#I'm at the beach so I may vanish for some time

[camprell-art]

@milkywaypudding asked me if I had voice headcanons for the Bleck crew and I deleted the ask by accident so I'm gonna talk about it here!

I did found a video a long time ago that was a dub of one of their scenes, one very close to the end of the game, but the video is in private now so I won't have a way of showing it ;w; but anyways, it was really perfect, now the closest thing that I have is man on the internet's songs and I must say, they chose really good voices for the crew and since I never searched a lot for voices I can say that those are my headcanon voices for them for now :)

But if I were to put into words how I imagine their voices, without an actual audio...

Bleck would sound a bit husky and echoey, his tone is low and not so strong, unless he really means to talk louder. He sounds a lot like a ghost and Dracula were merged together.

Nastasia is almost monotone, sounds soft when she talks to herself but she knows how to make her voice hard when it comes to being harsh with others, mid tone, more low than high.

Mimi doesn't really have the squeakiest voice ever, but she's very emotional and her voice tends to follow her emotions closely, the tone is a strong kind of high, very "feminine" too.

O'Chunks isn't really husky like the Count but he has a strong voice, it sounds like he speaks straight from the throat, if you know what I mean, his tone is low too, and it sounds even stronger with his accent. He can sound soft when he wants, although it's very rare for him to so so. (I think of Heavy from TF2 when I think about O'Chunks' voice)

Dimentio, he has very soft voice, kind of seductive too, mid tone, also to the lower side, but he's actually really good at changing it, so he may sound higher or lower depending on what he wants from you hehe and he has an accent, but you can't really tell if it's French or Italian

And I'm gonna put Timpani here too, so, soft, mid, she speaks with clarity and tends to use a very comprehensive way of using words, so in general she sounds like an angel. (very biased btw akdjajf)

[thoushallnotfall]

Walkin' After Midnight

Masterlist

Pairing: Marko x Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Note: *finger guns* Ehhhhh...so it’s been a minute. How ya’ll been? So completely ignoring that’s it’s been...a long time, here’s another of my ‘imagine the boys in a decade prior to the 80s’ fics--and we’re moving right along to the 50s!

I started this...a very long time ago, and then I didn’t like it so I just left it in my WIPs with like 15 other ideas/half-written fics/updates. I still don’t love it, but upon further reflection I don’t totally hate it--and it was already started so I didn’t have to work as hard to finish it, so there’s that.

That being said, I'm kind of interested in writing a part 2, so we'll see...taking babysteps here.

(I’m really having to dig deep for these gifs)

Every kid from Santa Carla grew up knowing two things: Don’t go out after dark if you ever want to make it home, and stay away from the greasers who hung around the boardwalk.

It never really occurred to you that those two things could be related.

Unlike a lot of the teenagers in Santa Carla, who’d run there with nowhere else to go, you’d lived there all your life. You’d never left the city, and the older you got the more you doubted you ever would. Your dad had been killed in Vietnam, and your mom was around so little you half expected one day she’d just stop coming back home at all. You may not be one of the runaways, but you were still alone in Santa Carla.

Still, you were young; and while you knew you’d have to find a way to live on your own sooner or later, you decided to try and enjoy what little youth you had left. One day you’d have to grow up and start providing for yourself somehow, but for now you just wanted to live your life to the fullest before that all got taken away.

With that in mind, you’d taken to going to plenty of the dances and social events in town. You didn’t have a curfew, and no one was around to care about where you were, but even so you tried not to be out too late after dark. That’s always when the people went missing--and they never came back.

That’s why it was the first rule of Santa Carla: Don’t go out after dark.

The official numbers were never right, given how many of the people who disappeared were runaways, but the amount of missing people in Santa Carla had always been unusually high. The only thing they knew for sure was that they always seemed to vanish at night.

The prevalent theory among many of the local teens was aliens. They came out with their flying saucers and abducted unsuspecting people in the night. Others were more practical--they just thought there was a really good serial killer in town.

It could be anyone! They’d say.

But people have always gone missing in Santa Carla--is he an old man, still killing people in his 70s? Someone else would question.

Okay, so a family of serial killers! They’d say back.

Personally, you had no idea who or what was making people disappear. You only cared about surviving it, and the best way to do that was stay in at night.

Then, there was the second rule of Santa Carla: Stay away from the greasers.

There was a particularly nasty group of punks who usually hung around the Boardwalk at night. No one knew who they were--probably just another group of runaways--but people had grown to know they were trouble. A gang of greasers who didn’t care about the law and would sooner gut a man than say hello. That’s what people said about them, anyway.

So imagine your surprise when you broke both rules in a single night.

--

The night in question started out well enough. You and a friend had gone to the beach in the afternoon, and spent most of the day there. At one point, the two of you had attracted the attention of some boys--who ended up spending the day with you.

So when the sun got low and it was time to leave, your friend decided to accept the invitation from the boys to go get some dinner at the local diner. You however, weren’t as excited about the prospect. Not only did you not want to be out too late, you frankly just weren’t that interested in any of them. Your friend tried to get you to change your mind, but you held firm.

And so it was that your friend headed off with the guys. At least she brought you into town so you wouldn’t have so far to walk to get home. And while you weren’t jazzed about walking home alone you figured you could make it back quick enough that it’d be okay. Unfortunately, it was nearly dark before you even made it back to town--and well into the night by the time you walked past the Boardwalk.

You tried to hurry your way through the crowded streets of tourists and late-night couples walking hand in hand without any trouble. But of course that's exactly what you find.

"Hey there pretty lady, going my way?" A big guy in a varsity sweater asks. He looked like a jock--maybe home from college? You didn't know him, and you certainly didn't want to.

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry." You say, hoping to sidestep him and continue on your way. He moves to stand in front of you.

"Aw, don't be like that doll." He says, looming over you. "I just want to get to know you."

"Well I'm not interested." You say, trying to push past him. He grabs your wrist, squeezing so tight it makes you wince in pain.

"Not so fast girlie--we ain't done talking yet." He says, pulling you back.

Oh God, this is it. He's a part of that serial killer family and you're about to get murdered.

Your frantic thoughts are interrupted as the creep let's you go. He screams as he looks to his other side. You follow his gaze and see a greaser with blonde, curly hair standing next to him--the jock's wrist in his hand. He squeezes it tighter and the jock falls to one knee, yelling in pain.

"Don't like it so much on the receiving end, do yah punk?" The boy says, squeezing even tighter. Despite being smaller than the other boy, the greaser was still clearly stronger.

"What the hell man? Let me go!" The jock begs.

"You want me to let you go?" The greaser smirks. "Alright." He lets the guy go, before quickly using his now free hand to punch him square in the face. The boy falls back, holding his bloody, broken face in his hands. The greaser grabs the bleeding boy by the collar and pulls him up, smiling at him. "Now beat it before I decide to get serious." He says, dropping his collar. The boy scrambles up and runs off, disappearing down an allyway.

You watch him run off, stunned by what had just happened.

"You okay?" The blonde asks, having turned his attention to you. You practically jump out of your shoes.

"What? Oh." You look down at your wrist. "Yeah, it's fine--I mean, um, I'm fine." You stumble through before looking back up at him. "Thank you."

"No problem. Punks like that deserve a good beating." He says, before he smirks. "And I couldn't let him hurt a pretty thing like you, now could I?"

Uh oh, you may have just gone out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"So what's your deal anyway? You know it's not safe walking around alone at night, right?" He asks, ignoring your apprehensive look.

"We'll um," You hesitated, unsure of how much you should say about yourself. "I was out with a friend, but she had other plans. She drove, so..."

"So now you're stuck walking back. I get you." He says. "Pretty uncool of your friend, ditching you like that. But hey, I'll make sure you get home safe."

"What?" You nearly shout. "Um, no really that's not necessary. I'm fine now, so--"

"No way. I already told you--you're way too cute to be out here on your own." He says, cutting off your attempt to protest. "My bike's nearby, let's go."

"I would really hate to put you out," you try once more to worm our way out of the situation, but he wasn't having it.

He smirks, "I offered didn't I? Don't worry about it." He grabs your hand and all but drags you down the block.

Soon enough, you arrive at a parking lot, and he leads you towards a row of four motorcycles lined up in the corner. He lets you go, moving to the bike at the end and throwing his leg over to sit. He looks at you, holding out his hand. You were pretty sure you couldn't get away from him even if you tried, so you took a deep breath and accepted his outstretched hand. He helps you onto the back of the bike, smirking as gravity slide you down towards him.

"So princess, were are we going?" he asks, tilting his head back to look at you sitting behind him. You hesitated giving him your address, but at this point if he wanted to do something nefarious he didn't need to take you home first.

You were in too deep now.

You tell him, and he nods, "Yeah, I know the place." He starts the bike, giving you one last smirk as he revves the engine, "Better hold on tight."

Your arms instinctively wrap around his waist as the bike shoots forward. You gripped him tightly, you head resting on his back. You squeezed your eyes shut, fear coursing through you as your heartbeat raced. As much as you knew you should watch where you were heading, you were too scared to open your eyes. He was going fast--very fast--and with each bump and turn, you were sure you would crash and that would be the end of it.

But the two of you didn't crash, and before you knew it the bike slowed to a stop. You dared to open an eye, and saw you sat in front of your house. A little run down and a bit worse for wear, but still yours. You sat up, shocked you had not only survived the ride, but that he had actually brought you home.

"This it?" he asked like he already knew the answer. You turned to him,

"Oh, um--yes, it is."

"Doesn't look like anyone's home," he commented absently, and you felt your shoulders tense.

"Oh, my parents are here--they just go to bed early," you lied. Something told you he knew you weren't telling him the truth, but he didn't say anything.

You hoped off the bike, smoothing the wrinkles from your skirt out of habit. You took a step towards your door, then stopped. You turned, looking back at the smirking, curly-haired boy sitting lazily on his bike.

"Thank you again. For bringing me home, and for helping me with that guy earlier, " you were still scared of him, but he had helped you. It would be bad manners not to at least thank him for his help.

He laughs, the moonlight catching his blue eyes as he stared back at you.

"Anytime, princess," he replies. He started his bike, glancing back up at you, "I'm Marko, by the way."

"Oh, I'm y/n." You had certainly not planned to tell him your name, but at this point could it really hurt?

"Well, I'll see you around, y/n," he says, his smile wide and mischievous. Before you could say anything more, he rode off down the quiet street, disappearing into the darkness.

[sezja]

Undercover, Part 3

Part 1, Part 2

The path from their cabin to the beachfront restaurant is a gentle, winding slope, elegantly paved in grey and black stones, flanked here and there with small brass lanterns. With the sun still blazing high overhead - Sanson gauges it to be perhaps two bells before noon - the lanterns are still dark, but they'll be a welcome guide once the sun sets. He peers behind him, back up the trail: the paved path winds up past their own cabin, vanishing into the treeline, no doubt tracing a path from one cabin to the next.

"If we wished to do so," he muses aloud, "we would have no trouble at all finding the other cabins."

Guydelot nods thoughtfully, pausing a moment to follow Sanson's line of vision, as well as his train of thought. After their years of working together, Sanson could nearly swear Guydelot can read his mind. "Aye, it ain't half so wild as it seems at a glance, is it? Wouldn't be hard at all to find a cabin, wait 'til someone went inside..."

"...And vanish back into the trees." Indeed, thick vegetation lines the path... though it's evident much of the greenery has been trimmed back by several fulms, and recently. Doubtless the island's owners are taking what steps they may to prevent future murders from taking place on their piece of paradise.

Sanson hopes they work.

It's a mixed blessing that their own cabin is closest to the beach, he reflects; while it will be easy to make their way to the beach each day, they'll have no ready excuse for wandering deeper into the forest toward the other cabins. Taking a romantic stroll, perhaps? There is a great deal of the island to explore: forests, mountains, rivers... surely no one would find it odd that they might seek out some quiet scenic vista? Part of the island's appeal, after all, was its many secluded romantic nooks and crannies; surely no one would take it amiss if they happened to go missing for a time while they were investigating-

"Ah!" Sanson lets out a startled squeak; Guydelot wrapped his arm around the shorter man's waist while he stood there ruminating.

"Right, that's enough woolgathering." The bard steers him back down the path, his arm resting comfortably around Sanson while they walk, as though they've been doing this their whole godsdamned lives! "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What sort of food d'you reckon they have here? Fish?"

"They..." He can't quite make himself return Guydelot's embrace, and he prays his face isn't burning quite as hot as it feels, but he manages to keep himself from pulling away. It is best if they maintain their cover even when they presume themselves to be alone, after all... and this close to the beach, who knows who might be watching? And what will anyone observing have seen so far - they've left their cabin, taken in their surroundings... and then cozied up to each other to resume their walk to the beach. Harmless. Unassuming. Even their conversation - should it chance to be overheard - has been innocuous. Sanson thinks. He hopes.

Matron, what he wouldn't give to have this mission in more experienced hands!

"Th-they keep livestock on the island," he continues at last, stumbling over his tied tongue. "And they farm their own produce. Some species native to the Cieldalaes, some imported from Vylbrand and the mainland. The cuisine here is highly praised."

"Someone read all the advertisements. And the information booklets." Guydelot smirks. "Glad one of us did."

"It was research! I wanted to know what we were getting into-"

"I'd rather learn on the ground. You know me." The bard gives him a teasing little squeeze. Unaccountably, Sanson's heart stutters; he tenses.

It isn't quite a flinch, no, but it's enough to make Guydelot frown - frown, and release him. "Gods, Sanson," he says, quietly. "How long's it been?"

Now he knows his face is aflame. "Never mind that." He takes a deep breath. "I'll adjust. I must. We cannot guess who might be watching-"

"When this is over, remind me to set you up with somebody." Guydelot slings his arm around Sanson's shoulders instead - more familiar, more comfortable. They've walked home like this a thousand times. The wave of trepidation that threatened to swallow him recedes... leaving something in its place that feels curiously like disappointment. With himself, surely? He should be more than capable of rising to any challenge his commanders place before him, no matter what those challenges might demand...

But that is neither here nor there.

He shakes his head, smiling. "You know I've no time for a personal life."

"We'll make you some time." The bard grins. "Carve out a little space between you and the Adders where we can fit someone else. It'll do you good, Chief."

"Hush." He elbows the fool in the ribs, laughing despite himself. "How will it sound if my husband is plotting to set me up with someone else? Is the idea not to save this marriage?"

At last, they reach the beach: golden sands warmed by the sunshine, glowing beneath a perfect blue sky. A humble-yet-serviceable pier stretches out into the water, but at present, no ferries are docked; the island has its own private ferries, Sanson recalls, having arrived on one just that morning, and they make regular, alternating trips to and from the mainland. It wouldn't do to leave their prestigious clientele stranded, after all. Just now, both ships must be somewhere en route to Vylbrand...

"How well do you suppose the ferry captains monitor their passengers?" Sanson speaks quietly, glancing up at Guydelot. "One would hope-"

The bard nods, his own gaze flicking toward the empty pier. "The way things've been lately? I'd wager no one gets on without proof they've got themselves a reservation."

Sanson nods. "They did request that we identify ourselves." And there had been a guard onboard - a quiet, stern Sea Wolf who'd kept a careful eye on the passengers. How recent a development is that, Sanson wonders; there had been some grumbling among his fellow passengers, complaining that they were being watched as though they were common thieves. "He glares as though we might peel the gilding from the doorknobs," one woman had huffed, clutching her purse tightly - and glaring at Sanson in all his scruffy glory, as though he might very well be a thief.

Well, he couldn't very well tell her the man was likely meant to ward against far worse than thieves, could he? He and Guydelot are meant to be ignorant of the murders-

A small shake of his shoulders brings him back to the present: Guydelot is alerting him that they've reached the beachfront restaurant. Sanson drags himself out of his own woolgathering to better take in their surroundings.

And pleasant surroundings they are, at that; the restaurant is surprisingly cozy, for a building whose walls are open to the elements - the better to allow patrons to continue enjoying their ocean view, uninterrupted. Aside from a few private booths in the corners, the tables are spaced well apart, Sanson observes to his dismay; it will be difficult to listen in on conversations for any potential leads... but the open layout ought to make it easy enough to observe, he supposes. Surely they can find reasonable excuses to listen in on - or perhaps even follow - anyone who appears to be acting strangely...?

"Awful quiet for brunch," Guydelot says, and he isn't wrong - aside from themselves, only a few other patrons have deigned to descend to the beach just now. An elderly Lalafellin couple have nestled into one of the corner booths, whispering and giggling quietly to one another, their plates neglected. An Elezen man reads a book, taking occasional sips of his coffee, while his wife kneads his shoulders with a small, self-satisfied smile. A sulky-looking Seeker sits alone, fingering the truly ostentatious triple string of pearls around her neck, with fingers bedecked in gaudy rings.

Before Sanson can further observe any of their fellow breakfast-goers, however, a young Sea Wolf in a neat, crisp uniform approaches, her golden-amber eyes alight.

"Ah, new faces!" From her apron pocket, the woman plucks a notepad and quill, with efficiency even Sanson has cause to envy. "Welcome, sirs, to the Radiant Queen. Will ye be havin' a table? We've booths aplenty, if ye prefer."

Before Sanson can trip over his tongue, Guydelot gives his shoulder another small squeeze - this one a reassurance that he will take the lead here. Thank the Matron. The bard gives the hostess his most winning smile. "I reckon we'll take a cozy spot in the corner," he says, turning that smile on Sanson himself. "Don't you think so, love?"

Why in the world has his mouth gone so dry? Sanson clears his throat, praying he's not blushing again. Over a smile! Honestly. He's seen Guydelot smile a thousand times!

Matron preserve me, I'm bad at this.

Fortunately, the waitress reads something into his dizzy silence, giving them a knowing little smile - quickly covered, artfully masked by swiftly brushing a stray lock of dark hair over one ear. "'Tis a lucky thing ye came so early, it is; the booths go quick in the evenin'." she says, then bows, straightens. "Right this way, sirs?"

Pull yourself together, he orders himself, furious. He shrugs off Guydelot's arm, the better to follow the hostess. A corner booth isn't a bad idea, he reasons; they can observe the rest of the restaurant in relative peace - and without fearing eavesdropping. He fears he might know what the hostess suspects they'll be about in the privacy of their booth; mortifying as it is, he hopes it might convince her to give them some privacy, the better to make their observations...

Although... who better to ask about the island itself?

"Have you worked here long?" He asks, pleased to hear his voice emerge steady.

The woman nods as she walks, leading them to a booth not far from the kitchen; heavenly smells waft out. "Oh, aye, since the first! 'Tis me parents what own this slice of paradise, after all."

"Your parents!" Startled, Sanson glances over his shoulder at Guydelot; the bard looks just as surprised as he does. "And they have you seating patrons at tables?"

She laughs as they take their seats. "What are we, blood royals? Nay, sir; me folks were born to piracy, took to adventurin', and when they had ample gelt to toss about, they took to this place. We're workers, sir. We don't sit idle, and we don't scratch our bums while others do the work." She taps her notepad with her quill. "Right, then, lads. Me name's Mynarael, and it'll be me honor to take yer drink orders."

With their orders well in hand, Myrnarael saunters her way into the kitchen, calling orders as the door closes behind her. Guydelot watches her go, a look of admiration plain on his face.

Sanson kicks the man's shin beneath the table.

"Ow!" Guydelot scoots an ilm or two away, scowling. "What? She's got a commanding presence, is all."

"She's very likely married."

"There's no crime in looking." The bard's gaze slides sideways, toward the dining room. His voice lowers. "And speaking of looking..."

Sanson needn't follow Guydelot's eyes to know what the bard sees. The Miqo'te woman. "Aye. I saw her." Without looking - it won't do for them both to stare at her - Sanson recalls what he took in at his brief glance: she's their age, more or less; it can be difficult to gauge a Miqo'te's age. Coppery red hair, pinned up. Fine clothes. Tail swishing, agitated. No partner in sight - perhaps that was the source of her frustration? She'd not be here on the island alone, surely.

"Not a chance in any hell she belongs to those jewels," Guydelot observes. "She's as fiddly with them as you are with that ring." He looks pointedly at Sanson's hands.

He'd not realized he had begun fussing with his false wedding ring again.

Placing his hands - pointedly - flat on the table, he asks, quietly, "Do you think we may have our first suspect?"

"I reckon she's worth a look." Guydelot shrugs, leaning back in the booth. "She's all alone, eh? Reckon I could talk to her, see what's on her mind..."

"Tell me you don't mean to flirt with her," Sanson says, fighting the urge to groan, and struggling to keep his voice down. "Guydelot! She's at a couples' retreat!"

"And all by herself. No other half in sight. She's lonely, I'd wager."

"You'll blow our cover."

"I say I'm just bein' friendly-"

But their conversation - very well, argument - is interrupted by the return of Myrnarael with their drinks. "What's all this, then?" She sets the drinks down carefully, then stands with her hands on her hips, looking like nothing so much as a disapproving mother. "Trouble in paradise? In my Queen? What's all this bickerin', lads?"

Once more, Guydelot comes to the rescue (As well he should, Sanson thinks, worrying about what the woman might have overheard). He lifts his hands in a placating gesture. "We were just curious about our fellow patron," he says, nodding toward the Miqo'te woman. "Seems like an odd place to be all by one's lonesome, eh? We wondered if she might be lonely, is all."

To Sanson's surprise, for a moment, Myrnarael's professional mask slips - he catches a glimpse of something, too quick to name.

He thinks it might be fear.

Then it's gone, replaced by a smile that doesn't quite light up her golden eyes anymore. "Never you mind Miss R'Shenna," she instructs, shifting to position herself between them and the Miqo'te, blocking their view. "She's something of a regular here, and we take her privacy very seriously."

"A regular," Sanson repeats, before he can stop himself. Who could commit multiple violent crimes on the island, if not someone who returned to it again and again? It would have to be someone who spent a great deal of time here - an employee, he'd thought... but what if the murderer was a visitor?

A regular client, visiting the island over and over, taking advantage of her fellow patrons...

He meets Guydelot's eyes, and sees the same realization reflected there.

Guydelot recovers first, of course, blinking in not-entirely-feigned surprise. "A regular," he also repeats, but this time with a sense of awe. "Huh! I didn't think a place like this'd have regulars. Cost us an arm and a leg just to come the once, didn't it, love?"

His heart is hammering in his chest; he wants nothing so much as to arrest the woman - R'Shenna? - at once... but without proof, his hands are tied. "Yes," Sanson manages, smiling. "But... but surely she isn't here alone?" An accomplice acting as her lover, perhaps?

Some tension fades from Myrarael's shoulders, and she smiles, nodding. "Ah, it's kind boys, ye be," she says, warm. "But never ye fear. She's here with her man, same as you. He just don't take kindly to the sea - like as not, he's still green-gilled back at his cabin. Might be as he'll turn up for dinner... but you mind me," she adds, stern. "You leave 'em both be, you understand me?"

So there is a partner! Gods, if only they could find some way to convince Myrnarael to tell them which cabin the couple were staying in... perhaps by pretending to be concerned for the sick man? But no, 'tis best not to tip their hand too early; perhaps they might be able to tail R'Shenna back home...?

"You'll have to excuse him," Guydelot is saying; Sanson blinks, resurfacing from his thoughts. The bard is smiling at him, all soft and warm in a way that makes Sanson's stomach flutter (even if he knows it's all an act, damn it all), and he gets the uncomfortable feeling he's been staring intently into space for several heartbeats. "My Sanson's a fretful sort; he's likely working himself into a fit," Guydelot continues, "worrying about Miss R'Shenna and her man."

"I-"

"Myrnarael's been trying her damnedest to get your order," Guydelot replies, sounding tremendously amused. "Unless you want me to order for you? You know I know what you like."

Stop that. Sanson manages an indignant squeak in response. "I swear-"

"He'll have the same as me," Guydelot says, all innocence, beaming up at the woman. "And another cup of coffee, by the time you're done."

She glances at Sanson for confirmation, to her credit - and to Guydelot's, Sanson reluctantly nods his agreement; though he doesn't know precisely what the bard ordered, history suggests it will at least be something Sanson can stomach. While Myrnarael bustles off once more, he kicks Guydelot's shin again.

"Ow! You know, I'll probably have to walk around with my bare legs showing at some point, and people'll wonder about the bruises-"

"'You know I know what you like?'"

"Am I wrong?" Guydelot grins. "Just playin' the part, Chief. Relax a little. Have fun with it."

Sanson sinks in his seat, taking a deep swallow of his much-cooled coffee. "We have a lead."

"Aye, and fast, too." Guydelot's looking at R'Shenna again; she's eating her own food, with a ferocity that suggests she's angry with it. Or perhaps she is angry that her man's not here? Frustrated that she's left to work alone, maybe? "We'll keep an eye on her. And her man. We'll pick him out tonight, if he shows."

"Ought we try to follow her?"

"Reckon we can make it look natural?" Guydelot shrugs. "We don't want to put her on edge, eh? Let her think we're just a pair of bumbling Gridanian lovebirds... shite."

"Wh-"

"She's caught me staring."

"Guydelot. Stop staring, then!"

"Say somethin', will you? Loud enough she'll hear it."

"Wh-"

"Act the jealous lover, will you? You were doing it so well earlier."

"I was not-" He takes a deep breath. Puts on his very best offended face - not difficult; he's frustrated as it is - and sets his coffee down firmly on the table with a smack. "You know, perhaps the reason this marriage is failing is your wandering eyes!"

The room, already not terribly loud, quiets abruptly.

As though being startled from a trance, Guydelot turns to blink at him - batting those lovely eyelashes of his, with only Sanson to see the pure amusement lurking in the depths of his bright eyes. "My eyes might wander," he says, having the audacity to slide his hand into Sanson's, lacing their fingers together. "But I assure you, light of my life, my heart never does."

Sanson's vision swims. "Oh."

Guydelot lifts Sanson's hand to his lips, the better to hide his wicked grin. Quietly, he adds, "At a loss for words, Chief? That's new."

A ripple of quiet laughter spreads through the room, and the interrupted conversations resume. Sanson, his heart racing for new reasons, risks a glance at R'Shenna. Her violet eyes are still on them, narrowed... but she looks away at last, returning her attention to her meal. Sanson lets out a breath.

"Not bad," Guydelot says, plainly fighting the urge to laugh.

Sanson tugs his hand back, gripping his cup once more with hands that are not trembling, from nerves or anxiety or... or whatever he felt just a moment ago. "You laid it on too thick."

"Aye, well, next time I'll smack your arse and say, loud as I can, 'What more does a man need?'"

"You are insufferable," Sanson says, mortified, but he can't help laughing; the sheer ridiculousness of this mission... but with a target in sight, he thinks, surely it won't last much longer. They'll find some proof of R'Shenna's crimes - and her man's, like as not - and put an end to the bloodshed, and return to their lives. Their lives, and their usual relationship, with none of the odd twists and turns that make the very ground beneath Sanson's feet feel queerly unsteady.

Strange, how he isn't quite looking forward to that part.

[slimmmby]

Soo hi guys, i have great news since @iamacoconutcoconut ask me if i could turn my AU into a fanfic i really think about it and since i alredy have some chapters done i decided to post it.

This is the prequel of 12:00 AM ( the name i decided for my AU ) it Would have sense i promise , this is a slow post fanfic so dont wait much from me.

Having saying this, good lecture and hope you enjoy it :DDD

TW: mention to child abuse and sustances.

Jean had been missing for the entire afternoon, after lunch time he just seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth and Antonio was already getting worried.

Antonio had asked Black Sheep to climb some of the buildings on the island and Gray to search the beach but there was nothing.

At this point he only had one place left to check.

-Jean Paul!!!-

Jean looked up to see who was calling him, to his unsurprised, it was Antonio.

-God, I've been looking for you everywhere, why are you here? Are you... okay?-

Jean Paul thought he had been asked that question a lot... maybe... too much.

-Huh? Of course I'm fine, don't worry!-

He said with a small smile on his face, but it was clear that Antonio wasn't going to buy that story.

-You've been distant the last few days. He said as he sat down next to him. You know, you can tell me whatever, I don't care, I'm not going to judge you, you are my best friend after all.-

His understanding words filled his heart and although he wasn't 100% sure he knew that at least Antonio wouldn't tell anyone.

God, he hoped so.

He sighed and placed his head on Antonio's shoulder, he prepared to speak..

-Actually, Tonio... You know, I come from a rich family, my father is a...very powerful person..-

Before continuing he looked at him with concern, but he didn't say anything, he just hoped that he would continue.

-He... used to hit me a lot... And he also let his friends hit me and-and ,also..-

He wanted to continue but he began to feel his voice breaking and tears began to fall down his face.

Antonio pulled him into a warm hug, allowing him to cry on his chest.

-It's okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to...-

-...If it makes you feel better...Something similar happened to me. -

He can't believe his going to tell this. But if Jean had the confidence to tell him what he lived, then why not?

-Really? -He asked.

-Si...-

-My mother, she was a substance abuser...-

Antonio said while looking to the other side of the room. Uncapable to look Jean to the eyes.

His words let Jean Paul speechless.

-She also used to hit me a lot...believe me, I know what it feels like...-

A short silence took over the place, as if both were assimilating the situation.

-Antonio, I'm sorry-... said Jean Paul a little hurt.

-Why?- Antonio asked bewildered.

-For making you sad, you really don't have to do this...I don't even know why I'm telling you...-

Antonio understood the weight he carried and how hard it was for him to open up, even with him it was hard for him to have enough courage. He really felt bad.

- Jeannie, no problem, seriously, we all need to let off steam from time to time. -

He said with the purity and sincerity of his heart.

Jean looked down clearly not convinced and a little embarrassed.

-Hey..-

Antonio took his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

-Don't be sad, it happens more than you think. -

It was true, it happened to him, it happened to Jean and he doesn't want to know how many times it happened before them.

Jean let his hand rest on Antonio's, it felt warm, very different from his own.

-Thanks Tonio..-

-Hahaha you're welcome silly. -

He had to admit it Jean looked a little cute like that, far from the strict and severe figure he always maintained.

His mind was distracted by the face of his friend ,admiring each feature in detail.

Until he asked the question.

-You always take care of everyone, but.. If you take care of everyone, who takes care of you? -

He stopped the moment he was asked that question, which for others may seem so simple, for him it was a torture to answer.

He couldn't admit it, because he didn't realize it yet.

-Ah... well... Don't worry about it! I'm fine! -

Yes, he's fine, after all he's always fine.

Jean looked worried but didn't say anything, when Antonio was ready he would tell him anyway.

If Antonio didn't have anyone to take care of him, he would be that person... he somehow trusts in that.

[saskiahaggens]

฿ØⱤĐɆⱤⱠ₳₦Đ 🂡 ~ 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 13

Masterlist

▣ Previous Part / ▢ Next Part

Paring: (?) × Reader

Warnings:

mentioning of sexual harassment

Word count: 1685

"I finally realized why you've always acted like you must be the witch. Killing the Hatter and starting the witch hunt. They're both connected. One look in your eyes and I knew. Your eyes are full of self loathing, despair and anger, all with no outlet. Your eyes looked like mine, because you betrayed your friend."

Everyone was surprised at how quickly Arisu dropped information, but it all made sense now. Even if Hatter was still alive, the militant fraction would have been able to kill everyone. Aguni was the only thing holding them back. He wouldn't have done it if he wasn't Hatter's friend.

Suddenly, several of the survivors dash down the corridor. You wondered why they came here after all the commotion, but you didn't question them. There were many more important things you should be concerned about.

Despite Arisus' compelling statements, Aguni denied everything and shoved Arisu to the floor. Karube tried to attack him, but you held him back, when Arisu spoke again.

"I told you. Didn't I? I could tell from your eyes. I betrayed my friends in the games too. I would have left them to die them and was just fortunate that Y/n saved them while I ditched them. I was angry and empty and I didn't care what happened! I know you feel so bad that it hurts! But that's no reason to take it out on everyone who's still alive. Hatter might be dead, but they aren't. Don't discount the living. "

You weren't sure if you heard everything of what he said. Might have overheard one or two sentences, because your head was spinning. Arisu was sorry for harming his friends? You were the one who ordered him to stay away. Why haven't you realized it may also hurt him? You weren't the only one feeling responsible for Karubes finger. He did too and you just ignored that.

Some militants gathered in front of Arisu to shield him from Aguni, and you took advantage of the opportunity to check on Kuina, who was still motionless on the ground. You were so focused on her that you almost missed what was going on behind you. Although your injuries made it difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time, the fight Aguni started vanished into thin air… until you heard one of these lasers strike the ground, that is. Fearing for your friends' safety, you immediately turned around, only to see the girl from earlier dead on the ground.

This was all too much for you, and everything became foggy in your head, moving in slow motion and at full speed at the same time. You needed to sleep, and it was hard not to just pass out right next to Kuina.

"Y/n can you hear me?"

Shibuki. She put a hand on your shoulder and drew you to your feet, and you didn't notice the smoke in the air until she did. F ire! The entire beach was on fire, but Shibuki and Chota pulled you outside quickly. Since they dragged you out of the resort, the game must have ended.

The fresh air felt amazing, and the earth finally moved at a reasonable rate. Usagi, Arisu, and Karube soon joined you, and together with the rest of the players, you watched the Beach burn down. You weren't upset about it. Of course, it was terrible that so many people had to die in vain, but you and your friends were alright, and you didn't like the place anyhow. So what have you lost?

"Is that Chishiya?" Arisu abruptly inquired, capturing everyone's attention.

Chishiya was just a few meters away, watching the fire spread. Obviously, some of you were enraged that he was just standing there after what he had done. His audacity. While everyone else attempted to calm Karube and Usagi down so they wouldn't murder him, you quietly approached him.

"Was it worth it? Do you have the cards?"

"Huh? No more punches? I'm shocked."

"You're not worth it."

"Do you know where the word 'Utopia' came from?" he asked unexpectedly.

If you haven't learned much in school and even during your private lesson at home, you had a thing to remember random facts.

"It literally means 'nowhere.'"

Chishiya stared at you, and you assumed he was amazed.

"What? I'm not a complete moron. Do you believe you actually need these cards? The ten of hearts was the final card we needed."

"I'm not sure, but I hope not, given that they all burnt."

"You disappoint me, Chishiya," you mumbled while looking back at your friends, who finally calmed down. "Do whatever you like, but if you want to live, you should probably stay away from my friends," you mumbled and started to walked away, when his hand grabbed your wrist.

"You have potential. Stay alive."

"I'll try," you muttered as you removed yourself, only to stop a few feet later. "You too," you say before looking for a comfy spot in the grass near your friends.

When you spotted Karube laying down like a starfish next to Arisu - who had his head on Usagis' lap - you decided to use his arm as a pillow. You thought it was funny how Karube tried to protect the glasses with one hand but failed when he fell asleep. You weren't concerned about them. Nobody would know what they were doing, therefore no one would steal them. That's why you didn't attempt to take them and risk waking Karube up.

"How do you feel?" you asked finally, after a few minutes. "And I want a real answered, because I know you are not okay." You said after ensuring that Chota and Shibuki were both asleep as well. They were cuddling a few feet away, so they were a bit hard to see, but the steady breathing gave them away.

"You mean because of Niragi?"

"It's okay if it's hard to open up for you. I can talk first if you like," you assured her, but she shook her head.

"You know, I was lying there feeling like shit because I couldn't help you, but when he stepped up to me… I-I just felt so…" she stopped.

"Disgusting? Like you want to rip your skin off were he touched you? That's at least how I feel, yet he did worse to you than he did to me."

"Thank you so much for saving me. Everything happened because I wasn't cautious enough," Usagi muttered turning her head way.

"No it's not. Knowing Niragi it would have happened sooner or later anyway, even if we hadn't tried to steal the cards. But we shouldn't worry about the 'if's, we can't change it now anyway, and we might be able to accept it someday. Just know that you can talk to me if you need to," you said gently lying a and on hers, making sure not to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Someday sounds nice," Usagi says, gazing up once again. She wouldn't talk about it any more, and neither would you; just knowing that you had this moment and each other for now was all you needed.

"How are your injuries?"

"Things might be worse. Let's just hope it doesn't interfere with whatever happens next."

"What do you think will happen?"

"I'm not sure, probably more games. It doesn't matter because as long as I have you guys, we can win everything."

"Yeah, your right. We should probably get some sleep."

"You think? I don't care, if we should. It's nice to talk with you. Right now, I feel like I've known you for years. Who knows, perhaps we will in the future."

"The future?"

"This game has to come to an end in some way. Perhaps we can go back... When the time comes, I'd like to keep you as a friend."

"Going back," she muttered "I'm not sure if I want this."

"Sounds like a personal reason. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Not right now… perhaps later."

"All right," you said.  "However, if it doesn't bother you, I'd want to tell you about me."

She shook her head, so you continued.

"When I got here and I meet Arisu, Chota and Karube I was afraid. My entire life was planned out to be flawless. I was alone and since they knew themselves I was anxious they would just leaf me behind. To be honest, I don't think they were the friends I was looking for in my previous life. I realized this when we started our first game. We were simply individuals who were moving in the same direction, but as the game progressed and I saw how different each of them were, I wondered whether we could be friends as well. That day, I learned that a relationship, no matter what form, isn't as simple or as wonderful as you see in movies. They are irrational and messy. All you have to do is try, and perhaps it will work out.

You took a little break before continuing your talk. You double-checked that everyone was still sleeping and that Usagi wasn't bored. But she wasn't; she seemed curious and waited for you to continue.

"I'm not sure what happened to you, but you have your reasons to dislike our normal world… But let me tell you something: people before we arrived are exactly the same as the people here. You simply haven't met the right people yet. Maybe one day you'll be able to stop running and start building a life that works out better for you. I'm not trying to alter your views or anything; I simply want you to think about all of your options before deciding to stay or leaf."

There was silence after that, and because none of you said anything else, you had nothing to keep you awake. You slept in then and there in the grass with Karubes arm as a pillow and a burning building in the distance. You were still at ease, surrounded by friends and people you may consider friends in the future.

[griefpersevering]

the ripples they cause

Read on AO3 🕷 Playlist 🕷 Buy me a cup of tea ☕

Chapter Fourteen: Don't Fear The Reaper

Notes:

hiii everyone!! I can't apologise enough for how long it's been, but I'm back!! I'm still updating the earlier chapters, but I thought I'd start uploading some of the new ones I've written as well, so I'll probably alternate between the two. the title of this chapter comes from the song (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult!

Sneak peek:

They don't waste time standing on the train platform, mulling over their goodbyes. Natasha barely knew Ben and May, and although Tony is more subdued than usual, he's probably more concerned about Spider-Man than his aunt.

The platform melts into a sidewalk without warning, and as soon as they cross the threshold, the train tracks that ran parallel to their path vanish. Nat glances upwards at the skyscraper that sits in its place. The entire building is dark, save for one light shining through a window about ten stories up.

"So, where are we headed?" Tony asks, rubbing his eyes with his hand.

Nat spins in a slow circle, trying to find her bearings. The Train attracted Ben and May like moths to light, but without their guides, she has no idea which way to go. The City is an ever-changing labyrinth; every time she looks away, the buildings morph into something new and the roads change directions.

"Why don't we just continue in one direction until the scenery changes?" she suggests. From what Ben told them, the only places they could end up are the Countryside, or the relative safety of the Beach.

Tony pulls a face at her plan, but doesn't comment. Maybe he isn't feeling as well as he keeps insisting. His right hand is trembling, and beneath the layer of ash and sand that covers him, his face is ghost-pale.

"You don't have to come," she offers. "I can bring the book back to the Beach and we can read it together."

A stop light that hadn't been behind Tony a second ago changes from amber to green. "Fat chance," he says. "Besides, there's no way we're getting separated."

If they were still alive, she would have pointed out that his health, combined with his stubbornness, could be the reason they get killed. But since they're already dead, the point is moot, so she just nods.

She starts walking in what she hopes is the opposite direction to the Train, slowing her pace enough so that Tony can keep up without him noticing. After passing two blocks, she spots another soul on the other side of the road, but they don't acknowledge her or Tony. Their pale orange skin suggests they aren't from Earth anyway, so there's no reason for them to stop and chat to random civilians who can't even give them updates on their friends.

With all the Blipped people here, it must have been chaos. Perhaps Yelena walked these same streets, searching for a way back to her. Nat hopes that someone explained what was happening to her, because without Ben, she could have convinced herself that this is some kind of twisted dream.

Yelena. They always seemed to miss each other, didn't they? In 21 years, they never crossed paths until they took down the Red Room together. And after that, in those two years before Thanos, they only met up once.

Nat asked Yelena whether she would like to join the breakaway Avengers — her, Steve, Sam, and Bucky. She laughed at the suggestion.

"You don't get it, do you?" she said, but she never explained.

Nat wanted to spend more time with her. She wanted a normal relationship with her sister. But she was on the run, and then there was Thanos, and then there was Vormir. Barely enough time to catch her breath, nevermind arrange a meeting towards two spies.

She's alive now, at least. The thought isn't that comforting, when Nat isn't there to check.

They are passing two apartment buildings with a skyscraper wedged between when Tony stops walking. Nat glances back to see they have turned into one long row of shops.

"I need a break," he says, and he sounds out of breath. He is clutching one hand to where the arc reactor used to sit, and his face is pinched with the effort of walking. For him to admit he's in pain, it must be bad.

Nat sits down on the edge of the curb, spreading her legs into the empty road. She leans back, splaying the fingers on her left hand in the direction they are walking so they don't start walking in circles.

Tony sits down next to her, tilting his head back and letting his eyes close.

"What made you change your mind?" Nat asks.

"About what?"

"Time travel." In the reflection of the shop window across the street, the building behind them stretches and warps, adding windows and removing rooms. "You seemed set on not risking your life because of your family, but here you are."

He hesitates. "I told you I couldn't risk losing Pepper and Morgan, and that's true," he says, his hands gripping the edge of the sidewalk. "I hate I might never see her grow up. I wanted to be there for her — I wanted to be better than my old man."

"But?"

"But... after you guys came, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was doing the washing up, and I saw a photo of me and Peter, and I knew I couldn't let it drop. I could save him, but I'd risk losing everything I had in the process. There was only ever one answer."

"Peter?" Nat prompts.

Tony looks over at her, meeting her gaze for a long moment before continuing. "Spider-Man."

So she had been right. The new Avenger Tony roped into their fight in Berlin was a child. She can't blame him — he was so clever, so hopeful and excited... it isn't surprising Tony grew attached so quickly.

May's words pop back into her head. She'd left the cave to give Tony and her some privacy, but that didn't mean she hadn't been eavesdropping. The tale of what Spider-Man had gone through after Tony's death hadn't sounded like anything a young boy should deal with by himself, superpowers or not.

"You'll see him again," she promises, placing her hand over the top of Tony's. "We can fix this."

Her reassurance isn't just for him. Tony misses his family, of course he does, but Nat's heart longs to see her sister again, and she will do anything to have that opportunity.

Tony moves his hand from under hers, clapping them onto his thighs before struggling to his feet. Nat follows suit with a tad more grace.

"We better get going, then," he says. "We'll never make it if we sit here on our asses all day."

Continue reading on AO3!

[sergeant-spoons]

ao3 wrapped asks: 6, 27, 29?

6 - Favorite title you used.

I really liked “Darling, Swing, and a Sapphire Ring” because of both the rhyme scheme and that it encapsulates the major plot points of the fic without spoiling anything. Also “Let's Lose Our Feet To a Leap of Faith (I'm Ready To Freefall)“—I modeled it after the way people title their fics with song quotes because I wanted it to sound like that, but it’s not actually from a song. (Also-also “Hey, Little Songbird” because I will never be over Hadestown.)

27 - What do you listen to while writing?

Ooh, I like this one. Usually, I like to write in silence or with some soft white noise-like sound in the background (I like listening to calm ocean waves on the beach). If I do have music going (typically in a public setting with my headphones on), it’s either an hour+ long arrangement of music from my favorite movie composers (see this Hobbit compilation and this Narnia one) or one certain song put on repeat. The song is typically from the playlist associated with the fic I’m writing at the time, but it has to be a song that either A) I’m so familiar with I don’t have to think about the lyrics or B) repetitive enough melodically that it becomes background noise, or I won’t be able to focus on the writing.

29 - Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Oh, gosh... Here are two of my favorites off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’m missing some:

This bit from “Feverish With Love (And Pneumonia)”:

“So?”

Luz waved emphatically, several times over, and Lydia and Carwood shared a confused, cautious glance.

“So, what?”

“Kiss, you idiots!” He cleared his throat. “I mean, sir, and ma'am.”

The entirety of Chapter 11 from Cobblestones, which starts like this:

“Agent! Agent, a-hey!”

Turning against the mild May wind as it swept pollen and tree seedlings across her socked ankles and shoed feet, Sutton searched for the voice calling to her and found it attached to a waving hand and a beaming smile. Her own lips started to turn up. Her friend recognized she’d seen him and threw his second hand up to join the first, both flailing toward the sky.

“There she is! My favorite magician!”

“Lewis!”

They hastened across the platform toward each other, dodging the sparse couplets and quintets dotting the interim. Sutton set one of her two suitcases down on either side of her and moved to shake her friend’s hand, but Nix grabbed the handle of the second case, shoved it to the ground, and pulled her into a hug instead. She tensed up for a moment, then relaxed and wrapped her arms around him in return.

“This alright?” he mumbled against the collar of her blouse, and she smiled into the warm breeze.

“Yes, it’s alright."

After a time, they parted, and belatedly, Sutton laughed.

"Your favorite magician?”

“I’ve never seen a better vanishing act than yours,” he teased, and though she blushed, she knew he didn’t mean it as a jibe.

There’s definitely a few from IDOC that I’m missing, but I did write almost 100k for that fic this year so I’m going to go with a few chapters instead of just quotes:

the pre-Foy chapter “Bygones”, which begins:

The old poets once agreed that winter of a certain kind had the power to creep into one’s bones, the cold affixing itself to the very soul, the snow coating the bones and seeping straight through every fibrous muscle. The stiffness and prickling were foretold to return, flaring up on even the warmest of spring and summer days only to return like an unwanted relative come to stay the winter. Verity was inclined to agree with those perennial lyricists. December in Bastogne came and went, and then January was halfway through, cutting corners, clenching the senses, stealing warmth and limbs and lives. Sometimes the only way to get rid of the frostbite and the gangrene was to lose the foot, the ankle, half the leg. Joe Toye got the worst conceivable amputation. Guarnere, too, though he’d been in better health than Toye. Skip and Penkala had shivered and complained like everybody else, but they were no worse off than most, and better off than some. They, at least, still had both ears, until they didn’t, and Verity learned one was better than none at all.

Both of the combined Haguenau updates of “Back/He Loves Like Sleep to the Freezing”, which I had planned/plotted long before I finished writing the chapter and feature this moment that I’d been waiting to post for ages (spoiler alert for chapter 41!):

“Do you have any children, Sergeant Rich?”

Puzzled, Verity was a little late in replying, “No, sir.”

“You’d make a good mother.”

Verity might have squeaked out a thank-you had she not been so dismally aware of George Luz, innocently smoking his cigarette barely four feet away.

“Sir,” Lipton groaned, pressing two fingers against his aching head as he grimaced, “that was less than tactful.”

He was truly the only one who could get away with talking to Speirs like that. Verity, on the other hand, trembled as she tried to formulate a word of surprise or excuse to vanish the look of disarray on George’s face.

“You didn’t know?” Speirs blinked.

“He did, sir…"

Verity waved limply at Lipton, and George’s cigarette pitched from his stunned lips to the floor.

But not him.

Thank you so much for the ask, my dear!! 🥰

[sixstepsaway]

follower tax: scorpio rising by death in vegas. it’s an ed song to me, but whether he’s with stede or izzy or both, who knows? i don’t have very sophisticated opinions on music so it may not be good, but it has a sort of drugged intensity that i enjoy

Before I get to the actual song: I don't really believe in sophisticated opinions on music. I just believe that some things sound good to some people and some things don't, and what matters is if it brings you joy, if it makes you happy, if it makes you feel other things if that's what you want. Does it make your brain happy? That's all that matters.

I'm not a big fan of music snobs who look down on ~unsophisticated music~ or make a big deal about their taste being ~ecclectic and unusual~ and thus they are better than everyone else. I just like what I like and go with it, you know?

SONG

[Verse 1] When you kiss the base of my spine Make my body into your shrine You give me this feeling deep inside One that I can no longer disguise While other snakes just shed their skins Fucked holes pointing out my sins Even though I realise that history's not on my side Even though I realise the pioneer skin still curls up in my eyes

[Chorus] If I don't go crazy, I'll lose my mind I saw a life before me but now I'm blind I wanna go to heaven, never been there before I wanna go to heaven, so you give me some more

[Verse 2] Flying high upon the gallows Too messed up to step out of the shadows A drugged up heart that knows no sorrow Rescued from this deep dark hole Stick on these boots and sharpen the nails Time is nigh for you leather girls Maybe we should end this race Vanish while we cannot leave no trace

[Chorus] If I don't go crazy, I'll lose my mind I saw a life before me, but now I'm blind See one-arm film stars on alien beaches Potted gold and tattooed faces Harrison murals on the corner, tupperware boxes full of hops Diazepam dreams there catching streams Paper dinosaurs flash blue and green Still I've got a flash-bulb head Still I've got a flash-bulb head

[Chorus] If I don't go crazy, I'll lose my mind I saw a life before me but now I'm blind I wanna go to heaven, never been there before I wanna go to heaven, so you give me some more

[Outro] Come along nice, come along dead Scorpio rising, and paint it red A psychic equalizer in your head Come along nice, come along dead Scorpio rising, and paint it red A psychic equalizer in your head (repeat all)

Honestly? Perfect Ed vibes right here. Everything about this song screams our Ed to me. Fucking excellent. Also, the song just in itself is great.

According to Genius, the vocals are Liam Gallagher and I was honestly unsure who that was until I heard him - lead singer of Oasis! Which, I immediately pinged despite the fact I don't listen to a lot of Oasis.

I adore his voice.

Thanks so much for the song!!

[echojulien]

I have a new AU.

After talking to Wu in Day of the Departed, Morro travels to the lighthouse (not that he knew it was there, he just followed his senses/a feeling). There, he meets Echo, and talks to him for x-time until deciding to pass Wind onto him. Then he vanishes.

Echo spends time trying out/getting used to his new power. Eventually, he puts together a raft thing with simple sail, and uses it with his power to get him and Gizmo off the island. Along the way, they meet one or two people with some kind of boat issue, and help them get back to shore. They don't comment on Echo's appearance, because either the Zane connection doesn't connect in their minds, or they can't see his face (he might have realized that the winds, water, and salt wouldn't be good for his already damaged body, and covered himself in Dr. Julien's old clothes). He also doesn't tell them his name. While Zane was given to him by Dr. Julien, this is one of those times where he doesn't feel like it suits him.

After this, he wants to help more people, and sticks around the beach/docks and learns more about the ocean and sailing, somehow gets a better boat, gets better clothes (eventually also a new body), and starts saving more people. Eventually the people give him a name (what it is, I'm not sure of yet).

Also eventually, the Ninja meet him. Either:

They hear of him and his control of the wind, and immediately seek him out.

They themselves (or at least some of them) get saved by him.

They're at the beach and meet an excited kid. When they talk to the kid, the kid says that <whatever they call Echo> is coming back that day. The Ninja are confused, and the kid tells them the story of how <Echo> just showed up on the horizon one day and started saving people stuck at sea, including them and their parent(s).

(I may actually have Echo start in more of a coastal village/town, and the people there really appreciate him. They would probably help him get/make an actual boat, a house/base of operations, and maybe somehow help him get a new body. I feel like paying for it would be expensive, but maybe the kid mentioned above, or the whole village/town, writes a letter to Cyrus, asking for help? If not a body, then maybe at least some tools/parts so <Echo> can partially fix himself? Or <Echo> gets a new body after meeting the Ninja. They would decide to help before actually seeing his appearance, but after either hearing how damaged he is, and/or witnessing one of his limbs fall off.

Things get surprising when they see his appearance. They would've been before, but Zane's been using a hologram, so Echo doesn't connect that they look the same. He may even say that the name fits him, and that he was actually originally named "Zane", but that he doesn't think it fits him and so doesn't use it anymore.)

(But who knows? Maybe I should wait a bit longer before going too crazy with AUs. 😆)

[nostalgia-pup-02]

This may not seem very important to anyone else but I'm feeling pretty sad today... My absolute favorite thrift store closed permanently a few months ago (I just found out today). I got so many of my childhood stuffed animals there... My grandpa took me there for the first time when I was around 6 or 7. He bought me a bunch of Beanie Babies, and I've been collecting them ever since. I can't even explain the happiness I felt in that store. The whole aisle full of toys was a paradise. I think my love for toy/plush collecting and thrifting in general was a result of THAT thrift store. I go there every single time I go on a beach trip. But now...? I won't ever experience it again. It feels like a part of my childhood just vanished...like it was all just a dream. I will forever cherish the memories I have going there, and the genuine happiness I felt during each visit. I will miss it forever and ever...

There is another location for the same chain, which I will be going to. But I know things won't be the same. Everything will be arranged differently, and the entire aesthetic and atmosphere of the store will be completely...off? I guess you could say I'm afraid of change. I always have been. Something I knew forever, that barely changed, is now gone, and it's harder than I could ever imagine. I'm really attached to this store...I know I shouldn't be but I am. I wish it was still here ;-(

A bit of a side note: I have some tags on this account related to this store. #grandparents, #beanie babies, and #beach trip. I'll probably add #arc to that list as well (name of the store).

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : The Vanishing of Basil Reed, Part V

The Winter Wedding

As the town wakes to a nice balmy winter morning, the scene at the church is all a flurry of activity. It's the morning of Karen and Rick's wedding and Mary, together with the other village girls, gathers in Rev Carter's cottage behind the church, to help Karen get ready. The tiny house is filled with the sound of laughter, as the girls help Karen get dressed.

Mary:

"Oh Karen, you're such a beautiful bride! Oh no I'm going to cry!"

Karen:

"Oh Mary! All of you, you mean so much to me I'm so happy that you're all here with me. I'm so nervous!"

Ann:

"Alright, don't start crying now you guys! It hasn't even started yet! Karen, your dad will come get you and bring you in soon. We'll be waiting inside the church with Rick! Come on girls, let's go!"

Ann rounds them up, gives Karen a wink and they head on in. The guests have already started streaming in, and as Mary and the others walk in from the back door, Saibara gives Gray a nudge. He points to Mary and Gray blushes a little.

Saibara :

"Look, there's Mary. Doesn't she look lovely today?"

Gray:

"What? Ahem... Yes of course she is...she's always pretty!"

Saibara :

"Gray. Weddings are the perfect time for the village to come together and take stock of the people in our lives. You and Mary have gotten closer over the years. She was there for you after Zack died... And I may just be an old blacksmith but even I can tell she likes you."

Gray:

"Master, please, we're in church! Anyway... Mary is nice to everyone... Plus she's too smart for someone like me..."

Saibara:

"What? Gray, you created Zack, the world's first Servo! Are you telling me that -"

Saibara is cut off mid sentence as the heavy church doors creak open and in steps Karen, together with her father, Jeff. Walking side by side. The sound of Karen's mother, Sasha's gentle harp fills the church as Karen serenely glides down the aisle.

Oak, seated in the pews looks on a little wistfully as Karen holds on tightly to her father's arms. She's clearly nervous and excited, but just being near her father helps her to stay calm. At the altar, Rick waits with a shaky smile on his face. He and Karen have known each other since they were kids and today, seeing her walk down the aisle is proving to be more than he can handle. As they near the altar, Mary's smile fades a little watching them. Throughout the rest of the ceremony, Mary drifts off into a daze. Going down a dark rabbit hole of emotions as she thinks about her own father. She's roused from her stupor by Ann's voice.

Ann:

"Mary! Hey! Come on, the Goddess Blessing is done, get some petals and throw them!"

Mary:

"Wha-Oh! Right! Petals!"

Mary looks up to see that Rick has sealed the ceremony with a small and shy peck, but Karen grabs him and goes in for a hearty smooch! Mary grabs some petals from her basket and clumsily throws them over the happy couple.

Rev Carter:

"Dearly beloved, gathered humbly before the Goddess! I present to you, our newest wedded pair, blessed by the Goddess this day, Karen and Rick!"

As cheers and applause ring out in the church, Mary's thoughts wander again. The sound of everyone's voices, echoing in the stone halls of the church around her fade away into the background like the ebbing of a wave on a beach. Mary feels herself being pushed into a group photograph. She intuitively smiles and poses, laughing along, but her mind is far away.

Rev Carter :

"Alright, smile everyone! Luna, I can't see your - that's better!"

Oak watches as everyone jostles, laughs and poses. He looks on as Mary smiles happily into the camera. She seems so grown up now, content and at peace. Is the truth really what she needs right now? All around him, everyone is happy, but he feels like he doesn't belong here. He fiddles wth his glasses and tries to shake off these thoughts as Jeff asks him to join in...

Later That Night...

The day is ending, and the guests have gathered in the Green's sprawling estate for dinner. Toasts are given, food and drink flow freely and the atmosphere is warm, intimate and inviting. All around is the sound of laughter, clinking of glasses, and the ringing of metal on china. Outside, the snow is falling delicately while a handsome fire roars in the dining hall. The crowd falls silent as Rick begins a toast.

Rick:

"Thank you everyone, for being here today. For all the love in this room and for all the food, Doug! And thank you to Jeff and Sasha, my new parents, for having us. This year has been full of ups and downs but the care we have for one another has been the only constant! A toast, everyone! To my new wife! But also to my oldest companion, and to a true friend, Karen!"

The gathered guests erupt in cheers. They raise their glass to the happy couple. In a corner, Oak raises his glass and smiles politely. Mary goes over to join him. She clinks his glass and laughs happily.

Mary:

"Hello you! I do hope you've enjoyed yourself! I'm very happy you came! Ugh I'm so full! And I think I drank a little too much. I'm going to head out for some fresh air. Would you like to join me?"

Oak:

"Why, yes, I've had a bit too much myself, so that sounds wonderful, Mary!"

They head on out back, behind the kitchens. As they come out through the back door, they're under a portico in front of Sasha's vegetable garden, which is covered in snow now of course.

Mary:

"Oh wow! The snow is so deep! Come on, Oak, let's make snow angels!"

Oak:

"What? But Mary, your dress!"

Before he can stop her, Mary runs into the snow and laughing all the way, falls backwards. A cloud of ice poofs up around her. Oak laughs and decides to join her. They get up, laughing, with Oak brushing snow out of Mary's hair.

Oak:

"Oh look you've gotten snow everywhere! Aren't you cold? I think I've sobered up now!"

Mary :

"Well, yes actually! That was sobering, you're right, haha. But I love doing that once the snow gets deep. My father and I used to do that together all the time in our garden."

Oak:

"Well... Ahem... Come out from under the snow, then. Stay here, by the lamp."

Oak dusts off a crate with a handkerchief and helps Mary sit on it. He then looks out glumly into the snow covered garden, and at the two snow angels they made. His mind wanders to his own memories of that. And the two sit in silence for a while.

Mary:

"You know... We spoke about him before, if you recall. And since then I've been having these dreams about my past."

Oak:

"You mean, your father?...."

Mary :

"Yes... Sometimes I think I'm over it but then... Days like today just make me think that maybe I'm really not."

Oak:

"You mean the wedding? But you seemed so happy today."

Mary :

"Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I am happy for Karen and Rick! But.... Seeing Jeff walk her down the aisle just...gosh you must think I'm terribly self absorbed to feel that way at my friend's wedding!"

Oak:

"No Mary, I don't think that at all! I think I rather get what you mean. Weddings are about family, and new beginnings. Its only natural that you should feel that way... "

Mary :

"I found my old diary the other day.... You know, when I first arrived here three years ago, I wanted so badly to believe that something had happened to him to make him disappear. That someone in town had hurt him. I just wanted so desperately to believe he didn't choose to just... leave. So I wrote it all down in a diary. I blamed everyone but him..."

Oak:

"Mary, I..."

Mary:

"But I was wrong. He did choose to leave. I thought I made my peace with that. I turned my pain into my writing, and I grew to become a part of the community here... But now that I've moved on and I'm happy here... These memories come back, without warning. As if to torment me. Isn't it unfair? Why now, twenty over years later? I just wish I could be done with this chapter of my life, you know? Like in one my mystery books. Just turn the page and be done with it. But life isn't like one of my books, is it? If only mysteries were so easy to solve in real life... Isn't it ironic?"

Oak:

"Mary. I have something I must tell you. I've been struggling with the truth but I cannot hide it any longer, and I'd better do it now, before I change my mind!"

Mary gets up from the crate slowly and looks at Oak with a strange expression. He looks so serious, almost as if he's in pain. She doesn't know what to expect.

Mary :

"Oak.... Is something the matter...?"

Oak :

"Mary. My name is Basil Reed. I'm... I'm your father."

[straybreeze]

GX MONTH 2021

Day 1: “Hero Signal”

We’re kicking things off with everyone’s favorite hero Judai/Jaden Yuki’s birthday! Show the fluffy boi some love!

Yay, this is my very first time participating in a Tumblr event! Thank you @gxmonth for making this, I'm so excited!

I tried my best to include my OC as well, I hope it won't be too cringe lol.

Also, I would like to remark here, that I'm not a native English speaker, so if I made any grammatical errors or other mistakes, please let me know!

Word count: 2475

Pairing: implied spiritshipping

Warnings: slight angst

Happy, happy birthday Judai.

The sun was already high on the endless blue sky, showering the small apartment room in golden light when a big, orange and round thing pushed the door open with its head. The cat made his way through the mess and straight to the bed, where his owner was still sleeping. Confuting his own respectable weight, he jumped easily into the bed and snuggled up to the sleeping boy’s side, purring loudly. The quiet snoring suddenly stopped as the boy slowly opened his deep brown eyes, his hand automatically searching for the cat’s fluffy head.

“Let me sleep, Pharaoh! Just five more minutes!” Judai pleaded and covered his eyes with his free hand.

But it had been proven to be an unacceptable answer to Pharaoh. If he was hungry, nothing was an excuse for being late for breakfast. And in fact, it was almost lunchtime.

“Meow!”

However, Judai still didn’t seem willing to move, so he had to try harder.

“Ouch! Pharaoh, I know you are hungry, but I’m not your food! Don’t eat me!” Judai moaned as he sat up reluctantly. He squinted in the vivid lights, reaching the phone on the nightstand. The screen was showing 11 AM and the date below: 31th August.

31st August. The last day of summer. And his birthday.

Judai almost forgot about his nineteenth birthday. But to be honest, this day is going to be just like any other of the past week. He had nothing to do besides sitting at home and feeding Pharaoh occasionally. There was no real difference from what he did ever since he arrived from his last journey.

In fact, he was stuck in Domino City and had to stay there until he would eventually get a phone call from Chancellor Samejima. In the past one year of his life, an incoming call from his ex-headmaster meant one thing: a new job is on the sight. Not that Judai minded that. He loved travelling around the world and solving intriguing cases with his dueling skills. He didn’t continue his studies in a college, nor joined the Pro Leagues like his other friends. No, he just did the same as in his Academia years: slacking and occasionally saving the day. That is the duty of the heroes after all.

…And at least he could be useful in something as well.

Judai spent the last two weeks in this apartment, which he and Johan were renting together. In the first days, it wasn’t so hard to stay put, but Johan went on a holiday to his family in Sweden more than a week ago. He promised that he will get home before the end of summer, yet he messaged his roommate that he had to stay for a few more days. So in the end, Judai was left alone for his birthday.

Okay, not completely alone. At least Pharaoh was there for him, he thought as he strolled out to the kitchen to find some breakfast for his hungry cat. And for himself.

One year had already passed since they graduated from Duel Academia. A lot of things happened to everyone and it appeared that nobody had the time to greet Judai on his birthday. At least none of his friends told him that they would like to see him today. No missed calls, no unread messages yet.

Have they already forgotten him?

No, that was nonsense. They might be just… busy.

Sho and Manjoume have joined the Pro Leagues right after their graduation, so they were already living their restless life just like his other pro friends, Edo and Kaiser. Well, in his Academia years Judai already got used to that Edo is as much unavailable as the Emperor of Japan himself, but it appeared that Kaiser is that kind of celebrity too. Since he more or less recovered from his heart condition, he started a Cyber Pro League along with Sho and they both attended various events actively in the country and lately overseas too. Of course, Kaiser was told that he must not overstrain himself and stress too much in general, but Judai would bet that he disregarded all of those rules anyway. Especially because he hadn’t talked to him in months, so he must be busy as hell as always.

On the other hand, as far as Judai knew the Tenjoin siblings still lived in North America – Asuka was still studying in Duel College for sure while her brother, Fubuki-san was… doing something too, he assumed? Judai hadn’t heard much of them lately, but he knew that Fubuki-san followed his younger sister to chase his dreams and become an idol abroad. Judai didn’t know much about the school system of America, so Asuka might have classes at this very moment, maybe that’s why she hasn’t called him yet.

For his younger friends, Kenzan graduated from Duel Academia this summer, while Rei is going to start her last year in October. Maybe they are both on a vacation right now, enjoying themselves on a beach or something. It was still summer anyway, Judai couldn’t blame them for that.

And oh, there was Aurora, too. She was the roommate of Edo (and maybe his stepsister as well? Or something more? Who knows. She was a mystery anyway), who befriended him less than a year ago. Judai supposed she doesn’t even know that this day is his birthday.

After he gave some salmon flavored cat food and fresh water to Pharaoh, he decided to grab a bowl of cereal for breakfast and lunch at once.

As much he wanted to act like his birthday was nothing, if it was just like any other day, it made him hurt deep inside that nobody, even his closest friends haven’t paid attention to him on his day. He already got used to that his parents don’t care about him, but he thought he found a new family in his friends.

Maybe he was wrong.

But hey, it was him who abandoned them in the first place, Judai reminded himself. He was the one who left the Academia without saying goodbye and ran away from them straight to another country. He shouldn’t feel sad, because he knew that their friends would be estranged from him sooner or later. And he was the only one to blame.

Judai was so lost deep in his thoughts that he didn’t even realize that the milk was long overflowed the bowl and it was already spilling down the table. Pharaoh didn’t waste a single second: he leapt to the white liquid dripping from the edge of the table and licked it with such joy as if he had never tasted it before in his entire life.

“Dammit!” Judai moaned, then hastily wiped the milk off from the table and the parquet.

Oh well. He hadn’t been awake for ten whole minutes yet, but he already knew, birthday or no birthday, this was not going to be his day.

As the day continued, Judai climbed back to the bed and chose to do nothing today besides watching silly TV shows. He could have gone out at least for a walk, that’s true. He lived in Domino City after all, the city he loved the most. If you are a duelist, this is the best place for you in the entire world, especially if you live in downtown. The coast was not too far, Kaiba Land and other fun places were within easy reach too. But nothing was entertaining enough if you had no friends around.

“I feel like you’ve forgotten something,” Judai heard a familiar voice from all of a sudden. Slowly, the television screen became blurry as he was still staring at it, and a demonic shadow appeared at the end of his bed.

“Yubel,” he spoke their name aloud as he closed his eyes. “What did I forget?”

“Me,” came the obvious answer. “Why do you feel so lonely?”

“I’m not lonely. I’m just…” Judai began but then realized that the sentence had no continuation. “No, Yubel, everything’s good.”

“You sure?”

“Uh, yeah! I’m glad you’re here. It is enough for me.”

“You are a bad liar, Judai. You know that?”

“Hey, I mean it! I’m glad you are here, Yubel.”

“… I know.” Yubel smiled, gentler than it was imaginable from them. As they took a short break, their heterochromatic eyes curiously scanned the boy who was bound to them for an eternity. “But I still don’t understand, what is the matter with you?”

Judai didn’t answer their question. At least with words. He thought it was enough for an answer that he checked his phone every five minutes if someone messaged him already. But sadly, nobody had searched him so far.

It was already late afternoon when he finally heard the standard ringtone of his phone. He almost fell asleep again, and the vibrating sound made his heart pound in excitement. He immediately grabbed his phone, but when he checked the screen, he had mixed feelings.

The caller was Aurora, Edo’s roommate. And the last one who Judai thought would call him on his birthday.

“Hello, Rory! What up?” he greeted her, a soft smile unintentionally crossed his lips. But it had soon vanished when Aurora didn’t answer immediately. “Rory? Is something wrong?”

“Judai,” she spoke finally. Her usual melodic voice was trembling somewhat as if she was nervous. “I’m glad I could reach you!”

“Yeah, I mean, you could have totally called me all day! I had nothing to do, you know.” Maybe he shouldn’t have hinted things like these, but still.

“I see. Sorry, Judai, but may I ask you something?” Aurora’s voice still didn’t sound too firm.

“Sure, anytime!” Judai’s eyes sparkled at thought of the adventure. “But you’re fine, aren’t you?”

“Y-Yeah. I just… need to talk with someone. With you.”

“Really? Well, I’d gladly chat with you, but if you wanna talk about some… girlish thing, you know I’m not your man.”

“You will be completely fine. I wanna talk about something else, not girlish things.”

“Something happened with Edo maybe?” Judai guessed.

“Not at all! Ahw Judai, stop asking questions! I will tell you everything if I see you in person. So get ready and come!”

“Come where?”

“I’ll be waiting for you at the entrance of Kaiba Land in fifteen minutes.”

“Why there? You’re not even a duelist—„

“See you later, Judai!”

Before Judai could remark that he may not be there in fifteen minutes, Aurora had already hung up the phone. Surely, she became weirder and weirder. Maybe it was Edo who was a bad influence on her.

When Judai arrived at the said place, he was nearly jumping out of his skin. He was curious about what Aurora wanted to talk to him about, and at the same time, he was glad that he finally had a reason to leave the apartment.

Though it was still a bit unexpected that he would spend his birthday with Aurora, but why not? They were friends after all. He should have thought about her sooner.

“Judai!” Aurora shouted and waved him from the distance.

As he came closer, Aurora silently turned around and headed into the Park. It was almost sunset, the monstrous structures of Kaiba Land were glowing in orange.

“Okay, would you tell me now what are we doing here?” Judai asked while he barely could keep up with her.

“You will see, I promise!”

“Come on, Rory!”

“No worries, we are almost there!”

And that was all she told him, no matter how hard he tried to get more information. But the sparkle of hope ignited in his heart, that something bigger was standing behind this weird invitation.

Kaiba Land was slowly emptied out as the closing hour was coming, so they didn’t meet too many people. Especially as they got deeper and deeper into the amusement park.

They were nearby the rollercoaster when they finally stopped.

“Judai,” Aurora turned to him. “I know that this whole thing came from all of a sudden, and I’m so happy that you followed me without a question anyway.”

“Well, actually—”

“I hope you know that it means a lot to me. Not just me. To all of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Judai, you have amazing friends. And you are the best among the best for all of them.”

“Rory, I’m not sure I understa—„

“SURPRISE!!”

Shouts were coming from everywhere, and suddenly a shadow of a whole crowd appeared in the dim lights of the setting sun. Before Judai could have the time to react, a short figure stood out from them and started running towards him.

“Happy birthday, Aniki!” Sho shrieked as he bumped into Judai and embraced him closely. Shortly after, he found himself surrounded by people. Surrounded by his friends.

“Happy birthday, Judai!”

“Judai-sama! I wish the bestest birthday in the world to you!”

“Nice to see you, loser! Where the hell have you been for this long?”

“Yeah, Judai, we were all waiting for you!”

“Happy birthday, Aniki-don!”

“Damn, I missed you so much!”

Everyone was there. Asuka and Rei. Manjoume, Fubuki-san and Kenzan. Sho was still holding onto him, almost crying.

“Hehe, surprise! I came back from Sweden today just because of your big day!”

Even Johan was there. He came home finally! Judai couldn’t help, but sudden warmth flowed through his body as Johan hugged him along with everyone else. Even Manjoume was in the crew.

“Hey guys, you flatter me…”

“See, Edo? We almost missed the group hug because of you.” Another familiar voice came from the distance, and when Judai glanced up, he saw Kaiser Ryo and Edo Phoenix’s silhouettes were approaching them.

“Don’t blame me because Kaiba Seto himself wanted to talk with me. But I assume you can still join the group hug if you’re really that desperate.”

When the pros reached the crew, they greeted Judai in unison.

“Happy birthday, Judai!”

“You two…”

“In fact, these two were the masterminds for this plan,” Aurora joined the celebration too. “Happiest birthday for you!”

With suppressed tears in his eyes, Judai looked around his friends. Yeah, Aurora had right. He had the best friends in the world and now he felt terrible guilt that he had ever questioned them. Yubel were right after all, for not understanding what was his problem. Now he didn’t understand too.

“Okay, who wants some cake?”

“WAIT, we have cake?” Judai asked in shock. How the hell did they bring it to here?

“Of course! I mean you have it, Judai,” Asuka corrected him.

Before Judai could shout in happiness, his phone started ringing again. To his surprise, Chancellor Samejima called him.

“Happy birthday, Judai! Are you ready for your next adventure?”

Judai couldn’t help but smile again.

“Ready as I’ll ever be!”

[shra-vasti]

MAKES ME WONDER [7/40] The Unexpected Reunion

→ Synopsis : Your dream to attend a Seventeen concert was finally coming true but you weren't prepared for the events that were going to follow after Joshua made eye contact with you and chose to make you his partner for the mini game and take you out on a date as a winning prize.

→ Genre : fluff

→ Type : Idol x fan au

→ Word count : 1.3k

→ Taglist : @mngyuheart @vannie24 @uglyratlmao @rjsmochii @dwcljh @noniesgirl @yuriewolfhard @jisungsdreamy (let me know if you want to be added to the taglist)

→ Pairing : idol!Joshua x fan!reader

→ Main Seventeen Masterlist 

→ Makes Me Wonder Masterlist 

"Y/N, open up your door and come eat lunch."

You could clearly hear Miu's voice yelling from the kitchen and you sighed once again burying your face inside the pillow to shut off her voice, it clearly didn't help though as you could feel her yanking the blanket off your body and pulling you up till you were facing her. 

"I don't want to."

You mumbled not really in the mood to say anything as you just wanted to sleep away and do nothing else. 

"Come on y/n it's been more than a week and you're still behaving like a lovesick puppy who got rejected by their first love."

She didn't understand why you had to behave like a child at such a point, you should've just got over the whole Joshua thing but the point was you weren't. 

You hadn't been eating well, you weren't paying attention in the classes much less attended it, she knew you were skipping meals behind her back, ignoring your parent's call and just staying inside your room doing nothing and staring at nothing. 

Miu felt angry at you, he was just your idol and you were just his fan who got lucky enough to have a date with him but why were you behaving as if you had left a piece of you with him and she was afraid to call that piece your heart cause that was impossible, to fall in love with your idol and getting the feelings reciprocated. 

"Leave me alone Miu, let me be."

"He'll be off to Korea in few days and will forget about your existence while you will be here mopping over him, don't forget you're just another fan, just because he said two sweet words to you doesn't mean he loves you or have any sort of feelings for you, it's just a part of fan service you get it? You're just a fan, he has probably behaved with countless other carats the same way, Seungcheol says he'll marry every carat that doesn't mean he'll actually marry, do you?"

You groaned in frustration, getting up from your bed you picked up your clothes, changed it into something appropriate and made your way out of the apartment slamming the door shut on her face angrily. 

You weren't angry at her but you were angry at yourself for being like this, you were angry that whatever words which left her mouth were sharp but the truth nonetheless. 

You found yourself in the place you always go to ease the tension from your mind, the beach not too far away from your apartment which is big enough that people get their own privacy. 

▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

"Hyung come out we are going out, we don't get to spend free time like this so why waste it being inside the hotel room for so long?" 

Joshua wasn't in the mood to do anything lately and he lost all of his will do to something fun and just rest, your face kept popping up in his mind every now and then and he couldn't help but feel the need to see you again, it was aching, he just needed to see you once again. 

"Seokmin, I told you I don't want to."

The younger just pouted at his Hyung behind the door, the enthusiasm he had before slowly vanishing as his shoulder slumped in defeat. 

He made his way back towards the hotel lobby where rest of the members were gathered looking at him expectantly, they thought Seokmin would be able to get him out of the room since he's the softest amongst them but the poor boy had been trying his best from the past half and hour and the answer was still the same. 

The defeated look on Seokmin's face ignited the irritation which had already been there inside Seungcheol since the time Joshua came back from the date, he patted at the younger's shoulder and made his way towards Joshua's room calling Mingyu with him in the process. 

Seungcheol knocked on his door multiple times till he felt irritated and jumped from his bed to open the door. 

"What are you trying to do?" 

Joshua questioned massaging his temple and he looked at the both the boys. 

"We are going to the beach and you're coming with us."

Joshua was about to protest when he felt himself getting lifted up by the two and that's how he found himself in the middle of the lobby in between his members, some of them shocked, some of them trying their best to not burst into laughter. 

"Why are you doing this to me?" 

"Cause you can't be stuck up with her thoughts, you will eventually have to get back to behave normally, she's just your fan."

He groaned but there wasn't any going back so he reluctantly followed with the group's shenanigans. 

▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

"Beach?" 

Joshua questioned as soon as he took the sight of his surroundings. 

"Yes, it will be fun since it has been a while since we went to the beach" 

"Okay."

Joshua started walking ahead in the opposite direction to where the group was till he heard Jeonghan call him up. 

"I came here because you dragged me now the least you could do is to let me do what I want."

He turned around stuffing his hands in his pocket walking away. 

"What's up with him from the past week?" 

Seungkwan mumbled as he and the rest of the boys stared at his retreating figure. 

"He's living in his old world ever since his date with the carat."

"He really can't be getting stuck up on our fan, Wonwoo is this how you felt when Mina first rejected you because she thought she wouldn't be able to give you time due to twice's hectic schedule?" 

Everyone's eyes were now on Wonwoo after Soonyoung asked him the question. Wonwoo thought back on his relationship with Mina as he sighed, nodding his head and everyone gasped. 

"So you're telling me he may have feelings for y/n but he hasn't realised it maybe?" 

"He can't be catching feelings for y/n she's our fan for God's sake, this won't work, what about the backlash and the long distance?" 

Everyone just sighed deciding it was best to let him be for the meantime only to stop when they heard him yell and start running like his life depended on it. 

"Why is he running like that? Let's follow him."

Joshua was walking casually thinking about you when he saw you standing by the shore, he stopped in his tracks taking a good look if it was really you. 

He didn't know how his entire mood lit up with just a sight of you, maybe he did miss you and now that he finally saw you he was more than happy. 

His grin widened when you looked at him after hearing him yell out your name and his grin only widened at your shocked expression. 

He didn't even know he was running till he reached you, engulfing you in a bone crushing hug and lifting you up to spin you around in circles, you held him just tight, unable to describe the happiness you felt when you finally saw him. 

Your laughter was like music to his ears, if he was in his right mind he would have judged his own actions if he initiated skinship with you without your permission but the thing was he wasn't in his right mind as the only thing going on in his mind was you. 

"I don't know how to explain how happy I'm feeling to see you, God I thought I would never be able to see you."

Joshua put you down holding both of you hand, both of your cheeks paining due to smiling too much.

"You were thinking about me too?" 

"Continuously."

[seyaryminamoto]

May I ask - why Ozai likes Ursa more than Azula? Keep in mind you're not the only author who choose this portrayal and I'm as confused by it as Azula is

Oh, I know I’m not the only author who portrays it that way. These guys

did it too! :’D Though this guy

backtracked on it, to a fault, merely turning Ozai into someone who gives zero shits about anyone ever. Which means he gives the same amount of shits for Azula and Ursa. His Ozai is surprisingly fair on that front!

Alright, all jokes aside, the main reason many of us interpret Ozai’s relationship with Ursa as a little more complex than originally presented, it’s because of this shot: 

(Credit: former Piandao.org screenshots, now turned into a Google Drive folder)

That’s the same fountain-pond-thingy  where Ursa had been sitting in earlier flashbacks of that episode.

(Credit: same as above)

It’s such a small, simple moment that I suppose most Ozai haters would say it amounts to nothing, yet it actually speaks lengths about his character: why would Ozai stand here, melancholically, before a fountain that is no longer functioning (because in his screenshot, it’s not), a place where his wife used to sit, right on the morning after she left? This is a guy who literally just got EVERYTHING he ever wanted. He is Fire Lord now, thanks to the scheming and conniving and wicked plotting that took place over the previous day. He finally overcame his father and brother’s shadows! So… why would our first shot of a man who finally succeeded at everything he wanted be not a shot of said man rejoicing in triumph, but a shot of a man who is, by all effects, in mourning?

This suggests that Ozai may have cared about Ursa. The fact that we don’t see them angry, arguing or bickering through this episode also suggests that their relationship, while far from a lovey-dovey happy mushy thing, is that of two people who at the very least coexist peacefully. We don’t see any direct interactions between them, so yes, it’s possible they were far more troubled than the episode suggests (I, personally, interpret it that way), since everything in Zuko Alone is seen through Zuko’s eyes. But IF Ursa and Ozai were in such a bad place, to the point where he would have even convinced her to leave as he does in the Search… why would he do this? Why would he stand by that fountain as though honoring Ursa somehow?

All this being said, I personally find Ursa a much more interesting and dynamic character if her relationship with Ozai isn’t that of a victim and his abuser, but of a woman with such sharp wit that, even without being a bender, ergo, representing no physical threat to her husband, still wielded such authority that she could keep this fierce, savage man in check, capable of respecting her when she’s around, and even honoring her when she leaves. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: in my very humble opinion and headcanon, if Ozai ever got close to genuinely loving someone, it was Ursa.

As ever, disclaimer necessary: this does NOT mean Ozai was entitled to Ursa’s love in return, this does NOT mean Ursa is to blame for the man Ozai becomes, I’m not implying this is a situation where “love” would have absolutely saved Ozai from being the man we know him to be. While I do believe that if he had chosen her above his ambitions he might have been ~better~, it was Ozai himself who had to make that choice. I don’t blame Ursa for how her relationship with Ozai turns out, whether in canon or comics or Gladiator, NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. Relationships like theirs are complex, difficult and not straightforward: both characters have faults, and both deserve to be held accountable for them. So Ozai deserves being held accountable for sacrificing everything for power, and that’s that.

But finally, getting into your question… why would Ozai like Ursa better than Azula?

Personally, in the way I want to portray them through flashbacks, it’s because Ursa makes NOTHING easy for Ozai, since day one. She isn’t trying to please him, she isn’t just a doormat waiting for him to stomp all over her: she has demands of her own, the first of them respect, and Ozai finds himself giving it, even if he doesn’t quite reason with why he’s doing it. He wants her to care about him, probably as starved for affection as his daughter is later on too, and whenever he made her happy, even if just a little, he would have felt a sense of accomplishment that was absolutely unprecedented for him.

Zuko canonically has described his family by saying they were “happy”, at some point. While no one can say for sure what time period he refers to (it could be the happy times ended when his mother vanished, or perhaps a little before that), I’ve always assumed he wouldn’t have seen Ozai and Ursa as they were in the Zuko Alone flashback and thought “wow my parents are so happy, look at their poker faces! That’s happiness!” So, I believe they actually were happy once, enough to make each other smile or laugh. There’s a simple scene in the first comic trilogy where they’re at the beach with their children, simply sitting together at the sand while their kids play in the sand and water: who’s to say those aren’t the kinds of moments Zuko refers to as happiness?

Compare that to the Ozai we meet in canon: do we ever see him happy in Book 3 about anything but his advancements and achievements? His smiles are always smirks. Every situation he’s in, he’s merely basking in becoming more powerful and fulfilling more of his often-pointless ambitions. While he seems to respect Azula to a fault (she interrupts Zuko in a war meeting and she gets no Agni Kai as punishment, Ozai is Mr. Hypocrisy Incarnate), did we ever see anything that suggested genuine affection for her? While I write him as directly involved in her training, canonically Azula has been trained by Lo and Li, two non-benders. Even a tiny canonical hint at how Ozai may have been involved in helping Azula reach her full potential as a bender could be, to a fault, interpreted as him caring for her a little more than he originally planned to, being invested in her growth for what it is and not only for what advantages it offers him. But instead, the entire extent of what we know about their relationship is that he sends Azula on missions, basically in the capacity of a military agent or leader: as much as this allows Azula to show she’s a badass, does it show Ozai cares about her? Do we have a single hint that he actually is emotionally invested in his daughter?

AT BEST… the lack of punishment for having lied to him about Aang’s death can be, somewhat, interpreted as unwillingness on Ozai’s part to punish Azula too harshly for a huge mistake. Even then, by the finale he outright yells at her before offering her an important “mission” that he can only entrust to her. And that’s their canon relationship, isn’t it? Missions, missions and missions. He hands her missions, she delivers. The consequences aren’t too steep if she doesn’t, but he might even yell at her if she tests his patience too much.

Basically, my take on Ozai respected Ursa, even though Ursa has no power of her own to threaten him beyond her disapproval and displeasure. Because she earned that respect, she was the only person he NEARLY considered an equal. He was willing to surrender if she was adamant about certain things (this is no spoiler, since chapter 9 we all know that, in Gladiator, Azula never learned swordsmanship with Piandao because Ursa didn’t want her to, and to Azula’s eternal outrage, Ozai gave in to Ursa’s demands, just like that!), he was willing to listen to her opinions on whatever was happening in the world, he would argue with her and they’d have disagreements because they were both stubborn as hell. All of this means Ursa’s opinions, beliefs and decisions mattered to Ozai, enough that he would sometimes back down and let her have her way.

Azula, however, has been his pet project, the perfect child, for as long as she has lived. He raised her to be his heir, to uphold his legacy, molded her after himself (even if the result wasn’t at all like him :’D), and Azula dreamt of following on his footsteps for a long time (until her own equal shows up and his influence serves to change the way she sees the world…). Azula, then, is his most loyal ally, and Ozai takes her for granted because of that. She will always be on her side because he raised her to be, and that’s that. 

Ozai’s first blast of reality that shows him Azula is NOT unbreakable, that she is NOT undefeatable and that he shouldn’t send into danger willy-nilly? It’s in the White Lotus Attack arc, where he finds her terribly sick in her room and she’s mortified that he’d see her that way. That was the first moment an actual surge of fatherly instincts came over Ozai since Azula was a very tiny kid.

Azula’s rebellions against Ozai in Part 1 are relatively small, and she’s constantly terrified to her very bone whenever she opposes him at something, as in her birthday. Ozai was displeased by it, and she was troubled and wondering how to improve things between them again later on. Pleasing her father is a behavior ingrained in her head from an early age. She wanted to make sure she was on his good side, even if she was growing much more aware of his mistakes, his shortcomings and everything wrong about him by then. Not being on good terms with her father was terrifying for her in those days, terrifying in ways it never was for Ursa: in Azula’s case, it’s learned behavior acquired mainly by seeing, through Zuko, what happens to someone Ozai considers unreliable and disposable. She absolutely doesn’t want to be that.

But it’s not until Part 2 that Azula outright starts to take a stand against her father. And yes, she was terrified too in the Festivals, but she went toe-to-toe with him in front of all his military leaders. Then she took his attempt to punish her, by forcing her to give a public speech she wasn’t ready for, and spun it on itself to both present herself as her father’s soooo loyal daughter while providing the entirety of the Fire Nation with new values to abide by in regards of how they treated slaves and honorary citizens. Ozai’s reaction that time was a petty, small revenge… but he actually was amused by what she’d done. And THAT… that was actual respect from Ozai, for once. He saw his daughter could stand up to him, and get away with it safely. Suddenly she wasn’t just his obedient child-soldier, which was what he had taken for granted that she was: she was a potential leader in her own right. At this point, their relationship changes.

That change takes a turn for the worse after she fails to convince him to carry forward her slavery laws project, and then she discovers Seethus’ assassination spree. At this point, the falling out between them is absolutely dreadful. Ozai doesn’t attack Azula physically, however: he argues with her, snaps back and does his best to convince her that he’s in the right, but she’s 100% certain of the opposite. By this point, Azula is behaving a lot more like Ursa than she ever had before: she defies him, stands up to him, and unlike her mother, she does have literal firepower to back her up. 

Point being: AZULA BECOMES A THREAT.

And while they’ve managed to kind of establish a low-key peace after that (though as you may imagine, this new arc is yet more trouble for the relationship between the Princess and her father), Ozai still sees Azula as a threat ever since. He’s willing to trust she won’t do anything too far out of hand, not as long as he makes enough concessions for her, not if he abides by her advice once in a while… but that makes her no less of a threat anyhow. He needs to make her a reliable ally again, and he can’t do that by wielding his authority over her head anymore. Not when she has already shown herself perfectly willing to ignore it.

And that means he respects her in an entirely different way than how he respected Ursa: he didn’t have any reason, Gladiator-wise, to think Ursa wasn’t on his side, they had disagreements but she was his wife and she supported him through thick and thin even in some REALLY shady stuff. Right now, Azula is starting to look like the entire opposite of that: she was the one he raised to be his wholehearted supporter. The one person who would only ever treat HIM as the hero, the winner, the good guy. And now she’s changed her mind about him, he knows it, and he’s worried about what that entails.

It’s ironic that it’s because of Azula’s rebellious bouts, and the cracks in her mask of the perfect daughter, that Ozai’s bottled-up affection for his daughter emerges. I won’t say that somewhere in the depths of his dark heart he loves her… but I will say that every time Azula rises up against him, he sees some of Ursa in her and he automatically takes her more seriously because of it.

Meanwhile, whenever Zuko stands up to him, he basically feels like it’s an ant shouting at the boot that’s ready to crush it. On a REALLY subconscious level, Zuko seems to embody Ozai’s weaknesses, the side of himself he would much rather pretend doesn’t exist. He despises Zuko for it all, because he’s a reminder of his own shortcomings and failures. And even when Zuko tries to rebel, Ozai continues to treat him as a weakling, unworthy of respect, that only warrants being crushed. He’d never be able to act like this with Azula or Ursa.

So, why would I say he cares more about Ursa, or that she’s his actual #1 while Azula is #2? Because Ursa was never a tool, never a source of self-fulfilment: she was someone who he wanted to impress, whose respect he craved and he offered her his own. He valued her, everything she offered him, even if things between them became complicated for an array of reasons. Ursa has always been a sort of blind spot for Ozai, the one person who made him happy in a sense that didn’t involve ambitions and advancement. She was a good influence on him, all around, even if he seldom knew how to react to her influence positively.

That’s not the bond he had with Azula. She was his perfect heir, and that was all he ever expected of her. Canon-wise, that’s all she is. Gladiator-wise, once she stops being ONLY that, Azula doesn’t simply become someone Ozai respects and approves of: she becomes a threat. She is the one and only person in the Fire Nation who can tear down everything he has worked for, and it sure looks like she wants to do exactly that. He has been molding her all her life, only to find she has become his worst possible enemy and now he has to be much more cautious about how he deals with her.

One day, maybe, once his characted develops some more… Ozai might start respecting Azula on the actual same level he respected Ursa. One day, he might realize that, while craving Ursa’s affection and love, he had already earned Azula’s but he threw it to waste. By then, it may be much more difficult to determine who is his #1 indeed… but until that point is reached, he will continue to hold onto the memory of his wife while ignoring that his bond with his daughter is what will determine if he can attain either true salvation or eternal damnation… :’)

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

A Sterek Shape Of Water AU!!!! Or anything that remotely resembles this!! I'm dying plz help!!

I couldn’t find any fics specifically Shape of Water AU, so here’s some mermaid fics! And mermaid!Derek and mermaid!Stiles tags.  - Anastasia

What the Water Gave Me by MellytheHun

(1/1 I 2,790 I Mature)

Stiles returns to thank and further harass his savior.

Beacon Gills by kitsunequeen

(1/1 I 4,226 I Teen)

“Derek,” Erica singsongs loudly. Rather than knocking on the rather flimsy-looking piece of driftwood, she grabs a coconut filled with seashells and shakes it violently. “We’ve got a surprise for you!”

“I hate surprises,” Derek answers, voice slightly muffled through the door. “Aren’t you supposed to be out exploring the caves with Isaac?”

“He has some special guests tonight,” Boyd says. “And so do you.”

Derek doesn’t answer right away, and Stiles can almost imagine him sighing.

“Come in,” he yields finally. “You know it’s unlocked.”

Erica flings the door open, nudges Stiles inside, and slams it behind him.

“Surprise!” she yells, and then Stiles can hear her and Boyd’s footsteps quickly retreating.

Oh, shit.

—

When Stiles accompanies Scott on a trip to his uncle’s beach house, he gets more than he bargained for after running into a pack of mermaids with a particularly attractive leader…

Merwolf Soulmates by Divinae

(2/2 I 4,956 I Not Rated)

Stiles, a merman, has longed for life outside the ocean. But, the only way to gain his human form is if his soulmate is from land.

Of course, life isn’t easy on Stiles when he finally met him… and his soulmate runs away.

Now, time isn’t on his side. If he doesn’t find his soulmate in time, he’ll be doomed.

You Make Me All Achy by Emela

(1/1 I 10,965 I Mature)

It was only when Derek’s head broke the water’s surface, he realised what was happening - he was being pulled under - and pushing against the boy, flung himself back out of reach, breathing heavily- from fear or the kiss, he couldn’t tell.

“What-” he began to ask but the boy raised his hand, cutting him off, staring at Derek wide-eyed, a look of great surprise on his face, before vanishing into the lake.

It was then that Derek saw it; the golden, red tail where a pair of legs should have been.

OR

The one in which Stiles is a merman, tries to drown Derek, but when he kisses him falls in love with him instead. (Oh, Stiles.)

Wolf of the Waters by orphan_account

(1/1 I 12,385 I Explicit)

An AU in which Derek flees to his family’s vacation home on the coast in an attempt to leave behind Beacon Hills and all its ghosts. Stiles is a bold young merman who likes to feel the sun on his scales and isn’t about to give up his favorite place to sun bathe just because a brooding werewolf has moved into the long abandoned beach house. Mythical creatures abound and romance is in abundance.

The Mermaid AU Nobody Asked For by IdSellMySoulForRecentlyUpdatedFanfiction

(8/? I 14,019 I Not Rated)

After being thrown into the world of the supernatural after Scott is bitten by a rogue alpha werewolf, Stiles is forced to take a position of power and help the werewolf learn control. After events that get gradually more and more fucked, Stiles takes in one to many strays and people in need and ends up the alpha of a pack consisting of way too many different species. When the human makes it his personal goal to keep Beacon safe from the (unfairly attractive) murderers that try to steal away citizens and drag them into the water, he and his pack end up being a target of the “mermen and mermaids” that inhabit the ocean around Beacon. Come watch as things get actively more fucked than before.

No Oceans Left by zoemathemata

(1/1 I 14,207 I Teen)

Stiles has always been a merman. He just never knew how to tell anyone. He hasn’t shifted since his mom died.

Mermaider by nothing_left_sacred

(3/3 I 15,517 I Mature)

“So what you’re saying is; you’re a mermaid princess.” Erica concluded.

“Yes, clearly. That is what I am saying. Thank you for putting it so concisely.” Stiles sassed, frowning at her. He wasn’t fucking Ariel; this was so far from being a Disney movie it wasn’t even funny.

Or the one where a perfectly normal Beach Vacation escalates way too quickly, because this is Stiles’ life.

Alone Together by asocialfauxpas (fuzzytomato)

(1/1 I 16,277 I Explicit)

Derek has lost his pack. Stiles has lost his pod. They find each other on the high seas.

Part of Your World by Jenetica

(7/? I 21,382 I Explicit)

Derek’s a werewolf. Stiles is a merman. They’re not supposed to work.

Luckily, they’re both determined to prove that particular fact false.

Blue Tide Pulling Me Under by the_flawless_four

(1/1 I 32,612 I Teen)

Derek honestly does love his job, which not everyone can say.

He may work six days out of the week, he may have a poor social life outside of his coworkers (who also happen to be his only friends), and his love life may be in shambles, but he loves what he does. Nothing makes him feel better than helping the creatures under his care. His life is fine, and he is happy where he is. It’s never any trouble for him to care.

“As long as you don’t get attached.” Lydia pointed out.

“I never do.”

“We’ll see.” She said doubtfully.

Derek’s content life got turned upside down when a merman by the name of Stiles comes in, severely injured by the hands of a poacher. In the midst of figuring out who did this, and caring for Stiles, Derek does what he was warned against.

He got attached.

[writeandimagine]

Left Stranded/ Loki

warnings: kissing scene

word count: 1,173

Tonight was date night. Knowing Loki though, you should always expect the unexpected. I'm actually surprised that someone like Loki could actually fall in love or date. He just didn't seem like the type, y'know? I always dress casually for dates. Tonight's pick is a cute blouse paired with high-waist jeans. I brought clothes from Earth,my home planet. Asgardian clothes are nice and all ,but I prefer mine.

I'm finishing slipping on my heeled flats when Loki shows up. Or maybe it's not really Loki and just one of his illusions.

"You know usually you're not supposed to see the girl when she's not finished dressing"

"Lucky for you I'm not the usual" Loki says charmingly

"Does that really make me lucky?" I ask

"Of course. You know, I think you'll love my idea for our date tonight"

"Is this one of your many tricks Laufeyson?"

"You won't know until you finish attiring yourself" he says cheekily.

He then gives me a wink and vanishes.

"I knew that was one of his stupid illusions" I say to myself.

"My illusions are not stupid!" Loki shouts from behind the door.

"I thought you were gone!" I shout

He doesn't answer back. I roll my eyes and open the door. There stands Loki, attired in a nice-fitting, black button up and blue jeans. Casual, I like it.

Loki picks up my hand and kisses it. "You look lovely tonight."

I curl a strand of his raven black hair onto my finger. " Ah thank you. I didn't know they had blue jeans on Asgard."

Loki suddenly looks a bit sheepish.

"I may have stole a pair from Midgard." he confesses

"You did what!?" I exclaim

"Don't worry I left some of their currency on the counter" he reassures .

I grin. "That only makes it a little better"

"Don't worry this date will make you feel a lot better" he says.

The way he said that sentence makes it seem like something mischievous going on.

He grabs my hand and begins to lead me away from the door. " Come on we should get going. Our date isn't at your chamber door"

I mock him from behind his back.

"I know you're mocking me right now" he says as he continues to lead me away.

I immediately stop. Loki continues to lead me through the castle until we come to an abrupt stop.

Loki smiles with satisfaction. " And we're here"

I'm really confused right now. "Where exactly is here? All I see is a wall of stone"

"You have to touch it in order for you to be transported. It took me weeks to find this. A tricky one it is. It's landscape is very magical though. Totally worth all of that time I spent looking for it." he rambles

I look doubtfully at the wall. "So I just touch it?"

"Yep. Right there." He points to a lighter shaded stone.

"Here goes nothing" I touch the stone.

In an instance I'm transported to a land of hills and valleys. In the middle of the hills and valleys, there is a beautiful blue river.

"Loki this is breathtaking" I say in awe.

I turn around. "Loki?"

I begin to shout. "Loki! Loki, where are you?"

I know this man did not leave me stranded in a place where civilization ceases to exist.

Loki suddenly appears to the right side of me.

"WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME LIKE THAT?" I shout.

Loki grins mischeviously "Oh, I'm not here. I'm on a beach in Hawaii. Thor recommended it when he went there with Jane."

"LOKI LAUFEYSON, IF YOU DON'T TRANSPORT ME BACK RIGHT NOW,I WILL STRANGLE YOU!" I threaten.

He kicks a stone off of a cliff. "Death threats don't really bother me anymore"

Then he disappears

I let out a scream of frustration. "I cannot believe he left me here! By myself! He could've at least brought my dog along"

I don't know what else to do, so I sit down. It seems frightening at first, being so high up and all. When I relax though, it feels completely serene. I start to mindlessly hum an unknown song and run my hand through the clover. I could make clover chains since I have nothing else to do. I begin to intertwine and weave the clovers together until they're long enough to make a necklace. I continue to do that until my fingers start to ache.

"Those are quite pretty" A voice says from behind me.

Loki.

I turn around and deliver him a death glare.

Loki sits down next to me "No need for the death glares"

I turn my face to look at him. "Oh there's need alright. You left me here without telling when you'd be back. And you're wearing a shirt with flamingos on it while holding a coconut drink. So I think there's need for a death glare."

He offers me the coconut drink. "You can have it if you want."

I take it from his hand and drink a few sips from the coconut. Then, without warning I throw the coconut into the valley.

Loki gives me a shcoked expression. "Why did you do that!?"

I smile evilly at him. My plan is to seduce him, he loves the evil smiles. I get onto my knees and crawl onto Loki's lap. Placing one hand on his thigh and the other on his shoulder, I slowly push him onto the ground. All while using my evil smile. I lean down until my mouth is just barely touching his.

"Next time don't leave me stranded, and maybe, just maybe you'll actually receive a kiss." I whisper

I retract myself from Loki, leaving him with a disbelieving stare.

I brush off my hands. " Now take me back dusk is approaching"

He nods his head. "Well played Y/L/N"

He grabs my hand and instantly we're transported back.

I start to walk away ,but Loki grabs my shoulder.

"What?"

"A date always ends with a kiss"

"You are truly unbelievable"

Without thinking twice about my actions, I tilt my head and cup the back of his neck. Then I connect my lips with his. He hesitates at first,but then quickly joins in. I can feel his fingers running through my hair, which only makes the fireworks in my stomach erupt even more. My skin feels like it's on fire, and I wonder if he feels the same way too. Loki deepens the kiss and I wonder if it is possible to make an already passionate kiss even more passionate. His hands have now traveled to the the small of my back. I'm starting to run out of breath, but I don't want to let go. My worries are soon subsided,because Loki lets go first. Both of us are panting and gasping for air. I stare into Loki's eyes, they still have the mischievous gleam that I love.

Loki smiles adoringly at me. "That was lovely, I want another."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "You pushed your luck once, Laufeyson. Goodnight."

I kiss his cheek and turn around to head to my chambers.

"I hope you dream of me" Loki calls out

"That wouldn't be a dream, that would be a nightmare" I tease

I just want Loki to have happiness!!! I know he tried to take over a planet, but that's all in the past right?? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed ;)