#This truly was a moment to Believe in Justice... and Grip (Hug) it Tight.

[crownedflora]

@cantusecho replied:  -HARDCORE PETS AND HUGS-

BIG GOOFY GRIN COMPLETE WITH S Q U E A K Y  T O Y   S Q U E E Z I N G   S O U N D.

Such a polite act has successfully saved and pleased the plant...!

Now, excuse as he administers (softcore) huggles back as gratitude!

[durmstrange]

Unrequited Love - Fred Weasley

Hello and welcome to a new Fred fic!  This was inspired by @thisismysecrethappyplace​‘s dream she told me about.  I hope this does it justice for you, Ally!  Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: fake dating trope, 

Word count:  1,740

With your bag over your shoulder, you walked through the Hogwarts Library, on a hunt for a book to assist you in finishing your Transfiguration essay.  As usual, you paid little attention to the other students around you, as you had more important things to focus on in that moment. 

Making your way towards the appropriate aisle of the extensive library, you heard a soft psst noise, causing you to turn and glance to your right.  Fred Weasley was beckoning to you, urging you to come to him.  Next to him, much to your surprise, was Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl two years younger than both you and him.  With an unsure look, you glanced away from him and continued on your path.  There had been a time of two where you've spoken to him, but only in passing when you were around your best friend, Hermione Granger.  You barely knew him.  You knew his twin brother better, being as he was your partner in Potions class the entirety of the year before, but even then, you didn’t speak much outside of class.

After a short moment, you felt arms wrap around you from behind, engulfing your in a tight hug.  The scent of chocolate and gunpowder filled your nostrils, and you twisted in the grip, shoving the arms from you.  “What are you doing?” you whispered at him in a furious voice, trying to keep from disturbing Madam Pince or the other students.  

Fred smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck in a poor attempt to seem casual.  With a huff, you walked off, abandoning your mission to find a Transfiguration book to use for your essay.  As you walked away, you heard him mutter to Pansy, who has followed in his steps towards you, “She’s still mad at me.” 

You had no earthly idea what he was referring to, as you barely knew him, let alone had a reason to be mad at him before now.  

~.~

Later that afternoon during your free period, as you sat with your books open and surrounding you in the Great Hall, working diligently on your essay.  Roughly halfway through, your eyes glanced away from the parchment as someone sat down at the table across from you.  

A sour look formed on your face as Fred settled into the seat, a cheeky look on his face.  “Hello, love,” he greeted cheerily. 

“What’s going on with you?  Why are you talking to me today?”  You wasted no time getting to the point as you set your quill in your bottle of in and crossed your arms on the table. 

Fred’s smile faded slightly and he glanced around briefly, making sure no one was around.  “I need your help.”  With a skeptical look, you didn’t respond, so he continued.  “You see, the Parkinson girl was with Terence Higgs as he practiced brewing an Amortentia potion and long story short, she is convinced she smelled me in the potion.  You’re familiar with what that means, I assume,” Fred explained with a scowl on his face.  Gently, you nodded.  “Well, she’s been up my bum since, insisting that she wants to get to know me.  I can’t stand the poor girl.” 

Rolling your eyes, you shook your head.  “Just humor her.  What harm could it do?” 

“Loads,” Fred responded immediately and threw his hands up.  “Load of harm.  If she continues to catch feelings, it’ll only break her heart more!” 

“I don’t see how this is my problem.”  You moved to pick up your quill again, to end the conversation, but Fred caught your hand. 

A small frown formed on his lips.  “Well, it became your problem when I sort of told Pansy that I had a secret girlfriend and when she demanded to know who it was, I said it was you.”  His face was reddened at his own words as he released your hand.  You could tell by the look on his face that he was ashamed an unsure of his actions. 

Your mouth fell open in surprise.  “Excuse me?  I barely even know you!  Why me?”  

Fred glanced around once more, to ensure no one was listening in on your conversation.  “Keep it down, would you?” he asked quickly, leaning closer to the table to speak at a lower volume.  “I remembered how George always said how kind and helpful you were to him, and you were one of the first people I laid eyes on during my big lie.”  Your shoulders ell forward, oddly disappointed with his answer.  “Which brings me here now, I need you to keep the charade up, because I believe she’s already spilled our little secret relationship to a few people.”

“Absolutely not,” you answered and began closing up your books.  “No, I will not keep up this charade.  It’s absolutely unbelievable.  I’m nothing like the girls you dated in the past.  You’re all about the little Quidditch girls of the school.  That’s not me, and I’m not even in Gryffindor!”  As you pulled your quill from the ink, Fred looked saddened by your words.

“I think you’re beautiful,” Fred said suddenly, as if he were surprised by his own words.

With a scoff, you shook your head.  “Flattery won’t make you get your way,” you snapped and packed your belongings into your bag.  

Fred pulled your bag away from you then, so you couldn’t up and leave him there at the table.  “That’s not what I was going for, actually.  I hate you think that way, because you truly are beautiful and would be a lovely girlfriend, fake or not.”  His voice was insistent and seemingly sincere, making you narrow your eyes at him.  His words were too kind, as you heard he was more of a prankster than a poet.  “Besides, it’s too late.  Pansy already thinks you’re my secret girlfriend.  And I promise I’ll make it up to you, somehow.” 

Reaching across the table, you pulled your bag back and out of his hand.  Fred watched you with pleading eyes, obviously coming as close to begging as he would get.  “Fine,” you muttered.  “You better break up with me soon.” 

As you put your bag over your shoulder, Fred’s face lit up.  “Really?  I’ll make it up you, I really will.  Thank you,” Fred said quickly and stood with you.  Without responding, you began walking away with a confused look on your face, regarding the whole situation.  Before you could get too far, Fred walked along side you, on the other side of the table.  “There’s something else you should know, too,” Fred added once he got her attention.  

“Oh, boy,” you mumbled and came to a stop.  “What’s that, Fred?”

“Well, I told Pansy you were angry with me for being rather friendly with other girls, you see.  So, if you could act angry until I apologize, that would brilliant.” 

With a smile that was rather sarcastic, you nodded.  “Shouldn’t be hard at all.”  With that, you exited the Great Hall without the boy on your heels.  

~.~

The next few days were difficult for you.  The thought of Fred and your little secret with him was looming over you.  A few people started asking questions, as they heard rumors about your secret romance, and you managed to deflect those questions rather quickly. 

It wasn’t until you sat in the courtyard with Hermione a few days later did the secret finally come out once and for all.  From across the courtyard, you could see Fred deflecting Pansy as she tried to speak with him.  His eyes were you, and a quick wink told you that he was about to make a show.  

“Bloody hell,” you muttered.  

Hermione looked up, confused.  “What?”

You glanced back to Fred, who was flanked by George and Lee Jordan.  “Hello, love,” he greeted, causing Hermione, George, and Lee to look surprised.  

“Hello,” you greeted in return as you stood with a cold expression on your face and your arms crossed over your chest.

Fred raised an eyebrow, as if he were encouraging you.  “I wanted to apologize for my lewd behavior,” he began, rather dramatically, causing a smile to break out on your face, regardless of how much you fought it.  “Please forgive me, my love.” 

Fighting yourself to keep from laughing, you pretended to think about the answer you were going to give.  Calming yourself for a moment, you gave a gentle nod.  “All right.  I don’t think I could stay mad at you, anyways.”  

Fred smiled widely, wrapping his arm around you happily.  “Brilliant, I don’t think I could go another day without a kiss form you!”  

Upon processing his words, your eyes went wide as you looked up at him.  Fred raised his eyebrows, as if he were asking your permission.  For a moment, you hesitated, an unsure look on your face.  But that faded quickly as a cheeky smirk formed on your face and you took Fred’s face into your hands, kissing him deeply.  Fred responded immediately, his hands on you waist.

You pulled away after a moment, you're a face warm and a smirk on your lips. Fred looked surprised and a little flustered, only making your confidence grow.  “See you later, love,” you said then, shooting him a wink and falling back into your spot next to Hermione.

George and Lee clasped Fred on the back, laughing and hooting as they walked off all proud.  Hermione looked at you incredulously, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened right in front of her.  You spotted Pansy across the courtyard, looking furious, and following after Fred. 

“What in the world was that?”  Hermione asked then, bumping her shoulder with yours.  “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Biting your lip, you shrugged lightly.  Hermione fell quiet, waiting for you to speak.  “Its quite the tale,” you started, then spilling the secret to your closest friend.  

By the end of it, Hermione looked mildly horrified, but broke into a fit of giggles shortly after.  “Well, that didn’t seem much like a secret or fake kiss to me.” 

“Well, it was.  Had to fool Pansy somehow,” you replied and ducked your head with a small smile. 

Hermione hummed, unconvinced.  “I don’t know... I think there’s more there than this fake dating charade.”

Scoffing lightly, you shook your head.  “I highly doubt it, Hermione.  But, I suppose we will see where this goes.” 

[adonis-koo]

the liar’s hotel

Summary: Everything between you and your boyfriend Jungkook is great until his perfect little lie falls apart along with your relationship

Pairing: Jungkook/Reader, Taehyung/Reader

Genre: angsty, angst, angst, implied one sided pining, implied unrequited feelings, it’s just generally sad, messy feelings, best friend!AU,

Word Count: 3k

~ unedited ~

Anon request; i wish you would write a fic where MC sort of lost her memory and is currently in an established relationship with Jungkook. then her actual boyfriend comes into the picture and Jungkook actually knows about him but never mentioned or hid it from mc. i've been thinking about this plot for a really long time but couldn't think of a really good backstory on how MC and Jungkook ended up being together. and i know you'd be able to give justice to this. i'm ready for the angst. 😂💜

“...You’re wearing that out?”

You paused from your spot in the mirror as you turned around, still fixing your earring as you gave your boyfriend a teasing smile, “What? It’s nothing I haven’t worn before.” Jungkook sighed as he glanced away from you, a pouty frown on his lips causing you to giggle as you straightened up.

“C’mon, you’re the one that suggested we go out with Namjoon and Seokjin.” You wrapped your arms around his waist as you set your chin in his chest, glancing up at him with a bright smile. Truth be told you were surprised when Jungkook suggested going on, he was a total nerd and introvert who would’ve preferred to stay in and watch a movie or play video games. Regardless you were happy to go out with your boyfriend.

Just the word made you wanna giggle, who would’ve thought you’d end up in love with you best friend since kindergarten. It made sense, Jungkook was with you your whole life, he was the one who hugged you and consoled you when the popular girl threw her drink on your brand new dress in middle school. He was the one who was there for you when your first boyfriend cheated on you. He’s always been there for you. 

God you were so in love with this man. Jungkook’s cheeks dusted pink and you laughed at the sight of his red ears as he gave you a rather shy smile, his hands seemed somewhat hesitant for a second before immediately wrapping around you, “I wouldn’t have if I knew you’d be wearing this dress,” Jungkook nipped at your ear making you giggle again, this time more shyly as you pressed your hands to your face. 

His hands were so much bigger then you remembered and they fit so perfectly on your waist as he playfully squeezed your sides causing you to squeak, “Maybe we should just stay home instead. I doubt you’d complain about that.” Jungkook let his lips press against your neck coaxingly, as if hoping to you’d say yes. 

You could feel your cheeks warm at his words as you pressed your hands on his chest, firmly pulling away as your lips quirked into a smile while looking up at your handsome boyfriend, “Or, how about we go out, and maybe I’ll give you something to look forward too when we get back home.” Your lips twisted into a smirk before pecking your boyfriends lips. 

Jungkook looked like his brain had did a .exe crash as you patted his cheek before turning around to look for your heels. Jungkook wasn’t always this handsome, you couldn’t help but reminiscence. At the beginning of highschool he had an awkward bowl cut that you’d always make fun of him for looking like a coconut head and he hadn’t quite grown into his long limbs. 

Gangly and awkward, that was Jeon Jungkook for a long time. You weren’t sure when he grew up, when he suddenly became not so awkward and a few years later and a hair cut and now he was the epitome of handsome. But it never went to his head no matter how many girls had chased him now in college. Quiet and introverted, your bestfriend who you were lucky to call your boyfriend. 

If there was one regret you had, it was not being able to fully remember how your romantic relationship with Jungkook formed, but like always when you woke up in the back of his car, his beautiful doe eyes were panicked and wide, desperately searching your figure. 

You didn’t even remember the nasty fall you had that caused the amnesia, but it didn’t matter now, you both were together and that’s what mattered. Your memories of Jungkook and your life were spotted at best. You could recall being depressed at prom by yourself and Jungkook offering to dance with you. 

But you couldn’t remember the time in third grade when Jungkook convinced you to try and eat the green glitter that smelt like apples. You couldn’t help but feel somewhat incomplete, in wasn’t just your memories of Jungkook that hadn’t recovered, but other moments in your life revolving around your friends and family. 

Jungkook would always hug you tight and kiss your head telling you that it didn’t make you less of a person and that they’d eventually come back. You truly didn’t deserve his love some days. After putting on your shoes you both left and headed for the nightclub. 

Just as you anticipated on a saturday night the club was packed but you and Jungkook managed to get in. His body was closer to yours then necessary, his gaze sharp and hawk like to any guys that were potentially staring at you. It made you both smile and roll your eyes, looking back, he did always seem protective over you. Even when it didn’t make sense at the time. 

Finding Seokjin and Namjoon you waved them over as you and Jungkook sat down at a table, “Oh god it’s busy tonight!” You remarked as they both sat down, Jungkook coolly sitting beside you, an arm wrapped around your shoulders as you smiled, “It’s good to finally meet you guys! Jungkook is always talking about you both.” 

“Ditto, we’ve heard all about you,” Namjoon replied, a somewhat teasing smile quirked on his lips causing Jungkook’s face to flush as he shot him an embarrassed glare, “It’s good to match a face to a name!” 

What you hadn’t expected was your bestfriend to have his own set of friends, you supposed it was expected, you and Jungkook weren’t as close anymore now that you were in college but now that you were together, you were excited to be more apart of his inner life again. 

Even moreso you were excited that Jungkook shared the same sentiment. You were closer together now then you’d ever been before. It felt like your life was finally falling into place. You were happy with your major, you were working, you had the perfect boyfriend who just so happened to be your best friend. Life was great and every day you spent together you fell for him just a little bit more. 

The night spent with his friends was a blast, Jungkook eventually relaxed once you all had a drink together and that bright bunny smile of his showed up with that cute dimple on his cheek and nose scrunch. Most importantly you loved when that smile was on you. 

As if he was looking at his whole world, it made your stomach all mushy and filled with butterflies. Namjoon and Seokin eventually parted ways with you both as they had class in the morning that they couldn’t afford to miss so you were left alone with Jungkook. Not that you minded of course. 

Just being out in public with him, even in a setting like this where music blared and people were packed together. You snuggled in close to him as you let your head rest against his shoulder with a small smile, “Tonight’s been fun.” 

You couldn’t complain one bit, it had been a fun evening with Jungkook and his friends, but you wouldn’t lie you were getting tired and it was getting late, “Hey I’m gonna use the bathroom, you wanna head out afterwards?” You sat up a little straighter to look at Jungkook. 

His expression was relaxed, soft even, his hand that had been wrapped around you was tenderly stroking through your hair, looking at you as if you were his whole world, as if he was looking at the love of his life, “I love you so much baby, you know that right?”

You sighed as your lips tugged into a giddy smile, your stomach always doing flips whenever he said those little words to you, rubbing your face shyly you mumbled, “Of course I know that. Why do you always have to act like I’m going to leave you when you say it?” 

“I’m not...!” You glanced up in somewhat surprise at the way Jungkook’s tone jumped a little, as if semi guarded before he cleared his throat, sighing as he relaxed once more, somewhat hesitant as he mumured, “I just...I’ve loved you for so long. I still can’t believe you’re mine.” He whispered in your ear, a bunny grin widening on his lips as he squeezed your sides making you squeak, “Go use the bathroom. We can get some takeout on the way home, sound good?” 

“Amazing,” You groaned as you stood up, stretching as you yawned, “I’m starving. I’m holding you too it Koo.” Jungkook leaned his head against his arm as you winked at him making him smile softly as he shook his head. You made your way to the bathroom before fixing your skirt in the mirror. 

It was nearly eleven at night and while you could stay later there was nothing more you liked then the idea of getting cuddled up to Jungkook with some food and a movie before bed. You smiled at the idea as you washed your hands. 

Tugging on your dress you made your way out of the bathroom, scanning over the crowd for Jungkook before making your way back to where your table was supposed to be. The later it was getting the busier this place was though, trying to cram through the crowd had been more difficult then you anticipated. 

Without meaning too you completely smacked into a hard chest that nearly sent you fumbling as you gasped, “Oh my god! Sorry! I am so sorry!” The man managed to keep you steady as you heard him laugh. 

“No it’s ok-...” He paused mid sentence as you pulled a little bit away from him to look up at the man, his pupils widened and his mouth gaped, his grip on you suddenly tightening as remorse washed over his features, “Oh my god! Y/n! Baby I’ve been so worried about about!” 

You squeaked at his strong grip suddenly pulling you into a hug, burying his nose into the crook of your neck as you scrambled to try and push him away, “Um....! I-I’m sorry but I think you have the wrong person!” 

“Y/n, please! Are you still mad at me,” He pulled away from you, gently cupping your cheeks as you swallowed thickly, his thick brows pinched together in worry as he pressed his forehead against your, “Please, come home. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. We can work things out. I know you were mad but please-” 

“Y/n! Baby are you ready to go-” Jungkook paused as you turned to face him, his face looked pale before he suddenly glared, not at you but the man you was previously grabbed onto you, “We’re going.” Jungkook grabbed your arm pulling you away from him. 

“Jungkook? What the fuck!” He hissed making you pause as Jungkook tried to tug you along, “How could you do this to me!? You said you hadn’t heard from Y/n in ages! Y-you’ve been what!? Hiding her? Y/n please, let’s go.” 

You felt confusion wash over you as Jungkook grabbed your arm once more, this time pleading as he held your other hand, “Baby please, just ignore him, I’ll explain everything when we get home okay?” 

“Baby!?” The other guy growled, his fists curling as he snapped, ‘That’s MY girlfriend! What the fuck do you think you’re doing calling my girlfriend baby and acting like you’re her boyfriend when you’re not!” 

“Jungkook...what’s going on?” You mumbled, glancing between Jungkook who was glaring hard daggers at the guy before he sneered, “Taehyung, shut the fuck up. Don’t act like you ever loved her anyways. She is better off without you anyways, have a nice life but she won’t be with you in it.” 

You gasped as Taehyung grabbed you, pulling you close, “Y/n what the hell!? I...I thought you loved me. You’re seriously going out with this loser now? Come on babygirl, tell me he’s lying. It’s always been us.” 

“I...I’m...I’m sorry but I don’t know you...!” You pushed away from him, not liking his harsh touch on your skin and you didn’t understand the need in his eyes as they dilated, “Jungkook can we please go...!” You grabbed his hand, Jungkook’s chest puffing a little as he stood in front of you. 

“Taehyung, stay the fuck out of my business.” Those were his last words hissed at Taehyung before lacing his fingers in yours and leading you through the crowd. The room was becoming suffocated and hard to breath....Taehyung...why did that name sound so familiar?

It was like it was on the tip of your tongue, but no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t think of anything besides your one fresh memory of the man who...Who...You suddenly stopped once you both made it outside, the air was cool against your skin and much needed as you yanked out of Jungkook’s grip, “Jungkook who- who was that! Why....why did he say he was my boyfriend!” 

Jungkook whirled around, those beautiful doe eyes of his pleading as he grabbed your hands, “Look...I...I can explain everything just please. Y/n can we go home first?” His expression only made you more irritable as you yanked away from him. 

“No...! No! I need to know, now! What are you not telling me! Who the hell is he!?” You glanced at him, lips parted and brows furrowed, feeling warier by the moment at your...Boyfriend...or at least that’s who you thought he was... 

Jungkook stepped closer to you, his eyes looking glossed as he held out his hand, ‘Y/n...please...” 

You couldn’t stop the mirthless laugh from escaping you as you ran a hand through your hair as you glanced away from him, “Were we ever in a relationship!? W-why can’t I remember him? Jungkook I need answers.” You glared at him harshly, feeling tears begin to well in your eyes. 

Jungkook’s lips parted as they trembled before hanging his head in shame, closing his eyes as he felt the first tear escape. He knew this was going to happen, he knew it was only a matter of time. He just wished he hadn’t taken what time he had with you for granted, “...We weren’t together but I always did love you Y/n.” He glanced up meekly, his tears dripping down his face. 

His gaze was met with your own tear stricken face, the first sob coming from you as you covered your mouth, “You lied to me?” This all started when you woke up in Jungkook’s car, his jacket around you. You...you couldn’t remember why you had been outside on that rainy day, you didn’t remember what had happened earlier that day. You 

Just Jungkook’s concerned face, the old motel room and the dim lights that cast over his features, the way he cupped your cheeks before letting his lips press against yours in a heat of the moment, telling you how worried he was about you and how you could catch a cold. Had you gotten some form of amnesia. Were you walking in the rain that day because of....that man...Taehyung, your real boyfriend. 

“Please Y/n,” Jungkook reached out, grabbing your arms before you could pull away, his hands desperately cupping your cheeks as he pushed the tears away, “It wasn’t all a lie. I still love you, I’ve always loved you. Please, you have to understand. You need to understand. He- he wasn’t good for you!” 

Your eyes closed again as you let out a sniffle, tears trickling down your cheeks as you tried to push away his touch, it was so warm though and his eyes were blurred with tears that pained you despite this being his own fault, “You lied! You- you, you said we were in a relationship when we weren’t! You told me we had a falling out that day! How many memories have you lied about!? Jungkook I’ve had a boyfriend looking for me for how long? Six months!? How could you lie to me!? I thought...” You choked as you closed your eyes, shaking your head, Jungkook’s hands frantically pushing away tears, before pushing your hair from your face, “I thought this was real.” 

Jungkook’s face was filled with absolute pain and remorse as he let his forehead rest against yours, tears trickling off that adorable button nose of his you used to nudge with your own, “It is real baby please. I still love you, god please. I’ve loved you since we were kids Y/n. I only did what I- I thought was best. I thought if you just gave me a chance-”

“You lied about half of my life!” You scoffed in disbelief, every word he spoke was like another blow to your heart as you finally pushed him away from you, running a hand through your hair as you wiped the tears that continued to trickle down your face, “About our life Jungkook. I don’t care what the reason for it was. You should’ve been honest with me! If you loved me that much you- you should’ve told me the truth!” 

Jungkook’s lips parted as he stood there helplessly, tears trickling down his cheeks before he lowered his gaze, he deserved this. He did lie to you. It didn’t matter what excuse he had you were right, “I’m sorry Y/n. Just, please give me a chance. I can make this right. I won’t lie anymore. I-I’ll do anything please. I’ve just got you, I don’t want to lose you. Please.” Jungkook would get on his knee’s if he had too, he’d rot on this ground for all eternity if he had too. Anything to get you back. 

You shook your head as you pressed your hands to your face, “I...I need to time. I need to see Taehyung, I need to remember again.” 

“No! Y/n please!” Jungkook scrambled closer to you, pulling you into a hug, his arms locked around you as he buried into your hair, “Please, don’t go back to him! I need you, It’s always been you. God, baby please. I know I’ve fucked up, but please don’t go back in there, we- I can fix this.” Jungkook relented, you could feel your hair becoming wet with tears, fear gripping him just as much as he held you. Afraid that if he let go, it would be the last time he’d ever get to hold you. 

“I’m sorry Jungkook.” You pulled away from him, distancing yourself from him as you sucked in a harsh breath, tears strained your cheeks as you shook your head, “But I need to figure things out on my own.” You didn’t give him a chance to reply. Turning around you opened the door to the club, feeling like you just ripped out your own heart. But you needed the truth, you needed all over it without Jungkook’s influence. 

You couldn’t tell what was your memories and what were his lies. And you fell for it. Were your feelings for him real? They felt like it. 

How could you fall in love with liar? 

[fandomrewrites]

Chasing Butterflies: Nova’s Story

Hello all! Nova’s story is a pretty tragic one so there will be quite a few warnings listed. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and as always constructive criticism is appreciated. Remember to leave me requests if you want and let me know if you want to be added to any taglists.

Before Season 1 Pairings: OC x OC Best Friends, OC x OC Warnings: being drugged, sexual assault, mild torture, murder, self harm, and suicidal thoughts Word Count: 2,981

Everyone on the Ark knew about Nova Kane and not just because her father, Marcus, was the Vice Chancellor. No, they knew who she was because not only did she do extremely well in all of her classes but she was funny, kind, and above all she was shaping to become the next Chancellor. The youngest Chancellor in the history of the Ark.

Of course with Nova only being 15 it was still going to be quite sometime before this happened. But anyone who looked at her could tell that the girl was a natural born leader. The way she talked, the way she walked, the way she constantly observed everyone around her. She was intimidating to say the least. She held an aura that immediately made you respect her, even if you didn't like her.

Just three months ago Nova began taking private lessons with councilman Jericho Abraham. Her father, Chancellor Jaha, and Dr. Griffon were all too busy with their duties to give her lessons so Jericho happily volunteered to help. 

These lessons were scheduled once a week so that Jericho could teach Nova about the laws on the Ark and the duties of the councilmen. These meetings were to help her understand how to best help her people, enforce the laws, and how to make difficult decisions. After all, before Nova could become Chancellor she needed to be on the council and win her people over.

When she wasn't at these lessons with Jericho, Nova was practicing her self defence training with her boyfriend Jett. Jett was a year older and training to become a guard at the time. Her self defence lessons were originally taught by an older guard, but when Jett started his training he volunteered to take over. 

Nova wasn't someone you wanted to mess with, and that was clear to see. Though the more people got to know her, they realized how kind and caring she truly was. The Ark residents may not like the laws and they may frown at the sight of the privileged but everyone had, at one moment or another, wondered if Nova could be the person to make a difference.

But one day this hope for change was crushed. Nova Kane was arrested and no one knew why. There were rumors that she stole, what or from whom, no one knew. There were other rumors that she was framed for something she never even did. Only four people knew the truth, Chancellor Jaha, Dr. Griffon, Marcus Kane, and herself.

 *_*_*_*_*_*

 It was just after lunch on a Saturday, which meant it was time for Nova's lesson with Jericho. Head held high she made her way past the empty halls to his place. She knocked on the door and not a minute later it opened to reveal Jericho's smiling face. "Hello Nova. Please come in."

He steps aside, making room for the teenager to walk through the door, "Hi Mr. Abraham." 

"Nova, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Jericho?"

Nova sheepishly smiled, "Right, sorry."

He lightly chuckled, "Would you like some tea before we begin?"

"Tea sounds lovely, thanks." Nova sits down in the living room and pulls out her tablet so she could get ready to write notes. She waits patiently as Jericho prepares the tea. 

As soon as they were both seated, tea placed in front of them, the lesson began. As Nova was writing her notes and sipping the tea she started to feel dizzy. Blinking, she gently placed her mug down and shakes her head, trying to get rid of the odd feeling. 

"Are you alright, Nova?" She hears Jericho ask.

"I- I don't-" She can't properly form a sentence. Her words slur as she raises a hand to her head.

"It's okay. You're going to be fine."  This is the last thing Nova hears before she falls back, passing out.

When she starts to come through her vision is blurry and she feels pressure between her legs. She tries to move but quickly realizes that her limbs are tied. She groans out trying to speak but a cloth is stuffed in her mouth.

Finally her vision clears and above her is Jericho. When he sees that she's awake he let's a smile form on his lips, "You're so beautiful, darling." He whispers in her ear.

Realizing what's happening Nova begins to fight against her restraints. She looks down to see Jericho already inside of her. Tears fall from her eyes as he pushes her shoulders back, "It's okay. We're almost done. You've been so good."

The next few minutes go by agonizingly slow. But once Jericho is finished he begins speaking once more, "Now you're going to be a good girl as I untie you. You're going to take a shower and leave, not telling anyone about this."

He slowly takes the cloth out of her mouth so that she can answer, "Why should I listen to you?" Nova spits out, tears streaming down her face.

"Because no one will believe you. I mean come on. A councilman over a silly teenager? Be smart about this, darling."

"My dad will believe me."

"Fine, how about this? I know a way to kill you while making it look like an accident. So if you don't agree to my conditions you will never see your friends or father again."

Nova pauses, thinking this over. Reluctantly she nods, "Fine. I'll do what you say."

 *_*_*_*_*_*

 It's been a week since Nova was raped by Jericho Abraham. She's been trying her best to act normal but everyone can tell something is wrong. She's been distant and less talkative than usual. 

Every night she wakes up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, and tears streaming down her face. She's been having nightmares about the incident and whenever she sees Jericho in the halls she turns to walk the other way.

On Saturday morning she quickly made her way to Jett's place. Once the door opens Jett let Nova in, "Hey. Are you alright? You've been pretty distant this past week." Jett says once they're sitting.

"I think we should break up." Nova states.

"What? Why?" Jett asks in shock, "Did I do something?"

"No, Jett. I just- I've been going through some stuff and right now I'm not in the right mindset to be dating."

"Nova, talk to me. I want to help."

Nova bites her lip and blinks back tears, "Trust me. This is for the best. You can't help me with this, okay?"

Jett starts to become frustrated, "How do you know that?"

"I just do. Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Please, Jett. I care about you so much, but I need to deal with this by myself." She abruptly stands up, "I gotta go."

"Nova wait-" She doesn't hear the rest as she turns on her heel and leaves his place, rushing back to her room. 

She knew what had to be done. She couldn't live like this anymore. Knowing that Jericho got away with raping her. She felt disgusting, used, broken. She knew that her dad wasn't supposed to be home until after dinner so she quickly picked up a knife and went to her room. 

She twirled the knife in her hand, studying the silver blade. She gently put it down and grabbed her tablet. She wanted to write her goodbyes. A letter to Elara, Jett, and her dad apologizing for ending her life. 

It took her a few hours before the three letters were written just how she wanted them to be. By this time it was well past her scheduled meeting time with Jericho. She made sure she left her tablet unlocked so there was easy access to her suicide letters. 

She calmly reached over and grabbed the knife. She bite her lip to stop the sob from escaping her mouth. She ran the blade over one wrist then switched hands so she could do the same to the other. 

She paused, sucking in a breath as she watched the blood drip from her arms. As her vision blurred from her tears she picked up the knife one last time to bury it in her chest. Just as she was lining up the blade and tightening her grip, her door swung open.

"Nova! Stop!" She looked up, shocked to see her father home early. Before she had the time to react he rushed over and pulled the knife from her hands. Marcus pulled his daughter into a tight hug, cradling her head against his chest.

"No! No! Why did you do that?" Nova sobbed, trying to shove her father away.

"Nova, please stop." Marcus said, not letting her go. Finally, Nova stopped fighting. Her body shook with sobs as she gripped tightly to Marcus' shirt. "You're okay, babygirl. I got you." He whispered to her, lightly patting her head to try and calm her.

Once she calmed down Marcus looked at her arms, "We need to get you to Abby."

"I'm not leaving my room." Nova replied, stubbornly.

"Fine, I'll tell her to come here." He quickly grabbed the knife and left the room to call Abby. When he re-entered Nova's room he looked at her, "What made you want to kill yourself, babygirl?"

She bit her lip, unsure if she should tell the truth. "Jericho raped me last week." She finally mumbled. She made sure to look her father in the eyes so he knew she was telling the truth.

"He what?" Marcus asked, shocked.

"Jericho drugged me, tied me up, and raped me last week when he was supposed to be helping me." She spoke once more, this time louder and more clear. "He made me shower after and told me not to say anything because no one would believe me. And then he said even if they did he knew a way to kill me and make it look like an accident."

Nova's voice shook as she told her dad what happened. But if you looked close enough you could see that there was fire in her eyes. She would get justice one way or another. "I'm going to see if there is anything we can do to prove this. And when we do I will be there to personally float him." Marcus says to his daughter.

 *_*_*_*_*_*

 Another week went by of Nova being distant with her friends and waking up in the middle of the night because of her nightmares. Marcus has been working tirelessly with Jaha and Abby to try and figure out a way that they could prove what he did. The night before they finally reached a conclusion but Nova was already in bed before her father could tell her.

On Saturday morning Marcus and Nova sat in their small kitchen eating breakfast. It was silent for a while before Marcus finally decided to break the news to the young girl, "Nova?"

"Hmm." She hummed, still not looking up from her plate.

"You know how Abby, Jaha, and I have been talking?" Nova nods. "Well, we don't think there is anyway to prove what he did to you."

Nova froze. This was her worst fear. To speak up and still have to face him everyday. "Nova, babygirl? Are you alright?"

Nova slammed her fork down. She quickly pushed out her chair, making it fall to the floor. "Nova!" Marcus called. 

"What the fuck kind of question is that? Of course I'm not alright! My rapist gets to roam free because it's my word against his! He was fucking right! There's nothing I can do about it. I am not alright, not even in the slightest. I'm pissed off. I'm hurt. I don't want to be alive anymore."

"Nova please, calm down. Just because we can't do anything right now, doesn't mean that we will never be able to do anything."

Nova bitterly laughs, "Right. So we're just supposed to wait around until he commits another crime? Hurts another innocent girl? This is bullshit and you know it."

"Nova please. I'll figure something out. Just stay here. I'll be back in no more than an hour." He reaches over and kisses Nova on the forehead before turning and leaving.

Nova sucks in a couple of breaths. She then squares her shoulders and leaves her home, taking the well known journey to Jericho's place.

When the door swings open and Jericho's eyes land on Nova's smiling face, he's shocked. "Nova, what are you doing here? Your dad told me that you didn't want to take lessons anymore."

Nova pushed past him, "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I just needed a break last week."

"Oh, uh, alright. Did you want something to drink? Tea?"

Nova's smile widens, "Tea sounds lovely." Unlike last time, this time Nova follows him into the kitchen. When Jericho's back is turned her smile drops from her face. Her eyes harden into a glare as he starts to speak to her, though the words don't register.

She reaches over and picks up a pan. She holds it tightly in both hands and whacks Jericho over the head, instantly knocking him out. She slowly maneuvers him into a kitchen chair, tying his hands and legs to the chair so he can't move. She shoves a cloth in his mouth and grabs a long kitchen knife.

She pulls up a chair to sit across from him, waiting until he wakes up. When Jericho's eyes blink open Nova smirks. "Welcome to the land of the living. Don't enjoy it too much because you'll be dead soon."

Jericho's eyes widen in fear, he starts trying to speak though no words can be made out through the cloth, "Hush now, darling. It's okay. Be good for me." Nova patronizes. She leans forward pointing the knife under his throat, tilting his chin up. "I want you to look me in the eyes when I end your pathetic life."

She slowly stands up, pushing her chair away with her foot. She walks around Jericho, lightly dragging the knife across his face. She leans down to whisper in his ear, "Where should I cut first? Maybe an arm?" She moves the knife to one of his forearms.

"Or maybe I should just cut off both your hands so you can never touch a girl again." She moves the knife over his wrist. "Actually, I think it would be better if we start off closer to the penis." As she says the last word she slams the knife into Jericho's thigh.

This makes him scream in pain, though the sound is muffled. Nova chuckles, "This is fun." She yanks the knife out, making Jericho scream once more. She moves behind him once more, wrapping her arms around his chest. He tries to squirm away, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Nova mockingly pouts, "Why are you trying to move away from me? Just a couple of weeks ago you would have loved the feeling of my arms around you." When he doesn't stop trying to move away, Nova adjusts her hold on the knife and drags it across his ribs. Blood drips from the wound as Jericho grunts in pain. "Oops."

She quickly releases her hold on him, walking around to look him in the eyes once more. She eyes him carefully, "This is losing the appeal quickly. If I let you go, you won't say anything, right? Your cuts you got in some freak accident."

Nova reaches forward and pulls the cloth out of his mouth, "Why should I not say anything?" He says through clenched teeth.

"Because if you do you'll have to explain why I attacked you in the first place. And I already told my dad that you raped me. So that's two Kane's against a silly councilman."

"Fine, I won't say anything." Jericho spits out.

Nova smirks once more. She shoves the cloth back in his mouth which makes him start moving frantically, trying to get out of his binds. Nova quickly cuts Jericho's penis, tears springing to the older man's eyes. "See Jericho, the difference between me and you." Nova pauses, "I don't care if I get arrested. And the only way I'll let someone get away with disrespecting me," Nova scoffs, "Is if I'm dead."

Nova looks him directly in the eyes one last time as she plunges the knife through his heart. She cleans off the knife and her hands then leaves Jericho's home, returning to her own. As soon as she opens the door she is met with the frantic pacing of her father. 

Marcus turns to face the door when he hears it opening, "Oh my God! Are you alright? Where have you been?" Marcus rushes over to his daughter, checking to see if she is injured.

"I'm fine." She looks down seeing her shirt coated in blood, "It's not my blood." She answers emotionlessly.

"Nova... what did you do?" Marcus asks, shock evident in his voice.

"You may want to get to councilman Abraham's place before his wife gets home in two hours."  Is all she replies, "I'm going to go shower." She turns on her heel and walks into the bathroom. The next day Nova was arrested. 

Abby told everyone that Jericho died from a heart attack and that Nova found him when she went over for her lesson that day. Rumors started to be made about why Nova was arrested but the only people who knew were the people involved in the cover up, Dr. Griffon, Marcus, and the Chancellor. 

Of course Jericho and Nova knew the truth too. But only one of them could speak about it and she was locked in solitary for the next two and a half years.

[mdzsgildedfate]

Gilded Fate - Chapter 6

Reincarnation AU [Chapter 6/?] Characters: Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, Original Characters. Pairings: Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen, Lan Sizhui/Lan Jingyi

It was a bitterly restless night in the house. The kind where, no matter what they did, no one could warm up, no one could get comfortable, and no one could sleep. For all their efforts, the house had still not been repaired enough to fare them through the winter. A-Qing hadn’t been shy at all about crawling into bed next to Xiao Xingchen as soon as it got too cold to bear, and if he was being completely honest, Xingchen was actually relieved when she started doing it. The shared body heat made it possible to sleep, even if only for a few hours.

It seemed, however, that their newest addition to the household was used to staying awake at night. Xingchen could hear him getting up all throughout the night, sleeping perhaps only three or four hours every night. Tonight was no different, except that his restlessness involved disappearing from the house for probably close to two hours before returning to fuss with the fireplace. Since the snow had come early this season, their ability to collect firewood had ended early, so Xingchen could only assume he’d gone out to scrounge out of desperation.

Anything the man could have found outside would have been too wet to work with, but that hadn’t stopped him from trying. At one point, he actually did get a small fire going, but the few sticks he’d managed to pull out of the snow weren’t enough to even warm the hearth, let alone the room they slept in. Once the last of the sticks were used up, he let out a string of swears Xingchen had never even heard before, seeming to reach a point of desperation with his battle against the cold. Finally, the man yanked his blanket off his bed, laid it over Xingchen and A-Qing, and crawled in next to them.

Now having the warmth of a body on either side of him, the ache in Xingchen’s joints finally ebbed away. Despite the man being a stranger, he felt at ease sleeping next to him. Something about him was familiar, reminding him of all of the times he’d shared a room with Song Lan and yearned to share a bed as well. Intimacy wasn’t something Xiao Xingchen had ever cared about, but meeting Song Lan had made him realize it was just that he didn’t care about intimacy with women. Having this man beside him was another bitter reminder of that.

When morning came, the house guest had already vacated the bed. He always rose earlier than Xingchen or A-Qing and had taken over the responsibility of cooking breakfast as soon as he’d regained the ability to walk. It was a welcome comfort. Taking up a seat beside him as he prepared their breakfast, Xingchen could feel warmth rolling off of him. With everything the man did around the house to take care of them, he couldn’t understand A-Qing’s determined hatred of the man.

“Did you sleep?”

Xingchen smiled. “A little. Did you?”

“Of course not. You’re very grabby in your sleep, I had to defend myself against you all night.”

Xingchen’s smile dropped, his heart dropping. “O-oh- I’m sorry, I-”

The man burst out laughing. “I didn’t expect you to take that so seriously! I never imagined I’d see such a fearless cultivator look so terrified!”

His muscles softened, a wave of relief coming over him. “I had no reason not to believe you. I’d never slept beside anyone until this winter.”

“What, never? Not even for… Nevermind, I guess you probably haven’t.”

“For what?”

The man burst out laughing again. “You’re really too innocent! Forget I said anything.”

“You’re both too noisy.” A-Qing grumbled, crawling across the floor to sit beside Xingchen, dragging all three blankets along with her.

After the utter failure that was bringing Xue Yang to justice, Xiao Xingchen had stopped chasing over-ambitious targets. With his new friend, he stuck to dealing with ghosts and yao and walking corpses in the area. With A-Qing, they built a family in the coffin house. He felt content with the small amount of good they were able to do for the townspeople nearby and never strayed far from Yi City.

Even moreso, he felt content with this new friend and never strayed far from him. As well as Xiao Xingchen managed with his blindness, there was a degree of fear that came with losing a major sense and the man's presence brought a sense of comfort. After a year of living with him and sharing in night-hunts together, he trusted him. And unlike Song Lan, this new confidant never shied away from physical touch.

In stark contrast, the man was extremely tactile. He never shied from Xingchen walking close to him. He grabbed at Xingchen's arms and dragged him around. When they went up to the roof for repairs or climbed trees during night-hunts, there was always a stabilizing hand on his back. When the second winter came, he once again joined Xingchen and A-Qing in their bed at night. Every touch made the question burning in Xingchen’s mind grow brighter. He’d vowed not to ask, knowing if the man wanted him to know he’d tell him, but his curiosity was becoming unbearable.

“The sky is so pretty this time of year.” The man said, his presence beside Xingchen warm against the winter’s biting breeze.

“Tell me.”

“The sun is low. Everything’s all pink and orange. The moon is already out, in a crescent shape. There’s no clouds, so you can see everything clearly.”

Xingchen smiled, imagining the scene in his mind. “I used to hate this time of year. You make it sound so nice.”

The man laughed, bright and cheerfully. “I can’t imagine you hating anything.”

“Maybe hate is a strong word. I do like the snow, it’s just that there’s no songbirds out during the winter.”

“That’s true.” The man paused, tapping his finger atop the log they were sitting on. “I like it. The silence. The snow muffles everything and makes it extra quiet.”

Xingchen raised his eyebrows. “Is that so? I wouldn’t have taken you for someone that likes silence.”

“Silence is like water. When you’re content, you’d rather have tea or wine, but when you need it, nothing comes close.”

Xingchen’s heart skipped in his chest. For someone whose words were usually playful and crude, the sentiment was surprisingly philosophical. He nodded, smiling softly, letting the words ruminate in his mind.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I know I initially said I wouldn’t, but it seems strange that we’ve lived together for so long, and we’re- well, we are friends, and…”

The man chuckled. “We still don’t know each other's names?”

Xingchen smiled. “Right.”

The man moved closer to him on the log, their hands brushing together. “Tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

His heart skipped. “Xiao Xingchen.”

He could feel the man’s face lean in closer. “Chengmei.”

He turned his face towards Chengmei, as though momentarily forgetting he couldn’t look at him.

“It’s nice to officially meet you.”

Chengmei burst into laughter again and put his hand on top of Xingchen’s, his index finger tapping a slow, rhythmic pattern. The touch sent a shiver down Xingchen’s spine, feeling the other man press closer to him. He turned his hand up and laced their fingers together, searching his muddled brain for something to say.

“Can I ask you another question?”

“Ask away.”

“A-Qing and I were strangers to you and we live in a coffin house with a caved-in roof. Why did you stay with us after you healed from your injuries?”

Chengmei fell quiet, rubbing circles over Xingchen’s hand with his thumb. “...I guess… I was bored, at first. I had nowhere else to go, no one waiting for me to come home... “

“At first… Did something change then?”

The other man laughed softly and gave Xingchen’s hand a small squeeze. “Perhaps. It’s no matter though.”

“No matter?”

“Xiao Xingchen. Some things are best left unsaid.” Chengmei released his hand and stood.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Xingchen followed, having to take a few steps to catch up to the other man. He grabbed the sleeve of his robe and held on firmly, not letting him move any further away.

“Aren’t we familiar enough? Why should things be left unsaid between us?”

Chengmei turned back to face Xingchen, grabbing his wrist and pulling his sleeve free. After a moment, he pulled him close enough from Xingchen to feel his breath on his face. His heart thudded in his chest.

“What should I do then? What if I tell you and you hate me?”

Xingchen gripped the man’s lapel, his face practically burning from how close they stood. Still trying to determine if the man was truly implying romantic feelings or just playing at some elaborate prank, his attention snapped back as Chengmei closed the gap between them and pressed his lips hard against Xingchen’s. The kiss sent a painful spark shooting through his stomach and drained his mind of all prior thoughts of doubt. All that existed for him now was the soft lips and warm breath against his face.

A soft moan escaped his throat at the feeling of tongue brushing against his bottom lip. Xingchen brought his arms up and wrapped them around Chengmei’s shoulders to brace him against the man’s body. With no space left between them, Chengmei breathed out a raspy moan, slipping his tongue into Xingchen’s mouth, lingering for an aching moment. After several slow, deep kisses he pulled away, sucking Xingchen’s bottom lip with a light bite.

Xingchen was speechless. And breathless. With no way of knowing what expression Chengmei wore, a knot of nerves found its way into his stomach, waiting for the other man to end the silence first.

“I’m so glad you pulled me out of that ditch.”

Xingchen melted into laughter and pulled Chengmei into a tight hug. “I’m glad too.”

When the sun set on the coffin house that night, sharing the bed with Chengmei had a different feeling. The man pressed closer to Xingchen than he ever had in the past, his fingers fidgeting with the hems of his clothes, tracing circles over his skin, and tangling in his hair. It was the first time Chengmei didn’t wake up at least six times throughout the night, and in the morning, he didn’t wake up earlier than the other two. Without breakfast already prepared, A-Qing impatiently set out to head into town for the day.

Xingchen and Chengmei used a fire sigil to heat a pot of tea and then set to cleaning the house. Once their few belongings were tidied, the dust was swept out, and the tea was brewed, the two sat down side-by-side, simply enjoying the other’s presence in silence for a while. After their cups were emptied, Xingchen was the first to speak.

“Chengmei?”

“Hm?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you… what is that tapping thing you do?”

Chengmei chuckled and tapped his finger to the top of Xingchen’s hand. “It’s a code.”

“Oh?”

“I made it up when I was a kid.” Chengmei tapped a different pattern. “I thought it’d be useful to have a way to communicate in front of other people without them knowing what I was saying. I practiced it so much it became a habit.”

“That’s clever!” Xingchen thought back to the times something like that would have been useful for him and Song Lan, quickly feeling a twinge of pain at the thought of the other man.

“Mm. It didn’t really wind up being that useful.” He said, shrugging. “A secret language is pretty pointless if you’re the only one that knows it.”

Xingchen laughed. “That’s true… Teach me, then.”

“...Teach you?”

“Seems a shame to let it go to waste.”

“Hm.” Chengmei flattened his hand over Xingchen’s, letting his fingers trace over the ridges for a moment before tapping a few times. “I agree.”

Two slow taps. “Yes.”

Three quick taps. “No.”

Two quick taps. Pause. Two quick taps. “Danger.”

Two slow taps. Three quick taps. Two slow taps.

Xingchen waited, but no translation for that one came. He turned his hand over to lace his fingers with Chengmei’s and tapped it back. “What’s that one mean?”

Chengmei pressed his face against Xingchen’s cheek, kissing him softly. “I just made that one up.”

Xingchen turned his face towards Chengmei and tapped the pattern again.

“I love you.”

He paused, not sure that he heard the man right. His finger stayed frozen, hovering hesitantly over Chengmei’s hand. In his silence, he could feel Chengmei grow rigid and pull his hand away. He quickly reached out and pulled it back.

“I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard.” With his free hand, he cupped Chengmei’s face and kissed him. “I love you too.”

~X~

If the world was always this bright, he couldn’t fathom how he was ever alive to begin with. No wonder every fiber of his being told him he wanted to be dead. Daylight hurt his eyes, this Song Lan person’s voice hurt his ears, his body ached whenever he tried to move- it was unbearable.

“Xiao Xingchen. I made tea.”

He frowned. Fuck your tea.

“I… don’t know how much you remember right now…”

So far, nothing had really resurfaced. All he knew was that existence was a prison and he really wanted the eyes in Song Lan’s head.

“I’m sorry… For how things ended between us. Before Yi City, I mean.”

He looked at Song Lan, tapping his teacup against the table irritably.

“I never should have blamed you for what happened to Baixue temple. I never should have abandoned you.”

He poured the contents of his cup out onto the table and stared down at the mess, as though it was incredibly thought-provoking.

Song Lan sighed. “I’m sorry. This was a mistake.”

The man stood and left the room, leaving Xingchen alone at last. Once the door closed between them, he looked back down at the tea streaming across the top of his table. After thousands of years in an unconscious void, days could pass without his notice. He sat motionless for nearly a week after Song Lan’s last attempt to talk to him, unresponsive to the change in light in his room as the sun rose and fell in the sky outside.

On the seventh day, Xingchen tried out standing on his own for the first time. His limbs felt shaky, but continuing to sit in front of a sticky table wasn’t going to improve his situation at all. After a few days of practicing intermittently, he finally felt confident in walking around. By the time he finally decided to leave the room, he’d recovered a few vague memories of growing up in BaoShan SanRen’s care. Passing Song Lan in the hall, he didn’t bother to even glance at him, still finding the man utterly unfamiliar.

Unfortunately, the man was overjoyed at the sight of Xingchen up and about and immediately turned to follow him. They carried down the hall in silence, following Xingchen’s aimless lead through the temple. Finally arriving in the courtyard, he felt a small sense of contentment. It was spring, the valley was full of the chatter of birds, and a crop of white clouds filled the sky just enough to keep the sun from hurting his eyes too much. Too bad Song Lan was creeping into his line of sight, ruining the otherwise beautiful view. Before the man had a chance to say anything, Yin energy exploded in his gut and Xingchen lunged at Song Lan.

They hit the ground with a heavy thud, instantly grappling against each other. Black veins shot up Xingchen’s neck, snaking out over half his face. The pupils in his eyes vanished and all that remained was a mindless urge to spear his fingers into Song Lan’s skull.

“Xiao Xingchen- Please-!” Song Lan had Xingchen by the wrists, using all his strength to keep the man’s hands at bay. “You need to control your yin energy, don’t let it turn you into a-”

Xingchen let out a snarl.

“Xingchen…”

Song Lan shifted their weight briskly to the side and rolled on top of the other man, quickly drawing a sigil over his chest and pouring qi into it. The yin energy suddenly dissipated and Xingchen slumped back, all strength leaving his body again. His fingers still twitched, but he stayed where he lay on his back. Song Lan knelt beside him, his head hung lower, shaking slowly from side to side. He let out a heavy, stuttered sigh.

“I’m such a fool.” A tear dropped from his face. “It’s my fault you’re like this.”

Months passed and memories slowly returned to Xingchen’s mind. Finally recalling that he gave his eyes to Song Lan, he was able to reconcile with the resentful urge to reclaim them. He felt no less resentful towards Song Lan though.

Why couldn’t you let me stay dead?

Why couldn’t you let me reincarnate and forget this dreadful existence?

How could you condemn me to life as a Fierce Corpse?

He couldn’t stand staying at the temple for long. Even if it was just to wander the mountainside for a few days, he had to leave every so often and get away from Song Lan. Knowing now how he died, he couldn’t stand being around the man’s guilty doting. It was impossible to process his feelings about Chengmei with Song Lan around as a reminder- that Chengmei had never existed and those three years were spent with Xue Yang. He needed to come to terms with that on his own, but Song Lan’s presence complicated the process.

How could Xue Yang act in love with me so… seamlessly?

What was the point in pretending for so long?

What was he trying to gain in feigning a relationship with me?

If Song Lan hadn’t come, how long would he have continued?

“Are you ok?”

Xingchen looked up from his tea to see Song Lan staring at him, wearing the same worried look he always had. He tapped two slow clacks against his teacup.

Song Lan paused, his eyes lowering to Xingchen’s fingers. “It’s getting late… Do you want to lay down for the night?”

Two slow taps.

The faintest smile appeared on Song Lan’s face. He stood up and waited, his smile widening when Xingchen stood to follow him. They put away the rest of the tea and retreated to a shared bedroom. Extinguishing the flame of the lamp, they shed the outer layers of their robes and laid down side by side. Song Lan’s arm laid across Xingchen’s chest and pulled him close, burying his face into Xingchen’s neck.

“Xiao Xingchen. I know I’ve put you through so much pain with my selfishness. I don’t know what I can do to make it up to you, but I…” Song Lan paused, fussing with Xingchen’s hair. “Xingchen, I love you.”

Xingchen’s heart fell. His younger self had ached to hear those words- would’ve begged Song Lan to say them to him, but now they just made things so much worse. Song Lan’s lips against his cheek just reminded him of Chengmei, which just reminded him of how alone he felt without his presence. Song Lan’s lips found his and he tried to push those thoughts from his mind. He didn’t want to consider what the future entailed if he kissed him back, or if he was doing it for Song Lan’s benefit or out of a growing sense of loneliness.

Rather than dwelling on the past or what the future would bring, Xingchen tried to summon the part of him that was still in love with Song Lan and kissed him back. Song Lan’s whole body relaxed against him, as though he was holding his breath in anticipation, and leaned hard into the kiss. He disentangled his fingers from Xingchen’s hair and brought his hand down to grip the man’s hip. Xingchen wrapped his arms around Song Lan’s shoulders and opened his mouth to swipe his tongue across the man’s lips.

Song Lan let out a moan and put his hips flush against Xingchen’s, grinding against him with a tightening grip. Every kiss and touch and heavy breath from Xingchen was taken as further permission to continue, urging Song Lan to respond to every one with doubled enthusiasm, seeming desperate for his touch. Releasing his grip on Xingchen’s hip, he repositioned himself on his knees over the man, freeing up both hands to run freely under his shirt. After a few more needy kisses, Song Lan pulled back, pausing just long enough to pull Xingchen’s shirt off completely. His own shirt followed soon after.

Without the fabric creating a barrier between them, Song Lan pressed their bare chests together as he put his lips back against Xingchen’s. One of Song Lan’s hands came up to grip Xingchen’s shoulder while the other snaked past his waistband to grasp at his hip again. One of Xingchen’s knees drew up, pushing his thigh up against the growing warmth between Song Lan’s legs. He rolled his hips down, pressing his hard cock into Xingchen’s hip with another heavy-breathed sigh. Another moment later, Song Lan sat up again and repositioned himself between Xingchen’s legs.

Their pants were discarded along the side of the bed, and, in the dark, Xingchen could feel the man’s erection press against him, sliding across his inner thigh. Fingers trailed down his stomach and his mind told him they were Chengmei’s. As the first finger pushed into him, he almost forgot it was Song Lan positioned between his legs. Even as Song Lan bent over him, trailing his tongue up Xingchen’s neck with his cock pushing into him, thoughts of Chengmei drifted in and out of his mind.

As soon as morning came, Xingchen got up from the bed, pulled his robes back on, and disappeared from the room without another glance at Song Lan. The encounter stayed in Xingchen’s mind for nearly a week, making his fixation on the events in Yi City grow even stronger. He couldn’t bear it anymore. Determined to find out what happened to Xue Yang after he killed himself, he left the temple, but even after a dozen hunts, he still came back empty handed. Nearly a year passed before he finally managed to track down Wei Wuxian, who was able to fill in some gaps, but had really only created more questions in Xingchen’s mind.

According to the demonic cultivator, Xue Yang had kept his corpse, and shattered soul, in Yi City for several years before he fell to HanGuang-Jun’s blade. After that, his body was taken by an accomplice of Jin Guangyao, but Wuxian had no idea what became of it from there. After years of chasing leads in the brief windows of time he could escape the temple without suspicion, all Xingchen had to show for it was Xue Yang’s hair ornament. Ultimately, he couldn’t keep limiting his hunts to week-long segments.

Leaving Song Lan in Yi City without explanation, Xingchen scoured the world for five years before finding JiangZai in an antique sword shop. The owner sold it to Xingchen, along with the name of who she’d bought it from, but didn’t seem to know anything else about the sword. Another five years passed as Xingchen tracked down every living person the sword had been passed to, with his search finally coming to an end at the remnants of an old cultivator family.

“Xue Yang? That’s a bone-chilling name…”

“Do you know him?”

The man shook his head. “Know of him. I thought he was a myth, something you tell your kids about to make them cautious of strangers.”

“Do you know how he died? Supposedly?”

The man was quiet for a long time, trying to recall if he’d heard anything. “I think that Lan Cultivator killed him.”

“And his body?”

“His body?” The man looked at him, shocked by the inquiry. “I suppose he was probably burned. That was pretty standard for the Jin clan back then.”

“You don’t recall anything about a special burial to keep him from coming back as a fierce corpse or vengeful spirit?”

The man shrugged again. “Not that I ever heard. The stories of him focused more on the crimes he committed than on his death, though, you know.”

“What of his feud with the Cultivators Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen?”

“Every story’s a little different, but from the one I know, he killed them both.”

Hm. So that’s the legacy I left behind. I suppose it’s better than the truth that I killed myself. “Do you know any other variations of the story?”

“I know one… but it’s pretty crude. If the people from the story are real, I’m sure they’d return from the grave if they heard it.”

“Tell me.”

“The story was that Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan were cut-sleeve lovers. Xue Yang had fallen in love with one of them, killed them in a jealous rage, and kept their corpses as trophies.”

Xingchen frowned, crinkling his nose slightly. It was crude, but it was right about the presence of a romance and about Xue Yang keeping their bodies, it wasn’t a jealous rage that became their demise. Clearing the mess of thoughts from his mind, he thanked the man and left. Having exhausted every last lead, there was nothing left but to be content with having found JiangZai and to return to the temple. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Based on what he’d gathered from Song Lan, Xingchen had been dead for about 5,000 years. Even if Xue Yang had been buried in a proper grave, it’d be impossible to find after all this time.

Despite the heartache he’d suffered at his hand and in spite of how much hatred he still harboured for Xue Yang, the thought of his corpse being burned and forgotten darkened Xingchen’s heart. Still several dozen kilometers away from the temple, he settled down at the base of a tree and set up two shrines; one for Xue Yang and one for Chengmei. Sitting in front of the shrines, he burned paper money late into the night, giving himself space to properly mourn the loss of who he thought he knew in Yi City. Dawn broke and Xingchen finally pulled himself to his feet and finished his journey back to the temple.

~X~

“Xiao Xingchen. Do you want to go with me to town?”

Two slow taps.

“There’s a new tea shop, I think you’ll like it.”

Two slow taps.

Over time, Song Lan caught on to the tap language Xue Yang had taught Xingchen so many years ago. It really had been a useful technique, but he was sure Xue Yang was rolling in his grave somewhere at the knowledge of Xingchen using it to communicate with Song Lan of all people. He didn’t mean for Song Lan to learn it- he hadn’t even realized he was still doing it until the man had already figured out a few words from it.

It made things easier though. It gave him a way to maintain the peace with Song Lan. With no communication at all, the man would've grown restless, but if Xingchen revealed that he'd regained his voice, he'd be expected to give an explanation for bringing back JiangZai. It would have led to conversations about Xue Yang he couldn't have with Song Lan.

And he'd have to explain why he couldn't say 'I love you' when Song Lan said it.

"Do you want to eat?”

Three quick taps.

Tea was one thing, but Xingchen still couldn’t bring himself to eat. Fierce Corpses didn’t need to and, for some reason, food upset his stomach. Food in tea shops was even worse. The softs pastries, sugar-dusted cakes, jelly fillings and chocolate crusts, every sweet treat brought back memories of Chengmei and A-Qing. They’d been too poor to afford more than a few pieces of cheap candy at a time, so he felt guilty at the idea of indulging in something as rich as the pastries served in the tea shops.

“If you’re tired, you should go rest. I’ll stay to check the talismans.”

Two taps, pause, two taps. Danger.

“I’ll be fine. There’s nothing dangerous out here.”

Be quick.

“I will.”

Although Xingchen had taken a room separate from Song Lan, and preferred to meditate there alone, there were still nights that they shared a bed. When Song Lan was seeming especially restless about Xingchen’s distant demeanor or when Xingchen himself was feeling the need for physical contact, he’d follow Song Lan back to his room and lay on the bed beside him. After a thousand years or so, he’d stopped imaging Chengmei’s hands on him when Song Lan held him. After two thousand years or so, he remembered what it felt like to crave Song Lan’s touch.

People. Following. Danger.

“I know, I saw them.”

Danger. Caution.

“I don’t think they’re dangerous. The man seemed familiar.”

Explain.

Jin Ling’s appearance at their temple had ignited a flame of excitement in Xingchen’s gut. For three thousand years, he’d had only Song Lan for company, but now another cultivator was here, living and breathing and here. Even though he’d never met the Jin cultivator, knowing there were other immortals in the world, more than just himself, Song Lan, and Wei Wuxian- he felt freer somehow.

“By the way, two others from the Lan clan are still around.”

“Is that so?”

“Actually, you would have met them too, in Yi-”

“Right, of course.”

Explain.

“I’m sure they’d love the opportunity to come here as well.”

Stop. Repeat. Explain.

Song Lan put a hand on Xingchen’s, obstructing the erratic tapping. “Of course, they’re more than welcome.”

Xingchen could tell his companion was apprehensive of the idea of the Lan immortals bringing regular people to their temple, but they could only live in solitude for so long. He did his best to reassure Song Lan and as the time drew nearer, he could tell the man was just as excited as he was. Watching from a window, he could see Song Lan stand straighter at the arrival of young students. All dressed in white robes, it felt like receiving a group of their own clan disciples, feeling reminiscent of when the two Daozhang had dreamt of building a sect together.

On top of that, it was a beautiful day. The temperature was perfect and birdsong could be heard on the gentle breeze. It was the first time in 3,000 years that Xingchen felt that spark of happiness in his chest, but it quickly diminished when his eyes fell on Wang Xinyi. He could already see Song Lan tensing up, quickly pulling the immortals aside and out of the students’, and his, line of sight. Looking back at this boy, he was thrown into a turmoil of emotions.

This boy, who had shoulder-length black hair, big eyes, and a bright smile that showed off a pair of sharp canines- he looked almost exactly the same, the only major difference being an overall smaller stature. That, and the complete absence of Xue Yang’s overwhelmingly dangerous aura. It was safe to say he hadn’t awakened yet and, without those memories of murderous intent, was probably Xingchen’s only chance to feel close to Chengmei one last time.

[black-streak]

Waiting for the Worms - Bring the Boys Back Home

Part 11

Jason's time up until the blackout. Very few warnings for this bit... Umm, mention of guns and a touch of violence later? This part is a bit shorter than usual, especially in comparison to the last part.

CLOSED LIST. Tickets for the angst express are sold out!!! : @northernbluetongue @thethirdwheelfriend @shizukiryuu @theatreandcomicfreak @michellemagic @karategirl119 @moonlightstar64 @my-name-is-michell @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @miraculousdisapointment @dorkus-minimus @jardimazul @allthebooksandcrannies @g-arya @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @persephonescat @mycupisbroken @luciferge @18-fandoms-unite-08 @dawnwave16 @alwaysreblogneverpost @kris-pines04 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @weird-pale-blonde-person @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @kokotaru @naclychilli @slytherinhquinn @clumsy-owl-4178 @ladybug-182 @darkthunder1589 @evil-elf16 @dast218 @lysslovsanime @emilytopaz @naoryllis @iloontjeboontje @thepeacetea @danielslilangel @finallyaniguana @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @vixen-uchiha @yuulxd @bleeding-heart-romantic @magic-inthe-stars @st0rmy-w1th1n

~---~

Explaining why 'Marinette' had a newfound interest in guns and weaponry had been difficult to say the least. Sure, she already took martial arts and Jason added kickboxing and trained with the team regularly, but her parents weren't aware of the latter and quite frankly, the team showed some confusion as well. Sure, Kagami already new fencing and regularly used a bow staff as she saw fit, but guns? That was something else. Jason always had an interest and refused to give up, especially with Bruce no longer able to restrict his training. Tikki, surprisingly enough, fully supported the decision while Plagg actually showed more caution. 

Nevertheless, with the excuse of wanting to know how to disarm and be able to disassemble a weapon in case someone were to attack him, Sabine reluctantly agreed to allow him to attend lessons and visit a shooting range. After figuring out the basics and quickly dropping the lessons as to not raise suspicion for the real reason he wanted to learn, Jason took Kaalki and borrowed Plagg so he could transport to isolated locations and use Tikki's creation magic to summon different models and learn them inside and out along with explosives that he took apart and put back together under the careful guidance of Plagg. When he was done, he let Tikki remove it from the world once more, undoing any damage he might've caused. 

With graduation in two weeks and Marinette's seventeenth birthday right after, Jason knew he had a few decisions ahead of him. 

Honestly, he just felt grateful Marinette skipped a grade when they were younger. He's not sure if he could take another year of living like this. The fight to stay normal, to stay under the radar and appear okay itched at his skin, reminding him at all times that it wasn't his. Back before the nightmares began, he almost settled into the routine, almost adjusted to the too smooth skin, the brush of hair between shoulder blades, the small stature and feminine voice he spoke in. Living as her almost came naturally. Sometimes he forgot Tom and Sabine weren't actually his parents and that his teammates didn't know the truth of who he was. Then the dreams started and horrific imagery flooded his mind every few nights and everything felt wrong again. Suddenly he couldn't forget where he was, who this body truly belonged to, the fact that he was meant to be dead, not finishing schooling. 

The methodical rhythm of disassembling and cleaning weapons eased the tension and grounded him in his worst moments. Maybe if he knew how every weapon worked and how to counter them, the constant attacks in his dreams wouldn't terrify him so much. While his dream self seemed to have no issue fighting back and taking out his unseen enemies, his brain couldn't keep up in his sleeping state and threw him into a breathless fit, shaking and panicking as he startled into wakefulness. The panic lessened since starting to learn, so he figured he just needed to learn more and adjust. Really he just wished the dreams would end.

His phone buzzed, startling him out of his contemplative state. Raising it up, he checked the caller ID before answering, the video chat opening up to show Marc.

"Hey, Marc, what's up?"

"Kagami said she needs you to transport back now, something about disappearing too much for your own good?" 

"She's one to talk. Alright, heading back now. Have somewhere in mind?"

"Chloe's suite. We're all gathered here," Marc said, shifting in place, more comfortable than they once were, but still shy by nature and unable to hide the edging nerves.

"Oh really? Maybe I should just head home then. Sounds like an intervention."

He watched as his friend jumped a bit, surprised eyes widening rapidly. Before they could even begin to speak, Jason chuckled, cutting them off.

"I'm opening the portal now. See you in a moment." 

Hanging up, he opened his bag and woke the sleeping kwami to transport them back to Paris. Upon arriving in Chloe's suite, said blonde launched herself at him, wrapping him up in a hug and swinging them about with the momentum.l, before immediately backing off before he could get annoyed, Kagami coming up from the side and gripping his sleeve in her own form of affectionate greeting. Marc and Juleka looked up from the couch and offered excited smiles.

"You're all entirely too happy. What's happening?"

"Your birthday is in three weeks," Juleka stated softly.

"You're finally hitting our age, oh fearless leader," Chloe drawled out.

"You say that as if you aren't already eighteen," he deadpanned back.

"Semantics."

"There are some highlights to graduating and be surrounded by legal adults," came from his side.

"Like?"

"Your parents agreeing to let you go on a trip with us, no real adults present. Happy Birthday, Marinette."

"What did you guys do?"

Marc spoke up here, "well, we were trying to think of what to give you and I remembered how much you use to talk about leaving Paris all the time and with how much you've been using Kaalki to escape, we figured you wanted out, especially now that Hawkmoth isn't necessarily holding us back anymore and your guardian training is complete. So then we had to think of where to go and what to do and maybe Chloe and I remembered back years ago, no matter how your list of places to go changed, one always stayed the same and-," they rambled in a spiral until Juleka landed a hand on their shoulder, cutting them off gently.

"We're going to Gotham," she offered.

He felt his pulse pick up and eyes widen, thoughts and emotions tearing through him too fast to hold on to.

"Mari? This is an excited reaction right? We can change plans if you no longer want to go," someone spoke. He had to stamp down his anger and tears, to reassure his teammates they hadn't done anything wrong.

"No no, I'm thrilled, I just never thought I'd be going there as an adult is all."

"Oh," Chloe flinched, putting two and two together first, having been the most present back when the connection broke and knowing something bad happened to Marinette's soulmate, "Mari, if it hurts to go there, we won't. I didn't realize," she trailed off.

"I want to."

"Are you sure? This trip is supposed to be a celebration for you."

"It'll give me closure. I want to go. Thank you or this," he forced a watery smile which ended with another hug from Chloe and soft smiles from the rest. They couldn't have realized what type of closure he sought out. Bruce, explaining why he thought it okay to let his soulmate pass on without a proper funeral, without any retribution or justice for their death. The Joker dead. Some people should not be allowed to live, he'd always believed that and the clown was one of those people. Sure, this would look like petty revenge, but how many others lost their soulmate to his hands? This was necessary. And his team had just given him the means to do so without raising suspicion. He felt a type of peace settle over him as he thanked them again for their thoughtful gift.

…

Two weeks came and went and suddenly they were graduates. Suddenly, her birthday was upon them and her parents presented a beautiful cake and invited all of their friends and family over to celebrate. Tom cried over his baby girl growing up and Jason teared up, knowing she never did. He hugged them twice as tight in apology, giving watery smiles mistaken for his realizing his own new status as an adult, if a young one. Gifts were given and promises were made and at the end of the day, it all hit like a whirlwind. She'd been dead for one week short of three years. On the anniversary of her death, he'd arrive in the place where it all began. That godforsaken hellhole of a city. It felt like poetic justice. He struggled to fall asleep that night.

…

His nightmare was more vivid that night. Throwing a blade at a barely seen threat, pinned beneath another, the streak of silver above him and downpour of blood. Moving out and up on instinct, and meeting terrified green eyes.

Moving down a path, a glance at the bodies in another. The woman from before, the other one with the jade eyes, among them. Twisting the kid out of sight and away from there. A dark tunnel. An abandoned building.

He woke then, bright blue and acidic green eyes watching him wearily from the other side of the room. Shoving it down, he shifted over and fell back asleep, use to these restless nights by now.

…

The airport was too bright and loud for this time in the morning. Their flight was at eight in the morning from Paris, meaning they would arrive in Gotham around ten in the morning. Time zones were annoying that way. All of them had stayed up the entirety of the night before and planned on sleeping for the duration of the flight as though that would help. Eight hours in a plane with only two hours difference in time was sure to throw them off no matter what.

Either way, they all boarded, tucked into their first class seats, courtesy of the rich kids, with blankets and reclined positions and went to sleep.

… 

Landing, going through customs, and retrieving their bags went smoothly enough, making it to their hotel rooms by ten thirty. Now they were regrouping, having dropped off their things and changed out of their airport clothing. The urge to pass out for another eight hours was tempting, but none of them had anything in their stomachs and food took president for now.

Picking their way into a coffee shop down the road, Jason ordered a latte and a slice of pumpkin bread and settled in a corner table, blocked off from most of the place. 

As the others slowly trickled over with their own findings, a tension slowly grew amongst the group. Amongst the entirety of the cafe actually. Looking around he couldn't catch sight of anything out of the normal. Surely none of the rogues would attack here. It was just a cafe, nothing worth holding up. Until he remembered where they were. On the very edge of where the penguin's territory usually landed. Right on the edge of where Scarecrow's usual haunts began. Glancing about more frantically to see why everything had fallen silent, the privacy of his corner table also blocking too much of the view, a scream picked up right as a cloud of smoke spread from the last table to their own. 

Stiffening up in preparation for what was to come, the breath knocked right out of him as a sharp yank came from the back of his head. No, his mind. Right as the cloud reached his face, he blacked out.

…

Coming to, he jumped up, dizzy and disoriented. The room spun and he immediately fell back into his seat when a movement in his peripheral caught his attention. His hand instinctively yanked a knife off the counter (counter?) and launched it towards the figure while he twisted to face them.

When the room stopped spinning, he caught sight of the boy standing in the doorway to what appeared to be a bedroom, jade green eyes trained on him as he carefully pried the knife out of the wall beside his head. Once it was freed and lowered in his grasp, he turned fully towards Jason, eyes hardened with a wary glint. Everything went still.

"Marinette?"

[turnaboutimagines]

I'm requesting a lot of things realized. (Sorry about that) Apollo, Phoenix, and Nahyuta reacting to a S/o being a mermaid(or merman, because idc about genders) reader the reader reacting to the guys being mers.

Merperson!Reader, heLL YES!!!  Anyways, I’m going with H2O: Just Add Water rules for the hell of it (basically coming into contact with water after ten seconds = hello tail!).  Enjoy!  Phoenix and Nahyuta are below the cut.Feat. Merperson!Reader

You felt terrible about keeping such a big part of your identity a secret from him, for as long as you have.  But it wasn’t exactly like normal humans believed that merpeople actually exist and that isn’t really a topic to broach lightly in conversation.  ‘Oh yes, by the way, I’m actually a merperson!’  Of course, it’d be easy to prove by allowing yourself to come into contact with water…

…and you’d finally worked up enough courage to do just that.  You needed to do it now that things were getting serious between the two of you.  You’d invited him over under the pretense of having something important to tell him.  It’s vague and anxiety-inducing, you know, but… what else could you really tell them?

You don’t beat around the bush, as soon as you show him in and get situated on the couch, you dip one of your fingers into the glass of water to activate your ability.

“I, um, didn’t know how to tell you this earlier but—” you grimace as the transformation occurs, a brief flash of light as you revert back into your true form. “—I’m a merperson.”

Apollo Justice.

Apollo simply stares at you.  Well, to be more exact, your tail.  It’s a blank stare until he begins his face journey, his bangs falling down into face as he goes through confusion, disbelief, doubt, consideration, and then acceptance.

“That’s fine.  This is fine.  Yup, that’s… fine!”

He brushes his hair back and takes a deep breath in and a deep breath out.  You think that maybe he’s going to take this better than you anticipated before he begins to tap his finger against his skull, seemingly thinking about all the implications of ‘merpeople being real’ entails.

With your dry, webbed hand, you reach out and place it on his knee.  “I…um, I know it’s a lot to take in, but I just… I really care about you and I wanted you to know before things got too serious between us.  In case you, um, don’t want to be with me anymore?”

You go to pull your hand away, but he’s quick to stop you by catching your wrist.

“N-No!  I—it, um… it doesn’t change anything, between us, I mean.  I just need some time to process this… it’s just… a lot to take in.”

Relief flows through you as the tension in your shoulder seems to evaporate, just thankful that he was okay with this new crazy development in his life.

“That’s fine.  And I’ll do my best to answer any and all questions you have to help.”  You slide your wrist out of his grip in order to hold his hand and give it a squeeze.  “It took me a bit to process the whole ‘perception’ ability of yours, too.”

“…I feel like this is a bit bigger than that, but that’s fair,” he says, but he smiles and you know that you’re truly going to be fine.

You dry your damp finger off and the transformation comes undone before you pull him into a tight hug and spend the rest of the evening doing your best to answer all of his questions.

Phoenix Wright.

Phoenix blinks rapidly, eyes darting between your face and your tail as he processes this news.  It would normally be hard not to chuckle at how cute he looks, with his eyes all wide and mouth agape with disbelief.  But you’re nervous and uncertain as to how he’s going to respond.  

After a few moments of silence, he sits back upright and adjusts his waistcoat, looking back and put together, “Well, that certainly is… something.”

“It’s a tail with fins, to be exact.”

He snorts at your deadpan comment before rubbing.  “Yeah, it’s quite fishy.  But not the kind of fishy I was expecting from a ‘we need to talk,’ chat, especially since I knew you were keeping something about your identity locked up away from me.”

His easy acceptance surprises you and it’s your turn to gape at him.  How did he know you were keeping a part of your identity a secret from him?  But that wasn’t the foremost question on your mind, not at that moment, at least.

“Th-That’s it?  Really!?”

“Yeah, well, I trust you,” he says, with a smile that makes your heart melt.  “Plus, I’ve seen a lot of strange over the years, so this isn’t anything new, really.”

“That’s… cryptic.”

“I mean, you’re practically a cryptid, so I guess that makes us a pair.”

You playfully smack him on the shoulder, letting out a delighted little laugh that only makes his grin grow in response.  Before you can think of anything else to say, he closes the distance between the two of you and captures your lips with his.

You gladly reciprocate it as you drape your arms around the back of his neck before quickly wiping your finger dry on his blazer.  There’s another flash of light as you transform back, but neither of you break the kiss—glad for no more distractions.

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi.

Nahyuta’s long eyelashes flutter as he simply stares down at your elegant tail, one hand pulling his prayer beads taut as he thinks.  There have been only a few times you’ve ever seen Nahyuta at a loss for words and this is most certainly one of them.  His usual composure has cracked and each moment of silence is only making you grow more and more nervous.  

“Yuta…?”

“It… would surely seem that you are, indeed.”  He releases his necklace, his typical composure swiftly returning.  “However, I did not see this foretold by the karmic threads.”

You shift slightly in your seat, uncertain of how to translate his neutral response.  “Yes, I imagine you probably wouldn’t, given the nature of it and all…”

He nods, humming lightly under his breath as his hands fall into their customary meditative positions.  It’s only a few moments that he ponders over something, but it feels like an eternity.

When he opens his eyes, you see a spark of curiosity light up his eyes as he reaches a hand out and gingerly touches your tail, like he’s uncertain as to whether or not it is real.  It is.  And as he runs his fingers along the subtle ridges of your scales he shifts to look at you with awe.

However, he still hasn’t said anything and you can’t help but feel unabashedly nervous still.  Awe does not mean that he’ll still want to be with you, that this isn’t some sort of dealbreaker for him upon further meditation.

“…Before we became close and were occasionally at odds, I did not mean to call you a ‘witless flounder‘ so literally.  You have my apologies,” he says, although there’s a hint of humor in his tone and the smile on his face.

He’s trying to set you at ease and it works, you can’t help but let out a laugh as you dry off your finger to undo your transformation in another burst of light.  “Apology accepted.”

However, the humor melts away from his eyes as he gently takes your hands in his.

“Truly, you must be blessed by the Holy Mother to have such a wonderful ability… and I am glad that you trust me enough to share this secret with me.  I understand all too well that such is not done lightly.”

You nod, feeling the threat of tears start singing your eyes before you pull your hands away from his grip in favor of throwing your arm around him in a tight hug—with enough force to almost knock him over on the sofa.  

He slips his arms back around you and lets out an amused hum, just holding you as long as you need before he begins his flurry of questions.

[headoffices-a]

@duledivine​ said

Alright, fine. If no one else is going to be bothered, then Gabriel will take up the torch, so to speak. So... he does just that, deciding to wrap his arms around Lucifer in a tight hug. He recognized that it could be an inadvisable move, but he also recognized that he didn't care much. His heart was too heavy. " ... I owe you one, " he explained before any questions could possibly be raised. " I would've asked first, but I feel like poetic justice would've kicked me in the ass on that one. So... "   

to say this was a shock to the system would have been an understatement. lucifer went stiff as a board the instant arms wrapped themselves around his middle, ready for the- what he believed to be -inevitable pain to blossom in his back. such was what he deserved, frankly, after having let his guard down enough to allow the younger this close this suddenly. and who better to do it, too, than someone he’d already tried to kill.

that night at the hotel came flooding back like a tsunami. unwanted and unbidden and so very, very awful.

“ you know, i never understood you pagans. you’re such... petty little things. ” oh, how the little sparkle of fear twinkled in mercury‘s eyes fed the fire in the devils belly. he so loved it when the insects realized their mistakes. he loved watching the gears turn in their heads, the pieces fall into place, the ‘ oh, shit ’ moment. he loved watching this sad excuse for a god telling itself ‘ this was a mistake. i’m going to die. i thought i would be spared but i will not. ’. it gave him the warm and fuzzes. “ always fighting. always happy to sell out your own kind. no wonder you forfeited this planet to us. ” he’d pointed at the ‘ god ’ behind the desk. “ you are worse than humans. you’re worse than demons. and yet you claim to be gods. ” and just like the, the roman god of messengers dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. all the others followed quickly there-after. at least, until he’d gotten to that fiery little number. then it all went to hell.

why did he have to be there? of all the beings in this world, of all his brothers, why did it have to be gabriel.

“ so you’re willing to do die, ” no. wrong. the words coming out of his mouth felt so wrong. “ for a pile of cock-roaches? ” well, those felt right. “ why? ”

“ because dad was right. ” don’t say that. not you. anyone but you. michael, raphael, but not you. “ they are better than us. ”

“ they are broken, flawed, abortions- ”

“ damn right they’re flawed. ” that’s his thinking face just then. human meatsuit in the shape of a pagan worm or a wave of celestial intent, he knows how to read his baby brother. “ but a lot of them try. to do better. to forgive. ” lucifer couldn’t look at him anymore- eyes turn down to the floor lest his heartache overflow from his mouth. “ forgive what?! ” he’d wanted to scream at the top of incorporeal lungs. “ forgive who?! michael?! father?! you?! you, who neither helped throw me in the cage nor stood by my side, but ran away, turning your back on us- on me! ”

“ and you should see the spearmint rhino. ” moment over. ice-cold gaze found his brother again. “ i’ve been riding the pine a long time, but i’m in the game now. and i’m not on your side or michaels. i’m on theirs. ”

lucifer closed his eyes, head shaking slowly, mind far off in a better place, a better place, a happier time. “ brother, ” his voice was soft. pleading. begging. he was crying. “ don’t make me do this. ”

“ no one makes us do anything. ” lucifer deflates and he knows his brother is lost to him. knows there’s no more point in trying. gabriel has become tainted by the filth that is humanity and its sins and its darkness. he knows this. but that’s not going to make what comes next hurt any less. won’t make it any easier. ruined and twisted as he may be, this is still his baby brother. the youngest of the four princes, light on his feet and with a wit sharp as any thrown long before roses came into being.

“ i know you think you’re doing the right thing, gabriel. ” so had he, once upon a time. this would be a much more merciful fate than what he’d been given. “ but i know where your heart, truly lies. ” lucifer steels himself. this is the oldest trick in the book. the blade is raised behind his back, poised to strike him down. but, while gabriel was always so very quick, as one must to be the messenger of god, lucifer still had him beat. he’d twisted on the balls of his feet, arms reaching up, hands grabbing and pulling down with all his might. the blade sunk into gabriels vessel like a hot knife through butter. it made him sick to his stomach. the sound, the look on his brothers face, the blood seeping through gabriels clothes and onto his fingers, dripping down his forearms. “ here. ”

a glance over his shoulder to watch the visage of the younger fade away. gaze returns to what he believed to be the real thing. his eyes held no softness anymore. no chance for forgiveness. it had been one thing to run, to turn tail and hide in the shadows. it was a whole other to raise his blade against his older brother. “ armature hocus-pocus. ” his head was shaking, disbelieving what he was seeing. what he was doing. what he’d done. who he’d become. “ don’t forget- ” voice caught in his throat as he stared gabriel in the eyes. how are he express such betrayal in his tears. “ you learned all your tricks from me, little brother. ”

he twists the blade, lips curling into a snarl. he does not blink from the light exploding from gabriels eyes and mouth. he must watch, must be witness to what he’s done. what the other made him do. his hand had been forced, but it was still his hand. he pushed the body to the floor.

when the light faded, the anger went with it to a point. in its place came waves of sorrow and heartbreak and, maybe, just a touch of guilt. a breath he’d been holding blew from his mouth in a rush. he sucked in another, exhaled, inhaled, backed away, blinking the tears from his eyes. yea, there was more than just a touch of guilt. he stared down at the imprint of wings spread out over the floor and one table, of the halo scorched into the other.

he was no better than michael. he’s worse, really. the realization settles into his mind like a cloud, dark and stormy and cold. he hates it so, so much.

taring his gaze up and away, he stared past the ceiling of the hotel, tears steaming freely down his face, teeth bared in rage. “ this is what you made me into! ” lucifer screamed to the heavens. to michael, and to their father. “ you made me do this! you- he- he gave me no choice! ”

unneeded lungs take in a sharp, painful breath. no pain flared in his back. nothing split his flesh. there were only hands and arms and a body against his front. blue hues blink a few times, bringing the present back into focus. the look down to a nest of soft brown hair slicked back from the face against his chest. lucifer doesn’t know how long he’s stood there, ramrod straight, prepared to die. when he comes to terms with the fact that he’s not, the floodgates open.

bending down just a touch, the morningstars own arms come up to grab desperately a gabriels shoulders, hands clutching the youngers clothes as though for dear life. as though the other would fade away into thin air should he let go. a sob racked his body. it’s harsh and ragged and ancient. head bows down into the crook of gabriels neck as ethereal wings manifest from his shoulder blades, white as a freshly fallen snow in the dead of winter. they close around their bodies, grace rolling off them like a waterfall at the end of a raging river. it washes over the two of them with a force that pushes lucifer deeper into his brothers embrace. it surrounds them, cold and sad and desperate and so, so sorry- another sob gouges its way through his chest and throat. arms tighten their grip, wings pressing in close, both shaking.

he wasn’t owed this. didn’t deserve it, frankly, but he’d take it. he’d take it all, even if it had come with a knife in his back.

[inmytaste-blog]

Señorita

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: A very encouraging Shawn and a self-confidence under construction

A/N: Another fullfilled request which made it into my askbox just today! I didn’t want to delay it and fall behind since Shawn released his new song just yesterday. This was very pleasing to write and I really liked the way it turned out. I hope I made that anon’s request justice and I truly hope it lived up to their expectations! Once again, feedback is very much appreciated and I would like to hear your thoughts on this piece! Till next time, happy reading!

__________________________________________________________

‘’Are you serious? A new song along with a new music video? Shawny you are treating your fandom so well lately, I’m impressed’’ you said, placing your arms around his neck and giving him a slight peck on his cheek, pleased with the news.

‘’Aye, does my fandom include you as well?’’ he said lowering his much larger figure in order to capture your lips in a proper kiss.

‘’I don’t think I want to disappoint you now that you have a lot on your plate babe’’ you jokingly stated and freed yourself from his tight grip, heading towards the kitchen.

‘’I think this answer pained me more… Nevertheless, I know you are the craziest fan there is no matter what you say’’.

Hearing Shawn’s words, you realized that he was more than right. You were indeed his number one fan and you always fangirled hard when something new was on its way concerning his career. So when Shawn announced to you that he would be working on a new song, you were on cloud nine. Someone would say that you were more thrilled when Shawn had a new project to deliver than himself and they wouldn’t be exaggerating. You knew something was coming up due to endless phone conversations and meetings between Shawn and Andrew so when the bomb exploded you exploded too.

‘’Whatever you say Mendes’’ you slyly replied and plopped down on your couch.

‘’So tell me more about this song. What is the concept behind it? Will you be singing alone or will it be a duet? When will you start shooting and rehearsing? Why are you so secretive?’’

‘’First of all, you are bombarding me with questions love. How can I answer all at once? Secondly, I can’t reveal anything else yet. Telling you was risky as it is so you will get no more information for today. Sorry.’’ Shawn explained and your face fell.

You weren’t really urging him to tell you everything because you knew that this industry works with a little bit of secrecy as well but you couldn’t deny the fact that you were disappointed that you wouldn’t be getting any more insights and details concerning his newest work. At this point, you wished he hadn’t shared anything related to this new song whatsoever because now you wanted to know everything there was to know.

‘’Fair enough. Guess who’s not getting any love from me today’’ you half-jokingly said and moved further away from Shawn to the other end of the couch.

‘’C’mon Y/N don’t be such a baby. Everything will be announced to you when it is the right time for it to be’’ Shawn argued and proceeded to hug you.

You slightly pushed him off but eventually gave in to his touch because deep down, you knew he was right. It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t go into more depth about his work and it surely wasn’t fair for you to know everything beforehand while all his other fans around the world were kept in the dark. Besides, what’s the fun in knowing everything and having no suspense in your life?

That was something Shawn really adored and appreciated on you. It always made him feel safe and relaxed and it surely helped him more when he was ready to perform, shoot or record a new piece. His job was already pressuring enough and sometimes it got to the point that he would even call it suffocating. Having someone who was genuinely understanding and encouraging was a true bargain for him since he really wanted to leave his work back in the studio and be met with relaxation and relief when he got home.

And you offered him just that. You knew what you were signing up for when you agreed to date Shawn so you promised more to yourself to be the best version of you just for his own sake. You were more interested in his well-being than anything else especially when you found out all the story concerning his battles with anxiety in the past. You truly believed he was a person that deserved all the best in the world and you were more than honoured when Shawn chose you to be his companion; his rock who would give him all the best.

There were of course times when you would cross the line and you would be pleading for him to share something more when he was preparing something new but you knew when to stop. Shawn knew as well that you were firstly a fan and secondly a girlfriend when it came to his music and he was really thankful to have someone so supportive and so caring. But when he declared that he was in no position to share anything else, it was your signal to accept it and stop questioning further.

‘’Okay okay. I understand. But tell me at least this; will you be singing on your own or with other people as well?’’ you asked, aiming your puppy eyes at him, a feature you knew very well he couldn’t resist.

‘’Ugh, you are playing dirty Y/N, giving me this look which gets me everytime’’

‘’Please?’’ you pressed a little more.

‘’Okay, it will be a duet but this is all I have for you. Now, what movie does my number one fan want to watch with her superstar?’’

Truth was Shawn wanted nothing more than to stop playing games and just confess to you everything he knew so far about his new music video and song. It physically ached him to withdraw information from you, especially when you were being nothing but patient and enthusiastic with his hectic lifestyle. The only thing which was keeping him behind was the fact that he had arranged to sing and shoot with you. You were nothing close to famous or artistic, besides the very well-organised blog you were maintaining dedicated to your talented boyfriend, but other than that you had no contracts or business with the music industry.

However, Shawn wasn’t on the same page with you on this matter. He had heard you singing when you had first started dating and he was mesmerized by your voice. It combined a sweetness and a raspier metal which had driven him insane. He still remembered that moment up to this day and he never hesitated to ask you to join him when he was singing in his studio, even if it was for fun. The most outstanding thing of all was a file in your computer which consisted of some covers you had attempted when you first discovered Shawn’s music. Shawn really wanted to listen to them but you only agreed when you were official and you trusted him completely.

When his ears were met with the sound of your melodic voice, he felt like someone had casted a spell on him. The words of In My Blood acquired a completely new, a more profound meaning when they left your lips and they were interlaced with your unique sounds. He couldn’t help himself but transfer all the covers you had saved in that file to his phone without any second thoughts.

From that time on, he always made sure to raise the levels of confidence you had about your singing skills which to be frank, were the lowest they could be. It really puzzled and it even saddened him to know that his girl was so talented but she couldn’t appreciate her skills more. So the least he could do was ask you to sing or at least hum something when he was falling asleep or to accompany you in your private shower concerts. He was a sucker for your singing and you still laughed about it when he would praise you. But this never stopped him from getting the most he could of your beautiful voice.

Now Shawn tried to take things up a notch. He hated to know that your talent was not getting the recognition and the appreciation it deserved so when Andrew came up to him with a new suggestion for a song and a music video, Shawn realised this was the opportunity he was seeking.

‘’So, I was thinking that after the success of If I Can’t Have You, the fire’s still at your feet and another release will really keep the fans at the edge of their seats. What do you say?’’

‘’Y-Yes yes. Are you serious? Now that my tour is on, I have inexhaustible energy. Tell me all about it’’. Shawn wanted nothing more than to keep his portfolio full and this new song was the perfect chance for him to introduce you to the world of professional singing.

‘’Okay. My first thoughts have to do with the artists you will be singing with. I’m really rooting for a duet but if you want to include more artists, it’s up to you mate. What are your thoughts so far?’’ Andrew proceeded with the details and Shawn was more than ready to spill your name.

‘’Okay. I don’t know if you will see eye to eye with me about this and I can already tell you will be taken aback but my suggestion is Y/N’’. There was no turning back now. The only thing he could do was pray that Andrew would agree for you to do a duet with Shawn.

‘’Y/N? As in your girlfriend Y/N? Shawn are you sure? I mean I have no evidence that she can sing. Plus we don’t have much time to call her in and arrange a sound check with her’’

‘’I don’t think that will be necessary’’ said Shawn and he was quick enough to pull his phone out and let the room be filled with your version of Lost In Japan.

‘’You are a smooth motherfucker. I am waiting both of you next time for the rehearsal’’.

Shawn hadn’t really filled you in on what was going on so when he told you that you would be going with him to the studio you were a bit bewildered.

‘’And why do I have to come as well? Can’t you see that I am all comfortable watching Friends?’’ you matter-of-factly stated and Shawn dragged you from the couch.

‘’It is a surprise. Now get your bum up and go get ready. We are leaving in five’’.

‘’Okay okay sir’. But you’re buying me ice cream later’’ you pointed your finger at him and he chuckled.

‘’I sure am’’.

Shawn felt a little bit guilty that he hadn’t been completely honest to you about his duet but he knew that if he had spilled the beans and asked about your consent, you would be negative. Heck, he didn’t even have a clue what your reaction was going to be now but he decided to take his chances and risk it. He really needed to get you out of your cocoon and show you what you were really capable of, something you always kept your eyes closed to.

‘’Hello Andrew. It’s been a while. How are you?’’ you inquired when you reached the correct floor and Andrew hugged both you and Shawn.

‘’Shawn’s been a pain in the ass but I manage. How are you feeling sweetheart? Are you ready for your first?’’

‘’Um excuse me? What first?’’ you turned your glance at Shawn who was picking at his nails and was looking nervously at Andrew.

‘’Shawn dude, didn’t you tell her anything?’’

‘’I wanted it to be a surprise! Don’t blame me!’’ Shawn put his hands up and looked at you.

‘’Anyone care to explain?’’ you hated being excluded from what was happening so you were growing more aggravated by the minute.

‘’Y/N, dear, Shawn has brought you here to work on his new song called Señorita. You will be his duet for this song and for the video of course’’ Andrew explained and your jaws were on the floor. Shawn very well knew you were in no place to share your singing with the whole world and he still went and got you into this.

‘’Shawn what is he saying? What did you do?’’ you turned your attention to him and he cupped your face.

‘’I know you are going to pull the ‘’I can’t be exposed to basically the whole planet and my singing is not even that good’’ card but please hear me out. When I first listened to your voice I was amazed. You remember my first reaction. I instantly felt like an apprentice in singing in front of you. During those two years we’ve been together, I am more than pleased to see that I am the reason for the growth of your confidence when it comes to singing. Y/n please consider singing with me. Your talent deserves to be exposed and applauded’’ Shawn concluded and your vision had gotten blurry because of his speech.

‘’But-but how does Andrew know that I can sing? How does he know that this isn’t gonna be a flop?’’

‘’Um I know believe me’’ Andrew chimed in and just on cue, Shawn wiggled his phone between his fingers.

‘’You shady bastard’’ you smacked Shawn’s arm and he playfully acted as if he was hurt.

‘’So, what do you say baby? Will you be my Señorita in this song?’’

You still felt a little bit out of place and your guts were telling you that you would surely mess this up but the look Shawn was giving you and the feeling that he would be right beside you the whole time, boosted your courage and your confidence. Not really trusting your words at this point, you gave Shawn a shy nod and you swore that his eyes were like small stars radiating their glow.

‘’Is that a yes? Y/N baby you will not regret this I promise you’’ Shawn hugged you and lifted you up in the air before giving you a reassuring smile.

‘’Thank God. I don’t think I would be able to get someone else if she turned this down’’ Andrew remarked and you both fell in a fit of laughter.

‘’Okay. Get your sheets with the lyrics, get in there and blow me away’’.

Getting into the recording space, you felt your palms getting damp and your head slightly dizzy. Shawn must have felt your uneasiness and he placed the microphones opposite of one another, so that the only thing in front of you was Shawn and no one else. This little gesture put your nerves at bay and with a final confirmation, Shawn signaled for Andrew to start recording.

Throughout the song, your eyes were focused on the piece of paper which contained the words that came out of your mouths. You didn’t dare take a glimpse of Andrew, fearing that if you saw his disappointment you would collapse and this whole procedure would be wasted. Surely, this was the last thing you wanted, the first one being to please Shawn and not to embarrass him. He trusted you enough to get Andrew to agree and have you here singing so you just couldn’t betray his trust.

Reaching the main chorus, your eyes travelled to Shawn who was giving his all during the song and it dawned on you that it was the first time in a while that you were seeing him recording a song. Only this time, you were a part of it too. Shawn’s eyes fell on yours and the smile he gave you was enough to let you know that you were doing a pretty decent job for a first time. You knew that the song was going to be a bop nonetheless and being with Shawn in the act, really made you understand why all of his songs always made it at the top of the charts.

‘’ I love it when you call me Señorita

I wish I could pretend I didn’t need ya

But every touch is ooh la la la

It’s true la la la

Ooh I should be running

Ooh you know I love it

When you call me Señorita

I wish it wasn’t so damn hard to leave ya

Ooh I should be running

Ooh you keep me coming for ya’’

Shawn really adored the way the song was turning out. When he had first scanned the lyrics, the only person he could picture himself singing it with was you. The thing that he felt most freaked out about was that you both had first started seeing each other as friends before this fling between you two had developed. So, at least for Shawn, this song was once again speaking to him on another level. He felt really connected with it and now that he was singing with you, it made him feel even more connected to you as well. It would be a thing that would always remind you of what you are capable of when you are together and how the one makes the other discover something fresh for themselves.

Andrew was dumbfounded when you both started singing together and he was positive this was going to be another success for Shawn. He felt really relieved that you had decided to give this a go since the music industry was a department that was always in need of fresh blood and upcoming artists who had a flash of talent. Besides, the chemistry you had with Shawn was authentic and rare so the need to construct something similar with someone else was totally unnecessary.

‘’All along I’ve been coming for ya

And I hope it meant something to ya

Call my name I’ll be coming for ya

Coming for ya, coming for ya, coming for ya

For ya

(Ooh she loves it when I come)

For ya

Ooh I should be running

Ooh you keep me coming

For ya"

The song came to an end and if it wasn’t for the air conditioning unit in the small room, you would be a sweating mess. The look you exchanged with Shawn while the last words of the song were being spoken, really showed you how much Shawn loved you and that he truly believed you deserved to be loved by other people for your immense talented soul.

‘’And it’s a wrap. Guys…’’ Andrew started and you closed your eyes, not really wanting to be confronted or let down by his next words.

‘’You were fucking bomb. This is gonna be the song of the century. Well done. And Shawn, thanks for persuading our little star here to work with us’’ he said giving you a high-five.

Hearing Andrew’s words lifted all the weight off of your shoulders and you felt ten times lighter. Never in your wildest dreams had you imagined working with Shawn in a professional and official manner but here you were, blowing both of the boys away with your singing.

‘’Wow. That was-‘’ you didn’t let Shawn finish his sentence and you connected his lips with your very own in a passionate kiss.

‘’Thank you. For this amazing experience and for believing in me when I just didn’t’’ you truthfully said to him and his arms tightened around your shorter frame.

‘’I thank you for bringing out the rest of the passion I have for this job. You see, singing with you makes me feel things. And now that it happened for a much larger audience, it made me the happiest man alive’’.

Just before you could say or do anything else Andrew’s voice echoed through the walls, making you both jump.

‘’Don’t rest on your laurels kiddos. We still have a music video to shoot!’’

[killthebxy]

it was a moment of weakness in such chaos, where his arms gripped the black cloaked shoulders and his face buried into the fur that lined it. “ my little crow - “ he began as he pulled back and a faltering smile crossed his face, “ promise me you’ll look after yourself. the little starks will be in good hands. “ :)

— @talltalkr —

          the cries of fire turned flesh overhead signal that she’s off already, and he knows he ought to follow soon; soft cruelty of the gods, to have him leave home again after finally reunited with little sister and little brother he’d believed dead and forever lost to him — but what is he, if not a weapon fashioned to be used to bring salvation to this world? weapons don’t weep. but they feel, no less, and a good chunk of his heart stays behind with them; you can take the man out of the North, but never the North out of the man. if nothing else, this time he leaves them at peace and guarded by the thick, strong walls of Winterfell rebuilt.

          which is why Ghost is coming along, much as the not so bland voice of paranoia in the bastard’s head claims regardless that the beautiful white beast ought to stay and guard Sansa and Bran and Arya; you never know. a battle between his heart and his mind, which he came to terms with not absent price to pay — but rationality did win in the end; his SOULMATE will be far more useful at King’s Landing, fighting besides him. and something else succeeds in reassuring him, as is — namely, the promise come from the free folk that they will remain here and ensure no ill-intentioned soul ever approaches his people and his family again.

‘ i’d trust no other more. ‘

          this one, most of all — Giantsbane, Tall-talker, Horn-blower, Breaker of Ice, Thunderfist, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods, and Father of Hosts. a man he trusts with his eyes blind and with his own life, a man he bears so much gratitude and affection and respect for that no amount of songs and poetry can ever hope to do justice to. a man he would gladly take south with him… but won’t; ever. Tormund does not belong in the south, nor is this war his to battle — and those born north of the Wall have suffered enough at the whims of KNEELERS.

‘ keep them safe— ‘

          first, a smile to stretch his lips — having grown used to the teasing little title so fast. and promptly he’s returning the affectionate action, own arms circling Tormund’s larger frame to bring into a tight hug that seems to both last endlessly and end in the split of an instant. there’s no promising they’ll see each other again, is there? even if Jon is convinced no grave will hold his body back for as long as this war needs him to fight it… once you trespass such limit of humanity, truly, it is impossible to not grow so cocky. so unimpressed. so detached. Ghost comes to his aid then, as usual, and nudges the both of them with his snout as he heads to the castle’s entrance — subtle reminder that there is no time to spare on tenderness.

          ‘ —as you’ve always done to me. ‘ time for the final smile, and for the final exchange of looks — as he steps back, and turns away. and the old raven flies over to the redhead, landing on his shoulder with a confident boast of SNOW, and KING.

[ej121]

Cold

The cold was the first thing that told him she wasn’t there anymore. The second was the city, its soft drone drifting in through the open balcony door.

They’d fell asleep together, exhaustion of the last few days finally catching up, pulling both of them into a peaceful slumber, both taking comfort in the sensation of the other’s arms.

He rose to his feet, tossing aside the covers. Their soul bond meant his wounds were already approaching being healed.

He pushed open the door and stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the cold metal beneath his bare feet, the breeze greeting him like a long-lost old friend, brushing against him in a cordial, if frigid, embrace.

She stood, hands gripping the railing tightly enough that her knuckles were white, wings spread out behind her. She shook; a combination of shivers from cold and deeper, more powerful motions caused by tears. She kept her sobbing as quiet as she could, but now he was out here with her, he could hear the silent tears.

John frowned. How long had she been out here like this, letting him sleep while she sobbed and shivered?

Before all this – before Kline began her vendetta to destroy John’s life for his failure to save Ryan Rogers – whatever problems either of them was having would have immediately been discussed and resolved.

Had their relationship truly been damaged to the extent where she didn’t feel comfortable telling him what was wrong?

He placed his hand on her shoulder, doing his best to let her know he was here, to let her know he was willing to wait for her to tell him what was hurting her, and support her through it, no matter what it was.

It was a few minutes before her tears stopped. She turned around, eyes swollen puffy from crying, and pulled him into a tight hug.

He held her – shivering and cold – close, willing to sacrifice some of his own warmth if it meant providing her some comfort.

Beatrice sighed, bottom lip trembling. It took a moment, but the found it in her to look him in the eye, “I almost lost you yesterday...” She began, “You promised we’d be forever, John. You promised you would never leave me, but you didn’t even fight, you just let her kill you, and... I can’t... I can’t do this again.”

Before he could try to comfort her, she drew in a shaky breath, “God, I feel so selfish. I mean, you literally took a bullet and here I am making it about me.”

She gave a weak, mirthless laugh, “But... I can’t watch you kill yourself because you believe that you deserve it. You dying won’t bring justice for anyone, John.”

Beatrice sighed sadly, “Mercy wasn’t a good guy, but he wasn’t always bad either. It began with broken promises. At first it was just the forevers and the nevers that he broke, slowly it was everything else, tears and shouting matches turned into whip marks, punches, broken bones, and I believed I deserved that, but I didn’t.”

She looked away to hide the tears in her eyes, “Telling myself I did didn’t help anyone. It didn’t help me, and it definitely didn’t help him.”

John took her face in his hand, guiding her to look at him, “What happened to Mercy wasn’t your fault, ‘trice. It wasn’t your fault that he chose to do what he did. It wasn’t your fault that he hurt you.” He tried.

Beatrice laughed mirthlessly, “I know, John. I don’t blame myself for what he became – not anymore, anyway.” She sighed, “A part of me wishes he hadn’t become abusive, but I know there wasn’t something I should’ve said differently. Blaming myself for him would be telling myself he was right, telling myself you were wrong, and telling myself that I am incapable of good.”

She gave him a weak smile, “I’m trying to tell you not to make the same mistake.”

Tears John didn’t realize he was crying began to prick at the corner of his eyes. “If I don’t blame myself for my mistakes, then how will I learn from them?”

Beatrice, on her way back inside, froze. Her hands curled into fists, she shook briefly, before yelling and throwing a punch, fist slamming into the wall, causing it to dent inwards.

“God damn it John!” She yelled, frustration painted across her features, “The things Kline is using to pull you down aren’t even your mistakes. You’re feeling guilty for pain that you didn’t even cause, for lives that were lost because you’re human and can’t predict the future and don’t know everything.”

She glanced at the hole in the wall, and the guilt-stricken expression on her partner’s face, then lowered her gaze towards the floor, “I’m sorry. It hurts to see you hurting.” She gave a guttural laugh, “If you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you this earlier, I didn’t want... this...” She gestured towards the hole in the wall, “To happen.”

John couldn’t bring himself to say anything, not even as his partner headed inside with a quiet “Goodnight, John” and a pained expression on her face, closing the door behind her.

She was wrong – not about the things that had happened not being his fault – he wasn’t feeling guilty about his mistakes, not really, anyway.

He just didn’t have the heart to tell her she’d formed a soul bond with a monster. It was in his nature to hurt people. He didn’t do it consciously, but a trail of pain and hurt had followed him through his life.

That was why he figured being a detective would be the perfect career. The victims were already dead, so there’d be nobody to get hurt if he just... kept to himself. That’s why he was almost glad when Polrack gave him special treatment, assigned him to a position with no partner.

Despite that, though, he also wanted his life to be more interesting back then.

It was almost funny, that now he was wishing that it could go back to boring loneliness. If it had never left, then maybe people who deserved to be alive still would be.

Everyone was getting better, even Beatrice was now an Angel, if her wings were anything to go by. People who were better than him were always the ones he hurt.

Even now, he was hurting her. He could feel it in their shared soul.

Trying to save people got them hurt, trying to avoid people got them hurt, letting people in got them hurt. Everyone he loved always got hurt by him, without fail.

‘You are no hero, you are no Angel. You’re just a Demon playing pretend.’

He sighed a shaky breath, as Kline’s words returned to the front of his mind. He could almost hear the hatred and the pain in her voice. By refusing Mercy’s offer, forcing the Demon to leverage him into giving Beatrice back – by getting Ryan killed, he’d hurt her, too.

‘You hurt people, and then you try to tell yourself you’re above consequences – as if saving a life will fix the broken hearts from the ones you take.’

He felt the first few spots of rain, cold against his skin. He didn’t deserve forgiveness, not after how many people he’d hurt.

‘I believed I deserved that, but I didn’t. Telling myself I did didn’t help anyone. It didn’t help me, and it definitely didn’t help him.’

Beatrice’s words repeated in the back of his mind, but he pushed them aside. It was easier to just stand there, taking the cold and the rain head on, welcoming them into his soul, letting the cold slice away at his heart – what was left of it, anyway.

He should have died yesterday, but he should’ve known life wouldn’t allow it to be over that easily.

[nny11writes]

NaNo Snippet- Crystal Attunement

Obi-Wan holds them out to her, her lightsabers, the lightsaber she used to use. Were, were, were, tense is important. She was a Jedi and I Jedi owns nothing-has nothing (Ahsoka kind of feels like nothing). For a moment she is frozen in shock, just long enough for him to put them in her hands. Reflexively she grips them, holding them tight and secure. The crystals sing to her, so much softer than they ever have. I know you I know you I know you.It’s so faint.

This is wrong.

“Master, I, please,” Ahsoka holds them back out to him in trembling hands. Her chest hurts and her soul is crying out in pain. The crystal is the heart of the Jedi and trying to give them back feels like she’s ripping her own heart out. She wants to keep them to spite the Order. She is so tired of letting them break her.

But the crystals are so quiet, and she is not a Jedi. These were her lightsabers but no longer are.

Obi-Wan looks bewildered, eyes wide and searching before they start watering. He reaches out and covers her hands, holding them even as he gently pushes them back to her. “You earned them Ahsoka. They are yours.”

She can’t bear to look at her friend when he looks so close to crying. She’s only seen Obi-Wan cry once and Ahsoka hates that she might cause it this time. She can’t keep them though. “I can’t, it feels wrong.”

Obi-Wan pulls her forward so quickly that she stumbles into his hug. Obi-Wan gives the best hugs, they are always perfectly tight and warm. She’s always felt safe when Obi-Wan held her, he was a guardian. He still is. It’s warm and safe and Ahsoka wants to stay there hidden by his robe and tunics forever. She hold him back, clinging desperately to him as the hilts press into her palms.

“You are worthy Ahsoka. Never let anyone tell you differently.” He whispers it fiercely, squeezing in time with the lilt in his voice. Obi-Wan says it with the same surety that he proclaims his faith in the Force. With the same conviction that he uses when defending peace and justice.

There, protected by him and surrounded by his love in the Force, she can admit fear to him. “Why are they so soft?”

“You have changed, and grown young one. Perhaps they just need to be re attuned to you.”

She’s heard of it, but she doesn’t know what to think of it. Master Yoda had felt that if a Jedi and their crystal were no longer matched it was best to find new crystals instead. To let your sabers live on in the Order for another. Ahsoka has always felt the same, because he was her Master and she believed he was right. (He was so wrong on so many things. How much does she know, truly?)

“What happens if they reject me?”

Obi-Wan smiles against her cheek. “First they would be clearly flawed to do so, and secondly the attunement simply wouldn’t take. If they reject you I will return these to Master Drallig and take you to Ilumn again.”

Ahsoka chuckles slightly, for all that she didn’t understand Anakin’s trepidation about finding his crystal then...she certainly does now. She looks down, past Obi-Wan’s shoulder to her hands. The crystals hum with anticipation, as if they could hear this conversation. The hilts nearly vibrate in her hands. “Alright. I don’t...can you teach me?”

Obi-Wan smiles as he let’s her go. “As best I can.”