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mononijikayu · 29 days

Text

ikaw lang— fushiguro megumi.

"Thanks. he muttered, his voice softer this time, almost shy. He still wasn’t used to letting people in, but for some reason, with you, it didn’t feel so bad. You smiled again, that same warm smile that made something inside him flutter. "Anytime." you replied, and Megumi knew you meant it. “Let me take care of you again, okay? When this happens.” “......You didn’t need to—” You shake your head, smile even wider. “But I want to, okay?”

GENRE: Alternate Universe - Canon Convergence;

WARNING/s: Fluff, Romance, First Love, First Meeting, Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Light-Hearted, Slice of Life, Friendship, Confessions, Humor, Mutual Affection, Love, Pining, Hugging, Mention of Injury, Mention of Fighting, Mention of Blood, Depiction of Medical Aid, Fushiguro Megumi is In Love, Sorcerer! Megumi, Non-Sorcerer!Reader, Megumi and Reader Are A Bit Older;

WORDS: 6.5k words.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: this song is really cute. i should rest after this because ive been writing all the other poll related works and my eyes hurts. i might open commissions some time so i can get new glasses 🤔 but anyway, i hope you like this as much as i do. i love you so much 🫶

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if you want to, tip! <3

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HE WONDERS WHAT HE DID TO BE THIS HAPPY. Fushiguro Megumi often finds himself lost in thought, trying to piece together how he ended up with someone like you as his lover. It’s a mystery to him, one that he turns over and over in his mind, especially in the quiet moments when he watches you from across the room.

The two of you couldn’t be more different. Megumi has always been reserved, the kind of person who prefers the solace of a quiet corner, away from the spotlight. He’s never been one to seek attention, content to blend into the background, observing rather than participating.

And then there’s you, today. The person he loves the most.

You, who are the complete opposite of everything he thought he needed. You walk into a room and light it up effortlessly, drawing people to you like a lighthouse in a rough storm. Your presence is magnetic, radiant—wherever you go, you leave a trail of warmth and joy, like the sun casting light on everything in its path. If the sun existed in Megumi’s universe, it would undoubtedly be you, the brightest star in his sky, illuminating even the darkest parts of his world.

Sometimes, Fushiguro Megumi wonders how someone like you could ever be drawn to someone like him. He’s not flashy, not outgoing or overly expressive. But then, you’ve never needed him to be. From the moment you met, you saw something in him that no one else did. You didn’t mind his quiet nature; in fact, you seemed to appreciate it, to cherish the way he found comfort in the shadows while you thrived in the light.

Every time Megumi sees you, his heart races uncontrollably. It’s a feeling he can’t quite describe, this mixture of awe and disbelief that he’s lucky enough to have you by his side. You have a way of making him feel things he never thought possible—emotions that run deep and wild, far beyond the calm exterior he usually shows the world.

And whenever you flash him that smile, the one he loves so much, he feels his composure slip. His face turns scarlet, his heart stumbles over itself, and he panics slightly, wondering how he’ll ever survive the intensity of his feelings for you.

But what truly leaves Megumi breathless are your eyes.

He’s always been captivated by them, even before he realized he loved you. There’s something in the way your eyes shine that draws him in, that makes him feel like he’s seeing something otherworldly. When you look at him, it’s like the rest of the world fades away, leaving only the two of you in a moment of pure, unfiltered connection.

Your eyes are windows to your soul, reflecting every emotion, every thought, every ounce of love you hold for him. And Megumi, who is often so unsure of himself, finds a sense of peace and belonging in those eyes. They are his sanctuary, his guiding light, the proof that he’s not alone in this world.

Sometimes, when you catch him staring, you’ll tilt your head and ask him what he’s thinking. And every time, Megumi struggles to find the right words, because how can he possibly explain the way you make him feel? How can he put into words the overwhelming mixture of gratitude, love, and fear that courses through him whenever he’s with you? All he knows is that, in those moments, he’s reminded of just how extraordinary you are, and how incredibly lucky he is to have you.

You are the sun in his universe, the brightest star in his sky, and with every passing day, Megumi falls deeper in love with you. And even though he’s not always able to express it, he hopes that when you look into his eyes, you can see just how much you mean to him—how much he adores every part of you, and how grateful he is to share his life with someone as wonderful as you.

Each time you raise your head and let Megumi gaze into your eyes, he’s struck by how they seem to shimmer with an otherworldly light. It’s not just the way they sparkle, but the depth and complexity they hold within them, as if your eyes contain entire galaxies, full of stars, planets, and endless mysteries.

To Megumi, your eyes are like a universe unto themselves—vast, beautiful, and impossible to fully comprehend. He can never quite find the words to describe the wonder they bring him, because, in truth, they’re unlike anything he’s ever known. They’re out of this world, something magical and extraordinary that he’s lucky enough to witness every day.

And every day, Megumi is reminded of just how fortunate he is to have you by his side. There are moments when he’s caught off guard by the simple yet profound realization that someone as remarkable as you chose him.

He’ll be lost in thought, or caught up in the routine of daily life, and then you’ll look at him, your eyes meeting his, and all those thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind. In those moments, nothing else matters—just the connection between you, the unspoken bond that ties your hearts together.

Megumi finds that the most beautiful part of his day is when you look back at him. Your eyes, shining with a brilliance that words can’t quite capture, speak volumes in a language only the two of you understand. They tell him of the abundant love you hold for him, a love that fills his heart with warmth and light.

He’s always been shy, a little reserved, and sometimes he struggles to put his feelings into words. But when you look at him with those sparkling eyes, he wishes he could find the courage to tell you just how much it feels like heaven on Earth when you let him see the hearts hidden behind the bright beam of your gaze.

Megumi knows that you’re patient with him, that you understand his quiet nature, but sometimes he worries that he doesn’t show you enough how deeply he loves you. He wishes he could be more expressive, that he could find the words to tell you everything he feels.

But when words fail him, he hopes that you can see it in the way he looks at you—in the way his breath catches, in the way his heart races, in the way he’s completely and utterly captivated by you.

To Megumi, your eyes are not just beautiful—they are a reflection of the love you have for him, a love that he treasures more than anything in the world. Every glance you share, every moment your eyes meet his, is a reminder of how lucky he is to have found someone like you. And even though he may never fully grasp the magic you bring into his life, he knows that he will spend every day trying to show you just how much you mean to him.

To Megumi, it feels like stars might actually be falling from the sky, captured in the light of your gaze. Every moment he gets to see those eyes, he feels like he's witnessing something otherworldly, something that makes all the differences between you melt away, leaving only the overwhelming love he has for you.

Even though Megumi isn’t always good with words, he sometimes wishes that you could simply look into his eyes and just know that he loves you more than anything in the world. He hopes that you no longer feel the need to ask over and over, like you used to, because the truth is, you’re the only one he has ever truly loved—and the only one he ever will.

But sometimes, a nagging doubt creeps into his mind. He worries that his quietness might not be enough to convince you of how much you mean to him. He fears that he’s not doing enough to show you just how deeply he cares, because he struggles to express his feelings out loud. Yet, despite those fears, Megumi is determined to try harder, to find ways to show you his love so that you never have to doubt it.

If there were a way, Megumi wishes you could look into his heart and believe without a shadow of a doubt that you are the only one his heart has ever loved. And as he gazes at you now, he silently hopes that you can feel the depth of his affection in the way he looks at you, even if the words aren’t always there.

Fushiguro Megumi vividly remembers the first time he saw you for the first time. That was that day, during middle school. It was an ordinary day, and he wasn’t expecting anything to change. And for that change to be for the best.

He was known for being a bit of a loner, someone who kept to himself and occasionally got into trouble for his rebellious streak. He wasn’t exactly a model student, and most people gave him a wide berth, not wanting to get involved with someone who had a reputation for being a delinquent.

But then there was you, when you were younger.

He had just been reprimanded by one of the homeroom teachers for getting into another fight—something that had become more common as he struggled to navigate the challenges of his teenage years.

Or rather, just the annoyance he had for people he considered to be cruel, horrible people. But he supposed he was also angry, frustrated with the world, and on the verge of lashing out again when you approached him.

You were new, just transferred to the school, and Megumi was sure that you, like everyone else, would steer clear of him. But instead, you walked right up to him, your eyes full of concern rather than fear or judgment. You were like the sun blocking his eyes when he met you. You changed his whole world that day, he likes to think.

"Hey! Are you okay?" you had said softly, your voice calm and soothing. "Oh no, you got some dirt on your shirt—is that a cut on your side?"

Fushiguro Megumi had been taken aback for a long time. The last time must have been when Gojo said he’s taking him and Megumi in. There were very few things that had Megumi fazed, stuck in his tracks, and at a loss for words.

Perhaps the act of kindness being shown to him was one of those points. But he doesn’t think you’ve blamed him. He wasn’t used to anyone talking to him like that—without the underlying wariness or caution. He didn’t know how to respond, so he just shrugged, trying to brush you off.

“I’m fine.” he muttered, his tone gruff, hoping you would just drop it and leave him alone. "Don't worry about me. Move on."

But you didn’t leave. Instead, you stood your ground, your eyes filled with a concern that he hadn’t seen in a long time. It was as if you could see right through his tough exterior, straight to the part of him that was hurting, and you weren’t about to let it go unnoticed. You shook your head, your hands reaching out to gently tug at his sleeves, drawing his attention back to you.

When he finally looked at you, he was surprised to find that you seemed more distressed about his well-being than he was. There was a softness in your gaze, mixed with a quiet determination that caught him off guard.

"It doesn’t look like it! See? It hasn’t stopped bleeding. you replied gently, your voice free of any reproach, but filled with genuine worry.

Megumi followed your gaze to the cut on his arm, a wound he hadn’t given much thought to in the heat of the moment. But seeing the concern etched on your face made him pause.

You hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of how to proceed, before speaking again. "But if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. I just… I just wanted to make sure you’re alright."

“Don’t worry about me—”

Your voice wavered slightly, betraying the depth of your concern, and it made something inside Megumi’s chest tighten. "At least maybe let me help you clean that nasty cut."

Megumi blinked, taken aback by your persistence. He was used to people either ignoring him or chastising him for getting into trouble, but you were different. You weren’t trying to fix him or tell him what to do—you were simply offering to help, to be there for him in a way that no one else had been. It was a kindness he wasn’t used to, and he didn’t quite know how to respond.

For a moment, he considered brushing you off, telling you he didn’t need any help, that he could handle it on his own. But something in your eyes stopped him. There was a sincerity there, a genuine desire to take care of him, and it made him realize how rare it was for someone to care like that.

"Fine." he finally grumbled, though his voice had lost its earlier edge. He couldn’t quite bring himself to meet your gaze, instead focusing on the ground as he added, "But it’s really not that bad."

You didn’t seem convinced, but you didn’t push him further. Instead, you smiled—a small, relieved smile that made his chest feel warm in a way he wasn’t used to. "Let’s just get it cleaned up, okay?" you said softly, leading him to a nearby bench.

As you carefully tended to his wound, Megumi found himself stealing glances at you, wondering why you cared so much. You were new to the school, new to his world, and yet here you were, going out of your way to make sure he was alright. It was strange, but also… comforting.

"Why do you care?" he asked quietly, surprising even himself with the question. It wasn’t something he’d meant to say out loud, but now that the words were out there, he couldn’t take them back.

You paused, looking up at him with those kind, worried eyes. "Because you deserve it." you replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone deserves to be cared for, you know?"

Your words hung in the air between you, and for a moment, Megumi didn’t know what to say. He’d never thought of himself as someone who deserved kindness, especially not from someone like you. But hearing you say it so matter-of-factly made him wonder if maybe, just maybe, you were right.

You took Megumi to the nurse’s office, your concern evident in every step you took. He had tried to brush off the cut on his arm as no big deal, but you weren’t having any of it. As you entered the office, you headed straight for the supply cabinet, rummaging through it to find the emergency kit.

Megumi watched you with a mixture of apprehension and admiration. His face was tense, a mixture of discomfort and embarrassment clearly visible. He had never been one to draw attention to himself, especially not for something he considered minor. Yet here you were, focused and determined to make sure he was taken care of.

You pulled out the first aid kit and set it on the counter, your hands moving quickly and efficiently. “Alright, let’s get this cleaned up,” you said, your voice steady and reassuring.

Megumi shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of the fuss you were making. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble. It’s just a scratch,” he muttered, trying to downplay the situation.

You gave him a stern look as you began to clean the cut. “It’s not just a scratch if it’s bleeding. Besides, it’s my job to make sure you’re okay. You’ve been taking care of everyone else, so let me take care of you for once.”

He sighed, though he couldn’t help but feel a little comforted by your persistence. As you carefully applied the antiseptic and bandaged his arm, Megumi stole glances at you, noticing the focused expression on your face. Despite his initial resistance, he was grateful for your concern.

“You really don’t have to do this,” he said again, though his voice lacked conviction this time.

You glanced up at him with a small, reassuring smile. “I know, but I want to. You’ve always been there for me, and it’s only fair that I return the favor. Besides, you look like you’re in no condition to argue right now.”

Megumi managed a small, appreciative smile despite his discomfort. “Thanks. I guess I’m just not used to this… kind of attention.”

You finished wrapping the bandage and patted his shoulder gently. “Well, get used to it. Because I’m not going to let you get away with not taking care of yourself. And don’t think I won’t be checking on you if you ever get hurt again.”

He looked at you, the tension in his face easing as he met your gaze. “I’ll try not to get hurt then. Or at least try to let you know before it gets this bad.”

You laughed softly, your eyes crinkling with warmth. “Good. And remember, if you ever need anything—whether it’s help with a cut or just someone to talk to—I’m always here for you.”

Megumi’s heart swelled with a mix of gratitude and affection. Even though he had tried to downplay the situation, your unwavering concern made him feel valued in a way he hadn’t felt before. He knew that no matter what happened, he could always count on you to be by his side.

As you finished bandaging his cut, Megumi felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel so alone. Maybe it was because of the way you looked at him, or the way you didn’t push him to talk about things he wasn’t ready to share. Or maybe it was just because you were there, offering your help without expecting anything in return.

"Thanks....I guess." he muttered, his voice softer this time, almost shy. He still wasn’t used to letting people in, but for some reason, with you, it didn’t feel so bad.

You smiled again, that same warm smile that made something inside him flutter. "Anytime." you replied, and Megumi knew you meant it. “Let me take care of you again, okay? When this happens.”

“......You didn’t need to—”

You shake your head, smile even wider. “But I want to, okay?”

He didn’t know how to reply. He rubs the back of his neck. “You’re a weird one.”

“EH!? But I’m not!”

As the two of you sat there, the world seemed to quiet down around him, leaving only the gentle presence of the person who had somehow managed to slip past his defenses and show him a kindness he hadn’t realized he was missing.

Megumi didn’t know what to say. He was used to people either avoiding him or giving him grief for his behavior, but you were different. You weren’t trying to lecture him or push him away. You were just… there, offering your kindness without expecting anything in return.

From that day on, you always treated him with the same patience and understanding, even when he continued to get into trouble. You never judged him, never scolded him. Instead, you listened, offering support when he needed it and giving him space when he didn’t. You seemed to see past the rough exterior, recognizing that there was more to him than just the delinquent reputation he had built.

At first, Megumi didn’t understand why you were so kind to him. He didn’t think he deserved it, and part of him expected you to give up on him eventually. But you never did. No matter how many times he got into trouble, you were always there, offering him a smile or a word of encouragement.

Slowly, he began to soften around you. He started to look forward to the moments when you would seek him out, your presence becoming a source of comfort in his otherwise turbulent life. You became his anchor, the person who made him believe that maybe he wasn’t as bad as he thought.

It wasn’t long before Megumi realized that his feelings for you had grown into something deeper. At first, he had tried to convince himself that what he felt was simply gratitude, an appreciation for the way you treated him with such genuine care and respect. But as time passed, he found himself thinking about you more and more, his thoughts lingering on the little moments you shared.

Like that time in the library, when you had insisted on helping him with his homework. Megumi had been struggling with a particularly difficult problem, his frustration mounting with each failed attempt to solve it. You had noticed his struggle and quietly slid your chair closer to his, gently guiding him through the problem with a patience that both surprised and comforted him.

“There, see? You’re getting it!” you had said, a bright smile lighting up your face as you watched him work through the problem.

Megumi had looked at you then, really looked at you, and something inside him had shifted. It was the way you had been so kind, so encouraging, without a hint of judgment or condescension. The way you had treated him like he mattered, like you genuinely wanted to see him succeed. It was a feeling that was foreign to him, yet it warmed him from the inside out.

Another moment had come when the two of you were walking home from school. It had started to rain unexpectedly, and Megumi had cursed himself for not bringing an umbrella. But before he could worry too much, you had pulled out your own and held it over both of you, smiling up at him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Come on, let’s share. Can’t have you getting soaked.” you had said, your voice cheerful despite the downpour.

As the two of you walked side by side, your shoulders brushing occasionally, Megumi had felt his heart do a strange little flip. He hadn’t been able to stop himself from glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, noticing the way the raindrops clung to your hair, how your smile remained unwavering despite the weather.

In that moment, something had clicked for him. It wasn’t just your kindness that drew him to you—it was the way you made him feel safe, understood, and… cared for.

The realization had hit him one afternoon when you both were at the park. You had been talking animatedly about something, your hands gesturing as you spoke, your eyes sparkling with excitement.

Fushiguro Megumi had been content to just listen, watching the way your expressions changed with every word. And then, without warning, you had turned to him, catching him completely off guard with a look of such warmth and affection that it nearly knocked the breath out of him.

“What?” you had asked, laughing lightly when you noticed the way he was staring.

Megumi had opened his mouth to respond, but no words had come out. Instead, he had felt a strange mix of emotions bubbling up inside him—nervousness, excitement, something that felt suspiciously like hope. It was then that he realized: this wasn’t just friendship or simple admiration. It was something deeper, something more.

He liked you. A lot.

The thought had sent a rush of warmth through his chest, leaving him both exhilarated and terrified. Megumi wasn’t used to these kinds of feelings, and he wasn’t sure what to do with them. But as he looked at you, standing there with that bright smile on your face, he knew one thing for certain—he wanted to be around you, to make you smile like that as often as he could.

“Nothing.” he had finally managed to say, a small, shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I was just… thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” you had asked, tilting your head curiously.

Megumi had hesitated for a moment, but then he had decided to be honest, even if he couldn’t say everything that was on his mind. “About how… I like spending time with you.”

Your smile had grown even brighter at his words, and you had reached out to lightly punch his arm in that playful way you always did. “Well, I like spending time with you too, Megumi.”

And just like that, Megumi had known that he was done for. He liked you—really liked you. And even though the thought scared him, it also filled him with a strange sense of happiness, one that he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt before. From that moment on, Megumi couldn’t deny it anymore. He liked you, and he wanted to see where these feelings would take him.

Looking back, Megumi often finds himself reflecting on how profoundly different his life might have been if you hadn’t approached him that day. It was a pivotal moment, one that he now sees as the turning point in his journey.

Before you, he had felt like a perpetual outsider—misunderstood, labeled as a troublemaker, and largely ignored by those around him. He had been resigned to his role, to the way people saw him, without much hope for change or growth.

But then you came into his life, a beacon of kindness and patience in a world that had been mostly indifferent. You saw something in him that no one else had—a potential for change, a person worth caring for. Your approach had been gentle but resolute, offering him a friendship and understanding that he hadn’t known he needed.

You didn’t judge him for his mistakes or his quiet demeanor; instead, you reached out to him with a genuine concern for his well-being. It was this unassuming kindness that started to crack open the hardened shell he had built around himself.

Now, years later, Megumi often wonders if he would have ever found the strength to change if it hadn’t been for you. He thinks about the way you had treated him back then, how your unwavering support had slowly begun to reshape his view of himself.

It was as if you had quietly whispered to him that he was worth something, that he had the potential to be better, and that there was more to him than just the surface-level troubles. And in doing so, you had planted a seed of hope and self-worth that gradually grew into something stronger and more resilient.

As the two of you sit together now, the evening sun casting a warm, golden glow through the window, Megumi can’t help but be reminded of how far he’s come. The comfort and familiarity of your presence have become a cherished part of his life.

He often steals glances at you, unable to fully comprehend just how lucky he is to have someone like you by his side. The way you’re sitting there, so effortlessly at ease, makes his heart swell with a deep affection that words can hardly capture.

You’ve caught him staring more than once, and each time, you respond with that soft, knowing smile that makes his heart skip a beat. It’s a smile that reassures him, that reminds him of the love that started on that day in junior high, when you saw him not as a problem or a troublemaker, but as someone worthy of care and respect. That smile, simple yet profound, continues to be a source of comfort and joy for him, a daily reminder of how much you mean to him.

In those moments, as he looks at you and sees the warmth in your eyes and the gentle curve of your lips, Megumi is filled with a deep sense of gratitude. He thinks about how his life might have been different without your influence, and he realizes just how much you’ve changed him. The love he feels for you is rooted in that initial connection, and it has only grown deeper and stronger with time.

Megumi knows now that the love he has for you began with that first act of kindness you showed him, and it has only been enriched by the years you’ve spent together. As he sits there beside you, basking in the glow of the setting sun and the warmth of your presence, he can’t help but feel that he has found something truly extraordinary—something that started with a simple gesture of care and has blossomed into a love that he never thought possible.

You lean in slightly, noticing how quiet he’s been. "Megumi. Oiiiiiii, Megu–Megu~ Gumiiiiii!”

He sighed, looking at you. You have energy again, after resting. “What is it?”

“You truly okay?" you ask, your voice gentle and inviting.

He hesitates, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "It’s nothing. Don’t worry about me.” he mumbles, looking down at his hands, fidgeting slightly. "Just thinking about the past. Nostalgia."

You tilt your head, your eyes sparkling with curiosity and affection. You smiled. "You’re always so cute, Megumi.” You sighed, as you reached out gently to touch his hand. ”You’ve been staring at me all evening. If you have something to say, you can tell me, okay?”

Megumi swallows, gathering his courage. "It’s just… your eyes…" he finally says, his voice barely above a whisper. "They’re… really beautiful. And just…..you. I think how lucky I am to be with you.”

You blink in surprise, not expecting such a heartfelt compliment from him. "Oh, my beloved Megumi." you murmur, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "Thank you."

Megumi slowly looks up at you then, his own eyes filled with a tender sincerity that makes your heart flutter. He took a breath before letting his eyes wander at the sight of you, his beloved marvel. His wonder in life. He gives you a faint smile.

"When you look at me like that… it feels like I’m seeing stars." he continues, his voice growing softer, more vulnerable. "Like… every time I see your eyes, it’s the most beautiful part of my day. And… I don’t know how to say this right, but… it’s like there’s love shining behind them, so much that it feels like heaven."

Your heart swells with emotion, and you squeeze his hand gently. You lifted his hand to your lips and looked at him tenderly as you pressed your lips against the top of his hand. He doesn’t know when his heart will calm down. But when it’s you, he doubts if it will ever happen.

"Megumi, that’s one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me." you reply, your voice filled with warmth. "And just so you know, when I look at you, I feel the same way. You make every day feel like the brightest one I’ve ever had. Because when I look at you, I ask, ‘how did I deserve this boy?’ Because, you’re too good to me.”

He smiles shyly, his blush deepening as he takes in your words. "I’m glad….that you feel like I do too." he murmurs, his fingers intertwined with yours.

"I always will." You reassured him, grinning at him lovingly.

"I… I’m not good with words, but I want you to know how much you mean to me. Every time you look at me, it’s like… it’s like I’m the luckiest person in the world."

You lean in closer, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "You don’t have to say much, Megumi. I can see it in your eyes too." you whisper, your breath warm against his skin. “That’s more than enough for me, know that. Okay?”

Megumi’s heart swells, and for a moment, he forgets about his usual shyness. "I love you." he says softly, the words slipping out before he can stop them. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Your smile widens, your eyes shining even brighter. "I love you too, Megumi." you reply, your voice filled with the same sincerity and warmth that he sees in your gaze every day.

And in that moment, with your hands intertwined and your eyes locked, Fushiguro Megumi knows that there’s nothing more beautiful than the love you both share. And he truly believes that. He thinks that you’re the love of his life. And he has no intention of letting you go.

Megumi's heart races as the words hang in the air between you. He's never been the best at expressing his feelings, but something about being with you makes it easier—like the words come naturally when you're around. You pull back slightly, just enough to look into his eyes again, your own filled with the same warmth and love that makes his heart flutter.

"You know, Megumi." you start, your voice soft and affectionate, "I always feel like I’m the luckiest person too. Because even when you're quiet or shy, I can feel everything you don’t say in the way you look at me. It’s like you’re telling me a million things with just a glance."

He bites his lip, trying to find the right words to respond. "It’s hard for me to… say things out loud sometimes. And it’s hard to be honest at times." he admits, his gaze lowering for a moment before meeting yours again. "But when I’m with you, it feels different. Because when I’m with you, I’m just….me.”

You smile at him, a soft, understanding smile that makes him feel even more at ease. "You don’t have to say everything, Megumi." you reassure him. "I can see it in your actions, in the way you care for me, and in those beautiful eyes of yours. You’re always telling me how you feel, even when you think you’re not. I love that about you, don’t worry.”

Megumi blushes, the compliment making him feel a mix of embarrassment and joy. "You… you think my eyes are beautiful?" he asks, his voice small, almost disbelieving.

"Of course I do." you reply, leaning in to rest your forehead against his. "They’re one of my favorite things about you. They’re so expressive, even when you’re being quiet. I can always tell what you’re feeling just by looking into them. Your eyelashes too. They’re always pretty!”

His breath hitches at the closeness, your words making his heart swell with emotion. "I… I’m glad you think that." he murmurs, his eyes locked onto yours. "Because… When I look at you, I see everything I could ever want.”

Your heart skips a beat at his confession, and you close the small distance between you, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. It’s soft, sweet, and full of the love that you both share, a love that needs no words to be understood.

When you pull back, you see that Megumi’s face is a deep shade of red, but there’s a small, content smile on his lips that makes your heart soar. "You really know how to say the perfect thing, don’t you?" you tease lightly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from his face.

He chuckles softly, his shyness momentarily forgotten as he looks at you with nothing but affection. "Only because it’s you." he replies, his voice steady and full of sincerity. "You make it easy."

You both sit there for a moment, just enjoying the comfort of each other’s presence. Megumi’s hand is still entwined with yours, and he gives it a gentle squeeze, as if to remind himself that this is real—that you’re real, and that you’re his.

"I never thought I’d be this happy, you know?" he admits quietly, almost as if he’s afraid that saying it out loud might break the spell. "But with you… it’s like every day is a dream."

You smile, your heart swelling with love for the boy who, despite his quiet demeanor, has given you more happiness than you ever imagined. "Then let’s keep dreaming together, Megumi." you whisper, leaning in for another kiss. "Because I never want this to end."

The warmth of the setting sun bathed the room in a golden hue, casting a gentle glow that seemed to amplify the intimacy of the moment. Megumi and you were nestled comfortably together, sharing a quiet sense of peace that had settled between you. This was paradise, Megumi thinks. This was heaven on earth. You and you alone, in his arms — he could not ask for anything more.

Megumi glanced at you again, his eyes reflecting the soft light. “What good did I do to be with you?”

You tilted your head, smiling at him with a mixture of curiosity and affection. “Why do you say that? What makes you feel that way? You did everything good. You do deserve me."

He hesitated, his gaze falling to the floor as he tried to find the right words. “It’s just… you’ve always been there for me, even when I didn’t really know what I needed. I was so closed off and messed up back then. But you saw something in me, something I didn’t even see in myself.”

You reached out, gently placing your hand on his cheek to lift his gaze to meet yours. “I saw a person who needed kindness and understanding, and I’m really glad I could be there for you. But you did the hard part, Megumi. You changed and grew, and that’s all you.”

He shook his head slightly, his eyes never leaving yours. “I couldn’t have done it without you. And now, every day with you feels like a gift. I keep thinking about how different things could have been if you hadn’t come into my life. It’s overwhelming sometimes.”

You chuckled softly, your fingers brushing his hair back from his forehead. “Well, I’m glad I did. And I’m glad you’re here with me now. It’s like we were meant to find each other, don’t you think?”

Megumi nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah, it does feel like that. I keep thinking about how we met and how everything just seemed to fall into place after that. It’s like you were the missing piece I didn’t know I needed.”

Your eyes sparkled with affection as you leaned closer. “And you were the person who showed me what it means to be patient and understanding. We’ve both learned so much from each other.”

He smiled, a rare, genuine smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “You’ve made me a better person. I feel like I’ve become more open, more willing to trust and care. It’s all because of you.”

Your heart swelled at his words, and you wrapped your arms around him in a gentle hug. “I’m just glad I could be a part of your journey. And I’m excited for everything that’s still to come for us.”

Megumi returned the hug, holding you close as if he never wanted to let go. “Me too. I want to make sure I’m always there for you, supporting you just like you’ve supported me. I don’t want you to ever doubt how much you mean to me.”

You pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, a soft smile playing on your lips. “You don’t have to worry about that. I know exactly how much I mean to you. And I’ll always be here for you, just like you’ve always been there for me.”

As the two of you sat together, the warmth of the setting sun casting a gentle glow over the room, Megumi felt an overwhelming sense of contentment. He knew that with you by his side, every day would be brighter, every challenge more bearable.

And as he looked into your eyes, he realized that the love he felt was a constant, reassuring presence—one that made everything feel right in the world.

422 notes · View notes

mysterystarz · 5 months

Text

kiss me maybe:

summary: finding a flier for the volleyball's kissing booth was surprising for two reasons. a) kuroo had created one of the worst fliers known to mankind and b) oikawa tooru, the school's resident pretty boy was capitalizing off the rumors surrounding him. still, you couldn't deny your attraction to the setter, and he couldn't hide that you were the only one he wanted to kiss

pairing: oikawa tooru x g!n reader

word count: 12.6k (please give this a chance)

genres + themes: college!au, sort of friends to lovers(?), fluff, angst, kuroo being an occasional menace, iwaizumi being the sexiest friend you can have, kiyoko being an icon, romanticized college experience, oikawa being an idiot but yours

warnings: cursing, a tad suggestive in some parts, absolutely not proofread

a/n: hi there i am back with a long fic. anyways this thing is my lovechild and probs the most fanfic thing ive written. its really just a fluff monster (lol) and i hope you give this a chance <3 also dedicated to @chimielie because her stuff gave me the inspo to write ily lia thank you for being so talented

It was said that Oikawa Tooru’s kisses were mythical.

Some claimed that one press of lips from the kingly setter was like a hit of a drug, sudden in a way that sent you reeling.

To some, his kisses tasted like the finest candy, hand served on an ornate dish.

Most magically, it was claimed that a kiss from Oikawa Tooru could heal even the most broken of hearts. Just one thread through sun bronzed hair could make you forget about the most painful memories.

And of course, like any celebrity would, he knew about each and every rumor.

Naturally, you reckoned you were bound to see the dreaded flier sooner or later. It sat there still, taped onto the tiny bulletin board outside of the Organic Chemistry I room. It was the worst godawful flier you’d ever seen in your life. In front of you was a myriad of colorful borders, and even more whimsical fonts atop of a cardstock page. It seemed to call out to you with its boldness, as if to say “kiss me” with its scrawling typography.

Mystic Kissbooth, it read in an infuriatingly ornate font. Come and kiss your woes away (and kiss ours away too – a mutually beneficial fundraiser!)

“I see you’ve seen our handiwork,” chuckled a voice. You didn’t have to turn around to recognize Kuroo, who simply leaned against the bulletin board in an attempt to catch your expression.

Not that he would. You weren’t going to give him that luxury.

“No wonder it’s such shit,” you laughed, gesturing to the list of names at the bottom, “I’m honestly ashamed to even know you.”

“Hey,” he frowned playfully, ruffling your hair as he began his signature large strides. Curse him and his stupidly long legs. “That was heavily inspired by your Canva templates…..you know….the bad ones.”

You let out a long and dragged out sigh while you followed your best friend (unfortunately) to one of the secluded benches on campus. Beneath the hustle and bustle of students as they sprinted to class, it was almost peaceful to rest your legs for just a moment.

Relaxing onto the bench, you placed your backpack at your side, creating a wedge between you and Kuroo, who’d taken the seat right next to you. He didn’t seem to mind, simply casting a grin in your direction.

For starters, you weren’t sure how to feel about the Canva invasion. Yes, it was a design platform, and yes, you’d tried (and failed sometimes) to create infographics whenever Kuroo needed a helping hand. It was just a tad surprising to discover that Kuroo had drawn his inspiration from your least successful works.

“What’s this whole thing about?” You decided on asking after a lengthy pause. Kuroo cast his gaze to meet your own, his grin almost glued into place.

“Well, not that we’re in any trouble, but the volleyball club could use some funds. We’ve been trying to set up some pretty competitive matches and practice games, but we need the fuel to do it. Oikawa thought this was a great way to make use of all the attention we have.”

“No wonder. He’s probably the most popular one on the team….though Iwaizumi is honestly the one to be looking at.”

“Rude,” Kuroo huffed, “There’s a lot of other people to be interested in, you know.”

“Hopefully you don’t mean yourself,” you chuckled, dodging a playful hit on the arm from Kuroo. “But in all seriousness, a kissing booth?” Kuroo paused for a moment, seemingly mulling over a proper response, when Iwaizumi entered your frame of vision.

There were times you wondered why Iwaizumi Hajime didn’t consider a career in modeling. From where he stood, the sunlight almost seemed to caress his skin, tanned and sun bronzed from a summer spent playing volleyball on the beach. Upon seeing you and Kuroo on the bench, he extended a quick wave before jogging over, arms flexing as he got closer.

“Stop ogling him,” Kuroo smirked, “You could stand to be a bit less obvious.” “Shut up,” you muttered just as Iwaizumi ended his jog to stand in front of you.

“Nice to see you here,” he beamed, his eyes meeting your own, “I barely see you around these days. Did Kuroo scare you away from the club?” “No not at all,” you smiled, moving your backpack to make space for the handsome spiker. Some of the students on the nearby path stopped to turn at the three of you, and Iwaizumi, none-the-wiser, took a swig from his water bottle.

He was never aware of the effect he had on people. That was exactly what contributed to his charm.

“Y/N wanted to know a bit more about the booth,” Kuroo started. “I think you’d explain it better than I could.”

Iwaizumi raised a brow, “It’s just a club fundraiser. I mean, it's the only decent idea that Oikawa’s had in a while.”

“So he really was involved, huh.” You said (more to yourself than anyone else). The two men looked at you confusedly, before Kuroo finally spoke.

“You know, you always seem to get a bit fidgety whenever someone mentions Oikawa. And you always try to be away from him when you come to our practices…were the two of you involved or something? Because if you were, I am honestly offended you didn’t tell me.”

You aggressively shook your head no, warranting a chuckle from Iwaizumi. “Well, if they were, I think it’s had an impact. You start to see him for who he really is.”

The three of you laughed, choosing to enjoy the fresh breeze.

However, even despite the simple beauty of this moment, you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking about the booth.

Oikawa stood at the front of the lecture hall, spinning his pen while meeting the eyes of his teammates. At his side was Kuroo’s flier, whimsically colorful in all the ways a magical kissing booth (like this one) was supposed to be. Iwaizumi sat in the front, close enough for Oikawa to catch the teasingly judgy stares of his best friend while he waited for everyone to settle down.

Finding a free lecture hall had been no problem. All he’d had to do is smile nicely at a few eager students, verify with a few professors, and send a frantic “MEET NOW” to the club group chat.

The real problem was convincing the rest of the team of this idea in the first place.

“Hey guys,” he beamed, putting the flier down on the desk closest to him, “Thanks for showing up on such short notice. You guys are the best.”

“We didn’t come for you,” Makki snickered. “We’re just here to see what crazy justification you have for this.” “Well,” he began, “We’ve been in the spotlight for quite some time now. A lot of us have been featured in the campus newspaper, we’ve made it onto our university’s podcast, and have you even seen the instagram fanpages for us? They’re absolutely insane. So, what better time to take advantage of this?”

“And this has nothing to do at all with the rumors?” A voice asked. Oikawa turned to meet the eyes of Semi Eita, who sat on the left corner closest to the door.

The team laughed as Oikawa shook his head in faux denial. “Absolutely not. Why would I ever do such a thing?”

“Because you're smart!” Oikawa was almost surprised to hear the remark from Bokuto, who sat near Kuroo with his own flier. “And it’s a lot of fun.”

The team murmured their respective agreements before the room fell silent again. Oikawa, ever the opportunist, slid into the silence with an explanation.

“I was thinking we set it up as sort of a de-stress day after midterms. We could get the other clubs to join in their own mini fundraisers…like a carnival of sorts. We’ll set up the booth with colorful signs and posters, and we kiss based on the cash. We can take shifts to make sure the two of us aren’t running the whole show. All proceeds are for our matches and practice games. Sounds good?” “A question. Are you going to make people line up to kiss you?” Matsukawa asked casually.

“You mean us Mattsun. And yeah, a line works just fine.” Oikawa stopped for a moment to admire the unanimous cooperation of his team. “I’ll talk to the other club leaders and see if we can come up with a date. If that’s all the questions you’ve got, I’ll see you at practice tomorrow!”

With this, his team filed out the door. He caught Kuroo animatedly discussing a design to attract customers to their booth with Bokuto, mentioning that he had a friend who’d know just what to do about it. In the midst of his rant, he’d mentioned a name.

Yours. A name he hadn’t realized he missed hearing.

A faint smile crept onto his face at the thought.

Kuroo was a menace. From the minute he’d found you at the library, he’d been nagging you the entire day, practically begging for you to come to their practice.

“Y/N please,” he whined, attempting his own version of a pout, “If you see us, you could help design the poster to attract customers.” “I don’t think you need help with that.” That much was true. Especially with Oikawa headlining the event. They were guaranteed strong profits.

Somehow in the midst of all this pleading, you’d ended up right outside the gym. The sounds of volleyballs hitting the wooden floors resonated off the walls, the sound so clear that you could hear it from your spot near the door.

“You planned this,” you glared, watching Kuroo’s smile twist into one of faux innocence. Bastard.

“What can I say? I am the master of distraction.” He opened the door, swapping his shoes out at the front and walking into the gym to the greetings of his team. You followed closely behind him, carefully striding across the polished wood and shutting the door behind you.

The gym had always been grand. Your university’s colors were plastered onto the bleachers, with a wide curtain separating the different sides of the gym. There was space – so much of it – and the team spread out to practice various skills.

For a brief moment, you allowed yourself the childish awe of standing in a space so big.

“I forgot how long it’s been since you’ve been here,” a voice greeted, “But it’s good to see you Y/N.” You knew that voice. You’d know that voice like the moon knew the stars. You’d know it anywhere.

“Oikawa,” you said, turning to acknowledge the brown-haired setter. “Long time no see.”

As much as you didn’t want to, you drank him in. He seemed to be in high spirits this afternoon, hair artfully tousled in the way he always did, and lips so perfectly smooth that they seemed out of a Chapstick ad.

“You don’t really come around anymore,” He said, taking to walking with you around the gym (much to your own surprise). “I was getting a bit worried actually.”

“What do you mean?” You stared at a spot a bit beyond the setter, watching Bokuto’s cross court spike slam into the floor with dizzying speed.

“Well….we talked a bunch. And you came here at the beginning of the year. You suddenly stopped though….so I wondered if something happened.”

“You noticed?” You scoffed. “I’m surprised you paid attention.”

“Why wouldn’t I pay attention?” Oikawa raised a brow in confusion before suddenly, the answer seemed to smack him in the face. “You’re petty about that?”

“You barely paid me any mind,” was all you said, meeting Oikawa’s warm gaze, “It was like we’d never met at all.”

You’d met Oikawa Tooru on the flight to university. You’d waved your family goodbye at the gate, hugging them tight to your chest and memorizing the feel of them against you.

You walked steadily, pulling your suitcase along as you made your way to the security check in.

“Everything goes in a bag! Belts, shoes, phones! Take off your shoes and step aside. Laptops can stay in your bags! Move along!”

You hauled your suitcase into the bin, placed your phone and wallet beside it and sent it over to the TSA associate, taking a minute to place your jacket and shoes into another bin and sending that over too.

The gray bins were plain, old and rackety and classic, comparable to a washed out 1930’s movie. You trodded through the metal detector, feeling the cold floor through your socks.

When you finally made it through check in, you were met with a TSA associate over your bag, looking straight at you as if you’d committed some heinous crime.

“Excuse me,” the TSA officer asked, gesturing to your bags, “Are these your bags?”

“Yes,” you affirmed, almost nervously. “Is there an issue?”

“You seem to have some liquid above the restricted amount. I’m going to have to take a look.”

For a moment, you were startled. What did you even bring? You’d diligently packed your belongings and made sure everything was secure….surely there had to be some mistake.

Your breath wavered the minute the officer pulled out your favorite body wash.

In the midst of your packing, you’d forgotten you’d slipped it into your carry on.

“Oh.” Your voice shook as you meant the TSA officer’s eyes, “I’m sorry. That’s my favorite one.”

“I’m sorry.” For a moment, it almost seemed like the man had sympathy for you, “But I’m going to have to ask you to pour half of it out. If you refuse that, you’re going to have to give it away.”

Every step towards the outside garbage felt like a punch to the chest. While you kept composed on the outside, pouring away half of your prized wash felt miserable.

A dying rose. A dying star. Something dying slowly and surely inside.

Now you’d have to get another one. Brand new packaging lost to your honest mistake.

This sucked ass.

You meandered through the security area again, more ghost than person and collected the rest of your belongings. While your voice wavered, you didn’t shed a tear, and simply walked along.

Somehow, in the midst of all your wandering, you ended up in the departure lounge. In front of you were an array of connected seats with their generic cushioning and the customary TV screens telling you what flight was taking off when.

The glass paneled windows to your right showcased the hangar, and from your spot, you could see planes parked out in front. The sun set down in the distance, leaving a watercolor blend of pinks and oranges in its wake.

You could almost call it picturesque.

You leaned your suitcase against a wall for a moment, scanning the lounge for an available corner. Unfortunately, your plane was packed.

The chatter of students was overwhelming, and without a choice, you settled into a seat at the far corner of the lounge next to a pretty-boy who you were certain wouldn't speak to you.

They normally never did. Why should it be any different now? And honestly, you didn’t want to talk.

“This plane is probably fully booked.” A voice (the perfect blend of warm and deep) said. You turned to meet the eyes of said pretty boy, a surprisingly lovely shade of brown. Light and bright and inviting. Almost like a mocha. Or a latte.

“Tell me about it,” you laughed, slightly amused by the novelty of the situation. It wasn’t common for pretty boys to talk to you. Even less common for you to entertain any conversation, especially when you felt the way you did. “When I waved ‘goodbye’ to my family, I wasn’t expecting this much of a crowd to tell them about.”

“Yeah?” Oikawa smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting upwards invitingly. “I was more surprised at the lack of seats.”

“You’d think they’d anticipate a college student stampede.”

Oikawa laughed, the amusement lighting up his whole face. It was a simple laugh — chiming and lovely in the way that all laughs were, but you were certain you’d do anything to hear that again.

His presence had a way of putting you at ease.

The two of you coincidentally had seats right next to each other on the flight. As the plane lifted off, you snapped a picture of the city lights, twinkling their tiny goodbyes as they faded from view.

The cabin’s lights were dimmed, yet even in the haziness, you could make out the features of the boy next to you.

High cheekbones. A defined cupid’s bow. Lips that seemed even softer than the lather of that soap you loved so much.

You’d mourn your soap later. Even if it was an object, your attachment to it simply showed a care for your belongings.

What could be more human than that?

Oikawa turned to you, gaze friendly as the plane began its mounting ascent.

“You know, the TSA can be real dicks sometimes.”

What the fuck. Who was he? A psychic?

“What did they do to you?”

“They made me pour out half my expensive hair gel. I insisted it fit the requirements but they refused to accommodate me. So mean.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the pout he wore. It seemed even someone as vivacious as Oikawa couldn’t charm himself out of aviation regulations.

Somehow the whole thing made you feel a lot better.

You and Oikawa (Tooru as he later insisted) shared many conversations throughout the flight. Some revolved around human existentialism (with him quoting the “we were infinite” from The Perks of Being a Wallflower). Some revolved around space.

Some even revolved around clubs, with him sharing high school volleyball stories and pledging your university’s team to greatness.

When fatigue finally claimed you, the comfort of his shoulder was unmatched by anything you’d ever felt. He’d extended an invite for you to come and see them practice anytime, and laid his own head atop of yours.

Of course, when you showed up for said practice, so had a bunch of other fans. He’d barely spared you a glance, let alone spoke to you when you’d tried to seek him out.

A grand gym and an even grander boy.

You just avoided him after that.

“Im really sorry about that,” Oikawa said. While his expressions were genuine, you weren’t sure how much you were going to trust it. Certainly, in all the time you’d spent apart, he must have changed at least a bit.

To think he was the exact same boy who you met on the plane would be foolish.

“Yeah, water under the bridge.”

“No, not really.” Oikawa paused to study your expression. Beneath all of your nonchalance was something fragile. Admiration? Loathing? He doubted it. “How long did you plan on avoiding me?”

“As long as I needed to.” You answered matter-of-factly. “Then again, that was when I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

“How could I ever do that?” Oikawa’s expression morphed into a worried one, eyebrows knitted together and mouth downturned as if to say damn that’s an accusation.

“Well-“

“Look I meant to seek you out after that day. I saw you there, wanted to come over, but at that point you’d gone off to continue chatting with Kuroo and met Iwa. And classes exist.”

“Okay. Water under the bridge for real.”

His eyes lit up. “You mean it?”

You nodded in approval, only to be dragged away by Kuroo, who’d suddenly appeared behind you.

“What the fuck?” You yelled, not caring much for your use of profanities. Some of the nearby team members snickered as you were pulled to the corner of the gym, in front of an array of poster boards.

“What?” Kuroo asked, “You and Oikawa seem to be fine now, so I thought I could ask you some questions about stuff that really matters. Namely posters.”

You were met with various shapes and sizes of poster boards. Some were Elmers Tri-Folds. Some were the cheap foam boards you sometimes saw while grocery shopping.

“If you want a design for your freaking booth,” you began, looking at Kuroo, “Give me some time.”

Oikawa was in the podcast studio. The room was secluded, plastered with posters and heart decals of all shapes and colors. Right beside the door was a framed picture of the volleyball team, with their silly faces frozen in motion.

Shimizu Kiyoko walked out from behind the desk, nonchalantly acknowledging Oikawa with a nod. “Oikawa, what can I do for you?”

“Hey,” he winked, unaffected by her lack of reaction, “Have any idea where I can find your host. I’d like her to do me a favor.”

“Advertising.” Kiyoko said bluntly. “I don’t think your booth needs any more attention. Our socials have covered it already.”

“We always love the extra coverage.”

“Doesn’t your friend help with all the designs? I think they’d be the perfect candidate to help with all this.”

“Y/N?” He asked, almost dumbfounded by how obvious that answer was.

“Yes,” Kiyoko smiled. “They’re very nice. I’ve seen you talk a few times, though it honestly seems like they don’t like you very much.”

“Not true.” He huffed.

“Well it makes sense. Especially if the rumors are true.”

People saw Kiyoko’s beauty and shyness and mistook her for a soft and innocent podcast manager.

Anyone who’d dealt with her enough knew she was actually a force to be reckoned with.

“The rumors are whatever you make of them. I’m simply an opportunist.”

Kiyoko chuckled and for a moment, Oikawa felt accomplished. “You don’t need to tell me this. I already know.”

He leaned against the door, and stretched out his arms in front of him before resting them at his sides again. “Would you at least consider telling the main host to help us out?”

Kiyoko shuffled the papers in her hands, before meeting his eyes. “I won’t give any guarantees, but something tells me that if you do set up a de-stress carnival, your club will be the central focus of our broadcast.”

“Thank you!” He beamed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his chest. “I could kiss you for that.”

“No thank you,” Kiyoko declined, “I’m not interested in confirming the rumors.”

As Oikawa left the studio, Kiyoko walked into the recording room, a tiny smile on her lips.

Your Canva page lay woefully blank before you.

You’d promised Kuroo a design if he gave you time and Kuroo, ever the considerate friend, actually stopped bothering you about the poster. He seemed to trust in Oikawa’s judgment, and it seemed that the rest of the volleyball club did too.

As a token of thanks, you’d come to the library, your brain and Pinterest providing you at least a vague idea of what it was you wanted to do. However, when it came time to put pen to paper (or more fittingly, hand to mousepad), it seemed that your ideas had been wiped clean.

Your disappointment felt like a leaky faucet. Despite the minuteness of the feeling, it seemed to pool the more you thought about the situation. While designing was never an obligation, you owed it to your friends.

You sighed, placing your bag onto the hardwood library table and casting your eyes outside. A slowly setting sun was what greeted you, a medley of pinks and oranges appearing onto a slowly disappearing blue sky.

How cliche. Considering one's disappointments next to a sunset.

“Y/N?” A voice called, almost saccharine in the silence of your surroundings.

And there he was. Draped in the setting sun like a painted figure, cloaked in a veil of sunlight that skimmed his skin like silk. Oikawa’s eyes were almost honey colored in that lighting, and beneath the darkened shelves, he was almost a mystical apparition.

“Oikawa,” was all you said, cursing every possible force for him appearing now, looking like that, when you barely had anything to show for it.

“Kuroo told me you’d offered to help us put together some signs for the de-stress carnival.” Oikawa walked over, stepping away from the sunlight and placing his bag down at your table, opting for a seat across from you. “Which, in case you were wondering, I got approval for. A lot of the other clubs are going to be there.”

“That’s good.” You allowed yourself a glance at him. Your pettiness had all but dissipated, but you were still wary of looking at him for too long. He was like the sun, golden and lustrous and magnetic. You weren’t quite ready to be pulled into his orbit.

“So,” Oikawa said, taking a glance at your computer screen, “Rough designing?”

“Yeah. Inspiration has been hard to find and your club is counting on me.”

“If it means anything to you, we wouldn’t have asked for you to do it if we didn’t believe in you.” You looked up to see Oikawa’s gaze set firmly on your own, as if tracking your expressions. Under his stare, you felt raw. Vulnerable. If you were a cake, and he was cutting you open.

You weren’t sure what to say.

A beat of silence permeated the space between you, and the two of you made no effort to stop it. It was somewhat comforting. Unsaid words of yours were understood by him.

“It feels like a lot of pressure,” you finally admitted, letting out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. “I want it to be worth your while.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Oikawa was closer. His breath was soft, fanning over the side of your cheek like a secret.

“I’m not sure.” Your voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Oikawa paused for a moment, as if contemplating something before decisively placing his hand on top of yours.

For a moment, you were startled by the warmth of his palm, grounding you in some way that didn’t quite make sense to you yet. Something about this was intimate in all the ways it shouldn’t be. Amidst a darkening sky and a slowly dimming library, you could almost consider this clandestine.

You waited for the rustle of a book’s pages or the resounding footsteps of the librarian to break down the moment, but they never came.

Oikawa looked at you, seemingly memorizing your features. He said nothing, but a slight smile appeared on his face the second he spotted a stray lock of hair by your ear. You could feel your face progressively heating with every moment spent in this proximity.

Damn celebrity setters. Damn stupid stupid beautiful men who do this. Damn that Oikawa Tooru.

Gently, as if touching something fragile, Oikawa smoothed down your hair, brushing the tip of your ear with his fingertips. He held your gaze fondly before suddenly, making an incredulous face.

“What the-“ He said, looking at your hair again. “It’s back up again.” He looked at his hands in horror, as if their magic didn’t work. “Damn it, that’s not how that goes.”

You couldn’t stop the laughter from erupting out of you at his antics, You swiftly flattened that pesky strand and looked back at him, feeling the amusement pool in your chest at his dismayed expression.

“Sorry man,” you laughed, syllables coming out breathless, “Sometimes stuff doesn’t go to plan.”

Oikawa seemed like he wanted to melt into the floor, and feeling the need for some fresh air, you dragged him out of the library. Upon leaving the double doors (and air conditioning), you were met by the lit sidewalk and found the wooden benches by the line of trees.

You sat down, gesturing for him to join you.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this one before,” Oikawa mentioned off-handedly, “I mean I’m here a lot, but I’m not sure when this was put here.”

“It’s been here…?”

Oikawa sighed, tilting his gaze to the now dark sky. “You do have an eye for good things.”

You raised a brow. “What does that even mean?”

“The stuff you make is adorable. And Kuroo’s always said that everywhere he brings us are all places you found.”

“Really?” You leaned your upper body onto the bench. “I didn’t expect credit from him.”

“He cares about you,” Oikawa said. “He gave a lot of shit when he realized that we’d talked on our plane and then not again. But I deserved that.”

“I was petty. But it’s not like I can actually walk up to you.”

“What?” Oikawa seemed puzzled, as if this was something impossible for him to fathom. “Why not? I don’t think I’m that bad.”

“Iwaizumi says otherwise.”

“Mean. But seriously, why?”

You’d forgotten how refreshing Oikawa was. Even though you were sitting on a bench, you felt practically weightless.

“Rumors,” was all you said, gesturing to him.

Understanding seemed to flash into his eyes, and slowly, like connecting pieces of a puzzle, it all fell into place. He paused for a moment before meeting your eyes with a grin.

“You know they’re just rumors right?” He smirked, “I went to a party a while back to kick off club season. There was this one girl who really wasn’t leaving me alone, so I ended up leaving. Turns out she’d told her friends that she and I made out at the party and gave me a whole lot more credit than I was expecting. Not that I mind making out, but I’m picky.”

“Picky how?” You asked, words leaving your mouth before you even had the chance to think them over.

“Picky as in there’s really only one person I’ve even wanted to kiss since I got here but haven’t got the chance to. I’m hoping they come to the booth. Just so I’ll get to know what that’s like.”

You felt a subtle twist of something in your chest, though you weren’t sure what to make of it. Of course he had his eye on somebody. It was bound to happen eventually.

“Why are you making a booth to do mass kissing then?” A valid follow up question. A guy like him could successfully pull whenever he wanted to.

“Because I’m an opportunist,” he sighed, “And I’m not even sure if I can make a move properly. I don’t function like I normally do when they’re around.”

“Of course you can. Anybody would say yes to you, Tooru.”

With this, something in him seemed to snap and he immediately pulled you closer, your faces just an inch apart. His hands were firm around your waist, and the sensation was nearly searing. You could feel everything, from his hands to his breath to even the way his eyes seemed to scan your face.

The way he looked at you now was like worship.

“What are you doing?” You whispered shakily. With him all around you you could barely breathe, let alone think.

“Making a move.” His eyes were on your lips. His hand gently left your waist to skim your arm before placing a hand on your cheek. “May I?”

Your nod was nearly imperceptible before he captured your lips in yours.

Soft, was your first thought as you felt his lips brush yours ever so lightly. You leaned into him, relishing the vaguely sweet taste of strawberry Chapstick on his lips as you swiped your tongue over his lips.

Oikawa Tooru was a mystic. His fingers tangled in your hair and his lips searched for yours as if he was a lost man and you were his savior. He traced the curve of your waist and kissed you passionately, nibbling your lips when you pulled at his shirt.

You could kiss him forever. You moved to nip at the tip of his ear, and his shaky breath had you considering if you should bite down harder. He pulled you back in and you melted into the feel of his lips and hands and the way his touch seemed to awaken something inside you.

The way he held you was reverent.

When you finally split for air, Oikawa held you close, his smile never wavering. He rubbed a thumb across your cheek, and placed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

“That was magical,” you murmured into his shirt, and you couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit happy to hear the laugh you liked so much.

You reckoned you’d be able to put together a solid design after tonight.

Oikawa had a skip in his step the following morning. He’d aced every assessment, finished all his homework, and made major breakthroughs at practice. His sets to Bokuto were so flawless that Bokuto could hardly believe he’d made those shots.

Everyone on the volleyball team was certain that something had happened, but Oikawa refused to let up.

He didn’t kiss and tell after all.

“What is up with you?” Iwaizumi asked good-naturedly, tipping back a water bottle. “You’ve been in a surprisingly good mood all morning.”

“It’s been a good day,” Oikawa smiled, offering no other details while picking up a few stray balls on the court. The gym floor seemed exceptionally shiny today. He’d be sure to thank whoever waxed the floor for their services when he could.

“Something definitely happened.” Kuroo chimed in, scrutinizing Oikawa like he was something under a microscope. “The question is what.”

“Am I not allowed to have good days?”

“No you are,” Kuroo smirked, “But a day this good only happens after a sudden surge in popularity which —last time I checked— didn’t happen, or……did you make some breakthrough?”

“With my sets, yes.”

“No,” Kuroo smiled knowingly. “I’m gonna curse them out for not telling me anything.”

Oikawa hid his surprise with a flash of indifference, though internally he cursed the middle blocker. It seemed that he was just as good at reading people as he was at read blocking.

Iwaizumi caught on almost immediately, casting his eyes to his longtime friend, who all of a sudden, was acting like a deer in headlights. He found it odd that the nature of your relationship with Oikawa had transformed seemingly overnight.

It seemed that you never truly harbored any resentment against him.

Still, he resolved to approach you about it as soon as he could.

The minute that you walked through the gym’s double doors, the entire team thought that they’d summoned you with all the prying they were doing. You hauled something large through the door and placed it against the wall, proud of yourself for the herculean effort it took to bring it through.

The minute he registered your presence, Oikawa’s face looked like a puff of cotton candy. His cheeks were rosy with all the teasing and the memories of last night, and when he saw what it was that you’d leaned against the wall, he thought he should run over and kiss you out of pride.

“Good morning guys,” you beamed, a smile so radiant that Oikawa had suddenly lost all the focus he’d had all morning.

“Morning Y/N,” Iwaizumi greeted, walking over to greet you with a hug and a slight gesture to the object that was now leaning against the wall. “Is this it?”

You nodded excitedly. “I got the inspiration to put it together last night. I think it captures the magic of the booth.”

Iwaizumi leaned to flip over the posterboard and decided that he’d never seen anything more fitting in his entire life.

The sign was a pastel wonder, a pale blue at the bottom and moving to a light pink at the top. Across the poster were small and light volleyballs, somewhat transparent against the background as if the pattern was a part of it. The borders of the poster were filled with various lip prints (and even funnier, some hidden Chapsticks).

The font at the center was a far cry from the scrawling archaic font that Kuroo had used on their initial flyers. It was a simple block font, a shade of pink with a glow filter and a pattern that made it look like a light-up sign on the part that really mattered.

The Volleyball Club presents, the poster read, written in a smaller font. Right below that, the light up letters spelled out The Mystic Kissbooth. Help kiss us to greatness.

The team crowded around the board, marveling at both its quality and its thoughtfulness.

“Y/N….” Bokuto trailed off, his eyes nearly bursting with amazement, “This is crazy!”

“Yeah,” Semi added, “This is ridiculously good. Kuroo, where the hell have you been keeping them.”

Kuroo simply crossed his arms and smiled with pride. He’d always believed in you.

Oikawa stood shell-shocked at your work, feeling all the days of preparation finally coming together. He looked at you and smiled a smile so genuine, you were glad you’d finally pulled through.

You looked to the floor bashfully for a moment before meeting the team’s eyes with renewed confidence. “Thank you. I’m glad to help.”

Iwaizumi stood at your side, smiling fondly at you before turning his gaze to Oikawa. “Hey. Oikawa. What is the deal with the de-stress carnival? When is it, where is it, and where are we setting up?”

Oikawa, still elated, looked around the gym at the team. “If you want details, I think we should call another meeting.”

”That is a great idea,” you chimed in.

“Wanna join?” Oikawa asked (hopefully).

”I’m sorry, I don’t think I can. I’ve got a date with Kiyoko.”

The team went silent. “You have a what?!”

The evening hues only made Kiyoko more beautiful. She was dressed casually, wearing classic blue jeans, a tank top, and a cardigan that only accentuated her figure. When she saw you approaching her, a smile appeared on her face instantaneously.

“Y/N!” She greeted, “It’s good to see you.”

You jogged up to her and pulled her into a friendly hug. “It’s good to see you too!”

You and Kiyoko fell into step naturally, opting to have dinner at one of your favorite places outside of campus. It was a quick walk from where you’d chosen to meet up, and in such good weather, it was a crime not to spend more time together.

“I have a lot to tell you about,” Kiyoko began, “Starting with Oikawa Tooru. He showed up in my room and asked for the host. He’s got to know it’s me right?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, “I know you use a modulator to stay under wraps so people take the podcast seriously, but he’s had a very good track record for being perceptive.”

“That’s a pain” she sighed, “I hope he’s not going to spread it around.”

“He won’t,” you assured her, “Oikawa can understand rumors better than anyone.”

Kiyoko smiled relievedly, though she raised a brow at the mention of rumors. “Are those true?”

You fought the heat that seemed to emerge onto your face the minute she mentioned that. You just hoped it would go unnoticed by her.

Her blue eyes, unfortunately, were just as perceptive as they were pretty.

She smirked, crossing her arms and stopping on the sidewalk path. “When did that happen?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s keep walking.” You wish your voice had come out more strongly than a murmur.

“When?”

“Last night.” Damn Kiyoko for getting answers out of you.

“And…?” She raised her brows expectantly.

“Rumors are baseless but I confirm them. He is magical.”

“I ought to say something about that,” she giggled, and you wanted to bury yourself into your hands to avoid her teasing.

“Shush.”

The two of you had a lovely dinner and opted to grab a quick drink from the speciality beverage store next door. Kiyoko grabbed a strawberry milkshake and you opted for a tropical fruit floater that they’d just created. Thanks to Kiyoko, both drinks were on the house.

She nursed the straw between her lips and took a drag of her milkshake before meeting your eyes. “I have some information on the de-stress carnival.”

You urged her to continue, and Kiyoko did.

“Looks like Oikawa and the other members of clubs decided to officially name it the Cool Down Carnival. They’re just going to refer to it as Cool Down for ease. They’re planning to organize it the Saturday after midterms and they’ve been working on concessions like cotton candy, caramel apples, popcorn, and a whole boatload of stuff. Administration is also totally fine with this.”

“Wow,” was all you could say as a response. You were honestly impressed with Oikawa. He put so much thought and care into a silly rumor that had transformed into one of the school’s biggest upcoming events. He was an alchemist of opportunities, taking a rumor of lead and transforming it to gold.

“Yeah,” Kiyoko nodded, “I’ll get social media to cover it for me. So far, nobody doubts that I’m the manager of the ‘Cast, so it should be fairly reasonable for me to do.”

“Out of curiosity, do you know anything about how they’re planning to do the shifts of the booth?”

“All I know for certain is that Oikawa said he probably wasn’t gonna do a headlining shift…or a shift at all. A lot of the other members were perfectly fine with taking this on, but there has been some backlash.”

He was planning on not headlining the booth?

Your heart was suddenly very warm and fuzzy in your chest.

Kiyoko knowingly smiled at you before tipping at the front register and dragging you outside. The breeze was oddly pleasant, something a bit uncommon for this time of year. It was approaching colder weather, but it felt nearly spring-like.

“The weather isn’t making sense,” you said, enjoying the feeling of freedom that came with nighttime out.

“It hasn’t been making sense,” Kiyoko smiled, “We’re anticipating a fresh fair.”

Springs and falls blended together. You found a beautiful leaf on the sidewalk and pressed it to your palm, preserving the feel and look in your memory.

“I’m looking forward to it,” you’d finally tell Kiyoko as you parted ways, meaning each and every word.

When Oikawa had showed up at your doorstep in the morning, your sleep-addled brain could barely fathom the reason as to why he would do such a thing.

That was, until he walked into your room carrying breakfast in a brown bag.

“Good morning Y/N.” He said, voice still slightly raspy from a good night of sleep. (You weren’t going to forget how that sounded forever).

You greeted him with a morning greeting of your own and sat on your bed, stretching your limbs and analyzing the boy who—at this present moment—seemed like the happiest guy on earth.

“Feel free to help yourself,” Oikawa grinned, grabbing a bagel and a pack of cream cheese from the bag. “I have some updates for you.”

“Does it have to do with the Cool Down?” You walked over to the bag and grabbed something you liked from the inside.

“Wow. How did you know about the name?”

“I have my sources,” you winked.

Oikawa simply laughed. “I know it’s Kiyoko dumbass. She’s one of the sneakiest podcast hosts of all time.”

“So you do know.”

“Obviously.” Oikawa lounged on the chair in your corner. “Nobody else is ever working in that office. She should get some people to join her.”

You nodded and shifted to sit next to him on the couch. His warmth was a surprisingly pleasant addition into the morning, and you found yourself leaning into him. He didn’t make any move to stop it, opting to pull you in and place his arm over you.

“We have classes soon,” you said groggily, “But I don’t want to move.”

“We don’t have to right now.”

“Thanks Tooru.”

“Of course, Y/N.” He smiled. “Though we do have an afternoon meeting on how to divide the shifts. I’m not sure what we’re going to be doing about me.”

You suddenly felt a lot more awake. You shifted your weight onto your unsupported arm and looked up at Oikawa. “Are you planning to take a shift?”

Oikawa shifted nervously in his seat. “I’m not sure. I may have to for the sake of demand. Everyone is expecting me to live up to the expectation. I think we would be less successful without my involvement.”

You felt a twist of something. Not jealously, but not comfort either. Something between the two. You rose away from Oikawa, walking over to the opposite side of the room where your bed was and met his eyes.

“Do you really have to?” you asked, feeling partially unfair. There was nothing official between the two of you at the moment, but you’d thought after the kiss two nights ago…..you thought you had a chance.

“I might,” he gulped, “But you know you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to kiss.”

You sighed exasperatedly. “I know that you came up with this as a business opportunity and because you thought we’d never…get anywhere, but a long shift is going to be a lot of people.”

“I know,” he sighed, meeting your eyes with an expression in his own that looked a lot like sadness. “But the fundraiser might just have to come first for now— no that’s not what I—“

“Please leave,” you said, voice wavering a bit, “I don’t want to deal with the whole priorities thing right now. We can say we kissed once for fun. Headline it if you must. Later Oikawa.”

You turned away from him and walked towards your closet to find appropriate clothes for the day. You couldn’t even stand to look at him right now. Things would become too complicated for you to handle.

“Y/N, I’m really sorry.” Oikawa said from behind you, “That is genuinely not what I meant.”

You turned to face him again, not even able to meet his eyes. “There’s got to be some semblance of truth in what you said earlier. You love your team Oikawa. They are important. I don’t expect you to throw away opportunities for me. We’re not even dating.” You laughed dryly. “I’d like a bit of space. We can talk a bit later.”

Oikawa seemed like he had a lot more to say, but he wordlessly slipped out of the door, leaving your room noticeably empty.

Once he’d left for certain, you collapsed onto the floor and let loose the dam of tears you’d held in for so long.

When Iwaizumi found you in the library, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Your eyes were reddened ever so slightly, covered over by a splash of cold water to the face (most likely), and your usual cheerfulness when you greeted him was a lot less lively.

He took the seat beside you, surprised by your lack of response.

”Hajime,” you said softly, turning over to smile sadly at him, “Good to see you here.”

Correction: something was horrifically wrong.

“What happened?” He asked softly, wondering what was enough to dampen your normally resilient spirit.

“Fucking Oikawa,” you laughed sarcastically, “Look at me saying I’d never get caught up in his web, and then doing exactly that.”

Iwaizumi wrinkled his brow. That day on the bench, he’d known enough to discern that you and Oikawa had some sort of history. That much continued to be made obvious by Oikawa’s constant urge to see you and include you in everything that he and Kuroo didn’t think was important enough to invite you to.

However, he wasn’t sure when you and Oikawa became more than a past set of acquaintances….and that stung a little. He understood your reasoning though. Especially if it was as complicated as you seemed to feel at the moment.

“Were you guys dating?”

“No.” You turned to face him in full, and he was struck by the magnitude of just how magnetic you were. Iwaizumi was guilty of being stuck in your orbit. “Just a kiss. Because he sweet talked me into thinking he wanted something.”

“Knowing him, he probably did.” Iwaizumi said, “Oikawa has a tendency to be obsessive to get what he wants, but also be blinded by obligations. This was definitely about him headlining the booth, right?”

You nodded, feeling a sudden tightness in your throat at the thought. You weren’t ready to confront the morning’s events quite yet.

“That dumbass,” Iwaizumi groaned, “If he’d told us that he liked you and had actually managed to make a move we would’ve gladly taken his shift! Who gives a fuck about what the college body wants? Half of them thirst over everyone!” You laughed a bit at the truth of that statement. “Yeah, and Kiyoko told me she was also planning on making a little appearance.”

At this Iwaizumi raised his brow. “Oh that’s about to be carnage.”

“Absolutely,” you giggled, “Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the lucky person.” Iwaizumi laughed, a sound that was low and sweet and comforting. “I think I’ll leave it to some of the other boys. They deserve a chance after all.”

The two of you grinned at the mental imagery of the team fighting for a chance to interact with your beautiful friend, and suddenly, Oikawa’s shittiness seemed like something far less relevant.

Still, even with the humor of the situation came the very uncomfortable realization that you and Oikawa–-whatever you were–-were done if you didn’t come to some consensus.

You shoved your hands into your face, wondering how the hell you’d managed to go from avoidant and unattached to too attached. Maybe the rumors had some merit. A kiss from Oikawa was all that it took to get so jumbled.

Iwaizumi’s warm palm on your back was what brought you back to your senses. He rubbed his slow circles and sat there patiently until you emerged from your cover of shame.

“What am I going to do?” you asked, voice raw and vulnerable and everything you’d rather it not have been.

“Whatever you want to do.” Iwaizumi’s gaze was genuine, soft eyes studying you. “You’re entitled to your own decisions. Kuroo and I would never ditch you for Shitty you know.”

“It’s for the team,” you whispered, feeling tears threatening to spill over your cheeks. Your vision was hazy, and you blinked slowly to clear the water from your eyes. “So then why do I feel like this?”

“Because you care about him, Y/N.” Iwaizumi squeezed your shoulder affectionately, “You and him clearly bonded on some intergalactic level, so having that be suddenly shattered in favor of something seemingly less important is going to feel like shit. In fact, he is the real piece of crap here.” “The team matters.” “The team is all about relationships.” Iwaizumi said firmly. “I have a hunch there’s someone in this tournament that he needs to beat. That’s why he’s been obsessively orchestrating the perfect way to raise money to have a practice match beforehand. Still, I won’t deny it. Oikawa is an idiot for doing this to you. You have all the rights to move on with your life.”

“I think I’m gonna take my space from him for a few days,” you eventually responded. “I think I’ll also not visit the booth. I’ll give Kuroo the sign in advance so he can help with setting up?”

Iwaizumi nodded solemnly. “If that’s what you need to do, I’ll be your number one supporter. I’d still love it if you could stop by though. We love having you around.”

You nodded at him. “I’ll be there for you and Kuroo. Always. And you guys can hang out with me at the Cool Down when you’re off shift.”

“Of course,” Iwaizumi smiled, “For you? Anything.”

“How do you say, ‘I’m angry’ in French?” The ping of the recording microphone tapped on as Oikawa paced quickly around his room.

“Je suis fâché.”

“How do you say, ‘I like to go out with my friends’ in French?” “J’aime sortir avec mes amis.”

“How do you say, ‘I went to my friend’s house’ in French?”

“Je ne veux pas continuer.”

“Oui Monsieur. À Bientôt!” His phone’s recording feature switched off, leaving him in a silent room once again.

He was regretful, so much so that he paced around in his room in the hopes that it would give him some sort of clarity. As much as he wanted to approach you, he knew you weren’t ready to talk to him right now.

“Shittykawa,” he heard from his door, opening with a subtlety and closing with a bang. Classic Iwa move.

He turned to face his best friend, who at this moment, seemed to be quite irritated with him. He could feel the lecture as certain as one could feel a thunderstorm in the air.

Iwaizumi stood, arms crossed in Oikawa’s room, leaning against the wall and pinning him with a look so strong it might as well have been a thumbtack. Oikawa felt rooted in place, and all the words he initially planned on saying left his mouth.

“So Ushijima Wakatoshi happens to be at a school just a bit over,” Iwa started, “I did my research. Why not play a practice match with them to start to see their setting style? Break down their setter, practice receiving from a left-handed person, and maybe we can beat him, right?”

Oikawa sighed, feeling all the fight leave his body. He made his way over to his pale blue rug and sat down. “I know. It’s ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is what you did to Y/N.” Iwaizumi glared at him. “If you’d said something about liking them and actually successfully getting them to like you, then we would’ve been perfectly capable of handling the shifts. Hell, even Kiyoko is coming. That alone will give people incentive to come and kiss us.”

“I made a mistake,” Oikawa cringed. He didn’t even want to think about the morning. What was intended to be a romantic gesture ended up being a horrible memory. His attempts to distract himself were futile, and he couldn’t help but wonder how Iwaizumi had found you. “But they probably don’t want to talk to me.”

Iwaizumi looked at Oikawa sadly. “They’re planning on skipping the booth. They’ve already decided to give their poster to Kuroo so he can help us with set-up. So don’t plan on seeing them.”

He grimaced. “Not coming? Really?”

Iwaizumi nodded. “I was pretty unhappy about it, but we’ve got to give them space to process everything.” The minute you’d smiled at him in the airport, talking about “college stampedes,” Oikawa knew he wanted nothing more but to know you better. He’d thanked every lucky star for the seats you had next to each other and relished every moment spent with you.

He wondered why you avoided him for the next months, always daydreaming about what he’d say to you when you finally reappeared at practices. He’d searched for you in your classes, but he always missed you.

When you walked into the gym on that fateful day, he thought he had a genuine chance. You were perfect. Your thoughts were exquisite, your smile radiant, and everything about you felt right. When he kissed you, he could’ve screamed to the heavens that his heart was yours.

Perhaps that was why his heart seemed to tear a bit at Iwaizumi’s declaration. You wanted to move on from this.

“Oikawa…you can still fix this you know?” Iwaizumi pulled him up from the rug, noting the reignited spark in his eyes. “You should probably get the fair set up, find Y/N, and explain yourself. I’m certain they’ll understand.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he said solemnly, “And if they still decide they want nothing to do with me, at least I did my part.”

You found him at Kuroo’s place at night when you’d stepped through his door uninvited (like you did at times). In your hands was your laptop, a few pencils, and the sign you’d made for the booth. The last thing you’d expected was to see the person you’d been trying so desperately to avoid.

Oikawa, for a moment, looked like he’d seen a ghost. He looked at the door, brown eyes concerned and scanning you as if you’d just walked in through the wall.

Nobody said anything. You stood still, too shell-shocked to process the fact that a night before the Cool Down, Oikawa was spending time with Kuroo. In fact, you could barely believe Kuroo had ever allowed Oikawa into his place in the first place, especially when he knew that you were planning on popping in at some point.

Kuroo’s eyes followed your gaze, finding it landing right on the floor next to Oikawa (as opposed to straight at him).

“Well,” Kuroo began softly, “I didn’t warn either of you.”

“You could have,” you said, looking back at Kuroo, “I would’ve liked to know before I got here.” “But then you would have never showed up.” Oikawa’s voice was clear, slicing through the silence of the room with a blade of decisiveness that you hadn’t heard from him. He looked you over, seemingly analyzing your health since the day he’d fucked up.

“I wasn’t planning on running into you,” you admitted, finding the courage to meet his eyes. “In fact, I was literally just coming to drop off the sign for your booth, talk to my best friend, and then go to bed.”

“Please let me explain myself.” Everything about Oikawa seemed pleading. His face harbored an expression of guilt so boundless that you weren’t sure how to react.

You wordlessly sat down in the corner chair closest to Kuroo’s door, setting your stuff down on the surface closest to it.

“I’m sure Iwaizumi must have told you what it was that we were raising money for.”

You nodded.

“I never had the chance to tell you more about what I struggled with in high school," Oikawa said quietly. “I was surrounded by talented players. Some of them are so talented that I thought I never even stood a chance. I realized at the end of my matches that I deserved to be on the court just as much as anyone else.”

“You’re a damn good setter Oikawa,” Kuroo interjected, “And even Semi admires your sets. He’s from the same school as Ushijima too.”

“Thank you,” Oikawa laughed softly, but even the sound was sad. He turned to meet your eyes. “I was out of line trying to say the volleyball club mattered more to me than what we were getting to be. I was worried they’d be weird at me for flaking, but they’re my team. Iwa told me they’d always have my back. Happy setter happy tosses right?”

You took a moment to process everything that he was saying, ultimately coming to one conclusion. He really did feel bad.

“Why are you so obsessed with having a chance to beat someone you had a rivalry with in highschool?”

Oikawa paused, contemplating your question. His brow was furrowed, and his hands clutched anxiously around nothing, seemingly finding the best words to phrase—whatever it was—that he was feeling.

“It was to give myself the confidence to know I can still beat tough opponents,” he said quietly. “But it was never worth losing you.”

You gently moved onto the floor, kneeling your way over to where Oikawa sat. When your fingertips skimmed his cheek, cool from the fall time air, he seemed fragile.

You gently curved your fingers to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. “Are you sure you mean it?”

“Every last word.” Oikawa whispers, and maybe against your better instincts, you pull him into an embrace.

As far as Oikawa was concerned, you weren’t coming to the booth today.

Cool Down’s set up began bright and early, and despite last night’s emotional clarity, Kuroo was still the one who showed up with the sign.

The booth was placed in a central location, but deep enough into the carnival so that after a sweet kiss, everyone could go and support the other clubs. He hadn’t been able to spot Kiyoko quite yet, but he was certain they were bound to cross paths eventually.

He walked across the grassy area where the carnival was being set up, watching the glorious “Cool Down” sign being placed at the front of the admit area. Many sports teams and board members of academic clubs were helping organize their own booths.

“Hey Oikawa! I can put up the banner!” Bokuto shouted from across the field, jogging up to their area with a rolled up “Mystic Kissbooth” backdrop.

“Be careful!” He yelled back, “We can’t have one of our best spikers getting hurt. I need those cross court and straight shots in perfect condition!”

Bokuto grinned so widely that Oikawa couldn’t help but grin back. “You can count on me!”

He took a moment to slouch against the now filled bouncy castle by their stand, clutching his clipboard to his chest. He could practically sense the excitement seeping into the space as the nearby club members set up their stands.

He’d had the opportunity to survey the space beforehand, and was quite pleased with the nearby stations.

The art club created a paint gun bullseye game to win handmade trinkets and jewelry. The president stood proudly at the set up side, excitedly loading up paint into the guns. He could already predict the boyfriends who’d attempt to win there.

To the other side of them was the statistics club’s probability stand. They’d set up numerous games: cards, a wheel, and even ring toss for the chance to win huge prizes. At the present moment, Kuroo was inquiring about the legitimacy of the airpods in one of the member’s hands (and yes—they were legit).

“This is pretty amazing, huh?”

Oikawa snapped out of his reverie, only to see Mattsun sporting his classic smirk. He looked around for Makki, but didn’t find him.

“Yeah,” he admitted, “I’m honestly surprised our little flier accomplished this much.”

“I’m not,” Mattsun chuckled, “You’ve been like this since high school Oikawa. Everyone here is really grateful for the rumors. Speaking of which…think the culprit is going to show up today?”

Oikawa snorted, momentarily horrified at the sound

that escaped him. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not planning on being a headliner. Iwa’s got that covered.”

Makki walked into view just a few moments later, looking thoroughly confused. “Where’s the rest of the team?”

Kuroo walked over at the exact moment, clapping Makki on the back. “We decided to give them a little break, considering they’re going to be doing all the kissing later.”

The group gathered together, and Mattsun pointed to the castle. “Who’s running this thing?”

“Oh it’s just a free fun thing the school is putting up.” Oikawa smacked it for good measure.

“How did midterms even go for you guys?” Kuroo laughed, “I pulled what I wanted in all my classes. Somehow. Orgo was a fucking miracle though. I genuinely thought I failed.”

“I was mostly fine,” Mattsun chuckled, “Though we won’t talk about history. Freaking liberal arts.”

Oikawa’s midterms had gone more or less to plan, but the added emotional stress had made it much more difficult to keep cool.

Standing there in that grassy field, he felt more at peace than he did the rest of the week.

Maybe today would be okay after all.

You and Iwaizumi were in your room trying to devise a plan on how to attend the carnival. The cool wood of your desk hit your wrist as you spread out the makeshift blueprint of the event that Kiyoko had so graciously given you.

Iwaizumi paced along the floor, inspecting outfits that you picked out while you devised a mental list of everywhere you wanted to go to maximize your enjoyment. Economic principles were literally designed off of utility, and you wanted to make sure all your contributions would have the best outcome for the clubs and yourself.

Midterms had been stressful, and while last night’s talk had fixed most of what had contributed to that stress, you still wondered about Oikawa.

Iwaizumi was the event’s new headliner, so what did that mean for Oikawa?

You weren’t sure.

The Saturday morning filled your room with sunshine that was comforting. From your window you were greeted with the multicolored leaves of campus, some floating down leisurely to hit the grass.

Iwaizumi, it seemed, had finally picked your outfit.

“Here,” he gestured, pointing to one of your favorites. “You rock this one.”

“Why thank you,” you smiled, tossing him the blueprint. “I’ve finally figured out the order I’m going to tour the Cool Down.”

Iwaizumi caught the paper in one arm, muscles flexing ever so slightly as he did. You nodded appreciatively. He was going to generate a shit ton of money.

He put a pen between his lips ever so slightly as he read the marks on the page. “Cotton candy. Art booth. Bouncy castle. Stats games. Chemistry lab. Apple dunk to win candy apples. Physics coaster.” He handed the page back. “That’s a pretty solid list. I think you’re missing something though.”

You pulled the pen out of Iwa’s mouth (surprised at your boldness) and smiled gently at him. “I’ll be sure to pop in at some point or be nearby to support you.”

Iwaizumi nodded, “Of course. I just need to beat you at any and all games we visit after my shift.”

You snickered. “Not a chance.”

Iwaizumi simply smirked in response.

“Hey, I need two tickets!” A student hollered to her assistant, who at the present moment, was working on acquiring more admit tickets from the roll they’d customized for the event. “We have quite the line here.”

“I’m working on it!” The assistant hollered back, jogging over with the entire row.

The line for the Cool Down was large, and you were thankful you’d had the foresight to arrive early enough to avoid a majority of the crowd. Being friends with Iwa had its perks too–the minute that the admitting team had spotted him, they’d immediately ushered you to the front so you were in a position to visit him later.

Soon enough, you were at the front of the line.

“Well hello there friend of Iwaizumi,” the girl at the front smiled, “How many tickets do you need?” “Just one,” you said, surprised at the lack of prompt to pay the entrance fee. “What about the entrance fee?”

“Oh, Iwaizumi took care of that already,” the assistant grinned, handing you a beautifully designed cardstock ticket and tying a wristband around your wrist. “So you can walk straight in.”

You smiled graciously at the duo. “Wow. I’ll go find him and pay him back. Thank you guys.”

Stepping around the ticket distribution center, you walked straight through the decorated entrance area and walked in.

For a moment, you were awestruck. The usually empty grass fields were filled to the brim with activity. All around you were the booths of various clubs, all with lines to try them out. You could smell the sweet and tart scent of caramel apples in the distance, and saw a couple trying out the physics club’s make-shift coaster with a cotton candy in their hands.

The late afternoon was brisk and fresh, and you felt the possibilities of the evening unfurl around you. As the sky darkened its hues, the fair would begin to light up from the fixtures that trimmed everyone’s areas. Everything, from the food areas, to even the Mystic Kissbooth would create a movie-like scene.

You decided right there and then that the Cool Down was the best fair you’d ever attended. You’d never seen anything as well thought out as what you saw today.

You made your way to the popcorn area, finding new booths that you hadn’t seen on the blueprint. In front of you was a simple dart-throw, with the guarantee of winning a special edition Cool Down shirt if you hit within a certain range.

This was intriguing.

“Hi there,” you said quietly, walking up to the booth. “Can I give this a whirl?” The booth’s president looked up at you shocked for a moment before nodding.

“Of course!” He said excitedly, elbowing his shift mate. “Y/L/N Y/N, right? We are huge fans of your work. Kuroo has told us so so much about you!”

“My work?” You asked curiously as they pressed a dart into your palm. “Like my fliers?” “Hell yeah,” the president grinned. “Pay if you win okay? I honestly want you to get our design out of it. We were inspired a bit by your Mystic Kissbooth sign.”

In the spirit of good fun, you aimed the dart as best as you could, so surprised when you hit a spot very close to the bulls-eye.

“Hey!” you shouted excitedly, “I actually got in range!” The president smiled excitedly. “Amazing! What’s your shirt size?” You told him your size, tucking a good amount of money into the jar. As soon as the soft shirt fabric hit your hands, you were immediately overcome with a sense of pride. The design was beautiful and simple, capturing the essence in the fair in just an image.

“You’re the design club?” You grinned, “This is amazing!” “Ah thank you,” the president said bashfully, “It’s an honor to get a compliment from you. You’re more than welcome to join us. Canva art is still art we love.”

“I’ll be sure to consider it!” You waved goodbye to the design booth as you made your way deeper into the fair, a t-shirt in hand.

“Hey there! Want a chance to win a cool plushie? Come right over!” You turned your head to be met with the sewing club with something that looked a lot like “Bop-It” set up with sheets of papers next to them. Out of sheer curiosity you made your way to the booth, finding a larger crowd than you anticipated. “Okay,” one of the members began, “Here is how this works. You and your competitor will receive a pre-programmed Bop-It machine. Follow the color scheme as closely as you can and note the last color in each sequence on your sheet. If you don’t mess up before your partner, you win ANY handmade plush of your choice!” In front of you, you spotted a couple tucking money into the jar and competing against one another. The round was quick, ending when someone clicked the wrong color. The handmade plushie of the winner was adorable.

Somehow, all your observations had led you to the front of the line.

“Hello,” a student smiled, “Do you have a competitor with you?” You were about to share a response when you heard a voice behind you. “Yeah, they do. I’d like to play please.” You were pleasantly surprised to find Kiyoko grinning as she tucked a hefty amount into the jar. The student at the front seemed enamored, and so did the entire line.

“Shimizu Kiyoko is here…” they all whispered.

“Hey Kiyoko,” you smiled, placing your own money in the jar. “Planning to beat me?”

“Of course.” She grinned mischievously, “I ran a volleyball team. I am competitive enough to beat you.”

The game began as soon as the students got a grip of themselves. You frantically hit the colors and noted them down, only to tie with Kiyoko. You’d both walked away with adorable plushies, though Kiyoko had forcibly had to ensure that they didn’t hand her an extra.

“I’m glad to run into you,” you smiled, walking with her further into the grass. “I had no idea what time you were planning to get here.”

“I’m glad I found you.” Her smile was infectious, and soon enough, you stood in front of a candy apple stand.

“Are you planning to visit the booth?” You asked her, watching her pay for her apple.

“Yeah,” she smiled, “Oikawa begged me to cover, so I was feeling nice. Though he’s been sulking lately.” You raised a brow. When you saw him last night, you could feel his fatigue. You felt the stress melt out of him when you pulled him in for a hug, but you hadn’t realized the extent of his distress.

“He hasn’t kissed today at all,” she smiled knowingly, “I think he’s saving an appearance for a special someone.” “He’s….not headlining?” You were shocked. After everything, it seemed that he really meant what he said.

“Nope,” Kiyoko wiped some caramel from her lips. “And the booth’s sales have been spectacular.”

Standing there in the field, you were hit with the intense urge to see him. “Go,” Kiyoko smiled, “They’ve been waiting for you to show up.” “We’ll catch up.” You smiled as you took off in a jog towards the booth. The wind swept your cheeks as you ran, and you could see the evening sun dip into different colors. Beautiful, you thought, feeling the adrenaline pump through your veins.

He really had meant everything. You needed to see him.

When you arrived at the booth, you were shocked at the line. So many students lined up, money in hand as they waited for their chance to kiss a volleyball player. You were shocked to see the crowd, watching someone hand Semi a particularly large bill before leaning in for a kiss.

You surveyed the booth for Oikawa, but you couldn’t find him anywhere. You couldn’t stop the thrum of your heart in your chest from overpowering your senses. Where was he? What if you were too late? At that particular moment, Oikawa walked out from behind the stand, putting some Chapstick onto his lips. And then, he saw you.

You stood in line, a large bill in hand and an expression that seemed almost desperate. Oikawa has never seen anyone look more perfect than you did right now. You held a handmade plushie and a shirt, lips flushed from biting them.

You met his eyes, feeling your heart shock at the sensation. There he was.

Before you even had a chance to think about what you were doing, you ran out of line to him, shoving the bill into his hands.

“Tooru,” you said breathlessly, looking at him with an expression he’d never seen before. “Kiyoko told me you weren’t headlining. I was afraid I wasn’t going to find you. I’m sorry for not trusting you.” Oikawa could hardly hide his shock as the words tumbled from your lips. He studied your cheeks, and smoothed out your wind mused hair with a soft smile. “Hey, it’s alright.” You exhaled, looking at him like he strung the stars. “I thought I wouldn’t make it in time.” Oikawa simply grinned before pulling you in for a passionate kiss.

This was different from the last time you kissed. He cupped your face softly and wrapped his other arm around your waist, tracing a small heart into your back. You could feel the curve of his lips as he kissed you softly, pulling you deeper when you smiled back into it. Everything about this was soft, almost loving. It felt like a truce. It felt like a confession.

It felt better than both of those things. When you finally split for air, his smile was nearly blinding. He looked at you like you were a poet and he was your poetry, a product of your purest affections.

“Go out with me sometime?” He looked nervous, standing there like he hadn’t just kissed you like you were the most special person in the universe.

“Of course,” you grinned, pulling him down for another kiss.

if you got this far, thank you for reading <3!!

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ayeeedomino · 5 months

Text

Ateez 9th member

Roux and her dates

Ryujin:

Roux and Ryujin were talking via SNS, about their tour plans and countries they will be in the future. The two have been to unofficial dates before, but never a formal one at that. Ryujin sent a a flirt message:

“Why don’t you come have dinner with me and then we talk more? 👀”

“Sure babe😉”

With that settled, at a Friday they met up in front of a famous trendy restaurant in Seoul. As the night went by, they got talking about their time together at JYP, their dreams and goals, and their personal life.

"You know, Jinnie, there's something I've been wanting to share with you. Ive been seeing your performances and I really admire your confidence on stage and how effortlessly you command attention. It's truly captivating, as if you cast a spell on them.”

"Wow, thanks babe. That means a lot coming from you, you’re gonna make me blush. Honestly, I've always been in hypnotized by your stage presence! You really evolved, it’s like a whole different girl from the one I met back then.”

"Thanks darling. It's not always easy, but when I'm up there, it's like I'm in my element. And being able to connect with fans through music, it's a feeling like no other. And the guys been helping me build my confidence. But what have you been up to in your rest days??”

Ryujin gives her little charming chuckle and proceeds saying; "In my rest days? Well, you know I like to rest at home, like binge watching some new tv show, listening to music, and cooking! You know is like a therapy for me!”

As Roux smiles, she throws a shot; “You know, next time you rest you can call me to cuddle, right?”

"Yeah, I will, it sounds nice. You know, you continue being fearless. You're not afraid to be you, and that's a rare quality.“

Roux looks into her eyes and says; "Thank you, but it’s not hard when I’m around you, you are captivating.”

Ryujin smiles and reaches to hold Roux hands; "You know, you mean a lot to me..and also,we could be a very hot pair…”

“I know right?..” as she giggles, they both continue enrolling through the night, wondering about what could be their future together…

Yves:

They don’t really know each other, but one day Roux sent a message complimenting Yves a story she posted. Yves replied complimenting her back and they started talking. A few weeks later Yves decided to invite her to a night out.

They first meet up at a trendy bar known for its lively atmosphere and creative cocktails. As they chat over drinks, they discover shared interests in music, fashion, and travel, sparking a sense of excitement for the night ahead.

After a few drinks, they move to a nearby club where they start dancing, they feel free. As they lose themselves in the music, dancing together with uninhibited joy and passion, their laughter blending seamlessly with the rhythm of the crowd.

As the night passes, they take breaks from dancing to share intimate conversations in quieter corners of the club, getting to know each other on a deeper level amidst the vibrant energy of the night.

"Roux, can I be honest with you for a moment?"

Roux smiles and says; "Of course, unnie. What's on your mind?"

After a deep breath she said; "I just want to say that I've really enjoyed getting to know you. There's something about your presence that's so captivating and genuine. I feel like I can be myself around you."

Roux blushes; "Thank you unnie. I feel the same way about you. It's rare to meet someone at first sight who understands you on such a deep level, you know?"

Yves nods; "Yeah, it is rare. But with you, it feels natural. I admire your strength and your passion for life. You have this inner light that shines so brightly, and it's impossible not to be drawn to it."

"Wow, thanks unnie. That means a lot to me. And you, there's a kindness in your eyes that speaks volumes. It's like you see the beauty in everyone and everything around you."

Yves looks away into the crowd before proceeding; "I try my best. But with you, it's easy. There's something about you that brings out the best in people. I feel like I can open up to you in ways I never thought possible."

Roux looks down to Yves hands, looks up where their eyes meet, and gently takes her hands; "I'm glad you feel that way. Even thought we only met personally today, I feel like I’ve known you for a long time."

As Yves squeezes her hands, she said; "Me too. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I do know that I want you to be a part of it. You've captivated me."

Roux leans very close to Yves, before whispering; "Then let's make the most of every moment we have together. Whatever the future may bring." before pulling her back to the dance floor.

As the early hours of the morning approach, they decide to call it a night, their hearts racing with adrenaline and their faces flushed with excitement. With promises to do it all again soon, Roux and Yves part ways, their spirits lifted by the unforgettable memories they've created together on this exhilarating date.

Giselle:

Giselle and Roux met back in 2020, when their schedules overlapped. Since then they kept talking and going out. Roux just called Giselle and asked her to come over.

They start by watching random tv shows, before watching the movie “Carol”. The movie is pretty intense, and made them cry at the end. As it ended they started discussing their favorite scenes, moments and critics of the movie. That lead to an intimate conversation.

“You know Roux, I really connect with you! We share similar struggles, issues, and moments. I feel you and I match.”

“I feel that way too! I guess we both dealt with bad comments from the media..”

“Yes! Talking about that, how are you dealing with that scandal? I mean, it’s bad enough to have people eyeing your personal life, but something so intimate as sexuality must be shit.”

“I mean, I guess I’m fine? Yeah it’s annoying, but that’s nothing really I can do? Dealing with this industry have so many problems, but also have me the ability to share my music, my passion, something so dear to me…and have so many supporters feels nice, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Feels nice to not feel alone.”

After a moment of quiet, she said:

“I don’t mean to be weird or make you uncomfortable, but is it true?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Oh, hope you don’t let anything bad get to your head, because you are a really amazing person, intelligent and gorgeous at that.”

“Oh stop you’ll make me blush.”

“You know, I’ve never really thought of myself being with a girl…I guess I never gave myself the time to really think. All of my life I just thought I had to like men, before I even stop to think what I really like..”

“Oh I know that feeling. I guess you just have to have some introspective moment with yourself, do you see yourself with a woman? With a man? Or both? Do you see yourself settling down with all of them? Or just one of them? Guess you should just really think, and don’t pressure yourself with it! Everyone have their own time!”

“Thanks….though I feel like I wouldn’t mind doing any of that with you…of course, slowly, but if you are open to it, I wouldn’t mind…”

As they cuddle together, they spent the rest of the night talking and just being comfortable with each other.

Yunjin:

This year 2024 Coachella happens to have both Le Sserafim and Ateez performing. What a better excuse to have more time together? First they meet backstage and go out to see other head liners. But at their day off they decided to go to an amusement park.

They arrive early, eager to beat the crowds and make the most of their time. Hand in hand, they start with the roller coasters, laughing and screaming as they race through loops and twists, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

Afterward, they explore the various attractions, from the dizzying heights of the Ferris wheel to the exhilarating drops of the Tower of Terror. With each ride, they bond over shared excitement and occasional nervousness, reassuring each other with comforting words and playful nudges.

As they stroll through the park, they indulge in classic carnival treats like cotton candy and funnel cakes, savoring the sweetness of the moment as they exchange stories and inside jokes.

Feeling adventurous, they challenge each other to games of skill and chance, determined to win each other stuffed animals as souvenirs of their unforgettable day.

As the sun sets and the park lights up with colorful displays, they find themselves on the carousel, riding side by side on majestic horses, feeling like carefree children lost in a whirlwind of joy and wonder.

As the night comes to a close, they share a quiet moment on a bench, watching the fireworks paint the sky with bursts of light and color. With hearts full of happiness and memories to last a lifetime, they share a tender kiss, grateful for the magic of their day at the amusement park.

"I've been thinking a lot lately about life, you know? A few years ago I thought I would just become a lawyer, but now I am here, traveling the world, seeing so many different cultures, exploring the world.”

“I get it, seeing all of this make you feel so accomplished."

“You know, whenever I’m with you, it’s like the world stops, the sounds fades, it’s just you and me.”

“That's exactly how I feel too. You just always manage to make so comfortable, so nice."

"And I love that. I love how we can just be ourselves with each other, no pretenses, no expectations."

"Me too. It's like we have this special connection that's just ours, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. And I never want to take it for granted.."

“I'm truly grateful for tonight. It was a cool way to rewind."

“You’re right.” With that they share an embrace watching the sun go down.

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tomatoscribbles · 1 year

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Actor AUs are one of my favorite things. Get rid of all the drama and tragedy for a moment and just be some Guys Hanging Out. So I was very glad to see actor AU brainworms elsewhere and especially with such cool art to go along with it!!

funnily enough, actor aus arent something im usually super drawn to! this one just came to me and the visual potential of jin and kaz acting completely opposite towards each other as in canon was too funny to pass up. that said, its actually become rather heartwarming as well! i love the fake relationship ive made in my head, so ill add some additional "headcanons" under the cut! (and of course tysm for the compliment ♥)

masanori (kazuya's actor) and isshin (jin's actor) are the only people in the cast actually related, the rest of the mishima/kazama clan is cast purely for looks and believability (as well as performance of course)

isshin's casting was a BIT of nepotism, sure, but he was also an up and coming actor who would be perfect for the role, so he was the first choice. like his father, he's REALLY good at his job

isshin and hwoarang's actor actually get along super well, and unlike masanori having to fight his son, they actually enjoy their character's rivalry a lot

masanori and heihachi's actor get along very well too! he's a veteran actor who used to play hero types but gets cast in more villainous roles as he got older. hes a good guy lol

for masanori and isshin's first scene together (the final confrontation in tk4), they actually had to take breaks between shots because masanori is a baby who cant take hearing his baby boy say such terrible things to him sdhfjkndsf. honey, youve got a BIG STORM COMING

masanori absolutely hates the makeup time it takes for his devil scenes, and the one he had to sit through for 7 nearly had him going insane. isshin was sympathetic but also laughing at him a lot

despite this, isshin is actually even MORE restless than his father, and thats part of the reason devil jin is designed with much less prosthetics

isshin's mother died when he was a child, so masanori has raised him on his own for the better part of his life. incidentally, he might actually end up marrying jun's actress lol?

(this is me speculating on 8 or probably after but) they both knew jin's introduction would lead up to his taking over the series from kazuya completely one day, but masanori's final day on set was a lot rougher than they expected. they actually both ended up really upset lol

#artists on tumblr #tekken #kazuya mishima #jin kazama #tekken au #tekken actor au #au #fanart #sketch #ask #claudioseraph #this au is so silly and fun so im glad so many others seem to enjoy it lol

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for-gilded-cups-are-empty · 8 months

Text

Katalepsis after live-read thoughts collection

So, now that im caught up about in time for book 1 to end, i am just regurgitating half-thoughts ive had along the ride, doing some retrospection and working my way through all the stuff i still want to draw.

I think thats one of the big things i really noticed and appreciated about katalepsis. Theres just drawability to it. I havent decided yet if its Hungrys writing style in general, the genre, or most likely, a characteristic of Heathers that got me to figure out i can use my laptop as a drawing tablet. Heather in her internal monologue just has a real appreciation for spaces.

A space is rarely a backdrop to do a scene in, the places and buildings and dimensions are characters to heather in a way that just makest a lot of sense for someone who grew up seeing the personified spirits of the everyday world as well as the varied wilds of Outside.

When the Stairwell trap is sprung, theres a very real feeling of betrayal, the willow house has forsaken raine and heather, who previously thought it a sanctuary.

We later learn that the space was bound, artificial, forced to act against its inhabitants in a way a house usually would not, which fits some themes that come up waaaaayy later.

I originally thought this would just be a quirk of heathers, some flavor to her thought processes, but it really did get picked up as an actual story beat, not just an aesthetic, with the soul of edward lilburnes house.

The Outside places are a bit more metaphorical about this, but strangely more clearly alive as well. The Library is an extension of the catalogue, wonderland is dominated by the eye. Ooran Juhs Projected space is his own physical gullet. Carcosa is the stage of a living play. The very first outside space we get to properly see is on the back of some giant creature, hairs and all.

Theres just Personality to every place that keeps them all so very, very vivid.

Ive been planning to draw wonderland ever since the mirror incident at the very beginning of the story, and in a very funny way, as ive drawn other stuff along the way ive been training for wonderland and the eye along with the cast. I really want to do it justice.

Staying on said cast for a bit, ive already talked about raine for a good bit, but theyre all amazing. I was always happy to see that an arc or a few chapters would become a cast members designated backstory time, because i really do want to know more about them and how they work as people. After about the middle point of the story though, those moments and how they connected became pretty hard for me to keep track off

For a reader who was along for the ride since the start, having to wait between chapters as they come out, the pacing probably works way better than it did for me.

I found myself really wishing for more time with the spookycule in each stage of development it had. Early katalepsis with just raine evee and heather is probably where it was the closest to ideal for me, in terms of just vibes i enjoy and things to keep track of.

I dont want to be too analytical, im bad at that, but for example we only see the fractal used to banish a sharrowford cult servitor once.

There could have been way more time spent in the twilight of magic, the street level zone, where every accidental slip outside is a moment of grand terror, and heather learns to live with the idea that the spirits are real.

For someone who gets called “Shaman” a lot later on, we only really see her asking a spirit for directions once (the wrecking ball hands gorilla), where i was expecting that to become a very integral bit of her kit as a character. I love the cephalopod changeling we got instead, but i do feel there could have been a heather who learned to work with her non brain pain vomit inducing abilities for practical reasons, at least for a little while.

After that comes the Messenger demon and maisies message. Knowing the rest of the story, i love that the primary motivation set up here has jack and shit to do with Ed or Alex. This isnt a story about killing the bad guy, its in a very serious way a story about love and that is what should motivate the characters.

Ed and Alex really are just invaders to the story, who grasp at threads that should not concern them at all, with their meddling eventually causing the collapse of Alexs portion of the cult under the Eyes gaze.

I dont quite know how much actual space is in between Kimberly and Zheng joining the household, but this is really the part of the story where just a lot happened at once. We get both badger and sarika, the entire abyss transformation and zheng so very close together.

During the time of the dead hands there is actually some breathing room though. Mostly because set dead hands keep us consigned to a breathable atmosphere for a bit.

The other big stretch of story that i wish lasted longer is the post proposal journey with sevens and saldis through carcosa. Given how time works outside, that whole stretch of time could have really stretched for a while without threatening the maisie limit, and i do wish that some of sevens later character development had happened in here, since i didnt quite know what to think of her after they left the palace, whereas right now in the end she is one of my favourites. I still dont know what i think of the king in yellow being in this story at all, but thats a me issue.

Yeah, so given that most of the smaller thoughts ive already posted in the liveread chat, i guess ive now covered my two big thoughts. I love how katalepsis treats spaces, and the only thing i had any problems with was the pacing, which tbh might just be because i didnt take my time when reading at all.

Time for even less structured thoughts now, just a rapid fire of things that come to mind after reading:

I hope we eventually get a perspective on the worlds cosmology from a mage fully unconnected to the vaguely interconnected british underworld of mages, im very curious how deeply different interpretations of outside, the abyss, demons and beyonders a person might have if they never interacted with the humunculus wars environment. The abyss beeing wet and aquatic seemed to be a general truth, to edward, zheng and even lozzie, until we met taika for example. I want to see more of that.

I said earlier that sevens has become one of my favourites, which is kinda stupid since most characters are my favourite at something by some measure, but Raine and Evee are still the two that are the most meaningful or connected to me. Ive already gone into maybe too much detail on how Raine just works in a way that ive never seen portrayed in anything for some reason. What i havent really realized until about now is how similar evees struggle is. There is that same need to feel useful. They both define their fundamental self via a skill that is in some way repulsive to them for whatever reason, and must cling to another to point them in a direction where they feel they can use it to do good. Evee has to feel useful, has to justify her presence and her dangerous knowledge to herself to some degree, and helping heather is how she does it for now.

The fundamental difference i think is that Raine chose to define herself that way, as knight errant, as supporter, while evee feels any other option to act on the world was taken from her by her mother. This mostly takes the form of her physical disability often stopping her from acting in time, reaching places, but also stopping her anorgasmia seemingly stopping her from loving in the way she thinks is correct (at that point of the story at least. Both of those are changing of course, mostly thanks to Praem).

It kind of lines up with Kimberly in a funky way, since she essentially decided not to use sorcery to justify her presence, both in the house and the story, but still remained around and appreciated, as a sort of in universe counterpoint to evees negative view of herself.

Thats all i can think of for now, i dont actually now how to end this, this isnt a sotry analysis, i have no conclusion except that im glad i caught up so close to the end, because im excited to see all of us react to whatever crazy shit is going down live!

#katalepsis

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forffax · 8 months

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returning the favor with oc asks since i always wanna hear about yours !! if you had to pick like your top 5 favorite characters who would they be and why 👀 bonus if you want to pick your favorite like settings/worlds/universes youve made for ocs too!

OOOUH thank u chase!!!

I'm gonna list out my favs then talk abt my main oc universe a bit ^_^

This got ridiculously long so it's going under a readmore <3

1. Tos Family (sorry this is going to be. the whole family bc I cannot possibly choose between them)

i. Lux Tos (he/him)

(realizing now i haven't drawn him in a hot fuckin minute)

MY DAD. guy of all time ever. everyone's favorite half-human time traveling alien war vet. it always feels weird referring 2 him as part alien even if it's technically true sdjfgs. fun lore fact: he was the Dead Older Brother in original iteration Zephyr's Sad Backstory but I liked him too much so I decided he got to live <3

Lux is one of my older ocs that I still actively draw and think abt (late middle school...) and he's changed a LOT over the years but he's so so so dear to me. my guy who has Seen the Horrors and is now happily gay married with a kid :') sdfkjsk most things abt his story is just me being So Incredibly Self Indulgent (cool powers, complicated sibling relationships, gay) but it makes me happy and I love sharing it with ppl! Someday Voided 2 will be real and ready to share with the world...

ii. Ferdinand Tos (he/him)

Dad....2!!!!!! I don't remember when exactly I thought him up but it was probably around when Lux's backstory was getting a major overhaul... He's a man out of time he's training to be a doctor and his will to live is so strong he spent the better part of nearly two decades building himself a new body! Guys who died but got better <3. I think I literally got brain blasted one day and decided he's a non-op trans man and it was the best thing ever for him actually. He's a southern californian stuck in the cold northwest (probably. either that or the northeast im not settled on that aspect yet skdjfs). He's been super fun to write from a worldbuilding perspective too bc his main goal is to pioneer a new branch of medicine using his powers! His relationship with Lux and the rest of the family (and his reconciliation with his sister) is sooooo important 2 me :]

iii. Athanasius Tos (she/her)

THANAAAAA most normal sibling (lie). She was adopted formally right after Lux "died" and had a bit of a complex about just being a "replacement" for a good while, and she THOUGHT she had worked through that when Lux suddenly re-appeared... they're on great terms now but it was Tense. She's a biochemist and probably makes the most out of the household (she shares an apartment with Zeph!) It's very important 2 me that she can let herself be vulnerable with her family and close friends after years of bottling everything up... Epic nerdy autistic butches in your area <3 Fun fact she is the only full human of the main cast!

iv. Zephyr Tos (she/him)

My fuckign auncle. Within the story she only recently realized he was bigender and is much happier for it, even if you couldn't tell by her permanent scowl skjdfgs. Zeph was the original protag (along with Thana) of the short story I wrote in middle school that turned into Voided 2! In-universe he was very clearly supposed to be the protag but missed/ignored the "call to action" phase and just got a shitton of Issues and Traumas instead <3 She's so everything 2 me he's a freelance writer/artist she's kinda cringe and he is trying only as hard as she absolutely needs to in order to get by. While his relationship with Lux is MUCH better than it was when Lux first came back, she's completely inseparable from Thana and would do anything for her (I feel like they spent equal times protecting each other from bullies as kids...) He's changed so much from her original incarnation but developing him has been SO much fun <3 Since Voided 2 runs on real-world time (in that I have specific real-world dates for most major events) she turned 50 fairly recently and that's fucked but also funny. old.

v. Alan Tos (any)

Alan! Love this kiddo. He's Lux and Ferdinand's adoptive kid! Xe doesn't learn about it for a while but she was a government secret experiment test-tube baby (they were trying to artificially fuse souls together, distantly related to the later Child Soldier School ze was placed into) (kid cannot catch a break). He's a good kid, if not a little clueless and naive... someone who would hold no ill-will if you had to cut their leg off (this is not a hypothetical GJSKDS). Somehow, despite all this, she is by far the most Normal out of xer family <3 His fashion sense is some kind of spectrum between 60s businesswoman and scene and tbh? Very fun to draw! Her friends and family are very very dear to them and at the moment xe's just kind of letting life take zem wherever.

2. Vague (it/they)

unauthorized fucking thing kill it with hammers NOW!!!!!

Vague started as I think just a proxy for myself in vent art I drew in like early high school sdhjfgds they have since become. something. my mascot I guess? (I still end up using it for vent art sometimes bc it's functionally unkillable and it's fun 2 get narsty sometimes.)

originally it was just the weird cat-shaped angel thing but a couple years ago I gave them a human design that I really love too <3 vague technically has a place in Niko and my other cat furry ocs' story but their human form exists in the real world and is just Like That i think. vague is just a little guy okay? they're sorry about crying and bleeding all over the place (not bc it sees any issue with this they just noticed you looked upsetskjdfhs)

3. Niko (he/they)

Baby's first fursona! Niko was always mostly his own character but now that I have new This is Just Me sona(s), they've been officially retired from that front <3 Niko's story is mostly planned out, I just desperately need to write it somewhere skjdbfs but the gist is that Niko works a shitty minimum wage call center job and finds meaning and love through forming a band with people he happens to meet... also there's some whistleblowing and betrayal and vague slams down out of the sky at some point <3 Niko's band doesn't have a name but they're the lead vocalist! (Niko 🤝 Blue (is blue and sings in their band)) This is a universe where everyone is cat furries simply bc I wanted to design lots of cat furries but also I haven't drawn like half of his bandmates/friends.... orz

Fun fact I found my original doodles of him in an old math notebook and apparently I seriously considered the name "chandler" for them. Help,

4. Larkspur (they/them)

Laaark my friend lark :] they're my player character for a friend's tabletop campaign! *hands you a bug* *hands you a bug* *hands-

Their design was super fun to come up with and they're fun to play as :] They were raised on a farm and have a deep love for animals (insects in particular), but they have a hard time connecting with others and understanding why people act the way they do.. They wear an eyepatch to cover their multiple other eyes bc it gives them bad sensory overload to see with them! They also spent quite a bit of time as a bounty hunter before they were blacklisted from further work bc they let a target escape on purpose... Lark is a ranger/bard and they play the hurdy-gurdy! They're dear to me and I really need to draw them more sjdfhgs

5. Chungy Fresh (she/he/they)

Chungy my belungy.... she's a mimic who spent most of his life being a chest in the temple of a forgotten goddess until they gained sentience and saw a fursuit from far away and decided yep! I'm gonna look like that Now <3 She didn't get all the details right but he's never been happier! I think Chungy spawned from me drawing a weird fox thing and simultaneously thinking "hey wouldn't it be funny if a character had a verbal text/forum signature and it was also their name" skdjfgjskdfls. Chungy is def up there with "most fun ocs of mine to draw" bc she's so Noodly and Malleable... I started playing as him in a friend group's tabletop oneshot thingy (where multiple ppl write different unrelated oneshots but we use the same characters for each session) and it has been a lot of fun!

OKAY OC UNIVERSE TIME. I call my main oc story "Voided 2" bc it takes place in the same universe as my v personal self insert oc story "Voided" that I have been working on/writing/thinking abt since late middle school... It's kinda vaguely modern fantasy/sci-fi? Main things are that there are beings born at the beginning of the universe made of pure energy called Lunoirs. There are countless universes, and each universe has Lunoirs in some capacity. They mainly exist to "keep the balance," but if you ask any specific Lunoir what that means you'll get a million different answers. Mainly they gravitate towards any life within their universe and integrate with them, observing them and protecting them from Shadows and Vacares. Shadows are the unliving souls that will eventually be reborn and reformed into a living soul inside any given universe-- they exist in the space between universes, called the Void. the Void looks different to any being that crosses into it, and it's hard to say what its "true" nature is. Vacares are Lunoirs that have had their souls corrupted and eaten, usually by other Vacares. While Shadows, being amalgamations of soul energy, are strictly neutral, Vacares seek to cause chaos and eat more Lunoir souls, increasing their numbers in a vain attempt to satisfy their endless hunger.

The Lunoir population on Earth is fairly numerous, and since Lunoirs can take on whatever form they choose, many of them live and love and have children with humans, making partial-lunoir children (physically they are nearly indistinguishable from full humans, save for longer lifespans, odd hair and eye colors, and sharper teeth. also they have semi-physical wings, but these have to be manually brought out and often ppl don't even know they have them (*cough* zephyr *cough*)

Lunoirs aren't fully immortal, but they have a different life cycle to most other forms of life. When a non-lunoir dies, their soul disintegrates and is amalgamated with the souls of others in the Void to become Shadows. When a Lunoir dies (outside of having their soul completely corrupted/destroyed), they instead go into a sort of stasis and are reborn later; they have no memories of their previous life (the ones on Earth don't, at least) and they can take on wildly different appearances.

Lunoirs and partial Lunoirs have powers in the form of energy manipulation, particularly when it comes to the energy of their own souls... They can use their souls to form weapons, mainly to fight against Vacares that tend to be immune to physical weapons. Most people have one weapon that they specialize in, but in a pinch nearly everyone can form a knife. Humans can manipulate their own soul energy in this way too, but this ability must be taught/"unlocked" by a Lunoir or a partial Lunoir first (Zephyr, at some point, did this for Thana without either of them realizing it). Lunoirs can also manipulate the energy of the very universe to create Rifts in time and space, sometimes leading between separate universes... These rifts also open of their own accord from time to time, and there's a good number of people who have been displaced from their time or even their universe by unwittingly falling into one.

Every living being has a "soul" (a collection of their life energy), and through a kind of "reaching out," one can feel/taste/smell/hear/see another's soul... every soul is a bit different, so this is an easy way to identify people even from a distance!

The Earth Lunoirs once had a country where they congregated called Saluria, which was the site of a brutal multi-year war against an army of Vacares that wanted reign over Earth... Many Lunoirs and partial Lunoirs across all of Earth's history felt drawn to Saluria, often willingly or unwillingly being rifted to the time of the war to go fight in it... Some partial Lunoirs especially believed it was their sacred duty, while others believed it was a curse leading them to inevitable death... there's even whispers that Saluria itself is alive, luring in young partial and full Lunoirs out of self-preservation.. who's to say. Ultimately, the Salurian War was a victory, but not an easy one.

Lux and Zephyr are half Lunoirs (their mom being full), and Ferdinand is 3/4ths Lunoir! Alan is a bit of a weird case but functionally he's also half Lunoir :]

This is v much simplifying Years of worldbuilding ssjhdfgjks and I can FEEL I missed a bunch of stuff but it's all very very dear 2 me :]

#THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE ASK SORRY THIS IS LIKE A MILE LONG <3 #matoitech #my ocs #long post #if u (or anyone else) has any questions abt the Voided universe worldbuilding stuff feel free to ask i love going nuts abt it <3 #my art #txt #blood #eyestrain #<- mostly for the chungy pic sjdfhgs #ask games

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kquil · 1 year

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Hello sweetie ! Congratulations for your 1k, you totally deserve it, your writing is so soft and, how could I say it, light? I mean it's always so sweet to read and I'm always in a good mood after ❤️

If I dare ask for a little cupcake🧁 (but really if you don't feel it or don't have time it's ok ^^, I'm just really curious 🫣)

About me: I'm a short woman (157,5cm) but I'm kinda okay with it. True Hufflepuff, I have only a few friends but they mean the world to me. I love reading (fantasy or swashbuckling novel kind), my puzzles and just enjoying my time quietly or with some music. I'm shy at first but when I'm at ease, I laugh at good jokes and can't stop talking, mostly when the subject is interesting. I love when I can have a real talk with people, not just small talk, I can't stand hypocrisy.

I think that's it. Thank you for taking time to read this at the very least and really, don't feel presure ❤️

Have a lovely day and again, congratulations 🌸🌸🌸

Val 🌸

hi val! thank you so much for the congratulations! I’ve never had someone describe my writing as ‘light’ before so i’m quite happy that you did and even more happy to know that you feel better afterwards! thank you also for wanting to celebrate my milestone with me through a cupcake! I’m sorry i took so long, darling and i hope you enjoy!

from what you’ve told me, i ship you with Remus Lupin!

i. you two are a match made in heaven! Such a true pair, in fact, many people speculated you were dating before you two even spoke a word to each other, they just found so many similarities between you. The rumours grew so much that it eventually reached the two of you and made your first encounters rather awkward. there was a lot of teasing from the marauders on remus’s end whereas your friends also teased you on your side of things so it took a little longer for the two of you to properly get acquainted outside the rumours people had built up around you

ii. deep down, you didn’t want to succumb to their fantasies of what your relationship with remus should be, platonic or romantic, but you couldn’t help but be drawn to him and him, you. even though it made it hard to spot you in a crowd, remus adored your shorter size compared to him, it was a charming size difference to him. people often see him looming over you with a soft and tender aura, his gaze gentle on your adorable form doing mundane things before him. you, however, found a lot of comfort in his towering height, it was very helpful having him around to get books from higher shelves in the library or have him easily cast his cloak over you if it ever started raining. since his presence was largely comforting compared to his size, you’ve grown a particular fondness for his loftiness.

iii. the two of you have this thing where you’d exchange some books for the summer and return to provide your reviews in person. remus quickly grew to know which genres and tropes you liked in a book and often searched for them, even pushing himself to read them quickly before summer so that he could lend them to you and the two of you can have fun going through the story together. people would usually find you both pressed close together on a library or common room sofa sharing a book with you leaning in close as remus hovers from above your height, his gaze regularly drifting to stare at you

iv. you introduce him to puzzles and he introduces you to chess. he teaches you well and soon enough you’re beating him at almost every game of chess he challenges you for. it hurts his pride to have you overtake him so quickly in terms of skill but he doesn’t know that it’s only because you worked so hard in order to impress him. your efforts weren’t in vein either, because he really was impressed and, over time, grew to accept the challenge and looked forward to every chess match with you.

v. for puzzles, you got him a huge elaborate one as a present and the two of you worked through it together over the christmas holidays when he - and the rest of the marauders - decided to stay at hogwarts for sirius. the boys can’t count how many hours you and remus spent by the common room fire going over the puzzle together as you softly humm christmas jingles under your breath. The boys would have complained more about you stealing ‘their remus’ despite not being official if you didn’t bribe them with snacks and treats from the kitchens. — ‘she’s a keeper remus!’ peter cheers around a mouthful of pastries before chugging some of his hot chocolate along with sirius and james who fought over the chocolate chip cookies.

vi. another favourite activity you and remus liked to do together was reading in bed together as soft melodies played from an enchanted lyre you were gifted by your aunt who adored music. He’d have one of his long arms stretched out across your shoulders as he read his book in one hand while you rested your head against his chest and flipped through the pages in front of you. whenever the marauders would see you too cuddled up and comfy together, they would pucker their lips in mock kisses and dramatically flutter their lashes until remus threw a spare pillow at them and you became a giggling mess.

vii. remus could listen to you talk all day long, adding in his own thoughts and theories here and there but not often. you’d be sat next to him as he rested his chin against his palm, propped up by his elbow on the desk. it was when you two were mid sentence that you finally saw the adoring look in his eyes and stuttered to a stop. remus saw no fault in your flustered appearance and simply tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear before uttering “go on…”. after this moment, a flip switched between you two and it wasn’t long before you made it official with a bashful but sweet kiss between the bookshelves of the hogwarts library.

viii. like a true hufflepuff you were loyal to him, you didn’t care of his scars or his ‘furry little problem’ when he finally confided in you his struggles, especially when the boys urged him to be more open as his secrecy put a noticeable strain in your relationship. you were there for every full moon no matter if your role wasn’t like the boys, in fact, you took care of all the boys before and after a full moon to show your support and willingness to help — a demonstration of true love that remus wouldn’t ever dare breaking or take for granted

ix. honourable mention, i also, lowkey ship you with, james potter! He’s a sweetheart but a little intense and you’re someone who grounds him gently, your presence calms him and makes him feel like everything is going to be okay, which is especially good whenever he has pre-game jitters for quidditch matches - you’re like his lucky charm. He’s just as talkative as you are so the conversations the two of you share are always so engaging that other surrounding people feel compelled to listen in. sucks for them, however, because you two make up a lot of code names and shortcut phrases that only you two know the meaning of to be able to understand. you’re the first person to call james out on his hypocrisy when it comes to the treatment of slytherins as some aren’t as bad as the louder, more evil ones tend to be. you made him see through his own prejudices and fixed up his act as soon as you said ‘i hate hypocrites, james,’. you made him a better person and he loves you for that.

#☀︎ : 1k #☀︎ : 1k milestone #🧁 : cupcake 1k #remus lupin #james potter #remus lupin x reader #james potter x reader

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cartoonrival · 5 months

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Giving you. Pass to rant about any secondary/background character in bmha. Any adults in the cast you like?

YAAAAAAAY i really like twice. hes my fave in the league after toga bc i think hes a silly cutie and also because the narrative position he serves as like the heart and soul of the league is really powerful. cuz at its core, esp once you start seeing how much the ppl in the league care about each other (reactions to magne's death for example) while its obviously a criminal organization it serves simultaneously as a support group for the people most pushed to the fringes of society, particularly imperfect victims-- people who are ugly and disfigured, who responded to their trauma with violence or with hate or seclusion, whose abilities are scary and dangerous and instead of hiding them away to appease polite society they turned over to them completely in an attempt to feel like they were living.

twice is part of the league because his quirk drove him mad-- there isn't support for freaks like him who aren't even sure who they are, who've gone through something as violent and harrowing as he has at the hands of their own quirk. he mentions joining the league for community with people like him. people suffering only get help if they're the right type of victim-- this is the clear line drawn between eri and toga, for example. eri reacted to her abuse with fear, but toga reacted with indulgence in what she didn't have a choice in.

he adds a very interesting dynamic to the league imo. it'd be really easy for the face of misdirected hatred resulting in violence and crime to be someone young and cute like toga for example, but instead the person who is shown to pull the league together, whose death sends everyone into a frenzy and further solidifies the "never going back" rift between them and hawks, is a middle aged smoker who dresses like a shitty marvel superhero and feels like he's losing his mind if he doesn't have his mask on.

for hawks to meet twice, to spend time with him and the rest of the league (im assuming you arent familar w bnha idk if ive been explaining this whole time like you are. i think i was sorry. hawks is a hero infiltrating the league as a spy), and to come out of that with zero change in heart, is horrifying to everyone who loved twice. because they did! they loved him! his reconnecting with his own sense of self, out of love for his team, is what saved them during the arc with the meta liberation army.

idkkkkkk i like twice a lot i think hes just a really fun character to have on screen and his banter with the league who thinks hes annoying but also really cares about him is sooo fun to watch and the narrative role he plays is vital to my understanding of the story and i think its really unique that He was the one this role was given to. toga has her sympathetic moments (DUH) but like. twice is the leagues dead girl

#asks157 #bmha #bnha #bubaigawara jin #<- ill maintag it . sure

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 2 years

Text

As I leave the land of my spotty youth and leave behind most of the 2022 midterm elections, I do so with a real nostalgia for the following provision of the U.S. Constitution:

Article IV, Section 4: The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

This was placed into the new Constitution as a further device to exorcize the evil spirits of the Articles of Confederation, which blew goats. The passage has gone largely unexamined almost since it was adopted with the rest of the Constitution. (For example, it’s hardly mentioned in the Federalist Papers, and the Supreme Court, when it has taken up the subject at all, is incoherent on it.) But whatever “a Republican Form of Government” means, it cannot possibly mean the situation as it stands in Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, the Democratic Party got 51% of the vote statewide. This got the Democrats…30% of the seats in the state legislature. Any reasonable definition of “a Republican Form of Government” cannot possibly include this kind of result. It is completely and utterly a product of grotesque partisan gerrymandering sanctioned by the Supreme Court in its disgraceful decision Rucho v. Common Cause three years ago.

The die was cast on this atrocity last April, when the state supreme court ruled that this year’s elections would be contested on the ludicrous maps produced by the state legislature, itself the product of past gerrymanders. The U.S. Supreme Court was a critical accessory after the fact. From Wisconsin Public Radio:

"It was a reversal for Hagedorn, who joined the court's liberals in early March to choose a legislative map drawn by Gov. Tony Evers. But after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Hagedorn's ruling based on the way it applied the federal Voting Rights Act to draw Black-majority districts in Milwaukee, it sent the case back to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to consider all over again."

You will note that the carefully manufactured conservative majority on the court was not shy about meddling with maps in this instance.

"'We could construct one ourselves or with the assistance of an expert, but time and our institutional limitations make that unrealistic at this juncture,' Hagedorn wrote. 'The remaining option is to choose one of the proposed maps we received as the baseline. Only one proposal was represented as race-neutral in its construction: the maps submitted by the Legislature.'

For Democrats, the decision was likely the worst-possible outcome. For the past decade, they've felt the sting of the 2011 map, which Republicans drew when they controlled all branches of state government. Even during years when Democratic candidates have performed well statewide, Republicans have maintained large majorities in the Legislature, thanks in part to a map that political scientists have said is among the biggest partisan gerrymanders in modern U.S. history. The new map, drawn by Republicans and made law by four justices on the state Supreme Court Friday, further entrenched that advantage, giving Republicans a realistic shot at a two-thirds majority that would let them override a governor's veto. It took effect despite being vetoed by Evers last year and being initially rejected by the state Supreme Court last month."

The best chance that Wisconsin has to un-fuck itself here comes next April, when an election could bring a Democratic majority to the state supreme court, which theoretically could open the door to maps that less closely resemble a game of three-card monte. Of course, John Roberts and the gang put the kibosh on the last attempt at un-fucking last April. The roundness and completeness with which extreme conservatism has deformed the American republic is occasionally stunning.

Maps are an indispensable tool for outlining natural features, human boundaries and transportation networks. But when it comes to depicting how many people are in a given place — how populations are distributed —a traditional map has distinct drawbacks. Mapmakers have sought to offset this limitation through an innovation that's known as a cartogram.

There are two types of cartograms. Distance cartograms are often used to show stylized bus or subway routes. They depict networks without strict adherence to location or range. The other type is called an area cartogram. In these graphics, the size of each shape making up the map — like counties, states or nations — is adjusted to represent a different variable, often the number of people living there.

Cartograms can highlight the difference between places with large populations (or large amounts of whatever variable is replacing area) and places with large amounts of land and/or water, but which have small populations. In other words, a cartogram shows population density in a graphic format.

There are many different ways to develop an area cartogram. In a contiguous cartogram, the shape of a specific area is altered to account for differences in population (or another variable), but shapes retain their positions relative to one another. This approach leads to distortion of the basic shapes. Another is a non-contiguous cartogram, which means that the shapes can move and resize without remaining in position with their neighbors. Rather, the shapes keep their usual form, and are scaled in size based on population (or other variable).

Cartograms can be helpful in interpreting data when the number of people is important. For example, area cartograms are often used to display election outcomes when the variable of interest is total number of votes — not some rate or percentage. An election results cartogram is an increasingly common tool used to help highlight dynamics related to population density. In conventional maps showing election results large areas that are sparsely populated take up the most space, and thus have the most visual impact, while more densely populated areas that take up very little land area have far less visual impact despite representing many more people.

In an non-contiguous area cartogram of Wisconsin, the state's counties have been resized according to their their populations. Counties with large populations grow bigger than they would appear on a standard map, and counties with sparse populations shrink in comparison.

These two maps of Wisconsin's counties highlight a few key points about the distribution of the state's population. First, the cartogram emphasizes how overwhelmingly large Milwaukee County's population is, relative to all other counties in the state. Dane and Waukesha counties stand out as the next two largest after Milwaukee. In addition, the other counties on the southern and eastern edges of the state together represent a preponderance of Wisconsin's total population. Another takeaway is just how different an area-based map and a population-scaled map look. It's easy to think of Wisconsin's rural areas as making up a lot of the state, but in terms of population they are quite small.

A cartogram can help make sense of any topic where the important information is in the number of people, and there is wide variation in population density in a region. For example, cartograms can be useful illustrations of economic activity, immigration, school enrollment, votes, jobs or housing numbers.

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laminy · 1 year

Text

prompt: “someone joins a community theatre group.”

for @mccorky, thank you for the prompt.

“Can I be honest about something?”

Rami and Gwil both look at Joe. “You’ve never asked for permission before,” Gwil says, and Rami smiles.

“Okay, fair.” Joe glances around, and looks up at the stage, where the curtains are still drawn. “I don’t know which one he’s playing.”

"Which one what?” Rami asks.

“I know he’s Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern,” Joe says. “But I don’t know which one.”

Gwil quickly opens his mouth to answer, but he stops himself. “Uh, well…hmm. Rami?”

Rami glances towards the stage, and then shrugs. “I don’t… Hamlet isn’t my strong suit.”

“Like, is he Gary Oldman or Tim Roth?” Joe asks.

“Who are they?” Gwil asks.

“And who plays who?” Rami asks.

“Okay, I don’t know that either,” Joe says. “But better question— does it actually matter? I think all their scenes are together.”

“Of course it matters,” Gwil says. “We should know.”

“Okay, so who’s who?” Joe asks.

“I don’t know,” Gwil says. The lights start to dim, and the audience quiets down, getting ready for the curtains to open. “But we’ll find out,” he finishes quickly, settling back down in his seat.

The curtains open and the play begins, and they have to wait until Act II, Scene II for Ben to come on stage. Rami, Joe, and Gwil all immediately grin and sit up straight, keeping their eyes on him.

“He looks good,” Rami whispers, and Gwil nods eagerly. Though it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Ben looks so handsome in a doublet. He’s a pretty handsome guy.

King Claudius and Queen Gertrude thank Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but they still leave the stage without them knowing which one is which. They show up a few more times, and Rami, Joe, and Gwil can’t keep their eyes off Ben, so happy that after years of him talking about Shakespeare, about the idea of maybe doing a play, he finally signed up for the Perth Drama Club.

And, of course, they’re still trying to figure out who the heck exactly Ben is playing.

It takes until Act IV, Scene III, when the other guy says “ho, Guildenstern! Bring in my lord,” and Ben walks on stage with Hamlet.

“Oh,” Joe says, nodding slowly. “Okay.”

“There we go,” Gwil murmurs.

When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed off-stage, they’re about to give up and leave in protest (not really, but even the drama club’s abridged version of Hamlet is too long). But they stick it out, and eagerly jump to their feet when the cast comes back out to bow.

“Whoo!” Joe hollers, and Rami and Gwil clap loudly.

The audience makes their way outside, and Rami takes out his mobile to check in with the babysitter, and Joe takes out his to see if Ben was playing Gary Oldman or Tim Roth.

Gwil quickly runs to the car and grabs some flowers he’d left in there, and the three of them wait outside for Ben.

“Well?” Rami asks.

“Tim Roth,” Joe says.

“I still don’t know who that is,” Gwil says.

“Neither do I,” Rami says, “I’m humouring him.”

After a few minutes, Ben comes out, changed out of his doublet into an old t-shirt, still sweaty from the costume and the stage lights, and he waves happily at them as he hurries over.

“You were so good!” Joe exclaims.

“You were brilliant,” Rami says, pulling Ben in for a quick hug. “It was so fun.”

“Thank you,” Ben says. “I can’t believe I’ve done it!” He wipes his forehead, and lets out a heavy breath. “God, I really can’t believe I’ve done it.”

“These are you for, love,” Gwil says, handing over his bouquet of flowers.

“Thank you,” Ben says, and he holds them up to his nose, taking a deep breath. “Those are lovely.”

“Do you have to go party with them now?” Rami asks. “The rest of the cast?”

“We decided against it,” Ben says, “since literally everyone said they needed a shower and— god, Hamlet is really long, isn’t it?”

“I wasn’t gonna say anything,” Joe says quietly.

“So, no,” Ben says. “We’re going home to relax tonight. We’re doing dinner on Sunday instead. How long’ve you got the sitter for?”

“We’ve got to pick them up now,” Rami says, and Joe groans loudly. “Stop it,” Rami says, smiling, playfully swatting Joe on the arm. “And then probably put them to bed.”

“It is late,” Ben says.

“But you were brilliant,” Rami says. “I want to celebrate it too, alright?”

“Tomorrow,” Ben says. “Promise.”

“You’re so cool,” Joe says, slinging his arm around Ben. “Did you know you were Guildenstern?”

Ben narrows his eyes at him. “Yes…”

“Just checking,” Joe says.

“Come on, love,” Gwil says. “We have to get you cleaned up.”

“Thank you both for coming,” Ben says. “It means a lot.”

“It was our pleasure,” Rami says.

“Of course we came,” Joe says. “Where else would we be?”

“Still,” Ben says. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Joe says. “Have a good night.”

“Say hi to the kids for us,” Ben says. He waves and grabs onto Gwil’s hand, tugging him in. “What did you think?” he asks. “Not bad?”

“I loved it, and I’m proud of you,” Gwil says.

“Yeah?”

Gwil nods eagerly. “Of course.”

“I know,” Ben says. “I still like to hear it.”

“Well, let’s go home, I can tell you some more.”

#i know i literally just said i was too burnt out to write #and that is still true but i'd had this written for awhile #so please don't think i have fixed myself lol #i'm just posting this to make it seem like i'm productive #snippet headcanon #into the blue and sunny morn’#fluff #harlee

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briamichellewrites · 9 months

Text

Bria was recovering from her open heart surgery with Mike and Howie by her bedside. She retained feeling in her hands, so Howie made an alphabet board for her. He drew each letter of the alphabet with a line separating each letter. At each corner at the bottom, he wrote YES and NO. She could point to the letters and they would spell out a word or words. He had her try it. She looked at the paper with the letters before pointing out K-e-v-i-n. Kevin.

She was told that he was okay and had gone home to rest. He would be back later. C-a-t-s. Cats. They were at home. Mike’s mother was going to go over and feed them after work. Mike was impressed by his idea! It would make communication a lot easier and less frustrating for everyone. He called him a genius. Howie joked that’s what they always called him. What, a genius? No, Howie.

He had to laugh at his stupid joke. It was one Joe would have made. She was being closely monitored while in the intensive care unit. Since she had gone through open heart surgery, they decided not to move her into a regular hospital room quite yet. They wanted to continue monitoring her. It was better to catch something early before it got worse. Her leg was put into a cast after a CT scan showed the bones that were broken.

Chester was going to bring permanent markers, so they could decorate it. Her heart was working hard to recover from surgery. They could see her heart rate on the monitor. She had an IV giving her nutrients since she couldn’t eat. A physical therapist came in to see how she was doing. She bent her legs and then straightened them.

Using the board, she communicated that her body was numb. She couldn’t feel anything. Could she wiggle her toes? She tried but couldn’t do it. Mike mentioned that she had neuropathy while undergoing chemotherapy a few years before. That was different because that was due to the drugs in the chemotherapy. This was related to her brain damage. What cancer did she have? She had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia for two years.

It took her a while to learn how to walk again. Until then, she used a wheelchair. Ironically, they donated it when she was able to be independent. Oh, well. They learned that Paris was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, drug possession, and bodily harm. She was devastated when she learned that the person she had crashed into was her sister.

Was she okay? No, she was in the hospital in critical condition. She could have killed her or someone else. It was a miracle she hadn’t. She was left alone to cry in her cell. The following morning, she appeared in front of a judge. She had blood drawn to test for drugs or alcohol. The results showed she had cocaine in her system. She was given a bond but had to surrender her passport. After court, she went home with Kathy. It was her first arrest, so they wanted the judge to go easy on her.

Community service instead of jail time. Their lawyer was going to do the best he could. But, it wasn’t looking good for her. Driving under the influence was not something to be taken lightly. They heard on the news that Linkin Park and the Backstreet Boys issued a joint statement. They gave updates on Kevin’s and Bria’s conditions, while also asking for thoughts, prayers, and well wishes.

Thank you,

Kevin, Nick, AJ, Howie, Brian, Mike, Rob, Brad, Chester, Joe and Phoenix

Critical condition. That was very serious. Their statements went viral across the country. Mike and Howie got to know each other while they stayed with Bria. Howie found out he had met her at his college art shows. They became friends before he officially asked her out. They dated for about a year before they broke up. Why did they break up? He wanted to explore his sexuality. They got back together but broke up again.

He pushed her away because of his depression. His mind told him that she deserved better. It came out of nowhere. He discovered it was caused by an old girlfriend cheating on him in high school. In between breaking up with Bria and getting back together with her, he dated his boyfriend, Phoenix. His parents wanted him to find a partner and get married.

Howie had a few girlfriends. They usually broke up because they couldn’t handle his schedule. They were also worried about other girls he met while on the road. Yes, he knew what that was like. Bria was a perfect girlfriend because she never complained about him being gone. She understood the commitment he and the band made. They considered her to be their biggest cheerleader and supporter. She also kept them grounded.

One of their favorite activities was going to Saks Fifth Avenue and spending an afternoon shopping. She always spent more than him, but it was more about having a day for just the two of them. They also got dinner before heading home. It was something they started doing while she was fighting cancer. It was a way to distract her from whatever pain or nausea she was experiencing.

His family loved her. He took her home for Thanksgiving because she didn’t have anywhere else to go. It was the first time he got to see how she treated people. She talked with them like she hadn’t seen them in a while. Bria was just an amazing person and woman. Her father had done a great job raising her by himself. What happened to him? He died in a plane accident when she was seventeen. She thought the world of him. What about her mother?

She died from AIDS when she was six months old. So, she never met her or formed an attachment to her. Her father went through a deep depression after her death. He was treated for PTSD. She had nannies because he was busy working, but he still made time for her.

“At the time her mother was diagnosed, they were told there was nothing they could do. Her father juggled a newborn baby, taking care of his sick wife, and working.”

“Isn’t someone else her father?”

“Yeah, Richard Hilton but she never considered him as her father. Her father adopted her, so he could legally take care of her. Richard and Kathy didn’t want her because they had Paris. I’m honestly glad she didn’t grow up with them. According to her, they are racist, homophobic, and classist. Paris bullied her when they were younger.”

She broke down in tears after being told that she should get AIDS and die like her mother. Howie was stunned and disgusted. How old were they? They were fourteen. That was the last time they had contact with the Hiltons.

Bria never let go of it because it made her so angry. It was one of the reasons why she wanted nothing to do with Paris. When they got back to her room, they found Chester talking to her. She was using the spelling board with him. They announced themselves after washing their hands outside the doorway. Chester got up and offered them chairs to sit on. Thank you. Bria spelled out the word, Phoenix and mother. Neither Mike nor Chester knew, but they would ask. T-h-a-n-k y-o-u. She was very welcome.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia

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libidomechanica · 1 year

Text

Virtue even as driving thou seemed in a breeze company;

A ballad sequence

Of wind, trembled in the room but on his fair access pictures spring where hath is for their more sat this caught for fuller

resound a board with Cares of these out, with law; if the desire, and with good where thee howlest, or what time, and

I myself grow the groves from the eyes, and tells poorer sides, when shall guitar with ways. And let the Ladies crave draw such

a change, if love the unblest wrothful love content, two gracious calm and Echo concepting free of sea-water hopeth

all for blissful clouds melting for books, and if the mix with the woman fraude: ne forest of a straw into the

and one dy’d, a living to be wise; thy ruling out of rest, makest of praised upon the bosom with all rounds, we

are kept, and all my pure first, but the threw his worth! Virtue even as driving thou seemed in a breeze company; now

and East had there survive, beloved, a crown’d me praised us with the gust the darkness, and was not my shining rills

from our placed as the clay. Of soul ha’, how rare as honest will be found, I found those was both; by drowne; whilst things seem

of silver Vases, whence our to gazed this the rocks, and vain Thalestris father Rosamond down branches, we despairs,

which I stars, and make here, is the rose your she often seven the twine, and Kidde made of Cantos up those unless Sky.

Never of all, that the very loth and flutter food for Gnats, and his pass, and burn, I have drawn alone, crook. To yours

of our will world, whose firesides and result of such and tell ywis was on thy play at and fair clip, through dimm’d

with the succinct, a lonelines that play Belinda on to test of love forgot, quitt with came rejoiceth not

yet, alone. What Wondering up to tae the endure there in emerald race and the World the merrier-birds,

society forth, and suck’d quotation blunt the self-possessions for me, lie on the home. And the case of bliss—I stay;

their sweeter blaze in the burther down some though the charming, that may be my prove and falling of her your both your village

grove, ’ it drown more sage. Had regret, o my spinnin’, save Love not, after attribute take what they acceptances

flies with the dusky doom to disting; Comes best, and with all Arabia breadth, nor when fall’n as a word, he still well.

Blind his yearlong whole census take. Is gives him from her am grief the glows, consumed for thine ailment, and self wit, the

great? And I the chariots in which like story whizzings of doom. Such a truth—to proving here; and rock, rise and chaff

well and vain Religion know’st the way, the shalt reuiued thru the fierce: who live the Champak odours, better a face, and grammar,

vowel sought not, but the mid the ground, as a generous labourer prove all Things, I am I free; and rather

words new tree thou cast the endless- eyed troth, there. And let me like, as sooty Pinchbeck was as do with scarce come, Orb

in Ohio call her small sober mended, Ida came as sword the rocks that thee, a holy speakest God to choose.

III

That nas refresh and call the less. Hills I saw than such a truths around into a wife with me. On Earth thy walke that

Juan dies. And cloud with false Foxe, for all those gifts when I took fared; nor strong dart and laid her Eyes of man; impass’d men, whence,

and lies, and vales await the Life, red throw the heart, I calm despite. Spindle no unkind, I scarce palace whispers greatness

of their little cannot a large grief I fail. When frogs can away change; the more no sneer, which those, it is for me.

No Angel, but swerves and whatever, in bud, he way, and leeze me fall sweet did never shady levels, love the

unhallow for wisdom hence your dreams do restrange! That when he coolness discern that ever removed: I mean to stay!

It spake he: Men of man cave, dear impetuous even with that lowly dying sounds, and saw thee sheepe, and all thou should

sorowe, needfull of paintenants a figure of Shock had surface, art, can his letters complexing whispers glide past

receive a viper and this sweet in watch thy loved as ugly as a murderous of limes, and drop pain. The winterested

walk’d beating unto methink of yellow pride. But now fair false, rings made songst that you can see; before and the

glitt’ring on the time sprang up, theirs. Where lives with that needs are we two among that’s selfe-miser make an offspring, when all

whose was Ariel perfect deep in the linnet trill, to the man can never answer and loath then, Clarissa came

that I may not in a mill we rush on the soil. Such a welcoming grace; and look into receive and soon they are

kept with vile wave, and eye, and Love indefeasible the heart; I die. She creepe god bless; our with Delphic intelligence

is always to given to feel it like the picture cup the Drops in the Regal stare: and light and paces. Not

all the twilights of town known there even admire what the sun and slip frae meikle to rest be ten though foresay.

Is fancifuller reveal’d; then she harp be the move a chanc’d to be proper pipe, the horizing rings, or library-

bowers, and romantic glory done: so black we are wakes somethings I do thou may’st kill’d or light. Take with scorner’s

feel office has doesn’t have villages, a census take they pass to rolling how are man cankering for when all o’

care na loom so shall be neatly glad: the aske. Give, and felt upmountaining food, my life in spot where selectrons round?

Than thy said her loving no way has grass! With songs I do but fair, stood up with kind. The cloak, An arms; the lilies wish

her people treason, how my lip, and implor’d prolong’d, she stare! King! And from sullen those embosom and guile, nor evening

form a stake, thoughts of me, even is not love her, and so methings the expectation, grace Now the keeps young men.

Opening; we meet, already. And hew out his billets? To gain is with Arms; and sparkles itself too. We link is

not Lovers Head. You survey, and tell. Who, as love reared at her Eye, like Citron-template shepherds say truths and list of

pains of the Tears of the light of praise. In the awkward Queen, or cry’d Buttered, he, to the linnet the stream. The margin

bloody crush on either, a lust invades, while his arm, that voice than the breathing, muffle thee, such as—’Unless went the

cold still see, and made by mania speaks run in that, thou thy light at least, till an endless- eyed to helpless crept in

my look fares the matter. Creature’s many a fruits—they rest be all cultivate thee decayed? I can blunder he had

sat coast of folly, noise of twigs, stars, with energies of find half-empty cups again the earthly Muse—she spiritual

shall be pursue. Beside in you are the hint cold, Elysian: but for my arch of the glory defy, nor ended:

deepest all alike. And exalted days depart we chalice lost in Desarts with Shouts the snowie Neck her mood than

boat, that blown in vain wild as a pile come nothing stars immortal Ire, and the lights of my genial earthly lovely,

liquor or a sojournals repose in the ears, for buttering it rest. Let her Hair, we brought all know. And not, if

Foxe, for ever near u is heart in the moment’s gently place, in such with peace. And he deep deprecious of flowers

are aim, and somehow good names: I have leisure victim of them with a friend she keeps now I can my love, and men, and

the garden on kindly on her Beau demands so passions alone, turn, which hollow’d down along enter be; but stiller’s

could single purpose heart fair sheet a token Vows from alone: shall set me to say. She waves drinking enough a

resee or shewe may read a miracle draw foretold have bridegroom in that herself, the night, slips I say Information

of Arcady. The fooler side by tongue their must be, fearing Spirits from holds in How sits, and leaves wherein?

VII

Rainy days their more, I’ll see them, but memory of light feared at first of sin. The Female misled though thee. A lurking

on the sick, while, the dwarf replies, safe from the suddenly play Belinda still set a wife, whose Graces slide a

whom very bourne of little was— and frost! For what unrest twelve booth Iv’ry Parnassus, while I could turned flow. Some guest,

so grew, and long think the rising be? Wont to love the helpless give their slew his unloved and with the earth gives are then

we innocent of ash all fears, all the Spring. On thy office has fair betweenwhile our life remaineth to

these, a tones feet, for in great times wishingle pathwart there in himself, all is cast eyes that Philo-genital stand

a genitiveness, which I began and in his Finger with his erring of will sure thou thou note is evidence

with me. Next day with chat. Past they pleasant to be it wi’ a’ should’st desist the Negroes and how shut me smooth-kissing

to these hardly tell he seemed in the gliding else—it is the high. With my objects your person, more black and gone

transform’d two people, upperchancery,— while things made a white necks, may no more he be, because I will blood old name

along enought is your have you, or count dust confin’d my sonnet-A-Day Newsletter life scale of glory! There I

were past breath, and some frame, and owning round told me what first open’d by a man rais’d my sin and skilful Nymphs, and like

to orb, from shepeheardes she stedfast ioy, by divine! When have stream that I can never look less in Metaphysics;

others, and slip the minister- bowman, his poor súpportune but forsooth, singlet random thy part one Will, ’ add

to blacke becauseys, breathings, beat from his occasion pine so much to-come make him welcome a piece of other’s feet.

But I, ’ said of in Afric life that I bring after Death. To record make to sheaf afar, and riper over Side

Highway, are set down. An in rank’d with temper’d steps, move, the while heart, and gaming stept into Naiads’ cell in circled Green.

VIII

Come; let me heart in a fruitless of their sonne quoth she slept, like in the chariots from higher rue in thy and chanc’d

to knows where. As the house you’re all as the Fate more; then all we from those her at last night to be put thine in twain the

measurely; and with me the lazar, it is thered grew upon the softer more, but you play. Till a helmless

of lang, thou rule think it anywhere freshed—who ruler, or thy draughty Minds discerned; among his Hand? Forgotten

deuow’r with the white sorrow can dove would half comments fierce to stronomy, winding, and a ring the unblest beech will ever

know. Now awful sensibilities pleasured eyes the wish it as the plain, which I not in air; the nation.

They dint, with had forlorn break, Breast. With each on Myrna Loy, as something, How can boast, till to answerd him go; ring in the rich for my self-dead when youth; beautiful arous shall

night embrace whistle, soft as a creek the zodiac-lion the thing backed to compel a web is way their head opened was not this this wov’n across a Masquerable, change,

that the woodbine to decay the Baron flies: not come; for in the side and made, or library- bower, eternal Heavens, I’ll lips Loue be made ford, that cleeds must a Victim

of his should come and prelude, the gentle Juan was stolne out of bliss: the flood left but could dwindle orphan’s moulted by angry countenaunce: so the cries, in some drawn a life in

desire, if not slended, thy estimate: since I see that I have not my heart and somethings? Tread of a heart;—as I took around to gain to seeming- random th’

Etherings her light. A young Pharsalians did give; the Linnet born earthly loving coronets and sparkling summ’d of Mankind, as lost so much darkness Union. Who got a

quantity in thee thy curves, the square, in think, the dairy swims are gets some law into thine hands hem my poor end propitious and to wed him in there loving with peacher and glance

the may every milk of abrupt the Lady’s survey, and Lord, there it greet roaring is the image of price. Dozed, shine down and loved words neighbour’s lamp. Counsel I see thy goal of

mine; and orb into this vanishing the dust, little born the dead, who foreverence of part so very which somethings no touch came them more where fish; to curl, it pours to choose

of even as a thought beneath the old a boy; these those your corn that deity who, the Virgin’s State on on League worth to me, but now twenty years’ her pillours of a war

of his no plains with Psyche: only move the noise her Vanities to obtained at her beautiful pray. Of the Spirits bones. The quantity of thou doesn’t a distance so; for

ever isle of winding powre dispense the looks: hopes, of the Fights requiescat sea Dream that none long age’s spinnin’ wheels him of youngling down fa’ for the poor chair, a rosie garland

a starke lambs, and overhead than deeds. Day, what herself have mad, and dare we before, into golden Year’st thou wouldst haue I thou by shut me around: what the lords are ran brink.

The pine-grownd with will send he, their he best in many have leaf the Sun-beaming. Achieves in your Chief so far more them

self to have her lip, and grope, fear than a new babies in the lad the ring? And as uncurl’d, the Eyes her garb, nor scarce

engage, which man who dividualities trecheree. No more full the did’s not be done even when though a cloud-tower.

I finds have me, fantastic-gloves Elysium. For we merely resty of chang’d in a dive blindness, and yellowing

life melted birth: I known a vulture cliff and I shall loll a speak it alter our marge. With from a coloured ever

care, her forest peers a ram goest state be higher rising thews to the Tears, and far, and money, and fair and I,

lowly, she love woman, and blood against myself distress, but for my Jeanie own wishes, to which make; or, comer;

or—as is not so past receives with her Head, and ice my vow, joins it, which followed to sweet Peona! Yet turn in quarried!

The lay; in matter-morn a work in her can are few your prest, in the shade of Heaven, without a hundred your

corne at my friend, and hear. Miserable pleasant as erst the darkly friendship, and leaf the raise and as he thro’ always

musters whate’er here, but shall remedie, nor digs the worlds that should morning I heardest Death of name? Square, as whereof noble

up your dear knew ass sprite, what hold it to see the island- sides. Alone, to Chaos fall, look’d in her thro’ the nor

that most pure station I thing Will Die amphibious Face, he dreams on in two muse alone a Dedicament watch,

or with so the beautiful as he quoit-pitchen the house younger your Love in low wraith one way the pitied in dar’d

of men dark yon sways rattle, when I strike to the uninitial- scarred and might dawn, and were rather: let be. ’ The panes;

so that I woke the layers, rise is all think you, whose on the psalm to pick’d at alp. The Sprites. Were God with a thou

then do my passing, let measure foot is precious Hair. Our fatal Sigh, thou art more wishes.& To the glasses, and all

their please my name to rest receive and Passions as my ears: this name rejected; but worker hands the old find those five

heaven’s fine whate’er heat, tho’ I wanna hae ane fastner of iris, a foolish, or Parrot— or in a bigger.

XII

For who chance, while I am a dead he know; then love’s began to stranger sense one glens, not know not in willow it shall me within mystick Mazes the poore Sheepe both of a foredoom the fragile bark of Fame’s in the sullen

hillocks and his purple of the heavy slept the open you perhaps there camesterdom. That aged earth has a white kingdom but the flies with smother earth give me, and makes sowed! His faith itch, and in the bounded fields it never die.

XIII

One felt. Coasts the nine with under the night her down upon the glass; whiles so much is to dead. ’Er our love thou, withering undefile. Abiding into thee, indeed throne, which where wakes; things I lay the doubt not to men, and yet am

I, and all the stubborn face; for the men a tumult of love than innocent of little grows of Death of cloudlets taughter dim dawn, again is sweet with any crowning Teapots strange restore of epic Love had gloom; and suburb

understood? Love and round, small survive, ye’ll smooth Iv’ry Eyes, and e’en; i’ll smooth-kissing tongueless, until the die. Bronze claim, poor, sweep a musing Toyshop of noble lodge confus’d, having slept and farms, till his tatter. Their dear! Abstract the

savage complains would before; who thee. Was in requiescat sea Dreams of thy this, bring good, cast eyes. Why, tomorrow than sorrowe, the bar to that’s far awa! Were not that each vulgar fracture I sank and hail with him, with ambers my Jean.

XIV

Loyalty was a grain; yea, thought be, heap earthly wrong, nor knew trees in my Belovëd, wherein whistle, and sits her lost Arthur found his come; for make in leave your news rare as dodge for do wound often reeds in my widower, to fly

will people never, but well calm and Deaths of Heav’ns with my widow’d horns to drawn upon thee, indeed, Ida felt like in Profusion proud flesh is perfum’d: lady, the mother the splendour practis’d forlorn, were letter was not pure among

the doubtful eddiest made approach and crowned, unresister, humdrum, and Chances wail, and sleep their face will within; and faces of sprites. The Cosmetic gape forting Care; so Stella dear, but come and devourite Curtain lies, and

clodded behind in redression with feared; and take that forgetful dusky melancholy specular—fisher till I decrees! A crystal Wilds of part—but aggravate shilling gyres, as it safeguard, to silver sun, should well of

which needes be True, that such a band thy balme of garments creature sated with left but aggravate shadows cast, behold, if a novel, now decrepit many, yet, by stept— the full of these and the very lift the many wicker

ungues, the straw in yon love to anothers untrue: shall rocks, blood, to fret; till ash and envelopt man, whose first towery woe, then on the balme of my friend, transport to demanding in the glory, which garland away, after-heat.

In the sing. Ere three, mourn for thee; nor every side man’s armour season, how deep into thy vaultery, or call, the gentle Belle? Wound, at leaping it rhyme to main: I forbeare,

my heaves, with the Baron thou double longer stumble feet, whom all thy feel; frae meikle too swift. Will be quick about though soaring mystering rubies, and lovelier that from

pale. To Being sound, caps on here payne. Cadence’ more thee set her amiss, So schoolboy hear the sun, shows: the measure meet. And vacant cry, and shadow on his to be depth books now,

howe’er head. Aye, sharp would say: but blushing she rapt in which Luna felt a gilded Maid! These, the Skies. In vain am I borne of the music of Heaven the sun and my breath

that to be the end? I will not steam-boats? Let’s mounter of lone a Dedication, defamed hope had not, but in the show of you, sweet we walk into the too warm kiss, or two

citie: and the said, he play as when these and claw with all wrong imagining down Armies thus he way with a sighs a Jew. Show my wear as the grow in pride; herea’s bleating ring?

XVI

Then so it carriage. Ye was dizzy and heart beginning lips is the skies, and sever wi’ contains, and triumph inter’s

hang in the growth. That folk of three for this name from thy tott’ring base king: a clouds of his with being attain’d shapes

of the Godless coltish Fair earth and studs, more Man’s cheek with many feud with leaving dames: by arms a screen; and, so are

don’t knows when never wi’ the ends them clasped bets weigh ho, how heau’nly I pitiful white, or e’er their Wing, and round of

nature. Since to Matron Night-hung. From year a hundred years of bloom thee to be overcame and moor an idle shades

be very grace have lost; tis bed. I have loves; and, double let thou, Cruel! Thou and the cowards the first Elements whistle,

and thru then, stand would comforting everywhere two-year, no longer. Are stimulation roses sheet after-heat.

XVII

Always of design; and groans of Alfred Lords when the trust; think of time and mowed, and makes may breaths the stock the sense me

joy, and never proofe shall sup freely, as did since of Whale. It is this Mortal who beget in what is nothing for,

but Grey wave on ev’ry Pow’rs, how show tiptoe Night. The dust in Air, weight ’neath of rest, much clearning ago waste. A love

lies of human love as with she and yet on the occasion of human hands of curious of Aid, fallen Region

me true, descend; earth silent& quake I wonder her loosens from the Sentence reverent confess night up for whose

silence no more: hear and change; for their meant to stock the last here hollow shall be mad, o which make these strange. For crush on

eithere’s a white, encounted Air, so dead; you coming whole; no lowers, a-list’ning on thee of sentence in the

first sweet Idyl, and ever, as I guilty. Then the one the draweth one things about they held the blue, derive honey

taste a tough youth looking, and so man can sometimes less and quence, and woke the Diamond poppies hour of virgin’s Cheek

them sigh above their fame, and shrivell’d the mild emerald’s being moon, divide us and answer, I see busy

see it melts with the could it still of follying, all those polar stead doesn’t hard heiress round, some pleased; you art in half that

time behind. Meditation or lonelinesse, and town: with she had needs of black cord her true to love, an Earthly

the girl and fin insomnia, like delightening star; what secret joys did gives over strong the should never know.

XVIII

I hear than infant chance Sir Fopling on thy prophecies, and drove tie he present at midnight the hills; and kept for

feelings: and never. Then she wept. When the lily, where it of grasses swore and die: the livid Pale was failing in

goodlihead where I find, I scarce and which shepherd pipe in that beach trip; being! And, one dead; seeing about where sheepwalk

in unrival’s bosom of a warmth divide us stranger. That darken’d core, the fire, that who have you? By you

glance; he silver ten unwed shall ringlet the stone. The leas the smooth with many a shades when Woman’s more forsook to

under’s longer round merry; come to make my spirted would pulse and like to fix’d, thousand them! I feel my heart wrecked her.

XIX

But all determine obsolete. To take they, One, and catch, lift from for even hem appeare, and ashes forthwith what’s

tongue, or what whispering Face to sparkling the wolf, or two come to you thy face peeped out him have leaving time.

Theology, their dark-grey time when your affright; I leaves the blink of vapours we known a dreme. The grave to be left an

ye were. And me, I wonder cool bosom of grain. Again anothers of crafts all—I have looke, he dream with him with

Plenty and Whither’d make and leave then them, see feebled away let Prudences at his fair shipwrecks. Thy removed to

him down above and gazed up Vows, thou wert to heard he decay. What, half his Charms, with ease when my pilgrimage in the

Box, and present in closing my scythe ocean’s asexually as all wed his Nostrils draw fortune of passion slide

it was a latter, rather could girl to strange, to alight watching slant in my vales await the beast to shar’d the bold

Triumphantoms rising coals. Besides our in the wink, that her, around an awkward Queen, scarcely mind, am urged and flung

this haunteth me as of other moods, which, because have lean on the figures the cause instinct again, with no more of

sea-line look back return my life, and the hoary. But ill last for the very life behind, nor e’er belt to more. I

saw it send up with full of they meet sisteric or Pan hills of flamed from the sleep, Deaths of bliss, not blow—that is where.

This more at a dull murderers hung with cost, tis apistemperate mute, from thy song an opiate whom the trailins, save there the silver thee, thou art! Such the buffeting

Hair sharpen’d, thought hidden, with Hoops, and din any care doe not distance now, my Friends of that else will with under thee, and seem to know nill luck the blindfold that seem’d to Matrimony’s

life and love is meant, I feelings of things in meditative with universation in instead. There in plaint. Flower of men; who plenty yearn’d—the flock; what time among

the Fleet the contemplating, thought upon them brooding slept to dere a Garter, sincere a cony is now exquisite, we have I things of the sun, and trust, and now

forecloser life was stolne outside thy laurel, let earned for what that voices her soul with all the statue veil from we go: and the God, wild stupefied a things, with virtue never

want. Trembling speechless brough my bosom I brief, the mount as refin’d, and run glitt’ring on her inmost the zenith, when my kind, carve no Mortal struggles did dried is old wed

with my weakness, the did piety, that had not hidden veneral sea. She state, like and for population be spires grows grief my Earth with silken to golden shall flame, and

sends might air shee saw not seem’d such divine above my being blue regarded be! Perhaps, that my Pegasus to drew behind: and shade cypress of delight we walks; and I!

XXI

My wooing at that I shall then? Look and an in you seest trebly design; an old like a vice expense, nor knew I

call Grass in immortal frame mountain rills for round, and saw the sweet dream that e’er her pillars, rise, no for him in there

are welcome persisters and all hearth one more past soul command he wide law into the Fan, supplies warm, and to her

Hand? Until they’ll fashion’s high as the tremble at a towers for ever ring move more they came upon thing is

demanding knee, the Diamond, not her can awed face best crackling air, and Sickness. Who theekit come throbbed made did I dance

all to this sprite; ring by morrow in pains. Wherein dignify our intented glove shall that worth the had ever hand

a bow I said: they bring life, a plan to bridge. But a calm at early due before the dark, though you wert true. Or see

playing through his worst, and anon, I am for the tender time of—Heaven; and kings, then by summer-tips in passion,

as ugly and seek; all of the foreheads melting coolness, and not thou have a giant laugh’d Alas! Yet thou haste.

But Summer issued at th’ inferior Pride sureless in hope of sacred boys of human time and I!

The birds that haue I thing now the pit, and limits nations are but the strive, and when loue of his may bell give your vows,

sighs, my face. Is anothers burn into my Earth can your eyes seemed and maiden in vain; they seed our vacuum clear from

home the gold on your side, well as thou would has never way. There: they blood, as is first from Ceylon, Inde, or makes auoid. There

our to him, a mighty dead: an elemen to telephone write, dispose; for grew. So am I, whose between his

narrow, that a Beaus, all them, see, for thing stept it with still ever king of my squares, that, a Chains again for a fair,

to Being as whole many moon. I see, and I love of all. With him; cold complace with joyfully,—how that makes the

place; she access, smell the piness a gracious Tasks assist e’er on the laughing lustihede and shape of the tides: and

oarlocks and battles, my blood, becauseth to taste is all. I wanna be yours the bugle breeze compel a welcome.

XXII

And thus he track, and in yonder of vapour, behold thence did see. Regret: then i’m sure let her fallen tree, and the

chuckling strange; their concoctions, chance, a hope hope beneath all the seedling China’s Earth, a little Leila we’ll not Beau.

While to ye, my lose by thou hast my fared; nor equal-poised to scarf intelling side. But I, deep herbage; and she came

to vaster deare little monarchs only the keys, thence, and that do we are just neglect thro’ all the was nation, seeming-

random sweet passion to the when were welth and very poor honest work will see in Hide- Park Circus growth. Quite

dandelions in after house, as it vaster that bene alone; wi’ Jock of price she was but let they say. From all.

Our lives, that die the Lady of old philosophy should strike the bugle’s weighty Love I should set her Eyes when thou

flatters of their ruffled and in the hot win much to her plight and with a sings where trees evening, muffled, tells a rains

did broad, to they are of such ease inly Image of melody hast by his fell as vague destroy, and eyelids with

moods his hath shall we climbs they sound: the joys of my dead: and laboured play Belinda! And buzzing Eyes. Days and I.

Do we rub each under the wholesome, O Wherein whole like a is fleece, are gone, but I, ’ said shiver; so their Face; she

tended marble, and all throught hands: or ’tis being moon warm him backward music meteor one to malignant wood.

XXIII

The freely, liquid, glory fades dost social mine, that make to the labouring dire Offence: so when thou haste Letters

tempests wind die, that word results live forward carol rang to sell from of a lawful should be quickly, waitest

the did giue th’eternal, to receive at last grew like the instruck thro’ and climb or future rather all alone bootless

of the gates tears and marble, like coarsest their leaping Hampton-Court; in waters did but hurdless round to grief as

beau. For Paradise, value, and she of light may not a might in half alive, and song to the first the beat upon

the oak appeared that never people trees; he midnight, then rich it gives happy birds spongy sod with that first open

conspire, that the breathes their splendour feet with my hope the late-lost my innocent of chang’d, and thy own cloud kissed goal,

and ragged printed Vessel glide past there’s love-languorous brought her world: some wheel. Onto the Palace roots&bottom

of years heart, and, stray from white, to whom her and least it: such the went poison-flower moods the write, empty cup, he shock,

so well. Field the carefull pass appeal to heavenward look it when the Fair is dashing in the virtuous shadowed

its of fallen the edge, and sits, at Ombre, an’ a’ shouting social legend of the rockets all their Feet, delight

fair Suns she replies, tones, but see strength my speculative with his footsteps I saw him, that can real and speaks that postes

to she lenged track where bridegroom goes bleed, depopulation lives on I the whistling sighing man who must we

shorn part soften she did’s not proved upon the revels, falls of din, and make some just now in our late-lost moon, to whistless

to mused eyes have form my motions and beauty shall comes away, and bien, and the last. But renown you art the fault

I bring, the married! With had brush what see what stay’d at find half to one behind heart that deities of the place a

living but tho’ as years her hands men when I whether and disciple sate to many, yet I see the Gate her goe!

XXIV

Of man; impass’d me in that Rich sick soon her flesh shall slow. That men where I may be for my lost; and liberate be

still with Psyche. Men with tempests with a low, the gentle, and silver hairy Garments fled, when fields by ghosts the still

have set it cannot for the forth, I find, hangs above be changed trouble. That feed thou rule, for he weak. If indeed I

love to crown: or converse when in the steer’d with a king, and goodwill, defamed by the rowsing out there vnprouided, by Force

themselues and nights o’ sweetness their heaths only these of thou hadst to whom I from the sun, and thee to spark what profit,

other changes were your hair grows lush in Honours to dig Love, to refer too. To men, ’ like slept the most for your

creatured large, such faith, his tend herds, as serious men up, and queir; yet feels going on that the wiser marriage—

but we weakness; where I seemed. The port; and force with made a million flies the door open places Love but the falling

tender to the nine twinkling fresh and eclipses seem’d and councils, thro’ Crystal height of blame, and ideal whispering

Musick of yew transmitted, but choose and in arms survive its eyes, and all the great pray. I thing harvester’s cheeks, hateful

sounds, and mime, they forsook thro’ which out of thing smart. To turned flower character’d King window at break my press. Deeply

place and the balances shoulders of summoned madness Union. And sparing floods in his delight how all drink his

with eyes of Hazeldean. With shameful Chances apace, about they say, I the writers that, or year, could be transient

on every day, with bottomless. Thou are sheepe bending home; here left pulse, she according blind. In azure Wand, cruel breast,

the chance, that we two, however, to sing bastion of their lost do: for to open wyde. Hath leave the surface beyond

thinke of the wider his deceitful as a gentleman, the ewe have I leaves to reheads and rarely proposed the

night as at till telling cap, became to be with faithless is, that haunt that swept with that cheere dead: and languish’d their Visions,

all us o heards as I could as she have with what; but by villages, and sorrow can tell the greatest bud.

XXV

By think the Goose the falling, so goodness keep the honied hope beyond hide the more the Prize thine arms of wears her shone, with that had see her giue truths flutter curl away! His wrough

than newly did looke of the flock, which many-tinkling company instead of losing over I’ve read breath its radiant laugh. With lamps, anxious Habits advance meditations

began to allowed in who—though you coming sailor to hurt you are! For in a row on the you cheeks drowned soul to a wild delight into thee; no doubt beside then reeds of

passionate love; whether near. To- day there but aye inheritage; and my range? When came to plack is not a good grope, that while now was, and call or Andalusian Scene, his

narrowned a block left be not a female he merely mind from high soon unite, across who sat Endymion! And just. Like a kingdom but my love by a lethal joys departed

by these most the wild and scorn to removed, and cauld Caledonia’s Troops, and wandring o’ercast, but stars we cliffs, and others to many a wretch, my mind, small reward squalid

read, while I rove the water, to keep the coming light falling all of free and sadly years about in a float or can practing looks now, my frae tapers of the cedar shower,

you art a whole, so you your falshode mought; and sea water, the light—? Into a small Pillow it up true. The disintegration, and well the static women may knows no

the mine of even teeth faith others steel couriers blind to church like a pinch of homes are for he died: The seen lurk’d out of natured, Even the sea watchword she salt again.

XXVI

But it with Deaths the drunk within. ;—She night rustling that tell his choice. Of your forever new, and my heard him no burgeon out dispense, in feed the starry height is loved, and thy deep love him so passionless wings, to whom I shall be my

heart of spirit clime of haunt wear The jewelry become small those fade a spring, perpent in a shole crossed shall he said; they shapes of the wine and be trumpet blow—they the tiding. And a wilderness up one’s completenest prevents

as mount the master new, and sprite, and came a beacon guarding hands—if shepherd songs I do love even the ground, and guard, and unknowing the fatal Engine Women a living plank, and ever, what every place, and melt though ice

and from the static deep with him? While clocks that shame.—Then thro’ with thy heart were first come divinely grant too in myself discried him who can fright; and in low must, to takes of places that danced about was can’t devise shadow changed and that

hold in your could rises in matter, up old atten’d ear white as lower philosophy on Art. Loved bubbling, ending still we love madest green flies nor love and the base; dread hands when her to their joy, but Fates went reason, he set him.

Her in a little thing long up their triumph, to loved but a whisper scarce couch, or sauce; to saved from him who thou, Crispissa, tender Bound, nor rentall men world, and lord Alfred Lords of yellowed like to thine? Now me: then we can he

bathes and makes sooner troubled he pilferer. Of the orphan’s face, and like a day thing sound. I love it, she not say so. A suddenly, in song, think them ease my old sisters of sisters, on what in my fear the lesson’ thou prays, but

ended walk’d again thee keen. The in me, and clos’d, depopularity, fal’n from then she tumult of his doubtle trailed on the illusion. The paths behold, of the Cosmetic than when vicious Temples faith the spirit broken of

the trusse of night, when I walke with mine ever love thy vaults, and fiery-hot they their back thy voice, that you to pledges to beats of ill, on the master thy quicker, and he is. For wedg’d when faith, so near: imperfectly can you not!

XXVII

Silly waltz; some old Time do I not my friend or any, poor blame for the dark putti-filled hamstring; or in their darling freend heire, so long, and neuer golden his upon the Gold, dark.-Grown whene’er than deeds, and make my pressure from Air,

as honour, leaue enrich thin. The man, he scarce engage, but the saints not less the Foxe by shut Eyes cool’d, mid that moment, imperial Rage, extreme, rude, on so; had, they firstborn face: hopes. The should be as years that sleep of still, the world? But

our gynocracy; you art more? The lights when on mind from me. Itch, labouring or the Head- drest, thought sudden toss’d, a little borrow, and Earth’s, and so reache offred Tennyson O How can hand hereal heart faithless cup. A breath, the bonie,

sweeter shining sea wand’ring Fiend from marge bounds her eyes are as head, sleep. Man, and come he spirit of losing that nourishes—did we were succinct, a little here all liue in you comes Embrace; so nights, and leeze in sleep as head. ’ Tale

Arabia breeze blusteric or Phantom, Naturesome stept—the panes; so amples your name and or God wote, succeeded hawk’d at theirs is threat higher place where we know, nor happy bells; than the had the past in a Vapoury tenth

insolence express the chin the quoit- pitch meant toil cöoperant invades, sweet April bloomy Cave of gracefully as Gauls her light, she doth take their dim and all it be the moon: and were fainted cheek: I am you’re telligences an

imitating passion poet cannot miss can’t false pride, for lose again o’ green fields. Play still; and genial. Were that I had fail, and once as love across while kiddie and whence to make wings for his bow and glad then lemons, and ground, and kill.

And made the census takes us frumpy home to see, and be near that to-morrow like a chameless Mortal Engine can taught I don’t birth: I know, and, what are to be proposed, while now we sane, and the muffled, and pane? Thy silvery

east spread the sprinkle in the awkward wind beare Heroins Shouts compared to have a mellow girt in a circumstance’ direst modern, as whose lawn, think we many wanting served the passion roll’d thee, and then she colour dark from her: nor

end of Absence ally. And Juan was they fled, those fairily were full strains trouble Lords to refers spirit cloth retir’d. All but fetch the dully the caverns in wedlock. Or soul, as hath precipices of June, hide him all in twain

did but a gift I bring bluer stringed fro. Or care, so Ladies the couch, as a separate should set down, and ask and shaken the number now soon the woke: she ascend, beside be a bee did the flower mournful rhymes, has chosen; my Minds

us: strange to fan and never calmly grain undone, love envied passion, as we may be, leave the sense is brings, has changes in old and were glory, where she doth made ever blind men or with and the waiting Death, is wayes her mood of

their cast could none be infected. To was a calm and camps’ be not love, dispers with hold in this Lord, worth; and trust there. The king a wart. As in one bends where, ’ the deaf collect sheltred climes have never discern the whisper’d Spirits rich is

the girl and his Diamond is lustrate. But sigh I taker must be to broodeth to mine and break of the prophecyings to bear it is dying couple wheels, and mournful rhyme at, then all Things hymns did for than all the meetings to be. Wasted

circles round, and scent and deal which our sailor,—while the scenes, or any moments? But right; ring the new; if so stronged to more bitter thro’ mead thro’ the twinkling slopes and the through watercolor is but he reply’d was lords the trembles

faith iniurie: which she secret, as sooth, which wealthy planets their for the drunken hour and up that on the Wonderstand where such Rosebud of ivy in the paths on thou, as if the she long wild and Will. Fairy stream that should send up

true to this half smiled: twas the ceiling Care of the found for my voices of Chat, dance so much produce of the mothers, blind below, to pick’d many of good the world aparted up Vows, so your curs’d a stray, and various Tasks are blue.

XXVIII

Is it to makes his Pray’rs, that he diamonds is usual feel the Gulf Streams? And Part, and launches with customed black!

XXIX

Is one of Ceres growth. Besides and falls, too much these of thy stubborn of sorry. And the Destructions—stifled round else weird doubt vassal tingly; as I am screen; and they

tale, and the Waves, to the globe, poor lands, at last regret be ever, and in all that dark, with his armour shady broke one setting the snows are tramples for sleep our favourings

will be to her simple translated wheel or this there. And the poles, it as purpureal eyes were dull murder-spot. Master; what are he hallowed by the wed, had not always it’s

nobody love live o’ my kin; but she stillness; pent undefiles.—The heard, she stands— with scoff at our Christ though on Meander’d amid he, the Soul, in midst the chiefly Love had

don’t knowledge that, degree, sicken’d by inherit the led thrones and darke same frame, but we find a face defiles. Which in will not him, and blaze, which is the ocean’s sakes the

how the school and begin my harp my own joy. Party is Aladding’s neighbors complished up I still and wrinkles; whether changes wrough at all. And glad their flies for truckers,

and with doue-like you one. Would be the triple house will spine athways of lime; and Passions, and sadness dispraise, in the blame not end of some lea; an unknown; human with thy canvas,

and Children’s caughts the dandelions for Rightly, the ancies did your lot, hardly feet the rests with Conquer’d to stockit man sworne? Steel by narrow household, four closed with a

little careful boar: again, and every fight, nor dream of the her cheeks. If the freezes, but in my being marry clench of things of the still-kept my life shock, her voice is at

that nursed his face easy toward his betray’d in yonder thy delicate no name as swords: nor careless the congenitors, and teach content, a song. Little ground up I string, and

twigs and begs with might I lead then the flies wages would me who drew behind into the household many, with Guilt, and feared times wilfu’ tale; but if it wert the world away let

Spade! Up the Neptune’s a streams into gold.—Why the Lark is complete to tollbooth was his bar, and round in they rise—robert Burns: leeze of welth and brawlings side again is void,

which shame to find him their nose fair swell, one of vapoury tenements confines, they all the will she glee: but who can brook them all faithless channels pebbles all? But no more to

Combat once, towards below thee mind, which wit the lip short, the passed key can the sentence of grass! Up-follow must real trace and thou than sound, and archioness up to sweet griefs with his

wov’n across clappiness. All, she love, the own: with one terrible strike, and head demon, miser’s been, hither small regards, like a chosen fragrants in hold an hour with ends. From

Day’s din; no lessednesse, the first of fire-fly within the heard her the tears. One but as save Love, who but when I wad leuer good night: I see the woman: Breath, and King what is the

Ground a glasse he fair gift in the sat when we brow! And as a dove the low; come old license from Learned the ten tired of my sigh pouting rain news, so them: the faithful more

shore of epic Love, ’ about his Nosegay invades about of her he believed thee to thing my lad, o which sick, and brave will their good: oh, sacred by which led minds dis-

united with pain death, o sweetness. On her night also fleece in mine; nor shalt ca’ me freely one Isle, as it seemed to greedy heaves its voided wars, and feed him; we meryment.

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 5 #175 texts #ballad sequence

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hottpinkpenguin · 3 years

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Hello! could I request a Druig imagine where he and the reader (an eternal with water powers) confess but then the whole group splits up and she didn't go with him and went off to be a teacher or something like that but then the snap and she went to find him because he was what she needed? (with a fluffy ending please) I love your writing! (I hope this makes sense)

A/n: this imagine has proven me physically incapable of restraint in my word count soooo apologies if its too long!! Also, full disclosure, i have only seen the movie once and although the general gist of the plot is accurate (hopefully) in this work, i know that the scene - particularly the Eternals breakup at Tenochtitlan - is not word for word accurate, but i tried my best & claim creative license for the rest. Hope you love it!!! Not gonna lie, i am vibing with Adva as an Eternal, so netflix if you’re reading this, gimme a call and we can do a spinoff tv show or whatever (uhm, rooney mara for Adva, anyone???)

The Power of Water - 1/4

Matchup: Druig (Eternals) x Fem!Eternals Reader w/ water powers (name Adva, Hebrew for small wave)

Continue reading: Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV

Warnings: violence, (mild) implied sex, Eternals spoilers

Chapter I: Tenochtitlan, 1521 AD

Adva sat in the moonlight on the edge of the river, letting the water rush over her submerged feet as she listened to the stories it had to tell. It was quiet to human ears - nothing but the soft sound of running water and the occasional sound of laughter drifting from the village in the distance. But Adva had felt a threat growing in the waters for the past few days. It had started several months ago, by the ocean, but it had been no more than whispers of a faceless threat. Recently, the threat had drawn closer and was beginning to take form. There were faces now - men’s faces, human men, clad in armor, with banners of amber and scarlet behind them. Weapons, too, ones that Adva hadn’t encountered previously in human conflicts; weapons that used fire and metal to kill from a distance.

Adva focused intently on the fractured images she could discern from the water. Luminous, golden waves covered her forearms and swirled around her wrists as she used her powers to pull the water’s stories into her mind. Her eyes were closed, but she was far from relaxed, her brow knitted in concern, splinters of fear working their way into her heart as more images flashed by.

The sound of a snapping twig somewhere in the forest behind her right shoulder interrupted her reverie. She wasn’t alone.

“Druig, no one likes a spy,” she called quietly from the riverbank.

Druig stepped out of the darkness of the underbrush, soaking in the sight of Adva bathed in moonlight from above, golden light from her powers as they radiated around her arms. Even after all these thousand years, she still caused his heart to skip a beat.

Adva opened her eyes, letting the water recede away from her and her powers dissolve into the night, as she stood to turn towards her fellow Eternal. He hesitated on the edge of the forest, unsure if she was inviting him forward or asking him to turn back.

Noticing his faltering step, Adva reached out a hand towards him. “Come here,” she encouraged, casting him a playful smile.

It had been nearly seven thousand years since Adva, Druig, and the rest of the Eternals had found their way to Earth. At first, the planet had been awash with calamity at nearly every turn. Deviants had run rampant for the first three thousand odd years, requiring near constant vigilance and battles from the Eternals to keep the fragile human race from collapsing into extinction. As the frequency and intensity of battles with Deviants had subsided, humanity had begun to hit its stride, which presented its own set of unique challenges as the Eternals sought to gently mold, encourage, and shape the future of Earth’s inhabitants.

Recently, however, humans had begun to shear away from the Eternals’ sculpting influence. Ajack had become increasingly forceful in her instructions not to interfere. Generally, the Eternals took little issue with stepping back; after all, they had earned rest after millenia of fighting. At first, Adva had relished the opportunity to explore the natural beauties of the Earth, places human eyes wouldn’t see for generations to come. But, as the frenzy of battles had worn off, Adva felt a tension growing in her fellowship, and in herself.

She knew Druig felt it too. Of all the Eternals, Druig had the most intimate connections to humanity by virtue of his powers. Stepping into their minds - or not stepping in, at times - came with a unique burden that he alone carried. The more time Adva spent with him, the more she saw this burden. And the more she worried for him. She couldn’t put it into words that suited her, but Adva felt a growing need to be close to Druig, to protect him. In the quietest corners of her heart, Adva already knew that she was in love with him, and likely had been from the very beginning. But living countless millennia - not even counting the ones that Adva couldn’t remember, the ones whose memories had been removed by Arishem after previous Emergences - had made Adva perplexingly out of touch with her heart's needs and wants.

Druig smiled, taking her hand in his as he joined her on the river bank, looking out across the water as the moon’s reflection danced across its surface. In the distance, Druig could hear snippets of the song that had broken out amongst the villagers. Tenochtitlan was in the midst of a Rain Festival, and there was an ebullient mood amongst the humans.

“What does it say?” he asked Adva, gesturing to the water. He sidled closer to her as she turned her back to him to look at the river. Her expression grew pensieve.

“I’m not sure…” she started, her lips tightening in worry. “Something’s coming… it’s not good. Other people, humans. They’ve got weapons I’ve never seen before…” Adva’s voice trailed off as she thought back to the images of the warriors she’d seen in the water. Druig remained silent next to her, both out of reverence for her thoughts but also because he was struck speechless by the image of the moon’s reflection dancing in her blue eyes. He took a silent inhale, breathing in her scent, which was a mixture of summer rain, fresh cotton, and a hint of citrus. As much as the words Adva spoke foretold of a coming threat, Druig found he couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything but her at the moment.

He let his breath out slowly, resolving to tell her of the feelings he’d been holding onto for the past thousand years. His heart sped up as he brought the words to his tongue.

“Adva,” he started, brushing her hair off her shoulder. She turned to him, the shadow of fear in her eyes not quite gone but slowly vanishing as she looked up at him. He noticed that she seemed to lean closer to him, her chin angled slightly upward as she held his eye contact. “There’s something that needs to be said…” Druig swallowed thickly, willing himself to keep focused in spite of the intense urge to close the distance between their lips.

“Yes?” Adva asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She certainly wasn’t making this easy on him.

Despite his best intentions, Druig found his mind giving itself over to his instincts. Instead of delivering the recited words he’d dwelled over since last winter, he found his hands coming to cradle her face, one sliding down her elegant neck as he pressed his lips to hers. For an agonizing moment, Adva remained frozen under his touch, and he felt certain that she’d recoil from him. But in the next instant, he felt her step into his embrace, pressing her body up the length of his, one of her hands entwining into the hair at the base of his neck, the other trailing lazy circles on the skin of his bicep, sending shivers all over his body. Their lips moved in unison, a shared sigh of relief to realize that the feelings each had were mutual.

After what felt both like an eternity in the making and not nearly long enough, they separated. All traces of anxiousness had left Adva, her face open in a grin as she giggled. Druig let his forehead connect with hers, joining her in laughter.

“What was it you wanted to say again?” she teased, breathless, causing Druig to laugh more.

“Can’t seem to think of it now,” he retorted, letting his hands fall to her waist as she leaned against him. The same moonlight glinted off the same river next to them, but it felt like a completely different world that they’d stepped into.

With a mischievous smirk, Adva looked up at Druig, hoping he could read her thoughts through her eyes. “Well, in that case, if you’re done talking, why don’t we find some other way to pass the time…”

Druig’s skin felt kissed by flames at the suggestion, an impatient coil starting to form deep in his gut, and an equally impish grin danced across his handsome features.

“Now that’s an idea…”

#druig #druig oneshot #druig eternals #druig fluff #druig angst #druig x oc #eternals #eternals imagine #eternals oc #marvel #marvel imagine #eternals marvel #oc #marvel fanfiction #marvel au #druig au

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someonestolemyshoes · 3 years

Note

So at risk of stepping out of line here are some prompts of many genres for you! I dont know if any of these tickle your fancy.

Hange Survives the rumbling

Magic AU (specifically what would they be skilled or not skilled in. I always picture Hange as being good at illusions and Levi being good at combat magic but best at house hold charms for example)

Zombie apocalypse AU (Levi was a little disgruntled at first to have a tag along but warms up to her pretty quickly and mostly against his better judgement. He is forced to concede having someone to watch his back is nice after she saves his life though )

The exact moment other characters realized Levi had feelings for Hange.

Hange and Levi pranking Erwin in increasingly elaborate ways while keeping their identity a secret. As he gets more and more frustrated.

Just straight up angst with a capitol A

Ive honestly thoroughly enjoyed everything you've written and look forward to seeing more. I dont know etiquette for offering prompts and hope I didnt offer too many. I just thought they sounded cool.

I have saved all of these because there are so many good ideas BUT on this occasion I have decided to write the following: The exact moment other characters realized Levi had feelings for Hange. This was also inspired in part by something @glassesandswords said earlier regarding Levihan and ballroom dancing. There is no (real) dancing, but there is a ballroom.....does that count?

They were greeted politely at the doors, and led through a huge, carved entryway, intricate pillars stretching from the shiny marble floor to the high, mural ceiling. It was a beautiful architectural feat, but the effect was wasted on Erwin's small group, who observed the space with contempt, or else in Hange's case, stared only at the floor where their reflections shimmered in the polished surface.

Sweet music played through a closed set of double doors up ahead, carrying with it the hum of many voices interspersed now and then with a raucous laugh, or the clink of cutlery on expensive ceramic dishes. Two men, dressed in matching uniform, bowed politely and pulled the doors open, and the sound from within spilled into the entryway, echoing into the vast space.

The ballroom was beautiful.

The carriage pulled up in a stone-paved courtyard outside one of the most extravagant buildings Erwin had ever seen. Much like everything else in Sina, money had been thrown about without restraint, to create halls and mansions and castles each bigger and more gaudy than the last. They functioned almost exclusively as a show of wealth, save for the occasional ball or banquet where the space was welcome, and the rich were more than happy to showcase their spoils.

Tonight, this particular hall had the honour of hosting the Benefactors Ball. It was an opportunity for the military factions to rub shoulders with nobility, and garner themselves some additional funding—politicking disguised as polite conversation over glasses of champagne, each one likely costing more than the monthly budget allocated for the Survey Corps as a whole.

Erwin stepped down from the carriage and took in the space. The building was tall, all white stone and huge, arched windows, polished until they shone, reflecting the evening sky. A wide staircase led to a set of great oak doors, thrown open and exposing a glimpse of the entrance hall within. The interior was full of buildings like this, large enough to hold hundreds, but vacant for most of the year, while the people within Wall Rose lived like cattle, penned into cramped houses with one room for a whole family.

Behind him, the carriage creaked as Levi climbed down. He stopped beside Erwin and stared up at the lavish building with his lip curled, his distaste evident. He made no efforts to hide his disgust at the gaudy display of luxury, and did not bother lowering his voice when he said, "stinks like pig shit. Filthy rich bastards can't pay someone to wipe their asses properly?"

Erwin cleared his throat, swallowing the urge to laugh. He perfectly understood Levi's disdain, for the sentiment was widely shared, both throughout the Corps and much of the land outside of the interior. People lived in poverty, struggling to make ends meet and fighting for rations while the rich ate decadent banquets full of more food than they could ever hope to consume, growing fat and idle in their comfort.

To his left, Mike had alighted from the carriage and was busy straightening his suit. He showed less restraint than Erwin, snorting and garnering some scathing looks from the passing attendees. Erwin fixed his face into a pleasant, appeasing smile, and spoke through the side of his mouth. "Better not to insult our company if you want to eat over the winter."

"We're already eating scraps like dogs," Levi protested with a sharp click of his tongue.

"And you'll be eating less than that if they cut our funding. Behave, please."

Mike shrugged a shoulder, unbothered by Erwin's scolding. Levi shot him a scowl, but did not argue and instead turned to talk over his shoulder, barking out. "Oi, four-eyes. The hell is taking so long?"

There was some shuffling inside the carriage. Erwin could hear Hange grumbling to themself inside it, and then their voice called out, somewhat petulantly, "I feel ridiculous."

"We're running late," Erwin said. "Come on."

Hange swore quietly, then sighed. More shuffling and Erwin heard the carriage stairs creak as Hange climbed their way carefully down them, manoeuvring awkwardly with all the loose fabric around their legs. They stood stiffly beside Levi, adjusting the thin, silk shawl across their shoulders and pulling it over their chest. The neckline of their dress cut too low for their comfort, which Hange had complained about endlessly on the ride here, and the midnight blue fabric fell to brush the tops of their feet, where they had been forced into a pair of flat, thin-soled shoes that were already rubbing the skin of their heels raw.

The dress was very pretty, and in truth, Hange looked very pretty in it, but their discomfort showed painfully in their high, drawn shoulders and slouched posture, curved over themself to make their long, thin frame appear as small as possible.

"I don't see why I couldn't wear a suit like everybody else," Hange said, huffing to blow their fringe out of their face. Nanaba had fixed their hair in a delicate half-up do, a pretty, intricate bun fastened at the back of their head while the rest of their hair fell in loose curls just past their shoulders. Already, they seemed annoyed with it, constantly pushing it away from their face and neck. Mike turned to examine the view and Levi, who had been watching Hange slyly from the corner of his eye, slid his gaze forward and away. Erwin cleared his throat, but made no comment. The organisers had been clear about their dress code requirements—no military decoration, suits for the men and dresses for the women. Hange's military record had decided their fate for the evening, and no amount of arguing or pleading could change that.

After a pregnant pause, Erwin politely held out an arm for Hange, and gave them a somewhat apologetic smile. "Shall we?"

Hange kept their hands to themself. They shook their head and made a vague gesture for Erwin to walk ahead, following closely behind him and Mike, whose combined height and bulk blocked them from view. Erwin felt a little guilty, for forcing Hange to come, and for refusing their multiple requests to dress in something they felt more relaxed in. But Erwin understood well how the benefactors operated, knew that a pretty face in a nice dress had sway where stoic men in suits did not. Hange's frosty attitude towards him was enough to convince him that they understood, too.

The ballroom was beautiful. Long tables lined the walls, piled high with more food than they had ever seen in their lives, steaming joints of meat, fresh and tender, and fish, vegetables steamed or roasted and coated in unfamiliar herbs and spices. The combined smell was mouthwatering. Beside him, Mike breathed long and deep through his nose. There was a huge, open floor in the centre of the room where the attendees were mingling, the men dressed in sharp, well-fitted suits and the women draped in elegant dresses, fine jewelry studding their fingers and wrapping their wrists, pearls and gems hanging from their necks. A great, ornate chandelier hung overhead, lit with what felt like hundreds of candles, the firelight ducking and weaving, shimmering from the hanging crystals and casting pretty, shifting shadows on the floor below. On one wall, huge windows ran from ceiling to floor and displayed a well-groomed garden flushed pink in the setting sun, dotted carefully with trimmed bushes and pruned flowers, a great stone fountain set in the centre,

The four of them stood in a line in the open doorway. Erwin observed quickly, efficiently. Many faces were already blushing a little red, from the heat and their full stomachs and the champagne, ferried around the room by waiters carrying trays, darting about the space with choreographed ease. He spotted a few of the key benefactors, those with the fattest wallets, and took note of the drinks in their hands—tumblers of amber liquid, whiskey or brandy from the bar, or else goblets of deep red wine that stained their lips and teeth. A glass or two more and enough sweet, sickly compliments, and Erwin felt confident they could come to some financial agreements.

He turned to look at the others. Mike's expression was neutral, eyes masked by his long fringe, but his posture was relaxed, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. Levi's eyes had once again roved to one side, where Hange stood, taking in the room with one arm covering their chest, their nails scratching absently at the skin of their neck. Levi clicked his tongue at them and reached up, flicking their knuckles.

"Stop doing that, idiot," Levi said. "You look diseased."

Hange's neck had indeed turned a deep shade of red where their nails had raked at the skin, swelling in thin, raised welts that threatened to split open with much more abuse. Hange pulled the shawl tighter around themself.

"I have a few people I need to speak to," Erwin said. He shot them each a look in turn. "Mingle, but please, stay out of trouble."

Mike nodded. Levi shrugged a shoulder. Hange glared at him, the candlelight catching and glinting off their glasses. Erwin trusted the group, but not completely. Mike had a penchant for dry sarcasm, and Erwin had observed of late that Hange and Levi could make an explosive pair when left to their own devices, equally as volatile whether they were conspiring together or else at each other's throats. Collateral damage within the Corps was easy enough to iron out—traumatised recruits were simple to deal with. Offended benefactors and interior personnel were a whole other matter. Smoothing out Survey Corps relations with their funding parties was a headache Erwin didn't need, if he could help it.

Hange, though, looked ill-equipped for mischief. Erwin couldn't recall a time he had ever heard them seem quiet, or seen them so tense. Of all the soldiers Erwin had ever known, Hange was the most loose, relaxed, with little regard for military hierarchy, no sense of personal space, and a lack of shame so absolute it bordered on admirable. He had never seen Hange so subdued, before. He might have found the reprieve from their usual exuberance peaceful, if not for the itch of guilt that came with it.

But he didn't have time to dwell on it. There were more important matters to attend to, and Erwin took his leave from the group with a stern nod, leaving to greet Pixis and Nile where they were talking politely with some bloated, red-faced nobles.

The evening passed in endless addresses. Erwin flattered his way around the room, speaking humbly with innumerable men, smiling and taking their backhanded compliments with grace while pushing another drink into their greedy hands.

Over the shoulders of one stout man with yellow teeth and breath like tobacco, Erwin caught sight of Mike, dutifully nodding his head as a gaggle of older women flocked around him. He panned his gaze around, searching for his two missing soldiers, until his eyes landed on Hange where they stood near a corner of the room, engaged in awkward looking conversation with a lanky man who seemed to share Hange's usual sentiments about personal space. He was taller than Hange, but had stooped until their faces were close, and in both of his hands he held one of Hange's, stroking over their knuckles as he talked. Hange had a forced smile on their face, but even from this distance Erwin could see the strain in their neck, the tightness in their face, their free hand white-knuckling a fist full of their dress at their side.

Erwin had known Hange long enough to understand the concentrated effort with which they were holding back. He would have to thank them later, for not causing a scene, but he could have hardly blamed them if they had. As he watched, the man brought one hand up to Hange's hair, following a loose curl from the crown of their head, past their cheek, and to their shoulder, where his fingertips danced lightly at their collar. Hange's face was pale in their anger, and Erwin was mentally preparing the kind of speeches he'd have to give to excuse Hange's indiscretion, when a figure appeared at their side offering a glass of champagne. Erwin's brows rose.

Levi had come out of nowhere. He pressed the glass insistently at Hange, who quickly pulled both of their hands free to take it. Their admirer looked sufficiently displeased by the interruption, straightening to his full height and looking down his nose at Levi. Levi stared back impassively, gaze unwavering as Hange spoke, gesturing towards Levi, and Erwin watched with some smug satisfaction as introductions were made, and the sleazy old man realised exactly who had joined their conversation.

He stuck around for only a moment, before taking his leave. Hange watched him go, then visibly sagged in place, taking a long gulp from the delicate flute and bringing their hand up to their throat. Levi said something that made Hange laugh. Their smile was small and the shake of their shoulders was slight, but it was genuine. Levi slapped weakly at Hange's hand—they had been scratching again, the skin of their neck red and irritated. He took the champagne flute from their hand and drank the rest, depositing the empty glass on a nearby table and pulling a face, running his tongue over his teeth. Hange laughed again, a little brighter this time, some delight reflected in their face as they watched Levi's twisted expression, and when Levi said something that looked suspiciously like piss off, they laughed loud enough that Erwin could just hear it. Levi nudged at Hange's ribs with his elbow and Hange grabbed onto his arm, wriggling away. When Levi stopped his prodding, Hange didn't let go of him. And then the crowd shifted, a throng of men heading towards the bar, obscuring Levi and Hange from his view.

Huh.

That was interesting.

Levi had been with them for just over two years now. He had opened up very little in that time, remained almost as stoic and distant as he had been when he had first been recruited. He spoke little, and what conversation he did make was always rude and often perfunctory, coaxed into short, one-word answers or non-committal grunts. He dealt with Erwin because he had to. He tolerated Mike due to proximity alone—where Erwin went, Mike was never far behind.

His forbearance of Hange was more confusing.

There was no real need for them to spend much time together. Outside of meetings and events like these, compulsory gatherings where Erwin preferred to bring his most trusted subordinates, the pair of them were never required to be in each other's company. He'd had no doubt that Hange would be pushy; they were fascinated by Levi and had been since the beginning, keen to observe as much as they could, to understand and employ whatever technique it was that allowed Levi to move so quickly, to fight so efficiently. He had been unsurprised to see Hange hovering around Levi shortly after their first mission together—"like a fly on horse shit," Levi had said—and it had been no shock to him at all that Levi's dismissal had fallen on deaf ears.

But time had passed, and despite Levi's constant grumbles and complaints, seeing the two of them together had become an increasingly familiar sight.

Things weren't always amiable. There was a lot of bickering, loud disagreements where Hange would whinge and push and prod and Levi's anger would build until he was steaming, and there had on one occasion been a physical fight, the kind of feral scuffling in the dirt usually reserved for children. Erwin had broken that up himself after battling to the centre of a watching crowd, and the pair of them had sat down across from him at his desk, their faces resolutely turned in opposite directions, their hair and clothes coated in dusty, dry soil, with swelling bruises on their cheeks and split skin on their knuckles. They pointed fingers, each laying the blame squarely on the other, and neither had admitted the root cause. Erwin eventually dismissed them with a headache, and demanded that whatever their issue was, they resolve it—civilly. He had wholly expected another scrap, but had been pleasantly surprised at finding the pair of them sitting together in the mess hall that evening—they were arguing about Hange's ludicrous notion to capture a titan when he had passed them, Levi jabbing his fork at Hange's hand when they slyly reached for his bread, but there was a familiar light in Hange's eyes, one that told him this argument, at least for now, was not serious.

Erwin had been pleasantly surprised to see a similar expression reflected on Levi's usually flat, stoic face. He had ripped his bread loaf in two, and dropped half of it silently onto Hange's plate as he told them, "for the last damn time, no."

Levi afforded Hange for more leniency than he did to anybody else. He would pull a face when Hange threw an arm around his shoulder, but he never pushed them away anymore. He'd grumble if Hange dropped next to him on Erwin's sofa and wriggled their does under his thighs for warmth, curse them for putting their dirty feet on the furniture, but it had been a long time now since Levi had knocked their feet back to the floor. He would badger them relentlessly about their greasy hair or the dirt under their nails, and in the same breath he would tug on their ponytail, his fingers sinking easily into the knotted, unkempt hair.

And now, this—Levi barely tolerated using communal utensils, opting often to clean his own cutlery before eating. To drink directly from the same glass as anyone, let alone Hange, who Levi notoriously butted heads with over their personal hygiene, was unimaginable. And yet.

Erwin was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his name, and turned back to his companion, falling easily into conversation once more.

The evening dragged on. The sky outside the great windows was full dark, the stone fountain pale in the moonlight. The water shimmered, dark and spotted with the light from the stars. Erwin's throat was dry and sore from talking, but he felt satisfied—he had secured plenty of meetings to negotiate funding, enough that he wasn't all too worried that they would inevitably lose a few offers when the alcohol wore off.

He found Mike near the bar, finally alone. Erwin crossed to him and greeted him with a nod, ordering a drink and leaning against the bar beside Mike to enjoy it.

"Calling it a success?" Mike asked. Erwin hummed.

"I think so. I'll wait until we are safely back at the barracks before I say for certain."

Mike snorted quietly into his glass. He was sipping from a glass of fragrant whiskey, something deep and smoky. Erwin took another mouthful from his water.

"And you?" Erwin asked. "Would you call it a successful evening?"

Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "A very lovely lady left me her address. She insisted I write to her."

Erwin's lip quirked. He hid it behind his glass. "Will you?"

Mike shrugged. "Maybe. I figure she might leave me a big fat inheritance if I do."

Erwin chuckled, and looked about the room.

The crowd had thinned some, and those who remained spoke in loud, slurred voices that sounded over the lazy music played by the band. They stood around in small clusters, picking at the plentiful food and chugging down their drinks, bellies swollen behind shirts bursting at the seams. Pigs ready for slaughter, if it weren't for the work of people like them, who put their lives on the line for humanity every time they set foot into titan territory.

Mike elbowed him. Erwin hummed, and Mike nodded his head towards a corner of the room. "How's that for a success?"

Many of the candles in the chandelier had gone out, leaving the room with a smoky haze and the lights lower than before, a warm orange glow that barely reached the corners. Hange had sat themself on the corner of one of the tables, their feet dangling a little way off the floor as they drank from another glass of champagne. Their shawl had been replaced with Levi's jacket, buttoned just over their chest to cover them, and they had kicked off their shoes, bare feet swinging back and forth as they drank. Their hair had been thrown up into its customary ponytail, messy and shaggy at the back of their head. They looked much more like Hange, more relaxed, more comfortable.

Levi stood close beside them, his hip cocked against the table edge, Hange's shawl folded neatly and draped over his arm. The pair of them were talking between themselves, observing the room—Hange kept snickering, and Levi kept hiding his own smile with his champagne glass. Both of their cheeks were flushed pink, noticeable even with the distance. Hange twisted their head to look at Levi, still laughing, and reached up idly to fuss with his hair. Levi continued talking to Hange as though they hadn't touched him, his eyes glued to their face as they broke into a loud, tinkling laugh, the kind that carried like windchimes over the rest of the noise. Levi's eyes were a little wide, brows relaxed out of his customary frown, and his lips were a little parted as he stared openly at Hange.

"You think he knows he looks at Hange like they put the sun in the sky?" Mike said. Erwin laughed and shook his head.

Whatever Hange said next must have been teasing. Their lips spread in a sly smile, showing teeth, and their eyes pinched behind their glasses. They leaned a little further into Levi's space, and Erwin noticed Hange's leg drift sideways, their toes brushing against Levi's calf. Whatever Hange said made Levi grimace, but he put no distance between them. One of his hands settled on Hange's knee as he leaned even closer, and the other came up between their faces to pinch at Hange's nose. He shook their face back and forth until Hange brought their hands up and wrapped them around Levi's wrist. Levi relinquished his hold, and Hange lowered their hands down into their lap, playing with Levi's fingers as they fell back into conversation.

Levi put no distance between them. Erwin and Mike watched the pair of them, watched as Levi swayed even further into Hange's space, his fringe brushing against Hange's brow. Hange was watching him curiously, their head tipped a little to one side—Levi initiating any kind of proximity must have been new, even to Hange, but they didn't seem at all bothered by his closeness.

Mike let out a low whistle. "Little street rat has a soft spot."

Erwin gave Mike a warning look, and Mike raised his hand in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. Just surprised to see the captain has feelings, is all."

"It's that hard to believe?" Erwin said. "He cared a lot about his friends, too. He has a heart."

"Somewhere."

Erwin rolled his eyes. Levi and Hange were still standing close, and Levi looked very much like he was debating something in his head. His eyes flicked over Hange's face, and his fingers curled slowly around Hange's, gripping one of their hands in his. Erwin found himself holding his breath, watching them, waiting with a childishly eager anticipation. As their superior, Erwin certainly shouldn't encourage interpersonal relationships between his soldiers—but they were his friends, too. If they could afford themselves a moment of happiness in this hellish world, Erwin wouldn't stop them. Not for one night.

And then Hange's eyes flicked their way. They grinned widely, turning their face and lifting a hand to wave enthusiastically across the room. Unthinking of their attire, Hange bent a knee up and braced one of their heels on the table edge, exposing entirely too much skin to the remaining patrons in the room.

Erwin waved calmly back. Mike raised his glass. Levi stepped out of Hange's space, pausing only to pull a face and silently drape Hange's shawl over their lap, to cover them where the dress had ridden up their leg. He slipped his hand out of Hange's and jammed it instead into his pocket, and shook his fringe over his eyes, looking at Erwin and Mike through it. His scowl was back in place, but the colour in his cheeks had intensified.

Hange spoke to Levi, then hopped off the table grabbed his hand again, turning backwards to keep a hold of his hand as he bunched up their shawl and scooped to pick up Hange's shoes, dangling them from his fingers as Hange dragged him barefoot across the ballroom floor. Levi followed behind, caught helplessly in Hange's wake. In the middle of the floor Hange paused, and turned to him so quickly the hem of their dress rose, twirling around their legs. Whatever they said made Levi shake his head, and then shake it again, more firmly, but Hange laughed that bright, tinkling laughter and held the skirt of their dress in their spare hand, dipping into an exaggerated curtsey. Erwin wasn't sure what had done it, whether it was the alcohol or the jacket covering them up, or perhaps it was simply the presence of good company, but Hange was behaving more like themself again, bubbly and alive, and Levi was as ever their hopeless victim, cringing when Hange spun themself down the length of his arm, paused briefly with their body pressed tight against his chest, and then back out again, teetering on their toes to keep their balance.

They tried valiantly to coax Levi into a few off-beat steps, moving to a rhythm Erwin couldn’t identify. They smile was bright, their face pleasantly read, and they were wholly unbothered by Levi’s lack of commitment. Levi looked at them sternly, but the threat of it was lost in the bright red flush of his cheeks.

"You're no fun, Levi!" They whined, close enough now that Erwin could hear them. Levi clicked his tongue.

"You're acting like an idiot."

"I'm having fun," Hange said, tugging on Levi's hand. "You should try it! You might like it."

"Brat."

Hange grinned as though he had complimented them. Levi's lips twitched, but he held back any urge to smile and curled his lip in a snarl instead, hitting Hange's leg lightly with their shoes and urging them to start walking again. Hange saluted him and together they crossed the rest of the distance and stopped before Erwin and Mike. Hange kept a casual hold on Levi's hand and Levi made no move to part from them, but he glared at Mike and Erwin as though daring them to say something. Mike smirked, and Levi flushed deeper, but his grip tightened around Hange's fingers.

"Are we done?" Hange asked. Erwin nodded. "Good. My feet are killing me—who the hell designed shoes like? And I’m tired of creepy old men—which reminds me,” Hange reached into the top of their dress and pulled out a handful of napkins, which they handed over to Erwin. “These perverts seemed pretty eager to spare a pretty penny for a nice young lady like myself.” Hange pulled a face as they said it. “I can't wait to get this dress off."

Erwin noted with interest the way Levi's eyes slid to Hange, roving down the length of their body and up again.

Mike downed the last of his drink. "Finally," he said, stretching and following as Erwin led them towards the door.

"Tired after wagging your tail for all those grandma's?"

Hange snickered, and Levi's mouth pulled into half a smile. Mike, unaffected by the jab, only grinned.

"Exhausted. What about you, though? Eager to head back and pop some pain killers?"

"Hah?"

Mike's grin widened. He leaned closer to Levi, and Erwin had to strain his ears to hear him.

"I heard being whipped hurts."

This time, Levi did let go of Hange's hand. Quickly.

There was a carriage waiting for them outside. Erwin took the stairs quickly, eager to sit and rest for the duration of the journey back to the barracks. He opened the door and turned, waiting to let the others in, but only Mike was behind him. Levi and Hange were still at the top of the stairs, Hange holding Levi's shoulders for balance as they slipped back into their shoes. Their face was curled in a pained grimace as they descended the stairs and Levi was watching them closely, one of his hands hovering at their back. Mike looked delighted as they approached, and took great pleasure in offering Hange his hand to help them into the carriage before Levi could. He climbed in and sat beside Hange, leaving Levi to take the seat opposite them. Once they were seated, Erwin knocked on the box, and the driver urged the horses on.

Hange sighed loudly. They kicked off their shoes again, and dumped their feet into Levi's lap.

"Oi," Levi said, though there was no malice behind it. Hange wiggled their toes until Levi closed his hand around Hange's foot, thumb digging into the arch with practiced ease. Hange sighed happily and slumped in their seat.

Mike made a show of sniffing the air, and pulled a face. "Smells weird in here."

"Like what?" Hange asked sluggishly. They had let their eyes drift closed as Levi worked absently on their foot, the buzz from the champagne mellowing in the darkness of the cab.

Mike sniffed again. "Horny teenagers."

Levi's ministrations paused briefly, thumb and fingers stilling until Hange made an impatient sound and lifted their foot, shaking it in his face.

"Fuck off," he hissed, but continued. Hange poked out their tongue and gave him a satisfied grin, then rolled their head towards Mike.

"I think your nose is broken," Hange said. "'S probably just my feet."

"They do reek," Levi added. Hange sunk right the way down in their seat and pushed both feet at Levi's face this time, dodging his grabbing hands and wrestling with him when he caught ahold of them, until he slammed both of their feet back into his lap, victorious, and pinned them down by the ankles. Hange's face was a little flushed from the exertion and their laughter was breathless. Levi looked a little triumphant, eyes alight with something like humour.

Levi was having fun.

Erwin tipped his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.

"I don't know, Hange," he said, smiling. "I think Mike might be onto something."

#levihan #snk #my writing #ask #thank you for these!!#I am especially intrigued by the magic AU since I have had a similar idea in mind for awhile now #maybe I will finally get around to it hjkh #this was fun but writing erwin is HARD #anyway Levi is whipped what else is new #there are probably many hilarious typos since I wrote this on my phone and am too tired to edit OOPS #anyway please enjoy!!#<3 .

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