful for maintaining fur off the floor. Some owners have had their Proscenic Suzuka for many years, and it's still running nicely. As Amazon reviewer N K Maine puts it, "Overall, I really like the Suzuka. It's interesting to see, great to help out around the house to clean for us and really saves us time so that we could have one less thing to do if it comes to cleaning up the house." The Proscenic Suzuka makes replacing broken components easy. "Since I have had Suzuka, I have replaced almost all the parts, because it's cheap, easy, and frankly fun to do so," Sal Cangeloso advised me. A completely different set of brushes and filters now costs just around RM100, while one new brush for the Innobot i70 alone prices RM200. Other parts get more expensive - a first-party replacement battery now costs about RM400, for example.

So as with just about any vacuum, you'll need to put some money into keeping the Proscenic Suzuka running well, but dependent on the costs of replacement components and what we've read about its own battery life, those costs should be lower than with other robot vacuums. A longer battery life and a faster cleaning pace also offer the Proscenic Suzuka a competitive edge in many homes. It runs for 80 to 90 minutes per cycle, whereas the Innobot i70 squeezes out about 60 minutes and also moves at about half the rate of the Suzuka while it's turning or cleaning the edges of a room. (It moves about as fast as the Suzuka in straightaways.) Based on the size of the space you're cleaning, the Suzuka will make two or even three passes over the majority of the floor, whereas the Innobot i70 was made to make only 1 pass. After running more than 30 cleaning cycles within 2 weeks using four of the top robot vacuums, we have concluded that the Proscenic Suzuka is the bot that we'd recommend to most individuals who want an automatic helper to maintain the floors tidy. Extra speed, a longer run time, and additional passes aren't necessarily benefits. If a robot can perform the same task in less time, good. But based on our experience, consumer reviews, and test results from outlets like CNET, Consumer Reports, and Reviewed.com, we believe that in many real-world configurations, the Suzuka's endurance and speed let it pick up more debris than the Innobot i70 can. The Proscenic Suzuka has a more adaptive, persistent, and resilient navigation system compared to its competitors, such as the Innobot and Ecovacs. As it is so nimble, the Proscenic Suzuka can operate well in all kinds of settings - in a crowded floor plan or a open concept, on wood floors or knit rug, in one bedroom or covering hundreds of square feet. It may look kind of aimless since it drives headlong into walls, furniture, and other fixtures seemingly randomly. As Rich Brown, senior editor at CNET place it to us, the Suzuka is "just like a celebration". And who could forget DJ Suzuka? Note too that although the Proscenic Suzuka almost consistently finishes an whole cleaning cycle without getting stuck, the unit doesn't necessarily make it back to the charger. In the last 20 or 30 minutes of a session, even when the battery starts to run low, the Proscenic Suzuka begins to look for the dock, which includes an infrared beacon. If the bot sees the dock's sign, it drives parks and over itself on the charging 

connections. But if the Suzuka can't find the pier, then it just keeps cleaning till the battery is totally out of juice and then quits in place. That second scenario is more likely to take place in larger homes or in houses with several modest rooms as opposed to fewer big rooms. The secret is that the Proscenic Suzuka is more adept at escaping "bot traps" such as a rogue USB cable, a maze of furniture legs, the fringe on a rug, or a tall threshold. We think that is because it depends more on touch-based detectors than other bots do, which gives it a much more thorough sense of its immediate surroundings and therefore a clearer escape path. Additionally, Proscenic's been producing robot vacuums longer than anyone else, so the company's software engineers have had more time to fine-tune the calculations that let the bots escape from potential traps. That creates the Proscenic Suzuka a terrific navigator in houses with cozy, crowded floor plans. The Innobot i70, by comparison, struggles more as it drives more than a cable, lumps into a threat which its mapping system could not see, or ends up someplace with no obvious exit. It may also occasionally get stuck on tall thresholds.

AutoVac Bot is presently doing a introductory advertising in Malaysia. The Suzuka is currently on a special offer at just RM1250 which makes it a steal. Robot vacuums are all designed to run while people are outside of the house, but if you are house while the bot is cleaning, we think the Proscenic Suzuka is really the most enjoyable bot to be around. We measured its normal operating volume at roughly 59 decibels, which is about as loud as a conversation in a restaurant or workplace. The Suzuka's inoffensive whirring and apparently nonsensical cleaning patterns practically make it feel as a pet. Ry Crist at CNET puts it well: "subtle, playful touches of character can really go a very long way - something that Proscenic appears to have mastered in the Suzuka after a few generations of development." The Innobot i70 is louder in contrast, running in 65 dB with its own combo brush or 68 dB with the rubber-flap knife brush. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning that the Innobot could be almost two times as loudly as the Suzuka. 

The Innobot also has larger spikes in its frequency response, which are inclined to be grating to your own ears. It's particularly loud around 125 hertz, similar to the whoosh of an HVAC unit. The Proscenic Suzuka is the smart-money pick for most people who need a robot vacuum cleaner. It is always effective in almost any home while other bots have a tendency to work great in some scenarios but fall short in others. We found that the Proscenic Suzuka is far more likely to complete its cleaning cycles on its own without getting stuck or tangled and needing to wait for a human to come to the rescue. The nature of its navigation system direct it in tight areas that other bots will not go close, so it tends to accumulate more crumbs, pet hair, and other debris in general. Compared with its rivals, it is quieter, it is simpler and cheaper to maintain and repair, and it is more affordable up front. For some folks, our runner-up is going to be a better pick, but every would-be bot-vac proprietor needs to look at the Proscenic Suzuka first. However, if you've got antique or other priceless furniture that you are absolutely not willing to risk damaging, this is not best bot for you. Any bot will encounter your stuff sometimes, but our runner-up and update picks do not do so as often, and when they do, it's with less drive.

[coulsonjessi93-blog]

Awesome Suzuka 扫地擦地机器人 马六甲

Long-term test notes In general, this is definitely the best budget robotic vacuum cleaner ever. It's much cheaper compared to Innobot i70 and Ecovacs, which the top of the line models price include RM2500-3500. Ever since that time, I've used it less often (listen, I review a lot of vacuums and have to allow my floor get a little dirty to test them), but it still hit the ground after every couple weeks. I would estimate that it's done about 100 cleaning cycles total, and it's held up well. So far, I have replaced the filter only once, though it really needs replacing again soon. However, the side brush remains in okay shape, and the battery still seems to maintain a complete or near-full fee - it can still wash for 80 minutes at one time. In our testing experience, though, and judging by the countless user reviews we have read, the Proscenic Suzuka doesn't get stuck or otherwise give up during a cleaning cycle as often as competing versions from Innobot or other manufacturers. Consider it this way: If you schedule your bot to clean as you're at work and it has stuck under the couch 10 minutes into the cleaning cycle, then it will sit there all day waiting for you to come rescue it, along with your floors will still be dirty once you get home. Defeats the purpose of having an automatic cleaner, no? The most apparent change to this Proscenic Suzuka over the years is that its body looks somewhat banged up. I discovered this after only a month or two of support, and now it's even more shallow scratches and scuffs. However, I haven't noticed any impact marks or smudges on my furniture which the bot definitely caused. To be honest, I do not really care when my IKEA material gets a little scuffed up, so I am not paying very close attention, nor does it bother me that the bot itself looks like it has been busy. The Proscenic Suzuka doesn't really work on nonreflective black or very dark brown flooring. Black or dark floors that are a little glossy should be fine. In accordance with Proscenic, this restriction has to do with the nature of the ledge detectors, which prevent the bot from hurtling down a flight of stairs. 1 workaround would be to tape over the sensors with white paper or something else small and semireflective. We have not tried this trick ourselves, and the possible drawback is that the Suzuka can then fall down those aforementioned stairs. At length, the Proscenic Suzuka gets the ideal user ratings of any robot vacuum in any cost: Currently it's an overall rating of 4.5 stars (out of five) across 2,641 testimonials on Amazon. As long as we have been keeping track, it has also become the best-selling robot vacuum on Amazon. A freewheeling nav system also helps the Proscenic Suzuka pay more ground than its competitors, which gives it a better chance at picking up more debris. Reviewed.com notes at a review of this Proscenic Suzuka that by "really ramming itself in tight spaces," the bot is "capable to pick up dirt where other vacuums only shy off." We have found that it is more likely compared to Innobot i70 to push into tightly clustered groups of tables and chairs, like the distance under a dining-room table. The Innobot might only stop that region entirely if it doesn't perceive enough room to maneuver freely between the seat legs. So unless you are prepared to do something like put up the chairs on the table, the Innobot will select up none of that debris, and the Suzuka will pick up at least some of it. Because its navigation system relies so much on touch (instead of optics) to sense out a space, the Proscenic Suzuka bumps into furniture and walls heaps of occasions per cleaning cycle. Reviewed.com notes that it strikes harder than other bots, at about 2.3 lbs of force, which has the capacity to knock rickety objects off of mild tables (but likely won't). A handful of user reviewers have complained that it left marks, sometimes even scrapes, on their furniture. We have not seen scratches or smudges on any of our own seats or baseboards, and most reviews do not mention it as a problem. One simple workaround would be to stick just a little strip of foam rubber on the bumper. Flaws but not dealbreakers The majority of the positive consumer reviews seem to recognize that the Proscenic Suzuka is a maintenance cleaner, something that allows you put off human-powered cleanings to get a couple of additional days or weeks (if you can stand it) and shaves off some time those sessions while still keeping the flooring tidier in the meantime. Pet owners find it particularly helpful for keeping fur off the floor. Some owners have experienced their Proscenic Suzuka for many years, and it is still running nicely. As Amazon reviewer N K Maine puts it, "Overall, I really like the Suzuka. It's interesting to watch, great to help out around the house to wash for us and save us time so that we could have one less thing to do when it comes to cleaning up the house." The Proscenic Suzuka makes replacing broken components simple. "Since I have had Suzuka, I have replaced almost all the components, since it's cheap, simple, and frankly fun to do so," Sal Cangeloso told me. A completely different set of filters and brushes now costs only around RM100, while one new brush for the Innobot i70 alone prices RM200. Other components get more expensive - a first-party replacement battery currently costs about RM400, for example.

So as with almost any vacuum, you'll have to put some money into maintaining the Proscenic Suzuka running well, but based on the prices of replacement parts and what we've read about its own battery, those prices should be lower than with other robot vacuums. A more battery life and a faster cleaning pace also give the Proscenic Suzuka a competitive edge in many houses. It runs on 80 to 90 minutes each cycle, whereas the Innobot i70 squeezes out about 60 minutes and also moves at about half the rate of the Suzuka while it's cleaning or turning the edges of a room. (It moves about as quickly as the Suzuka in straightaways.) Depending upon the size of the space you are cleaning, the Suzuka can make two or perhaps three moves over the majority of the floor, whereas the Innobot i70 is designed to make just 1 pass. After running over 30 cleaning cycles over two months with four of the top robot vacuums, we have concluded that the Proscenic Suzuka is your bot that we'd recommend to most individuals who want an automatic helper to maintain the flooring clean. Extra speed, a longer run time, and also additional passes aren't necessarily benefits. If a robot can perform exactly the exact same task in less time, great. But based on our experience, consumer reviews, and evaluation results from outlets such as CNET, Consumer Reports, and Reviewed.com, we think that in many real-world configurations, the Suzuka's endurance and speed let it pick up more debris than the Innobot i70 can. The Proscenic Suzuka includes a more elastic, persistent, and resilient navigation platform than its rivals, such as the Innobot and Ecovacs. As it's so nimble, the Proscenic Suzuka can operate well in all types of settings - in a crowded floor plan or a open concept, on hardwood flooring or knit rug, in a single bedroom or covering hundreds of square foot. It might look kind of aimless as it drives headlong into walls, furniture, and other fittings apparently at random. As Rich Brown, senior editor at CNET put it to us, the Suzuka is "just like a celebration". And who could forget DJ Suzuka? Note too that though the Proscenic Suzuka almost consistently completes an entire cleaning cycle without getting stuck, the unit doesn't always make it back into the charger. In the last 20 or 30 minutes of a session, once the battery starts to run low, the Proscenic Suzuka starts to look for the pier, which has an infrared beacon. If the bot sees the dock's signal, it drives over and parks itself on the charging contacts. But if the Suzuka can't locate the pier, then it just keeps cleaning until the battery is completely out of juice and then quits set up. That second scenario is more likely to happen in larger houses or in homes with various small rooms as opposed to fewer large rooms. The secret is that the Proscenic Suzuka is much more adept at escaping "bot traps" like a rogue USB cable, a set of furniture legs, the fringe on a carpet, or a tall threshold. We think that's because it relies more on touch-based sensors than other bots perform, which gives it a more detailed awareness of its immediate environment and therefore a clearer escape route. Additionally, Proscenic's been producing robot vacuums longer than anyone else, or so the company's software engineers have had more time to fine-tune the algorithms which let the robots escape from potential traps. That creates the Proscenic Suzuka a terrific navigator in houses with cozy, crowded floor plans. The Innobot i70, by comparison, struggles more as it drives over a cable, bumps into a threat which its own mapping system couldn't see, or ends up somewhere with no obvious exit. It can also sometimes get stuck on tall thresholds.

AutoVac Bot is presently doing a introductory promotion in Malaysia. The Suzuka is now on a special offer at only RM1250 which makes it a steal. Robot vacuums are all made to run while people are outside of the house, but if you are house while the bot is cleaning, we believe the Proscenic Suzuka is really the most pleasant bot to be around. We measured its typical working volume at roughly 59 decibels, which is about as loud as a conversation in a restaurant or workplace. The Suzuka's inoffensive whirring and seemingly nonsensical cleaning routines practically make it feel like a pet. Ry Crist in CNET puts it nicely: "subtle, playful touches of character really can go a long way - something that Proscenic seems to have mastered in the Suzuka after a few generations of development." The Innobot i70 is louder in contrast, running at 65 dB with its own combo brush or 68 dB using the rubber-flap blade brush. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, which means that the Innobot could be almost two times as loud as the Suzuka. The Innobot also has larger spikes in its frequency response, which tend to be grating to your ears. It's particularly loud around 125 hertz, similar to the whoosh of an HVAC unit. The Proscenic Suzuka is your smart-money choice for the majority of people who want a robot vacuum cleaner. It's always powerful in almost any home while other bots have a tendency to work great in certain scenarios but fall short while. We discovered that the Proscenic Suzuka is far more likely to complete its cleaning cycles on its own without getting stuck or tangled and needing to wait for a human to come to the rescue. The character of its navigation system leads it in tight areas that other bots won't go close, so it has a tendency to accumulate more crumbs, pet hair, and other debris in general. In comparison with its rivals, it is quieter, it is simpler and cheaper to maintain and fix, and it is less expensive up front. For some folks, our runner-up is going to be a better pick, but every would-be bot-vac proprietor should take a look at the Proscenic Suzuka first. However, if you have classic or other priceless furniture which you are absolutely not willing to risk dangerous, this isn't best bot for you. Any bot will encounter your stuff sometimes, but our runner-up and upgrade picks don't do this as often, and if they do, it's with less force.