#also when holly goes i can only imagine what it must have been like

[handfulofmuses]

Bluebell man.

Unlike Holly, he was underground when it all happened. Keep in mind, he is also the ONLY survivor from the rabbits who were underground. Holly said he can only imagine what it must have been like, but Bluebell interrupts him, saying that he can't and takes over the story.

Bluebell telling about everything that happens underground is the only serious moment in the book with him.

He was in the poisoned burrows. He was there when the does did not want to leave their kittens and attacked any rabbit that came close. He was there when rabbits were desperately trying to get out, clambering over each other and even ending up killing each other in the process. The cries for help. Kittens who were screaming for their mothers. Owsla trying to give orders during all that. The dead rabbit that came tumbling towards him - the same dead rabbit that he had to tear at to get out. Pimpernel trying to help him out, but constantly confused over everything and Bluebell biting him out fear that he might die and block the way. The guy has most likely PTSD himself from the event but he needed to keep himself and Holly going so he coped with jokes.

Just - the strength that must have took.

[beck-a-leck]

Hello, what are your headcanon ages for the 3ot characters?😊

Oh my gosh, Nonny, this ask has been sitting in my inbox since January, and I completely forgot about it! it must have come in shortly after I answered a similar ask about the RF4 characters ages and then just fell through one of the swiss cheese holes in my brain. 😓 Sorry about that!

Funny coincidence, I've recently gotten back into playing 3oT, so all of the characters are fresh in my mind. So I guess I was cleaning out my inbox at just the opportune moment.

3oT has a ton of characters, so I'm assuming you're asking about the Marriage Candidates as opposed to Every Single Character. And I don't have any real solid numbers, just more like general age-ranges for the characters. So here goes!

Holly/Henry - They're young adults. Young enough to still be living at home with their parents (which for an American-coded family is not something that typically happens past the earliest of your 20s in fiction), and not yet have settled into a career. I know in Earth and Rebirth, I wrote Holly as being 21 (20 when the story starts), and I based that strongly off the vibes I got from the game. When you start the game your parents seem ready and accepting that the player character wants to set off on their own because you are of that age, the only push back comes when the PC says they want to be a farmer. So yeah, I really seem them as being a very young adult, no older than a recent college graduate, so in the 18-23 age range.

Lisette - She's in her mid-20s, I think. She says once that she took over the flower shop from her parents after she finished horticulture school, which I imagine was like a college program or some equivalent. So her years from 18-22 were likely spent in school. And I also believe she mentioned having run the shop for a few years by the time the game starts, so I've always placed her around 24-27ish. She could easily be read as older, she doesn't get specific about her age, and since this game does better than most with regards to characters close to 30 complaining about their age.

Wayne - He's a mid to late 20s guy. I think he mentions having lived in Westown for several years by the beginning of the game after getting assigned there as the postman. He doesn't talk about other previous assignments, but that doesn't mean he didn't have any. I believe he did mention doing the "normal schooling" before he became a postman, so it's possible he went to college as well and didn't start working until he was in his early 20s. But even getting "several" years into his 20s that can still put him at 23-25 at the young end. But I can easily see Wayne being anywhere from 25-30.

Ford - He's definitely in his 30s. I'd have to say somewhere in his mid-30s if I needed to be specific. He's a doctor, and assuming he didn't fast track himself through college and med school and graduate med school at an early age, then he would have been about 26 at the end of med school. There's mention of Ford having been Westown's doctor for the better part of a decade, so following that logic he's probably somewhere from 34-37. He's definitely the oldest of the marriage candidates (not counting the supernatural ones)

Komari - She's a tricky one to place. Her general energy and mannerisms can definitely skew her to the younger end of the 20s. But at the same time, that could just make her appear younger than she really is. I don't remember much of her later events (and haven't seen them since I started my replay) but I remember her seeming to be caught between needing to figure out what to do/how to grow up and be taken seriously. But in her early dialogue she very quickly seems to take the PC under her wing keeping an eye on them like an older sibling might. I think given the mix, I tend to read her in her early to mid-20s. Grown up, but maybe not fully matured, and not yet seen as full grown in her father's eyes. So 22-25ish.

Kasumi - I think she's younger than Komari, not by much, maybe a year or two difference, but I think she is the younger of the two. If I recall correctly, she's still a relatively new teacher when you're introduced to her. So if she's finished her own schooling and just in the first couple years of being a teacher, she's probably somewhere from 21-24 years old.

Hinata - Like Holly/Henry, I think he's a young one. Probably the youngest marriage candidate. He's been in Tsuyukusa for a while when you meet him, I believe he came here to work for Moriya when he was 13, but he still hasn't been working there for as long as Shizu and Ittetsu. So probably less than 10 years. And given he's still seems to be in the early stages of his acting training when he mentions it, it points to him being younger. I've personally headcanoned him as the same age as the PC, but really he could be anywhere from 18-23 years old.

Yuzuki - He's another tricky one to place. Given his life experiences with his illness in his youth, and his continuing fight with chronic illness, it could very easily account towards "aging" him prematurely, so he looks older than he really is, not to mention forcing him to mature much faster than he otherwise might have. However, I think Komari mentions growing up with Yuzuki and being friends, and Hinata and him became friends shortly after Hinata moved into town. So I think their ages are pretty close, within a few years of each other. So I could happily put him around 23-26ish. But honestly, an argument could be made to put Yuzuki in his late-20s. Having been sick for so long could also just mean he made friends with whatever kids he could keep up with, and that would have been the ones younger than him.

Iluka and Siluka - being twins, obviously they're going to be the same age. I generally place them in their early to mid20s. Somewhere from 23-27 I think given their experiences as children they all matured a lot faster than they would have otherwise. And given their town's culture, once they were able to do real work, they started working. So they probably started their training as priestesses in their teens and have been at it for a while now. So even if they're young, they've still probably got a decade of experience under their belts. Arguments could be made for them to be older, but I think if they were closer to their 30s or in their 30s, they probably would be more like friends with Zahau and Caolila, but when they talk about those two, it's more like they were babysitters for the kids, as opposed to cool older friends.

Ludus - I've always headcanoned him as around the same age as the twins. Older, but within a year or two. So he's also mid20s. Same arguments for why he's not older as for the twins. Their experiences had them maturing faster, he was probably beginning his jack-of-all-trades work when he was still in his teens, though probably didn't start the heavy construction projects until he was older and more experienced. (and ya'know, despite the game's suggestion he can't be the only person building houses. there has to be a team of carpenters/construction workers who help him with the jobs) So like the twins, he's 23-27.

Now for the Special Candidates!

Stephanie - I could see her being in her late20s to early30s. She's clearly been at her MC career for a while by the time she settles down in Westown. She mentions having traveled and lived lots of places, but this is the first place she feels like wanting to settle in for the long term. So I can happily place her around the 26-32 age range.

Woofio - mild spoilers for his back story, but he's gotta be decades, if not over a century old. I don't remember if he specified how old he really is, but I know he's MUCH older than anybody else in the game (deities excluded). However, if I wanted to assign an age range to the way he acts, I think like Stephanie he's mid20s to early 30s. Old enough to have gotten lots of experience with animals, learning to care for them, and judge them, and build a career on the festival circuit. So 26-32 for him as well.

Inari - They're hard to pin down. Being a deity, I'm pretty sure they're several hundred years old, if not over 1000. They do mention something like for them aging one year is equivalent to humans aging 10 years. They also look very young. but they do insist to the PC that even if they might look childish, they are much much older and more mature than they look. However, given the way they act and behave, even if they're mature enough to be an adult, they're a very Young adult. Having never spoken to a human before, since mortals can't see them, they're very naive about a lot of things, particularly when it comes to relationships and such. if I had to stick an age on them, it's gonna be Babey Adult range, 17-19.

That's all a lot of text so the tl;dr version:

Holly/Henry: 18-23

Lisette: 24-27

Wayne: 25-30

Ford: 34-37

Komari: 22-25

Kasumi: 21-24

Hinata: 18-23

Yuzuki: 23-26

Iluka: 23-27

Siluka: 23-27

Ludus: 23-27

Stephanie: 26-32

Woofio: 26-32

Inari: 17-19

[cloudninetonine]

Something funny I thought about in relation to the Player Au is some of the crazy shenanigans the games let you pull and what that would be like for the characters actually experiencing them. Especially when you stop to consider that the games don’t really show Link’s and/or assorted NPCs reactions to various things. Let’s count them off by game, yes?

  * The Original (which I have actually played! Retro-gaming ftw!); you can bomb walls and floors to find secret places that hold everything from shops to fairies to a random moblin who gives you rupees for no apparent reason (I, the player, was confused by that last one. I can only imagine what Hyrule’s reaction must’ve been). You can also accidentally bomb your way into the wrong cave and be charged for “door repairs” by the old man inside it

  * ALTTP; you can buy a bee of all things from a red shield shop in the dark world. Not even the shopkeeper knows why that’s there. And then of course there’s one quest in the game where you have to drag a damned chest across the country only to be given an empty bottle as payment.

  * The Oracle games; bump into Maple enough time in either game and she eventually switches out her broom for a vacuum and in a linked game that gets traded in for a flying saucer! (What the hell Maple?! Where’d you even get those from?!).

In Seasons if you set the weather to winter and go into a normally inaccessible house, there’s a green-haired girl named Holly who says, and I quote, “Hey, you're not Santa!”.

There’s a chest with a single rupee! (Link and Player both would prob be deadpanning and going “are you kidding me...”).

There’s this funny little end-game credits skit in a non-Linked run of Ages where Link tries to teach Ralph how to perform a Spin Attack, and Ralph ends up accidentally doing the Hurricane Spin instead before collapsing from dizziness.

  * Four Swords; you can pick up the pots and throw them, and not just at monsters or to break them but also at the other Links! Which then causes the pot to get stuck on their head for a while as everything goes completely black save the character sprite. Which made this hilarious image pop into my head of one of the colors picking up a pot to throw it at some monster only to completely miss and hit one of the other colors instead. (I’m still not sure which combo is funnier, Blue hitting either Green or Vio, or Vio misjudging his aim and hitting Blue!)

  * Pretty much everything you can do in BoTW. Full stop.

  * Wind Waker; attacking a moblin from behind or using the grappling hook on them nets you some pretty funny animations. The grappling hook is especially so because you actually steal the moblin’s necklace and it’ll actually stare at you for a moment at the audacity.

You can steal a Stalfos’s mace while it’s in pieces and when it reforms it’ll realize what’s missing and try to use one of its own arms as nunchucks.

Drop a bomb into an area with a bunch of moblins and the idiots will attack it, with predictable results.

Drop another and they'll run away panicking!

  * In both BoTW and Wind Waker you can make certain monsters to engage in friendly fire against each other and eventually they’ll start attacking their allies instead of Link in revenge.

  * OoT and Majora’s Mask let you have a bit of fun with the masks. Using the Captain's Hat and the Bremen mask during King of Ikana boss fight is a hoot. (On a slightly unrelated note, the verses books strategy guide for Majora’s Mask is just a riot!)

The fact that in both games you can find cows where they have no business being with no explanation.

  * In nearly every game you can beat nearly every boss (including the big bad!) with either the fishing pole or the bug net!

  * Minish Cap; you can use the Cane of Pacci on nearly everything, including Vaati! Just imagine for a moment what that must look like from an in-game perspective. Throughout the entire final fight, Vaati keeps getting flipped upside-down by this kid who’s probably trying not to break down laughing in the middle of fighting. Player is laughing themselves to tears and is likely the reason Link is having a hard time keeping it together.

Every time you activate a warp marker it explodes for absolutely no reason!

Using the gust jar on a Stalfos will yank its skull off, leaving it to wander around blindly. Even funnier is if there are any pots nearby it’ll try to use that as a replacement, which naturally goes about as well as you’d expect.

  * Hitting the Sheikah Stones in Skyward Sword, Majora’s Mask, and Ocarina of Time all have some comical effects, most commonly being rocketing up and then crashing back down like a badly piloted toy helicopter!

  * Tri Force Heroes; the utter chaos that frequently occurs during co-op. I need not say more.

----------

I won't lie to you, pixie, this post was one hell of a rollacoaster to read but being the daredevil I am I enjoyed every second of it.

I can only begin to imagine half the stuff Guide! Player had probably coaxed the boys into. Some instances leading in happiness, some in confusion and others with said hero with a few or more scraps or possibly being chased. They're a menace, they know it, and they have to use that opportunity to bully those boys (and try and bring smiles to their faces during their darkest hour.)

[ebaeschnbliah]

That morning they lit a fire in a deep hollow shrouded by great bushes of holly, and their supper-breakfast was merrier than it had been since they set out. They did not hurry to bed afterwards, for they expected to have all the night to sleep in, and they did not mean to go on again until the evening of the next day. Only Aragorn was silent and restless. After a while he left the Company and wandered on to the ridge; there he stood in the shadow of a tree, looking out southwards and westwards, with his head posed as if he was listening. Then he returned to the brink of the dell and looked down at the others laughing and talking.

`What is the matter, Strider?' Merry called up. 'What are you looking for? Do you miss the East Wind?'

'No indeed,' he answered. `But I miss something. I have been in the country of Hollin in many seasons. No folk dwell here now, but many other creatures live here at all times, especially birds. Yet now all things but you are silent. I can feel it. There is no sound for miles about us, and your voices seem to make the ground echo. I do not understand it.'

Gandalf looked up with sudden interest. `But what do you guess is the reason?' he asked. `Is there more in it than surprise at seeing four hobbits, not to mention the rest of us, where people are so seldom seen or heard?'

`I hope that is it,' answered Aragorn. `But I have a sense of watchfulness, and of fear, that I have never had here before.'

"Then we must be more careful,' said Gandalf. 'If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him, especially if the Ranger is Aragorn. We must stop talking aloud, rest quietly, and set the watch.'

It was Sam's turn that day to take the first watch, but Aragorn joined him. The others fell asleep. Then the silence grew until even Sam felt it. The breathing of the sleepers could be plainly heard. The swish of the pony's tail and the occasional movements of his feet became loud noises. Sam could hear his own joints creaking, if he stirred. Dead silence was around him, and over all hung a clear blue sky, as the Sun rode up from the East. Away in the South a dark patch appeared, and grew, and drove north like flying smoke in the wind.

`What's that, Strider? It don't look like a cloud ...' 

... said Sam in a whisper to Aragorn. He made no answer, he was gazing intently at the sky; but before long Sam could see for himself what was approaching. Flocks of birds, flying at great speed, were wheeling and circling, and traversing all the land as if they were searching for something; and they were steadily drawing nearer.

`Lie flat and still!' hissed Aragorn, pulling Sam down into the shade of a holly-bush; for a whole regiment of birds had broken away suddenly from the main host, and came, flying low, straight towards the ridge. Sam thought they were a kind of crow of large size. As they passed overhead, in so dense a throng that their shadow followed them darkly over the ground below, one harsh croak was heard.

Not until they had dwindled into the distance, north and west, and the sky was again clear would Aragorn rise. Then he sprang up and went and wakened Gandalf.

`Regiments of black crows are flying over all the land between the Mountains and the Greyflood,' he said, `and they have passed over Hollin. They are not natives here; they are crebain out of Fangorn and Dunland. I do not know what they are about: possibly there is some trouble away south from which they are fleeing; but I think they are spying out the land. I have also glimpsed many hawks flying high up in the sky. I think we ought to move again this evening. Hollin is no longer wholesome for us: it is being watched.'

`And in that case so is the Redhorn Gate,' said Gandalf; `and how we can get over that without being seen, I cannot imagine. But we will think of that when we must. As for moving as soon as it is dark, I am afraid that you are right.'

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Ring goes South

[dickensian-ronan]

Unfiltered borderline

The most recent and final (for me) episode that ends the life of Cory & Holly. For two years, I swept this type of behavior under the rug, assuming that she just “acts out” when she gets drunk. One day in the middle of a spell. I asked Siri what type of person has to have extreme emotional engagement at all times when the list pops up and BPD was referenced in each heading up clues from the past and present started to come together like the ending of an M night Shyamalan movie. When I spoke to a good friend/therapist/former roommate and told her what I suspected and these are our texts that followed.

Here we are in late October. Her advice, not followed in my personal items, not being returned.

On to the final showdown.

if you have never experienced the arbitrary yet, calculated nature of the borderline, then grab a rosary, some brick dust, and as much sage, as you can muster up and continue reading.

So, let it be known that I didn’t believe her deep down inside, but only a monster would dare be insensitive to a situation of this magnitude. This fact must be considered prior to her taking this course of action to gain an earned sympathy and attention. Wiping away all of her miss deeds and misconduct before this most cruel and ill intended power-play.

however, in the audio conversation that we had when she asked me to call her during the “panic attack “ they may very well have been real as I cannot imagine what it would feel like to do this type of thing, and being aware of it at the same time. She said that she went to the emergency room and had an ovarian cyst that had ruptured. She said that the baby was fine and they transferred her to neonatal in Spartanburg regional healthcare center where she was kept overnight. The following text message is from my first cousin. She is my closest cousin, as we are the same age and grew up five houses apart from each other .

Fish on! As we say, when we hook a tuna when offshore fishing.

“Dog will hunt” you must understand this is the third pregnancy/miscarriage in 2023. Each one following a break up attempt made by me. No paperwork was given nor proof shown of any such hospital stay or miscarriage the fact that she wanted special treatment and sex the day that she supposedly came home from the hospital tipped me off after the second miscarriage stunt.

The following messages are me reaching this topic and asking for proof of miscarriage after I had seen her in person and noticed that they were no telltale signs of a hospital visit, and she was upset that I did not want to have sex in her car parked in a cemetery a few days later. Witnessed the rage in text and imagine the ever present smirk on her face when delivering the character assassinations when blaming me for everything while denying the facts presented.

When I ask myself, what could be her reasoning behind all of this I have to assume that maybe because it was a Tuesday? in conclusion, I’m not upset about any of this. I’m incredibly relieved and I feel liberated. I was hurt by the thought of miscarriage the first time. I was upset and angry the second time. This third time I feel liberated.

google sends me to BPD literature on dozens of sides that all say that the borderline is not being malicious, they honestly can’t help but do these things. I’m not qualified to say if that’s true or not. I can say that these lies are compulsive to a degree, but I can also say that if these behaviors cannot be helped by the borderline, why do they not occur around other people always when there are no witnesses around, they can ruin her false image to the public. I have read that it goes away overtime in most cases if they do not commit suicide by their 40s or 50s I’ve also read it was therapy and the proper help they can learn to cope with these things but I can also say that I am 43 and do not have an extra life to live after these problems are dealt with. She thinks that she has everyone fold , and that she’s the most clever, but being clever is a child substitute for wisdom, and what are borderlines other than grown children. They cannot be diagnosed until adulthood, but from my experience before adulthood, they are just called brats. She is 42 and passed the wall. Her entire life has been spent using her luxe as currency. Born rich, and nearing the eventual bankruptcy of her sexual market value. In the beginning, she said that she was divorced two years but she was still married with her husband and daughter living in the house. Her oldest child and his wife will not allow her around their children unsupervised any longer. As she says, this is all because the wife’s father falsely accused her of sending inappropriate text messages to him. The man is a preacher.

aside from walking on eggshells, not working for two years and becoming cash poor with nothing left, but some hidden bitcoin and a piece of property in Costa Rica, and one small piece of land with no house around the corner from the place that I used to call home I am making my scape and rented a house far away are in the place that I live for 20 years before coming back home 2 1/2 years ago. As far far away from her wave, that she can never leave due to her fear of abandonment, and without her families reputation to hide behind. Her name may be Holly and she may have borderline but to me she’s just a succubus. A product of western culture with no accountability. Just another victim.

[troutfur]

All the Augur AU content inspired me to make my own what if scenario where Frostfur was the Thunderclan augur in Into the Wild and now it's completely eaten my brain. The Frostfour were always favourite background characters of mine and having them as Augurs is fun to play around with. Here are my three favourite ideas from it though:

1. Due to the political disarray of the clans at the time of Frostflowers kitting including an exiled Windclan the four healthy kits were seen as a sign from Starclan to unite the clans. In homage to Moth Flight it was planned for a kit to go to each clan once they were old enough (Thornkit to Riverclan, Brackenkit to Windclan, Cinderkit to Shadowclan and mate with Littlekit). However when Shadowclan attempted to steal the whole litter they were cut from the deal altogether. By the time relations had calmed down enough with Shadowclan to reconsider (post TPB) Brightheart and Cinderstream were settled into their clan and Littlecloud had found a mate.

2. Fireheart is given Cinderpaw as his first apprentice as a sign of trust while her siblings train under Frostflower and Yellowfang to become Augurs. Cinderpaw gets her canon injury and Fireheart gets in seriously hot water with Frostflower over it and if it werent for Yellowfang, Bluestar and Cinderpaw herself defending him he likely wouldve been seriously punished. His relationship with Frostflower is shattered as is his reputation among the clan which doesnt recover fully until he reveals Tigerclaws betrayal.

3. Skipping ahead a large amount Whitewing and Crowfeather are assigned to marry eachother and settle in Thunderclan provided an heir is sent back in the future. Neither are particularly interested in eachother, though they make good friends. Instead Crowfeather falls for Leafpool and Whitewing falls for Birchfall (swapped the order of the first 2 Dustfern litters). Cue WhiteCrow and BirchLeaf pretending to be mates while keeping the real relationships hidden. WhiteCrow raise Dove and Ivy while BirchLeaf raise Jay, Holly and Lion. When it comes out it's going to be MESSY.

Anyway this has gone on long enough. Hope you enjoyed reading!

ANON! ANON, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

I'm sitting here reading it over and over again and it just works so well, you have made my day with this ask. I'm unscrewing the top of your skull to kiss that big, fat, wrinkly brain.

First of all, I'm always a fan of the idea of future augurs or meddies being seen as a second Moth Flight. I love the idea of the symbolic significance it would have. And the tradition I've already established in Blue-blooded of the Moonstone Festival. Just imagine the significance of the Frostfour getting to play the progenitor of the patrician lineage in the Clan they're planned to be sent to.

OH! ACTUALLY! Anon, have you considered perhaps the kidnapping goes on at the festival itself/shortly before? If the augur kits are going to conveniently be all gathered in one place, ShadowClan might as well take the chance. Also perhaps rather than learn of it at a gathering, ThunderClan learns of the exile of WindClan upon entering their territory for the festival and seeing no-one there. I think it makes for a suitably dramatic scene.

MAN! Poor Fireheart. I bet getting along well enough with Cinderpaw and Frostflower was such a huge help in integrating into the Clan. ...WAIT! HE RESCUED THEM, DIDN'T HE?! Oh, yeah, for sure that little thing alone would've pretty much instantly wiped his origins from most cats' memory... only for it to come back with a vengeance once Cinderpaw is injured. Poor Fireheart, I can only imagine how guilty Cinderpaw must feel for causing that on her former mentor.

Brightheart must've given her poor mother the scare of her life going out with little to no battle training intending to take down those dogs. Or perhaps she was going to give medical support/first aid for Swiftpaw? IDK what you had in mind but that part of the plot is super interesting to me in this scenario.

Also, I don't know why but I find it kinda amusing that Cloudtail would climb so high from traitorous kittypet-sympathizer to Clan nobility by association. Is it perhaps a bit of a scandal when he and Brightheart get together?

MAN, MAN, MAN! The soap opera drama there is juicy. I suppose Dove & Ivy are contemporaneous with HJL then? Or would they still be younger? Either way, it's like ooof. I don't see either litter coming out of this looking very good. On HJL's side it's like: congrats! You're secretly patrician! But you were born out of wedlock so live in shame! And on the Dove & Ivy side while they don't have to reassess their heritage as much, it's still gonna be though on them this sudden stigma.

Have you thought on who of Dove & Ivy would be trained as an augur? Would both? Who do you think they'd send back to WindClan?

[morganaspendragonss]

“Why are you wearing my sweater?” “Because it smells like you.” With Carlos’ the one wearing the sweater!

holly's august extravaganza day 19: whatever here that's left of me (is yours)

thank you!

34. “Why are you wearing my sweater?” “Because it smells like you.” (from the fluff section of this list)

ao3 | 1.4k | hurt/comfort, post 2.12, supportive tk, softness

The morning after the fire, it’s TK who wakes up first, and for once it makes perfect sense. Carlos had barely been able to sleep, and though it hadn’t exactly been a picnic for TK either, he’s not the one going through the grief of losing years of his life all at once. Not to the extent that Carlos is, anyway.

TK sighs and rolls his head to look at Carlos’s sleeping face. He runs his thumb softly over the crease on his brow, wishing the simple motion could smooth it away and make everything okay again. Make it so last night never happened, and this is just a normal morning in their own bed, in their own house.

He tries to pretend for a little while, but the illusion is shattered all too quickly by a soft knocking at the bedroom door. Carefully, TK removes Carlos’s arm from where it is loosely slung over his hips and gets out of bed, checking to make sure he hasn’t disturbed him before padding across the room.

He keeps the door only cracked open to prevent too much light from getting into the room. His dad is on the other side, smiling sadly, a large box in his hands and several bags at his feet. TK braces himself for a joke; his dad has always been the type to fall back on humour in difficult situations, but he finds himself pleasantly surprised.

“I meant to give these to you guys last night,” he says, lifting the box slightly, “but things were so crazy that… Anyway. You left some clothes here when you moved out, so I figured you might want them.”

“Thanks, Dad.” TK takes the box from him, glancing down into it. There’s not much—a couple of hoodies, some screwed up t-shirts and button ups, a pair of sweats—but it’s all he has, and more than Carlos does. He sighs softly, then turns back into the bedroom and places the box down by the wardrobe. Carlos is still asleep when he glances at him, and all TK wants to do is curl up beside him again.

But when he goes to close the door, he instead finds himself with an arm full of bags.

“Those are from the crew,” he dad explains. “Paul stopped by with them earlier; he said to tell you that if there was anything you two needed, they all want to help out.”

TK nods. He’d thought the crew might do something like this, though that doesn’t make him any less grateful.

His dad shuffles awkwardly, clearly finding the silence uncomfortable. “Mateo wanted to contribute too, but we told him not to. You know, because—”

“Because he’s only just replaced his own clothes, I know.”

“Yeah.”

Silence again, and TK loves his dad, but he can’t deal with this right now. Guilt lies thick in the air, somehow worse than last night, but TK is in no mood to address it now. Maybe later, when they’ve had time to think about it all, but right now he’s too tired. Besides, there’s no way he’s getting into what he’s sure will become an argument when Carlos is sleeping just feet away.

TK takes a step back. “Carlos is still asleep,” he says. “So I’m just gonna…” He tips his head back, gesturing into the bedroom, and his dad understands, also moving back.

“Right, of course. I, uh, I have my follow-up appointment at the hospital today, but I’ll see you guys later. Maybe then we can talk?”

“Sure.”

Without waiting for an answer, TK gently shuts the door and turns to place the bags on top of the box. Carlos stirs when he climbs back in bed, his eyelids cracking open.

“Did something happen?” he mumbles, trying to push himself upright.

TK shushes him. “It was just my dad dropping some clothes off for us,” he whispers. “Go back to sleep, baby.”

Carlos drops back off within seconds, TK watching the steady rhythm of his chest and listening to his soft breaths. He reaches out and lightly runs his fingers through Carlos’s hair, pushing back a few stray curls. It’s almost like any other morning, so TK closes his eyes and pretends for a little while longer.

*

TK would have been happy to stay in bed with Carlos all day, but eventually the grumbling of his stomach becomes too insistent to ignore. He heaves himself up once more and selects a shirt at random from the box of his old stuff, wrinkling his nose when he sees what it is. He’d left this one behind on purpose, the print too much for him to care what happened to the shirt. The same goes for most of the clothes in the box, but it’s not like he’s spoiled for choice, so it’ll have to do.

There’s a pair of jeans his size in one of the bags, so TK bundles everything up and trudges to the bathroom. He’s been running into fires his entire working life; he’s perfected the art of getting rid of unwanted smells, but this time is different. This time, no matter how many times he washes himself, the smoke and grime still feels like it’s sticking to his skin, a permanent cloud around him.

TK blames his dad’s shampoos, because it’s easier than admitting he’s imagining it.

Once he’s showered and dressed, he heads to the kitchen to make breakfast. Carlos joins him not ten minutes later, still looking exhausted, though he attempts a wan smile when their eyes meet. TK returns it and kisses him on the cheek, passing him a cup of coffee.

He studies his boyfriend as they stand in silence, his heart breaking at what he sees. Carlos is a big guy, but right now he’s never looked smaller, shoulders hunched and his eyes darting around the kitchen, as if taking it all in. They’ve hung out here together before, especially right after TK got shot, but it must feel different now, knowing there’s nowhere else for them to go.

Knowing that, technically, this is now their home.

Carlos sets his mug on the counter and scrubs his hands down his face, then puls at his sleeves like he’s trying to stretch them to fit. Which… Wait.

“Are you…” TK leans closer, peering at the hoodie Carlos is wearing, and—yep. “Why are you wearing my hoodie?”

Carlos flushes and tugs at the neckline—another demonstration of how uncomfortable it must be for him to wear it. The height difference between them is miniscule, but sizing is another matter entirely; TK’s hoodie is obviously pulled tight across Carlos’s chest and it doesn’t sit right on his body, too small for his build.

“Babe,” TK starts worriedly, “was there nothing in your size from the crew? You should have said something. We can fix this, you don’t need to be uncomfortable.”

There’s a beat, and then Carlos, studiously avoiding TK’s gaze, clears his throat. “It smells like you.”

TK blinks. “What?”

“I’m wearing it because it smells like you. I don’t— The only clothes I have left of mine smell of the fire, but this is yours and… I don’t know, I guess it makes me feel safe?” He laughs nervously, pulling at the hem as though he’s going to take the hoodie off. “Pretty stupid, right?”

TK puts a hand out and stops him. “No,” he says softly. He honestly has no idea how that hoodie smells even remotely like him after a month abandoned here, but if it makes Carlos feel safe, then who is TK to argue? “Not stupid at all. You should keep it.”

Carlos raises an eyebrow. “You don’t care that I’m probably stretching it?”

“Why would I?” TK asks. “I left it here for a reason, Carlos. Plus, I’d sacrifice a thousand hoodies if I knew it would make you feel safe; one is nothing.”

It’s far from the most romantic thing TK’s ever said, but the way Carlos hugs him makes it feel like it. He presses kiss after kiss to Carlos’s cheek and the shell of his ear, comforting him like he tried to do last night.

“Besides,” he whispers after a moment, “this just means it’ll be big enough for when I inevitably steal it back from you.”

And, for the first time since the fire, Carlos laughs—really, truly laughs. The sound is muffled against TK’s shoulder, but it’s so goddamn beautiful, and TK would do anything to hear it again.

Even if that involves giving up every hoodie he owns.

[thebadboyfanclub]

The Dream (Geralt x Reader)

Do I have other requests I need to write? Yes, however if I didn’t get this off my system I can’t focus on anything else, so here it goes. Enjoy!

T.W This is my interpretation of nymphs, I don’t want to hear if it’s accurate or not.

Being a Naiads nymph meant to be in tune with nature and water, maintain the peace and harmony with the river, protect it and worship it like it deserved and anyone would pity the man that harmed the rivers and lakes that are protected by them. However the ones that respected it meant that they would in the nymphs good graces, to drink of the water of the naiads river meant to be inspired, madmen, barbs and prophets had told a plethora of stories about the enchanting delicate nymphs.

(Y/n) loved her place in this world, her sisters and the other creatures lived a peaceful life, yet something was missing. A lot of them had witnessed some couples that found sanctuary near the water and had seen them intertwine and let the fiery passion take over them, oh to be in love and worshipped.

“Geralt you might be all indestructible and all but your blood is staining roach”

The lively barb joked loudly enough for the nymphs' to hear. Without even discussing it they all took cover and hid as quickly as they possibly could, of course the humans were aware of the nymphs existence, nonetheless the cruel ones have been known to try and kidnap or harass them.

Geralt was feeling the pain from the wound get more and more intense and it was just his luck that he had just ran out of healing potions, he did not expect that vicious creature to be such a fighter. Dawn was slowly approaching and was hot on their trail, they wouldn’t make it to the next village before dark and thieves could be waiting for them.

“Fine, we stop here”

“Excellent, at least we can wash on the water”

“Don’t even go near, naiads are guarding the water”

“Naiads? What is that?”

“Nymphs fool”

“Nymphs?! Oh it must be my birthday, I heard they are the most beautiful of creatures”

The childlike Jaskier claimed happily, as Geralt got down from his horse and neatly tied it on the tree he wished to have never showed kindness to the annoyingly optimist barb that was calling the nymphs and was taking off his shoes to jump in the crystal clear river. Geralt was just on time to grab him from the collar mid air and pull him back to ground, Jaskier misstopping and falling down on his back with a thud.

“What was that for?”

“You fool, you have to ask them permission and let them show themselves or else they will drown you”

“That’s not very nice of them now isn’t it?”

“Don’t make me throw you in the water Barb”

As nightfall completely took over (y/n) watched them from afar, hiding behind the bushes and half of her face out of it to take a good look at the two men, specifically the white hair muscular man. She could smell his blood, he was severely wounded and tired, her little heart was starting to beat faster every time he spoke with that deep voice

“Sister, get back here, they could be dangerous”

“He respected our river sister, he respects us”

“He is a witcher, he kills creatures”

“Harmful creatures, he protects us from dangerous beasts”

“Don’t tell me you have gotten interested in a mutant”

Her blond hair sister questioned  (y/n). Her sisters were all aware of her desire to fall in love, to be like the couples, she had the chance to marry demi gods yet she raised her nose to them and denied herself, she wanted nothing to do with those stuck up pesky little men.

“He is hurt”

“He will survive it’s what they do... fine, stay here and watch”

And that’s what she did, stayed and watched them slowly drift off to blissful slumber. That is when she got the brilliant idea, she would help him, heal him, he had respected her grounds, saved his mortal friend from punishment, he deserved her help. 

She approached them silently and swiftly through the other side of the river, her breath getting uneven the closer she got to him, he looked so handsome from afar, he was even more perfect when she got next to him. His hand was over his wound on his stomach, a nasty deep slice that looked like it had just stopped bleeding not even moments ago, his face was not peaceful, his brows were furrowed and he would let a groin from time to time, even at his sleep the cut was torturing him

As she gently took his hand off the wound she placed hers over it, feeling the power run through her delicate fingers and to his body.

“Who are-”

“Shhhh, I’m not here to harm you, I mean no harm”

Her voice was like sweet honey to his ears, you can imagine his surprise when he felt a hand to his body and opened his eyes to meet an ethereal creature, her hair fell so effortlessly in her face, yet her eyes pierced his soul, those hues that showed such kindness and purity that lived in her, her sweet smile that made those perfectly shaped lips of hers curl could be the source of the sweetest nectar anyone in this world would ever taste. Her skin glistered under the moonlight, she was an angel sent for him in his dream.

“Rest witcher, you are safe here”

She couldn’t resist anymore, her hand almost acted on its own when she reached to caress his cheek with the back of her fingers, slowly and gently. His hot skin made hers crave more than just a once in a lifetime touch, his flesh was like drug to hers. 

He went to speak when they heard Jaskier start shuffling, a big chance of him waking up startled her. She quickly turned to Geralt and placed a kiss on his Forehead, it could be the last time she ever saw him she had to let him off with some sort of intimacy.

“Goodnight”

“No wait”

Before he could even move the girl was gone, vanished from thin air and leaving him high and dry, he groaned as he let his head touch the ground once again. It was even a minute before he went back to sleep, wondering what was that creature that had helped him and swooned him with just one look.

-

“IT’S A MIRACLE”

Geralt woke up by the defeating voice of the barb. As he opened his eyes a few strands of sunlight hit him in the face, he was almost ready to feel the great pain in his abdomen when he realized the pain never came. 

“Geralt I have to give it to you, I wasn’t sure if you could heal that time of wound. Look at you! All cleaned up and ready to go”

“What?”

As he sat up he took a look at his stomach, the tear in his clothes was there, yet no scar, no blood, like it was never there. He was healed, just like the girl in his dream said

“You know I was scared, you were talking in your sleep”

“I did?”

“Yes, in a... girly way. You almost fooled me I thought we had company, yet when I woke it was just you”

“The dream”

“What dream now?”

“I saw a girl, an angel"

All that was heard was the laugh of Jaskier, he had grown tired of being the only one that talked about a lady and being met with the dissapointed look of his witcher friend Geralt.

(Y/n) on the other side of the river felt her heart stop when she heard him call her an angel, of course the nymphs were known for their beauty, she had heard compliments that would make any woman blush over the years, still it was different when it came from him. It meant something to her when it came from him

"An angel, you were hallucinating Geralt? Well I don't blame you, that cut was nasty so it probably took all your might to heal it"

"Or just a thank you to your healer"

That sweet voice. Geralt turned his head immediately when he heard it, it was her, the girl that he saw at night, the angel in his dream, she was now in broad daylight approaching him. Jaskier that was standing was now seated, completely stunned by the awfully gorgeous woman that was quickly coming to them.

As she rose from the river Geralt and Jaskier felt her immaculate presence and their eyes fell almost simultaneously to her body, she was covered by a piece of see through white dress, that barely covered what was necessary. Her body was as perfect as the rest of her, it was like a woman out of a painting came to life, as her hair fell in front of her breasts, teasing them.

"Holly.... They weren't lying"

"excuse me?"

"the prophets, the songs, nymphs are really"

"you haven't seen a nymph before?"

She questioned. Her voice was more melodic than anything any bard- especially Jaskier- had ever sung. She stood in front of this men, so graciously that she made them feel uncomfortable by just being around her.

"no no I have not. I'm Jaskier"

"oh yes, the eager barb that wanted to jump in."

It was the first time Geralt had ever seen Jaskier blush, he was thankful of that blush because it made the girl laugh, her laugh was also like the best of music, she was a fairytale to look and be around to.

"It's alright dear, my sisters will allow you to go in. Right sisters?"

As she said that, the men saw other girls letting themselves out of their spots, one by one came closer and some of them giggling at the baffled man.

"this is.... Exquisite, excuse me dear"

As he kissed her hand he was gone in a bling of an eye and in a few seconds you heard the splash he made when his body hit the water.

Geralt had just gotten on his feet, no doubt the other nymphs were pretty as well, gorgeous as one would say, yet he was mesmerized by the one standing in front of him. She was looking over at the river, her profile was all he could see when he made a few steps to come near her

"I thought you were a dream"

"I didn't want to wake you... Geralt"

He had never been more excited to hear his name come out of someone's mouth. The gruff, cold man was now swooning over a female he had only seen once in his life.

"Thank you for healing me"

"you respected us, it was the least we could do"

"is that the only reason?"

She turned to look at him, she wasn't that much shorter than him. If he could be certain no one was watching he would had gotten her on his horse and hit the road with her, what has gotten into him? Just one look from those... Diamond like eyes and he was ready to leave with her. As he kept looking at her he felt a smile forming in his lips, his usual stiff characteristics had soften, all because of her

"Such pretty eyes"

She whispered to him. It was the first time he had received a compliment for his eyes, the color of his eyes was a sign on what he was, of what he did.

"what's your name?"

"(y/n)"

She introduced herself as she made a step, filling the small space between them. As he felt her skin against his clothes he tried to not show any type of emotion, he was enchanted by her. She once again reached and caressed his face, her skin felt so soft against his, making him relax and enjoy it.

"I've never met someone like you Geralt"

"A witcher?"

"A noble witcher, you are so rare"

Part two

[psychologically-funology]

Ok so this wild ride happened on Discord and let me tell you it was a wild ride and still is

(So my friend on Discord SDTwirix started it like this) Okay, so, vague idea, what if Raz ran *towards* Green Needle Gulch when he got chased by Cassie I was thinking that when he hit the lake, the Green Needle Witch would corner him down at the lake and he, terrified, just tries to psychically push her away Only for him to use Hydrokinesis on pure instinct And just, either he thinks the curse attacked her, or thinks *he's* cursed her somehow

This AU could be summed up as "Raz thinks magic is real because of Cassie, and that both causes and solves problems"

(Razputin’s POV)He *never wanted to be a Fortune Teller*; Mentalist always read like a blatant slur for all psychics, but Fortune Teller, in regards to his family feels like something *very* specific: A person who cursed, a person who's cruel, someone who would hurt others without a second thought with their psychic powers and he’d just *cursed someone*

Cassie is confused Because this kid did attack her with Hydrokinesis, but she also was trying to scare him off Bob had done something similar with his vines once, being to scared and lashing out. So, she sits next to him and waits as he sobs, asking the little boy if he wants some company. Raz explains the curse, and Cassie quickly realises that this kid's convinced that his Hydrokinesis (It's blatant that that's what this is) is somehow a curse. She tries to show him that it's alright, but as she approaches the water, the hands rise up Well, this kid is clearly convinced

Raz is horrified and will refuse to go near his family The woman he's with is n't an ordinary lady *She's a Witch* She can play into that Or ‘teach’ him to undue it She absolutely does. Of course, the kid needs therapy, but for now, convincing him that she can "break" the curse would help him a lot. What is magic but the imagination

The dramatics of the printer might help

Writer the creativeness

Writer's storytelling, a bit of mentoring zest from Teacher To help convince raz a small child with powerful Hydrokinetic powers like her dear Lucy ?

But hears the thing So psychic’s powers are just will manifested right So if a powerful psychic thinks something should happen then it will righ?? And what is Raz but a very VERY powerful psychic so Cassis is in for a very wild ride

She tells him to gather some flowers and mint in her garden, gives some specific instructions to make it (sound more) more magical Raz has to pick them a special way Wear a blue scarf for one thing, stand on his tip toes for a few seconds before another Click his tongue three time and spin once for the other

(Another thing is that Razputin is not aware that the Green needle witch is Cassandra aka Cassie O’Pia so I’m sure you can see the chaos coming)

So this is the summary so far Raz: I curesed a witch but the witch can fix it his family will never need to know

also raz: I’m evil and a monster I must atone for my sins and stay away from others until I do

Everyone: Where is Raz??????

Lizzie starts out sure he's gonna come out, but minutes pass. Hours Lizzie in a panic gets the other interns (and maybe Dion and Frazie) and go in but well it’s a Psychic Forest people if it don’t want you in your out Raz is only getting about because Cassie gave the ok for him Oh oh what is they find his bag or something on a thorn vine Frazie and Dion freaking out it’s Full of holes. It's the last word in Lizzie's rhyme about the witch Meanwhile, Raz is just doing pushups in front of a rose bush

(Small summary time) So we had Raz who thinks he can curse people

Cassie is pretending to be a witch to help this child she found

The interns think they have condemned a child

And Dion and Frazie think their brother has been Fae napped (ok carrying on if your still here thanks)

Dion and Frazie tell their mum and dad in a panic, and Donatella goes to yell at the Psychonauts and *that's* how Hollis learns about it. Meanwhile Raz is just avoiding people to get all the ingredients cassy needs so he doesn’t ‘curse’ anything else But at this point he’s covered in petals and honey And had a blue scarf on With glowing googles (Raz is now a cryptid)

Holin is know trying to figure out how to look for the child in a psychic forest that only 6 people knew how too travel and most aren’t helping Frazie and Dion trying to think how they can get their bewitched brother back Dion is real uncomfortable with the whole Psychic thing, but god damnit *that's his brother!*

(So raz right!) Raz thinks he’s magic ? Or bad luck? He's *fcking magic* Psychic powers tripping people up And water spills from cups if he’s nearby Flowers wilting at his feet, it’s Just psychic powers going feral But raz thinks it’s his magic out of control Raz isn’t connecting that it’s his psychic powers because it’s doing things he thinks only bad luck or magic can do

The interns think their haunted now No it’s just raz is on the roof And his powers going haywire another problem is because of how his powers are acting It’s so not like the Razputin that Milla and Sasha have come to know so they don’t realise it’s is Razputin Like the Razputin they know has powers that are usually under control and blocked behind a mental shield But now his powers are going all over and he’s not coping well so his shield is less a wall and more a waterfall So as far at everyone is concerned that’s not raz Or if they do think it is it’s not raz anymore

His psychic powers are working unconventionality because of his prosecution It’s so far left Raz doesn’t seem to recognise it’s his psychic powers Just that it’s him that’s doing it Also, as soon as Cassie realises how his "magic" is acting, she immediately sorts out a charm to help control it

POV Raz: if I have this It’ll stop the magic

Also Raz: if I lose this people will get hurt (Also, the plot hasn't stopped. Maligula is still on her way)

Also, Raz has specifically left Green Needle Gulch because, while Cassie had pretty much all of the plants in her garden, one of them was hanging over water, and Raz didn't think he could get it while doing the ritual(touching his nose) while reaching over the water, but remembered that the same plant was in the Questionable Area? Which leads to the first encounter between the interns and the new witch boy and his family

Oh oh the Aqoutos seeing a Raz shaped plant thing after losing their kid brother to a fea forest Just... Dion seeing this Flower covered kid who looks similar to how that Lizzie girl described the Green Needle Witch, only smaller with a scarf and... Goggles. Raz just freaking out inside because oh no he’s been spotted they can’t get close they’ll get hurt and Dion trying to get this Raz shaped being to recognise him Raz's "magic" manifesting in response to him wanting Dion to stay away Water vapour in the air that gets dense It tangling around Dions legs like rope It's not water, it's magic string, at least in Raz's mind Dion can’t see it, He just can’t move, Raz panicking and rushing away from his brother because *holy nope he doesn't want to double curse his brother* How would that even work ? Raz don’t know and don’t want to find out Dion calls after him leaving the scent of flowers in his wake. Also Razputin now needs to go closer to the Motherlobe realising that this place has some of the plants he needs, and none of them dangling over water, so he decides to grab them quickly and then give what he's gathered to Cassandra Dion tells Frazie what he saw and that Raz was definitely bewitched and not himself Like, Raz's Goggles were glowing *the wrong colour* His eye were glowing is way to bright as well, like spotlights when Dion approached Dion just quietly Breaking down to his sister

On a other note Raz accidentally terrifying the interns Norma, who just thinks Dion is just superstitious and got confused, hearing someone singing an unfamiliar song surprise it’s the Witch raz just creepy singing And just slowly turning to her Still sing as he gently puts the plant away (The rule to the spell being that he has to sing to the flower while he's putting it into his bag he stops he has to start again from the beginning Including picking a new flower) So he just keeps singing all spooky like Norma just freezing Looking at this thing and thinking wtf????!!!! He runs as soon as the flower's in the bag Flowers sented mist covering Him as he runs Norma just slowly backing away and thinking perhaps there’s more to this fea thing then she thought. For Morris however there ate levy flowers growing on the tree his radio station is on and Raz needs them but well his ‘magic’ mess with the radio so there just static and Odd muttering heard Gisu is with him but she thinks it's just static at first Gisu and Morris slowly hearing odd noises and words from the radio as the static gets louder Things start sparking, but not like usual, bright rainbow coloured sparks Gisu remembers what Dion told her and Morris recalled what he heard Norma talking about to Lizzie that morning She goes down, and there they are. The Fairy (At least, that's what she thinks Dion called it) that scared Norma earlier Contorted in a inhuman way Singing softly Gisu just frantically telepathically shouting Morris "*The Fairy's here!*" Morris looking down and seeing the gremlin that is Raz now notice him and just wiping around To see Gisu so close to him and near the water hands slowly rising The radio is now rattling and screaming static because raz is still singing Mist slowly cover everything and raz just fashing away in a panic because omg they to close and there’s water everywhere around them and he needs to be away NOW Gisu and Morris blinked away the spots in their eyes and looking around for the ‘Fairy’ Raz thing and there’s just petals floating where raz was Raz meanwhile is booking it Plants spring up to cover his tracks

Lili talks to them later but they are so nervous The four leaf clover especially because they're really worried about bad stuff happening They try to explain but it’s just a jumbled mess of things because they not sure what happened just that something is going to happen Some of Raz's worries have been absorbed by the vibrant path he left behind Also, Dion thinking that talking to plants is more a magic thing than a psychic thing Also, the snap dragons keep muttering about curses. Lili getting asked about the plants and this is how she finds out about Raz's disappearance She’s going to find out about the hazing And Dion might spill that he said something he regrets and Iili is just your all idiots And run off to find raz after all she’s a zanotto and no forest will mess with her Plus’s she knows a sort cut but all the plants are acting oddly All muttering confusing things like new bee person and that the hive was acting like they used to And that the water lady is back Just out of context things Raz’s ‘magic’ making the forest more active then lili is use to because it’s not been like that since Bob shut himself away He can't even talk to plants, just gives off an Aura that the plants like That may also give them severe anxiety Those clover need therapy Lili storming out of the forest angrily muttering about weird plants and crazy forest and that makes some of the older agents unsettled because a ZANOTTO not being able to find a person in a forest??? Very unusual

Lili later runs into Helmut in ‘nicks’ body  He tries to play it off as him being Nick, but Lili figures him out pretty quick she goes on to explain that Raz is lost in the woods, so they decide to help each other out Also, Helmut absolutely knows who Raz is and how he mentioned he was helping Ford, so Lili decides that, if she can't find Raz in the woods, she could ask Ford what happened but She does learn that Raz was meant to catch a bee for Compton, but he should of been able to get it from the edge when he entered the woods, and lili (after Compton's Cookout) motivates him to help after all raz went to help find his dear Cassie so he’s responsible in a way but you  Cassandra has proved she can absolutely avoid the other six and anyone else that might come looking for her she did it for 20 years after all And raz very much will go the Way everyone sane avoids also, Lili doesn't believe the "Fairy magic turned Raz into a thrall" thing, at least, not at first. But the enchanted(?) Plants start to seed doubt in her mind at this point it’s Ben a day and a half since Razputin vanished into the woods

Just, Cassie realising it's late, and deciding to make the "potion" tomorrow, puts Raz in the guest bed but he's having trouble sleeping Cassie : if you have trouble sleeping I can help you So, sweet dreams for Raz Meanwhile, everyone is out searching for him. And Lili is trying to get Ford to talk She has to slap a PSI-door onto him, because he is absolutely incoherent and the only one who might know why Raz hasn't come back yet. Meanwhile Cassie making a bowl of oats for raz With honey She has way too much It’s on everything Raz is clean now but give it a bit and he’s covered in honey and flowers again He gets a few branches stuck on his arms He looking more and more like the green needle witch And the interns and Aqoutos noticed this At this point back that the motherlobe no one’s seen lili in a while and all anyone knows is that she was going into the forest She starts out with Helmut and Bob, then goes back during the afternoon to talk to Ford, recruits Compton, but after the reveal of Lucy Ford and Lili run back in to find her. Lili is scared for Raz because he might be with Lucy, who, as far as Lili knows, is a ticking time bomb that could really hurt him Still not finding raz and at this point she’s just at worried at everyone else fea napping or not

Also, Raz unconsciously causing Green Needle Gulch to become similarly protected by the Forgetful Forest's confusion He doesn't want anyone to find him until the curse is lifted He especially doesn't want to be startled out of his sleep, not because he'd be tired, but because he might curse them The Psychic 6 are able to get through, mostly, but there's something messing with the protections So sometimes they think they're going the right way, but make a wrong turn The interns don't stand a chance Dion: walks into Forgetful Forest, walks straight, then walks back out not ten seconds later Make that: any Aquato Because Raz REALLY doesn’t want to curse his family They might get to the bee area if they are focused, but unless you know how the original protections work, you don't stand a chance The six getting very worried because most of the protections ford put up and they slowly help add more over the time they were there but even those are acting odd they should have no trouble but now they can’t even get to Cassie’s house Of course, Raz is building on those defences himself. Not that he's aware of that The only safe spot is bobs green house, helmut van and the heptodome Everything else like trying to walk through mud or on a very rocky boat And even trying to get to them is slowly getting harder Meanwhile Lucy has wonder off into the forest and the Aqoutos are to panic about raz to notice She knows the woods and there defences, and the added things are like riddles or fairytales. Walk backwards here, touch a rock there. Why, it's just like one of the old stories she used to read to her turnip

Now at this point Razputin has everything for Cassie so she brews the potion, adds the flowers to the fire and to the pot, says some extravagant words as she asks him to stir, until it's ready Then she pulls out two cups It’s at this moment Lucy had ran into helmut Bob and campton with lili having just finished with ford. Malik in Truman has had enough and follows holin, Sasha, Milla and the Aqoutos guilded by Otto into the forest and Lucy was already remembering when they arrived so running into her friends later was just the final straw maligula needs Also, Raz finally seeing that Cassandra the witch is Cassie O'Pia because she has to take her mask off Raz(mentally) : Cassie O’Pia is a WITCH?????? And Raz is just like, confused but also excited Also, talks about how Compton wanted to see her, and asked him to get a bee so he could look for her Also, Raz tells her about the mission to help get Ford back in action cause of the Delugionists wanting to perform Necromancy "Wait, that's a magic thing right?""No, that's hogwash. You can't reanimate a dead body with magic like that" Cassie is aware that Raz may be able to create Zombies if he believes Necromancy is possible, best to squash that one ASAP After raz and Cassie drink a massive water tornado shows up and then it’s final fight time The stress combined with Lucy sudden remembering her friends cause maligula to finally destroy fords blocks I think Cassie agrees to go with him to see Ford and Truman, because something's up, and *then* the dishes shake They head outside Then cue the huge freaking water tornado Lili made it to Cassie's house, but everyone else was swept up in it She confirms that is Maligula Cassie is floored because that can only be maligula if Lucy is alive but Lucy was dead last she checked Also, Raz and Lili reunite and she punches him "Where the hell were you!" Cassie steps in and says that she asked him to help with something It took longer than she thought it would, and had asked Raz to stay the night so they wouldn't get lost in the forest on the way back Raz just shrugs and said that is was a bit of a run around to get the stuff Cassie needed and he had caused the problem Cassie needed help with in the first place so he was rushing about They both don’t want to explain the whole curse magic thing for different reasons And they kinda have bigger thing to worry about right now like getting everyone out of the water before they drown Cassie using her bees to help spot people and raz using his ‘magic’ to slow the water down and lili using her vines to pull them out Once everyone is out and I do mean EVERYONE at this point Raz focus on maligula. Maligula manages to knock everyone else away, so Raz has to fight against her to get close enough for the sleep spell to work Lili and Cassie are checking on everyone when ford and lili realise raz doesn’t know the truth and now he’s in her mind He's put a "sleep spell" on her, and he enters her mind, so the first thing he finds is a path that leads through her memories, and he slowly pieces together that Lucy isn't possessing his Nona, she *is* her Nona Raz gets a look at everything that lead up to that day in Grulovia with a younger Lucrecia talking to him, explaining everything, because she realises that she needs to explain this She understands that Raz is a *child*, but also that he deserves to know She’s like how nona was before maligula got bad again The truth Lucy the one hidden in Nona It’s that Lucy that gave raz the pamphlet to the camp She... Can't exactly remember why she replaced Marona, or how she forgot, but she makes it clear that she didn't remember and would of told the entire family if she did Lucy apologises, and tells him that it's ok if he doesn't want to forgive her

Ford and lili being bombarded with censers and the mental world changing rapidly as if subconsciously Lucy is slowing them down so she can explain everything to raz Because meligula is ‘asleep’ because of raz she is not a threat at the moment But before Lili and Ford reach Raz and Lucy, there's a hug Now they just need to put the asleep maligula gently back into Lucy’s subconscious Raz starts singing the spell again (Or rather, the little lullaby that Cassie convinced him would set anyone to sleep) Lucy having come to turms with what she did after having explained everything to raz cue ford and lili getting kick out of Lucy’s mind and Lucy and raz just waking up All fine with maligula back where she belongs Raz not telling how he did it and Lucy not thinking to mention it Just that she’s sorted "I have Magic" isn't exactly something he wants to explain without Cassandra. Raz at some point going to ford because everyone knows he was the last with Lucy before she becomes Nona So if anyone can fill the gap in Lucy’s memory it’s him Lili exclaims the truth: That Ford brainwashed Lucy and Augustus I'm saying he takes a few seconds to process this, then realises that, because of his Magic, that he probably had his magic go haywire and cursed himself because of all the stories he heard growing up, heck, Cassandra said that it was possible that he'd *inherited* his magic, so that his entire family could have cursed *themselves* Magic is based on emotions, and it could very well curse someone because the caster was scared. And his family was *Terrified* He just, tackles Ford and punches him in the face Raz is just done that after the Punch, Cassie sings the Sleep Spell and Raz conks out I was thinking that Cassie would explain the whole "magic" thing she told Raz, but the rest of Razputin’s family might not heard it all properly Ford with a black eye, Lucy just sitting there processing, and everyone else looking at Cassie and Raz like what the heck did we miss So, Raz just conks out from Cassie, and the older lady picks him up. She's a little bit excited at seeing Ford, but also asks why he got punched Lili yells that Ford brainwashed Maligula and made her into Raz's Nona Lucy is confused, but she can tell. It *feels* right She asks Ford about the Hydrophobia, and Cassie pieces it together She then punches him herself And the interns also arrive. I'm not sure if they are aware of Raz not being Faenapped Everything has happened all too fast They are not fully updated Well, they start out confused but happy to see Raz ok Also, some of them think that the huge battle was between the Psychic 6 and the Green Needle Witch/Maligula Maybe Norma is doubtful, but part of her is questioning Also, if magic is real, then even if Raz was the mole, maybe he was just under her spell Also, main reason for the Maligula is the Witch is cause they saw Raz's Magic from a distance Water tornado plus magic birds

The aqoutos just refused to believe it’s not magic their all like : look you said psychic powers don’t work like that so it’s not your mind stuff it’s clearly magic After awhile the others just let them have this Lucy sharing old superstitions she remembers and stuff like that not denying or said anything Frazie and later on Raz accepting it's Psychic same with Agustes But Dion and Dona? Oh, that's magic alright No amount of convincing will change their mind The other psychic six would very much want Cassie to explain please and thank you on what the heck just happened and how she’s involved Holin is very much just going to get Truman up and ok so she can just dip for a few weeks Lucy is not sure when her family got magic but she’s not going to make a fuss about it I mean look they’re bonding Cassie tries to explain many times that she was using it as a magic Feather type deal, but no. Also, before the explanation, Dion tries to pull the Charm off, because he's pretty sure it's some sort of Fae trinket Dion trying to pull the Feather off A. I just refuses to move like he just lifts Raz off the ground B. He gets it off only for a water hand the swot at him out of nowhere like there not near water it just appears out of the air and C. He gets it off only for it to get stuck on his hand The last option happens because Cassie told raz it attaches to how ever needs it most and Raz had accidentally infused this little metal feather with psychic energy so it is kinda sentient now because ‘Magic’ Future feather shannanighes involves it just keeps popping up all over until somebody puts it on or actually do something for they’re mental health

So This AU could be summed up as "Raz thinks magic is real because of Cassie, and that both causes and solves problems"

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Natsume (pt. 13)

Oh no... 13 is an unlucky number! Oh, well.

Up to this point we've seen Natsume fall in love with Mikan. This next arc is all about discovering Natsume, however, and we've pretty much already talked about that so maybe my analysis for his perspective will leave some things to be desired, which is fine, because Mikan's will come in due time! That being said, there's plenty of stuff in this arc, especially at the start of it, to analyze for Natsume as well.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Takahashi-san has dressed all the Elementary children in their New Year’s kimonos and they are now ready to celebrate the holiday together. They eat a New Year’s feast in the dorms lounge, a rare day where the children don’t have to eat according to their star rank.

It just so happens that New Year’s Day is also Mikan’s birthday. Everyone pretends like they don’t know, because Hotaru told them to leave it a surprise. Mikan is trying to let everyone know about the special day, but the New Year’s cards come in and everyone gets immediately and understandably distracted.

Of particular interest to everyone is Ruka’s card from his mother, who references Natsume and Aoi in her letter. Now everyone is in Ruka’s business and teasing him, so Natsume steps in to help, taking the card from Mikan, returning it to Ruka, and making a very good point that she shouldn’t go looking at other people’s cards without their permission. Mikan is uncomfortable, so she decides to change the subject by asking Natsume how many cards he got this year.

With that, Natsume goes cold and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

He didn't want to sit around watching them all gush about their dumb cards anyway!

The truth is Natsume has never gotten any letters or cards, no matter what time of year or holiday it is, and he never will. We can think back to when he told Mikan that the academy would never send her letters to her grandpa. He’d said that the school would never, under any circumstances, allow them to contact the outside. Turns out, the only person who can 100% count on that is Natsume. Sure, he and Mikan are similarly targeted in strange and unfair ways, but he will always be just a little more targeted, because he’s strictly not allowed to have fun or be happy. It would make him happy to hear from his father, to know that he’s safe. The school can’t have anything like that, so they have Natsume sit in the same room as all the other kids, watching them excitedly gush about how many cards they get, while he knows very well he will receive zero each year without fail.

Natsume wants some time to himself, understandably upset about his situation. He’s thinking about Aoi and probably beating himself up because he tends to do that when it comes to his sister and his past. He genuinely has no idea where Aoi is, or if she’s safe, and the school likes to keep it that way, so they can hold it over his head. Aoi is always one of the people they threaten, somebody he works tirelessly to protect despite the fact that he hasn’t seen her in years, doesn’t know where she is, and probably won’t ever see her again.

Natsume looks out the window, sitting on his own, and sees Mikan crying to Narumi because of her guilt and because nobody remembered her birthday. We can see pretty immediately that he isn’t actually upset with Mikan, just with his own situation. He watches her, always lovelorn. Then we see him put his hand on a little bag with a holly decoration. Because of the holly, there’s an instant relation to Christmas. We can’t know what’s in the bag yet, but eventually we will discover that it’s an alice stone.

He's just been carrying this around since Christmas at the latest. How embarrassing.

Natsume made this stone at some point. I would assume it was after his birthday party, before Christmas. Because of the bag, my guess is that he had wrapped it to be a Christmas present but had never given it. That’s understandable. He’s not supposed to woo her, after all, and giving a girl an alice stone would be pretty romantic, even if she has no idea what it means. We will see this stone time and time again, because he likes carrying it around in his pocket. Perhaps he likes imagining that he could give it to her, but never actually goes through with it. Just like today, on her birthday, he will not give the stone, but he’s still carrying it because he’d like to.

The alice stone is proof of at least one thing: Natsume is very much in love with Mikan and he knows it.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Mikan is happily celebrating her birthday. Natsume has returned to the lounge, but he hasn’t said anything, so she’s still feeling awkward about what happened.

The class decides to make mochi once Tsubasa and Misaki arrive. Tsubasa tries to greet Natsume but Natsume responds coldly, with a thumbs down. Now properly irritated, Tsubasa has decided to pull a prank.

Natsume does not make mochi. He sits on his own, napping with manga over his face like always. Once the class is finished, Permy quickly offers her mochi to him, but his attention is immediately on Mikan, who is giving her mochi for him to eat. She tries to apologize, but can’t get the words out, so she leaves the bowl on the table. Natsume can tell that she’s still feeling guilty, even though he isn’t really mad at her. She was thinking of him, so it’s no surprise that he ends up eating the soup, even if it is disgusting.

It doesn't matter if it's disgusting. He's gonna eat it anyway. Because she made it. Zoe and I joke that Natsume would eat all her food (out of his unending love, of course) and eventually get used to the bizarre combinations she puts together. He might even start liking them, who can say.

Hotaru has been invited to the Hana Hime den to be a flower princess, a girl hand-picked by the middle school principal and who carries a heavy amount of prestige and status. Misaki mentions some rumors about the MSP, namely that she locks up her favorite girls in a dungeon, and that immediately gets Natsume’s attention. He’s struck, and to a first-time reader, this might seem odd. He’s strangely intrigued by a girly flower party where guys aren’t even allowed. But he’s not interested for himself. Natsume can guess based on this new information that if Aoi is anywhere on the Alice Academy campus, it’s in the Hana Hime den dungeon.

There’s always an extra invitation ball that is given to a random girl each year, so she can also attend the prestigious party, but the chances that it would land in the hands of an Elementary student are very low.

The Class B girls look for one anyway, but their search doesn’t get too far because suddenly the kids are flying across the room, sticking to each other, like Hotaru and Youichi to Ruka, Anna to Nonoko, Koko to Kitsu, and even Natsume to Mikan.

Turns out Tsubasa’s payback scheme for Natsume giving him the cold shoulder was to put sticky mochi flour into their mochi as a prank, which will keep all the children stuck to the people who ate the same mochi for a full hour.

He was counting on her never finding out he ate it, but alas.

Mikan then realizes that since she’s stuck to Natsume, that he must have eaten her mochi. He can’t argue that he didn’t, but he turns quickly to insults to distract from how sweet of a moment that could potentially be. He says he choked it down, which might very well be true, but it leaves the question of why he’d put himself through the trouble of choking it down if it didn’t mean anything to him. Hmm. Check mate, Natsume.

Then, Mikan finds out that she’s the recipient of the prize jewel, and has thus been invited to the Hana Hime party. There’s something quite fishy about Mikan being the recipient. It’s too much of a coincidence, and it isn’t one. This is all an elaborate trick to trap Natsume in the dungeon forever, and it’s not by the MSP.

Most of the groups have become unstuck, except for Hotaru, Youichi, and Ruka. Tsubasa reads the packet and discovers that some people may be stuck for two or three days as a possible side effect. Mikan and Natsume can become unstuck, but Natsume grabs her hand and keeps her still.

He's not going to miss this opportunity, even if it puts him on the spot and is kind of embarrassing. To be honest, this could possibly unravel all the work he's been doing to downplay how much he likes Mikan. What if she starts thinking he has feelings for her? It's all so risky, but he's willing to do anything for Aoi.

He’s going to do everything he can to go to that party and possibly find his sister. Getting stuck to Mikan and then her being invited to the Hana Hime den is all just too good of a chance to miss. If she can somehow still go while attached to him, it gives him an in to check out the palace and try to find the dungeon.

Chapter Fifty-Five

Natsume is adamant about keeping up the charade that he and Mikan are still stuck. It’s important to him and he’s desperate. He would do anything to save his sister, so if it means threatening Mikan a little, he’s willing to do it. It doesn’t matter that Mikan has no idea what’s going on, what matters is even the chance of going.

Narumi returns to say there’s not a good probability that Hotaru and Mikan would still be allowed to attend the party, because boys aren’t allowed and they are firmly attached to three of them. Mikan has more and more reason to not want to be stuck when she realizes that going to the bathroom and sleeping will be tricky business. Natsume is obviously not a huge fan of it either. He’s usually cold and snippy, even when bickering with Mikan, but this time he’s yelling just like she is. He’s uncomfortable too, but it’s something he’s willing to sacrifice for Aoi.

Mikan only gets more and more upset, screaming about how much she hates Natsume. He doesn’t seem to take it very seriously until Koko, who is reading her mind, asks Mikan if she likes Ruka better than Natsume, and she responds that she does.

Natsume is hurt, but sadly it’s not anything he can’t eventually come to terms with, like every other disappointment in his ceaselessly disappointing life. For now, he’s bitter, but this is great news for Ruka, isn’t it?

It’s time for sleep, and they’re standing in Natsume’s fancy special star room. At her discomfort, he offers that they can sleep in her tiny room if she’d prefer it, but the venue isn’t exactly her problem. He proceeds to be unpleasant, saying that he’s not interested in sleeping with her either, since she probably kicks a lot and talks in her sleep. But then he’s serious, still bitter when he tells her “Sorry for not being Ruka,” and promises that the whole charade would be over tomorrow.

It's on rare occasions like this that Natsume can express even the tiniest fraction of what he's really feeling, in this case jealousy and hurt.

He really never would have done this to himself if Aoi’s safety wasn’t potentially at stake. Having Mikan be so angry at him, hearing her say she much prefers Ruka to him, having to share his bed with her--it’s all stuff he doesn’t want to do! Further, he’ll probably be in serious trouble tomorrow if he does manage to find and rescue Aoi. There’s nothing fun going on in Natsume’s brain, just worry and the skeleton of a desperately laid-out plan to save his sister.

Sleeping with Mikan is something he doesn’t want to do, no doubt, but not because she probably talks and kicks in her sleep. That wouldn’t actually bother him so much. Natsume usually waits until he’s alone in his room at night to let himself be sick. According to the chapter where Tsubasa found out about his condition, Natsume sometimes wakes up in a coughing fit until he coughs up blood. He suffers and struggles and is in pain when he sleeps, and Mikan will be there this time, up close to possibly see it.

How soft his eyes get, just looking at her. It's interesting whenever he drops his facade, like now in a state of half-awakeness, and we can see just how affectionate he'd be if he wasn't always sacrificing his happiness.

But Natsume falls asleep first anyway, and pretty quickly starts having a nightmare. He’s breathing heavily and struggling, having a PTSD flashback nightmare about Aoi. But Mikan wakes him up, sitting up, concerned for him. Natsume is barely awake, but his eyes turn soft. She saves him from his nightmares in more ways than one, like walking-talking serotonin. He reaches for her, in a state of half-consciousness, because his nights are usually awful but the time he spends with Mikan usually isn’t. Maybe combining them is the way to sleep peacefully for a change. So he snuggles her. She starts freaking out, embarrassed, but Natsume tries to reason with her, and maybe with himself too, half-asleep as he is. No, no, it’s just for tonight, just for now. It’ll be like it never happened tomorrow, it’s fine. She can go right back to Ruka tomorrow, since she prefers him anyway, and it won’t be a big deal. He just wants this for now, just for a little bit. Just while he can.

It’s sad that Natsume always thinks of these moments with Mikan as aberrations. They’re little moments that he borrows or steals just to have them for now, thinking they’re meaningless to her, but carrying them like they’re precious to him. He doesn’t think they belong to him, or that he has the right to want anything from her. He holds her during the SA class’s RPG as a joke. He tells her he likes her hair down after fighting with her. He dances with her, knowing that she’s danced with lots of other people and it won’t matter as much to add him to the list. He kisses her after he assumes Ruka already has, just so he can have keep it in his memories. And he cuddles with her now, even though she’s freaking out, because he needs some comfort, even though it isn’t his place to be hugging her. He always has to reason himself into these situations, like he’s convincing himself that he’s allowed to do this one selfish thing, just as long as she doesn’t understand how much it means to him, just as long as it won’t mean anything to her, just as long as he can get away with it.

And because he’s borrowing, the next morning he acts as though her holding him is some kind of bother. He acts all irritated and pretends like nothing happened, because he was borrowing the moment to begin with. It wasn’t his right to take it, and she can’t know it meant something. It also could be that he genuinely can’t remember the last night that clearly. People do all sorts of crazy things in between sleep that they can’t remember. Maybe his lack of sense and restraint helped him get the courage to hug her in the first place, and now that he’s fully awake he can hardly remember. If this is the case, then he's probably scolding his sleepy self for being so ridiculous.

It's up to you to decide if he really can't remember or if he's pretending. Both are possible and neither would really surprise me tbh.

It’s possible, but knowing Natsume, it’s also possible he’s pretending like he doesn’t remember. Either way, he has to do damage control, because she absolutely cannot get the wrong right idea and think that he has affection for her.

The morning brings good news as well, because Natsume, Ruka, and Youichi are allowed to accompany Mikan and Hotaru, as long as they’re dressed as girls.

It’s all working out a bit too conveniently. This is Persona’s scheme to trap Natsume, so of course it would all work out in order that he could make his way to the dungeon. Natsume might be relieved that his plan is working, but it won’t go so smoothly once they’re actually in the Hana Hime den.

Conclusion

The most interesting scenes to analyze from Natsume's perspective are the ones where he chooses to be selfish just once in a while. They're such silly things to call selfish, but they are to him. Being sweet or affectionate to the girl you love should be second-nature, not something to deny yourself, but it's what he's trying to accustom himself to. We also see just how desperate he can be in trying to protect people important to him, like Aoi. The lengths he goes to in order to find her are impressive and show just how determined he is. Going forward, we'll only see more of this kind of determination.

My sister (Zoe) and I made three playlists for NatsuMikan, just like I'm making three essays. One playlist for Natsume's POV, one for Mikan's, and one general playlist for their relationship. I've been listening to the Natsume one while writing these and it's been a lot of fun! This is my long-winded way of plugging Love Song Requiem. Good bye.

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[rosyfingereddawnn]

only the black rose (chapter 2)

pairing: jimmy page x layla porter (oc)

warnings: mature language (a given), fluff, and a (possibly) pretentious description of the rain song

words: 4k

summary: in the blink of an eye, it’s 1975 and layla’s suddenly joining led zeppelin for their north american tour. throughout the chaos, the band take a liking to her, she builds friendships with the boys, and love blossoms. but all good things must come to an end.

author’s note: not beta’d. this story does follow a playlist of mine, because i put too much thought into things. i hope you enjoy :)

masterlist

playlist

chapter one

----------

Tearing down the hallway, cheeks still flaming red from the encounter with Jimmy just minutes ago, Layla nearly runs into Peter, with one John Paul Jones trailing behind him. She rushes past quickly, head down, darting into the washroom that Robert, thankfully, had the mind to point out during the tour of the facility, ignoring their worried glances and aborted questions all the while. The young woman bolts the door shut and rushes to the sink, splashing her face with the frigid water flowing from the tap.

“Shit! This can’t be happening!” She whispers, concern etched on her face at the thought of all that has happened that day. Her jumbled thoughts are soon interrupted by a knock at the door. From behind it, a familiar voice sounds.

“Layla, it’s Peter! Jonesy is here too. Can we come in?”

Silently, Layla unlocks the door, and returns to her vigil at the sink. The two men enter, giving her worried looks that go unseen. Unexpectedly, it’s Jonesy that breaks the silence that has cultivated between the trio.

“Layla, are you alright?”

“Uh, yeah! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“...”

“Well, I think what Jonesy means is that... You’ve had a stressful day, dear, and you looked anxious when you ran in here. Also, Robert walked by just a few minutes ago, smiling ear-to-ear. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“Peter, he didn’t do anything wrong…” Layla sighs, debating whether she should tell them the whole truth. Remembering the key she had discovered earlier, she pulls it out, and reads the address carved onto the bronze surface. “I’m fine, it’s just… Everything that happened today, it just sunk in? I don’t want to bother you all more than I have already, but I don’t exactly have a car, and I should really be getting home.”

“Of course. I’m sorry we kept you this long, Layla. Though, before you go,” Peter says, fishing a notepad and a ballpoint pen out of his pocket, scribbling a number down onto the paper and ripping it out of the small book. “Here. This is my personal number. I’d like it if you called every so often. As much as they would hate to admit it, these boys have taken a bit of a shining to you.”

“Actually, Peter, could I drive Layla?” Jonesy cut in, smiling lightly at the woman. “There’s something I’d like to talk to her about. Only if you’re okay with that, Layla.”

“Of course, Jonesy. I’d like that.” Layla smiles at Jonesy, and the three of them exit the washroom, Jonesy leading Layla to his car parked out back. Once inside, Jonesy starts up the radio, an Elvis song crackling through on low volume. The man pulls the car out onto the street, and starts the drive over to Layla’s house. Lost in her thoughts regarding what she might find once she gets to her destination, Layla almost doesn't register Jonesy’s deep voice calling her name.

“Sorry, Jonesy, what were you going to say?”

“I know you’re not from here.”

“God, again with the accent? Fine! I’m Canadian, and after high school I moved to—”

“No,” Jonesy sighs, steeling himself for the conversation. “I mean… I know you’re not from this time. You aren’t supposed to be here. In 1975.”

“John… How…”

The man in question, sensing that this wasn’t a conversation to be had while driving, pulls over, and turns to the dazed woman beside him. Her mouth is hanging wide open, lips moving as though she was trying to form words, though nothing comes out.

“Look…”

“What the fuck?”

“I know you’re shocked, Layla. I was too, the first time I witnessed it,” Jonesy puts a gentle hand on Layla’s arm, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. “I know you’re not from now, for lack of a better term, because I have seen this kind of thing before.”

“Jonesy, I don’t…”

“When I was a session man, working with plenty of different bands, I saw a lot of weird things. The weirdest, however, was when, right in the middle of a session, the band’s guitarist disappeared.”

“Do you know what happened?”

Never halting his comforting ministrations, Jonesy continues, sympathy dripping from his voice. “He was in the producer’s booth, listening to a playback while we were fooling around with our instruments. We heard a huge crash, and saw sparks, so we all rushed over to check on him.”

“Then what happened?”

“We couldn’t find him,” Jonesy sighed, eyebrows furrowing. “He was gone for about a day or two, but we were all incredibly worried, so when we heard that he was found, we rushed over to see him. The only thing he said about what had happened to him, was that he ‘figured it out’.”

“That’s all he said?”

“He did say later that he wanted to write a song about time travel,” Jonesy laughs softly, Layla joining in. “Not sure if it ever came to fruition though.”

Layla sobers up now, glancing at her companion helplessly. What if she can’t go home, to her own time? What if she can’t ‘figure it out’? Almost as though he could see the cogs turning in Layla’s brain, Jonesy moves his hand from her arm to rest on her knee, a grounding weight for the anxious woman.

“Layla, I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll get you back home. We can figure it out, just like he did. It will be okay.”

The woman in question can only nod wordlessly, struck by the devotion of her new friend. Jonesy, deeming her to be okay, starts up the car again. A couple minutes pass as Elvis is traded in for Buddy Holly, until Jonesy finally breaks the relative silence.

“So… You and Jimmy?”

“Nothing’s going on with Jimmy.”

“Right,” Jonesy laughs, shaking his head, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Because you didn’t look at him like he hung the stars the first time you saw him, and he certainly didn’t rush past me in the hallway earlier, face the colour of a tomato, Robert’s laugh echoing off the walls behind him.”

“How did you…What?”

“Layla, I’m very observant. Just… Be careful with him, okay? You have to go back sometime, and I know him. He’ll take it hard, and… Things happen, I know they do, but please… Just try and be careful.”

“... John Paul Jones… Are you giving me the shovel talk?”

Laughter fills the small car as they drive through streets that become increasingly familiar. The pair finally pull up to their destination, and Layla is shocked to find that she’s staring back at what looks to be her flat, from her own time. With a hug and sincere words of gratitude, Layla climbs the stairs to the front door, and pushes the key into the lock. Holding her breath, she pushes the door open. Everything is exactly the way it was the day before. The empty coffee mug by the sink remained, and the mail on the dining table hadn’t moved an inch. She rushes upstairs, to find that the turntable was still there, open, though there was no record inside. There were scorch marks on the carpet. Layla throws out a hand, pressing it to the turntable, expecting sparks once more.

Nothing happens.

----------

“Hello?”

“Is… Is this Peter Grant?”

“Layla! I was beginning to think you’d never call,” A chuckle sounds from the other end of the line, tinny through the aged receiver. “How have you been, dear? The boys have been asking about you.”

“Oh? What are they saying?”

“My Goodness, it never stops. I’m surprised they’re not right up against me listening in. It’s always ‘Peter, when is Layla coming back? Peter, Layla could get a job here, as a roadie! Peter, we need our little dove, she’s our good luck charm!’”

“Well… I can guess who the last one came from. Peter, would it be okay if I came down again today? I really did have a good time, despite the circumstances.”

“Of course, of course! You’re welcome anytime, my dear. Here, I’ll send one of the boys out to fetch you. Lord knows they need it, they’re bouncing off the walls with energy.”

Another bout of laughter crackles across the line, and Layla pictures the kind, comforting smile almost permanently etched onto Peter’s face. “Wonderful! Thanks again, Peter. I’ll see you soon!”

“Goodbye, Layla. See you soon.”

“Oh! Peter, before you hang up! I gave the clothes you lent me a wash, and I’ll return them right away!”

Silence, only for a second, seeps into the conversation, until a scoff from the older man cuts it like a knife. “My dear, keep them. Jimmy won’t miss them. In fact, I remember hearing him say to Bonzo earlier, that they ‘look better on Layla anyways.’ Well, I should let you go. We’ll see you soon.”

The line goes dead, and it is not hard to imagine the grin on the man’s face before he hung up. Regardless of if he was telling the truth about what Jimmy had said, the young woman couldn’t help but swoon a little, shades of red dancing across her cheeks. She looks at the neatly folded pile of clothes beside her, and, pressing her nose to the fresh fabric of the sweater, she puts it on. Even with the magic of the washing machine, it still held a foreign scent; one of cigarette smoke, pine and citrus, which harmonized with the subtle smell of the detergent she had used. It was a scent that, on paper, sounded like an odd combination, yet Layla could hardly get enough of it. She had smelled it just the other day, in the studio, when Jimmy was above her, jade eyes boring into hers, curls a midnight halo framing his porcelain face.

The honking of a car horn shatters her concentration, and as she looks out to the street for the source of the disturbance, she sees the grinning face of John Bonham, who is hanging halfway out of the open window, waving frantically.

“Layla! Get in, you slowpoke!”

“God, Bonzo, you’re gonna wake up the whole country if you keep that up!”

“As if that wasn’t the goal, birdie.”

“Birdie? Seriously? My God, you guys are just asking to get hit.”

“By you? Birdie, you couldn’t even reach my face if I was sitting down.”

“Bold of you to assume I’d go for the face first,” A smile of feigned innocence, blooms on Layla’s face. “Question, Bonzo. How much do you value your kneecaps?”

“Ah!” Bonzo exclaims, laughing loud, carefree. “Smart girl, smart girl. Maybe we’ll call you whenever we have arguments.”

“Jonesy’s short enough, just call him. I reckon he could do some damage from down there.”

Peals of laughter ring through the car, just audible under the din of the music that Bonzo insisted on blaring as the newfound friends cruise to the studio. Finally arriving at their destination, the drummer sends a glance over to his companion, taking into account the sweater she is wearing. He lets out a sudden snort, and hides his laughter in his hand. Layla, noticing this odd display shoots him a concerned look.

“You okay, Bonham?”

“You know, birdie, there are other ways to become Ms. Page...”

“...Get out.”

“Layla, you realize this is my car, right?” Layla gives him a heated glare, and as though he could physically see the daggers she was aiming at him, Bonzo exits the car in a huff, mumbling about how “it was just a joke…”

Allowing herself a private smirk, Layla exits the car, hurrying to catch up with her friend, short legs working a mile a minute. Reaching the man, she slings a companionable arm around his waist, and immediately feels an arm wrap around her shoulders in response. The two friends enter the building, giggling anew.

“Layla!” A chorus of voices echoed off the marble floors of the lobby, accompanied by a stampede of approaching footsteps, and the woman in question was swiftly bombarded with a chorus of arms around her, squeezing tightly.

“Really feeling the love here, guys, but I can’t breathe…” The arms relinquish their hold immediately, and Layla is met with the ecstatic faces of her new friends.

“Nice sweater, love.” Jimmy pipes up, sharing a subtle smile with the woman.

“Jim, don’t be surprised if you never get that sweater back. She’s attached now!”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I think she looks stunning in it.” Gone is the bumbling, shy man from before, replaced by confidence and charm. Layla smiles, enjoying this new side of the raven-haired guitarist.

“...Anyways… Little dove, we were just about to rehearse, would you like to sit in?” Robert hooks his arm through hers, an innocent wink tossed haphazardly over his shoulder at the guitarist, who only smirks and shakes his head.

“I would love to, blondie, but enlighten me real fast,” Layla says, giggling at the golden-haired man. “What exactly are you rehearsing for?”  

“I’m glad you asked, Layla,” Jimmy says, swiftly taking her other arm, uncharacteristically playful. “We have a very important tour of North America coming up, and it would be a shame if we came in unprepared, wouldn't it?”

“That’s really cool!” Layla exclaims, exhilaration clear on her face.

“We’ve got some practice shows in Belgium and the Netherlands, and then we’ll be off to the Promised Land.”

“‘The Promised Land’? You guys really need to get out more.”

This is met by raucous laughter by the band, much to the confusion of the woman.

“Oh, sweet, sweet, naive Layla…”

“Remember what I said in the car, Bonzo? About the hitting?” This is accompanied by a friendly smirk, typical of the woman.

“You have so much to learn…” Jimmy continues mischievously, green eyes glinting, earning a strong glare.

“Little dove has such attitude, she’s basically one of us,” Robert sighs dreamily, no doubt playing it up for Layla, earning a chuckle from her in response.

“Okay, now that that’s all over and done with,” Jonesy’s steely blue-gray eyes survey the group, stern as they lock onto the eyes of the band. “Let’s actually play for her. Once in a lifetime opportunity here, Layla.”

“Glad stardom hasn't gone to your head, guys. Truly the most humble group I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.” Laughter accompanies the group as they make their way to the studio, intent on blowing Layla’s mind.

----------

“How about a little Rain Song, boys?” Jimmy says, tuning up the acoustic guitar in his hands, as though it was delicate and precious.

“You just wanna impress Layla, don’t you, Pagey?” Jonesy smirks, teasing the guitarist. Jimmy flushes, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the shy man from before making his brief return.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Jonesy,” Jimmy shoots back, trying for nonchalance, the slight waver in his dulcet voice giving him away. “Does ‘Rain Song’ work for everyone, or are we picking something different?”

A smattering of “works for me,” sounds throughout the studio, and the boys launch right in. Soft sounds of falling rain pour out of the guitar, and Robert’s golden voice floats out like streams of sunlight. Jonesy’s piano trickles through, a mist amongst the downfall, Bonzo’s soft drum beats claps of thunder. The music picks up, becomes harder, like wind in the face of a torrential storm, and then all is still, Robert crooning all the while. Layla is mesmerized, unable to look away at the boys, seemingly glowing with the influence of the music they play. A fragile silence follows the last tinkling of raindrops, one that the occupants of the room are afraid to break.

“... So? How was it?” Bonzo is the first to speak, an apprehensive grin gracing his face.

“It was… You just…”

“Never thought we’d make you speechless, little dove.”

“Ignoring that. It was truly incredible, guys.” Layla’s face lights up in an excited smile, chestnut eyes sparkling as though reflected in a clear pool. The young woman locks eyes with Jimmy then, who sends her a shy smile her way, arresting her where she stands. Layla looks away quickly, cheeks warm.

“Jonesy, your keyboard playing was incredible! It sounded like tiny raindrops! Bonzo, your drumming was just… It was so good! It sounded like thunder, and broke through the rest of the instruments perfectly. Robert, as much as I truly hate to say this…”

“Hey!”

“You were beyond words. You owned those lyrics, and made them almost come alive. I truly felt them. Jimmy… Your guitar. It drove the whole storm, and paired with Jonesy’s little droplets... It was great.  I can’t say enough about this whole performance.”

“I knew we kept her around for a reason.” Bonzo snorts, closing the distance first to hug the young woman, Jonesy following with a smile painted on his aristocratic features.

“Little dove, has anyone ever told you that you should be a music critic?”

“A few times. Now get over here, blondie. You too, Page.”

The embrace is interrupted by the click of the studio door being opened, revealing the hulking figure of the usually soft-natured Peter Grant. Taking in the scene before him, he chuckles heartily, his smile never slipping. Walking over to the group, he claps his hands together in delight.

“I’m glad you’re all getting on. Boys, that was another wonderful performance. If you perform like that on Saturday? God, we’ll rule the world!”

“We’ll need our good luck charm, though.” Jimmy gestures towards Layla, winking at her conspiratorially.

“Peter, is there any way we can bring Layla over?”

“I’m sure we can work something out, Percy. Layla, would you like to join us?”

“Well… I’m sorry, but I’m not sure if I could manage, with the finances of it all. I don’t exactly have a job at the moment...” Layla says sheepishly, eyes cast downwards in embarrassment. Peter scoffs and shakes his head in response, placing his large hand on the young woman’s shoulder.

“My dear, you wouldn’t have to pay even one pence,” Pete explains, kind eyes reassuring as they gaze at the woman in front of him. “Though, if you are worried about something like that, we do always need help in the wings, if you’re interested?”

“Peter, are you sure? I couldn’t just—”

“Layla, for the love of God, just say yes?” Jonesy mutters, huffing out a laugh at the display of stubbornness in front of him.

“I mean, if you’re sure… I’d love to.”

“Wonderful! Now, we leave on Friday. We’ll pick you up at your flat, just make sure you’re packed, dear. We’re happy to have you on board.”

----------

As the calendar pinned to the wall is steadily painted in royal blue ink, Layla’s excitement grows. One more day, and she’ll be on the road, living it up. January 10th couldn't come any faster, it seemed to Layla.

The shrill ringing of the phone interrupts her musings, and as Layla hurries to answer, a smile grows on her face at the thought of the days ahead. As much as she tries to deny it, Layla felt quite fond of the boys already.

“Hey, little dove, I’m leaving right away to pick you up. I’ll explain what’s going on in the car. You don’t need to bring anything. See you in 15.”

“Robert? What—”

“Oh, and Layla?” Smugness dripping from his voice, Layla can already see the cheshire grin the man is sporting, “Wear something nice.”

“Robert—”

Click.

Shock freezing her in place, Layla shakes her head, a featherlight smile gracing her lips. Flying up the stairs to her bedroom, Layla picks out a pair of merlot bell bottoms, paired with a cropped bell-sleeved shirt, a snowy white in colour. Rings scattered across her hands, Layla looks in the mirror, applying some light makeup. Seeing a car pull up to her house, a sleek, rich red against the stormy gray of the curb, she rushed downstairs, waving at the driver. Stepping into the vehicle, she turns to her friend, who smirks, looking her up and down.

“I said to dress nice… This is gonna kill the man.” Robert scoffs, mutters under his breath, tugging playfully on a perfect brown ringlet of Layla’s hair.

“Robert, what’s going on? Why couldn't you explain over the phone?”

“Well, I couldn’t let a certain someone overhear my master plan, could I?” This is met with a blank look from the passenger of the vehicle, and, glancing over quickly, Robert cackles.

“Listen up, little dove,” Robert says, whispering mischievously, starting up the car and pulling away from the flat, “It’s Jimmy’s birthday, and the lot of us were planning something. It would be a shame if we didn’t get his favourite girl in on the secret too!”

“Favourite girl?”

“Oh come on, Layla. Don’t tell me you’re that oblivious!” Robert scoffs, lazily throwing his head to the side to look at his companion, golden locks flying every which way, “The man can’t take his eyes off of you. It’s a whole subject of conversation when you’re not around. I can tell by the colour of your cheeks that you might feel the same…”

“If I say yes, will you drop it?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Should have known… Anyways, what’s the plan here?” Robert winks at her in response, ocean eyes glinting in the warm afternoon sun.

“So, you know quite a bit about guitars, hey?”

“A fair amount? I used to play. What does that have to do with Jimmy’s birthday, though?”

“Well,” Robert starts, grin growing at the confusion of his friend, “We’re gonna throw a little get-together at the studio, but I was thinking, his favourite acoustic keeps breaking, and he hasn’t had much time to fix it yet. This is where you come in, little dove.”

“Don’t leave me in suspense here, blondie.”

“You’re gonna pick out a new acoustic for him.”

“Robert, I don’t know…”

“Don’t worry about the costs,” Robert exclaims, shaking his head vehemently, “I got it all covered. Perks of being in a famous band, I guess. Jim’s not the best at words, you’ve experienced this firsthand. He speaks with his music, and by doing this, you’re speaking his language.”

“I get that, but what… What if he doesn’t like the guitar I pick out?”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Robert laughs out, stealing a glance at his fidgeting companion. “Little dove, you could give him a trash bag and he’d still cherish it. He’ll love whatever you pick out for him.”

Robert parks the car, and turns towards his friend, taking a small hand in his, a comforting smile on his tan face. Giving the hand a squeeze, Layla steps out of the car, and, arm in arm with Robert, they walk into the store.

Strolling through the aisles, Layla was struck at the sheer beauty of the instruments in front of her. Shades of sepia and seafoam green blend into starry blues as she walks on. A body of rich mahogany catches Layla’s eye then, and she knows immediately. This is the one. The pickguard is a deep maroon with swirls of midnight black, thin rings of pristine white surrounding the sound hole. It’s perfect. Layla can’t help but stare, until she feels a tap on her shoulder, accompanied by a light peal of laughter.

“I take it, that's the one, Layla?”

Turning around, caught, Layla’s cheeks warm, and, smiling ever-so-slightly, she nods. Turning to the guitar once more, she trails her fingers across the smooth polished wood of the guitar.

“It’s perfect…”

“He’s gonna love it, just you wait.”

Layla plucks it from it’s resting spot on the wall, and, cradling it with the care of a new mother, she walks with Robert to the front of the store to pay. After a couple of autographs, and a few weird looks, the pair return to the car, finally setting their sights on the studio. Guitar case resting safely in her lap, Layla allows herself a private smile, picturing the face of the guitarist, emerald eyes filled with elation, upon seeing the gift.

“Why are your cheeks so red, little dove? Are you feeling okay?”

----------

taglist: @jimmys-zeppelin @salixfragilis (let me know if you want to be added!)

[tongowheel]

@constablegoo​: 💞rimmer lister? lister rimmer? its cold outsideeee / ROMANTIC INTERESTS.

              “dating rimmer is sort of like... putting on a wet sock because it’s the only one you have, but it’s also your favorite, but because it’s soggy and.... sad, you don’t really want to wear it? yeah. that’s honestly the best description i can give you. like, I LOVE RIMMER. don’t get me wrong. and don’t ask me to explain it either, cuz honestly i can’t. he’s the worst. he’s a weasely insufferable cowardly bastard with such a big stick up his ass it’s a wonder he didn’t realize he was gay sooner. but he’s also me best friend, and we’ve been through so much together... not to mention he really is quite handsome... especially before he started asking holly to fix his hair. those curls he had when he was younger? if he didn’t have such a RANCID personality, i reckon he would’ve been much more successful in his romantic endeavors.”

“also, it’s weird being with a hologram, you know? i mean, our tech is advanced enough that at this point you can barely tell the difference sometimes, but — well, sometimes he starts glitching out when he c—” lister grins and covers his mouth with a hand. “he’s a smeghead, but he’s my smeghead. i can’t imagine my life without him.”

                “david lister is basically the personification of a three-million year old vindaloo that has been half-chewed and then vomited up into the waste extraction unit. he’s disgusting, he smells, he has mold growing on him, he’s utterly repulsive in every way... but — and i can’t believe i’m saying this — i can’t help but feel a certain affection for him anyway. i must be desperate. three million years, and he’s the last human being alive. it’s not as if i have many other options. he’s certainly no yvonne mcgruder. but — well, he’s alright, i suppose.”

“he certainly doesn’t make it easy, but.... i DO love him. don’t know what it says about me. i thought gay men at least had STANDARDS, but lister is like... when you scrape the bottom of the barrel, and still come up empty. all the same, we were... meant to be together, weren’t we? i mean, holly brought me back as a hologram to keep him company, so he must have known deep down. even though he’s since gone senile, there must have been some amount of foresight left from that 6000-IQ. now, if we ever managed to find more human beings somewhere, i’m not saying i wouldn’t find someone better, but that’s not going to happen, and as far as being stranded three million years int he future goes... i’m quite content with how things worked out with us.”

[spiderman-homecomeme]

kiss you once (and then some more)

🎄The Twelve Days of Promptmas🎄 - Day Three

concept: mistletoe kisses

❆❆❆

                            when i close my eyes (it’s just you and i)

It’s almost a mystery, why he’d ever agreed to put himself through the torture of end of the semester gift shopping for the mentally and emotionally exhausted teachers at Midtown. It’s mid-December on a Saturday afternoon. The Karens are out in full force. The shitty jazz cover of Baby, It’s Cold Outside has lasted so long, he wonders if it’s just on an endless loop.

But... he figures if it buys him precious time he gets to spend with MJ, then as far as he’s concerned, it’s all pretty worth it. 

He’s behind her at a loose follow, his hand shoved into his pockets as he glances around the aisles, trying not to only look at her. 

(He’s slightly successful at that.)

It’s funny how he could almost get lost, seeing her expressions shift as she peruses the shelves, her lips twisting in thought as she picks up various pieces of festive art work. It’s all cheesy, of course it is, though none of those seem to draw any sort of reaction from her. But, the dozens and dozens of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe’s get kind of old. 

Though she doesn’t make any verbal indication of her dislike, her face says it all. Brows scrunched ever so slightly, mouth pulled back just a bit. It’s subtle, but Peter’s had plenty of experience staring at her face to know exactly what it is. 

So, caring and curious friend that he is, asks about it. “What?”

“Eh, nothing,” She says, shrugging, clearly not caring. “Just that the mistletoe stuff is kind of stupid. And a bit creepy, if you think about it. Society only accepts it as a tradition because they think it’s an acceptable way to get someone to kiss you.” 

“Oh,” Peter said, nodding quietly. She’s not wrong. 

But he’d be lying if he said he’d never thought of meeting MJ under the mistletoe. 

Though, after hearing her thoughts, he instantly feels bad for ever thinking that about her in the first place, for ever making her play that role in his overactive imagination.

“But,” Michelle adds, still not taking her attention away from the green and red wall decor. “If there’s mutual feelings, more importantly, if there’s consent, then yeah, I guess it’s fine.”

Of course, he agrees with her. Obviously. But… He’s still in that limbo of not being entirely sure what she means by all this. 

“I still think it’s dumb, though,” she concludes. 

Peter nods. “Oh, yeah same.” A beat passes, he knocks his hands together, shifting on his feet as his lips purse.  He’s not sure why he thinks to open his mouth again, to ask what he’s about to ask, but he does. “So, you’d probably never try it, right?” 

She frowns slightly, though it’s not out of upset, only in contemplation. Her brow furrows as she shrugs, and she seems off guard. “Well… I mean—I wouldn’t say… Never…?” Her eyes briefly flick over to him once before training on another interesting sign on the display.

If Peter hadn’t been paying attention, he might not have noticed the slight change in her disposition, the subtle switch from calm and cool to flustered. 

And again, he’s a little dumbfounded as to what to do with this. What could have gotten to her? 

After a beat, she speaks again, any traces of frayed nerves vanishing just like that. “Yeah, I’d do it with someone I liked and trusted. A friend or something, I don’t know.”

His brain short-circuits for a moment.

“Any of your friends?” He finds himself asking, unable to keep the nervous chuckle from bubbling up out of him. 

She tucks an errant curl behind her ear with jittery hands. “Ah—I… I mean. Not just any friend,” she rushes to spit out. “There’s… um—” she swallows, gesturing vaguely. “—one.”

Peter feels his heart jump and skip into his throat, and he just knows that his ears, nose, and cheeks are all turning a bright shade of pink. Though he’s not quite sure if the nervousness he feels is because he thinks she’s talking about someone else—she must be, right?—or if he thinks she’s talking about him. 

But, again, as he tries to think of all their friends, it’s a short list considering how small their circle is, and he’s not sure if he’s seen MJ express interest in any of them. 

That could also mean jack shit, but it’s fine.

“Ned?” He asks, somehow managing to put a teasing edge to his tone. 

MJ huffs out a light laugh. “No,” she replies simply, keeping tight-lipped. 

“Cindy?” 

She shakes her head again. “Mm-mm.”

“Flash?”

The pointed glare she throws over her shoulder is enough to make him laugh in spite of his overactive nerves. He holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay! Okay! Sorry. Got it. I’ll stop.”

The corner of her lip quirks up into a slight smile, and she shakes her head, biting the inside of her cheek as she goes back to the shelves. 

Even though he desperately wants to get to the bottom of this, Peter drops the subject. More than anything, he wants to know who MJ’s thought about kissing under the mistletoe. It fills him with an anxiety he hadn’t known he could feel, the butterflies in his stomach when she looks over at him close to combusting. 

He wonders if he’ll ever find out, if she’ll ever feel comfortable enough to tell him. As much as he wants it to be him—God, he wishes it was—he can’t help but feel that it’s gotta be someone else. 

After all, it only makes sense. 

He and MJ are just friends. 

That’s all they’ll ever be, and he’s perfectly fine with that. 

                         somebody waits for you (kiss her once for me)

Flash’s party is like a minefield; a dangerous plane of holly branches hung above every doorway and low-ish railing, all done in the name of his grand scheme to get some holiday action. It works for the most part; he gets a few kisses from willing participants, and merely moonwalks away from those who scoff and turn their nose up at him. 

It’s not all that bad, Peter supposes. He just has to watch where he’s standing. Sure, he knows he’s not obligated in any way to kiss anyone, but he’d rather avoid the awkwardness if he can. 

The red and green is easy enough for him to spot, just barely visible to where he only has to glance up every few feet. 

Though, maybe he’s paying a little too much attention to where the mistletoe is, and not enough to where he’s actually going.

He runs into MJ not ten feet out of the kitchen. 

She lets out an uncharacteristic yelp as she tumbles back, but Peter’s quick to catch her, one arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her upright again before she can hit the ground. 

“Sorry,” He winces, losing himself for a moment when she doesn’t look away—or pull away, her palm pressed over his heart. 

He can’t help but notice how heavily she’s breathing, how fast her heart races in her chest, though he knows that that could very well be from the almost-fall. 

“Nice catch,” she breathes, the corner of her lips twitching into half-grin. 

A beat passes before Peter realizes he hasn’t said anything, and that he hasn’t let her go yet. Clearing his throat, he yanks his arm away, reaching back to scratch his neck. “You okay?” He asks, suddenly unable to look directly at her. 

She stares down at her drink—the one he’s just realized she’d been holding, thankfully not spilled—seeming to bite back a smile. 

“Yeah!” She says quickly, nodding. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She rocks back on her heels, lips pressing into a line. Another beat passes. “Where’s Ned?” She finally asks casually.

“With, uh—” Peter coughs. “With Betty.” 

MJ gives a single nod, huffing out a single, soft laugh. “Should’ve guessed.” It’s her turn to clear her throat. “Do you wanna… hang out?”

It’s funny that she asks that, because Peter’s sure that’s what his exact wish was just a second before. Neither of them should even have to ask, given their closeness and that they’re already at the same party talking to one another, they’re already “hanging out,” but somehow, this feels different. 

Peter nods, and he follows her close behind to a quieter corner of the house—as quiet as it can be, filled to the brim with tipsy, hormonal teenagers and the thumping bass of an aspiring DJ-slash-Influencer. 

They stand awkwardly in the corner, Peter finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes off of Michelle; the way one side of her curls is pinned back, her bangs still falling in her face. The way her flowy dress flutters every time someone opens the door to the backyard and a breeze sneaks in. 

He realizes after a moment too long of just staring that she’s speaking to him. There’s a shake to her voice, a nervous chuckle under every word she says. 

“It’s cool if you don’t want to—”

“No, sorry, I—” He laughs, bashful, feeling a warmth flood his face. “I—didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

Her lips press together as she bites back another anxious laugh. “Um—” She swallows thickly, looking upward. “There’s… That.”

Peter follows her gaze, his mouth falling open when he sees the delicate, but cheesy mistletoe hanging just above them. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Another beat passes. 

“I—I um… I made a joke about us. Kissing,” MJ admits, her eyes not meeting his. 

“I mean—” Peter lets out a light laugh, blood rushing to his face, ringing in his ears. He feels dizzy, floaty even. “I—I’d be cool. With—with doing that.” 

Her eyes flit up to meet his, her lips curving into that cute small smile he’s always liked. 

“Oh,” she breathes out, looking down again shyly. “Me, too.” 

And then, she leans in, slowly, cautiously. It feels like a million years pass before her lips touch his in the most gentle and softest of kisses, and his head swims at how sweet it all is. 

Turns out, kissing his best friend might be one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

                                       maybe we’ll be all the love

The three gentle raps at her window make her heart skip. She swings her legs over the side of her bed as if on instinct, wrapping the knitted blanket around her shoulders as she makes her way to the window—the one that her upside-down boyfriend’s enthusiastically waving at her through. 

There’s nothing she can do to hold back her smile, even as she desperately tries to seem nonchalant when she yanks the window open a little too hard. 

“Hey,” he says. 

She can already hear his dopey smile before he rips his mask off, tossing it in her room behind her, already leaning in—to kiss her, she assumes. 

“Hi,” she replies, quirking a brow at him, a hand coming up to his chest, holding him back. “You sure that’s safe to just… show your face like that?” A light laugh bubbles up from her, warmth blooming in her face when he shrugs, clearly not having thought that through, the idea of him being so distracted by the idea of kissing her that he throws all sense of secrecy out the window. 

“Eh, I mean—” He chuckles. “You’re the only one who can technically see my face, so…” 

She peeks over the window pane, looking up to see that he’s hanging by a web from the above apartment’s balcony.

A shiver ripples through her when the cold December breeze picks up. Her eyes narrow into a glare. “Are you gonna come in? It’s cold. And you’re letting that in here.”

His lips stretch into a cheeky smile. “Can I get a kiss first?”

MJ’s mouth twists, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. 

“If you come inside, I’ll kiss you.” 

“What if I told you there’s mistletoe right above us?” 

Her expression is blank. She blinks once at him, not looking up like he wants her to. “There’s not,” she deadpans. 

“What if… I’m the mistletoe?”

“Peter—” She almost laughs, wrapping her blanket tighter around her when the cold bites at her skin. 

“Web-stletoe…” He muses. “Mistle-web—”

Michelle leans over the window pane, her hands coming to the back of his hand and pulling him to her, capturing his lips into a sweet kiss. It’s awkward at first, with everything being all switched around, flipped upside down, but they quickly settle in to the feeling. She can feel Peter’s lips quirk upward (down for her) into a smile. 

Suddenly, she finds the cold not so bad. 

When she pulls back, her expression mirrors his own, even as she tries to bite back the dopey grin. 

A light giggle bursts from him, making her heart strings swell with a warm crescendo. 

“Get inside, loser.”

                                     i’m just gonna keep on waiting

It’s cold out on the deck, but Peter doesn’t seem to mind it. As long as he’s sitting by the fire pit, he can ignore the way the breeze nips at his face, no doubt turning the tip of his nose and apples of his cheeks a bright shade of red. With the fire and a mug of hot cocoa in hand, he’s set for a peaceful night. 

His friends are all still inside, no doubt drinking it up while some holiday movie plays in the background. It’s not as if he doesn’t want to be in there celebrating with them, to be listening to Flash tell his likely overdramatized stories about random celebrities he’d met while going to school in LA, to hear Gwen and Cindy drunkenly singing along to every Bublé song that comes on. It’s such an overwhelmingly happy, cheerful atmosphere inside. 

So much so, that he felt he needed a moment of just… nothing. 

But then, the gentle click of the backdoor opening cuts the moment short, though not that he minds really. 

He looks over his shoulder, immediately standing on instinct when MJ walks through and closes the door behind her. 

“Hey,” he breathes, smiling slightly. 

She startles, not realizing he’s been out here. “Oh, hey.” 

There’s an awkwardness lingering in the air, pressing on his shoulders as they both offer half-hearted waves. 

Breaking-up can really put a damper on things. 

It had happened months ago, but it almost feels like a hundred years; so long since they’d mutually ended things before going off to college. There’s no bad blood between them. Not at all. In fact, he considers MJ to still be one of his closest friends. 

Sure, they went from kissing, holding hands, sleeping together—being together—to just friends, but… It hasn’t been so bad. They both knew it wouldn’t last in college, both of them worried about things going south. 

So, they ended everything before it had a chance to. 

And again. It’s fine. These things happen. People grow apart when they go off to college. It’s perfectly normal. 

Plus, Peter’s just glad that he still gets to have MJ in his life at all. 

“What’re you… doing out here?” She asks slowly, folding her arms across her chest to keep warm. 

“Oh, uh—” He shrugs, glancing around the porch, the awning above them, back at the fire pit. He mirrors her actions, rocking back on his heels. “Just needed some air. You know. You?”

She nods before letting out a faint huff of laughter. “Brad, uh—Brad just can’t seem to take a hint. So…”

A slow smile spreads across Peter’s face. “You’re hiding from him.”

She recoils in defense, brow furrowing. “I am not hiding from him,” she insists, stepping away from the door and closer to the fire. 

Closer to Peter. 

“I just… thought I’d come out here—” she starts softly, Peter finding himself drawn in immediately as she stops in front of him. She shrugs. “—at the same time he happened to go to the bathroom. Not hiding.”

Peter’s smile grows, and he tips his head at her. “Uh-huh.”

MJ huffs, rolling her eyes goodnaturedly. She glances up to the awning above them, her mouth falling open in surprise at what she sees hanging from the rafters. 

“What?” Peter asks, looking up with her, feeling a warmth bloom in his face when he sees. 

Mistletoe. Of course. 

The two of them laugh quietly, chuckling to themselves. 

“Wow,” MJ says, lips twisting in amusement. “Well. I mean—”

“—I guess—” Peter shrugs, scratching the back of his neck. 

“—If you want,” MJ offers slowly, her eyes not leaving his, the warmth in them making his cheeks burn. There’s something in her smile that takes him all the way back to that first party he’d kissed her at, makes him want to lean in. “For old time’s sake?” 

He chuckles breathily. “Yeah. For old time’s sake.” 

It should be harmless, right? At least, that’s what he thinks as he leans in, his hand naturally finding a home on the side of her face, delicately cupping her jaw as he presses his lips to hers.

But it’s a feeling so familiar, a feeling he’s missed more than words could ever begin to describe, and it’s as if the numbness from the past few months has vanished, giving way to the permanent molten ache in his chest. He sighs softly, pulling her closer, an arm coiling around her waist. Her hands come up to wrap around his shoulder, threading softly through the curls at the nape of his neck as she deepens the kiss. 

They’ve missed this, so much, their chests locking together like magnets, pulled apart for so long. 

And it’s in that moment, as they kiss by the fire, holding each other close, that they both silently thank whoever put that damn mistletoe there. 

                                         and telling me, “i love you”

“Honey, I’m hooooome,” Peter calls into the apartment, bags of groceries balanced in the crook of his arms, one propped precariously on his shoulder, supported only by the tips of his fingers as he kicks the door shut behind him. 

“Thank God,” MJ groans from the couch, not moving from her spot as she holds a hand up and out for him. “Hey,” she calls to him again when he sets the paper bags on the kitchen counter. “C’mere. Check this out.”

There’s a smile already growing on Peter’s face as he walks over, one bag still tucked in his arm. “What?”

Grinning from ear to ear, MJ lifts the bottom of her shirt, showing her growing bump. It’s not huge yet, but twelve weeks in, and she’s certainly bigger than normal. 

“Woah!” Peter’s eyes light up, though he tends to do that every time he looks at her belly now. He puts the bag down, kneeling down next to her, one of his hands coming to smooth over her bump. “There’s a little baby in there.”

“I think we’ve established that,” she jokes, her hand gently patting his. “Probably still looks a lot like a sea monkey right now.”

“In a cute way, right?”

Her smile widens. “Definitely in a cute way.”

His hand stays on her bump as he leans in to place a gentle peck on her forehead, his eyes sparkling when he pulls back to look at her. “What’s the fruit size for twelve weeks?”

“I think the app said a plum?” 

Peter awwwws, now leaning down to place a kiss right on her belly. “My li’l plum.” 

MJ makes a face at that.

“Fine,” He huffs. “Our li’l plum.”

“You’re such a dork,” she laughs, nudging him gently on the shoulder. 

He snickers back before placing another set of kisses along her growing stomach. One spot makes a giggle bubble up from her chest, and she jumps slightly. “If you keep doing that you’re gonna get kicked.” 

“By you or the baby?”

“Me. Can’t feel the baby yet.”

Peter closes his eyes, laughing into her shirt before sitting back on his heels. 

Her smile is soft as she looks at him. Her dork. She shifts her attention to the bag he’d brought over, finding herself curious. “What’s in the bag?” 

Again, his eyes light up as he lets out a gentle gasp. “There’s more in the kitchen, but this bag has all the goodies in it.” He reaches a hand in, pulling out a giant tin of hot chocolate mix and another of loose leaf peppermint tea. “For you, of course.” 

“Amazing.” 

“I also got some of those Hawaiian sweet rolls,” he says, grabbing exactly that. “You mentioned wanting those the other day, I think.”

She did.

“Then…” His tongue sticks out as he searches the bag. “I got some ice cream. I didn’t know if you’d want cookies and cream or chocolate chip… so I just got both.”

“Thank you. You’re so sexy when you can’t make decisions.” 

Peter snorts, playfully shrugging off her hand that’s trying to dramatically caress his face. “And—stop that—and—” He laughs, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he holds out a cheap, plastic mistletoe. “This.”

She rolls her eyes, half-heartedly pushing his hand away. “Peter.” 

“It was in the check-out line! I was waiting a long time. I got bored.” 

And she shakes her head, smiling fondly. “I love you.”

He throws a wink at her before holding the mistletoe up between them, laughing when she grabs it from him and tosses it aside before pulling him in for a tender kiss. 

His eyes are gleaming when he pulls back, one hand moving back to rest on her bump, his thumb drawing soothing lines into her skin. 

“I love you, too.”

[latibulx]

Gaeul - anemone, angelica, begonia, chamomile, edelweiss, gladiolus, heliotrope, holly, hydrangea, lavender, lotus, pansy, peony, poppy, rhododendron, rose, salvia, sunflower, willow

❥     𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒    [   𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂    ] ㅡ closed ㅡ @jaebbongi

anemone :   how does your muse view the world ;   as a cruel   &   unforgiving place ,   a land full of wonders ,   or something in - between ? where does that world view come from   (   what experiences ,   life lessons ,   etc .   ) ?  

In spite of what happened to her family and the people she has lost over the course of the years, Gaeul remains an unbelievable optimistic kind of girl and sees the world as something beautiful and filled with wonders and magic that goes beyond her understanding. There’s always so much more to experience and discover and learn and she thinks that it beats every bad happening in her life. Even though it wasn’t the case a couple of years ago after the loss of her parents, she’s definitely thankful that she is alive and that she is able to experience so much in her daily life. 

angelica :   where does your muse draw inspiration in life ?   what motivates them ?

The world inspires her, and not only the world around her but also the worlds from the books she reads. Imaginary worlds, real worlds, all of them inspire her - but also the persons she meets whether they’re alive or fictional. For Gaeul, they all are a source of inspiration. As for her motivation, it’s also the world, and the wish to share her views of the many worlds in her head with others. 

begonia :   how cautious is your muse ?   are they prone to noticing red flags ,   or paranoid to the point of untrusting most everyone ?   why or why not ?  

Gaeul isn’t one to be cautious at all. She’s far too curious and adventurous for her own good and that can obviously lead her to risky situations. I’d like to say that the older she gets, the less adventurous she is, but that’s not exactly true because she is thirsty for knowledge and for such experiences that take her breath away. 

( I believe she’ll have different kind of experiences once she becomes a mother, though! )

chamomile :   what is your muse likely to take away from a painful experience ?   are they one to be haunted by adversity ,   or to use what they’ve gone through to become stronger ?  

Painful experiences teach her as much as they haunt her.  She’ll reflect on what happened and use it for the future but she’s also likely to think about it more times than necessary, overthink and get doubts and insecurities and fears from it. That’s why she distracts herself by reading so many books, because at least it quiets her mind for a little while.

edelweiss :   what was the bravest moment in your muse’s life ?  are they known to be courageous from then on ?  

The bravest moment in Gaeul’s life was when she had to keep on living and being a bright young girl after her little brother passed away. Being by her parents’ side even though they were broken beyond repair, reminding them that she was still here, that they still had a daughter to care for, it was when she had to be the bravest. And her courage has definitely stemmed from that moment on, especially when she has then moved into her grandparents’ house for her parents weren’t able to take care of her anymore. Keeping this experience in the back of her mind at all times, but also the fact that there were hands to hold her when she needed it was kept her going during her difficult teenage years. 

gladiolus :   describe a moment from your muse’s life that they will never forget .

I’ll go with the first time she has stepped into the library that will then become her workplace. She was in her first year of middle school and for some reason she was unable to make friends easily. Perhaps it was because she looked closed off, or because she was always the nose in a big book, but she spent most of her time on her own whether it was at shcool or during her free time; she didn’t mind much because it felt comfortable like this. Gaeul didn’t want to be a burden for her grandparents, and living near Myungdeong she was often wandering around the market and the busy streets; until one day she just happened to see a couple of wooden doors, almost concealed in between two large buildings. Curious as ever, she clutched the book she had been reading against her chest and went to open the door: that’s when her life changed for the better, because it was an old, gorgeous library like the ones you can imagine in fantasy books/movies. Immediately, she marvelled at the wooden shelves, at the old scent that surrounded her and for the first time in a long, long time, a wide smile pulled at her mouth and lightened up her whole face. Almost as if she had finally found her real home.

heliotrope :   does your muse believe in soulmates ?

Absolutely! Whether it’s platonic or romantic soulmates, she absolutely loves the idea that some people are just meant to be in each other’s life. It’s a heartwarming thought and she also believes that someone can have several soulmates in their life. There’s no limitations when it comes to soulmates, at least in Gaeul’s mind. 

<holly :   how strong is your muse’s sense of intuition ?  are they aware of it ?   do they ever fear that it is only paranoia ?  

She’s pretty intuitive but isn’t completely aware of it. She does follow her guts a lot of times but sometimes will think that it’s simply her curiosity acting or just out of sheer luck. 

hydrangea :   how much does your muse value communication in their relationships with others ?  are they prone to being misunderstood ?

Gaeul talks a lot and thinks communication is important, especially because she always has a lot going on in her mind and she wants to make sure that she is on the same page as the person she’s talking with. She tries not to let misunderstandings happen but sometimes it’s just inevitable and all she can do is try to communicate better to ease both heart and mind. 

lavender :   how easy is it to gain your muse’s trust ?  once their trust is broken ,   how might one go about mending it ?  

It’s very easy to gain Gaeul’s trust because she’s someone who likes people, who likes to hear and share stories. She can be incredibly friendly and always tries to remain optimistic and have a positive mindset no matter what happensㅡ and if that trust happens to be broken at some point, they honestly just have to talk it out to mend it. Gaeul will just accept it without a second thought because if the person made an effort then it means that they regret it and that they want to do better. There’s no reason to reject them in that case. 

lotus :   has your muse ever felt as though they’ve been reborn ?  have they ever desired the feeling of a fresh start ,   or a better understanding of themself and/or the world around them ?  

She hasn’t felt like she was reborn but she isn’t against the idea, it’s actually a thought that she finds to be lovely. And she’s had her fresh start, after the loss of her parents, Gaeul went to a trip around the world to find herself, to heal her broken heart, and to meet new people. Not only was it healing but it was also eye-opening about how many people were constantly struggling on a daily basis but also trying their best no matter what. It gave her the courage to come back to Seoul and to stop running away from the pain she had attempted to ignore all this time. 

pansy :   does your muse often reflect on their own actions ?   do they ever think a lot about the past ,   and what they could have done differently ?

It isn’t rare for Gaeul to be caught in the past. Her memories, her past actions and experiences are often what drives her to keep moving forward. She knows that it’s pointless to think of what ifs, but she simply can’t help herself. The past has built her into the woman that she is in the present and she cannot stop herself from looking back from often than necessary. And the past, for Gaeul, can be as far as when she was a little girl, but also just the past day. 

peony :   what would a   ‘  happy life  ’   look like in your muse’s eyes ?

A happy life for Gaeul would be a life where she has her own family (probably several kids coughs) and they’re living in a house close to the countryside but also close enough to the city so she can go to work. Ideally, she’d be a writer with some published books since it’s a longtime dream she has yet to make come true, but what truly matters to her is to have a loving family of her own. 

poppy :   what comforts your muse ?

Books, her cats, writing, a rainy day, being at the library, Teddy.

rhododendron :   is your muse receptive to warnings   &   advice given by others ?

Yes, quite. She believes that if she is warned about something or if someone is given her some advice then it must be for a reason and it would be rude to ignore them and not take their words into account. It doesn’t mean that she’ll entirely follow them, but she’ll still keep them in mind. 

rose :   how much does your muse value other people ?   do they wish to have many friends ,   lovers ,   and/or associates ?   are they an easy person to love ?

Gaeul does value other people, especially if they become a part of her life. And she is also pretty aware that every life, whether she knows them or not, is important on this planet. However, she doesn’t seek to have many people in her life, she’s happy with just having a small group of friends, with having just one lover. The number of people she has in her life doesn’t define who she is as a person, after all. Regardless, she is easy to love, she is lovable and endearing, and she also loves easily despite the risks of getting hurt in the way. 

salvia :   is your muse possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them ?  how do they express that possessiveness ,   or lack thereof ?

I can’t say that she is very possessive. She knows that people come and go, and the same applies to things. However, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care or that she doesn’t feel even a bit of possessiveness because she does. I’d say she’d express it in subtle ways, in ways she wouldn’t be even aware of: if it’s over someone, I can see it in questions she’d ask the other, in expressing some of her concerns and probably in being a bit more touchy than usual without overstepping her boundaries. 

sunflower :   what brings your muse the most joy in life ?  

Being alive. Feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. Reading a book on her couch or in her bed and having her cat curled up on her lap or close to her. Loving someone who returns her feelings. 

willow :   how does your muse handle sadness   &   depression ?

Not well, obviously as it led her to leave everything behind to go on a trip around the world by herself. She tends to close off and retreat into where she feels the safest, aka in the world of books. And it might take a while before she comes out of it feeling better. 

[fluffy-yoongi]

“Well, what do you think?”

You’re mind was racing at the suggestion your boyfriend just made. Walk down the red carpet with him? At the Grammy’s? Sure, the two of you had been together for nearly 4 years, and been public for around half of the relationship, but you’d never been photographed or done an event with just him. All the guys were going, but Yoongi was on double duty being nominated not only for group with BTS, but for record of the year for a song he had produced on Halsey’s new album.

“I don’t even have anything to wear.” It wasn’t your first though, your first thought was hell no, I can’t handle that, but you also didn’t want to show your boyfriend how nervous you were.

Your boyfriend laughed as he leaned into kiss your cheek. “Babe, you’re not only dating THE Min Yoongi, but you’re walking down the carpet with me and BTS. If you have an outfit you want, talk to one of the stylist, they can get it. I know it seems terrifying, but you have me, and all the boys, right beside you. You can squeeze my hand until you break my fingers if you need to.”

You don’t know how you lucked out meeting one of the sweetest guys in the world, but you were so happy you did. You pressed a soft kiss onto his lips, then took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Really?” His face broke into one of the biggest gummy smiles you’d ever seen him display. It was right up there with the smile he gave you after your first kiss, when you said i love you for the first time and when you first moved in together. You couldn’t help but smile and blush at the sight. “Plus, we have some time off before the show, so if you want, we can fly out a few days early. Maybe do some shopping, go to the beach, or just lay in a fancy hotel room and order carts of room service.”

“Hmmm, I like the sound of that. I mini vacation with just my boyfriend?” You wrapped your arms around his neck and left but an inch between your bodies. “Maybe we just stay in the room the whole time?” You let the words linger in his ear as a whisper and felt his jaw clench at your words.

“We can do that, until Sunday.” He’d been with you long enough to know that you were trying to get him to skip the show. “Now,” he placed a kiss on your forehead before breaking your hold, “I have to get to the studio. I’ll be home before dinner. Find a something you want to wear and send it to the stylists.” And with one final kiss, he threw on a coat and shoes, then headed off the studio.

You spent the rest of the morning looking at recent runways to see if there was anything you liked, but everything just seemed so bland. There were some vintage YSL dresses you’d always loved, but you didn’t know the reality of getting them for the carpet.

“He did say anything...” You thought out loud while Holly slept across your outstretched legs.

“Well, Holly, here goes nothing...” You gave him a few scratches as you set your phone down and reached for the remote to the tv. It was still about 6 weeks before the Grammy’s so hopefully you could get the dress.

The next few weeks seemed to somehow fly by, and before you knew it, you and Yoongi were taking off to LA for your mini vacation before the rest of the boys and crew came. You had a text message waiting for you as soon as you landed, and it was from the stylist.

The next few days flew by. You and Yoongi left the room once to go watch the sunrise, but it was so seldom you had more than 12 hours uninterrupted, to have 72 of them before everyone arrived on Friday felt like a dream. Plus, You knew Satuday he would be doing interviews all day, and Sunday You’d both be getting ready, so it was nice to just be together. You had been together long enough, that just laying in each other’s arms while watching reruns on cable just felt comfortable together. You didn’t need to talk or go out or anything like that to be content and happy, and you loved that about him.

Saturday arrived and while the boys were out doing interviews, you tried on the dress and went over what styling you wanted to do with the look. “I was thinking an old hollywood look with hair and makeup, just some earrings and having my body just glow?”

“We’re on the same page. I brought some reference photos for you, but Inthink the accessories and shoes I’ve pulled will be perfect.”

The dress fit like a glove, and for the first time you were getting excited, rather than nervous.

You changed back into your t-shirt and leggings while the stylist hid everything in her room so yoongi wouldn’t find it. “Hair ans Makeup will be here at 10, I’ll chase Yoongi out when they get here for you.”

You said thank you, then she left the room, and you settled back into the bed and turned on a movie so your boyfriend wouldn’t suspect anything when he arrived back. When he got back, he tried to press you for any information on what you were wearing, but you kept your lips sealed. The two of you snuggled in for a full nights sleep, and before you knew it, he was waking you up to let you know breakfast had arrived.

“Are you sure we can’t get ready together?” His eyes shifted up from the toast he was spreading jam on to you.

“Yes. I want to surprise you. You’ve never seen me fully glammed and dressed up. I see you in suits and tuxes all the time. Think of it as a late christmas gift.”

He let out a soft sigh, and small pout before finishing his breakfast and hopping in the shower. “You can join me if you want.” His little head poked out from behind the bathroom door.

“Fine, but then you have to go to the boys, so I can get ready.”

If he could have made the shower last 3 hours he would have, but you shut it down after about a half an hour because you didn’t want to get pruny. “Babeeee. Please, just five more minutes.” He planted soft kisses on your bare shoulder.

“Hair and makeup is going to be here in 15 minutes.” You’re body was getting cold from being wet, but still warm from the touch of your boyfriend.

“Fine.” He stuck his lips out in a pout before wrapping you up in a towel, followed by himself. You could help but laugh at his pout, leaning into a playful kiss. “I’ve just loved being here the last few days, like a real couple, why can’t we do this as a couple too?”

“We can for every other event until we’re old and wrinkled.” You slipped on the pullover your boyfriend had slept in as he grabbed some sweat pants from his luggage. “Now, go hang out with the boys and get ready. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

He left you with one last lingering kiss before he left making you feel almost like you were high. You had about 4 minutes to regain your composure before there was a knock on the door. Hair, makeup and your dress were all out there waiting.

You had three photos for the hair and makeup team to show them the kind of look you wanted. You also showed them the dress. The all agreed, soft makeup, swept back hair and glowing skin was the way to go with the dress. You didn’t realize it would take so long, but after nearly 3 hours, hair and makeup was done.

Next came getting dressed. You could feel the knot in your stomach knowing this was the last thing you need to do. You slipped on the dress, put in vintage earring yoongi had gotten you for your birthday, a pair of black YSL heels, and took one last breath before you went to walk out the door.

You grabbed your phone and saw a message from your boyfriend waiting for you.

You smiled, then headed down to the lobby. You saw the boys before they saw you. You slowly walked into the lobby, heels clicking on the title floor. Everyone began to complement you, but everything went silent when you saw your boyfriends face. He started studding you for a few seconds, then a smile completely engulfed his face and he had to look away. You’d seen him have this reaction to you before, but it was never when you were wearing something in public.

You walked up to him, and he stood up, taking you hand and having you spin. “I already knew you were the must beautiful woman in the world, but damn.”

He couldn’t stop scanning your body, and you felt a warmth grow inside. “So you like it? I look okay?” You asked, your nerves fading with each soft stroke of this thumb on the back of your hand.

“I couldn’t even have imagined something this beautiful.” He placed a soft kiss on your cheek slightly lingering with his nose on your face.

“Come on love birds, the cars are here. You can have you own.” Namjoon broke the two of you out of your trance, and Yoongi laced his fingers with yours as he lead you to the door.

You stopped him and leaded in for a kiss before you walked out the door. You brushed your lips against his as he was still lingering from the kiss and whispered. “By the way, this dress is so tight, I’m not wearing anything underneath it.”

And with that, your boyfriend turned the color of a tomato as you drug him to the car.

[pocmuzings]

who are your top five rp/rph/writing blogs

i have so many , PHEW this is hard !

@stevenyuens : it goes without saying . nae is a writer that gives and gives and consistently produces the most incredible content . i don’t deserve her . nobody deserves her . she can make you feel SO much . her writing is literally so emotive and personal and beautiful . i couldn’t recommend or scream about her enough . everything about every single one of nae’s characters never fails to touch my heart and my soul , and make me ache . nae is my safety blanket , i bring her with me everywhere i go bc im obsessed with her . 

@frgilebones : another ICON . holly is not only an incredible writer , but an incredible friend and thats what MAKES writing fun . it’s fun to talk to her . it’s fun to learn about her . it’s INCREDIBLE to learn about her characters and everything she gives them  . she gives them so much depth . i don’t know how she does it , but she can create the most incredibly detailed characters and make u fall in love with them . she’s also so selfless ? she will listen to ANYTHING u have to say about ur own character too . she’s incredibly supportive as a writing partner. 

@heavcnward : moosh  . .  when will u return to me . i haven’t created such a nuanced 3-dimensional painful-angsty-wholesome-smutty ship  ..  possibly Ever . there are some ships and characters that you reread threads of a million times . there are some people who just stay with you forever , and thats moosh to me . i literally love her so much and i miss her so so much . she gave me some of the best writing i’ve ever had . she consumed my whole life . i love her so dearly. moosh gives you EVERYTHING all the time . writing with her is  . . like astral projecting . i’ve never written with someone who was on my level , and basically a mind-reader ???

@daniellemaries : one of the most important people in the rpc if you ask me . filled with eloquent words and a thrive for constant diversity . .  they make ME want to be a better person . they do nothing but absolute wonders for the rpc by calling out bullshit , and making sure that no voice gets drowned out or swallowed  . they give minorities a platform to scream off of .  i consistently admire them from afar , but i also just genuinely think they’re fantastic and give me a lot of hope for the rpc in general ! 

@dear-indies​ : i don’t know where i’d be without their shining beacon of a blog ! another huge huge staple to the rph/ rpc community . they are up-to-date , diverse, and overall incredible at what they provide an ever-changing community ! i would say they are a number one ‘ must follow ‘ rph / rpc blog because they are so resourceful and easy to navigate ! 

and bc i can’t stick to five , here are some special mentions :

@aerospaced : for teaching me how to find the beauty in words , and how to love writing again . if you want to feel inspired , i recommend u read her wip !

@acvdemias : it hasn’t been that long but admittedly, ur incredible and u constantly cheer me on and give me nothing but pure enthusiasm and adoration and u make it very easy to get excited to write

@kueyens​ : i’m so so glad to be writing with u again . writing with u was always one of my absolute favourite things to do  . u always helped me resurrect muse in even the deadest of muses . u always give me incredible things to work off. 

@herorps : ur faceclaim directory is literally my number one go to  and i can’t even IMAGINE how much work u put into it . u astound me . thank you so much for everything u do . 

@gomezisabellas​ : u are the kindest person in this entire hellhole and u deserve nothing but good things . thank you for making the rph / rpc a kinder place , and always looking out for others . ur selflessness is noted by me , and i adore you very very much .